The Old Sign. Oct 2003

Looking West. Oct 2003

From the old section looking East. Oct 2003

Eberhard Cemetery in Columbia Twp., Whitley County. Whitley County was named for Col. William Whitley and was established in 1831 with Columbia City as the County Seat. The brick 1893 church was built for a Lutheran and Reform congregation. The graveyard is closed 9PM to 6AM, This is a big, active cemetery with thousands of souls resting here. The oldest burial we found a record for was for Auch Curch, died June 15, 1835, with a number of tombstones dating to the 1850's, mostly located behind the church.

The Wolfe (Wolf) family leads the way here with 56 representatives, but the Eberhards have 54, the Sells, 47; the Knellers 43; the Longs 41(6 of whom are Marys); the Millers 36, there are only 4 Foxes.

But it's the ladies names that we like best about this cemetery. There is a Fairy V and a Fairy Mae, Pansy Mae, Minnie Mae, but no Daisy Mae, an Icy M and an Icy A, a Ruby Mae, a Dora Belle, Flossie, 4 Fanny's and 5 Fannie's; a Flossy and a Sadie and a Polly Ann and of course a Mary Jane or two. And our favorite: Gail D. "Snowball" Beasley. The men are represented by a John Johnson , Tennessee Farley, and Nobel Bell (Is he a Bell or not a Bell?). And as a Bonus George Goble and Jesse Jackson are buried here.==6dogteam