Porter Cemetery a.k.a. Jerusalem or Lima Township Cemetery) Ann Arbor, Lima Township, Washtenaw County, MI

This cemetery is on a triangle piece of land located at the intersection of Sager and Fletcher Roads. The land was given by Noah Porter in 1839, but because of the location of the cemetery in the southern part of the township, near the community then known as Jerusalem, the cemetery was known then as the “Jerusalem Cemetery” for many years. In October of 1986, a stone was erected and defining it as the “Porters Cemetery.” The majority of the burials took place between 1839 and 1890, although the cemetery continued in use well into the 1900s. Now the cemetery is the responsibility of the Lima Township for the upkeep.

The following names and dates are from the Dexter Area Museum at 3443 Inverness, Dexter, MI 48130; Telephone: (734) 426-2519; DexMuseum@aol.com. The list was compiled by Mark A. Wise, Troop 88, BSA, Dec. 1994 as part of an Eagle Scout project performed by scouts from Troop 88 of the Washtenaw District of the Boy Scouts of America. They had the assistance of Ms. Karen Walker in this project. Barbara Burns, in Aug 2002, whet to the cemetery to see if there were any additional burials and took a photo of the sign. Inscriptions written in German script have been translated as accurately as possible, given the current condition of many of the stones. When only one date appears that is the date of death.

A special “thank you” to Barbara Burns who incorporated this information and took the photo of the sign on the front of the cemetery. If you have any questions about the content of this data, Barbara can be reached at the following email address: bjburns@i2k.com or you can contact the Dexter Museum directly from the phone number, address or email listed above.

These names are not in alphabetical order. To activate the 'find' feature on your web browser, click on the following keys on your keyboard. For MACintosh computer: 'Apple' then 'F'. For IBM computer: 'Ctrl' then 'F'. Enter the surname of your choice and click on the 'Find' button.

Beack, Maryann   Feb 2, 1804--Oct 5, 1849   “Mother” on top of stone
Beack, Sheldon   Jun 27, 1795--Mar 13, 1891   “Father” on top of stone
Beack, Bunice    “Infant” on top of stone

Bennett, Frank   Jun 1866--Sep 21, 1866   Hier Ruhet (here rests)     s/o 
Mi. F. Volk Bennett
Bennett, Nelly   Oct 5, 1812--Jan 30, 1870

Bowen, Mary J. (Knight)   May 1, 1948   w/o James M. Bowen

(?) urden, Charles H.   Jul 22, 1838--Mar 7, 1872   [Stone broken off on top left corner]
{Could be Burden as there is a listing in the 1845 census of Lima Twp. for a Azel M. Burden}

Cravath, Ann   Sep 9, 1839   age 18 yrs 1 mo 9 da   d/o Obed & Hannah Cravath
Cravath, Celia Ann   Oct 1, 1839   age 1 mo 23 da    d/o Myrtillus A. & Harriet A. Cravath
Cravath, Hannah   Jan 16, 1853   age 59 yrs   w/o Obed Cravath
Cravath, Obed   Sep 3, 1839   age 45 yrs
Cravath, Jabz   Sept 21, 1839   age 20 yrs 4 mo   s/o Obed & Hannah Cravath

Cushman, Anna R.   Apr 7, 1862   age 67 yrs   w/o I. Cushman “She is gone, but not forgotten”
Cushman, Ira   Jul 23, 1874   age 83 yrs   “I know that my Redeemer liveth”
Cushman, Consider   June 3, 1818--1891
Cushman, Charlotte C. (Smith)   1818- no date  w/o Consider Cushman   d/o Jones & Lucy Smith
Cushman, A.    May 24, 1871

Danielson, Benjamin M.   Feb 23, 1847   age 77 yrs   “Elder” at top of stone 
  “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” 
Benjamin was the first minister of the Lima Baptist Church as reported by
Harold Jones, in Family History Capers, “The Jerusalem Cemetery Also Known 
as the Porter Cemetery” Vol 5, No. 2, October 1981. He did the inscription in 
June 15, 1958 with the help of Margaret Sias.
Danielson, Eli T.   Jul 8, 1834   age 13 yrs  
“Sleep on till God shall call him. 
In this frail being who could tell
what evil might befall Thee.”
Danielson, Eunice   Sep 1, 1860   age 84 yrs   “Mother” on top of stone   w/o B.M. Danielson

