Hays-Coppenbarger Cemetery

Photograph of Hays-Coppenbarger Cemetery.

Photo submitted by Earliene Kaelin

Hays-Coppenbarger Cemetery is located about 1/4 mile off road 100N in Tunbridge Township, Section 7.  This is the one of the oldest cemeteries in DeWitt County.  The first burial was that of a girl twelve years of age, the daughter of Nathan Vestal.  This occurred in 1825.  In those days there was no lumber to be had only as it was hewn out by the ax.  Edom and Zion Shugart shouldered their axes, and sought a tree that would answer their purpose.  A basswood was selected, and from this they procured slabs which they smoothed down as well a they could and constructed a rude coffin.  The remains were, placed in it and she was buried.  There are many unmarked graves in this cemetery and many of the headstones that are in pictures taken in 1959 are now gone.  It is fairly well taken care of but there is much damage to stones and even a stack of stones piled by a tree.  This cemetery also holds the grave and or graves of Indians who worked for and became friendly with the Coppenbarger family.  The name confusion comes because it is located on what once was the Jacob Coppenbarger Homestead but after his death his daughter, Emaline [Emily (Coppenbarger) Hays], donated the land to the Township for the cemetery.  Known burials are:

  • Mary Ann Butler wife of Elisha and daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Snavely) Coppenbarger b. Oct. 20, 1808 d. June 13, 1841
  • Joab Coppenbarger b. April 5, 1822 d. Feb. 3, 1879
  • Mary Coppenbarger daughter of S.D. and H.T. (these were very hard to read and may be wrong) d. 1828
  • John Coppenbarger b. March 8, 1797 d. Oct. 6, 1869 son of Jacob and Catherine (Snavely) Coppenbarger
  • Mary (Newcomb) Coppenbarger wife of John Coppenbarger daughter of William and Jane (Constant) Newcomb b. Dec. 16, 1798 d. Sept. 6, 1878
  • William A. Coppenbarger Son of John and Mary (Newcomb) Coppenbarger b. June 23, 1836 d. March 27, 1853
  • John Coppenbarger son of John and Mary (Newcomb) Coppenbarger b. Jan. 16, 1837 d. March 17, 1853
  • Matilda (Shugart) Coppenbarger 1st wife of John Coppenbarger b. March 10, 1802 d. Dec. 23, 1833
  • William Thompson son of Henry and Catherine (Coppenbarger) Thompson b. 1838 d. 1865
  • John T. Thompson son of Henry and Catherine (Coppenbarger) Thompson b. 1854 d. Feb. 28, 1862
  • Catherine Ann (Snavely) Coppenbarger wife of Jacob, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Musser) Snavely b. Sept. 1, 1780 d. Apr. 25, 1857
  • Jacob Coppenbarger b. Nov. 1, 1769 d. Nov. 17, 1841
  • Rebecca (Wright) Coppenbarger wife of William, daughter of Amos B. and Elizabeth Wright b. Aug. 2, 1822 d. Aug. 13, 1854
  • William Coppenbarger son of Jacob and Catherine (Snavely) Coppenbarger b. Nov. 30, 1821 d. May 15, 1859
  • Lucy Downen wife of William Downen d. July 20, 1840
  • Samuel Thomas Hays husband of Emaline (Emily) Coppenbarger b. May 17, 1833 d. Jan. 27, 1869
  • Emily (Coppenbarger) Hays daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Snavely) Coppenbarger b. May 17, 1826 d. Apr. 8, 1879
  • Henry L. Thompson husband of Catherine Coppenbarger b. 1822 d. 1896
  • Catherine (Coppenbarger) Thompson daughter of John and Matilda (Shugart) Coppenbarger b. Feb. 13, 1833 d. Apr. 25, 1914
  • Charles Hays son of William and Emily (Coppenbarger) Hays
  • George Coppenbarger son of Jacob and Catherine (Snavely) Coppenbarger

New Photos

Click on each photo for a closer look.

Photograph of Hays-Coppenbarger Cemetery. Photograph of Hays-Coppenbarger Cemetery. Photograph of Hays-Coppenbarger Cemetery. Photograph of Hays-Coppenbarger Cemetery.

New photos submitted by Angie Johnson April 2010.  To see more of her photos, visit her website: http://walkamongthedeadgirl.com/index.php/Illinois/DeWitt.

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