Knights of Pythias Cemetery

Our first Walk Through The Tombstones is at Knights of Pythias Cemetery in Bloomington, Indiana.  It is located just off of Strain Ridge Road, behind the Bethel Apostolic Church.  

GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 39.05845, Longitude: -86.50482

We visited this cemetery on January 1st, 2015 as part of our plan to visit as many cemeteries in one year as possible.  It started as nothing more than idle curiosity, but as we started walking amongst the graves and seeing the damage that so many of them had sustained from the weather, and the idle hands of humans, it became clear that we wanted to do more.  We wanted to find out who these people were and make a record of it.  We bought nice journals and scrapbooking supplies so that we would have a place to put our photos and record the history that we found.  It was nice to be able to place these photos and note information about who and what we had found.  But as I was doing my research into these sometimes forgotten people, I found that there was little in the way of resources.  Locally, I have the History Center and whatever information is available any churches that are in control, or near, the cemeteries.  But to do research online about these places is very difficult.  Therefore, with my dear daughter's encouragement, I have decided to keep a digital record of what we learn.  I hope that everyone will find this as useful as we do and enjoy learning about the history of the people buried in these cemeteries.  And now on to the stroll...

This cemetery is listed as having 59 interments.  We did find at least one grave here that was not listed in the interment records.  You will see this grave later in our stroll.

Here we find the grave of Sarah "Sally" Grimes Taylor.  She was the wife of Robert Taylor (I do not as of yet have a photo of his grave).  

Born: February 1820 in Harrodsburg, Indiana

Died: 1895 in Harrodsburg, Indiana.

Her parents were Thomas Grimes (1788-1854) and Nancy Woodward Grimes (1791-1866). Both of them are buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery. 

She was married twice.  Robert Taylor (1804-1885), who is listed on her tombstone, is actually her second husband.  His grave can be found in Clover Hill Cemetery in Harrodsburg, Indiana.   Her first husband was a man named Arthur Sutphin (1804-1885), who is also buried at Knights of Pythias Cemetery.   She had one child named Irvin Taylor (1860-1860), but he passed away at the age of 8 months.  His grave can be found at the Pickle-Smallwood Cemetery as well as many of the others in the Taylor family.  In fact, Robert Taylor's father, Matthew Sample Taylor, had pioneered land on Ingram Road where the Pickle-Small wood Cemetery is located and the old homestead still stands near the cemetery.    Robert already had two children of his own when he and Sarah were married, David Newton, 7 years old, and Joseph, 16 years old.  In 1870, Robert's young granddaughter, Julie Ann, was living with Robert and Sarah as well, her mother, Mary Jane, having died in 1869.  When her father, William Henry, remarried, Julie Ann returned to live at home with him and his new wife.  She appears on an 1880 census.

Sarah had many siblings, 10 in total: 

John Grimes (1817-1899) - buried in the Grimes Cemetery in Lucas County, Iowa. 

Mary Grimes (1818-1881) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery. 

Allen Grimes (1821-1826) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Perlina Grimes Perry (1825-1906) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Emily Grimes Whisenand (1827-1811) - buried in the Chariton Cemetery in Lucas County, Iowa.

Ervin Grimes (1828-1910) - buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Louisa Grimes Leonard (1830-1916) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Fanny Grimes (1833-1851) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Martha Grimes (1836-1850) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Major Silas E. Grimes (1839-1927) - buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.

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We now move on to the grave of John Tate.

Born: May 12, 1794

Died: September 6, 1864

His mother was Sarah Darity Tate (1768-1836). There is no listing as to who his father was.  She is buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.  If there is any listing anywhere of who his father was, please email me or mention it in the comments.  I would like to be able to have this information as well.  UPDATE:  Thanks to a commenter below, I now know who his father was.  His father's name was John Tate (?-?).  He and Sarah were divorced and she moved on to Tennessee before coming to Indiana.  Thank you!

He was married to Susanna Cary Tate (1794-1878). She is buried at Knights of Pythias Cemetery.  I do not have a photo of her grave as of yet.

He had several children and they are as follows: 

Archibald Carey Tate (1817-1904) - buried in Pleasant Prairie Cemetery in Cole County, Illinois.

Didama Tate Stepp (1819-1844) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Martha Tate Tatum (1821-1902) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Sophrona Tate Rogers (1823-1865) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Jesse Tate (1828-1873) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

John Jackson Tate (1829-1869) - buried in Stewart Cemetery in Tipton County, Indiana.

Garrison Tate (1831-1901) - buried in Pleasant Prairie Cemetery in Cole County, Illinois.

I have been unable to find any biographical information on John Tate.  Please email me if you have any information.

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This is the gravestone for Martha Tate Tatum.  

Born: January 6, 1821

Died: January 9, 1902

She was the daughter of John Tate (1794-1864) and Susanna Cary Tate (1794-1878).  

