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  1. SUBJECT:

    2. St. Peter’s Union Church Cemetery.

  2. LOCATION:
    1. miles south of Shenandoah, Virginia. ¼ mile east of Route #602.
  3. DATE:

    4. About 1750.

  4. OWNERS:

    5. St. Peter’s Union Church.

  5. DESCRIPTION:

    6. This cemetery is in very good condition; having been cared for by members of different denominations who hold services here.

  6. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:

    7. Here we have one of the oldest cemeteries in the valley, established along with one of the oldest Churches. It has the same name as it did when established about one hundred and eighty years ago. Today it is still a union cemetery, and belonged to several different denominations, the Lutherans, United Brethren, Methodist, and Presbyterians. They hold services in the little old log church nearby, and have their different Sunday Schools in the old church.

    The oldest grave, which has a date, is 1818, but it is recorded that Mathias Shuler came from Germany about 1730 and was buried here about 1750. It is not certain whether his was the first burial here. It is known that William Cravens and John Bear, two noted Methodist preachers held audiences spellbound here in 1770.

    This cemetery must have been for a long time a burying place in the valley as it is near the camping grounds of the Indians when they occupied the valley.

    Some of the Stovers are buried here, who are supposed to be descendants of the first settlers by that name in this country. The older graves have no inscriptions, only rock stones. Others have limestones with amateur inscriptions.

    The inscriptions are as follows:

    1818, December 22, Mary Ammon deceas. Christopher Ammon’s Wife

    William Dean, Died, Jan. 31, 1857. Aged 60 yrs. 11 mos. 26 da.

    In Memory of Elizabeth Peterfish daughter of Daniel and Eve Dovel. Born Jan 31, 1823. Died July 4, 1852.

    In Memory of Paulin, daughter of Daniel and Eve Dovel. Born May 31, 1843. Died July 15, 1845.

    Hiram Baugher. Dec. May 23, 1852.

    Sacred to the Memory of Mary M. Peterfish The daughter of Joan Munger and wife of John Peterfish.

    Born Dec. the 29, 1781 and died June 3, 2024 Aged 45 years, 5 mo. & 5 d.

    Sacred to the Memory of Mary Ann Stover wife of Joseph Stover

    Born Dec 9th, 1799. Died Feby 1st, 1849.

    Aged 49 years, 7 months & 20 days.

    St. Peter’s Union Church Cemetery

    Page 2

     

    E.R.

    1830.

  7. ART:

    8. Photograph.

  8. SOURCES OF INFORAMTION:

Informants: Mr. L.L. Rion, Mrs. Ed Jones, Mr. Isaac Shuler and Rev. L.E. Sheaffer, Shenandoah, Virginia.

Inscriptions on tombstones.

Visit by worker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 16, 1936 C.C. Morris

Shenandoah, VA