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Elkhorn Cemetery
Jefferson County, Montana

Lat: 46° 16' 07"N, Lon: 111° 56' 52"W
T6N, R3W, Sec 14, SW1/4

Contributed by N Foss, Dec 07, 2004, last edited Jul 22, 2011 [graves_matter@yahoo.com]. Total records = 38.

Elkhorn cemetery, in the southwestern part of Montana, is high in the mountains east of Boulder, off of I-15. Go 7mi south on Hwy 69, turn left over a small bridge then right onto gravel road 13 miles, bearing left at each of two forks in the road. This cemetery is situated on a hillside south of Elkhorn, known as Cemetery Ridge, which in recent years has somehow become US Forest land.�

Elkhorn was once a very important mining town of the late nineteenth century. Due to metal prices dropping, it never has revived to the peak reached in the 1880s. Today there is a modest population of people who live here year-round, and many original structures, such as houses, buildings, and mine surface structures, are still standing.

This small cemetery was the town cemetery since the mid 1880s and includes a number of stones marking the graves of those who fell victim to a diphtheria epidemic that struck Elkhorn in the late 1880s. It has no new graves because of the many unknown and unmarked graves. Currently, the cemetery is cared for by the Elkhorn Landowner's Protective Association.

Please note that neither birthplaces nor death places were given on many of the tombstones. Effort was made to record transcriptions with proper adherence to spelling and abbreviations used on stones, transcriptions are therefore reflective of the times in which the markers were made.

I read this cemetery using a digital camera on Oct 14, 2004. This file contains all known, visible and legible burials, although unmarked graves are believed to exist. I have compiled this transcription with special thanks to James and Nancy.