She was married to Seth Tatum (1821-1892) who is buried in Lowe Cemetery in Monroe County, Indiana.

Martha is listed as having 6 siblings:

Archibald Carey Tate (1817-1904) - buried in Pleasant Prairie Cemetery in Cole County, Illinois.

Didama Tate Stepp (1819-1844) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Sophrona Tate Rogers (1823-1865) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Jesse Tate (1828-1873) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

John Jackson Tate (1829-1869) - buried in Stewart Cemetery in Tipton County, Indiana.

Garrison Tate (1831-1901) - buried in Pleasant Prairie Cemetery in Cole County, Illinois.

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Next we move onto Martha's brother Jesse Tate.  

Born: April 5, 1828

Died: March 10, 1873

Jesse Tate served during the Civil War as a member of the 97th Illinois Infantry, Company D.  He was married to Elizabeth Brookshire Tate-Morgan (1827-1909). She is buried at South Union Church Cemetery in Monroe County, Indiana.  His parents are John Tate (1794-1864) and Susanna Cary Tate (1794-1878). 

He had three children with Elizabeth:

John W. Tate (1855-1882) - buried in South Union Church Cemetery in Monroe County, Indiana.

James Buchanan Tate (1858-1889) - buried in Chapel Hill Cemetery in Monroe County, Indiana.

William H. Tate (1860-1937) - buried in South Union Church Cemetery in Monroe County, Indiana.

He has 6 siblings:

Archibald Carey Tate (1817-1904) - buried in Pleasant Prairie Cemetery in Cole County, Illinois.

Didama Tate Stepp (1819-1844) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Sophrona Tate Rogers (1823-1865) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Jesse Tate (1828-1873) - buried in Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

John Jackson Tate (1829-1869) - buried in Stewart Cemetery in Tipton County, Indiana.

Garrison Tate (1831-1901) - buried in Pleasant Prairie Cemetery in Cole County, Illinois.

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Here we have the grave of James "Jim" Girtman, also known as Bird-Jim. 

Born: October 9, 1871

Died: August 28, 1947 in Monroe County, Indiana

He was married to Roberta Cantrell Girtman (1879-1953).  She is listed as being buried at Knights of Pythias Cemetery, but I could not find her grave.  

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Moving on, we have the grave of Lillie Barrett Litz.  

Born: June 1880

Died: August 7, 1908

Lillie was married to Clarence Elmer Litz (1874-1944) who is buried at Clear Creek Cemetery.   They had two children, Pauline and Eva.

An excerpt from the Smithville News, August 7, 1908: 

"Mrs. Lillie (Barrett) Litz, 30 years of age, died this morning at seven o'clock after a protracted illness of tuberculosis.  Mrs. Litz is the daughter of Hugh Barrett who lives at Sanders and was born and raised in this township.  In 1900, she was married to Elmer Litz, a son of Louis Litz, the well-known farmer west of town, and during their union, two bright little children were born, Pauline aged 6, and Eva, aged 4.  The funeral will be held at two o'clock Sunday afternoon at the Christian Church in charge of Rev. Quincy Short and Undertaker Harrell.  The interment will be in the Old Leonard Graveyard south of Paris Trisler's place by her special request.  

Mrs. Litz was a lifelong member of the Christian Church and a devoted wife and mother, beloved by all who knew her.  Her lot has been a very sad one, a beautiful young lady stricken with the dread disease in the very prime of life, when they had earned a beautiful little home and just about ready to enjoy life comfortably together, had to be taken away.  The bible says all things are done for the best, but it seems a great sacrifice for the little ones and husband and all who knew her."

A scanned copy of the Smithville News is available through the Monroe County Public 

Library.  

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Next we have the first of two graves that don't appear to be in the interment records for this cemetery.

The gravestone states that this is the grave of "Mary, Wife of James Shields."  

Born: January 19, 1845 (Though the year is a little hard to read, I believe that this is what it shows.)

Died: May 20, 1914

I have searched for any mention of a Mary Shields, but all of the ones that I can find do not match the birth and death dates.  I would love to have more information about her.

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Here we have the grave of Arabelle McCormick.  She is not shown to be buried in this cemetery.  

Born: January 23, 1860

Died: September 26, 1912

My research has showed nothing for this name.  

It is possible that one or both of the above burials was never recorded or that all records have been lost.

I would like to be able to get back to Knights of Pythias at some point and take more photographs of the family for the people that I have listed already.  I feel that it would only be right to list their relations as fully as possible.

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 I also have pictures of these graves, but I am not sure who they belong to.  I can somewhat make out the one on the right, but I am not sure about the one on the left.  I will make it back one day this year, hopefully, and make note of their names.

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If you have any information on any of these burials, or have a request for a specific grave, please email me or leave me a comment.

I hope you have enjoyed your walk through Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Please visit the listing at Find-A-Grave.