HILLSIDE CEMETERY DIRECTORY

   The directory for Hillside Cemetery is a project dedicated in loving memory of Jeane Borre Berney, (1927-2006) by her family. The information in the directory was compiled by Virgil and Linda Berney from information found in cemetery records, obituaries, monument inscriptions, census records and the biographies found in the excellent book, “The History of Wolbach.” As space permitted, maiden names, birth dates, marriage dates, immigration dates and military service were listed. Although every effort was made to include accurate information, the various sources sometimes contained conflicting information, and there are inevitable transcription errors.

   As the cemetery was expanded over the years, the resulting numbering system became a bit confusing. The directory lists Block and Lot numbers to assist in locating graves, and the cemetery map is color coded by Block.

   The following is taken from “The History of Wolbach” which was published in 1988 by Tommy-Rene Printers, Inc., page 226, reprinted with permission of the publisher:

“The first known burial in what was to become Hillside Cemetery was in August, 1886 [Caleb. D. Hill]. There were approximately 47 burials in the cemetery before the land was purchased by the Village of Wolbach in 1900. The land where the northwest and southwest portions of the cemetery today is situated was purchased by the village on January 15, 1900 from Gerald Monahan. The first trustees of the Cemetery Association were E. A. Wight, William Bryer, G. G. Garrison, George Mortensen and John M. Lowe.

More land was purchased in 1914 when 50 acres was bought from Chris Nielsen. The Association had teams out plowing the land and planted it to blue grass. In 1914 the Cemetery Association also made an attempt to identify who was buried in the unmarked graves and determine who owned the lots in the old cemetery since there were no records kept in the early days. In 1924 curbing was installed at the cemetery to prevent erosion.

The 1964 tornado caused considerable damage to headstones and trees in the old cemetery portion of Hillside Cemetery and that section has also had old headstones knocked over and broken by vandals.”

   There are 1,620 listings herein. The 214 immigrants from 13 countries identified to date came from: Denmark (91), Sweden (28), Germany (26), Bohemia (18), England (10), Russia (9), Ireland (8), Scotland (8), Canada (7), Switzerland (4), Norway (3), Austria (1) and Holland (1).

   Hillside Cemetery is the final resting place for many veterans, and their graves bear special markers. Civil War veterans include William Caudill, William Cook, Francis Cutler, John Dollarhide, Abel Eastabrook, William Glenn, William Imus, Jeremiah Lambert and Joseph Rochek. Those who gave their life serving our country include Frank Rother (France, WWI), Fred Brown, (Guam, WWII), Ray Scheibe (Korea), and Terry Berney (Vietnam). Carroll E. “Tommy” Thompson was a WWII Pearl Harbor survivor.