Today's Walk Through the Tombstones is at Van Slyke Cemetery in Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana.
GPS Coordinates: 39.0275000, -86.9489000
This small cemetery is located on a hill behind what appears to be an old school, though I have seen it referred to as being a mill. I found mention of it being the Bloomfield Woolen Mill, though it really does look like a school. I wonder if at one time it was. The cemetery was established with the death of Peter Van Slyke in 1834 who was laid to rest on what was known as an Indian Lookout Mound. In fact, for a time it was known as the Van Slyke Mound.
What really caught my eye when we entered this cemetery was the large monument in the center, dedicated to the Van Buskirks and decorated with a lovely carved log cabin. You can just make it out in the left side of the photo above.
"The History of Van Slyke Cemetery
The history stars in 1816, when Peter C. Van Slyke moved from New York State to Indiana. Van Slyke purchased land in Greene County next to the White River. By the year 1824 he had in his possession at least sixty-two acres of land. He had some of his land cleared to allow settlers to stay for a season and rest on their travels to the west.
At this time the county court was located in Burlington, Indiana. Due to a major shortage of water the area was unable to support the growing number of people. In 1824 State legislators appointed commissioners to meet and decide where the new county sear would be located. Van Slyke put in an offer to donate his land for the purpose of the new town. This was the best offer that the commissioners had received. They decided to make the land the county seat and to name it Bloomfield, after a city in New York.
There are two more posters on the message board that show the burials in the cemetery. The list is below:
"Peter Cornelius Van Slyke
Born Apr. 5, 1766, Died Sept. 25, 1834
Born Aug. 11, 1790, Died Sept. 27, 1834
Harriet Van Slyke Dean Herzog
1856-1937
Thomas Van Buskirk
1861-1937
Anna Cravens
Jan 2. 1852-Oct. 30, 1962
James Clement Jones
Died 1843
Margaret Jones
Died April 17th 1834
John Inman
Died June first 1848
Margaret Bryan
July 23, 1815-March 17, 1878
Ann Van Slyke
August 17, 1795-1887
Carpus Shaw
Feb. 25, 1797-Feb 1, 1849
Infant Stropes
Died June 20, 1842
Charlotte
Died July 10, 1879
Henry Kelsey
Aug. 31, 1805-Feb. 6, 1842
Henry Edwards, Sr.
April 24, 1847-September 7, 1846
Stephen E. Lockwood
Feb. 14, 1847-June 1, 1847
Aug. 22, 1769-Aug. 1, 1851
Harvey Van Slyke
June 15, 1867-March 26, 1882
Henry Van Slyke
Aug, 1, 1818-Jan.29, 1886
Samuel Inman
Died Sept. 6, 1850
~~~~
Born: July 23, 1815
Died: March 17, 1878
She was the daughter of Cornelius Peter Van Slyke (1790-1834) and Anna Edwards Van Slyke Wines (1795-1887). They are both buried in Van Slyke Cemetery nearby.
She was married first to John Inman (1784-1848). He is buried nearby in Van Slyke Cemetery.
They had two children, but as of yet, I haven't found their names.
She was married a second time, though I haven't found his name anywhere and I don't know of any children.
~~~
Born: January 2, 1852
Died: October 15, 1935
She was the daughter of Henry Van Slyke (1819-1886) and Harriet Van Slyke (1822-1878). They are both buried nearby in Van Slyke Cemetery.
She was married to Thomas Cravens (?-?) whom I have not yet determined where he was buried.
Underneath her is Katherine Hunley Nelson.
Born: July 28, 1877
Died: October 30, 1962
She was the daughter of John Boudniot Hunley (1850-1911) and Mary Van Slyke Hunley (1854-1917). They are both buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana.
Her husband was John Maurice Nelson (1876-1965). They were married on December 26, 1907 at the First Congregational Church in Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana and he is buried in Oakland Cemetery, Oakland, Burt County, Nebraska. John was one of the men who was responsible for our current understanding of the properties of organic compounds.
~~~
The first is Harriet VanSlyke Dean Herzog.
Born: 1856
Died: 1936
She was the second wife of Francis Simon Herzog (1836-1909) who born in Kirchheide, Germany. He served in the Civil War in Company B of the 26th Indiana Infantry. He was a millwright and cabinet maker. He was a member of the I.O.O.F and was laid to rest in Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana.
She did have at least one child:
Infant Herzog (1899-1899) - buried in Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
On the third side of the monument is the name Thomas Van Buskirk.
Next on the monument is Wilbert Dean.
Born: 1876
Died: 1939
I have found no information at all about him.
The last name on this side of the monument is for Dorothy Dean Bushfield.
