LICK CREEK CEMETERY, PY007
 
BEECH GROVE, PERRY TOWNSHIP
MARION COUNTY, INDIANA
 
1300 E. CHURCHMAN AVE., BEECH GROVE, IN
(By BEECH GROVE PARK)
 
Data entry by David Wright, 2002
 
The following list and information in the files of the Marion County Genealogical Society is shown as an article in the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine, pp. 99-101, issue date not shown.  It was entitled: “ “Beech Bank” Farm and Lick Creek Baptist Church and Cemetery, Beach Grove, Marion County, Indiana” by Ernest J. Coverdill of Lathrup Village, Michigan, who gathered his information in 1980 and alphabetized the list of burials in the Lick Creek Baptist Cemetery.  (Interestingly, the following paragraphs describing the origin of this cemetery and the Lick Creek Baptist Church mentions burial of three individuals whose names are omitted from the alphabetized list.  These have been inserted by the copier.)
 
“By patent, dated April 20, 1824, James Monroe, President, the title to the principal part of a farm known at a much later date as “Beech Bank”, was conferred jointly to one Susanna Mosely and her two sons, Azariah and Jacob Mosely, who “entered” the land February 18, 1823.  The original land purchase, like many made in the 1820’s, consisted of 80 acres.
 
The Lick Creek Baptist Church (the first church in Perry township) was organized at the house of David Fisher (now the Ritzinger Farm), in the spring of 1826, by Abram Smock.  Among the original members were David Fisher and wife, John Chinn and wife, William Gott and wife, Thomas Bryant and wife, James Turner and wife, and James R. McLaughlin and wife.  A church edifice was built within one year after the organization with a burial ground in connection with the church.  The first person interred in this ground was David Judd, on October 17, 1827.  The second interment was that of Richard Ferree, a lad of about ten or twelve years old, who was killed by the overturning of a wagon.  Also buried there is Abram Smock, who served the congregation for many years.  About 1832, a large number left the church to organize the Buck Creek Baptist Church, which afterward became the Southport Baptist Church.
 
The six and a half rod square area upon which the church stood was leased on June 23, 1849 to the Lick Creek Baptist Church for a period of ninety nine years, with certain restrictions enjoined.  A simple, one room, two-front-door church had been erected about 1850, on the brow of the hill, east of Lick Creek and near the center point of the east boundary line.
 
By reason of deaths and removals of members, the Lick Creek  church was disbanded in 1866.  Its building was torn down and the material removed to Indianapolis in 1867 or 1868.  There it was rebuilt for the use of a colored Baptist church.
 
The Lick Creek Baptist Cemetery (13th Street Cemetery) adjoining the church, abandoned at the dissolving of the church, was located at what is now the entrance to the Beech Grove Park at Churchman and 13th Streets.  The cemetery contains the bodies of at least three men with the surname Thomas.  Two of those are Edwards.  A soldier was buried in 1863, no information as to the Company to which he belonged.  Also, Benjamin Thomas, a soldier buried in 1861.  Thomas N. Thomas, buried in 1861, was a minister according to the engraving on the stone at the head of the grave.  Benjamin Mc Farland was the most ancient one to be buried there, born in 1770.  The oldest burial was Phinehas Judd, 1790-1827.  The oldest person buried there was Samuel Tull, 1769-1854.  Following are the known interments:”
 
ADAIR, GEORGE W., son of W.C. & M., d. 10 Sep 1841, age: 6y 6m 9d
 
Barns, ______, wife of George A., d. 29 Sep 1838, age 33y 6m 27d
 
BENTLY, SARAH E., wife of Joseph, b. 26 Jan 1830; d. 23 Dec 1865
BODKIN, MARGARET, d. 26 Oct 1845, age: 53y
BODKIN, MARY E., daughter of Alex & I., d. 12 Nov 1846, age: 14y 2m 13d
BODKIN, SARAH A., daughter of Alex & I., d. 7 Feb 1847, age: 7y 11m
BRYAN, ELIZABETH, wife of Thomas, d. 31 May 1872, age: 63y 2d
BRYAN, THOMAS, d. 28 Nov 1857, age 70y 8m 8d
 
COFFMAN, HENRY, d. 5 Oct 1811, age: 36y, 11m 9d
                                   (Error in year of death??  See opening notes.  Cemetery established 1827.)
COVERDILL, JAMES N., son of Purnil & Mary, b. 12 Mar 1846; d. 26 May 1867
COVERDILL, LAVINA, wife of Richard, d.15 May 1838, age: 50y
COVERDILL, MARY, wife of Purnil, b. 22 Nov 1809; d. 24 Mar 1847
COVERDILL, PURNIL, b. 8 Aug 1808; d. 1 May 1851
COVERDILL, RICHARD, d. 4 Dec 1880, age: 23y 11m 8d
COVERDILL, RICHARD, (no marker) ca 1840-1841
COVERDILL, SARAH A., wife of Richard, b. 1 Mar 1835; d. 12 Feb 1890
COVERDILL, WILLIAM A., son of Purnil & Mary, d. 15 Oct 1856, age 18y 11m
 
