(Photos taken September 2002)

View Some of the Stones in the Old Cemetery
Table of burials in Old Cemetery, surnames A-L | M-Z

(The following was excerpted from "History of St. Paul's (Dub's) Church, 1853-1999")

Henry K. Stoyer died March 22, 1834.  Even though there were rumors before the land was bequeathed, no constructive action was taken to build a church until 19 years after Mr. Stoyer died.  (Before the construction of this church, Lutherans, Reformed, and Brethren worshipped at Wildasin's Meeting House.)  At that time in 1853, the adjoining farm was owned by Daniel Dubs and his wife, Sarah.  It was this man who occupied the original farm when the church was built.  Consequently, it became known as "Dubs Church" when it should really be known as "Stoyers Church".  Henry Stoyer willed a certain lot of ground containing one acre in Manheim Township, York County, Pennsylvania near Dub's Mill for the purpose of building a German Reformed and Lutheran Church and Burial ground.  In 1853, the two congregations, led by Rev. Sechler, Reformed, and Rev. Rosenmiller, Lutheran, began construction of the first church.  The building was 40 feet by 50 feet and was of brick construction.  The bricks were manufactured in the meadow of what was the Wildasin Farm, owned by John Bankert, just above the old concrete bridge along Furnace Creek.  The corner stone was laid October 14, 1853 and the building stood on the south east corner of the present parking lot adjacent to the old cemetery near a giant oak tree.  There were two entrances to the building facing the present church - the right door was for women and the left door for the men.  Due to the height of the church and the nature of the brick, some of which was soft and deteriorating, the building was declared unsafe and was replaced in 1901.  There was great controversy regarding the location of the new church.  Two additional acres of land were purchased from Joseph B. Rohrbaugh and his wife.  The January 4, 1901 deed indicates that the sale was made to Levi C. Utz and Franklin Kessler, trustees of Dub's church for $300.00.  Jacob M. Wildasin and Alfred Wildasin both resigned from the building committee on January 1, 1901.  On May 11, 1901, it was finally decided to destroy the old building and build the new one in its place.  An attorney indicated that if any material from the first building was to be used, the new building must be erected on the original plot bequeathed by Henry K. Stoyer, hence the building was placed on its present site.

The St. Paul's (Dubs) Union Church Cemetery (Old Cemetery) is part of the original one acre of land bequeathed by Henry K. Stoyer.  Additional land was added ot the one acre on June 23, 1868, when a plot 66 feet by 165 feet was purchased from Michael Seachrist for $25.00, containing 40 perches.  On August 12, 1895, two additional plots were purchased from Jacob Wildasin for $150.00, one plot 132 feet by 330 feet and the other plot 74 feet by 297 feet, containing 1-1/2 acres.

It wasn't until after the first church was built in 1853 that burials really began taking place in the cemetery.  No original cemetery records are available of the burials.  The first records were done in 1933.  Those records were taken from information on markers or stones.  By that time a lot of information was already gone.  In 1996 an attempt was made to get as complete records as possible.  The number of known burials is 946.  There are 20 unknown burial plots and 19 unidentified graves.  Without a doubt there are other burials.