Wyoming
Goshen County
Prairie Center
Section 21 NW 1/4 SW 1/4, Township 29N, Range 61W
(Jun 1973)
Location : Drive North of Torrington, Wyo, abt 25 miles. The last few miles makes a west turn and northwest turn according to my maps. The history of the Prairie Center church is in my files, written by Mrs. Gertrude Benshoff of Torrington, Wyo. It contains the following information about the graves in the cemetery. Mrs. Benshoff also wrote --'There was never any town there, the people got their mail from Van Tassell. There was a store there for a short time, I have heard. The Prairie Center Church was the Social Center, voting place and any gathering place needed for years. When the consolidated school was built a couple of miles north, it became the community center. The name Prairie Center bacame quite well known and is still "Home" to many of us."
Page 13
"In the cemetery north of the church grounds are a few who died in those first years. Later, they were usually buried at Van Tassell or Jay Em."
as listed:
1. Newman, Infant d. Jan 1, 1916 father: Newman, W. Hiram mother: Gertrude
2. Serafin, Martha d. Jan 22, 1916 (fourth to north from the gate) father: Serafin, John mother: Elizabeth (had brother Freddy)
3. Grooms, Infant d. Mar __, 1918 father: Grooms, Frank mother: Gona
4. Scheer, Maggie Emma died 13 July, 1918 bd. 14 July, 1918 age abt. 17-18 (burned) father: Scheer, Herman F. bn. Germany (or Aug-August) mother: Dinkel, Maggie bn. Ft. Wayne, IND bn. 17 Sept. 1898
5. Herron, Infant d. 24 May 1920 father; Herron, Ed mother: Anstey, Rita
6. Holden, Mrs. Theodrick "Thod" (Emeline E.) d. 2 May 1921 bn. 26 Jul 1869 father: McBride, Thos. Bn. Ill
7. Holden, Annabelle (or Anabel) d. 17 Feb 1951 father: Holden, T. W. mother: Elizabeth 'dau. of Theo. Holden' (may be Emeline Elizabeth as noted under # 6)
8. Holden, Mr. Theodrick W. "Thod" (or Theodoric) d. Ashland, ORE Oct 1948 cremated- ashes brought back to Prairie Center. bn. prob. Ill in 1864 (his ashes were returned from Ore. to the old Prairie Center Cemetery. The ashes of both Anabel (sp.) and he were put in the grave of the mother and wife, Emeline E.)
Source:
1, Mrs. Gertrude Benshoof, Box 313, Torrington, WYO
2. Vital Statistics, State of Wyoming
3. Eva (Holden) Glandt via Gertrude B.