Born: 1882
Died: 1961
It is possible that she was the wife of Wilbert Dean, listed above, and remarried after his death, but that is only speculation.
~~~
Born: February 16, 1861, Gosport, Monroe County, Indiana
Died: December 10, 1937
He was the son of David Campbell Van Buskirk (1826-1886) and Lucy Ann Van Buskirk Van Buskirk (1827-1866). David Van Buskirk was very well known in the Monroe County area as he is considered a local legend. There is even a section for him at the Monroe County History Center. He stood nearly seven foot tall and weighed in at 300 lbs and served as a Captain in the 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. According to legend, he wore out 5 horses riding to Gettysburg to deliver a message to Lincoln. He and his first wife, Lucy, are buried in the Van Buskirk Cemetery in Monroe County, Indiana.
He had many siblings:
D.C. Van Buskirk (1850-1931) - buried in Van Buskirk Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana (served in the 115th Indiana Regiment, Company C)
James Isaac Van Buskirk (1853-1936) - buried in Gosport Cemetery, Gosport, Owen County, Indiana
Isaac Van Buskirk (1854-1936) - buried in Gosport Cemetery, Gosport, Owen County, Indiana
Cynthia "Dolly" Saluda Van Buskirk Ridge (1855-1936) - buried in Gosport Cemetery, Gosport, Owen County, Indiana
John Van Buskirk (1858-1939) - buried in Van Buskirk Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana
Getty Van Buskirk Warrenburg (1865-1932) - buried in Gosport Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana
Michael Van Buskirk (1868-1872) - buried in Van Buskirk Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana
Rose Van Buskirk Fredlock (1871-1953) - buried in Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, Randolph County, West Virginia
He was a Judge on the Greene County Circuit Court from 1918-1931.
He was married to Frances VanSlyke Van Buskirk, whose name is below his on the monument.
Born: June 5, 1867
Died: January 20, 1936
She was the daughter of Henry VanSlyke (1819-1886) and Harriet VanSlyke (1822-1878). They are buried nearby in Van Slyke Cemetery.
I haven't found any reference to any children, though it says at the bottom of the headstone "She was a devoted wife and mother".
~~~
Born April 5, 1766, on the Mohawk River, Schenectady, New York
Died: September 25, 1834
His father was Cornelius Van Slyke (?-?). A Van Slyke family history states that he was captured and held prisoner for four years by the Chippewa and Potawatomi. He was also said to have been descended from Cornelius Mey, who managed a small fur-trading post in 1623 where New York City now sits. You can read more about him here. I am unsure as to who his mother was or where either of them are buried.
He was a soldier in the War of 1812 and he is the reason that Bloomfield exists where it is today. He donated the land for the new county seat of Bloomfield after it was deemed that the previous county seat of Burlington was no longer viable.
He was married to Margaret Lighthall Van Slyke (1760-1834). The information is a bit sketchy, but she is the closest that I can find. Her maiden name is Van Vorst and a family history lists one of his sons-in-law as being named John VanVorst. This seems to me to be the connection.
They had five children:
Cornelius Peter VanSlyke (1790-1834) - buried in Van Slyke Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana (his name is listed below his father's on the headstone, though it is listed as Peter Cornelius Van Slyke)
Catherine Van Slyke Van Vorst (1793-?) - unknown
Sarah Vanslyke Shaw (1799-1842) - buried in Van Slyke Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
James VanSlyke (1805-1854) - unknown (he was married on July 26, 1827 to Margaret Burge and later to Mary G. Stallcup and was the local sheriff for four years)
Andrew VanSlyke (?-?) - unknown
Underneath his name, is that of Cornelius P. Van Slyke.
Born: August 11, 1790, Schenectady County, New York
Died: September 27, 1834
He was the son of Peter Cornelius Van Slyke (1766-1834) and an unknown mother.
He was married to Ann Edwards Van Slyke Townsend Wines (1795-1887) in 1816 in New York. She is buried nearby in Van Slyke Cemetery.
They had a few children:
Henry Vanslyke (1819-1886) - buried in Van Slyke Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
Peter C. VanSlyke (1828-1912) - buried in Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana (though after further research, I can't find his name listed anywhere else)
Margaret Vanslyke Inman (1815-1878) - unknown
~~~
Born: 1810, North Carolina
Died: July 16, 1879, Greene County, Indiana
She was the fourth wife of Lewis Baker Edwards (1790-1878). His name is listed on the other side of the monument at Van Slyke Cemetery.
Her obituary states that she died childless.
I haven't found any information on her family, though her obituary also states that "...she was buried on the burial ground of the family on the VanSlyke farm..."
