COPPENBARGER HAYS CEMETERY

COPPENBARGER HAYS CEMETERY

Hays-Coppenbarger Cemetery is located about 1/4 mile off road 100N in Tunbridge Township, Section 7. This is the one of the oldest cemeteries in DeWitt County. The first burial was that of a girl twelve years of age, the daughter of Nathan Vestal. This occurred in 1825. In those days there was no lumber to be had only as it was hewn out by the ax. Edom and Zion Shugart shouldered their axes, and sought a tree that would answer their purpose. A basswood was selected, and from this they procured slabs which they smoothed down as well a they could and constructed a rude coffin. The remains were, placed in it and she was buried. There are many unmarked graves in this cemetery and many of the headstones that are in pictures taken in 1959 are not gone. It is fairly well taken care of but there is much damage to stones and even a stack of stones piled by a tree. This cemetery also holds the grave and or graves of Indians who worked for and became friendly with the Coppenbarger family. The name confusion comes because it is located on what once was the Jacob Coppenbarger Homestead but after his death his daughter Emaline (Emily Coppenbarger Hays donated the land to the Township for the cemetery. (PICTURES BELOW)

Known burials are:

Mary Ann Butler wife of Elisha and daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Snavely) Coppenbarger b. Oct. 20, 1808 d. June 13, 1841

Joab Coppenbarger b. April 5, 1822 d. Feb. 3, 1879

Mary Coppenbarger daughter of S.D. and H.T. (these were very hard to read and may be wrong) d. 1828

John Coppenbarger b. March 8, 1797 d. Oct. 6, 1869 son of Jacob and Catherine (Snavely) Coppenbarger

Mary (Newcomb) Coppenbarger wife of John Coppenbarger daughter of William and Jane (Constant) Newcomb b. Dec. 16, 1798 d. Sept. 6, 1878

William A. Coppenbarger Son of John and Mary (Newcomb) Coppenbarger b. June 23, 1836 d. March 27, 1853

John Coppenbarger son of John and Mary (Newcomb) Coppenbarger b. Jan. 16, 1837 d. March 17, 1853

Matilda (Shugart) Coppenbarger 1st wife of John Coppenbarger b. March 10, 1802 d. Dec. 23, 1833

William Thompson son of Henry and Catherine (Coppenbarger) Thompson b. 1838 d. 1865

John T. Thompson son of Henry and Catherine (Coppenbarger) Thompson b. 1854 d. Feb. 28, 1862

Catherine Ann (Snavely) Coppenbarger wife of Jacob, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Musser) Snavely b. Sept. 1, 1780 d. Apr. 25, 1857

Jacob Coppenbarger b. Nov. 1, 1769 d. Nov. 17, 1841

Rebecca (Wright) Coppenbarger wife of William, daughter of Amos B. and Elizabeth Wright b. Aug. 2, 1822 d. Aug. 13, 1854

William Coppenbarger son of Jacob and Catherine (Snavely) Coppenbarger b. Nov. 30, 1821 d. May 15, 1859

Lucy Downen wife of William Downen d. July 20, 1840

Samuel Thomas Hays husband of Emaline (Emily) Coppenbarger b. May 17, 1833 d. Jan. 27, 1869

Emily (Coppenbarger) Hays daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Snavely) Coppenbarger b. May 17, 1826 d. Apr. 8, 1879

Henry L. Thompson husband of Catherine Coppenbarger b. 1822 d. 1896

Catherine (Coppenbarger) Thompson daughter of John and Matilda (Shugart) Coppenbarger b. Feb. 13, 1833 d. Apr. 25, 1914

Charles Hays son of William and Emily (Coppenbarger) Hays

George Coppenbarger son of Jacob and Catherine (Snavely) Coppenbarger

Back to Index