In those days Anthony KLEINSMITH, of Kraussdale, Lehigh county, died of blood poisoning after “early in April a horse kicked his heel and two months later the slight scratch caused the foot to swell which extended to the stomach causing intense agony.” In those days you called the pastor, family and friends when the doctor was done. But while we are working on a cure for old age, day old deaths are as important as the Seventy. What are the poets talking about when they tell us what they think of life? Your mother and father! They are there when you're born and on the stone when you die.What lasts is this grave and this, ask me I know them.
Presented without comment of any kind in the written text, the stones raise a question at difficulties whether it is a typist's error and how to know the difference. The first compilers said every effort was made to be free of error; every effort is made here for accurate transcription where the original is preserved, except ditto marks in the typescript are replaced with complete spellings. The dates abbreviated in the written inventory are assumed abbreviated on the stones. Older and newer forms of spellings may be supposed true variations and not mistakes, but variances on tombstones also occur from wear which may make them illegible, or they may be simply errors, as seems possible in 1.33, Mengel/Mengal. Again, if the past is a measure of the irony of living and dying, abbreviated in our present, then we know at least that when we go to the grave our abbreviation will be pg our mother and father. That’s how we come and that’s how we go. Friends are not mentioned. Those who gave birth give meaning in death.
II.
To keep accounts in this garden the symbolism is retained. The names are not John but Johannes, hymn titles are in German (5.21-23), if that is not too simpleminded to say. Henry Mack, one collator, rightly observed that 25 percent of these names reached full maturity, meaning three score and ten. We expand the inquiry to seek reasons. We ask of the death of children, read between the lines.
Row 1
There are some surprises. Compare 1.8 and 1.9, two children born apparently of the same parents, Anna and Henrich Bechtel, both who would die in childhood, but 33 years apart! David dies in 1810 at 14 days and Henrich at 3 years in 1846!
Henry and Cathrina Stauffer, (1.3-4) died at 1 and 6, but others are anonymous, known only as "a daughter" 1.6), or "a son" (1.10), as though the pain of naming were so great it overwhelmed the birth. That is why the poet speaks the unspeakable, as our brother William Blake has done:
I have no name
I am but two days old.
What shall I call thee?
I happy am-
Joy is my name.
I prefer he had no
name but then those who do will think it odd, but who will you think he is and
how will we know? He has no name, how could he have a name, he is one who came the way all of us might prefer
to think we must have come, special to ourselves without doubt, trumpets our
fantasy of mind, until reason kicks not in and we boast not in the cup of the
great. How does anybody escape this illusion? In their public character they
seem all humble and empathic who are really interested in ourselves as much as
I am in this one with no name, this neuman nhuman who came down from the sun on
ice waves and hydrogen fire, swoosh, to forgetful joy. To the world he is so
wrapped up in his coming he forgets there is to be an exit. Then the brain
waves change. Oh you didn’t know it is coming, takes about seven decades to get
the news at last, peace, hope, death.
So I don’t have a name for him, never did and been writing
about him all his life. I found out he is a little obtuse in his pretendings
and has the ability to dance. There is no need to think him different from any
other despite the scientific studies that justify his steps. He’s a dancer and
when he gets into art he makes onion skins out of paint or some such to cover
up the empty. Nothing new, so he has no name, and not much of an identity, all
the coverings taken away, although we insist on his dignity.
Of twelve born in the 18th century, eleven children die age six or less.
If Row 1 signifies the founding of the cemetery then 8 children at its start might suggest them buried elsewhere and moved here when the graveyard was begun. The dates are not quite right for that however, so even more it is a terrible run. No matter if they lived six days (1.11) or sixty, their lives are counted to the day. Each life, each day is precious, each hour, more so in the case of Henry, son of William and Anna Mack, whose life is tabulated to the half day, who "died Sept. 30th, 1846. Age, 1 yr. 9 mos. 2 1/2 days" (2.9).
There are 40 burials in Row 1. Twelve born 18th century, Oberholtzers, Gehmans. Eleven children die, six or less.
Spellings may vary, for names were not always coded for information bases, compare Clemmer 1.12 and Klemmer, 1.16 or Klemer, 2.18. Sometimes different spellings occur in the same line, Oberholtser and Oberholser (1.39), or differ from a previous, as Oberholtzer of 1.18-23.
