HISTORY OF THE GERMAN UNION CEMETERY PRIOR TO IT BECOMING
ESTABLISHED IN 1891

By: Ronald R. Prinzing

Prior to the establishment of the German Union Cemetery in 1891 the land the cemetery occupies was owned by Henry Siemers and John Evert each owning ½ acre. At that time the land was used for farming.

 

In the year 1870 the first burial took place on this hill in Forest Township in Rice County Minnesota. The burial was that of Charlotta Fick who passed away in 1870. The exact date is unknown. The burial took place on the East side of the cemetery on property owned by Henry Siemers. The second burial was that of Phillip L. Peter who passed away on March 10, 1874. The burial took place on the West side of the cemetery on property owned by Henry Evert. Now, both sides of what is now the existing German Union Cemetery are in use.

 

In the years to follow other burials are to occur on the land of which there is a list below to include that of Charlotta Fick and Phillip L. Peter. The dates following the names are the dates upon which the deceased passed away and not that of the actual burial.

 

Charlotta Fick 1870
Phillip L. Peter March 10, 1874
Heinreich J. L. Ross October 23, 1878
Louise Evert January 7, 1880
Dora Abel November 22, 1880
Henry Abel November 22, 1880
Anna Abel November 29, 1880
Gottlieb Evert March 23, 1881
August C. W. Demann January 25, 1884
Matilda Abel July 2, 1885
Gottlieb John Frahm September 2, 1889
Frederick Demann September 9, 1889

 

Per the list above there were a total of 12 burials on the property prior to it becoming an established and recorded cemetery in 1891. The first burial being that of Charlotta Fick in 1870