Daniel Mosher is buried here. He was born in 1864 and answered the final call in 1951. Levi Hicks and his wife Lucinda, have markers. He was born in 1846 and she in 1853. Mr. Hicks died in 1914 and his wife in 1928. Another marker on the lot is for C. W. Hicks, born in 1844 and died in 1896. There are also stones there for Walter and Ezra Hicks. John Pugh is one of the early born folks to be buried here. He was born in 1848 and passed on in 1888. Among those whose birth took place "back in the 40s" were William Purrott and his wife Elizabeth. The marker gives the date of his birth at 1842, and death in 1914. His wife was born in 1847 and died in 1926.

 Harlin Kingsbury, a Civil War veteran, has only a G.A.R. marker on his grave.

 Elmer C. Denman and his wife, Edna L., are among the folks buried here. Mrs. Denman was born in 1889 and passed on in 1954. Mr. Denman first saw the light of day in 1886 and died in 1956. His death took place while he was attending a dance in Richland Center. Mr. and Mrs. Denman had the distinction of having one of the largest families in the country. On this monument is engraved this line:
   "Parents of 25 children."

 Steve Bryant, well known as an operator of steam engines back in the days when they were used at threshing time, is buried here as is his wife. Five of their children are on the same lot. Mr. Bryant passed on in 1942 and his wife in 1956.

 Olive, a daughter of Ezra Reagles, died in 1924. She was the wife of Harvey Jewett.

 Charles Williams, son of one of the early settlers of Pleasant Ridge, was laid to rest in this cemetery. He was born in 1871 and died in 1957, his death taking place at his home in Richland Center. Members of the Breese family are buried here. On one lot the stones bear the names of Balemas, Rachel and Levi.

 Among the well known folks to be buried here is Edward E. Mickel and his wife, who was the former Mabel Jewett. Mr. Mickel was born in 1862 and she in 1870. Edward died in 1932 and she in 1909.

 The cemetery was visited on June 7, 1885, by the worst storm in the history of the county, in fact the entire north portion of the county felt the damage by hail which swept out of the west. The path of the storm was some 18 miles in width and extended through the county. Hail stones were of immense size, one stone picked up an hour after the storm measured 12 inches in circumference one way around and 13 the other. The funeral of Miss Mary Rose was in progress at the Pleasant Ridge church. The people got into the church just as the storm broke. Several teams, maddened by the pelting hail, ran away and top buggies were ruined. Several men, who out to look after their horses, were knocked down and one man was rendered unconscious. The funeral was postponed until the next day.

 The cemetery is well kept.

S. F.

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Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - November 14, 1957

 Close by St. Mary's Catholic church in the town of Ithaca, is the cemetery which contains many of the early settlers and pioneers of that section. Upon the monuments and markers are the names of those who have passed on. Among these are Hanko, Schauf, Weitzer, Huebsch, Wolff, Honer, Crapser, Hess, Durst, Kearney, Stoltz, Reis, Balgheim, Grell, Hild, Ruetten, Faber, Mueller, Gassen, Pulvermacher.

 There are others, Acketz, Nussbaum, Deitelhoff, Slatterly, Kavenough, Schmitz.

 A monument here is for Edward Hanko, his wife Christina, and daughter Veronica. Edward was born in 1844 and his wife in 1848. He died in 1908 and she in 1915. The daughter was born in 1877 and passed on in 1907.

 A marker, engraved "Baby Girl Roessler, 1951-1951," is located near one marked "John". No other markings are there.

 William and Delia Keegan are here. He was born in 1859 and she in 1867. Mr. Keegan died in 1910 and his wife in 1932. They were the parents of James and Leo Keegan, who for many years were in business in Richland Center. A daughter, Mrs. Carl Haas, now lives in Richland Center.

 Joseph A. Romeis, born in 1846 and died in 1896, has a marker. He and members of his family were long time residents of the Bear Valley area.

 There are many names to be added to the list printed above. Sullivan, Brier, Duffy, McCluskey, Lord, Riser, Olson and Dederich.

 An old friend, Henry Kellner, is buried here. Henry at one time lived in Richland Center. His farm was just over the county line in Sauk county. He had a cheese factory on the farm. Henry was born in 1867 and passed on a number of years ago, the date not being upon the marker. Mrs. Kellner was born in 1876 and died in 1942.

 Albert Louis, born in 1872, and his wife Agnes, born in 1871, are in this cemetery. Mr. Louis became well known for the fine apple orchard he owned. It is now owned by his son and is the largest orchard in the county.

 Bernard Fargen, World War I veteran, is here. He was a private in Battery C, 3rd Field Artillery. Bernard was born September 15, 1895, and died April 24, 1954. Joseph J. Durst, World War II soldier, is also in this cemetery. He was Tech. 4th Grade, 7th Army Division. Joseph was born in 1917 and died in 1944.

 A cross is on the grave of Wm. T. Misslich which gives his birth as 1859 and death 1882. On the Gassen lot are markers for Francis and LaVerne Gassen who met death in 1941 when struck by a car in front of the Ithaca high school. Francis was born in 1931 and LaVerne in 1928.

 Carved upon a marker is Little Bo-Peep, together with a sheep. The marker is for Lawrence and Angeline, twin son and daughter of Lawrence and Eileen Eberle. These little folks were born and died in 1953.

