Cedar Grove, Wisconsin
On 11 July 1856, Hendrik Walvoord (1801–1865) lost his only son Gerrit Jan, who drowned in Lake Michigan at the age of 30. In his will, Henry reserved an acre of land (about 0.4 acres) for a family cemetery in section 26 of Holland Township. As the will stated:
“First, I give and bequeath to the children of my son Gerrit Jan Walvoord (deceased) and to their children who may be born and their grandchildren, great-grandchildren, in a word to the descendants of the said children of my son Gerrit Jan Walvoord (deceased), an acre of land lying and located in the County of Sheboygan and the State of Wisconsin, known and described as follows: …” (then the exact location is described).
So according to Henry’s will, every descendant of Gerrit Jan Walvoord (“down to posterity”) could be buried on this family plot. Over time, Walvoord Cemetery was surrounded by Cedar Grove as the village grew. Today, the cemetery is located in downtown Cedar Grove on Main Street.
Over time, some families buried their deceased on this plot without formal rights, possibly because it was one of the few cemeteries at the time, next to an old indigenous cemetery near Amsterdam on Lake Michigan. A number of Sheboygan’s pioneers are buried here.
In the 1960s, Harriet Vollbrecht-Walvoord and her aunt Louise Walvoord counted more than a hundred marked graves. Today, barely half of that remains. According to Harriet, the city of Cedar Grove quietly removed tombstones for years. Where these have gone is unknown.
Under Wisconsin state law, after five years of neglect, a cemetery becomes the responsibility of the local government. This law aims to protect old cemeteries without a maintenance fund. Cedar Grove was apparently unwilling to pay for the maintenance and approached family members with the request to deposit money in a trust for the maintenance. It is unknown how much was collected. The last burial before this action was Willard Anthony Walvoord in 1986.
Although Cedar Grove forbade further burials by law, because of the original will, which laid down the right to perpetual burial, it was decided to allow burials of direct descendants of Gerrit Jan Walvoord.
Koreen Elizabeth Toutenhoofd (daughter of Meta Marie Walvoord and Andrew Toutenhoofd) was buried at Walvoord Cemetery on 1 January 1996, as was Kathryn Louise Walvoord (daughter of Anthony J. Walvoord and Ann Vogt), on 23 May 2002. Both were unmarried and were buried with their families.
Description of the site
- East of the Walvoord Monument to the pavement: no graves.
- South-south-east (left and behind the monument): graves clearly marked.
- North-north-east (on the right and in front of the monument): graves also well marked.
- Northeast corner near the street: tombstones of G. Lammers and family are missing.
- West of the monument (rear of the plot): most of the tombstones have disappeared.
The following is a list of surviving tombstones, compiled in the 1960s by Louise Walvoord (1883–1969), Koreen Toutenhoofd (1902–1996) and Harriet Vollbrecht-Walvoord (1913–2006):
- G. Lammers (date missing)
- Mary A. Lammers (1874–1874)
- Anna Mary Lammers–Zeeveld (1848–1874)
- Anna Lammers–Huisheere (1856–1877)
- Harmina Lammers–Claerbout (1853–1888)
- Henry J. Lammers (1870–1890)
- Anna Mary Lammers (1878–1893)
- Leonard Vander Jagt (1837–1914)
- Alice Vander Jagt
- Morris van der Jagt (1918), veteran of WW1
- Peter Verhulst (1839–1887)
- Antonia Verhulst–Van der Weele (1843–1920)
- Jacobus Arnoldus Hendrikus te Gantvoort (1829–1894), born in Aalten
- Rosemond te Gantvoort–Young (1846–1923)
- William te Gantvoort (1877–1894)
- Arnold te Gantvoort (1883-1883)
- Adolph Stokdijk (1813–1886)
- Annette Stokdijk (1816–1890)
- Cornelia Verhulst (1870–1893)
- Peter van der Weele (1815–1893)
- Cornelis van der Weele (1835–1911)
- Susanna van der Weele—Pieters (1841–1919)
- Anna M. Lammers (1875–1876)
- Cornelius Quintus (1818–1907)
- John Kolste (1880–1906)
- Antonie du Mez (1798–1877)
- Wilhelmiena (Baby?)
- Wilhelmina te Slaa–Houwers (1803–1877), born in Aalten
- Maatje van der Jagt (d. 1875)
- C.M. van der Jagt (d. 1888)
- John Muller (1816–1861)
- Jan Muller (born 1851), infant
- Gilles Müller (d. 1860), aged 12 years and 9 months
- Herman Jan Wevers (1833—1905), born in Aalten
- Berendina Wevers—Te Slaa (1834—1902), born in Aalten
- Hendrik Willem Wevers (1865–1872), son of
- Johannes Manus van der Jagt (1837—1922)
- Jozina van der Jagt—De Meester (1841—1888)
- Maatje Ketman—Verseput (1849—1873)
- ? (1862-1888)
- Ketman (born 1873), infant son
- Ketman (1871), infant son
- Gertrude Schreurs (born 1868), infant
- Sarah Schreurs (d. 1884), age 10
- Jan Verseput (1816–1873)
- Krina Verseput-Fontaine (1820–1899)
- Nellie (1855–1946)
- Gerrit Jan te Brummelstroete (1829–1908), born in Winterswijk
- Trijntje te Brummelstroete—Kok (1831–1891)
- Janna Geertruid in Brummelstroete-Toebes (1788–1884), born in Winterswijk
- Esther te Brummelstroete (1897–1902)
- Mable in Brummelstroete (1900–1901)
- Jacob Zeeveld (1875–1898)
- Jacob Huisheere (1862–1896)
- Nellie Huisheere—Gilligan (1871–1891)
- Child Huisheere (1889)
- Jannes Huisheere (1867–1869)
- Alvah Huisheere (1891–1894)
- Peter Huisheere (1824–1925)
- Adriana Huisheere—Elias (1822–1909)
- August H. Schiereck (1852–1899)
- Abraham Lucas Verdouw (1848–1921)
- Adriana Maria Verdouw–Verseput (1858–1928) (W)
- Benjamin Verdouw (1879–1941)
- Anthony Verdouw (1875–1945) (H)
- Sarah Jacoba Verdouw–Holle (1877–1932) (W)
- Christian William Holle (1840–1899)
- Magdalene Holle–Guequierre (1844–1923)
- Peter Ott (1845–1927)
- Berendina Delia Schreurs—Ott (1843–1924), born in Winterswijk
- John Ott (1869–1956)
- Dirk Johan Walford (1854–1903)
- Elizabeth Walford–Obrink (1867–1916)
- Henry Walford (1890–1891)
- Arthur Walford (1898–1918), veteran of WW1
- Henry William Walvoord (1853–1895)
- Delia Walvoord-Potts (1863–1894)
