Dexter Townhall Cemetery / Old St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery
The year 1840 marks the beginning of St. Joseph Parish, even if only on mission status. For the Dexter (Catholic) faithful, their first church building was a small frame building at the corner of Dexter Townhall and Quigley Roads. It was here, also that the first cemetery was provided for the little parish, records showing that the former was on the northeast corner, the cemetery on the northwest corner. The land had been donated by Mr. and Mrs. James Walsh. The first recorded headstone in the cemetery is from 1839; the last is from 1910.
Today the cemetery stands in a grove of trees, refurbished recently to salvage as many monuments and gravestones as possible. Since there are no extant records of plots, a plaque commemorates all those who were buried in the first years of St. Joseph Parish." It was in 1854 that the Church was destroyed by fire, and rebuilt in town, part way up the hill from the river at the corner of Fourth and "D"Streets.
By 1870, a new (Catholic) cemetery was established on Baker Road, just south of the Village of Dexter, to accommodate the growing needs of the parish. The new cemetery was consecrated on October 1, 1870, the land having been donated by John Costello, after he had purchased it from Mr. F. Wygant. The five acres were enclosed by a white picket fence, with hitching posts in front and a crucifix in the center.
The history of Old Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery has been copied from the 150th Anniversary Celebration Book, published and sponsored by St. Joseph Catholic Church, Dexter, Michigan.
These headstone transcriptions have been copied from the original WPA work of Mrs. Charles Chamberlain and Mrs. W.F. Jerome
A special 'thank you' to Judy who donated the transcribed records for this cemetery in Nov 2002. If you have any questions about the content of this data, Judy can reached at the following email address: Rosie_Mom_2000@yahoo.com and a special 'thank you' to Barbara Burns for the picture.
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| Conklin, Elizabeth Eagan | died February 28, 1861 age 32 yrs wife of Thomas Conklin of Lemanaghan Parish, Kings County, Ireland |
| Conner, Allice | died February 5, 1870 wife of J. Conner |
| Conner, Margaret | died May 9, 1869 age 50 yrs, wife of Patrick Conner |
| Conners. Michael B. | died November 11, 1875 age 4yrs 1mo 6da; son of William and Ellen |
| Cook, Thomas | died March 9, 1861 age 29yrs; a Native of County Westmeath, Ireland |
| Cordley, George | died son of M. and J. |
| Cosgrove, Margaret | died November 25, 1866 age 64yrs wife of Michael; a native of Kings County, Ireland |
| Daly, Elizabeth | died September 3, 1860 age 55yrs wife of Guinan |
| Daly, George E. | died 1868 age 3mo son of Thomas and Ellen |
| Daly, Thomas | died March 1, 1863 |
| Dolan, Catherine | died April 26, 1851 age 44yrs a native of Kings County Ireland |
| Dolan, Thomas Henry | died August 22, 1850 age 1yr 5mo 18da, son of John and Catherine Dolan |
| Doody, Ann | died May 3, 1882 age 64 yrs wife of John Doody |
| Doody, John | died April 13, 1898 husband of Ann |
| Doody, Mary Ann | died May 16, 1872 age 32 yrs wife of Nicholas Doody |
| Doody, Nicholas | died February 10, 1872 age 28yrs 8mo husband of Mary Ann |
| Doody, Thomas | died June 1, 1875 age 30yrs |
| Duffey, Margaret | died July 8, 1862 age 58yrs wife of John Duffey born in Ireland |
| Dunlavey, Felix | died August 17, 1865 age 88yrs 4mo 17 da husband of Ann |
| Dunlavey, James | died 1864 age 2yrs son of Felix and Ann Dunlavey |
| Dunlavey, John H. | died 1865, son of Felix and Ann Dunlavey |
