CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH CEMETERY   1893 – 1912

Located in the center of the SW ¼ of section 12, Larkin Township, Midland, MI. Old Bismark Rd. used to run diagonally through this section and burials were made in the center by a group of pine trees. Both the road and the village disappeared in the early 20^th century. This was near Hubbard Circle (Hubbard Rd. and Ehlers Rd.).  The cemetery can be reached from Parrish Rd. then north on Forest Hill Drive, cemetery a short ways into the woods. According to Mr. & Mrs. Paul Rinas and other local residents no stones were ever placed there. Information gathered on October 31, 1998 by Cheryl Speaker and Margaret Wegner. MWTGone@aol.com. In 2006 a group rededicated the cemetery. Information on this project and the cemetery can be obtained from Karen Schultz   SchultzKK@Chartermi.net   Research is still being conducted to determine who all may be buried there. Those who are known to be buried in the cemetery are as follows:

Behling, Louise   died April 27, 1893   aged 24 yrs. 11 months;  of child birth fever (first wife of Fred Behling)

Behling, Augusta Burkusky   died March 4, 1906  aged 37 years 6 months 9 days; of pneumonia   (second wife of Fred Behling)

Behling, Walter F. C.   died October 15, 1905   aged 4 months 12 days; of whooping cough. Son of Fred and Augusta.

Behling, William    died September 16, 1893 aged 5 months of infant cholera. Son of Fred and Augusta. 

Dammann, Wilhelm Gustave Johan Joachim  born August 25, 1858 in Camin, Mecklenburg/Schwerin, Germany – died August 29, 1908. Husband of Caroline Kruger. (immigrated to the United States in 1881)

Kaiser, Amelia    born 1833 in Russia - died June 16, 1910.  Wife of Charles  

Mattes, William   died May 4, 1905. Aged 31 years, 2 months, 20 days; of heart nephritis

Ramin, child    died July, 1896.  Son of Ernest.         

Westphal, infant girl    died in late 1890’s. Relative remembers his father making the coffin and painting it red; it was carried on a wagon to the burial place.

Other possible burials in this cemetery are:

Griebe, child    Died December 1893

Griebe, Ernst Wilhelm   Died September 5, 1900; of infant cholera

Kullick, Elder    Died September 25, 1908

Lisius, John    Died November 17, 1912; of valvular heart lesion

Keyser, male (according to Paul Rinas; burial was made higher on the hill because it was wet)