Genealogy Coon or Fleener Cemetery

Nova May Mertens^*

The Coon or Fleener Cemetery of Jackson Township, Brown County, Indiana, is about four miles southwest of Morgantown, Indiana, on the farm now owned by T. M. Butler. This plot was donated by Jacob Fleener, one of the first settlers of Jackson Township, who came to the county as early as 1823 or 1824 from Tennessee. The plot is located about a quarter of a mile from the road on which Fleener built the typical double log house. Since there was no church in the community at this early date, religious services were held in his home, which were attended by the families in the neighborhood. Later a family by the name of Coon purchased the farm and since that time the cemetery has been known as the Coon Cemetery. One of Fleener's daughters married William Riley Ritter whose farm joined the Fleener farm and the cemetery is sometimes called the Ritter Cemetery, but more frequently referred to as the Coon or Fleener Cemetery. Inscriptions from the stones are as follows:

• Mary Hobbs Abbey, b. 1804, d. 1883. On same lot as Adella and Martin Neidigh.
• Sarah Barns, d. 1875, wife of Noah Barns, age 64 yrs.
• Wiley Burns, b Oct. 16, 1832, d. Jan. 4, 1913. Co. H 70 Ind. Vol.
• Emily A. Burns, b. April 30, 1847, d. May 27, 1932.
• Anna A. Davis, d. Sept. 18, 1872. Dau. of J. C. and A. R. Davis, 3 yrs., 3 mo. 17 da.
• Jacob Fleener, d. June 25, 1865, 61 yrs. 9 mo. 15 da.
• Sarah Fleener, d. Jan. 24, 1852, wife of Jacob Fleener, 24 yrs. 7 mo. 2 da.
• Hannah H. Fleener, d. Feb. 11, 1866, 64 yrs. 11 mo. 2 da., wife of Jacob Fleener.
• James Henry Fleener, b. Dec. 19, 1853, d. May 9, 1859, son of J. and H. Fleener.
• Mary Frownfelter, d. May 29, 1895, 85 yrs. 1 mo. 10 da.
• Aaron Frownfelter, d. Jan. 23, 1856, 63 yrs. 3 mo. 25 da.
• Jacob Frownfelter, d. Feb. 11, 1892, 83 yrs, 4 mo. 1 da.
• Marcus Harden, d. Mar. 29, 1866, son of J. B. and M. T. Harden, 9 mo. 9 da.
• Margaret M. Kelso, d. Sept. 7, 1850, 5 yrs. 3 mo. 1 da.

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  • ^* Nova May Mertens is a resident of Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Martha Catherine (Null) Long, b. June 1, 1852, d. June 28, 1902, wife of Alfred Long.
• Alfred Long, b. April 9, 1848, d. Oct. 28, 1923, Civil War Vet.
• Anna Viola Long, d. May 18, 1877, 2 yrs. 9 mo., dau. of A[lfred] and M[artha] Long.
• Lucinda Long, d. Mar. 5, 1862, dau. of A[lfred] and M[artha] Long.
• Mable Long, b. Aug. 4, 1890, d. Sept. 10, 1900, dau. of Samuel F. and Rosa Long.
• C. D. Melton, Co. G 27 Ind. Inf.
• Robert Melton, b. Jan. 26, 1840, G.A.R.
• Eliz. A. Melton, b. June 3, 1849, d. May 10, 1900, wife of Robt. Melton.
• Thomas A. Melton, b. July 7, 1868.
• James W. Melton, b. June 28, 1879, d. May 9,1886.
• Walter C. Melton, b. June 22,1886, d. April 5,1896.
• Wm. John Merriman, b. Feb. 11, 1833, d. July 12, 1906, [son of Wm. of Va. and Knox Co. Tenn., Morgan, and Brown cos. Ind.].
• Rachel Catherine Merriman, Aug. 20, 1841, d. June 5, 1929, wife of Wm. John Merriman.
• Lewis Merriman, [b. Oct. 18, 1860, d. Sept. 7, 1922], son of Wm. John and Rachel Merriman.
• Ivy Francis Merriman, [b. Dec. 27,1872, d. 1936], son of Wm. John and Rachel Merriman.
• Cordelia Merriman, b. 1871, d. 1910, wife of William Merriman.
• William Merriman, b. Sept. 7, 1863, d. May 13, 1944, son of Wm. John and Rachel Merriman.
• David Miller, b. June 18, 1812, d. Aug. 20, 1896.
• Sarah A. Miller, b. Aug. 21, 1819, d. Sept. 11, 1916.
• Mary J. Murry, b. Mar. 13, 1870, d. Feb. 14, 1904. [On same lot as Thomas A. Melton]
• Jesse Moore, d. Dec. 15, 1895, 75 yrs. 11 mo.
• Mary J. Moore, b. May 17, 1829, d. July 4, 1904, 75 yrs. 1 mo. 17 da.
• Thomas A. Moore, b. May 24, 1848, d. Jan. 14, 1914, only child of Jesse and Mary Moore.
• S. Neidigh, b. Jan. 10, 1806, d. Sept. 1, 1883.
• M. Neidigh, b. Feb. 1, 1811, d. Oct. 8, 1894, wife of S. Neidigh.
• John Neidigh, b. May 15, 1817, d. May 21, 1905.
• Nancy Neidigh, Feb. 4, 1827, d. Mar. 14, 1886, wife of John Neidigh.
• Catherine Neidigh, d. Oct. 29, 1857, Consort of John Neidigh, 66 yrs. 10 mo. 26 da.
• Alexander Neidigh, b. June 1,1813, d. Oct. 20,1863.
• Eliz. McNeely Hill Neidigh, d. April 14, 1887, 60 yrs.
• Roscoe Neidigh, b. 1888, d. 1891.
• Adella Neidigh, b. 1832, d. 1914.
• Martin A. Neidigh, b. 1858, d. 1932.
• Henry Oliver, b. Dec. 2,1862, d. Aug. 9, 1866.
• Harriet E. Reed, d. Sept. 12, 1853, dau. of H. D. and S. A. Reed, 2 yrs. 4 mo. 9 da.
• Oliver A. Read, b. Dec. 27, 1867, d. Mar. 12, 1868, son of C. W. and C.
• Lydia Lucetta Read, b. Feb. 10, 1851, d. Sept. 16, 1867, 16 yrs. 7 mo. 6 da.
• Sarah Ritter, b. Aug. 16, 1814, d. Aug. 25, 1852, wife of J[esse] Ritter.
• Frances D. Ritter, d. July 20,1877, wife of J[esse] Ritter.
• Two infants—Ritter, children of J[esse] and S[arah] Ritter.
• Jesse D. Ritter, d. Aug. 19, 1877, 18 yrs. 2 mo., son of J[esse] and E. P. Ritter.
• Lucinda Ritter, b. Feb. 7, 1852, d. April 1,1864, dau. of J[esse] and S[arah] Ritter.
• Wm. Riley Ritter,† b. May 13, 1837, d. Feb. 12, 1923, son of Jesse Ritter.
• Hannah Margaret Ritter,$dR b. Mar. 17, 1840, d. Mar. 25, 1916, wife of Wm. Riley.
• J[esse] Anderson Ritter,$dR b. Mar. 29,1874, d. Dec. 3,1927, son of Wm. Riley.
• Angeline Ritter,$dR b. Sept. 28, 1879, d. Oct. 17, 1917, wife of Jesse Anderson Ritter.
• Jesse Ritter,$dR b. Aug. 30,1813, d. April 17,1896.
• William Rude, d. Jan. 3,1869, 79 yrs. 9 mo. 29 da.
• Sarah Rude, d. June 21,1868, 66 yrs, 4 mo. 15 da.
• James W. Scripter, d. Aug. 9,1869, 24 yrs, 7 mo. 1 da, husband of H. E. Scripter.
• Chas. W. Scripter, d. Mar. 29,1874, 6 yrs. 10 mo. 17 da., son of J. W. and M. Scripter.
• Andrew Sherman, b. Feb. 25,1865, d. Aug. 10,1866.
• Henry Sherman, b. Dec. 2,1862, d. Aug. 9,1866.
• Samuel Smith, b. Dec. 13,1824, d. Jan. 21,1902.
• Barbara Smith, b. June 9,1838, d. Feb. 21,1904.
• Mary M. Smith, b. July 24, 1880, d. Dec. 31, 1880, 4 mo. 7 da., dau. of Sam and B. E. Smith.

