Des Moines Co./Cemeteries/Porter

Photo: Herb Price

Porter Cemetery has been designated a Pioneer Cemetery by the Des Moines County Pioneer Cemetery Commission.

Porter Cemetery is on the south central edge of section 14, Union Township. From Burlington take US-61 south. Turn right onto 65th St. Continue onto Hunt Rd. Turn left onto Brush College Rd. Follow gravel road about .8 mile past Brush College and Worley's Asphalt to Hunt's Campground on the left side of the road. On foot from there through iron gate about 1/2 mile. Take the center of three walking trails, under a power line until the mowed road angles left into the woods. The cemetery is about one acre in size and contains many broken stones and unmarked graves. Porter Cemetery is located in Union Township, in Section 14 on the South central edge of the Section, in Des Moines County, Iowa. To find the cemetery it is best to start with the intersection of US #61 and West Ave, (South edge of Burlington, Iowa). Go South on US #61 for about 1-1/2 miles, a gravel road angles off of US #61 to the South West (known as Hunt Road). Proceed down this gravel road for about .8 of a mile, pass Brush College, or Worleys Asphalting Company to the West .4 of mile. On the left is Hunts Camping ground, about an acre. Leave your car here and proceed on foot for about a 1/2 mile, going through the walking gate. There are three trails, take the center one, following a dirt road way you will come to an Electrical high line, pass under and walk with the high line until the mowed road way angles into the woods on your left, follow this a short distance and you will walk into the Porter Cemetery.

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PORTER CEMETERY

The cemetery is about one acre, fenced in and mowed cleanly. There are many broken stones, some leaning against other stones or trees, some are missing, and there are a number of unmarked graves.

This list is based on a partial transcription by Becke Dawson, a transcription copied 23 July 1967 by Mr. & Mrs. Jack Hixon, Iowa City and posted to the Iowa Archives by Annette Lucas, and a reading by the Des Moines County Genealogical Society from 1978, transcribed by Karen McAtlin, 24 Jul 2012. Information from photographs, and various other readings and sources has been added. Photographs have been particularly helpful. Please email the County Coordinator if you have corrections or additional information to contribute.

This list starts with the first row on the east side of the cemetery. All rows are north to south
–Richard

First Row

SURNAME
GIVEN NAME
BIRTH
DEATH
AGE
NOTES

Meyer Friedriche J. May 30, 1891 60y 11m 8d

Sophia M. Aug 17, 1872 3y 4m 25d Same stone. (Some records list "Sophia D. M." or "Sophie D. M.")

Infant daughter Same stone

Dorothea B. Jul 11, 1903 63 2m 14d Same stone

Sommers Henry J. Apr 3, 1849 Aug 20, 1921

Sommers Dorothea July 22, 1948 87y Wife of Henry J. Sommers. Dau of Friedriche J. & Dorothea B. Meyer. (Thanks to Leslie Saint for this information)

Four small, blank foot markers.

Jengel Peter Mar 13, 1838 Mar 4, 1909

Miller Maria May 30, 1814 Nov 16, 1903

Three small blank markers.

Nauerth John Sep 10, 1836 Oct 30, 1901

Barbara Dec 31, 1836 May 21, 1896 This stone knocked off of foundation.

Second Row

SURNAME
GIVEN NAME
BIRTH
DEATH
AGE
NOTES

Disteihorst Henry C. Jul 17, 1879 Sep 19, 1951

Elsie S. Mar 19, 1886 Nov 8, 1972

Markers: J. A. S., D. M. S., H. J. S., Sophia, Infant, Friedrich, Dorothea. (except for the first, these seem to be footstones for the people in Row 1.)

Roemer Balthaser Dec 12, 1836 May 23, 1904

Hillgartner Laura Feb 23, 1886 Aug 6, 1903 Daughter of Wm. & Louisa.

Small rock pile.

Hurl? Dudley Harrison Mar 19, 1842 1y 11m 11d Son of John B. & Amelia (Amanda) Delash. Broken. (On some records this child is listed as simply Dudley Harrison.)

Scheihing Johann Gottlieb May 26, 1819 Apr 14, 1887
Geb In Unterturkheim.

Christiana D. May 16, 1824 Sep 6, 1890
Gattin von J. G.

Marker: Mother

Third Row

SURNAME
GIVEN NAME
BIRTH
DEATH
AGE
NOTES

Marker: G. H. E.

Eckey Clara H. Nov 15, 1865 54y 2m 10d

Christoph Feb 9, 1875 63y 3m 6d

Markers: Mother, Father

Porter Thompson Mar 24, 1813 Sep 12, 1869 56y 5m 18d

Sarah A. Abbott Dec 27, 1821 Oct 22, 1866 44y 9m 5d Wife of T.

Douglas Oct 20, 1860 11m 22d. All are children of T. & S.