Doud, Manning B.   Died at Washington, Dec 11, 1864   age 30 yrs   (US Soldier)
Doud, Rebecca W.   May 16, 1842   age 37 yrs   w/o Calvin Doud   d/o Benjamin & Eunice Danielson
“We must part forever from her so dear below but from our hearts, O never, 
will pass this depth of woe.”

Ferguson, Mary H. (Sanford)   1810-1887   w/o Wallace Ferguson
Ferguson, Wallace   1808-1886

Gruner, Carl   Jun 30, 1851--Dec 22, 1861   s/o Phillip & Caroline Gruner
Gruner, Marie Sophie Caroline   Apr 9, 1814--Jun 11, 1866
“Nach des lebens Sorg und Muhen Ist sie eingegangen zum ewigen Frieden”
“After life’s sorrow and toil she is gone to eternal peace”
Gruner, Louise   Apr 27, 1837--Dec 4, 1868 Hier ruht in Frieden  (Here rests in peace)
Gruner, Philip   Apr 25, 1812--Mar 24, 1897   Hier ruhet  (here rests)
Gruner, Wilhelm   Oct 30, 854--Dec 20, 1861   s/o Philip & Caroline Gruner

Gruum, James   Apr 1837--Dec 1868

Haffey, William   Mar 9, 1849   age 33 yrs

Hennet, Frank   1866

Hinderer, Jacob   1874   s/o C. & Yi Hinderer

Ide, N. Louisa   no dates

Jenks, Charles D.   1851-1947
Jenks, Father, Denison R.   (footstone)
Jenks, Delia E.   Feb 16, 1851   age 6 yrs 1 mo   d/o Denison R. & Permelia Jenks
Jenks, Denison R.   Apr 29, 1807--Apr 10, 1891
Jenks, Frances (Zincke)   Jul 3, 1843--Jul 24, 1927
Jenks, Hattie (Tallman)  1850-1944
Jenks, Permelia (Wilde)   Sep 17, 1811--Jan 8, 1891   w/o Denison R. Jenks

Johnson, Henry   Jan 10, 1858   age 52 yrs 4 mo
Johnson, Arabella Page   Dec 17, 1834--Dec 18, 1910   d/o Henry & Susan Whipple Johnson
Johnson, Susan (Whipple)   Nov 21, 1855   age 47 yrs 2 mo

Jones, Diantha (Winslow)   Oct 8, 1870   age 25 yrs
      “Dearest wife, thou has left me, Here thy loss I deeply feel,
      But tis God who has bereft me, He can all my sorrows heal.”

Kyte, Raymond E.   Dec 23, 1894--Nov 23, 1958   s/o Joseph and Sarah Allen Kyte
Michigan Mus. 2 CL HQ Co. 41 Field Arty, WW1

Lyndon, Drusilla   Feb 3, 1845   age 1 yr 11 mo 24 da   d/o Morton & Nancy Lyndon
Lyndon, Nancy   Nov 7, 1854   age 49 yrs 9 mo   w/o Morton Lyndon
“Go Spirit of the Sainted dead, Go to thy longed for happy home
The tears of man are on thee shed, The voices of Angels bids thee come.”

McLaren, Daniel   Sep 23, 1857   age 71 yrs
McLaren, Myron   Dec 23, 1869   age 24 yrs 19 mo 18 da
McLaren, James   Aug 9, 1835   s/o Daniel & Sarah (Winslow) McLaren
McLaren, Sarah (Winslow)   Jun 1, 1870   age 60 yrs 10 mo
McLaren, M. Ardene   Oct 23, 1854   age 1 yr 2 mo 21 da
McLaren, Jane   Sep 2, 18??  age 7 yrs 6 mo  (stone is broken and gone on that side)

Mingler, Christian   Sep 19, 1871   s/o C.A.F. Mingler

Myers, Edward   Dec 13, 1842   age 8 yrs 8 mo 26 da   s/o Matthew & Sarah Myers
“Yet again we hope to greet thee. When this day of life is fled.
Then in heaven we hope to meet thee. Where no finial tears are shed.”