We read the old spellings with joy, of Cathrina, (1.4), or Salharena, (1.32), or Therusah 3.1.
Say it again! Eight of the thirteen names on the stones tabled on page one are children. We can’t compare it to war, these people fled the study of war, our only recourse is to compare it to life: Carry your sorrow, bear your grief to one pierced breast of love, the Lord's, and there we lie. In convention, the way the spaces fall, makes an "accident" at the end of the first page and provides them with a shepherd, "At Rest," the Rev. John M. Ehst, who "served this congregation 37 yrs."
Row 2
There are 35 burials in Row 2, eight children, seven born in the 18th century. As if in delirium it seems like we keep saying this and the numbers change each time. If you speak a word frequently enough it becomes nonsense the more you say it. Consider how this happens with the word “died.” Who died? What death? Whose death is this, this one and this? It is an odd word that in the context of things means something entirely opposite, for all these deaths are lives. Which one of the stones reads, “the dead shall live, the earth shall cast out her dead?"
"Klemer 2.18 is yet another spelling.
(No name) as if it were a name, is supplied by the inventory 2.18.
Folk 2.21, Thomas, 2.22, English names.
Sahra Hunsbergerin 2.30. "less 11 days" 2.31.
Maybe it is more revealing to see when they were born than when they die. Early years outweigh the rest. By this measure, while 18 died in the 18th cent, how many were born then? I can’t say. I was 3 at the celebration of Henry Mack's ninetieth birthday, nearly the youngest in the family where he was the oldest. It is a great privilege to take up his work.
On Row 3:
Numbers changing again: 18 born 18th cent.7 children.
Old names and forms: Funkin, 2.10, Salharena 1.32, Sahra Hunsbergerin 2.30, Bechtelin 3.33, Meyern 3.10, Kindig 3.13 Therusah 3.1, Septimus 3.19. Bennevell, 4.10.
Oddities: Weiz'n 4.13. Latchaw, 4.14.
There is a change of typist at Row 4.6. “Mos. yrs.” no longer abbreviate, some more obvious mistakes, Weiz'n? 4.13, Latschar/Latscher 4.21,22, matrimon[e]y misspelled, "Nearly" capitalized, 4.21. Probably the first style of typing was Henry Mack for its punctiliousness. Then it changes back at 4.30 and continues in the first manner.
Perhaps the stones are like the paper programs handed out today with text and hymn numbers, 4.15.
Preachers- John M. Ehst, 1.13 Samuel C. Clemmer, 2.19, John Gehman, 1.35, Heinrich Funk 3.31, John C. Bechtel 3.29, Deacon Philip Hoch, 3.32, John B. Bechtel 4.26, Abraham Bechtel 4.47
Notable age: Elizabeth Mengel, b.1741, 1.33, Hoch, b. 1755, 3.32, his wife Anna, b. 1762, 3.33, Abraham Gehman, b. 1766 1.37, Killion Weiss, b. 1751 4.32, wife Catharine, b. 1764, 4.31, Abraham Bechtel. b. 1749 4.47
Make a list of people born before the Revolution.
Row 4: 9 children
Row 5 notes:
9 children, Isaac Bauman, 5.30, "Age, 32 hours."
5.28 Maria Bauman, 9 sons, age 40.
5.44 Heinrich Stauffer, m. three times, in succession, but his wives are buried in reverse order from his grave, the first farthest away, 5.47
What pantywaists women and men today. Anna Bauman had 9 sons! What about companionship, friends? Unless you see their lives as prisons. Who lived better?
Row 6 notes: Bachtly 6.17
Almost all 19th century births. Of 22 names in Row 6, nine are children. 5 child graves in a row, 6.5-9. Then an 82 year old. We'd like to see them more interspersed. The children are fully equal in their humanity and its record with the old. Clara, 6.9, was loved beyond telling but not beyond recall. We feel her loss even now.
