It happens every summer. Kids out of school, out late at night. They travel in packs and somebody decides it will be fun to deface a cemetery. Sometimes they spray paint headstones and mausoleums, other times they simply push over headstones. The worse thing they can do is break and destroy headstones, and that’s what happened to the old Kreider’s Church Cemetery just outside of Manheim, Pennsylvania this weekend.The history of Kreider’s goes back to 1859, being part of the White Oak District of the Dunker Faith. Today it is part of the Church of the Brethren. According to an article in the Lancaster paper, the cemetery is probably older than the Meeting House building. Kreiders (or Kreiters as it was sometimes referred to) was one of four Dunkard Churches in Penn Township, Graybills, Gibbles and Longnecker’s being the other three. It was built “near Cornelius Kreider’s” and is no longer used as a Church, but is used several times a year for special events. Just a little background of this historic little Meetinghouse.
Why am I doing a blog on this when I live close to several cemeteries that are vandalized on a regular basis? Woodward Hill where James Buchanan is buried is perhaps the worse, followed by Lancaster Cemetery, a beautiful, old, historic spot in the center of the city. Why? Because I have an ancestor buried there and with her, my history. Because of her, I am.When we first located Elizabeth Niess’ grave it was laying face down next to her daughter, Mary Ann’s grave. We uprighted it and leaned it against her daughter’s stone. We’d visit both of the ladies since their stones leaned against each other.
One day we went to visit our ladies and discovered the Church had cemented Elizabeth’s stone back on her own base. Elizabeth was back where she belonged! She was home again and we were tickled. Now we could still visit each lady, but spend time with them one at a time. . . That is until today.
Sunday morning as I opened the paper I saw the article about vandalism of Kreider’s Church Cemetery, the same cemetery where Elizabeth Niess is buried. I had to get out there and see if her headstone was involved in the destruction.
When we got there, not only was Elizabeth’s stone flat on the ground, so was Mary Ann’s. They were fortunate, though since others were smashed and broken. There were over 90 stones pushed off bases, broken or otherwise vandalized. Entire rows were pushed over and then rows were skipped. Large stones that would appear impossible to move must have had a crew involved in pushing them over! One of the first Elders of the White Oak Congregation had a very large stone pushed over onto an older stone, breaking it in several pieces. This very large headstone is relatively new and must have been installed with considerable expense on the part of either the congregation or descendants of Elder Garlach.It’s a senseless act, destroying something sacred and meaningful to another person. The stone that Garlach’s large one broke was obviously in place for a number of years. It had outlasted many people’s lifes, and it took just one thoughtless act to destroy it. Sad, isn’t it?This is the worst one I saw. They really had to work to to break this off of it’s base. One person could not have done this alone. Do you ever wonder if the perpetrator(s) ever mature enough to regret their actions? I always wonder . . .
While I was there at least 3 to 4 cars pulled up with people looking for the headstones of their loved ones, grandmother’s, aunts, etc. I’m sure they kept coming all day long.
~after all 90 stones for 90 people create a lot of descendants!
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- A. Hunter Rineer, Jr., Churches and Cemeteries of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, A Complete Guide; Lancaster County Historical Society, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1993, pages 345, 346.
- Franklin Ellis, Samuel Evans, History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of the Pioneers and Prominent Men.; Everts & Peck, 1883, pages 342, 1004.
- Photos, personal collection of author
Thank you for your caring article.
I too have ancestors buried at Kreiders. My great great grandparents who played a prominent role in the Manheim area were buried in 1903 & 1918 along side their friend Fanny Ruhl 1914.
The obit reads “Annie B. the estimable wife of Emanuel S. Sahm, the well-known farmer, and director in the Keystone National Bank died at their home in Penn township,… She was a consistent member of the German Baptist church and enjoyed the friendship of a large circle.”
The funeral was held at their home and Kreider’s meeting house with internment in the adjoining cemetery. Revs. Hiram Gibble and Nathan B. Fahnestock officiated.
His obit reads he was a director for Keystone Natl Bank for 26 years, a director of Lititz Agricultural Fire Insurance Company for 20 years, he also served as a school director of Penn township for 14 years. “He was a man of pleasing personality and well-liked by all who knew him.”
I had just visited their graves a few days prior with my brother and parents who are in their 80’s. We flew out from California to visit the gravesites and farms of our ancestors.
We stood in the farmhouse that Emanuel and Annie built and where their sons and grandsons were born (out in White Oak).
We were returning home when all of this happened.
My understanding is their stones were not vandalized.
Sincerely,
judy sahm
Linda, I’m so sorry this happened. It breaks my heart when I hear about this – whether I have relatives buried in the cemetery or not. This is sacred ground and should be treated as such. Hope they catch the people who did this.
I thought that you might be interested to know that twenty men from our church, and a monument company put the tombstones back in place today. See my post at http://www.xanga.com/cerwindoris.
Thanks for your article.
Doris High
Such senseless and awful violation of a person’s memory breaks my heart. I have recently heard that St. Peter’s in Elizabethtown has suffered vandalism and – apparently – the 1855 marker of my 3great grandfather was one of the victims. Bless the hearts and hands of those who make right, in the light of day, the night-time work of others.
Today I called RON at Gingrich Memorials to thank them for restoring the vandalized Graves at Kreiders Cemetery. They were very appreciative of my call and suggested that anyone in need of a stone restoration could call them for advice or to actually do the restoration work.
My Great grand parents Emanuel and Annie Sahm are buried there and their stones were untouched.
Let’s hope these sick persons are apprehended and served with fitting punishment.
I don’t live in your neighbourhood but similar vandalism has occurred up here in the Montreal and Chateauguay areas though perhaps not as bad.
i don’t know how you kept your hand solid enough to take the pictures – I would have been shaking!
If and when the perpetrators are found I think they should be forced to sit down with the next-of-kin and explain themselves and hear the victims’ statements.
Evelyn in Montreal
I’ve been doin genealogy for a number of years and through that have gotten to know tombstones. When I visit the graves of those I come from, I notice there’s stones lying overturned here and there or stones that are mended. There’s apparently no discrimination when it comes to vandalizing a cemetery. People who do this don’t care if it’s a church cemetery or small family graveyard. I’m overcome with sorrow when I see stones damaged or just pushed over. Money, time, and emotion went in to setting the stones up originally. All that is vilated when people desecrate a stone or entire cemetery. Whatever their reason was/is, those that do this deserve punishment and jailtime. I’m in Lancaster PA and have seen my share of vandalized stones. I’m tired of seeing it. Hope it stops and to be able to help fix tombstones. They’re the lasting impression of who we come from. These are memorials and final resting places of family. Cemeteries and stones should be respected.
One truly has to wonder what goes through some sick person’s mind that they get a thrill with destroying a grave stone. In our family cemetery in Dauphin county, vandals actually stole the stones. Fortunately someone got a license plate number and the sheriff found the stones and they were returned.
I’ve recently discovered, since my much earlier post, that I have a great uncle buried in Kreider’s graveyard. Samuel G Keller, who, too, has a large tombstone. He was also a minister for Kreider’s, according to Keller family history. And he worked for the National Bank in Manheim. I get disgusted more & more every time I see vandalized tombstones & cemeteries. And I’ve seen my fair share. The people who do these unspeakable crimes must have a boring, deprived home life. Thank you for this blog, which reminds us that something as sacred as a cemetery is never safe & that we must be ever vigilant & ever ready to come to the aide ic fallen & broken stones. If big ones can’t be re-positioned on our own , we should do what we can to get it done, also the smaller ones. We honor those dead who went before us & deserve respect. Thanks again for this blog.