 Catharine Larkin, wife of Timothy Larkin, is one of the older people buried here. She died Nov. 24, 1868, at the age of 82, which would bring her birth date as 1786. Another early birth was that of Tearance Greeman, who died in 1866 at the age of 72, which would bring his birth date as in 1794. His wife, Mary, is on the same lot. She was 60 years of age when she died in 1865. Anthony Misslich was born in 1836 and died in 1909. His wife, Margaret, was born in 1845 and died in 1890.

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 Catharine Rooney, a native of Ireland, died in 1896 at the age of 85. Another person buried here who was born in Ireland, was Owen Smith, in 1845.

 Patrick Dorgan, Civil War veteran, has a marker but we doubt that his body is here. It is carved upon his marker that he was a member of Co. H, 36th. Regt. Wisconsin Infantry. "Enlisted at Ithaca, Wis., February 29, 1864. Taken prisoner at Remis Station, Virginia, and died in a rebel prison at Salisbury, North Carolina, on December 2, 1864."

 To first see the light of day in France was Jules Rollet. He was born in that country, May 19, 1804, and died near Keyesville February 1, 1883, at the age of 73.

 Two early born folks to be buried here are Henry McCann who was 77 years of age when he died in 1872. The other is John Moser, a native of Germany, who passed on December 29, 1870, at the age of 75.

 Some tombstones give a bit of history of the person whose grave they mark. Such is the one for William Schauf. It says: "Born May 1, 1822, in Glessen, Germany, married in 1847 to Wilburga Harriger. Settled in the town of Ithaca, Richland county, in 1857, died August 1886." Michael Schauf, buried here, was born April 19, 1837, and died March 22, 1907.

 There is a marker in this cemetery for Sister Vincentia, who was born at Lansing, Iowa, June 10, 1865. Entered the convent December 28, 1881, and died July 13, 1884.

 Thomas Carney was 75 years of age when he passed on September 14, 1887. This would bring his birth date to 1812. His wife Catherine, died in 1887, at the age of 60.

 Christ Hild is among the many folks buried here. Christ resided
in Richland Center for many years and operated a tavern just south of the Republican Observer office for a time. He was 41 years old when he died February 21, 1902. His wife and daughter, Madeline, are on the same lot. Two brothers, Anton and Peter, are also buried in this cemetery. Mr. Hild was the father of John Hild now living in Phoenix, Arizona.

 William and Agnes Misslich, both natives of Rhine province, Prussia, found a little cemetery in Ithaca's life's journey end. Mr. Misslich was born in 1794 and died in 1868. He was married in 1823 to Agnes Heinen, who was born in 1792. She died in 1878. They came to America in 1850 and to Richland county in 1855. A son, Albert, came with them. He was married in 1855 to Mary Weitzel, also a native of Rhine province. Another son Paul, born in 1833 in Rhine province, was 17 years old when he came with his parents to America. He was married in 1858 to Elizabeth Bodendine, who was born in 1840. They all are buried in the Keyesville cemetery. When the post office was established at Keyesville in 1872, he was appointed as postmaster, which office he held for many years.

 Herman Balgheim died February 6, 1904, at the age of 61. His wife, the former Gertrude Durst, was born in Koenighof, Prussia, Germany, Nov. 6, 1841, and died June 19, 1914, at the age of 78 years, seven months and five days. On the marker for them in the Keyesville cemetery is carved:
   "The rose may fade,
    The lily die,
    But flowers immortal
    Bloom on high."

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 It might be well to pause briefly in telling of the folks buried here and say a bit about the church, St. Mary's church. Many of the persons buried in the cemetery took an active part in the establishment of a church here. Father Max Gardner, a resident of Sauk county, held the first mass at the home of William Misslich in 1856. Four children were baptized at that time. Later on a small building was erected for church purposes. Father Wendel Bernard was the first resident priest. Father Bernard was succeeded in 1865 by Father Theopholis Bean, who had charge until May, 1872. A stone house was erected for school purposes and as a home for the sisters in charge. This building, we believe, still stands. From a small building back in the early days the church grew in membership from eight families to its present membership which is housed in a large brick edifice, with its high steeple which can be seen for a long distance.

 Now let us continue our way through the church cemetery. There are a few stones here that the elements have just about erased the inscriptions, names and dates. There are other stones that cannot be read because the light effects from the sun's rays make it almost impossible to read the inscriptions. We have found this so in many cemeteries.

 Mathias Hanko, who is buried here, was born on September 8, 1815, and passed on August 1, 1894. Mrs. Anna Marie Huebsch is another with an early birth date. She was born in 1821 and died in 1890.

 One of Ithaca's best known citizens, R. M. M. Dederich, is buried
here, as is his wife, who before her marriage was Magdalene Misslich. Mr. Dederich was born in Ithaca township in March, 1869, and became one of the leading citizens. In 1899 he established a store at Bear Valley which he conducted for many years. He was chairman of Ithaca township for some time and served on the county board. He was a director of the Franklin Farmers Insurance Co. for a time and held the office of president of that company. In this connection he became widely known in Sauk and Richland counties. His daughter, Mrs. Anna Marie Collins, lives in Richland Center.

S. F.

 Page 125

Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - December 19, 1957