This is an abandoned cemetery in a dense wooded area in Sharon Township, Section 19, Township 111, Range 25. It is 6.8 miles from Le Sueur, Minnesota on 303rd Avenue.

Also referred to as the "Evangelical Church Cemetery, Sharon Township" or as the "Sharon Evangelical Cemetery."

Land for St. John's Evangelical Church and Cemetery was purchased for the sum of $1.00 by St. John's Evangelical Church Association of North America from grantor John Meyer and wife on 30 April, 1866 and the Warranty Deed was filed on 5 June, 1866.

In April, 1867 the Grantor was John Evans and wife who signed a Warranty Deed with The Evang. Ass. St. John's Society, Sharon Township, and according to the book, "LE SUEUR, Town on the River," page 184, under the paragraph titled, "Sharon Evangelical Church," it states that the church was built in 1867 and that, "A parsonage was also later built on the same location as the church about six miles southeast of Le Sueur. In 1914 the work there was discontinued, the lot and building were sold . . . " (Actually, only the church and parsonage were sold but the land these buildings stood on was deeded back to the landowner John C. Evans.)

On 28 April, 1916 a conditional deed was made between the heirs of John Evans and the trustees of Evan. Ass. of St. John's Society of Sharon Twp., which consisted of August Ziebarth, Christ Grams and Edward Busse. The land for the graveyard was separated by a legal description from the rest of the parcel which had contained the church and parsonage.

On the same date a "Deed Conditional and Contingent" was signed by, August Ziebarth, Christ Grams, and Edward Busse, the trustees and property holders in trust for the Evangelical Association of the St. John's Society of Sharon Township, County of Le Sueur and State of Minnesota, and the surviving children and heirs of John C. Evans, decedent, who died a resident of said Sharon Township in November, 1914.

This document stated that the tract of land "has of late ceased to be used for church purposes . ." and only reverting back to the Evans family of 1 1/2 acres, excepting also a parcel of land tract reserved as a graveyard. The conveyance of both parcels of land were subject to the condition that the Evans children named, their heirs and assigns were to build and maintain, and rebuild as often as may be necessary a substantial fence, four feet high fully enclosing the cemetery portion of the land which was to be constructed within one year after the date of the agreement, "and it is hereby understood that a failure to fulfill said condition, shall effect a reversion of all titles hereby conveyed back to the said parties of the first part; (the trustees and property holders in trust for the Evangelical Association of the St. John's Society of Sharon Township, County of Le Sueur) their successors or their assigns."

I visited this cemetery for the first time in the spring of 1996 and a four-foot high wire fence had been built around the cemetery but the fence was badly broken down with brush and weeds growing almost head high. The cemetery is located in a woodland and is surrounded by a dense woodland on its north and east sides with crop land on its south and west side. At that time headstones and footstones were found for six burials for four different families - three burials for adults and three for children. At least two headstones were in pieces and lying on the ground. The information on the gravestones was recorded although not all of the letters and words were legible. It was also obvious that a grave had been dug up and the casket removed. (I have since learned that a boy's casket was removed from the cemetery and he was reburied beside his parents in Mound Cemetery, Le Sueur, Minnesota.)

In the Le Sueur County death records for 1904, a burial was recorded for this cemetery for Wilhelmine Christ Bhane Schmidt. It has been added to Find A Grave but no gravestone was found. This makes a total of seven graves but there may be a few more burials without grave stones. Death records did not begin for Le Sueur County until 1870 and place of burial not added to the records until abt. 1900.

In September, 2015, we found the wire fence had either been repaired or replaced but the cemetery itself was in the same bad condition with weeds and brush. We could see where a small gate had once stood but it is missing. We pruned and cleaned brush from around the gravestones we found and took photos of the graves.