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by Delores Zillmer Miller The first recorded burial stone seems to be dated September 6, 1890 and was Mother Margaretha Hofman, age 73. Certainly, Catholic people of the Marion area died before 1890, either they were buried at the farms, where they lived, or here at St. Mary's Cemetery, and had no monument dedicated to them with names and dates. Other early burial stones were W. M. Schenk, who died December 30, 1899, age 77 years, 4 months and 7 days; Annie Chevalier, May 28, 1899, age 23 years, 5 months and 7 days; and John Korff, born June 26,1849 and died October 18, 1895, when he was killed while working on the railroad. Civil War Veteran Thomas Ball was born in Canada August 7, 1929 and died at Hunting August 8, 1912. He married Bridget Connor and had 9 children, moving to the Hunting area in 1880. One of his children was Mrs. Joe Bazile, who, along with many other Baziles, is buried near Thomas Ball. His son John died by drowning in Michigan in 1898, and a daughter Emma died in 1895. Among those who attended the funeral of Thomas Ball was Patrick Kinney. Patrick Kinney was born in Ireland in 1817, came to America when he was 30 years old, and to Dupont in 1868. He took up a homestead adjoining a lake, which was named Kinney Lake and is now the home of Castle Campgrounds. His first wife Bridget is buried at St. Mary's. She died June 1, 1913 at the age of 75. Patrick married again, that wife died, and he then married a widow lady of New London by the name of Dacy and moved to New London, where he died on July 13, 1918 at the age of 101. No mention of where he is buried. Another Civil War Veteran buried at St. Mary's is Joseph Chevalier, who was born in France, came to America in 1853, and enlisted in the Civil War, being discharged at Hemstead, Texas in 1865. He married Agnes Peters, had 8 children, and died November 16, 1929. Patrick Killin, another important person buried at St. Mary's, was born in 1840 in Ireland, from a family of 13. He came to the U.S. in 1863, during the potato famine, married Mary Smith and had 7 children. He built the first hotel in Big Falls, in 1889, which was very modern at the time. It had 20 rooms and Mr. Killin ran it until 1917. He died in 1925. The Wobosel Brothers also ran a hotel in Big Falls and had a saloon, and all are buried at St. Mary's. In later years, other prominent citizens of Marion died and were buried at St. Mary's. Among them were: Dr. Mc Innis, physician; Murray Meyer, attorney; Jim Nolan, real estate magnate; Floyd Brandenburg, postmaster; Dr. John Cutler, dentist. Dr. Frank Mulvaney and Dr. Marshall Loughlin, physicians, were also veterans of World War I. Thomas Meyer died of injuries sustained during the Second World War in Germany on April 15, 1945. He was 20 years old and was a member of the Blackhawk 86th Division. He had graduated from Marion High School in 1943 and had attended school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before he was drafted. A large cross and angel statues have been erected in a circle in memory of Thomas Meyer. St. Mary's is a beautiful cemetery, sloping to the south on about 2 acres of land. Water fountains are scattered out and about the cemetery for the convenience of watering flowers placed on the graves. Bibliography: History of Marion, Marion High School Obituaries, From Sawmills to Villages, and personal observations by Delores Miller Return to St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery page Return to cemeteries page Return to homepage Copyright © 2000-2011 Paula Vaughan |