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Union Bethel Cemetery
Lower Township, Cape May County, New Jersey

Seashore & Tabernacle Rds, Erma NJ

Lat: 38° 59' 07"N, Lon: 74° 54' 22"W

Submitted by Celina Jack, Apr 16, 2003 [celinaj5000@gmail.com]. Total records = 73.

To reach the cemetery from Villas, take Fishing Creek Road to Kimseytown, where you go left onto Tabernacle Road for about 3/4 of a mile. On the righthand side you will see a brown sign which says "Union Bethel Civil War Veterans Cemetery". Or drive ½ mi south of Erma on Seashore Rd. turn right onto Tabernacle Rd, cemetery will be on your left.

This cemetery is situated between a couple of houses and a new housing development hidden off the main road back in a wooded area. A small dirt road leads to the entrance way.

The Cape May County Historical Society has very little on this cemetery. I suggest one might contact the local town hall in Lower Township or a local Black Ethnic Church. This cemetery may still be active and all burials are of Black Ethnic origin.

Union Bethel Cemetery is owned and maintained by Lower Township now, it may have had church background at one time. It dates back to the about 1834 according to the headstones, which means there could be earlier burials.

I walked and read this cemetery on Mar 15, 2003. This transcription includes all existing headstones. Many are broken, with evidence of burials with no marker. I used my digital camera and have a photo of every headstone. I am willing to share a copy with anyone who would like a copy.

