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EVANGELICAL ST. JOHN’S GERMAN LUTHERAN CEMETERY
SHARON CENTER, JOHNSON COUNTY, IOWA

St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery is located ten miles south of Iowa City. Travel south on four-lane Highway 1 South,
then approximately two miles farther on two-lane Highway 1 South. Turn left (south) at the Sharon Center Road
and proceed five miles to Sharon Center. Continue south one mile. St. John’s Cemetery is located on the right
(west) side of Sharon Center Road.

Information provided by Colleen Sehr and submitted on 15 June  2002.

The following information is located on a plaque along with a plat map in the cemetery:

"St. John’s Lutheran Church" served for many years (1870-1977) the spiritual needs of the small German community of Sharon Center, Iowa. Services in German provided important cultural ties with the homeland of the most of the congregation and contributed to the sense of community among strangers in their new land.

The congregation was organized in 1870 by immigrants from Germany and Switzerland who had come in 1866. It began as a mission under Reverend J. Hoerlin, Sr. and was formally incorporated in 1865. The church was built by parishioner, Albert Drews, with help from the entire congregation.

English services were introduced in 1905 "for the benefit of the younger members". In the years between 1900 and the official closing of the church in 1955 the congregation shared ministers with Zion Lutheran Church in Iowa City.

In 1967 St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery Association was incorporated to care for the buildings and grounds. The National Register of Historic Places accepted St. John’s Lutheran Church on its roll in 1977. During a severe storm a huge tree beside the church fell on it, making it impossible to preserve the church.

The beautiful cemetery adjacent to the church continues to give solace and comfort to the descendants of those who have been laid to rest there.

This page was last updated 20 Aug 2010 by Harvey W. Henry


Last Name

First Name

Born

Died

Back (10th) Row Left to Right

Kesselring

Emilie

Jan 1, 1866

May 1877

Bettcher

Carl

May 21, 1870

June 21, 1886

Frank

Margerette

Feb 14, 1879

Jan 16, 1881

Meinike

Elsie

Aug 30, 1887

Sept 8, 1887

Konrad

Ferdenard

July 23, 1889

Sept 21, 1889

Helm

Elsie

May 7, 1889

Aug 7, 1890

Yordie

Elsie

Nov 11, 1895

Mar 29, 1896

9th Row Left to Right

*Barz

Anna M

Jan 2, 1826

Feb 13, 1879

Kesselring

Anna Carolina

Oct 1, 1872

Feb 10, 1890

Hoffmeister

Charlotte

Oct 10, 1804

Apr 18, 1880

Bettcher

Fridericke

Oct 17, 1866

Apr 17, 1881

Hoffmeister

Christoph

Jan 15, 1796

Oct 15, 1884

Falk

Christlieb

July 16, 1816

Sept 17, 1886

Falk

Pauline

Sept 10, 1820

Feb 28, 1897

Meer

John

Oct 12, 1839

July 24, 1896

Meer

Bertha

Oct 26, 1848

Sept 18, 1886

Siehrig

George

Jan 2, 1822

Sept 15, 1888

Suhrig

Barbara

Jan 12, 1829

Mar 12, 1889

Siegling

Christiane

Apr 15, 1809

Dec 28, 1889

Sigling

Christoph

Nov 18, 1808

Mar 12, 1894

8th Row Left to Right

Treptow

Dorthathea, M

Mar 12, 1814

Sept 9, 1890

Walter

Johann, G

1818

1896

Walter

Katherine

1837

1914

Sommer

Andreas

Aug 30, 1828

Jul 28, 1890

Sommer

Ottellie

Jan 11, 1846

Jan 1, 1936

Roessler

Gottlieb, F

Mar 20, 1821

May 10, 1889

Roessler

Louisa

1838

1925

Monk

John

   

Monk

Caroline

July 26, 1891

Jan 1, 1917

Sommer

Christian

Sept 1, 1831

Oct 1, 1909

Sommer

Augusta, A

Aug 28, 1847

Mar 20, 1894

Wachholz

Charlotte

Dec 25, 1820

Mar 17, 1896

Kortz

Pastor John

Feb 19, 1838

Aug 17, 1896

7th Row Left to Right

Walter

George

Jan 30, 1868

Jan 21, 1939

Sommer

Cora, M

Nov 15, 1887

Feb 18, 1902

Sommer

Christian, R

Mar 19, 1873

Nov 2, 1900

Siegling

Marcus

Jan 5, 1868

Sept 9, 1900

Bettcher

William

1832

1901

Bettcher

Dorothea

1830

1904

Siegling

Jimmie

Mar 1899

Dec 1907

Kutchenreitter

Hanna

July 29, 1870

Mar 12, 1899

Sass

Annie

Apr 18, 1876

Sept 4, 1898

Yordi

Anna

Nov 9, 1856

Apr 15, 1898

Kesselring

Caroline

 

