Saunders County NEGenWeb Project
 photo courtesy of Geri DeGroff. (Fall 2000) |
Estina
(Leshara Township) |
ESTINA CEMETERY HISTORY
Tombstone Records
In 1867 a Baptist colony was formed six miles northeast of what is now the town of Mead, Nebraska. The area was called Estina. According to Perkey's "Nebraska Place Names" by Elton A. Perkey, Estina had a post office established October 28, 1869; discontinued January 22, 1883. The colonists who came originally from the north of Sweden, migrated to this part of Nebraska from Minnesota and Illinois. On September 3, 1870 many of these colonists organized the 1st Swedish Baptist Church of Estina with 17 charter members.
Estina Baptist Church
taken circa 1878-79
Evangelist Fred Franson is in picture
Submitted by Les Roslund
Image links to larger version.Just north and 3/4 mile east of where the church was known to have been, land was used for a cemetery by members of this church, and possibly by others. The cemetery is located in the SW corner of the E1/2 of the SE1/4 of section 6, township 15N, range 9E in Leshara township. The first known burials are the children of Larson and Johanna Jensen. Four of their children were buried within eight days of each other in late March, 1887. Most likely, they died from diphtheria. This left the Jensens with only one child, Mary, at that time.
On September 21, 1887, 240 rods of land were deeded from John Wicklund to the Trustees of the 1st Swedish Baptist Church of Estina. Also on this date, Mr. and Mrs. John Ring deeded 15 rods of land to the Trustees of the 1st Swedish Baptist Church of Estina. This strip of land is on the west edge of the cemetery, and is where the three children of Peter O. and B.G. Yeltman were buried. The three children died within two days of each other from diphtheria. This left the Yeltman family with only three children at the time. Great grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Yeltman, Les Roslund, noted that the Yeltmans had lost four other children in infancy. To lose three children that were nearly grown was almost more than his great grandmother could bear. Notes written by Les' grandmother years later mentioned finding her mother, Mrs. Yeltman, crying each day for months.
In 1916 the trustees of the 1st Swedish Baptist Church deeded the cemetery property to the Estina Cemetery Association. Between 1916 and 1917 the 1st Swedish Baptist Church disbanded. The church and parsonage buildings were moved to the Charley Nelson farm in the southwest corner of section 6, what is now known as Leshara township. The buildings were moved after the fall of 1920, and used as a blacksmith shop, and a workshed and storage shed.
There is a concrete marker along county road 9, the east roadway of Section 12, in Marietta township in memory of the 1st Swedish Baptist Church. It was erected September 3, 1932 by surviving members of the original church. It reads, "Estina Swedish Baptist Church, the First Baptist Church in this county stood eleven rods west. Organized Sept. 3, 1870. Church erected 1879. In use until 1917. Only Eternity will reveal its results."
On December 26, 1963, Eland C. Johnson reported on the Estina Baptist Cemetery to the Saunders County officials. In his report he noted the records of the cemetery have no dates of any kind, nor the names of bodies placed there. The records are written in Swedish. Mr. Charley Nelson was the last caretaker of the cemetery. As far as he could determine, originally 26 lots were sold for $3 a lot, and then $2 a lot. Several of them were never paid for. The last body buried there was Mrs. Ruth Ostrander, daughter of Mr. John Johnson. He believes four bodies were moved from the cemetery, and about twenty were once buried there.
Sadly, Mr. Johnson reported that in the last twenty years (1943-63), "no one ever spent an hour of time (to) care for it. It is now covered with wild plum trees, lylacs, all kinds (of) volunteer trees & brush, all but one of the tomb stones are overturned & broken by vandals."
Mr. Wally Anderson cleaned the cemetery in 1949. It was reported that in 1968, a boy scout troop came in and worked on the cemetery. In October 1977, Mrs. Clarabelle Mares walked the cemetery. She noted the cemetery had been used for all types of parties from the looks of the rubbish. She recorded only the two markers which she could find at that time. In 1986, it was in horrible condition. It was unrecognizable as a cemetery, and was overgrown completely, with only a small area in the center to drive into.
In the fall of 1986 Geri DeGroff printed flyers to try and stir interest in cleaning the cemetery. Eleven area neighbors and residents of Yutan volunteered on Sunday, September 28, and twenty four volunteers gathered on Sunday, October 5, 1986. By the last Sunday, most of the 1 1/2 acre cemetery was cleared of the trash and underbrush. In partnership with the Saunders County Board of Supervisors and Bill Lindholm of the Saunders County Highway Department, the cemetery was cleaned up completely.
The county has installed a fence and gates around the cemetery. Money donated by Raymond Person and Ethel Stanton went towards this purchase. They are grandchildren of Lars and Bertha Anderson who are buried in the cemetery. The cemetery has been mowed since that time by neighbors Rick and Geri DeGroff and their children, Ryan, Kristy, Justin, Jennifer and Brandon. Robert Gutzwiller and Wayne Widman have also helped with the cemetery maintenance.
Unfortunately, the vandalism did not end, and after the cemetery was cleaned up, two more monuments were taken. One was of the Yeltman's three children, and one of the Jensen's four children. There are not many monuments left. There is a beautiful ornate wrought iron fence around what appears to be a family plot.
What little records there are, which are written in Swedish are located at the Saunders County Museum in Wahoo, Nebraska.
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Tombstone Records
The following is a listing of the markers that were recorded on October 5, 1986 by Geri DeGroff: J.A. John Johnson 1845-1914 Mary, his wife 1845-1931 A.L.W. A.A.W. L.E. Anderson born Feb. 16, 1845 died March 1, 1914 Brita C. Anderson born Feb. 16, 1836 died Aug. 23, 1918 at rest Maria wife of Per Olson died Jan 1898 aged 81 yrs., 15 dys. P.P. Children of P. O. & B. G. Yeltman Andrew A. died Aug 1 1887 10 yrs 2 mo. Hulda E. died Aug 1 1887 l3 yrs 9mo. Ida C. died Aug 3 1887 l7 yrs 7mo. (Children of Larson & Johanna Jensen, according to the NE 1885 State Census) Lyman N. died March 28 1887 5 yrs 6 ms 18 dys Clara E. died March 20 1887 11 ms 20 dys Anna M. died March 24 1887 3 yrs 3 ms 8 dys Ida E. died March 28 1887 7 yrs 3 ms 16 dys Written and compiled by Geri DeGroff, January 2, 2001.
