The ABCs of Lowell History: C is for Cemetery

The ABCs of Lowell History is back for another round. This popular series explores a wide variety of topics in Lowell area history in weekly online articles and is written by volunteers and staff from the Lowell Area Historical Museum.

C is for Cemetery

The sign reads, “Roth Coon AKA Rolfe Cemetery.” It has also been called the Simpson Cemetery and the Mathews Cemetery.

This cemetery is in Lowell Township, between Lowell and Ada, on the south side of M-21, north of the Grand River, between Settlewood Dr. and Tip Top Gravel Company. It is a small cemetery, providing resting grounds for the neighborhood. For years the cemetery was owned and maintained by descendants of those interred there. Today it is owned and maintained by Lowell Township.

What is the real name of this cemetery? One clue comes from a 1931 article that explains that the Grand Rapids Ryerson library officials were working with local municipal boards to determine the proper names of the cemeteries in the county. Supervisor Yeiter and Clerk Bergin reported that the proper name of the cemetery was “Rolfe Cemetery.” It is further explained that “the Rolfe cemetery is sometimes called the Simpson cemetery, but Rolfe is declared to be the original name, the ground for the cemetery being a part of the Rolfe farm, the original owners.” Obituaries between 1930s – 1960s all refer to it as the Rolf Cemetery. As recently as a 1997 obituary it was called the Rolfe Cemetery.

The land was originally owned by the Ira Daines and Samuel Rolf families. Samuel P. Rolf’s wife was Susan Daines, daughter of Ira Daines. Ransom Rolf lived on the property after the death of his brother Samuel. When Ransom died in 1891 the land was sold to the Simpson family. Sarah Simpson married Harry Mathews. The west boundary now borders the Mathews family land. This record of land ownership helps to explain some of the name confusion, as the cemetery was called by whoever owned the land.

But where does the name Roth or Roth Coons come in? It is unknown. There are no burials with the Roth or Coon name.

The original and correct name appears to be “Rolfe Cemetery.”

The earliest known burials were said to be two Smith children. Torry Smith, buried in the cemetery himself, buried two of his children, Frederick K. in 1845 and William M. in 1846. Torry Smith was the first stagecoach driver that drove on this road. Other early burials in the cemetery include Susan Daines Rolf, who died in 1846, and three children of Ira A. (Jr) and Emmeline Francisco Daines. They are Edgar who died in 1846, then Napoleon died in 1848, and Fanny Daines died in 1852.

Burials at the Rolf Cemetery include two soldiers from the Civil War. James Lawrence was in Co G, of the 12th MI Infantry and James VanDeusen, Co D, 2nd Michigan Cavalry. VanDeusen died on December 3, 1861, at Benton Barracks, St Louis, Missouri.

There have been burials in the last few years. Those include William Perrin and his wife Judy in 2020 and 2021. William’s sister, Cora Perrin Heiman died in 2011. Fittingly, she lived on the homestead of their Great, Great, Grand Uncle, Ira Daines.