| Dunn, Ann | died November 2, 1868 age 48yrs wife of Christopher Dunn |
| Dwyer, Edward | died April 23, 1856 age 18yrs son of Morris and Ann Dwyer |
| Eagan, Bridget | died August 24, 1902 age 65yrs wife of Patrick Eagan |
| Eagan, Patrick | died March 7, 1866 age 32yrs |
| Farley, Bernard | died July 18, 1871 age 75yrs 10mo R.I.P. |
| Farley, Bernard | died March 13, 1870 age 27yrs 3mo 16da son of B. and R. |
| Fay, Thomas | died June 18, 1864 age 29yrs |
| Fleming, Emmit | age 1yr son of Philip and Ann |
| Fleming, John | died August 15, 1841 age 56yrs husband of Julia;, from County of Cork, Parish of Churchtown, Ireland |
| Fleming, Julia | died December 31, 1855 age 70yrs wife of John;, Ireland, County of Cork, Parish of Donerail |
| Fleming, Philip | died March 18, 1862 age 42yrs A Native of Ireland |
| Gallagher, Ann | died August 14, 1861 |
| Gallagher, Bridget | died May 1, 1863 age 8yrs 9mo, daughter of J. and B. |
| Gallagher, Bridget | wife of James Gallagher, died Apr. 29, 1885 aged 86 yrs. |
| Gallagher, James | died in Hamburg Nov. 28, 1879, aged 82 yrs & 6 mos, a native of Co. Sligo, Ireland. |
| Gallagher, Owen | 1827 - 1895 |
| Gorman, Edward | died November 2, 1859 age 84yrs husband of Ruth |
| Gorman, Ruth | died June 4, 1851 age 62yrs wife of Edward Gorman |
| Grant, William | died November 11, 1869 age, 58yrs, 6mo |
| Guinon, Mathew | died February 5, 1867, 85yrs, a native of Kings County Ireland |
| Hankerd, Michael | died August 10, 1861 age 52yrs a native of County Cork, Parish of Cline, Ireland |
| Haran, Margaret | died January 9, 1855 age 56yrs wife of Michael Haran |
| Haran, Michael | died March 22, 1842 age 49yrs husband of Margaret |
| Hoogens, Margaret | 1811 - 1848 wife of Joseph MARTIN |
| Hughes, James | died October 18, 1863 age 61yrs a native of Killallon, County West Meath, Ireland |
| Hughes, Susan | died January 1, 1877 wife of James |
| Hughes, Susie | died February 24, 1881 2yrs, 2mo 11da daughter of John and M.A. |
| Kelly, Hugh | died December 1862 age 82yrs husband of Jane, a native of Parish Killallon, County West Meath, Ireland |
| Kelly, Jane | died September 1846 age 67yrs wife of Hugh Kelly, a native of Parish Killallon County West Meath, Ireland |
| Leavy, Julia | died November 18, 1860 age 53yrs wife of Michael Leavy |
| Leavy, Michael | died November 5, 1850 age 52yrs husband of Julia |
| Leavy, Patrick | died February 26, 1866 age 29yrs son of Michael and Julia Leavy |
| Ledwidge, Patrick | died August 26, 1861 age 35yrs 6mo |
| Lyman, Mary | died April 29, 1888 age 69yrs wife of Thomas Lyman |
| Lyman, Thomas | died February 4, 1856 age 50yrs husband of Mary |
| Lyman, William | died June 19, 1864 age 16yr, son of Thomas and Mary Lyman |
| Maginnis, Margaret | died March 6, 1863 age 82yrs a native of Parish Killallon, County West Meath, Ireland |
| Maloney, Ann | died July 21, 1839 age 25yrs wife of Lawrence |
| Maloney, Lawrence | died September 19, 1856 age 47yrs husband of Ann born in Ireland |
| Martin, Joseph | 1810 - 1883 husband of Margaret HOOGENS |
| Martin, Joseph | 1840 - 1871 |
| Martin, Joseph | died October 9, 1871 |
| Martin, Thomas | 1837 - 1869 |
| Martin, Thomas | died December 4, 1850 age 46yrs |
| McAleer, James | died November 2, 1842 age 51yrs husband of Sarah |
| McAleer, Sarah | died 1863 wife of James |
| McCabe, Edward | died December 4, 1849 age 45yrs 5mo 12 da husband of Margaret |
| McCabe, Margaret | died January 17, 1863 age 47yrs wife of Mathew |
| McCabe, Margaret | died October 22, 1865 in Jackson; age 56yrs 7mo wife of Edward |
| McCabe, Mathew | died March 8, 1866 age 52yrs husband of Margaret |