~~~
Born: August 14, 1796, Long Island Sound, New York
Died: December 20, 1878, Greene County, Indiana
He was the son of Henry S. Edwards, Senior (1768-1846) and Sarah "Sally" Baker Edwards (1769-1851). They were married in 1791 and are both buried near him in Van Slyke Cemetery.
He had several siblings:
Sally Edwards Saunders (1792-1873) - buried in Hillside Cemetery, Burnt Hills, Saratoga County, New York
Anna Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Charles Edwards (1798-1861) - buried in Hillside Cemetery, Burnt Hills. Saratoga County, New York
Henry Edwards (1802-1852) - buried in Hillside Cemetery, Burnt Hills, Saratoga County, New York
Esther Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Daniel Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Alfred Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Reuben Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Reuben Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Samuel Edwards (?-?) - unknown
He was married four times. His first wife was Marcia Starr Edwards (?-1836). They were married on September 15, 1825. I haven't located her burial site.
They had one child:
Sarah Starr (?-?) - unknown
His second wife was Caroline Bennett Edwards (?-1845). They were married on May 13, 1838. I am unsure as to where she is buried.
They had one child:
Francis Lewis Edwards (1839-1912) - buried in Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
He married his third wife, Sarah Van Vorst Edwards (?-1856) on November 11, 1846. I'm not sure where she is buried.
They had a few children:
Caroline B. Edwards Spainhower (1847-1932) - buried in Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
Sarah Clementine Edwards Whitaker (1852-1882) - buried in Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
John H. Edwards (1856-1874) - buried in Van Slyke Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana (drowned in the White River)
His final marriage was the Charlotte Spainhower Edwards (1810-1879). She is buried next to him in Van Slyke Cemetery and they share a headstone.
They had no children.
Lewis learned the printer's trade early on in Buffalo, New York. He moved to Ohio and owned several newspapers at one point. After his first wife died in Ohio, he went back to New York, where he married again. It was in 1819 that he came to Greene County. He was one of the first school teachers in the county and was very active in the Presbyterian Church.
~~~
Born: April 24, 1768, Montauk Point, New York
Died: October 7, 1846, Greene County, Indiana
He was the son of Henry Edwards, Senior (1726-?) and Esther Edwards Hedges (?-?). He is said to have been born in Connecticut or possibly on Long Island where he died. It is unlikely that we will find his burial site as it is said in family history that he died on a sea voyage to the West Indies. After his death, Esther moved to Schenectady County with her son, Henry Junior and married a man named Stephen Hedges (?-?). She died here many years later.
He was married to Sarah "Sally" Baker Edwards (1769-1851) in 1791. She is buried near him in Van Slyke Cemetery.
They had several children:
Sally Edwards Saunders (1792-1873) - buried in Hillside Cemetery, Burnt Hills, Saratoga County, New York
Anna Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Lewis Baker Edwards (1796-1878) - buried in Van Slyke Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
Charles Edwards (1798-1861) - buried in Hillside Cemetery, Burnt Hills. Saratoga County, New York
Henry Edwards (1802-1852) - buried in Hillside Cemetery, Burnt Hills, Saratoga County, New York
Esther Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Daniel Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Alfred Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Reuben Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Reuben Edwards (?-?) - unknown
Samuel Edwards (?-?) - unknown
~~~
Born: 1784
Died: June 1, 1848
He was married to Margaret VanSlyke Inman Bryan (1815-1879) on December 16, 1833. She is buried nearby in Van Slyke Cemetery.
They had two children, but so far I haven't found their names.
I haven't been able to find out much about him. There is a link to an Inman Family Compendium , but there was nothing listed for this cemetery, so I am not really sure of his relationship to anyone in this cemetery.
~~~
Born: 1795
Died: September 6, 1850
Once again, this name is linked to the Inman Family Compendium, but there isn't a listing for him there. I haven't found any information about him so far.
~~~~
Born: 1833
Died: October 27, 1843
He was the son of John Jones (?-?) and Margaret Jones (1811-1834). She is buried near him in Van Slyke Cemetery and died only a year after he was born. I am unsure as to where he is buried, but I believe it to be in Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana with his second wife.
It is interesting to note that the Cemeteries of Eastern Greene County, Indiana states that following:
Jones, James Clement (s/o Elia and Margaret Jones, departed this life, October 27, 1843, age 10 years).
Unfortunately, the headstone is very weathered and is hard to read, so I am not sure which name is actually shown as his father. I did not, however, find an Elia Jones buried in Greene County.
~~~
Born: 1811
Died: April 17, 1834
She was married to John Jones (?-?), who I believe is buried in Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana with his second wife.
They had at least one child:
James Clement Jones (1833-1843) - buried in Van Slyke Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana.
