REST HAVEN CEMETERY
Jefferson Township
Cass County Michigan

Rest Haven

Files updated on May 13, 2009 - Files contributed for use in US GenWeb by:
Maurice W. Sanders mauricews@att.net and Rose C. Thompson July 7, 2006, 1:23 pm and Amelia Castle on October 16, 2006.
The first portion of listing was contributed by: Maurice W. Sanders and the second listing by:
Amelia Castle and Nancy Corwin. Thank you Nancy Corwin and Amelia Castle for your help with these cemeteries. 

Located on Hospital Street about 10 miles west of M-62 south of Cassopolis, Michigan on the north side of the road in Jefferson Township, Cass county, Michigan.

From the research of Amelia Castle we learn:   The cemetery was started many years ago when the Cass County Medical Care Facility was known as the County Poor Farm.
The name was changed some time in the 1960's. No one kept any records as to who or where anyone was buried. Some of the records were even destroyed.
It is unknown what records or for what years they were for. There are many graves on the east side of the drive (this drive goes straight on from the road to the north)
of the cemetery, and there are but only a very few stones that appear anywhere in the cemetery on any of the graves. There area few funeral markers on some of the
newer ones on the far west side.

Amelia's listing below, is what they did had in the way of any kind of records. Located on a very small hand drawn map, which evidently both Amelia and Maurice,
during his readings, worked off of.

Graves in Potter's Field were originally marked with wooden headstones or crosses, these have vanished.
Those buried were indigent residents of the Cass Co. Medical Facility. Location 1 1/4 miles West of M62 on Hospital Street.
You must pass the Medical Facility (new and old buildings) cemetery is on the East side. Graves marked with (*Plot Map) in the comment field are from information
I got from the former Hospital Administrators files.

History of Cass County, Michigan - 1882
In 1852 the matter of making systematic & adequate provision for the poor was first effectually agitated. Up to this time there had been
upon the County Poor Farm in Jefferson Township by Asa Kingsbury on a small log house. Upon the 12th of October the Board of Supervisors resolved to
build a good sufficent house on the poor farm owned by the county, the expense of which should not exceed $1,200 resolution was afterward amended to $2,000.

Maurice W. Sanders Listing:
TM=Temporary Marker - * = From Plot Map

Last Name First Name Birth Death Comment
Johnson Martin February 20, 1937 September 17, 2004 -
Mosley Charles H. 1898 1977 PVT US Army WW I (
*Plot Map d.12/7/77 c.box) c=cement
Mosley   Jessie 1924 2004 Temporary Marker
Miller Jerry 1941 2001 Temporary Marker
Miller Jerry 1941 2001
Preastly A. W. Mar. 23, 1923 Oct. 27, 1985 US Army WW II
Boren Marvin E. 1932 1999 Temporary Marker
Seaton Otis 1906 1986 Temporary Marker
Johnson Robert 1902 1987 Temp. Marker
Oliver Lawrence 1914 1989 Temporary Marker
Gill William C. 1942 1992 In Loving Memory
Tschanen Nettie 1887 1975 -
Trump Glen 1928 1996 -
Williams Baby Girl - - - Temporary Marker
Connor Jewelry 9. 21. 1925 10. 24. 2002 The way dates are inscribed on Marker
Taylor Warner Sept. 30 1962 Jan. 13 1997 In Loving Memory
Hampton Zelda L. 1930   1996 Temporary Marker
Sims Kelly 1920 1995 Temporary Marker
Williams James - 3/23/1978 *PM
Bankhead Leroy - 3/23/1978 *PM
Darrigan Walter - 9/22/66 *PM Walter is buried on S.W.corner next to fence.
Mach James - 12/24/69 *PM
Sanders Edgar - 2/17/1970 *PM additional info. Edgar b.Mar 1882 d.Feb 16,1970. descendent of Solomon Sanders.
Roczanski Walter - 7/24/64 *Plot Map cement box
Stewart Robert - 11/21/64 * Plot Map Wooden box. African American
Foster William   3/31/65 * Plot Map - wooden box
Lee Abraham Henry - 4/29/65 * Plot Map - wooden box
Fields Rollie Ruldolph - 4/20/65 * Plot Map
Jones V. L - 6/8/66 * Plot Map - wooden box
Brown Charles - 1/10/67 * Plot Map - wooden box - African American
Moss Clarence - 1/19/67 * Plot Map - wooden box
Bradshaw William   6//2/67 * Plot Map - wooden box
Wilkinson Otto - 3/8/68 * Plot Map
Czcekalski Anthony - 3/23/63 * Plot Map - wooden box
Wesaw Cora - 11/3/63 * Plot Map - buried Nov 6 1963 wooden box
Beresford Robert Sept 1, 1882 Dec 28 1963 * Plot Map - Buried Dec 31, 1963. Born Boston PA wooden box
Shelton Sam - 1/10/64 * Plot Map - wooden box
Jackson Henry - 6/19/65 * Plot Map - wooden box
Brown Morgan - 7/2/65 * Plot Map - wooden box
Irving Edwin - 10/27/65 * Plot Map - wooden box
McNeary - - 11/7/65 *Plot Map - Infant 2' metal casket , between Morgan B & Edwin I . Not sure of the year of death.
Gross Alice - 12/14/65 * Plot Map - wooden box
Brown Alfred M.   8/29/1968 * Plot Map - b. Nov 22, 1913
Smith Leroy - 9/13/68 * Plot Map
Piper Willie - 1/31/77 * Plot Map
Kairns Michael - 7/6/70 * Plot Map