- Celina Jack

Allison, Lydia F., b. 1851, d. 1926
Armer, Rebecca, d. 6 Feb 1851
Bacon, Lida, d. 6 May 1910
Batteast, Benjamin F., d. 1912, birth date has been left blank. buried in the 'Ida Lee Plot'
Batteast, Cynthia C., d. 23 Mar 1909, Aged 75yr, buried in the plot of 'Ida Lee'
Battest, George, b. 4 Jul 1828, d. 12 Aug 1867
Boze, C. S., no dates, Co. K. 22nd U.S. C.T, The stone is very worn and no dates were engraved
Boze, Sina, d. 17 Aug 1878, My daughter... Aged 36yr, buried next to Wm. & Judith Trusty
Butler, Dolly Elizabeth, b. 1955, d. 1976, buried in the Humphries Grave Plot
Cooper, Henry W., d. 12 May 1862, May 12, 1862 aged 28 years.
Cox, Charles, d. 18 Feb 1913, Late Sergt, Co. K. 22 Reg US Cold Trps, aged 69 years, buried next to Matilda Cox
Cox, Israel, no dates engraved on this stone, Co. K, 22nd U.S. C.T.
Cox, Matilda, d. 8 Dec 1899, w/o Charles Cox, aged 51yr 3 dys, buried next to Charles Cox and near the Vance Family Plot
Davis, B., b. 1862, d. , s/w John Russell, Amos Johnson, B. Davis, & Florence Davis
Davis, Florence, b. 1879, d. , s/w John Russell, Amos Johnson, B. Davis, & Florence Davis
Dorsey, Cornelia, no dates, Aged 22 years, no Dates Engraved on Stone. buried next to Araminta Green
Finnaman, Charles M., d. 27 Jul 1916, Late of Co. H. 2 Reg. U.S. Col. Trps, In his 82nd yr
Gibbs, James, no dates, Late of 22nd Regt. U.S. Cold. Inf. Aged 47 years, no Dates engraved on stone
Giles, Hannah, d. 30 Dec 1905, Dear mother Hannah w/o Isaac Giles. Died Dec. 30, 1905 in her 81st year, buried next to Matilda Jackson
Green, Araminta, b. 27 Jul 1861, d. 9 Dec 1897, buried next to Cornelia Dorsey
Green, William, no dates, Co. B. 25 U.S. C.I, buried just outside the Vance Family Plot. no dates engraved on stone
Humphries, Harriet E., b. 1855, d. 1834, buried in 'Humphries Family Plot'
Humphries, Job, b. 12 Nov 1808, d. 1 May 1855, Hard to make out death as 1855 or 1856
Humphries, Prince G., b. 1845, d. 21 Nov 1923, Co. B. 25 US CLD INF, Civil War, 2 markers, military stone as the footer of other headstone, in the 'Humphries Family Plot'
Jackson, Matilda, d. 9 Aug 1909, Aged 84yr 3ms 7 ds, buried next to Hannah Giles
Jafferson, Lloyd, b. 26 May 1892, d. 24 Aug 1915, My Son, Spelling is Jafferson and not Jefferson on stone
Jefferson, Thomas, d. 8 Mar 1905, Late of US Gunboat Seneca. Aged 66 years,
Johnson, Amos, b. 1858, d. 1923, s/w John Russell, Amos Johnson, B. Davis, & Florence Davis
Lee, Ida M., no dates, There is no headstone in this cemetery for Ida M. Lee but there is a burial plot bearing this name
Major, Charles, d. 18 Feb 1897, In his 79th year, buried next to V.M. and Charity Vance in the 'Charles Major Plot'
McGraw, Jane, b. ?? Nov 1886, d. 16 Jun 1932, Broken Head Stone
Murray, Henry, d. 1864, Co. B. 25 US CLD INF. Civil War, buried next to Isaac Turner
Murray, Henry, no dates, Aged 15 years, no Dates Engraved on Stone
Murray, John, d. 1922, Co. D. 45 US CLD INF, Civil War
Murray, John, no dates, PVT CO D 45 US CLD TRPS, no Dates Engraved
Obekah, Benjamin, b. 1839, d. 1929
Obekah, Hester, d. 4 Feb 1907, Age 7ys 8ms, buried in front of the Ida M. Lee Plot and next to Benjamin Obekah 1839-1929
Queen, Joseph N., b. 1844, d. 1914
Rigby, Jane, d. 04 Feb 1872, My sister. Aged 62 years, buried next to Edward & Synie Turner
Russell, John, b. 1858, d. 1913, S/w John Russell, Amos Johnson, B. Davis & Florence Davis
Saunders, noble J., b. 10 May 1879, d. 10 Jun 1947, New Jersey, SC IC US Navy, WWI & WWII
Smith, Jere, no dates, CO K 22ND US C.T, Hard to read gravestone
Squirel, Rhuma, d. 8 Mar 1871, Aged 82 years, Headstone is off of foundation
Taylor, Priscilla, d. 4 Mar 1875, w/o Rev. Simon Taylor.Aged 60 yrs. Member of the M.C. Church 45yr, buried next to Rev. Simon Taylor and over from Israel Cox
Taylor, Simon, d. 8 Mar 1882, Born at Port ??u Del. 1801, Aged 81yr, buried next to Priscilla Taylor
Thomas, Martha L., b. 22 Jun 1878, d. 28 May 1945
Tildmund, Hannah L., no dates, Aged 23 years, buried next to Henry Murray age 15
Trusty, Jacob, b. 1855, d. 1924, buried next to Nancy C. Trusty 1858-1930
Trusty, Judith, b. 10 Dec 1807, d. 29 Sep 1891, buried next to Wm. Trusty & Sina Boze
Trusty, Nancy C., b. 1858, d. 1930, Mother, Nancy C. Trusty (1858-1930), buried next to Jacob Trust (1855-1924)
Trusty, Samual J., d. 18 Jun 1917, Late CORP. CO. C. 41. US C. TRPS. Aged 68 years,
Trusty, Wallace M., d. 13 Feb 1861, Aged 25 years and 7 months, buried next to Rev. Edward C. Turner
Trusty, William, d. 30 Jan 1874, My husband... Aged 84 years, buried next to Judith Trusty & Sina Boze
Turner, A. Henry, d. 8 Feb 1897, Late of Co. B 25th US COL VOLS.... Aged 78 years,
Turner, Edward C., b. 31 Jun 1818, d. 3 Sep 1905, Father Rev. Edward G. Turner. Like Abraham of old he died the peaceful death, buried next to wife Keziah and Wallace M. Trusty
Turner, Edward, d. 19 Mar 1836, Aged 75 years. Also his wife Synie Turner, s/w Synie Turner and buried next to Jane Rigby
Turner, Isaac H., b. 1833, d. 1932, Co. K 22 CLD INF. Civil War, buried next to Henry Murray
Turner, Keziah, b. 15 Aug 1825, d. 10 Jun 1896, w/o Edward G. Turner, buried next to Rev. Edward C. Turner
Turner, Oliva A., b. 10 Aug 1901, d. 19 Apr 1925, This is a hand inscribed carving. There is a chip on the stone where the birth year could be 1901 or 1917
Turner, Synie, d. 29 May 1842, Aged 60 years, s/w Edward Turner. buried next to Jane Rigby
Vance, Charity, d. 5 Feb 1897, w/o Michael Vance. In her 87th year, buried in 'Charles Major Plot'
Vance, Charles Henry, d. 26 Jul 1879, Husband, Aged 42yr 5ms 13 ds, buried next to Harriet Vance
Vance, Harriet E., d. 22 Aug 1918, Aged 80 years, buried next to Charles H. Vance
Vance, Henry, no dates, Henry Vance, Blank & Broken Stone. buried in 'Joseph Vance Family Plot'
Vance, John M., d. 18 Sep 1917, Aged 62 years, buried near Charles Cox & Matilda Cox
Vance, Joseph C., d. 24 Jan 1873, Aged 31yr 2ms 19 ds
Vance, Joseph C., no dates, buried in 'Joseph Vance Family Plot'
Vance, Joseph G., d. 7 Oct 1840, Father, buried in 'Joseph Vance Family Plot'
Vance, Sara E., d. 29 Mar 1912, w/o Joseph G. Vance. Aged 54yr 5ms 28 ds, buried in 'Joseph Vance Family Plot'
Vance, William C., no dates, buried in 'Joseph Vance Family Plot'
Washington, James S., b. 1820, d. 1898, PVT 145 REGT US CLD TRPS Civil War,
White, William, b. 1841, d. 3 Mar 1911, SGT. CO. F 22 US CLD INF, two markers
Williams, Amelia E., d. 8 Mar 1857, Aged ??yr 5mo, Her age is chisled away and stone is broken

Misc:
Gravesite of 9 Black Sailors who were found on Delaware Beach, Lower Township, no names are given on this painted sign.
W, C., no dates, Broken Headstone. These initials appear on the footstone of this grave, buried near Rhuma Squirrel
M, V., no dates, Headstone missing. Only foot stone exists. buried in the 'Charles Major Plot'