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Researchers Guide to McPherson County, South Dakota
Cemeteries
Researched by Selma Job Lapp and Keenan L. Stoecker
Edited and Compiled by Duane E. Stabler
Germans from Russia Heritage Collection, North Dakota State
University Libraries, Fargo, North Dakota, 2005, 485 pages, and
Supplement Index of 48 pages, softcover.
Published in 2005, this book summarizes information from
over 100 family plots, grave sites and cemeteries throughout McPherson
County, South Dakota. McPherson County was a key destination for
many immigrants from South Russia. Here they homesteaded, built
churches & towns, lived and often died on the land that became
their home. In other cases, these immigrants sold the land they
had homesteaded and moved elsewhere. This book serves as a guide
to those researching the families that lived in McPherson County,
South Dakota.
The Index Supplement of 48 pages is also included with the book.
The Index Supplement publication is available, in part, through
the generous financial contribution of the Glückstal Colonies
Research Association. This includes: 1) Index of Names with Cemeteries;
2) Index of Cemeteries - Alphabetical by Cemetery and Alphabetical
by Township; 3) Additions and Corrections listing.
The book contents includes:
- A Historical Overview
- Photo Postcards
- Names of Cemeteries
- Locations of Cemeteries
- Data of Individuals Buried
- Maps to the Cemetery or Gravesite
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Family
Plots such as this one are located throughout McPherson County.
This photo shows a fence but many do not have standing fences.
Other cemeteries have high grasses making identification of
graves difficult. |
Photo
Postcards offer us a way of viewing what our families saw
as they came to town to do their trading, visiting on Saturday. |
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Unique
Headstones of iron or of hand-made stone are found in many
cemeteries. |
An
example of the listings showing the name, birth & death
date, family members if known and any comments that the researcher
found worthy of capturing. |
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An example
of indexes that provide a guide to the location of each cemetery
and the family plot or burial site. Listed by township and alphabetical
for the readers convenience. |
This book provides the reader a guide to all the cemeteries that
the researchers of the data could locate. Sources of the data include
church records, newspaper obituaries, family histories and oral
information.
Although the researchers did much of the work, there were many
other volunteers that offered to help locate the cemeteries, took
photos, drove to the research sites etc.
The photo postcards, from a private collection, offer the reader
a way to see what the three major towns of McPherson County looked
like at the turn of the 20th century when postcards were the means
of communicating with friends and family.
The indexes shown offer the reader a way of identifying where individuals
are buried and the maps offer a way of guiding the reader to the
burial site even if the reader has never been to McPherson County.
The photos offer the reader a way of seeing the cemetery or burial
site should a personal visit be impractical.
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Selma Job Lapp, Keenan L. Stoecker
and Duane E. Stabler at the Germans from Russia Heritage Society
Convention, Pierre, South Dakota, July, 2005. |
Related Articles:
Krueger, Gerald "Jerry." "Remembering
Past Enhjances Present, Future." Aberdeen American News, 26 June 2006.
"McPherson
County Cemeteries Book Published." Northwest Blade, 20 July 2005, 1.
"Others Need Credit too." Aberdeen American News, July 2005.
Review by Edna Boardman
McPherson County, South Dakota Cemeteries
Book
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