Short History of Those Buried in St. Bernard Catholic ...

St. Bernard Cemetery 1889-1999

Short History

of Those Buried in

St. Bernard Catholic Cemetery

Wamego Kansas

From April 1, 1889 through December 31, 1999

"May They Rest in Peace."

Compiled and copyright 2000 by Katherine "Katie" Towle Glynn

Short History of those Who Now Rest in St. Bernard Catholic Cemetery, Wamego Kansas

Introduction

In recent years there has been a growing interest in our "roots" and many of our "roots" are buried in St. Bernard Catholic Cemetery. About ten years ago our pastor, Rev. Phillip Winkelbauer, asked me if I would try to straighten up our cemetery records. They were a mess.

After six months I felt I had a presentable record of the cemetery but there was one part of the material I felt was unfinished. No church records had been kept from 1912 through August 1926. Why? I don't have the answer. The data I had put together seemed incomplete. One way of locating some of this information was to go through the local newspapers on microfilm at the Wamego Public Library. I started in January 1999 and this project developed from the research.

Between the years of April 1, 1889, and December 31, 1999, I have collected information from the obituaries in the following newspapers: Kansas Agriculturalist; Wamego Reporter; Wamego Times; The Smoke Signal, all in Wamego. The newspapers outside of Wamego were: St. George News; Louisville Lyre; St. Marys Star; Westmoreland Recorder; Manhattan Mercury, and the Topeka Capital. Also I have collected information from Stewart Funeral Home and family members. Combining all this information with St. Bernard parish records we have a "history of those who rest in St. Bernard Cemetery." One thing to remember when you are researching for information--ordinary people provided the information at the time of the death of a loved one. They may have mistakenly given incorrect information. The typesetters or later the typists could have made an error. Being human I could have copied the information incorrectly. I have tried to check and recheck and there are some dates I can not find which is correct. I apologize for any errors of the spelling of names and of dates. Bearing all this in mind I hope this book will be helpful locating some of your "roots" and will be as interesting reading as it has been for me in the research.

Katherine "Katie" Towle Glynn, 807 8th Street, Wamego, Kansas 66547-1552

e-mail: ktglynn@

History of St. Bernard Catholic Cemetery

Wamego Kansas

July 1, 1889 through December 31, 1999

When we speak of history we may think of World history, American history, Kansas history, Pottawatomie history or Wamego history. This history is going to be of a different nature. It will be about our forefathers and their families who left their homeland and came to Wamego to build a new life for themselves and their families and are buried in this land. In doing so they helped build our country and our parish community.

St. Bernard Parish was organized in 1880 with the building of a church. It was dedicated in September 1880. Before that time the Mass was celebrated in the pioneer's homes. In 1886 with Fr. Albert M. Weikmann as pastor for the mission parish, a rectory was built to accommodate the priest so he would not have to sleep in the sacristy of the church building for his over night stays.

The following is copied from a book of St. Bernard history. It was written by Fr. Weikmann--Father Weikmann Missionary of the Kansas Frontier [1932].

The more ambitious members of the Wamego congregation in ?88 or ?90 began discussing the prospects for a cemetery. Father Weikmann urged the project and a Mr. McMahon was appointed to negotiate for the five acres some distance from the town. The property belonged to one of the parishioners, a Mrs. Merritt who boasted some Indian blood. McMahon did not acquaint her of the purpose for which he wished the land, nor did she make inquiry. The stipulation was $300, cash, with the deed made in McMahon's name. When the transaction was completed McMahon proceeded to make a quit-claim deed out to the bishop and had the news of the proposed cemetery published. Mrs. Merritt was enraged and wanted the land back. She consulted lawyers in Topeka, who advised a lawsuit since the land was obtained "fraudulently". Anonymous letters began to appear in the Kansas City Times threatening harm to Catholic institutions of a certain area, if this land was not returned to the owned. The mysterious significance of "White Caps" subscribed to these articles, set ecclesiastical authorities on the alert against depredations, and Jesuits of St. Mary's College were among the cautious who secured special guards for protection against surprise attacks.

When the Bishop was appraised of the disturbance and the deed was made out in his name, he was greatly grieved, not wishing to suffer another indignity of a lawsuit. In a hurried message to Father Weikmann is expressed the reproof:

"That in spite of your zeal and good intentions you have brought your good Bishop and all the diocese into trouble, I wish you to inform the lady that the land will be deeded back to her."

Father Weikmann lost no time in an effort to calm the Bishop's fears assuring him:

"I am not afraid of Red-caps, White caps, Black caps or any other kind of caps, and that the land of five acres will not be deeded back but will be kept for the purpose for which it was bought a Cemetery."

Though the threats continued to appear, even affirming that all Catholic churches and rectories would be destroyed by Easter. Father Weikmann's courage was undaunted. The people begged him not to remain in his Wamego house on the nights preceding Easter, which promised to be a day of doom, rather than the joyous feast, "RESURREXIT".

However, he disdained their warnings and prepared to take his repose there. A perfect day dawned and he was up early to greet his anxious people. The cloud seemed lifted from that hour as there was no more harassing threats and all the memory of impending peril gradually faded away. Even the occasion of the first funeral failed to cause any unwanted scene. The County surveyors were engaged to place the property into lots, while trees and flowers were added to beautify the enclosure."

Since the above article was written more than 40 years after the fact, I will add some of the information I have found. The original deed is dated April 1, 1889. It was purchased by Patrick McMahan from Albert C. Merritt and Elvie J. Merritt, husband and wife. From the St. Joseph Church records, Myers Valley, Ks. (now known as Flush) lists Sophia Ernst, 48 years old from Tettnany, Wuertemberg, Germany, died June 29, 1889 of cancer and was buried July 1, 1889 at St. Bernard Catholic Cemetery, Wamego Ks.

