Yerkes Cemetery
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The Yerkes Cemetery began in 1845 when Caroline Yerkes, daughter of Anthony and Esther Yerkes* died at the age of 6 years old. This cemetery sits on the south side of Vergennes Street between Cumberland Avenue and Parnell Avenue. While it was the burial location for Anthony and Esther and their children; Caroline, Maria, Mary Elizabeth Yerkes Bennett, and Silas, a major in Company C of the 13th Michigan Infantry who died during the Civil War, it was also a community burial ground, with over 200 burials.
The name of the cemetery seems to have been flexible. In 1926 when the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) researched and published grave information for all of the cemeteries in Kent County, the cemetery was referred to as the Yerkes Cemetery. However, earlier, in 1901 on Maria Yerkes’ death certificate the cemetery is listed as Krum. In addition, in 1925, 1929 and 1941 the cemetery is listed as Krum Cemetery, but also in 1926 and 1929 death certificates list it as the Blanding Cemetery. Today, this cemetery is known as Krum Blanding. Who were the Krum and the Blanding families? John C. and Sarah Morris Krum moved to Vergennes from Marbletown in Ulster New York in 1838. John C. was a veteran of the War of 1812. He had served in Bevier’s Battalion in the New York Militia. The 31 known Krum burials in this cemetery all descended from John C. and Sarah. Their children buried in the Krum Blanding Cemetery are Abraham, John, Harriet, and William. Abraham Krum first married Theressa Holmes and then after her death he married Mary Swartout Sneaker, a widow herself. It was said that when he came to the area in 1837, “he had $16 at the time he settled, and in 1881 he owned 120 acres in a good state of improvement. He has acquired his present independent condition by hard labor and undivided attention to business.” He spoke of how when they moved to Kent County there were no roads, just Odawa trails and bridle paths, and they followed blazed trees. The Blanding family buried here are the family of Daniel Smith Blanding. His parents, Noah and Betsy (Smith) Blanding came to the Lowell area from New York. After Daniel’s adventure as a ‘fifty-niner” during the Colorado gold rush,* Daniel worked the farm and continued farming after Noah and Betsy’s deaths. Daniel’s brother William is also buried here after his death in 1864 at the post hospital in Grand Rapids, before he could meet up with Company C of the 13th Michigan Infantry. Daniel’s wife Jannette McLean died in 1876, and he later married Sarah McDowell. All three are buried here. Children of Daniel and Jannette Albert and Grace are also buried here. Albert died in 1892 when he was 19 years old, after a short illness. Albert was a student at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University. When the seriousness of the illness was realized, the school called Daniel, but he was not able to get to his son before he died. His obituary stated that the entire community was “shocked and tears came to the eyes of everyone.” His college friends were the pall bearers. There were many flowers, including a bouquet from the society of the college that he belonged to. They also sent a large harp, an emblem of their society badge. Grace died in 1949. She had made history in 1919, when she had the honor of attending her political party’s first convention after women won the right to vote. The Yerkes, Krum, and Blanding families along with other community members are buried in this small cemetery that contains a lot of history. The last known burial in the cemetery was Karolena M. (Lena) Fox, in October of 1978. Lena was the granddaughter of James S. Fox of Fox’s Corners. She was an associate professor of English at Central Michigan University. Lena loved history and her heritage, serving as historian for the Mount Pleasant D.A.R., and then later as D.A.R. State Regent for Michigan. *For more information Yerkes family, see ABC’s of Lowell History, Round 2, Yerkes family Daniel S. Blanding and the gold rush, see ABC’s of Lowell History, Round 8, D is for Dairy Images: Daniel S. Blanding. Betsy Smith Blanding. Karolena Fox Karolena Fox |
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