CEMETERIES, CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS, KENT COUNTY, MICH

It is important to understand that villages are subordinate to townships while Cities are not. So until the Village of Grand Rapids became a City in 1850, the activities within the Village, such as schools and cemeteries, as well as other functions were under the ultimate authority of the township.  Even though most of the Village of Grand Rapids was within geographic Walker Township as Division Avenue is the dividing line, the Grand River was the practical boundary since bridges were still a rarity and tolls were charged.  So although the land was physically within the boundaries of Walker Twp, the ruling government was Grand Rapids Twp. 

The City of Grand Rapids annexed land from four townships: Grand Rapids Twp, Paris Twp, Walker Twp, Wyoming Twp. Other Cities, created later from farm villages and suburban mania, annexed land from these townships - the City of Kentwood, City of Grandville,  City of Walker, the City of Wyoming. And while the township government for Grand Rapids Twp still exists, the other township governments no longer exist.  Therefore,  all cemeteries, every cemetery located within these four townships, inside or outside of the City of Grand Rapids, are included.  

1 chain = 100 links = 4 rods = 66 feet.

10 chains squared = 40 rods squared = 208.7 ft sq  = 43560 sq feet= 1 acre

1.  Cemetery Name Index hopefully every name ever used anywhere by anyone

2. Cemetery by geographic location regardless of local government jurisdiction. 

Grand Rapids Twp        Paris Twp          Walker Twp          Wyoming Twp

 Each heading includes a location map.

3.  Cemetery Plat maps  of each cemetery if available.

4. Diocese of Grand Rapids Diocese Cemeteries

    The Catholic church purchased sections of public and private cemeteries then sold those lots to their parishioners.
    There are these Catholic owned sections in Fulton Street, Woodlawn and Rosedale.
    The Catholic Church has no more say in these cemeteries than any lot owner.

5.  My map Cemeteries located within the City on a 1907 school map.

6. 1907 Ogle.

7. Aerial Maps for each cemetery.

Check this Podunk site Cemeteries in or near Kent County - ePodunk

For a list of those actually buried in the cemetery:

The DAR around 1929-1931 hiked the cemeteries and compiled an index to every known burial in every known cemetery in Kent County AT THAT TIME not today.  These transcriptions are available on index cards, arranged in alphabetical order by surname for the whole county, in the Michigan Room of the Grand Rapids Public Library.  You can write and ask them for a look-up at 111 Library St, Grand Rapids, Mi 49503.

A digital list is available on the internet but it is BY cemetery rather than surname.  So you must know where the person was buried before you can look him/her up.  And they do not understand, even though I have repeatedly told them, which cemeteries are actually IN the City of Grand Rapids and RUN by the City so the information they provide is inaccurate.   For what it is worth: Kent County Michigan GenWeb Project

There is also a digital link for actual photographs of tombstones at Cemetery Registration-Michigan

Early cemeteries now within the City limits:

  Early cemeteries were often outside the village/city limits at the time they became cemeteries for the City.
The Village of Grand Rapids Cemetery and the Village of Kent Cemetery were in Grand Rapids Twp,
Greenwood Cem was in Walker Twp, Valley City Cem (South Oak Hill) and Woodlawn in Paris Twp.

There were three early small non-official cemeteries:
1. Gore of land at Cherry Street and Lake Drive (GRT) was an early, now defunct, Catholic Cemetery, bodies probably re-interred at St. Andrews Cem.
2. Gore of land at Cherry, Madison and State (GRT), now defunct, bodies probably re-interred at Fulton Cem.
3. Milo White's farm now encompassed by Holy Cross Cemetery in Walker Twp

According to Fr. John McGee in his The Catholic Church in the Grand River Valley "The first Catholic Cemetery, then, was the old burying ground purchased by Father Viszosky at the gore or triangle formed by Lake Drive and Cherry Street. According to older residents of the parish, the plot was blessed by Bishop Lefevere in the 1840's.
 

I have tried to impact every source with corrections or comments so everything on this site is copyrighted. The information may be used for your project but the source must be cited.

From Heading  History and the City of GrandRapids

From web site:  MyCityofGrandRapids.info Home

Send mail to Babs27@Comcast.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2006 My Grand Rapids
Last modified: 05/17/10