There are people now weeping beside these stones at the early deaths. No death is too late to bear, only today, then they died before their time. At the grave of Lydia Stauffer Row 6.21 her daughter of three, 6.20, husband and father John has inscribed the lines written there. "Thou art gone to thy rest while thy ties were the dearest, With smiles on thy lip, and delight in thine eye; While love was the brightest, and friendship sincerest; Desirous to live thou were ready to die."
His care is shown in it and a poet's heart too, but more the loss, the loss of his love. Ready to die. That is the very spirit of gelassenheit that Henry's daughter Anna showed when her daughter Elizabeth nearly died in her first year. After all was said and done Anna released her to God. This was important for us all, for without Elizabeth none of this would every have been written, nor any of these Pennsylvania Blogs. Elizabeth you see started it all. Her nephew had it handed to him. What a gift life is!
How to visit a graveyard. How is the pie? It’s good, but I have been to the graves. It is unlike anything else. When you go in person you cannot feel it as well, too many sense impressions. Here at leisure, contemplating the fact of the life, the sorrows…
Tombstone politics in 5.20. two children Irwen and Nelson, died two days apart.
They say no atheists in foxholes, but what about graves? Rimbaud, Buñuel, Borges and Stevens could not resist the faith came to their mortal minds. What principles have these hypocrites! No atheists in graves? Live by doubt, die by faith? Taunted at the Judgment for their cremation, evolutionists hasten the “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” Natural selection hastens their decay in the ground. Question the time. It’s all on the stones with the suddenness of life.
Preface
Mid 18th century graveyards are among the oldest of American settlements. Oak Hill Cemetery of Washington DC is one of these, but
Stones of Faith, including the Hereford Old Mennonite cemetery, are frequent in the five county area of Berks, etc. Seventy-five duplicated copies of
Record of Tombstone Inscriptions of the Old Hereford Mennonite Cemetery were issued in 1934. The authors hoped that "if later anyone is interested to carry on the work, this can be used as a start, and improved."
Record is organized by the 18 "Rows" of varying length and eight appended,"Toward Meeting House" of the burial ground. The originals are in German, but as the preface explains, "the inscriptions are copied as closely as possible as they appear on the tombstones, and for the benefit of the future generations, the German was translated to the English as closely as possible."
As to errors "made unaware," there is variation in the spelling of some names affecting the count of 59 families given in the preface.
This typescript was discovered in the estate of the granddaughter of Henry S. Mack (1854-1946), Anna Elizabeth Reiff Young (1910-2005). Henry Mack lived with his granddaughter and daughter, Anna Mack Reiff (1880-1970) from 1936 to 1944. "Henry S. Mack was born near Bally, Pa., June 20, 1854; died at the home of his son (Philip), Cornwells Heights, Pa., Oct. 23, 1946; aged 92 y. 4 m. 3 d. Over seventy-two years ago he united with the Bally, Pa., Mennonite Church, where he retained membership the rest of his life, serving as chorister for sixty years."
RECORD OF / TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS / OLD MENNONITE CEMETERY / OF THE / HEREFORD CONGREGATION OF MENNONITES / IN THE / BOROUGH OF BALLY / BERKS COUNTY / PENNA.
[i]
Preface
The Hereford Congregation of Mennonites adopted by vote of the church the resolutions outlined on the following pages, and established a separate fund, the income of which only is to be used in the upkeep and cleaning of the cemetery, and with the substantial amounts already so kindly donated, it is made possible to keep the cemetery mowed with the lawn mower. However, there are lots of other improvements that could be made, and as time goes on may be made possible as more gets added to the funds by such who are interested in this plan, and the upkeep of the cemetery.
The record of the inscriptions on the following pages are listed in the order in which the graves appear, and the rows numbered, running along the highway, beginning at the southwest corner.
The inscriptions are copied as closely as possible as they appear on the tombstones, and for the benefit of the future generations, the German was translated to the English as closely as possible.
The object when this was started was to have this in print in book form, however, because of the expenses involved no one was interested at the time to finance it. Therefore, it was done by duplicating for a start, and if later anyone is interested to carry on the work, this can be used as a start, and improved. No doubt, there are errors that have been made unaware, and possibly someone may later take up this work.
The work of transcribing this and reading the proofs of the inscriptions was done in the summers of the years 1932, and 1933, by the following:
Henry Mack, Philadelphia, Pa.
