Folk lore has it that there were six to eight people buried on this hill. Over the years, cattle were responsible for the loss of whatever stones were originally put up there. In the 1980s, Lyle and Leola Peterson along with a Mr. and Mrs. Wrage of Minnesota, worked together to preserve the only remaining stone. Upon closer look, one can see the pocks on Lovisa's stone, put there by someone who amused himself or themselves by using the stone for target practice.

        The two names on the right should read Louise Draphal and Jacob Diercks. Leola tells me there is a Civil War Veteran's grave just northwest of Lovisa's stone. It is believed to be John Clevedence, but not verified.

NOTE: It should also be pointed out that two people were removed from this graveyard many years ago and interred in Graceland Cemetery in Oacoma ... near the bottom of the gravel road. In checking my tombstone records I discovered stones for Lovisa Christopher and her son Charles in Graceland. Apparently, Lovisa's original stone was left on that hill out of respect for her and to preserve that piece of sacred ground.  Barbara  

MOELLER CEMETERY 1890-1903

                                            By Gay Murphy *
 

When I (Gay Murphy) read the story that went along with the picture of the Moeller cemetery, our cover picture, I wondered how much could be found about these five people. So with a little research I have these short stories about: Lovisa Christopherson, John T. Clevendence, Louise Draphal, Jacob Diercks, and Martin A. Thomas.

LOVISA CHRISTOPHERSON

In 1900 Charles and Lovisa Christopherson were living in Lyman county township l04 R72. Her son, Charles, born 1871 in Wisconsin, age 29, single, is listed as head of the house. Lovise Christopherson, born February 1840 in Denmark is age 60. She says she is married, 34 years with four of her six children alive, She arrived in America in 1867.

Several Christopherson are found in the BLM land records for Lyman County and 1911 Lyman County Directory, although none match exactly the land location listed in the 1900 census. When I did an ancestry search for Lovisa and Charles I did come up with several names possibly connected to the family, these names appeared in the BLM records: Nitre Christopherson, Charles M Christopherson, Jens Christopherson and Louise Christopherson. Also I found Lovisa's daughter, Emma Christopherson Erickson, who was married to August Erickson from south of Reliance. I also found another daughter, Anna Wenz buried at Graceland, also a grave marker. The Wenz family is listed in the 1900 census jn Lyman.county with husband John, children Arthur, John and Della.  Both Anna and Lovisa died in 1901.

What we are reading in Lyman County tells us that Charles died in this county, but on ancestry family trees there is the Ness-Benson family tree which raises questions. That tree really connects with this family. It includes Charles living until the 1920's in Minnesota, Lovisa called Louise, another daughter of Lovisa's living in Lyman County with an unknown death place in 1901, and Charles' wife, Astre. We will have to leave this family for them to unravel. Both Lavisa and Albert Thomas are listed as buried in Moeller Cemetery. In Graceland there is listed Charles Christopherson (child), Lovisa Christianson and Albert Thomas. The child, Charles, includes no dates.

JOHN T. CLEVENDENCE

The burial of a Civil War veteran was rumored. John Clevendence was found living with his brother­-in-law Lewis Church in 1900. He was born August 1833, in Maryland, widowed and age 66. There was a family file on ancestry. John Clevendence joined the Union Army in Mt. Carroll, IL no mention of his death was found in the county newspapers.

LOUISE DRAPHAL

On the Lyman County SDGENWEB site is the only mention of Louise Dreyfahl - Dreyfahl Louise (sis of Fred) c (cemetery)  o (Oacoma)" The surname is found in several Lyman County History books, but no Louise.

JACOB DIERCKS

In the Lyman County history book, Winds of Change, page 181, "Hjelmberg Family Connection" Jacob Diercks' story is told. Jacob and Matta (Quast) Dierks were Bertha, John J. and Herman's parents. the Moeller Cemetery. About 1901 Herman and John went to Alberta. Father, son and Biertha had taken homesteads NW of Oacoma, where Ed and Biertba (Diercks) Werner lived. Jacob Diercks was the great-grandfather of LBGS member, Leola Peterson.

MARTIN A. THOMAS

In the South Dakota Democrat newspaper, September 16, 1897, there is a short note about an adopted son of a man named Christopherson, aged 10 years, living west of Oacoma, who was found in town. He had run away and was taken home by Chief of Police Cuptil. The boy had intended to steal a ride to Mitchell and Minnesota. Later that year in the same paper, December 2, ) 897 issue, this ten year old had disappeared again about three weeks earlier and was found last week, his remains partially devoured by the wolves. Martin Albert Thomas is listed buried in a pasture above Oacoma (Moeller Cemetery) and buried (with no location) in the Graceland Cemetery.

MOELLER CEMETERY

A search of the Lyman County SDGENWEB site has these two names from early county newspapers, but no sourcing.

MOELLER, CHRISTINE /JOHN L. ROBERTS

The 1900 census does place a Carl Moeller, wife and five children in the area near the Moeller Cemetery. In the 1911 Landowners Atlas this entry is found, MOELLER, Otto TIN R30E Virgil* 27 160, this land is now in Jones County, west of Lyman County. A query received in 2008 does say that Karl Moeller left for Canada in 1902.

*As published in the Lyman-Brule Genealogical Society’s April 2011 newsletter