Bethel Cemetery, Covert, Seneca Co., NY

Bethel Cemetery

Covert, Seneca County, New York

Bethel Cemetery is on the south side of W. Bates Road (County Road 143) between Burdick Road and Extenson Road in the town of Covert, Seneca County, N.Y., a few miles from the village of Trumansburg. The cemetery is on the western end of a wooded area and is very close to the road, though difficult to see. It originally was next to the Bethel Chapel of Covert, a Methodist church, built circa 1832. One of the oldest headstones is that of Charity Smith, who died in 1828. The cemetery is on land originally owned by her husband, the early settler Christopher Smith.

This cemetery is overgrown with trees and some bushes, but a number of stones remain standing, while others are on the ground. Between the Lakes, by Carl Fischer and Harriet J. Swick, 1974, lists 55 burials. Georgianna Stevenson and I recorded the following 14 stones in August 2006 that were either of interest to us or easily accessible, including one William Smith -- that was not on the list in Between the Lakes. A number of other stones that we did not record were either still standing or visible on the ground.

Partial Reading of Headstones August 2006

Brown, Nancy	In memory of Nancy wife of Jonathan Brown who died Apr_, 183_ AE 54 Y
Brown, Sally Ann	SALLY ANN Daughter of Jonathan & Nancy BROWN DIED ____ 28, 1844 ____ 27 Yrs
Skinner, Ambrose	AMBROSE BORN Aug. 13, 1837 DIED __12, 1853
Skinner, Carol	In memory of CAROL____.SKINNER ____
Skinner, Joseph L.	Mr. JOSEPH L SKINNER ____ Dec 10 1856 (?) ____
E.B. Smith
Smith, Caroline	CAROLINE wife of C.J. SMITH DIED 18 ____ Aged 36 y
Smith, Charity	Sacred in memory of CHARITY Wife of CHRISTOPHER SMITH who died August 25 1828 AE 82.5 ys
Smith, Christopher	Sacred in memory of CHRISTOPHER SMITH who died Nov 20 1834 AE 82 yrs
Smith, Ellen	ELLEN wife of William Smith Aged 28 years Died Jary 28, 1850
Smith, Elizabeth	ELIZABETH wife of WILLIAM SMITH died Sept 15th 1841 Aged 67 yrs
Smith, Sarah M.	SARAH M. wife of JAMES SMITH died Sept 2, 1874 Aged 87 yrs 1 mo & 11 ds
Smith, Susan L.	SUSAN L. wife of C.J. Smith died Feb 21 1867 aged 31 ys 9 mo __ days
Smith, Willet	WILLET _____ SMITH ______11 Mo
Smith, William	WILLIAM SMITH DIED July 8 1859 Aged 83 years 8 mos 23 days

Credit:Submitted by Lynn Stevenson Fisher

Please let me know if you have any further information on this or any other Seneca Co. cemetery.

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