Nov 26, 1897

Zager

August, B

Mar 21, 1843

Jan 17, 1905

Zager

Wilhelmine

Feb 24, 1843

Nov 4, 1896

6th Row Left to Right 

Hoppe

Friedrich

Aug 18, 1828

Dec 25, 1908

Hoppe

Louisa

Jan 30, 1844

Mar 25, 1926

Klineschmidt

William, F

Oct 23, 1943

Oct 11, 1910

Klineschmidt

Johanna

Sept 9, 1844

Jan 28, 1915

Amelon

Elisabeth

Mar 10, 1822

Jan 10, 1911

Roessler

Pauline

May 26, 1880

Apr 26, 1916

Amelon

Augusta

Sept 11, 1855

Mar 6, 1917

Kesselring

Gottlieb

Nov 10, 1836

Oct 11, 1921

Kesselring

Albertine, C

Sept 7, 1845

Feb 18, 1921

Venzke

Reinhard

Jan 8, 1857

Mar 24, 1930

Venzke

Bertha

Sept 4, 1857

Apr 5, 1907

Hesselschwerdt

George, J

Nov 9, 1902

Jan 31, 1903

5th Row Left to Right 

Graeper

Gustave, C

1845

1918

Graeper

Theresa, W

1855

1924

Graeper

Elsie, G

1889

1918

Kleinschmidt

Albert

Sept 9, 1877

Nov 1, 1923

Kleinschmidt

Minnie Heeds

Oct 11, 1880

May 28, 1918

Kleinschmidt

Minnie, R

May 25, 1918

Jan 9, 1919

Kleinschmidt

Frank, A

May 25, 1918

Apr 3, 1919

Hoppe

Paul, F

May 22, 1920

Aug 18, 1920

Eyman

Vera, M

Mar 7, 1921

Mar 12, 1921

Sass

William, J

July 9, 1847

Mar 22, 1926

Sass

Caroline, D

Oct 15, 1843

Jan 23, 1923

Sahs

Alvin

Nov 13, 1923

Nov 16, 1923

Venzke

Theresa

Feb 25, 1863

Mar 13, 1928

Venzke

Irene, R

1915

1976

Venske

Albert, R

1912

4th Row Left to Right 

Gaffaner

     

Kuester

John

Sept 13, 1848

Apr 29, 1926

Kolstad

Doris, M

Aug 7, 1932

Nov 7, 1932

Moll

Gustave

1872

1937

Moll

Bertha

1881

1961

Kutchenwriter

John, D

1864

1941

Kutchenwriter

Vina, W

1975

1961

Venzke

Herman

1895

1982

Venzke

Leona

1900

1934

Graeper

Erich, W

1891

1942

Graeper

Emma, M

1895

1981

Hoppe

Elizabeth

1890

1933

Hoppe

Horace

1923

1948

Hoppe

Ferdinand

1866

1951

Sehr

Frank, F

Oct 21, 1861

June 14, 1943

Sehr

Mathilda, W

May 5, 1862

Dec 28, 1955

Sehr

Carl, F

May 29, 1895

Sept 1, 1957

Sehr

Anna, E

July 12, 1889

Apr 17, 1981

3rd Row Left to Right 

Young

Harold

1917

1993

Young

Adolph

1913

1973

Young

Andrew

1866

1940

Young

Anna

1875

1970

Venzke

William, E

1888

1966

Venzke

Helen, G

1906

1998

Graper

Richard, P

1884

1962

Graper

Clara, E

1890

1985

Graper

Leo, C

1910

1966

Graper

Frances, C

1911

1983

Sahs

Emil

June 5, 1887

Sept 23, 1967

Sahs

Minnie

July 28, 1892

Jan 10, 1960

Sehr

Donald, F

May 7, 1927

 

Sehr

Anita, K

July 26, 1930

 

2nd Row Left to Right  

Kutchenwriter

Frank, W

June 2, 1893

Dec 16, 1967

Kleinschmidt

Fred, F

Sept 21, 1915

Oct 18, 1994

Kleinschmidt

Dora, M

May 30, 1921

 

Graper

Eldon, P

Aug 20, 1920

 

Graper

Helen, L

Oct 15, 1934

Apr 23, 1988

Semler

Don "Chub"

June11, 1918

July 23, 1995

Semler

Loretta

Apr 19, 1913

Oct 15, 1997

1st Row Left to Right 

Trost

Shirley Ann Brand

Mar 25, 1935

Aug 6, 1985

Trost

Pastor Richard, L

Aug 10, 1930