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Saint John's Reformed Dutch Church Cemetery


Saint John's Reformed Dutch Church Cemetery is on Route 28 in Upper Red Hook.  This is a BIG cemetery, so I concentrated mostly on HEERMANCE / HERMANCE stones as they are probably relatives.  I remembered that somebody once contacted me looking for VAN STEENBERGH family members, so I snapped them too when I noticed them.  Most of these were very old, badly eroded/lichen covered, and quite difficult to read, so it's entirely possible that some of my information may be in error.  Find A Grave has additional grave listings for this cemetery in their section for Saint John's RDC.

Spelling was not standardized in those days, so it's possible to find the stones of different members of the same family with different spellings of the surname.  For example, Andrew HEERMANCE's wife is listed as Clarissa HERMANCE.  Because of this, I've listed HERMANCE/HEERMANCE family members alphabetically by first name instead of last name.

Most of these photos have been digitally enhanced to try to make the inscriptions more readable.


Saint John's Reformed Dutch Church Cemetery
Grave Stones

For dates, ages, etc., see entries for individual stones in the list below.

Andrew Heermance and wife Clarissa  Andrew HERMANCE/HEERMANCE, wife Clarissa, and Ann HERMANCE.

Garret Hermance/Heermance and family  Garret HERMANCE/HEERMANCE, wives Catharine and Maria, and daughter Catharine.

Simon Heermance and relatives  Simon HEERMANCE, his wife Matha?, Hellen HERMANCE, and John HEERMANCE.


  1. Andrew Heermance  HEERMANCE, Andrew H or M.  This is the broken off top part of a stone and all other information was missing.

  2. Ann Hermance  HERMANCE, Ann, "who died Jan. 3, 1829, aged 31? or 37? years, 8 months? and 27 days".

  3. Catharine Heermance  HEERMANCE, Catharine, "wife of Garret HEERMANCE, who departed this life May 14th 1809, aged 19 years, 10 months and 11 days."  "She was an affectionate wife / a virtuous friend and an esteem/ed neighbor, beloved when liv/ing and now greatly lamented."  The veteran's flag in the photo belongs to whoever was buried next to her - evidently not a HEERMANCE / HERMANCE family member as I didn't bother to get a photo of his stone.  Maybe next time.  See also the above photo of Garret and family's plot.

  4. Catharine Heermance  HEERMANCE, Catharine, "daughter of Garret & Maria HEERMANCE who died Aug. 3, 1837, aged 17 years, 5 mos., and 20 or 29 days."  Illegible two-line verse.

  5. Clarissa Hermance  HERMANCE, Clarissa, wife of Andrew HERMANCE, died ??? 27, 1828, aged 67? years, illegible months and days.

  6. Elsie? Hermance  HERMANCE, Elsie?, died sometime in 1801? or 1807?, aged 50-something years, 4 months?, 27 days.

  7. Garret Hermance  HERMANCE, Garret, died Aug. 10? or 19?, 1851? or 1854?, aged 66 years & 8 mos.  Illegible four-line verse.

  8. Hellen Hermance  HERMANCE, Hellen, "who died Sept. 9, 1852, in the 66 year of her age."  There appears to have been a four-line verse at the bottom of the stone, but it's almost completely eroded off the stone except for a letter or two at the very beginning and end of each line.

  9.  HEERMANCE, John, "who departed this life the 24th March, 1798?, aged 50-something years, & 6 months."

  10. Hermance women  Granite HERMANCE monument.  Relationships not stated.  Sisters?

    1. HERMANCE, Jane, wife of Wilson HAINES, born Nov. 1822, died Dec. 1873
    2. HERMANCE, Julia, born May 1827, died Feb. 1898
    3. HERMANCE, Angelica, born June 1825, died Feb. 1908

  11. Maria Heermance  HEERMANCE, Maria, wife of Garret HEERMANCE, "who died May 6?, 1832?, aged 18 years, (illegible) 20? or 29? days."

  12. Matha? Hermance  HERMANCE, Matha? (first name is only partially legible - maybe a mis-spelling of "Martha"?), wife of Simon HERMANCE, "who died Jan. 6, 18??, aged 73 years and 6 days".  The veteran's flag belongs to her husband Simon.

  13. Neeltje Heermance  HEERMANCE, Neeltje, wife of William VAN VRADENBURGH, "who terminated an useful and / Exemplary life after a short but / painful illness of 11 days on the / 8th? day of April, 1802 aged 36 years, 11 months?, 26 days."  Illegible verse of at least two lines at bottom of stone.

  14.  Simon Heermance  HEERMANCE, Simon, "who died June 25?, 1836, aged 73 years, 2 months, & 25 days."  I think it's safe to assume the veteran's flag belongs to Simon even though it's actually placed next to his wife's stone.

  15. Jacob B. Van Steenbergh  VAN STEENBERGH, Jacob B., "who died 9th Jan., 1832, aged 38 years, 10 mo. & 17 days"  "A tender Husband's eyes last closed in death / A loving father has resigned his breath. / ... (can't make out the last two lines)"  This stone is weathered but still readable.

  16. Ann Eliza Van Steenbergh  ILLEGIBLE SURNAME, Ann Eliz... (Eliza? Elizabeth?), wife of Jacob B. VAN STEENBERGH, "who died (illegible date), 18?8, aged (illegible).  This stone is badly eroded and in much worse shape than her husband's.

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