Cemeteries in Brownstown

Oak Ridge Cemetery

Oak Ridge Cemetery is one of the oldest burying grounds in Brownstown and it is still active today. Records show that In 1876 Jacob Reese Vreeland and Abram Helferich owned the land which is now Oak Ridge Cemetery. Both Vreeland and Helferich are buried cemetery at the cemetery. Oak Ridge also holds many other prominent surnames names such as King, Hall, Van Riper, Vreeland, and West. About 4,200 individuals are laid to rest here.

Rumsey Burial Ground

The Rumsey burial ground is located on Telegraph rd, just south of Van Horn rd. It is believed that the small cemetery contains the graves of approximately 100 men, women and children, some of who are earlier pioneers of Brownstown Township. The most prominent marker is that of Moses Rumsey, who owned much of the nearby property. Rumsey donated a large piece of property to local citizens for the creation of a school. This property reached as far north as the former Maple Grove School which was located at the corner of Telegraph & Van Horn. The headstone of Moses Rumsey has been lost over the years, however early records indicate that it was marked by a tall shaft of granite and simply inscribed:

Moses Rumsey

Died Dec. 15, 1873

Aged 62 Yrs.

Burials in the cemetery range in date from 1837 to 1925. Family plots for Rumsey, Milliman, Gault, Chase and Blanchard are located here. The township’s first assessor, David Smith, is earliest recorded burial at Rumsey. Smith was born in 1787 and died in 1837 at 52 years of age. He was a member of the first township board of trustees and in 1827 was later named the township assessor. Three Civil War soldiers lie buried at Rumsey - Brothers William and John Gault, as well as a William Henry Blanchard. Ambrose Little was the last to be laid to rest here in March of 1925.

Over the years, weathering and vandalism have taken their toll on the Rumsey burial ground. In 2002 the Brownstown Historical Society installed a wrought iron style fence around the cemetery to help prevent further damage. Brownstown township now owns the lot and the Brownstown recreation department maintains the grounds.