Poor Cemetery' Discovered Volunteers Sought For April 28 Cleanup Job
April 19, 1984
The Morning Call

During the Depression some municipalities had burial places other than cemeteries where poor people with no church affiliations were buried.

Recently it was learned that Franklin Township has a "poor cemetery" where 11 bodies were buried, and efforts are under way to clear the debris from the area and put up a marker.

William Kemmerer, master of the Big Creek Grange, said he is calling for a work session of volunteers to begin clearing the area at 8 a.m. April 28.

He said he heard a number of years ago that the township had a poor cemetery, but it was not until last summer that he found the 11 burial plots.

The burial site is on a hillside between St. Paul's Union Church and Cemetery and the Big Creek Grange Hall. The area is surrounded by large pine trees and the graves are covered with vines.

Kemmerer said he has been able to find 11 depressions in the ground indicating the location of the graves, but none has a marker. He said near the grave site is a small stone marker with the name Henry Smith, but he does not know to which grave it belongs.

Kemmerer said he began last fall to call people and search church records in an effort to determine who was buried in the poor cemetery. He said he is now convinced he has the correct names of the 11 people.

They are Andrew Kramer of the Walcksville section of the township, born Nov. 27, 1862, died Nov. 16, 1932; Penrose Walck of the Pine Run section, born 1852, died in February 1923; Henry Smith, born June 13, 1890, died June 21, 1934; Raymond Smith, born Jan. 18, 1907, died in October 1925; Aloysius Helig, died Jan. 12, 1936 at 75.

Also, Thomas Ziegenfuss of the Long Run section, and his wife, Mary; Edward Wiedow; Stephen Zimmerman, and Simon Walck and his brother, Cornelius.

Kemmerer said he has spoken with many elderly township residents, some of whom knew of the burial plot and others who did not. He said Elsie May of Lehighton was able to furnish him with three of the names but could not designate the grave sites.

Helen Ziegenfuss, a Franklin resident, said she knew of the cemetery because her father dug all the graves. She said her family had records of the cemetery but they were discarded several years ago when she moved.

Kemmerer said the records in St. Paul's Church indicate there was a poor cemetery but do not list who was buried there.

He also said that until now he has not been able to learn who owns the cemetery land. He said he was told by some that it is owned by the township - the supervisors have no record of it - while others have told him it is owned by the Big Creek Grange, but again there are no records.

Kemmerer said he is anxious to secure definitive records of the cemetery in order to have a proper plaque prepared. He asked that anyone having any information on the poor cemetery call him at 215-377-0382.

He also emphasized that volunteers are needed April 28 to start cleaning the area.