EVANS, CLARINDA, daughter of W. & M., d. 15 Oct 1864, age: 18y 1m 8d
EVANS, MARGARET, wife of William, d. 5 Dec 1883, age: 85 y 3m
EVANS, WILLIAM, husband of Margaret, d. 15 Dec 1871, age: 73y 4m 8d
 
FERREE, RICHARD – (Omitted from list by compiler.  See note at end.)
FISHER, ELIZABETH, wife of David, d. 28 Sep 1855, age: 27y 10m 13d
FISHER, DAVID K., son of John P. & Mary, d. 5 Feb 1854, 2y 1m 28d
FISHER, ESTER, wife of J. P., daughter of ____ & ____ Harris, d. 28 Dec 1869, age: 27y 7m 1d
FISHER, MARY J., wife of J. P., daughter of Adam & Sarah Wright, d. 3 May 1856, Age: 23y 6m 6d
FISHER, CYNTHA A., daughter of Owen & Sarah, d. 4 Dec 1838, age: 12y 4m
 
GARLE, NANCY A., wife of Wm. H., d. 29 Aug 1851, age: 26y 1m 4d
 
GILBERT, DAVID, Son of N. & Parthina, d. 9 May 1876, age: 7y 2m 9d
 
GILBERT, DOTIA A., wife of Nelson, d. 2 Oct 1865, age: 23y
GILBERT, SALLY, daughter of N. & D.A., d. 17 Sep 1865, Age: 11m
GRAHAM, JOHN, d. 10 Oct 1829, age: 37y 8m 22d
GRAHAM, PHANUEL C., d. 18 Feb 1880, age: 82y 1m
GRAHAM, SARAH M., d. 27 Jan 1873, Age: 42y
GRAHAM, THOMAS W., d. 7 May 1858, age: 28y 11m 17d
 
HOBART, EMELINE, daughter of John & Naoma, d. 9 Dec 1844, age: 15y 2m 4d
 
JENNINGS, MARY E., daughter of A.S. & F., d. 9 May 1845, age: 4y 4m
JORDAN, ANDREW J., d. 6 Aug 1838, age: 22y
JUDD, DAVID – (Omitted by compiler from this list.  See note at end.)
JUDD, PHINEHAS, d. 3 Oct 1827, in his 27th year
 
LEWIS, MARTHA, wife of John W., d. 24 May 1872, age: 30y
 
MARTIN, ALFERD SR., d.. 7 Oct 1855, age: 60y 5m 12d
MARTIN, ELIZA, wife of Alferd, d. 27 Jan 1867, age 63y
MARTIN, JAMES, d. 5 Mar 1865, age: 36y 8m
MARTIN, LYMAN, no dates
 
McCOLLUM, EMMA ORA, daughter of James F. & M., d. 11 July 1868, age: 4m 27d
McCOY, HANNA B., d. 30 Jan 1862, age: 18y
McCOY, RICHARD P., d. 15 Oct 1862, age 24y
 
McFALL, CATHARINE, daughter of J.S. & Mary, d. 30 Sep ----, age 20y 3m
McFALL, JAMES, d. 18 July 1863, age: 59y 9m 11d
McFALL, MARTHA, daughter of James S.. & Mary, d. 13 July 1838, age: 2y 7d
McFALL, MARY E., wife of J.S., d. 20 Jan 1865, age: 62y 3m 21d
 
McFARLAND, BENJAMIN, d. 11 Apr 1860
McFARLAND, MARY, wife of Benjamin, d. 7 Apr 1860
McFARLAND, THOMAS, no date, Age: 16y 10m 12d
 
McLAUGHLIN, JAMES, b. – Feb 1799; d. – Dec 1837
McLAUGHLIN, MARY ANN KIMBERLY, b. 11 Jan 1809; d. 26 Jan 1854
 
McMULLEN, JAMES, d. 19 Feb 1852, in the 77th year of his age
McMULLEN, MARY, wife of J., d. 29 May 1845, in her 67th year
McMULLIN, HUBBARD F., d. 13 Apr 1900, age: 46y 4m 24d
McMULLIN, JOHN, (d.?) 30 Sep 1869, age: 58y 9m 11d
McMULLIN, MARY M., daughter of J. & O., d. 4 April 1857
McMULLIN, OLIVE, d. 18 Apr 1882, age: 69y 7m 27d
McMULLIN, WILLIAM L., son of J. & O., d. 10 Jan 1850, age: 1y 4m 23d
 