Mrs. Joseph Beidler, Bally, Pa.
Bertha Lizzie, and Amy Gehman, Bally, Pa.
Mr. and Mrs. David Gehman, Bally, Pa.
Master copies, with 75 duplicate sets, and the following statistics, were compiled during the Winter of 1934, through the courtesy of Gehman Knitting Mill, Bally, Pa., with Ralph Berky, Clayton, Pa., cooperating:--
The first Mennonite Colonists settled in Eastern Berks from 1725 to 1730. The earliest probable death date, legible, in the Hereford Cemetery is “1758 A.D.,” on a brown stone marker. The earliest birth date, legible, is that of Chasber Bauman “1724—1789.” The earliest complete record is that of “Peter Eshbach, 1762—1774.” Other interesting date observed:--
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Number of markers with death dates, legible, prior to the year 1800 17
Number of markers with inscriptions wholly or in part legible 613
Number of markers illegible 10
Number of markers on Cemetery 623
Highest age recorded, Maria Gehman, wife of Rev. John Gehman,
95 yrs. 9 mos. 5 days.
Oldest couple buried on Cemetery, Rev. John Gehman, 89 yrs. and
wife Maria, 95 yrs.
Number of ministers buried on Cemetery 7
Average age of ministers 73
Average age of ministers’ wives (6) 79
Number of nonagenarians – 13 women, and 1 man 14
Number of octogenarians ---35 women, and 34 men 69
Number of septuagenarians – 40 women, and 35 men –
Attaining age of 70 or more
-- 88 women, and 70 men -- 158
Number of family names represented 59
Number of Bechtels buried on Cemetery 78
Number of Stauffers buried on Cemetery 65
Number of Moyers buried on Cemetery 41
Number of Baumans buried on Cemetery 40
Number of Oberholtzer buried on Cemetery 36
Number of Eschbachs buried on Cemetery 34
In two hundred years the Hereford Congregation has laid to rest in “God’s Acre” more than 600 bodies. Of this number, 158, or approximately 25%, attained the allotted three score years and ten. “Truly God is good to “Hereford.” (Israel) Ps. 73:1.
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Resolved—That we establish a separate fund to be known as “THE BURIAL GROUND FUND” the income of which only, is to be used to keep the burial grounds belonging to the Meeting House of the Hereford Congregation of Mennonites of the Franconia Conference District, in the Borough of Bally (formerly Hereford Township), Berks County, Pennsylvania, in perpetual good, neat and clean order, condition and repair.
Resolved—That all money or property given, bequeathed, devised or conveyed to the said congregation to be used for the said burial grounds, shall constitute the said Burial Ground Fund, shall be under the control and management of the Board of Trustees of the said congregation.
Resolved—That the Board of Trustees shall not, at any time expend any part of the principal of said Burial Ground Fund, and no part of the income thereof except on orders granted by said trustees on the treasurer of said fund.
Resolved—That the Board of Trustees shall annually exhibit to the congregation a statement showing the receipts and expenditures on behalf of the said Burial Ground Fund for the preceding year, and where and how the principal thereof is invested.
Resolved—That the said trustees shall have no power or authority to expend any part of the principal of said Burial Ground Fund, but if the annual income from said fund should at any time exceed the necessary expenditures for the same year, this congregation may, in its discretion direct such excess to be added to and become a part of such principal.
Resolved—That the Burial Ground shall be under the control and management of the Board of Trustees and that no person or persons shall grant any permission except by the consent of the Board of Trustees, and that the Board of Trustees of the aforesaid Burial Ground shall at all times be under the control and management of the above mentioned congregation.
Adopted by vote of The Hereford Congregation of Mennonites on Aug. the 11th A.D., 1929.
Signed by the Ministry and the Board of Trustees Of Mennonites as follows:
Ministry (John Kriebel
(Abraham Ehst
(Elias Kulp
Trustees (Daniel Schantz(Solomon Gehman, Treas.
RECORD OF / TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS / OLD MENNONITE CEMETERY / OF THE / HEREFORD CONGREGATION OF MENNONITES / IN THE / BOROUGH OF BALLY / BERKS COUNTY / PENNA.