Nordmann, Bernhard   Jan 25, 1817   age 32 yrs 5 mo 11 da
Nordmann, Gottlob   Apr 7, 1861
Nordmann, Maria Friedricka   May 9, 1856   age 74 yrs 11 mo 18 da   w/o Gottlob Nordmann

Sayers, Thusnelda   Feb 2, 1820   age 57 yrs 2 mo 20 da   w/o Gordon Sayers

Sayre, Corydon   Apr 9, 1844   age 37 yrs 8 mo 1 da
“Thou art gone to the grave. But ‘twere wrong to deplore him.
When God was thy ransom. Thy guardian thy guide.”

Schok, Anna Maria   Jan 11, 181?--Sep 26, 1866  [stone broken]  w/o John Gottlieb Schok

Scott, Lemuel S.   Jan 26, 1872   age 81 yrs
Scott, Nancy  (Bowen)   Jan 16, 1853   age 54 yrs    w/o Lemuel S. Scott

Staring, Lucius E.   Aug 29, 1845   age 2 yrs 3 mo 20 da   s/o Philip & Eliza Ann Staring
Staring, Eliza Ann   Oct 21, 1847   age 16 da   d/o Philip & Eliza Ann Staring
Staring, Eliza Ann   Oct 12, 1847   age 40 yrs 4 mo 17 da   w/o Philip Staring
“Eliza has gone to rest. And left her friends on earth bereft.
Why should we murmur or complain. or wish her back to earth again.”
Staring, Philip   Feb 8, 1965   age 57 yrs

Storms, Libbie   Mar 2, 1875   w/o A.W. Storms    d/o Consider & Charlotte Cushman
“Thou art gone my loved one to God in heaven, but not forgotten.”
Storms, A.W. 1843--Mar 23, 1924

Valant, Helen M.   June 1, 1907--Aug 9, 2001

Waller, Martin L.   Dec 18, 1921--Jan 18, 1922

Wedemeyer, Augusta G. (Gruner)    Dec 13, 1839--Jul 19, 1892
Wedemeyer, Geo. Aug. Friedrich  Dec 18, 1827--Jan 31, 1885
Rev. Frederick Wedemeyer as reported by Harold Jones, in Family History 
Capers, “The Jerusalem Cemetery Also Known as the Porter Cemetery” Vol 5, No. 2, October 1981. 
He did the inscription in June 15, 1958 with the help of Margaret Sias.
Wedemeyer, Benjamin   Jul 2, 1916--Aug 2, 1916
Wedemeyer, William W.   1873-1913

Whipple, Amanda  (Owne)   1833-1922
Whipple, Clarissa J.  (Gage)   Apr 29, 1818--Sep 15, 1875
Whipple, Levi   1817-1894
Whipple, Russell   Oct 10, 1905--Dec 5, 1871

Widmayer, Agatha   1868-1899
Widmayer, Caroline   Feb 5, 1881  age 43 yrs 5 mo 18 da   w/o J.M. Widmayer
Widmayer, Caroline   Jan 19, 1881   age 17 yrs 5 da   d/o J.M. & C. Widmayer
Widmayer, Martin   1859-1899

Wild, Mary H.   1832-1914

Winslow, Calvin   Sep 12, 1816   age 40 yrs 13 da
Winslow, Phila   Oct 11, 1861   age 18 yrs 21 da   d/o Calvin & Phila Winslow
Winslow, Phila (McComber)   Mar 12, 1864   age 57 yrs 8 mo 29 da   w/o 
Calvin Winslow

Wurster, John G.   1865-1902

This data, like each new piece of information, must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence & it is always best to consult original primary material for verification.