~~~
Born: August 31, 1805, New York
Died: February 6, 1842
He was the first husband of Esther Edwards Kelsey Lockwood (1804-1897). She is buried in Worthington Cemetery, Worthington, Greene County, Indiana with her second husband.
They had at least one child:
Mary K. Kelsey Morrison (1839-1924) - buried in Worthington Cemetery, Worthington, Greene County, Indiana
~~~~
Born: March 14, 1847
Died: June 1, 1847
He was the newborn son of Stephen Henry Lockwood (1813-1874) and Esther Edwards Kelsey Lockwood (1804-1897). They are both buried in Worthington Cemetery, Worthington, Greene County, Indiana.
Had he survived, he would have had a couple of siblings:
Mary K. Kelsey Morrison (1839-1924) - buried in Worthington Cemetery, Worthington, Greene County, Indiana
Caroline Lockwood Voit (1844-1933) - buried in Worthington Cemetery, Worthington, Greene County, Indiana
~~~
Born: September 11, 1873
Died: April 9, 1876
Her parents are listed as being T. Mesort (?-?) and J. Mesort (?-?).
Her name is not shown on the burial list at the front of the cemetery, but it is listed in the 1983 index of Eastern Greene County cemeteries. However, the headstone is very worn and hard to read so I cannot guarantee that this is her last name. Searching has not turned up any other Mesort's anywhere.
~~~
Born: February 24, 1797, Vermont
Died: February 1, 1849
He was married first to Sarah VanSlyke Shaw (1799-1842). She is buried nearby in Van Slyke Cemetery.
They had a few children:
Joanna Shaw Eveleigh (1821-1903) - buried in Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
Carpus N. Shaw (1834/1835-1905) - buried in Worthington Cemetery, Worthington, Greene County, Indiana
He was married a second time to Adaline A. Cressey Shaw (1819-?). I have found no further reference to her or a burial place.
They had at least one child:
Martha Shaw (1849-?) - unknown
A newspaper article states that the marriage of Sarah and Carpus was the first in Greene County (after it became a county of its own) and that there daughter may have been the first girl born in the county.
He was also noted as being a ruling elder of the First Presbyterian Church which was formed on August 9, 1823 on the VanVorst farm.
~~~
Born: 1799
Died: April 16, 1842
She was the first wife of Carpus Shaw (1797-1849). He is buried near her in Van Slyke Cemetery.
They had a couple children:
Joanna Shaw Eveleigh (1821-1903) - buried in Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
Carpus N. Shaw (1834/1835-1905) - buried in Worthington Cemetery, Worthington, Greene County, Indiana
A newspaper article states that the marriage of Sarah and Carpus was the first in Greene County (after it became a county of its own) and that there daughter may have been the first girl born in the county.
~~~
Born: August 1, 1819, New York
Died: January 29, 1886, Greene County, Indiana
He was the husband of Harriet Learned VanSlyke (1822-1878). They were married on January 7, 1841 and she is buried near him in Van Slyke Cemetery.
They had eleven children, but I haven't found all of their names:
Anna Van Slyke Cravens (1852-1935) - buried in Van Slyke Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
Frances VanSlyke Van Buskirk (1867-1936) - buried in Van Slyke Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
Finally we come to the grave of Anna Edwards Van Slyke Townsend Wines.
It is noted that Henry VanSlyke took his own life on January 29, 1886 by revolver, having left a note that said he was "tired of life and that this was {own} act". He expressed a desire to be buried by the Masonic Lodge of Bloomfield.
~~~
Born: August 17, 1795
Died: 1887
She was married three times, her first husband being Cornelius Peter Van Slyke (1790-1834). They were married in 1816 in Schenectady County, New York and left there two years later to start the long trek west to where they would eventually settle.
They had three children:
Margaret Van Slyke Inman Bryan (1815-1878) - buried in Van Slyke Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
Henry Van Slyke (1818-1886) - buried in Van Slyke Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
Peter Cornelius Van Slyke (1828-1891) - buried in Grandview Cemetery, Bloomfield, Greene County, Indiana
She was married the second time to Amos Townsend (?-?) on March 4, 1839. I have found no information about him or any children.
And lastly, she was married to Martin Wines (1791-1864). She was his second wife and they were married in 1846. He is buried in Old Linton Cemetery, Linton, Greene County, Indiana with his first wife. I have found no reference to any children.
~~~
There are several other graves here in Van Slyke Cemetery, but the day that we went the cemetery was very overgrown and it was hard to get through all of the briars to read any of the other graves. I hope to make it back at some point and take a look again.
I hope you enjoyed your walk through Van Slyke Cemetery.
Visit the listing at Find-A-Grave.