John Sep 6, 1857 3m 7d

Amelia Jul 9, 1853 11d

Henrietta A. Apr 5, 1853 1y 2m 27d

Lewis A. Jan 27, 1843 Apr 15, 1868 25y 2m 18d

Renz James A. Oct 6 1895 Mar 14, 1896 Son of Wm. G. & H.

Fourth Row

SURNAME
GIVEN NAME
BIRTH
DEATH
AGE
NOTES

Roemer Balathasur Dec 12, 1836 May 23, 1904

Roemer Barbara 2 Nov 1833 Apr 29, 1894 61y "Frau von B(alathasur) Roemer." Broken stone.
Birth and death date info from The Rev. Dr. Ned H. Benson.

Blaesi Katherine F. Gugeler Aug 4, 1841 Sep 21, 1864 Wife of C. Gottlieb Blaesi.

Blaesi Katharine F. Sep 14, 1864 1864

Gugeler H. Jacob Oct 19, 1883 73y 6m 17d

Katherine F. Sep 5, 1894 78y 5m 12d Wife of H. J.

Carl F. Oct 25, 1896 Feb 12, 1919

Albert H. Dec 19, 1855 May 19, 1927 "His wife," same stone

Emma Roeder May 16, 1867 Aug 12, 1924

Small blank marker.

Abbot Hays Dec 24, 1794 Feb 24, 1853 58y 2m Stone in pieces.

Small marker: H. K., C. K., P. F. K.

Small blank marker.

Kassel Conrad Aug 29, 1811 Jul 9, 1887

Anna M. Mar 2, 1900 82y Wife.

Conrad Apr 30, 1847 Jan 15, 1863 Son of C. & A.

H. Feb 14, 1779 Apr 16, 1869

Phillip F. Mar 30, 1893 31y 5m 23d Son of K. & Anna M.

Fifth Row

SURNAME
GIVEN NAME
BIRTH
DEATH
AGE
NOTES

Jarvis Sarah I 11 Feb 1838 3y 8m 21d

Jarvis George W 16 Sep 1829 15y 11m 20d

Peterson Jerry 1806 6 Nov 1884 born in Sweden

Peterson Mary S 16 Jun 1802 28 Sep 1899 ss, his wife, born in Sweden

Tiemann Wm F d 6 Dec 1887 64y

Tiemann Augusta 21 Jul 1824 18 Oct 1902 ss, w/o Wm F (Thanks to Leslie Saint for help with this entry.)

Tiemann Frieda B 13 Dec 1900 18 Aug 1901 d/o W C & Anna

Sixth Row

SURNAME
GIVEN NAME
BIRTH
DEATH
AGE
NOTES

Lich Conrad 11 Jul 1842 23 Feb 1900

Lich Elizabeth 30 Jul 1884 75y 5m 3d

Lich Conrad 18 Dec 1809 24 Feb 1892

Lich Heinrich 11 Aug 1837 10 Mar 1878

Lich William 8 Dec 1835 12 Feb 1902

Kleineweischede Henry K 5 Mar 1816 26 Jan 1903 b. in Steinau, Germany, ss, his wife, b. in Hemmerde, Germany. Find-A-Grave Memorial.

Maria 5 Sep 1813 31 Jan 1903

Seventh Row

SURNAME
GIVEN NAME
BIRTH
DEATH
AGE
NOTES

Hammer John 21 Mar 1829 20 Aug 1886 Barbara, his wife, Dora, their daughter

Hammer Barbara 13 Nov 1834 12 Jan 1913 Wife

Hammer Dora C 18 Oct 1875 31 Mar 1887 Their daughter

Hammer John H 28 Dec 1859 2 Feb 1939

Hammer Charles P 6 Dec 1859 2 Feb 1939

Markers: Dora C.—Mother—John H.—Chas P.

Hammer Mary 18 Aug 1869 25 Mar 1948

Boughaute A. L. 29 Apr 1896 3 Mar 1919 Veteran

Fritz Edith 1899 1936 d/o D & L,

Fritz Louisa 1877 1966

Fritz Dan 1864 1945 ss

Eighth Row

SURNAME
GIVEN NAME
BIRTH
DEATH
AGE
NOTES

Miller Lizzie Lauer 1 Jun 1903 27 Sep 1903 d/o Julia & Anthony Miller

Lauer Theobald 3 Jul 1834 10 Mar 1895

Lauer Catharina 25 Jul 1839 14 Apr 1911 ss, his wife

Larson Infant 20 Jul 1895 s/o J A & Kate,

Unknown Row

SURNAME
GIVEN NAME
BIRTH
DEATH
AGE
NOTES

Roemer (Hillgartner) Laura 23 Feb 1886 6 Aug 1903 d/o Wm & Louise A Hillgartner- This is the same person as in Row 2, above.

Eagen Deborah Ann (23 Sep 1959) (24 Nov) 2002 Wife of Joe Eagen. There is just a cemetery marker here—no gravestone. There is also a marker for her at Aspen Grove.

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