EVANGELICAL ST. JOHN’S GERMAN LUTHERAN
CEMETERY
SHARON CENTER, JOHNSON COUNTY, IOWA
St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery is located ten miles south of Iowa City. Travel south on four-lane Highway 1 South, then approximately two miles farther on two-lane Highway 1 South. Turn left (south) at the Sharon Center Road and proceed five miles to Sharon Center. Continue south one mile. St. John’s Cemetery is located on the right (west) side of Sharon Center Road.
Information provided by Colleen Sehr and submitted on June 15, 2002.
The following information is located on a plaque along with a plat map in the cemetery:
"St. John’s Lutheran Church" served for many years (1870-1977) the spiritual needs of the small German community of Sharon Center, Iowa. Services in German provided important cultural ties with the homeland of the most of the congregation and contributed to the sense of community among strangers in their new land.
The congregation was organized in 1870 by immigrants from Germany and Switzerland who had come in 1866. It began as a mission under Reverend J. Hoerlin, Sr. and was formally incorporated in 1865. The church was built by parishioner, Albert Drews, with help from the entire congregation.
English services were introduced in 1905 "for the benefit of the younger members". In the years between 1900 and the official closing of the church in 1955 the congregation shared ministers with Zion Lutheran Church in Iowa City.
In 1967 St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery Association was incorporated to care for the buildings and grounds. The National Register of Historic Places accepted St. John’s Lutheran Church on its roll in 1977. During a severe storm a huge tree beside the church fell on it, making it impossible to preserve the church.
The beautiful cemetery adjacent to the church continues to give solace and comfort to the descendants of those who have been laid to rest there.
In Loving Memory
Erected 1989
|
Last Name |
First Name |
Born |
Died |
|
Back (10th) Row Left to Right |
|||
|
Kesselring |
Emilie |
Jan 1, 1866 |
May 1877 |
|
Bettcher |
Carl |
May 21, 1870 |
June 21, 1886 |
|
Frank |
Margerette |
Feb 14, 1879 |
Jan 16, 1881 |
|
Meinike |
Elsie |
Aug 30, 1887 |
Sept 8, 1887 |
|
Konrad |
Ferdenard |
July 23, 1889 |
Sept 21, 1889 |
|
Helm |
Elsie |
May 7, 1889 |
Aug 7, 1890 |
|
Yordie |
Elsie |
Nov 11, 1895 |
Mar 29, 1896 |
|
9th Row Left to Right |
|||
|
*Barz |
Anna M |
Jan 2, 1826 |
Feb 13, 1879 |
|
Kesselring |
Anna Carolina |
Oct 1, 1872 |
Feb 10, 1890 |
|
Hoffmeister |
Charlotte |
Oct 10, 1804 |
Apr 18, 1880 |
