Jurisdiction:  Benton Township Section 26

 

Established: 1875 

 

Status:  BCGS Cemetery Records updated  April 17, 2011.

 

Location:  South Side of Napier Avenue, 1/4 mile West of Hillandale Road

 

Cemetery Governing Body:  Benton Township

 

Land for cemetery was originally given by the Pearl family and was established about 1875.  Pearl Grange Fruit Exchange was near the cemetery and was mistakenly believed to be together.

 

Pearl family members buried in Pearl Cemetery include Phineas Pearl and Major Lewis W. Pearl.  Phineas Pearl was born May 12, 1789 in Windsor County, Vermont to Phineas and Azubah (Heywood) Pearl.  During the revolutionary war, his father was executed as a pirate against English ships.  About 1840, he settled in Benton Township and by 1845, had 240 acres.  Phineas Pearl was the Benton Township Supervisor for 9 years as well as holding other positions within the township.  He died on August 15, 1882 at the age of 93 years 3 months and 3 days.  His wife Fannie (Hatch) Pearl, whom he married February 28, 1814, is also buried in Pearl Cemetery.

 

Major Lewis W. Pearl, son of Phineas Pearl and Fannie (Hatch) Pearl was born on September 7, 1815 in Little Falls, Herkimer County, New York.  About 1840 they picked up and moved to Berrien County.  Lewis worked as a carpenter and joiner and was the superintendent of the first pier constructed in St. Joseph Harbor.  He also worked as a teacher in Millburg and was one of the earliest fruit farmers in the area.  Beginning at the age of 18, Lewis served his country in the military in the "Toledo War."  He also served during the Mexican War and from 1861 to 1866 in the Civil War.  He would have gone off to the Spanish War, but his family would not allow this.  On April 30, 1914, Major Lewis W. Pearl died just a few months short of reaching his 99th birthday.  He had lived his philosophy, "A man won't grow old if he doesn't think about it."  On a warm day he had worked too hard and too long.  He caught a cold that progressed into pneumonia.  His funeral was possibly the largest in attendance that had occurred in Berrien County up to that time.  Close to 200 members just from the Lakeshore Lodge of Mason's attended and now Major Lewis W. Pearl is buried in the cemetery that bears his family name.

 

 Written By David Barricklow