Jurisdiction:  Buchanan Township Section 20

 

Status:  Abandoned 

 

Location:  North/South Section of Wagner Road on Private Property

 

Cemetery Governing Body:  Buchanan Township

 

Location of Cemetery Records:  

 

The State of Michigan lists Wagner/Crum Cemetery as the “Unknown Cemetery”. 

In 1973, it was the Earl Stevens Farm but now is owned by John Hancock.  It is believed that this cemetery was still used up to the year 1916.  Only the remains of 4 stones were found in 1973, including members of the Abram Crum family.  The earliest burial found was on February 14, 1863 when Alla Crum died at the age of 6 months.  The majority of the visible headstones were under a large oak tree. 

 

Before Earl Stevens bought the property, the Whitaker family owned it.  A relative of Marge (Hess) Yetzke remembers the Whitaker house being a small one close to the road and Earl Stevens built a brick house back off the road.  She remembers the cemetery being up the hill from the 2 houses but never knew the name of the cemetery.  Marge’s brother Dave Hess and a friend, Ted Phillips visited the cemetery on August 6, 2001 and the only stone they could read was that of Abram Crum with the name Jane below it.  They did see 4-5 other stones on the property. 

 

On September 11, 2001, Cindy L. (Skiles) Frie and Marge (Hess) Yetzke toured the cemetery but could only find 2 legible stones:  Alvertis Wray and Mary, daughter of L. Weaver.  Alvertis Wray died in March 1865 at Jeffersonville, Indiana at the age of 22 years, 11 months and 20 days.  In the 1860 Census for Buchanan Township, there is an Albertis Wray, age 18 years, living with Hiram Wray. 

 

 Written By Chriss Lyon