|
Bettcher |
Fridericke |
Oct 17, 1866 |
Apr 17, 1881 |
|
Hoffmeister |
Christoph |
Jan 15, 1796 |
Oct 15, 1884 |
|
Falk |
Christlieb |
July 16, 1816 |
Sept 17, 1886 |
|
Falk |
Pauline |
Sept 10, 1820 |
Feb 28, 1897 |
|
Meer |
John |
Oct 12, 1839 |
July 24, 1896 |
|
Meer |
Bertha |
Oct 26, 1848 |
Sept 18, 1886 |
|
Siehrig |
George |
Jan 2, 1822 |
Sept 15, 1888 |
|
Suhrig |
Barbara |
Jan 12, 1829 |
Mar 12, 1889 |
|
Siegling |
Christiane |
Apr 15, 1809 |
Dec 28, 1889 |
|
Sigling |
Christoph |
Nov 18, 1808 |
Mar 12, 1894 |
|
8th Row Left to Right |
|||
|
Treptow |
Dorthathea, M |
Mar 12, 1814 |
Sept 9, 1890 |
|
Walter |
Johann, G |
1818 |
1896 |
|
Walter |
Katherine |
1837 |
1914 |
|
Sommer |
Andreas |
Aug 30, 1828 |
Jul 28, 1890 |
|
Sommer |
Ottellie |
Jan 11, 1846 |
Jan 1, 1936 |
|
Roessler |
Gottlieb, F |
Mar 20, 1821 |
May 10, 1889 |
|
Roessler |
Louisa |
1838 |
1925 |
|
Monk |
John |
||
|
Monk |
Caroline |
Jan 1, 1917 |
July 26, 1891 |
|
Sommer |
Christian |
Sept 1, 1831 |
Oct 1, 1909 |
|
Sommer |
Augusta, A |
Aug 28, 1847 |
Mar 20, 1894 |
|
Wachholz |
Charlotte |
Dec 25, 1820 |
Mar 17, 1896 |
|
Kortz |
Pastor John |
Feb 19, 1838 |
Aug 17, 1896 |
|
7th Row Left to Right |
|||
|
Walter |
George |
Jan 30, 1868 |
Jan 21, 1939 |
|
Sommer |
Cora, M |
Nov 15, 1887 |
Feb 18, 1902 |
|
Sommer |
Christian, R |
Mar 19, 1873 |
Nov 2, 1900 |
|
Siegling |
Marcus |
Jan 5, 1868 |
Sept 9, 1900 |
|
Bettcher |
William |
1832 |
1901 |
|
Bettcher |
Dorothea |
1830 |
1904 |
|
Siegling |
Jimmie |
Mar 1899 |
Dec 1907 |
|
Kutchenreitter |
Hanna |
July 29, 1870 |
Mar 12, 1899 |
|
Sass |
Annie |
Apr 18, 1876 |
Sept 4, 1898 |
|
Yordi |
Anna |
Nov 9, 1856 |
Apr 15, 1898 |
|
Kesselring |
Caroline |
Nov 26, 1897 |
|
|
Zager |
August, B |
Mar 21, 1843 |
Jan 17, 1905 |
|
Zager |
Wilhelmine |
Feb 24, 1843 |
Nov 4, 1896 |
|
6th Row Left to Right |
|||
|
Hoppe |
Friedrich |
Aug 18, 1828 |
Dec 25, 1908 |
|
Hoppe |
Louisa |
Jan 30, 1844 |
Mar 25, 1926 |
|
Klineschmidt |
William, F |
Oct 23, 1943 |
Oct 11, 1910 |
|
Klineschmidt |
Johanna |
Sept 9, 1844 |
Jan 28, 1915 |
|
Amelon |
Elisabeth |
Mar 10, 1822 |
Jan 10, 1911 |
|
Roessler |
Pauline |
May 26, 1880 |
Apr 26, 1916 |
|
Amelon |
Augusta |
Sept 11, 1855 |
Mar 6, 1917 |
|
Kesselring |
Gottlieb |
Nov 10, 1836 |
Oct 11, 1921 |
|
Kesselring |
Albertine, C |
Sept 7, 1845 |
Feb 18, 1921 |
|
Venzke |
Reinhard |
Jan 8, 1857 |
Mar 24, 1930 |
|
Venzke |
Bertha |
Sept 4, 1857 |
Apr 5, 1907 |
|
Hesselschwerdt |
George, J |
Nov 9, 1902 |
Jan 31, 1903 |
|
5th Row Left to Right |
|||
|
Graeper |
Gustave, C |
1845 |
1918 |
|
Graeper |
Theresa, W |
1855 |
