Buller - Ensz  Cemetery

A very active Low German community began forming in the late 1800's in the Northwest area of Turner County South Dakota.  These early settlers arrived to take advantage of the rich farmland in southeastern South Dakota.  Most of these folks stayed close together and their lives focused around their churches and related activities.  It was common for families to establish private cemeteries that were often shared with related families and neighbors as these people shared the good and the bad times in their lives. 
 

Unfortunately when the founding families left the land or when their church opened a church cemetery most of these private cemeteries were neglected.  This particular cemetery has had an amazing turn-around since the early 1990's when an Ensz descendent, John J Ensz, visited the cemetery and determined to restore it.  He elicited the assistance of his son Don who labored for many hours, and invested  many of his own dollars, while he also garnered the generous assistance of others in the community as well, to preserve this cemetery.  Don's endless efforts resulted in a wonderful demonstration of what can be done to restore a neglected cemetery.  Don formulated the idea of a rural cemetery association to take over the perpetual care required to keep the Cemetery in excellent condition so it will not ever be allowed to degenerate into ruin in future years. These outstanding accomplishments of Don Ensz became the basis for the Marion Rural Cemetery Association, a non-profit Corporation that now adopts a cemetery, restores it, provides perpetual care, often accepting additional burials.  The current officers are Lester Ensz, Kent Schmidt, and Duane Tieszen.

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This information was prepared by Ken Tiahrt ([email protected]) with the generous assistance of Duane Tieszen, one of the MRCA officers, for all photos and other materials and may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use.  Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires written approval.

1.  A Cemetery Map

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2.  A List of Burials

3.  Photos of Grave Monuments