Additional Comments:
I have a copy of the Plot Map, that shows the location of each grave, and the
Funeral Home that buried the person. All persons buried in wooden boxes, were re-buried in vaults, 1978. - Maurice Sanders

Listing of burials from the works of Amelia Castle
Included are the funeral home and the city it was in (all in the state of Michigan) as they appeared on the map on the cemetery markers.

Thanks goes to Mr. Greg Connelly of the Connelly Funeral Home in Cassopolis, Michigan who was kind enough to let the readers go
through his records and record any names and dates of those they could find on individuals who were buried in the cemetery from the funeral home.

Listing up to and including July 1996

Last Name First Name Birth Death Comment
Burke Von Ray Jr 6 Aug 1962 29 Jun 1982 -
Darrigan Walter - 22 Sep 1965 -
Gill Wm E 3 Mar 1942 6 Oct 1992 -
Hampton Zelda 8 May 1930 23 Jan 1996 -
Johnson Robert 1902 1987 -
Mosley Charles H 1898 1977 US Army WWI Vet
Oliver Lawrence 1914 1989 -
Preastly A W 23 Mar 1923 27 Oct 1985 US Army WW II
Seaton Otis 1906 1989 -
Sims Kelly 1920 1995 -
Tscharlien Nettie 1887 1975 -
Williams baby girl no dates - -
Taylor Warner 30 Sep 1962 13 Jan 1997 -
Following are records from Connelly Funeral Home & Cass County Court House
Abraham Henry Lee 23 Jan 1908 29 Apr 1965 -
Bankhead LeRoy 10 May 1886 14 Mar 1978 -
Bartoutis George 22 Apr 1868 10 Dec 1949 -
Beard Bettie B 22 May 1886 24 Feb 1988 -
Beresford Robert 1 Sep 1882 28 Dec 1963 -
Bialarin Duke 1 Jan 1929 18 Nov 1988 -
Bialarin Lucile 3 Sep 1904 12 Jul 1993 -
Bolin William St 22 Sep 1885 12 Jul 1993 -
Brown Charles 1 Feb 1890 4 Jan 1967 -
Brown Morgan 2 Sep 1879 30 Jul 1965 -
Bufkin baby 10 Jan 1953 10 Jan 1953 -
Ceriva Frank - 1 Oct 1938 80y 7m 28d
Champion Bonnie Sue 13 Dec 1950 14 Dec 1950 -
Coker Alvin - 25 Jun 1941 63y
Crawford John 6 Dec 1895 25 Sep 1957 -
Czekalski Anthony 12 Nov 1881 20 Mar 1963 -
Darrigan Walter 13 Aug 1893 18 Sep 1965 -
Daucek George age unknown 7 Aug 1950 -
Deagan Frank Edward 20 Jan 1890 12 Nov 1952 -
Fields Rollie Rudolph 19 Oct 1880 18 Apr 1966 -
Foster William 26 Oct 1873 28 Mar 1965 -
Freshour Johnny Ray 19 Jun 1952 22 Jun 1952 -
Gish Walter Foster 3 Feb 1877 5 Aug 1940 -
Green Thomas 26 Jul 1911 8 Feb 1985 -
Gross Alice 6 Jun 1897 12 Dec 1965 -
Guess Alexander - 7 Aug 1936 70 yrs
Hampton Zelda 8 May 1930 23 Jan 1996 -
Harris Ivory 1 Mar 1909 26 Jul 1941 -
Harvey Robert 12 Aug 1903 11 Sep 1984 -
Heneary infant - 7 Mov 1965 -
