Iowa County Cemetery Stones and History 1844-1975 (manuscript) by Pauline Lillie

                    ST. JOHNS LUTHERAN GERMAN CEMETERY                p.1
                              in Iowa Township    by Paulien Lillie


Located
Section 22 Iowa Township 80 Range 9 west of Hy. 6 from town of Hom-
estead ½ mile then south 3 miles on black top toward hy. 80: Near by 
is a large church, school and parsonage.

History
As listed in the 1881 Iowa co. History p. 734 Mentions it has about
50 graves. Atlas 1874 shows a church but no cemetery on p. 11- Atlas 
1915 p. 13 has cemetery, church and school, on the John Weischmann land. 
From the history of the church printed in the Marengo Pioneer republican 
January 1, 1964 for a Centennial issue, the following is taken: In 1866 
the tract of 15 acres was bought from A.L. Ruth at $10.00 an acre. The 
following year an acre was set aside for the cemetery; Previous to that 
time the cemetery was near the rock island railroad at South Amana, down 
by the Iowa river in Section 36 Washington on LEnox Township Line. (The 
old one often referred to as Maas cemetery because Henry Maas owned the 
land in early years.

Condition
Cemetery well kept; but it does have some old stones, possibly some may 
have been removed from one by the river. There were some that were dif-
ficult to read; Especially those of the old German Scrip.

Remarks
One would have to read the 8 pages of church history to understand this 
church, and the people buried in the cemetery. In the article it ment-
ions that in 1856 the following families settled in Iowa township: Rud 
Schuermann, Chr. Folkmann. H. Bremer, Gerh Trimpe at this time Harm Maas 
and Herman Lange were already living near South Amana. in the week be-
fore Christmas 1859 Pastor Doescher made his firt trip to Iowa town-
ship and preached.

I copied the cemetery November 3, 1975 and the stones and people seem to 
reflect the productivity of the industrial group of German people who came 
into Iowa Township and settled near the Amana colonies.


Researched by Pauline Lillie


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