- N Foss

Averty, John L., b. not listed, d. Nov 7, 1888
Banta, Lanius B., b. not listed, d. Jan 15, 1889, our loved one, Aged 16 Yrs 11 Mos
Barker, Anne Bowden, b. May 1, 1898, d. Jun 30, 1898, "Sleep on in thy beauty thou sweet angel child, By sorrow unblighted, by sin undefiled" Opposite side: "Like the dove to the ark, thou hast flown to thy rest, from the wild sea of strife, to the home of the blest", In loving memory of 2nd daughter of Thomas H. and Anne Barker, Aged 5 years and 2 months, Barker on base scroll in front"
Barnes, James H., b. Jan 6, 1861, d. Feb. 13, 1897, "Farewell my wife and children all, From you a father Christ doth call"
Bell, Da" Fred W. Bell, b. Feb. 22, 1898, d. Nov 21, 1978, "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You Till We Meet Again"
Bell, Frances L., b. not listed, d. 6 Jul 1911, Aged 37 Yrs
Bell, Fred, b. not listed, d. Dec. 13, 1938, Aged 82 Yrs
Bell, Thomas Leon, b. Aug. 10, 1955, d. Oct. 25, 1974, "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You, Till We Meet Again"
Bennetts, Lillian, b. Sep 30, 1891, d. Nov 21, 1891, shared a stone with Richard N. Bennett
Bennetts, Richard N., b. Dec. 8, 1888, d. Nov 17, 1890, sister on same stone, lamb on top
Cole, Goldie, b. not listed, d. Aug. 16, 1889, "Rest babe on Jesus bosom, All free from care and pain, O'for more springs may blossom/And we shall meet again", Aged 5 yrs, and 5 mos
Dawe, Edward, b. Mar. 1, 1856, d. Dec. 25, 1896, "Farewell my wife and children all, From you a father, Christ doth call"
Graeseth, Edward, b. 1907, d. 190?, None
Graeseth, Henerette, b. 1891, d. ?, None
Graeseth, Hogan Jr., b. 1900, d. 1901?, None, The Graeseths are marked by a modern wood plaque, they are all listed on one shared plaque, in one enclosure"
Graeseth, Hogan, b. 1850, d. ?, None
Green, Gunhilde E., b. Apr. 5. 1851, d. Mar. 23 1911, "Tho lost to sight to memory dear", foot stone says "Mother", grave beside John Green's"
Green, John, b. Feb. 1, 1841, d. 22 Jun 1906, "Tho lost to sight to memory dear", Grave beside Gunhilde Green's
Ham, Frankie, b. Feb. 25, 1891, d. not listed, "Safe in the arms of Jesus", Aged 3 years
Ham, Richard, b. Sep 9, 1852, d. Apr 20, 1897, "Anywhere with Jesus is home sweet home"
Hardin?, E. Algeron, b. not listed, d. Jul 16, 1889, shares stone with sibling
Hardin?, H. Merrill, b. not listed, d. Jul 17, 1889, Aged 6 Years, Shares stone with sibling, On adjacent downhill side of stone: "Children of E.F.&I.E. Hardin""
Hofmann, Can't read due to resolution, inscriptions enclosed in "badge" shape, small white stone, shares enclosure with Elizabeth Hofmann"
Hofmann, Elizabeth M., can't read due to resolution, newer stone, larger than husband's(?), shares enclosure with other Hofmann
Ketchum, Louis, b. not listed, d. Mar. 5, 1889, Adopted son of F. & J. Foster, Aged 4 Yrs 17 Days"
Murray, Edward E., b. not listed, d. Sep 30, 1888, Son of T. F. & L.M. Murray" "Aged 1 Yr 7 Mo 5 D's
Nelson, Albin, b. not listed, d. Sep 27, 1889, On uphill side of stone: "These Lovely Buds so young and fair called hence to early doom" On side opposite of this epitaph: "Just came to show what sweet flowers, In paradise may bloom", Shares stone with Harry H. Walton. "Son of O. & A.M. Nelson, Aged 10 Yrs 10 Mos 22 Days
Nielson, Henry O., b. Mar. 1, 1862, d. Mar. 3, 1889, "The praise of him who sleeps in earth, the pleasant memory of his worth;/the hope to meet when life is past, shall cheer the sorrowing heart at last."
Opie, Annie, b. not listed, d. Jan 21, 1898, "Thy hands are clasped upon thy breast, We have kissed thy lovely brow. And in our aching hearts we?/know. We have no Darling now," "age: 1 Y'r 3 M's 16 Ds"
Roberts, Beatrice M., b. not listed, d. Jul 13, 1889, "Here Rests the Sweetest Buds of Hope", "Aged 3 Y's 6 M's 4 D's, Double "arch" stone shared with sister, "Children of W.J. & S.J. Roberts""
Roberts, Clara H., b. not listed, d. Jun 15, 1889, "Here Rests the Sweetest Buds of Hope.", "Aged 5 Y's 7 D's" "Shares stone with sibling, Beatrice M. Roberts"
Robins, Rose, b. not listed, d. Apr. 3. 1889, "Gone ere sin could blight or sorrow fade", Aged 11 Y's 2 M's 18 D's
Tyack, Louisa, b. not listed, d. Oct. 17, 1897, "At Rest", wife of Thomas Tyack, Aged 48 Yrs, Shares enclosure with daughter(?)"
Tyack, Mamie Louise, b. not listed, d. Aug. 4, 1890, "Safe in the arms of Jesus", Dau. of Thos & Louise Tyack, Aged 8 Mos. 21 Dys, "Shares enclosure with Louisa Tyack (mother?)"
Walton, Harry H., b. not listed, d. Sep 27, 1889, On uphill side of stone: "These Lovely Buds so young and fair,called hence to early doom." On side opposite of this epitaph: "Just came to show what sweet flowers, In paradise may bloom", Son of J.H. & J. Walton, Aged 8 Yrs. 7 Mos 19 Days, shares stone with Albin Nelson
Wenstrom, Ada V., b. not listed, d. Jul 28, 1889, Dau. of E. & A.R. Wenstrom Aged 4yr Mos 15Ds
Willey, Thomas John, b. not listed, d. May 23, 1890, "At Rest," Son of J. & E.A. Willey, Aged 3 days
Wys, Peter, b. 1824, d. 1872, "Discoverer of the Elkhorn Mine", Erected by the E.M.S. Club to the Memory of Peter Wys (newer stone)

Misc:
??, Unknown, no data, weathered wood maker with pointed top, wood "bed" enclosure, shrub/tree growing on top of grave
??, Unknown, no data, wood stone with "coffin shape," quite small, propped up with small pile of rocks, remains of wooden paling surface structure, no other visible markers nearby
??, Unknown, no data, rough hewn mossy stone, no inscription, surface stones
??, Unknown, no data, double grave marked by two collapsed wooden paling structures side by side
??, Unknown, no data, Missing a marker, large tree growing atop grave, wooden fence enclosure missing slats on one side
??, Unknown, no data, rectangular wooden marker, too weathered to read, with rocks arranged in rectangular surface shape