MINTEETH, MARY E., wife of Wm., d. 22 Dec 1854, age 64y
MINTEETH, WESLEY P., d. 3 April 1850, age 23y 4m 7d
MONROE, LILLY, daughter of Phillip & Catherine, b. 1896, d. 1901
MONTUGUE, MARTHA, b. 29 Feb 1823; d. 26 Mar 1880
MONTUGUE, MARTHA C., daughter of William & Martha, d. 17 Dec 1848, age: 2y 5m 15d
MONTUGUE, WILLIAM, b. 7 May 1811; d. 2 Sep 1861
 
REYNOLDS, ALICE, b. 20 June 1856; d. 31 May 1897
REYNOLDS, CHARLES EDWARD, b. 1896; d. 1896
REYNOLDS, GILBERT OTTO, b. 3 Oct 1880; d. – April 1903
 
SCHWERT, _______, mother of Adam Schwert, b. Apr 1802; d. Dec 1876
SEARS, WILLIAM, d. 8 Mar 1859, age: 42y 8m 27d
SHUEMAKER, MARTHA J., wife of O., b. 12 May 1845; d. 12 Dec 1886
SMOCK, ABRAM – (Omitted from list by compiler.  See note at end.)
 
THOMAS, BENJAMIN, d. -- --- 1861        (soldier- see notes above)
THOMAS, ELIZABETH, d. 13 Oct 1851, age 11y 6m 3d
THOMAS, ELIZABETH, wife of Edward, d. 1 May 1866, age: 89y 1m 2d
THOMAS, EDWARD, d. 18 Mar 1836
THOMAS, EDWARD P., d. 17 Dec 1863, age: 27y 7m 11d      (soldier-see notes above)
THOMAS, JOHN S., d. 30 Mar 1856, age 13 y 11m 16d
THOMAS, OLIVER H., b. 1845; d. 1883
THOMAS, ELIZA, wife of Thomas N., b. 17 Jan 1811; d. 24 July 1895
THOMAS, THOMAS N., d. 2 July 1861, age 53y 11m 2d, (a minister per gravestone)
THOMPSON, ADONIRAM J., son of John H. & Martha, d. 2 Aug 1851, age: 11m 24 d
TUCKER, A. ELLEN, wife of Wm. J., b. 22 Mar 1851,; d. 18 Nov 1885
TUCKER, LEMEUL N., son of Wm. J. & A. Ellen, b. 1 Mar 1883; d. 4 Apr 1887
TULL, SAMUEL, b. 1769; d. 1854
 
WHITE, MARGARET, b. 20 Nov 1772; d. 12 Sep 1838, age: 66y
WOODRUFF, MARTHA ANN, wife of David D., d. 22 Aug 1850, age: 32y 5m 8d
 
YARBROUGH, MARGARET, wife of Primrose, d. 2 Feb 1842, age: 39y 5m 26d
 
 
OMISSIONS to above list mentioned by compiler in opening paragraphs:
 
FERREE, RICHARD, age 10-12 years – 2nd interment, after 17 Oct 1827.
JUDD, DAVID, “interred 17 Oct 1827” – first burial per compiler. What is connection between David Judd and Phinehas Judd who reportedly died 3 Oct. 1827, two weeks earlier than David’s interment?
 
SMOCK, ABRAM – no dates given.  Organized the Lick Creek Baptist church in 1826 with which the cemetery was associated until the church disbanded in 1866.  Abram Smock “served the church many years”.  No mention of a wife.
 
 
(Typist’ note:  I have 4 Abram or Abraham Smocks in my personal database, only one of whom was old enough to establish a church in 1826.  Some Smock families moved to Marion and Johnson counties in Indiana from Mercer Co., KY from the “Low Dutch” colony there, associated with the now historic “Mud Meeting House” which had changed from affiliation with the Dutch Reformed Church, mostly to the Presbyterian faith.  This group of interrelated families: Smock, Brewer, VanArsdall/VanArsdalen, Cozine, Demott/Demotte, Demaree/Demarest, etc., were abundant along the Madison Road in the Southport, Greenwood areas.  Some of them were instrumental in founding the Southport Presbyterian Church.)
 

 
Copied by Dave Wright for Marion Co., IN Genealogical Society 5 July, 2002 from an undated document on file in the MCGS library at Crown Hill Cemetery Waiting Station.  Any errors or omissions in interpreting and copying this data are the copier’s alone.  Thanks to Ernest J. Coverdill for his labors in compiling this information and sharing it via publication 20 years ago.