Cemeteries

Gallatin,

Columbia County,

New York.

By Capt. Franklin Ellis²⁵⁸

1878

     There are two cemeteries in Gallatin, and there have been several private burial-grounds, most of which have become obliterated.  Many of the people go to Ancram and Pine Plains to bury their dead.

     Probably the oldest of the burial-grounds is that near Mr. E. Silvernail's, known as

THE DINGS BURYING-GROUND

     Most of the stones erected there were of slate, and were rudely engraved, often with but the initial letters of the names of the person whose grave they marked.  Even these have  in many cases been obliterated by the effacing finger of Time.  The oldest date now to be seen is "1782," on a stone marked "A. D.," and the most ancient readable inscription is the following, which marks the resting-place of a son of Peter Dennis, viz:

     "In memory of William Dinnies, Son of Petries and May Dinnies, who departed this life Sept. the 2d, 1799, Aged 19 years & 3 months."

     The largest cemetery is the one at the "Vedder church," which contains about three acres of ground and some twelve hundred graves.  The ground is on a gently-rolling lot, in which the church is built.  The oldest graves date back to 1770, although without doubt many burials took place there at an earlier date.  One of these oldest inscription reads,--

"Katrinna, Weib von

Johannes Ham, IS

ge Sorben Sep 14,

1770 Im 27: Jahr

Iher Alther."

     Another commemorates "Doct. Elijah Adams, a patriot and soldier of the Revolution," who died in 1837, at the age of eighty-three years.

     A fine monument standing at the west of the church bears the following inscriptions, which explains themselves.  On the west side,__

"Rev. Herman Vedder.

Died

In the 96th year

of his age.

'I have fought a good fight,

I have finished my course,

I have kept the faith.'"

And on the south face,--

"Rev. Herman Vedder

Served

as Pastor of

this church

61 years.

'Servant of God, well done:

Rest from thy loved employ'

The battle fought, the victory won,

Enter thy Master's joy.'"

     The cemetery at the  West Gallatin Methodist Episcopal church is a small one, and contains but a few graves, none of them antedating the century.