Helmer-Harter Cemetery

Helmer-Harter Cemetery

September 29, 1999

While we were in the Mohawk Valley we visited one of the Helmer Cemeteries. The Helmer-Harter cemetery is north and west of Jordanville, New York, located on the south side of Kingdom Road. The cemetery is off the road some distance and is on the west side of a farm house. There don’t appear to have been any burials for a number of years. Some of the stones are broken, badly worn or are unreadable. Due to deterioration of the graves, a few of the stones have sunk into the ground.

Before entering the cemetery area there is a large stone which states:

On this site lie Revolutionary War Patriots

Capt. Henry L. Harter 1731-1821

wife Catherine (Piper) 1833-1802

son Philip H. Harter 1762-1848

wife Catherine (Philips) 1765-1853

daughter Anna Harter Helmer 1773-1859

and other descendants

erected by

Marie Harter Miller

Marion Harter Kofmehl

1984

A list of tombstones:

Catherine Helmer died Dec 23, 1868 64 yrs 3 m 2 d
Margaret A. Helmer 1861 (remainder was unreadable)
Anna M. wife of Adam F. Helmer died Dec 1, 1859 at 86 yrs 10 mos & 3 days (unreadable) .......dead which die in the Lord
Adam F. Helmer died Dec 30, 1854 at 84 yrs 5 mo & 22 ds (writing below was unreadable)
Elizabeth
Herman
Elizabeth Helmer died Nov 18, 1889 age 64y 4m 6d
James H. Helmer Sept 4, 1836 6yr 10days
In Memory of Margaret daughter of Laurence and Sophia Helmer died 9^th Feb, 1831 aged 3 yr 5 mo 6 days
Hannah wife of Peter Bell
Peter Bell
Catharine wife of Martin Vosburch died ________ 1886
Martin Vosburch died Oct 2, 1866 aged 66 yrs 3 mos
Mother - Marinda wife of Adam H. Helmer died Nov 20, 1857 aged 33yrs 7ms 18ds

There was a most unusual stone in the cemetery that looked like a small table with six square legs sitting on a base. Inscribe on the stone is the following:

To Sidney

One who reveres the commandment to honor your parents has raised this monument over the remains of a boy whose life of five years was cherished with parental care by the stranger on whom his real parents threw him from the hour of his disgraced birth.

She never saw his features but in death, but till her own death will never forget the cherub countenance nor the piercing grief of the generous protector. His own little girl of two years and three months old having been buried here three weeks before. She was the child of Martin and Christine Vosburg, and both died in the autumn of 1842.