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Mountain View Cemetery (Crooker Cemetery) (Side
of the Road Cemetery) (Waeir Cemetery)
Submitted by J. Kelsey
Jones
WAEIR CEMETERY
The Waeir Cemetery is located in the Seeley Creek Valley in the Town
of Southport, Chemung County, New York at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue
and Mountain View Drive in the yard of the residence at 1326 Pennsylvania
Avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Staver transcribed markers in the cemetery in
1931-2, but only copied four markers and referred to it as the Roadside
Cemetery. The area, until the mid 20th century, was farmland until housing
developments were built. A house was built where the cemetery was located
and the markers laid down. In 1979 the owners of the residence allowed
J. Kelsey Jones and Nelda Holton to dig up nine markers, all about three
inches below the surface. All were face up and lying in a row. John Waeir
acquired 414 acres at or near this location from the 1788 survey of the
County. It is uncertain how the cemetery acquired the name of Waeir as
it would appear the Waier family is buried in Fitzsimmons Cemetery. Timothy
Smith has the oldest dated marker in the small cemetery and it is likely
that he and his wife Fanny Little were buried on the land they settled
upon. Timothy Smith and Fanny Little are related to have been living on
the Seeley tract in 1787, but this date may be too early as they were not
enumerated there in the 1790 census enumeration. On 19 June 1792, Nathaniel
Seely Junr., and Elizabeth (Sayre) his wife; Abner Hetfield and Elizabeth
(Seeley) his wife; Samuel Edsall and Sarah (Seeley) his wife; Adam Seely;
James Seely and Anna (Westlake) his wife of the Town of Chemung and County
of Tioga conveyed 577 acres to Timothy Smith late of the County of Orange
and State of New York (Tioga County Deeds 1:30). Also buried with the Smiths
is daughter Abigail Smith and her husband Orange Chapman. The Chapman?s
daughter Fanny L. Chapman wife of J. B. Gale is buried in the cemetery
and when she died her death was recorded in the Elmira City Death Records
- Fanny L. Gale, married, born Elmira daughter of Orange and Abigail Chapman
died Nov 22, 1880 age 63 years at 126 Main Street, buried Town of Southport,
private grounds. The term ?private grounds? in the death record would evidently
indicate it was not considered a public cemetery. There is also a marker
only inscribed with the name Betsey Maria and her age of 17 years. The
other three people with markers in the cemetery seem to have no relationship
to the Smith and Chapman families. James Sloan and Rachel Clement and daughter
Ruth Brown were from Haddonfield, Camden County, New Jersey. James Sloan
had been a member of the United States Congress while in New Jersey and
the family were former Quakers. Markers transcribed and photographed by
J. Kelsey Jones ? 2008.
In
Memory of TIMOTHY SMITH, who died April 27th, 1809, AE 57 Years & 2 Months. |
In
Memory of FANNY SMITH. wife of Timothy Smith, who died August 1st. 1816, AE 61 Years & 7 Months. |
ORANGE CHAPMAN,
BORN In Windsor Vt. MAR. 27, 1781 DIED At his home AUG. 12, 1857. A good man hath perished out of the earth. |
ABBY
WIFE OF ORANGE CHAPMAN BORN MAY 10, 1791 DIED APR. 23, 1860 Mother blessed and blessing Not dead but gone before |
BETSEY MARIA,
AG?D 17 Y?RS. |
FANNY L.
Wife of J. B. GALE Died Nov. 21. 1880 Aged 63 Ys. |
James Sloan,
died Sept 7th, 1831. aged 82 Years & 10 Months. |
Rachel, wife of
James Sloan, died July 25th, 1828. Aged 77 Years. & 4 Months. |
RUTH BROWN
age 35 1812 |
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