San Joaquin Genealogical Society

San Joaquin County Genealogical Society

Notices

Volunteers from the San Joaquin Genealogical Society are available to help with your family history questions.

You will find them upstairs in the Genealogy Section at the Chavez Central Library on the first and last Tuesday of the month from 10am until 1pm., except in December.

New Books by the San Joaquin Genealogical Society

"I Have Searched Every Cemetery in the County, But..."

"...I cannot find the resting spot of my missing relative."

Our Society has gone one step beyond. We have painstakingly indexed all the cremations performed at the Casa Bonita Mausoleum in Stockton, California.

These books are now on sale for $15.00 each. Or, you may purchase both books for $25.00. Click on the "Orders" tab.

Death Records of Casa Bonita Mausoleum, Stockton, California: August 1928 to December 1948 - Book I

Death Records of Casa Bonita Mausoleum, Stockton, California: 1949 to 1958 and 1967 to 1970 - Book II

If anyone has any information on the people buried in the Harmony Grove Cemetery you can pass on the information to SJGS President and we can contact Alaina or put you in touch with her.

"Hi,

Thinking all morning....I guess I would like to add my two bits too, if I may.

Just a thought and nothing else:

The historian for Harmony Grove Cemetery in Lockeford, California is Alaina Young. I don't know her age but she has a daughter in college. Her husband is a fireman. She is young, vivacious and is definitely a doer, not a sitter. But she also is an outdoor person. Forgot to mention, she is cute and perky, too.

I do know she has a load of questions about various people buried at Harmony Grove Cemetery....forever trying to solve this and that mystery. She has asked various people if they know anything about this person or that person buried there. So.....my thought is...how about connecting a communication line with her??? Perhaps she could give a walking tour of the cemetery as many are buried there from Lodi, too. Or a talk to the group. In return, perhaps the society can offer to help her solve some of her mysteries...no promises, of course but just be aware what /who she is looking for. Maybe you can do an article on her in one of the SJGS newsletters...which might include her zillion mysteries not yet solved at Harmony Grove Cemetery...thus, letting the non active SJGS members pick up on that and help her if they wish...thus, slowly getting involved with the SJGS at their own pace.

Alaina is not a "club" joiner, I have been told. That's OK. Some just are not. But she is a hard worker which shows it..at Harmony Grove Cemetery. I've seen her in action.

If SJGS wish to get in touch with her, there is Gary Gordon on the board of Harmony Grove Cemetery ( I think Alaina also just became a member of their board). You probably have Gary Gordon's address and phone number as he was one of the judges for your DAR Good Citizens Awards and Tea, I believe.

Do I want to be the one to get in touch with Alaina? Nope...those days are over for me BUT...I do like putting in my two bits at times.

Adine"

Adine Gnekow is the kind of member every genealogy society hopes to have. Her continuing efforts for the preservation of genealogical records and local history are nothing short of amazing.
Adine's latest project is to account for the burials at a now defunct cemetery. It was known as the First German Baptist Cemetery, the Calaveras Baptist Cemetery, Faith Baptist Cemetery and Lodi Baptist Cemetery. It was located west of Highway 99 ( formerly Cherokee Lane) between Scottsdale Road and Armstrong Road. After the cemetery was closed to any new burials in the 1930's, the remains were removed to other local cemeteries.

Adine has accounted for 43 of the burials using records of surveys done on the cemetery in the 1930's. By 1960, there were only 4 headstone left on the property:

1) Stone: SARAH A. BALLARD, wife of W. A. Ballard, born Apr. 3, 1823, died Jan. 22, 1875, mother of A. D., J. W., and J. H. Chance. JAMES H. CHANCE died Sept. 27, 1871, aged 29 yrs, 7 mos, 8 days. ALONZO D. CHANCE died Mar. 10, 1872, aged 19 yrs, 28 d. JOHN W. CHANCE died Feb. 11, 1868, aged 19 yrs. 11 mos, 25 days.

2) Stone: ELIZABETH, wife of Rueben L. WARDROBE, died Mar. 11, 187? aged 26 yrs, 11 mos, 27 d.

3) Stone: REV. A. GUERNEY died May 21, 1891, aged 84 yrs, 7 mos, 6 days.

4) Stone: CHARLES G., son of R. L. & E. WARDROBE, died Apr. 13, 1866, aged 3 yrs, 1 mo, 16 days.

The surnames of the other confirmed burials:

BAIRD
BAKER
BALLARD
BLEVINS
BOESE
BOHNET
BUCKNER
CHANCE
CHILDS
ELHARD
FLEGEL
FREIWELDT
GUERNSEY
HIEBERT
HILLIOUS
HOFF
KISER
KNIGHT
KRANZLER
MITTLEIDER
RENSCHLER
SCHUBERT
SMITH
STONE
THORN
WALKER
WARDROBE
WEISS
WHITAKER

If anyone ( or if you know of anyone) has a photo of this cemetery, a photo of a marker from the cemetery or have any information about this cemetery please contact me - Sheri Fenley - as soon as possible.

SHERI FENLEY - [email protected] (209) 242-2118

Our Board meetings are held the first Monday of the month, except the September meeting is held the last Monday of August due to Labor day in September. Our general meeting is normally held the third Thursday of the month (no general meetings in January, July, August and December) . As the meeting place may change please check with one of the Board to see where the meeting will be.

---------------------------------------------