| McCabe, Michael | died January 26, 1848 Native of the Parish of Killallon, County of West Meath, Ireland |
| McCabe, Thomas | died April 10, 1869 18yrs 10mo son of Edward and Margaret McCabe |
| McCabe, William | died September 10, 1850 age 12yrs 6mo son of Mathew and Margaret McCabe |
| McCarte, Nicholas | died November 21, 1848 age 45yrs husband of Elizabeth McCarte |
| McCarthy, Elizabeth | died August 19, 1873 age 63yrs wife of Laurence McCarthy |
| McCarthy, Laurence | died March 5, 1877 age 70yrs 3mo 14da husband of Elizabeth |
| McConnell, Frank | died March 4, 1854 age 16yrs son of F. and A. McConnell |
| McCluskey, Bernard | died June 30, 1870 11mo 6da son of James and Catherine McCluskey |
| McCluskey, Catherine | died March 7, 1872 age 34yrs 16da wife of James |
| McCluskey, Francis | died August 3, 1868 age 2yrs 6mo 12da, son of James and Catherine |
| McCluskey, James | died March 18, 1871 age 52yrs husband of Catherine |
| McCluskey, Mary Ann | April 11, 1857 - March 25, 1873 daughter of James and Catherine |
| McCrosson, Mary | died July 21, 1877 age 36yrs 3da wife of J. McCrosson |
| McDonaugh, Elizabeth | 1806 - 1896 (on GALLAGHER plot) |
| McKernan, John | died April 21, 1857 age 73yrs 2mo |
| Mulgrove, James | died January 29, 1867 age 83yrs |
| Murphy, Joseph | died December 11, 1847 age 48yrs a native of the Parish of Cline, County Cork, Ireland |
| Murphy, Joseph | died September 4, 1865 age 35yrs 4mo |
| Murphy, Margaret | died September 18, 1854 age 57yrs wife of Joseph, a native of the Parish of Cline, County Cork, Ireland |
| Mulvany, Margaret | died May 7, 1874 age 64yrs a native of Ireland |
| Mulvany, Mary | died February 28, 1857 age 18yrs daughter of Michael and Margaret |
| Mulvany, Michael | died February 16, 1856 age 58yrs husband of Margaret a native of Ireland |
| O'Brien, Margaret Ann | daughter of Michael and Margaret |
| O'Brien, Michael | died May 12, 1863 age 33yrs husband of M. O'Brien |
| O'Brien, Michael E. | age 14yrs son of M. and M. O'Brien |
| O'Connor, Dennis | died March 15, 1854 age 19yrs 4mo 19da son of Patrick and Catherine O'Connor |
| O'Connor, Martin | died January 1852 age 4yrs |
| O'Connor, Patrick | died December 29, 1854 age 55yrs a native of County Kerry, Ireland |
| O'Connor, Thomas | died April 1853 age 10yrs |
| Quinn, Margaret | husband of Joseph |
| Reilly, Margaret | died September 18, 1860 wife of Laurence Reilly |
| Ryan, Edward | died March 8, 1850 age 33yrs husband of Julia, a native of Kings County, Ireland |
| Ryan, John | died November 12, 1854 age 47yrs a native of Ireland |
| Ryan, Julia | died March 30, 1882 age 61yrs wife of Edward Ryan |
| Ryan, Michael | died July 5, 1855 age 80yrs |
| Seery, Mary | died October 9, 1847 age 21yrs daughter of William and Anna Seery |
| died February 18, 1856 age 56yrs husband of Anna |
| Shields, Margaret | died 1859, age 18yrs |
| Sullivan, John | died March 4, 1856 son of Patrick and Joanna |
| Wallace, Patrick | died July 1, 1853 age 33yrs a native of the Parish of Kilmacow, County Kilkenny, Ireland |
| Welsh, Honora M. | died May 2, 1870 age 51yrs 5mo wife of John Welsh a native of the Parish of Kilmacow, County Kilkenny, Ireland |
| Welsh, John | died August 16, 1883 age 71yrs 2mo wife of Honora |
| Welsh, John | died August 23, 1855 age 2yrs 5mo 6da son of John and Honora |
| Welsh, Margaret | 1838 - 1910 daughter of John and Honora |
| Welsh, Michael | died March 22, 1974 age 26yr, son of John and Honora |
| Wheeler, Catherine | died February 29, 1864 age 55yrs a native of County West Meath, Ireland |
| White, John | died November 7, 1869 age 50 yrs |
| White, Thomas | died December 21, 1869 age 24yrs 5mo 2da |
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