Howell Helen 9 Jul 1908 15 Mar 1990 -
Huff John - 18 Jan 1940 87y
Irving Edwin 18 dec 1914 23 Oct 1965 -
Johnson Henry Clayton 14 Nov 1892 17 Jun 1965 -
Johnson Robert 24 Dec 1902 6 Mar 1987 -
Johnson William no dates - 81y
Kairns Michael 12 Nov 1877 3 Jul 1970 -
Kwiatowski Albert 15 Dec 1890 16 Aug 1940 -
Lambert John 12 Feb 1878 15 Aug 1943 -
Lapinski Stanley 8 May 1883 22 Feb 1941 -
Laylin Tom 27 May 1884 5 Dec 1950 -
Mack James - 19 Dec 1969 71y
Marshall Torrie L 19 Sep 1941 4 Feb 1980 -
Miller John L 23 Nov 1923 31 May 1963 -
Mosley Charles H 23 Jun 1898 4 Dec 1977 -
Muntz Adolph - 25 Feb 1936 60y
Oliver Lawrence 19 Aug 1914 2 Sep 1989 -
Orange Mike - 4 Dec 1939 47y 2m 1d
Palmer Rosie Lee 25 Mar 1914 22 Dec 1984 -
Park Leslie - 6 Aug 1938 82y 5m 23d
Piper Willie 16 May 1907 31 Jan 1977 -
Prestly A W 23 Mar 1923 27 Oct 1985 -
Reeves Freeman 10 Apr 1912 27 Jan 1980 -
Riege Walter Scott 27 Oct 1904 12 Jan 1984 -
Rozanski Walter 27 Jun 1889 23 Jul 1964 -
Sanders Gladys 3 Apr 1934 3 Apr 1934 -
Sanders William 11 Jun 1935 11 Jun 1935 -
Sapp Joseph 16 Feb 1879 29 Jul 1949 -
Scott George 15 Sep 1868 10 Dec 1938 -
Seaton Otis 3 Feb 1906 19 Apr 1986 -
Sims Kelly 6 Apr 1920 6 May 1995 -
Skowie George 12 Mar 1887 14 Dec 1940 -
Smith Henry 8 Aug 1908 3 Feb 1964 -
Trump Glen 20 Jun 1928 27 Apr 1996 -
Tschanen Nettie 6 Jan 1887 10 Dec 1975 -
Verseckas Jonas 14 Nov 1911 13 Apr 1959 -
Wesaw Cora 16 Feb 1883 3 Nov 1963 -
Wilborn Dona Mae 11 Jan 1938 11 Jan 1938 -
Wilkinson Otto 30 Sep 1889 5 Mar 1968 -
Williams James Kelly 16 Jun 1907 19 Mar 1978 -
Windell Edward 20 Mar 1882 5 Feb 1959 alias Will L Smith
Following from Burial Permits - - -
Bradshaw William - 2 Jun 1967 Lyons, Dowagiac
Brown Alfred M 22 Nov 1913 29 Aug 1968 -
Jones V L 22 Feb 1912 8 Jun 1966 Pifer, Niles
Humphrey Felix 15 Mar 1908 8 Nov 1962 McLauchlin, Dowagiac
Moss Clarence - 19 Jan 1967 Pifer, Niles
Sanders Edgar - Mar 1882 17 Feb 1970 McLauchlin, Dowagiac
Serrano J S Guerreo 20 May 1954 8 May 1973 Groner, Dowagiac
Shelton Sam 25 Dec 1885 10 Nov 1964 McLauchlin, Dowagiac
Smith LeRoy 29 Jun 1916 13 Sep 1968 McLauchlin, Dowagiac
Stewart Robert 15 Jan 1904 21 Nov 1964 McLauchlin, Dowagiac
From Death Certificates        
Lathum aka Latham Lelia Harmon 10 Sep 1858 9 Jan 1908 Tallerday & Fisher
She was the daughter of Samuel & Mary (Blood) Harmon and was raised in Van Buren County. At time of death she was a widow. See Death Certificate
Information contributed by: Linda Wilbur

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