The quit-claim deed, dated July 29, 1889, was from Patrick McMahan and Mary McMahan, his wife to L.M. Fink, the Bishop of the Leavenworth diocese.

Highway #11, which was a north/south road on the east side of the cemetery, was renamed Kansas Highway #99. (This is the reason the tombstones all face east.) It was later redirected to the northwest and the highway cut through the southwest part of the cemetery leaving a small amount of acreage to the southwest of the highway. The farmer on that side of the highway was given permission to use the land.

The following was copied from The Leavenworth Time,

Thursday Morning March 6, 1890.

WHITE CAPS

Bishop Fink Received a Threatening Letter.

Bishop L.M. Fink, of the diocese of Kansas, is in receipt of a threatening letter referring to some trouble which took place at Wamego, Kansas, regarding the Catholic cemetery at that place. It seems that last year a certain member of the Catholic congregation of Wamego bought a couple of acres of land near that town. The Catholics there needed a cemetery badly, and they got money enough together to secure that land for burial purposes. After each had paid his share, the property was conveyed to the Bishop, according to the rules of the church. The original owner made efforts to get the property back or give other land in exchange. The Bishop wrote to Wamego that he would desire the people to show their good will in exchanging the said property, if it could be done. What ever the difficulty was, the exchange could not be made in any satisfactory manner, and several funerals had already taken place.

The letter is as follows:

HEADQUARTERS WHITE CHAPS,

KANSAS CITY, MO.

Bishop Fink, Leavenworth, Kan.

"The Good Book tells us: 'If any of the faithful have widows, let them minister to them, and let not the Church be charged that there may be sufficient for them that are widows indeed." We have your name handed to us while in Pottawatomie county, and we give you just thirty (30) days to remove the cemetery out of the widow's farm, for it is a great injustice to her and her children. If at the end of thirty (30) days you haven't got a move on you, we will burn or blow up with dynamite every Catholic church and every priest's house in your district. This is the first and last warning you will receive from us; we then will act,

and you will be responsible for everything we do. We will burn them down as fast as they are rebuilt, if it takes ages. You preach CHARITY, now please PRACTICE it.

"By order of White Caps lodge No. 9?. The above article from the Leavenworth Times was also printed in the Westmoreland Reporter, March 13, 1890. ...................................................................................................... The following names are the same family with the name spelled differently or they are different families. Some have changed the spelling of their names over the years. Bellindier / Bellinder same Brazzle / Brazzel same Dike / Dyke same Egan / Eagan same Guilfoyle / Guilfoil different Hoehn / Hohn same Hoofset / Hoofsette / Hoffset same Koehler / Kahler / Kohler ? Reichenborn / Richmond same Rorig / Roerig ? Sommer / Sommers ? Vanderbloom / Vanderbloomen same Vogel / Vogl same Zeigler / Ziegler same

Among the first parishioners of St. Bernard were: Mrs. Ernst was the first person buried in this cemetery "**** " The names followed with an "**" are the early parishioners or their family members who were buried in St. Bernard Cemetery. Clardy, Costello, Dacquet, Doll **, Donnely, Ernst ****, Fitzgibbons, Funk **, Gleason, Graham, Haberman**, Heger, Hegner, Hesse **, Hoferer**, Jefferies, Koehler **, Leonard **,

McDonald, McMahon, Merritt, Metty **, Moriarty **, Regnier, Schroepfer **, Shelley **, Swords **, Uhlrich ** Later: Barber, Barrett, Besheimer, Bohn **, Bretz **, Buatte **, Cramer, Detrich **, Dike **, Doyle **, Fortune **, Frawley, LaFontaine **, LeClair, Leonard **, Lintz **, McCarty, Mengler **, Nepert **, Neugebauer **, O'Brien, O'Malley **, O'Neil , Picolet **, Reichenborn/Richmond **, Scully **, Sester **, Sullivan **, Tauer **, Trainor **, Vilven Under Fr. Schwamm: 1896-1906 Aaron, Beerhalter **, Brannick **, Dalton **, Felske **, Foresman **, Foveaux **, Fowkes **, Gabet **, Garies, Gasser**, Holuba, Lolly, Pierson, Ruhl **, Sable ** Under Father Heer: 1906-1908 Arnold **, Bellinger **, Bender **, Chris Bellinder**, Cudahy **, Daylor **, Drauden **, Ebenhoh, Geiber **, Hecker **, Holzhuter **, Hunholz ** ,Lichtenhan **, Marks **, McCoy **, Moore **, Mullen **, Noll **, Paxton **, Prockish **, Schneider **, Sackrider **, Steinbock**, Vanderbloom **, Weybrew **

(Remember: The first information on the individual such as name, date of death, etc, came from the church records or tomb stones unless noted "No church records." The rest of the information is copied from the local newspapers. The date following the information is the date the newspaper was published. Other information has come from family members. KTG)

"A"

Arnold, Andrew, son of Anton Arnold and Philippina Martin, died March 1, 1899 near Belvue, having suffered over a month from an acute injury of the brain, the result of a fall on the ice. He was only 18 years old. March 2, 1899- -KS.Agri.

Arnold, Louis N, born in 1911 and died Sep. 14, 1926. Parents: Louis P. Arnold and Magdelena S. Ziegler. Louis was operated on the week before for appendicitis and was apparently doing well, but peritonitis set in and he passed away on Monday. Sep. 16, 1926-Wamego Reporter

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download