1924 |
|
Graeper |
Elsie, G |
1889 |
1918 |
|
Kleinschmidt |
Albert |
Sept 9, 1877 |
Nov 1, 1923 |
|
Kleinschmidt |
Minnie Heeds |
Oct 11, 1880 |
May 28, 1918 |
|
Kleinschmidt |
Minnie, R |
May 25, 1918 |
Jan 9, 1919 |
|
Kleinschmidt |
Frank, A |
May 25, 1918 |
Apr 3, 1919 |
|
Hoppe |
Paul, F |
May 22, 1920 |
Aug 18, 1920 |
|
Eyman |
Vera, M |
Mar 7, 1921 |
Mar 12, 1921 |
|
Sass |
William, J |
July 9, 1847 |
Mar 22, 1926 |
|
Sass |
Caroline, D |
Oct 15, 1843 |
Jan 23, 1923 |
|
Sahs |
Alvin |
Nov 13, 1923 |
Nov 16, 1923 |
|
Venzke |
Theresa |
Feb 25, 1863 |
Mar 13, 1928 |
|
Venzke |
Irene, R |
1915 |
1976 |
|
Venske |
Albert, R |
1912 |
|
|
4th Row Left to Right |
|||
|
Gaffaner |
|||
|
Kuester |
John |
Sept 13, 1848 |
Apr 29, 1926 |
|
Kolstad |
Doris, M |
Aug 7, 1932 |
Nov 7, 1932 |
|
Moll |
Gustave |
1872 |
1937 |
|
Moll |
Bertha |
1881 |
1961 |
|
Kutchenwriter |
John, D |
1864 |
1941 |
|
Kutchenwriter |
Vina, W |
1975 |
1961 |
|
Venzke |
Herman |
1895 |
1982 |
|
Venzke |
Leona |
1900 |
1934 |
|
Graeper |
Erich, W |
1891 |
1942 |
|
Graeper |
Emma, M |
1895 |
1981 |
|
Hoppe |
Elizabeth |
1890 |
1933 |
|
Hoppe |
Horace |
1923 |
1948 |
|
Hoppe |
Ferdinand |
1866 |
1951 |
|
Sehr |
Frank, F |
Oct 21, 1861 |
June 14, 1943 |
|
Sehr |
Mathilda, W |
May 5, 1862 |
Dec 28, 1955 |
|
Sehr |
Carl, F |
May 29, 1895 |
Sept 1, 1957 |
|
Sehr |
Anna, E |
July 12, 1889 |
Apr 17, 1981 |
|
3rd Row Left to Right |
|||
|
Young |
Harold |
1917 |
1993 |
|
Young |
Adolph |
1913 |
1973 |
|
Young |
Andrew |
1866 |
1940 |
|
Young |
Anna |
1875 |
1970 |
|
Venzke |
William, E |
1888 |
1966 |
|
Venzke |
Helen, G |
1906 |
1998 |
|
Graper |
Richard, P |
1884 |
1962 |
|
Graper |
Clara, E |
1890 |
1985 |
|
Graper |
Leo, C |
1910 |
1966 |
|
Graper |
Frances, C |
1911 |
1983 |
|
Sahs |
Emil |
June 5, 1887 |
Sept 23, 1967 |
|
Sahs |
Minnie |
July 28, 1892 |
Jan 10, 1960 |
|
Sehr |
Donald, F |
May 7, 1927 |
|
|
Sehr |
Anita, K |
July 26, 1930 |
|
|
2nd Row Left to Right |
|||
|
Kutchenwriter |
Frank, W |
June 2, 1893 |
Dec 16, 1967 |
|
Kleinschmidt |
Fred, F |
Sept 21, 1915 |
Oct 18, 1994 |
|
Kleinschmidt |
Dora, M |
May 30, 1921 |
|
|
Graper |
Eldon, P |
Aug 20, 1920 |
|
|
Graper |
Helen, L |
Oct 15, 1934 |
Apr 23, 1988 |
|
Semler |
Don "Chub" |
June11, 1918 |
July 23, 1995 |
|
Semler |
Loretta |
Apr 19, 1913 |
Oct 15, 1997 |
|
1st Row Left to Right |
|||
|
Trost |
Shirley Ann Brand |
Mar 25, 1935 |
Aug 6, 1985 |
|
Trost |
Pastor Richard, L |
Aug 10, 1930 |
|
* Verse engraved on stone:
A light from our household is gone
A voice we loved is stilled
A place is vacant in our hearts
That never can be filled