W. T. Dennis Ground Cemetery
Ross Twp., Lake Co. IN
From 1950's DAR Records

On p.140 of his book Timothy Ball has this to say: "Ground on farm of W.T. Dennis contains some thirty graves. Here were buried many old settlers, as the Beebers, Dustins, Sturdeyvants, Clevelands and others. Has not been used for burial purposes for five or six years. It ought to protected and secured against desecration."

This survey made by Mrs. Joseph E. Brown and Mrs. W.A. McBride of Julia Watkins Brass Chapter, N.S.D.A.R. on July 23, 1956. The site of the cemetery and some of the stones were located by the help of an elderly Mr. J. Sturdeyvant who has lived on the property all of his life. He told us that there were some twenty-five to thirty stones in the completely covered area some fifty rods from the narrow road. We succeeded in locating only a very few.

Mr. Sturdeyvant told us that his father had taken the land in 1840, and that he settled on it in 1848. He mentioned burial of the same families as listed by T. Ball, and also the burial of a now unknown Mexican War Soldier, supposedly buried with gold he had brought back from California. The Old Michigan City road went south of the cemetery, angling off to the north to cross Deep River. It is here that probably is the Wilkinson Ford of which Ball speaks. The barb now stands on a part of the old road site.

Stones which we could find and read are as follows:

GRANGER, Zara; son of H. and E. Granger; died Apr. 20, 1862; aged 18 yrs. 2 mos.
    - base and slab just four north of Granger; sunken and no inscription

STURDEVANT, John; died Jan 17, 1859; aged 52 yrs. 9 mos. 19 das.
    - Lybia; wife of B.B.; died June 1, 1864; aged 27 yrs.
    - footstone west of this; no marking

Other family info (could be some of the others buried here):

1850 census:

HN FN
8 8 GRANGER Hascal 27 M Farmer 150 New York
8 8 GRANGER Eunice 24 F Canada
8 8 GRANGER Charles 6 M Michigan
8 8 GRANGER Zara 5 M Illinois
8 8 GRANGER Esther Ann 1 F Indiana

11 11 STURDEVANT John 44 M Farmer 800 Vermont
11 11 STURDEVANT Laura 33 F New Hampshire
11 11 STURDEVANT Boman 10 M Indiana X
11 11 STURDEVANT Lucy 8 F Indiana X
11 11 STURDEVANT Carlos 6 M Indiana
11 11 STURDEVANT Ellen 4 F Indiana
11 11 STURDEVANT Ann Eliza 3/12 F Indiana

22 22 STURDEVANT Joel 39 M Farmer 500 Vermont
22 22 STURDEVANT Sarah 37 F Vermont
22 22 STURDEVANT Henry 9 M Ohio
22 22 STURDEVANT Ira 7 M Ohio
22 22 STURDEVANT Sophrania 5 F Indiana
22 22 STURDEVANT William 2 M Indiana
22 22 STURDEVANT Martha J. 2/12 F Indiana

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