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  • † Dates were provided by Mrs. Wiley Burns of Morgantown, Indiana, from Bible Records.
• Lucretia Smith, d. June 25, 1875, wife of W. S. Smith, 72 yrs. 11 mo. 9 da.
• Margaret Smith, d. Nov. 1, 1869, dau. of W. and L., 39 yrs. 10 mo. 19 da.
• Mary Smith, d. July 31, 1871, 39 yrs. 23 da., dau. of W. and L.
• Margaret J. Smith, d. Oct. 13, 1875,11 yrs. 7 mo. 3 da., dau. of J. and S. Smith.
• Cordelia Smith, b. 1855, d. 1940.
• Smith—Stone broken and only the name of Smith appears.
• Catherine Siler, b. 1855 [?]
• Ottis D. Steele,‡ b. June 27,1874, d. Sept. 14,1881, son of John and Rebecca Steele.
• Eliz. E. Stuart, b. Oct. 9,1862, d. Nov. 18, 1893, 31 yrs. 29 da., wife of William.
• Isaac Stump, d. July 27,1877, 30 yrs. 3 mo. 10 da.
• Eliz. Stump, b. 1850, d. 1926, dau. of Wm. and Araminta Stump.
• Jessie Cloe Turner, b. Dec. 26, 1890, d. July 2, 1891, dau. of James and Laura Turner.
• Clara Turner, wife of John Turner, b. Oct. 31, 1873, d. Sept., 1900.
• Gracie Ethel Turner, b. Sept. 3, 1889, d. at age of 6, dau. of John and Clara Turner.
• James H. Whitaker, b. Sept. 26,1876.
• Kate Whitaker, b. Dec. 23,1879, d. Jan. 20, 1913.
• Maurice Whitaker, b. Feb. 19, 1907, d. Dec. 21, 1909, son of James and Kate Whitaker.
• Infant Whitaker, b. Feb. 19, 1907, d. Feb. 19, 1907, son of James and Kate Whitaker.
• Joseph Wilkinson, d. Mar. 7, 1853, son of Merida and Nancy J. Wilkinson.

Persons Thought to Be Buried in This Cemetery

• Lytle Clark, b. ca. 1834 Garrard Co. Ky., son of Abner and Adeline Clark.
• William Clark, b. ca. 1822 Garrard Co. Ky., son of Abner and Adeline Clark.
• Maud (Cornelius) Stump, b. ca. 1875, wife of Arwine Stump.
• Abe Stump.
• Nancy Nelvina (Merriman) Neidigh, b. Sept. 27,1830, d. June 25,1857, dau. of William and Catherine Merriman.

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• ‡ Mrs. Effie Barns of Indianapolis, Indiana, furnished the date from Bible Records.