CRANE CEMETERY
Volinia Township
location: Southeast corner of Section 18
Cass County Michigan

Some updating done - Feb 16, 2012 -
To get to Crane Cemetery proceed East from Cassopolis on M-60 to Decatur Road and turn left (North) to Crane Street, and the cemetery liest north of this street bounded on the South by Crane Street and on the East by Decatur Road.

Original on line May 28, 2007. - Very Old listingPlease keep in mind that the sites on Cass County were constructed by volunteers and are being maintained by volunteers. If you have additional information or photos of the stones in any of the Cass County Cemeteries, please contact me at   cassmichigangen@yahoo.com
Deanna West - your new Cass County Michigan Coordinator.

Our Thanks to Davis F. "Doc" Ball for donating many of the photos seen below and above.
Any time you view an older cemetery, in no matter what county through out the USA, the listing should be considered as a partial listing as many times records are either destroyed through mishap or not all burials were recorded.

Latest photos placed on site 12/23/2009

Donated Obituaries & Burials:

Mrs. Eldora Brown; - Francis Eldora Welcher was bron in Volinia township, Cass county, Michigan, May 3, 1857, and passed away at VanDusen Hospital, Kalamazoo, Dec 23 1916, aged fifty-nine years, seven months and seven days. She was the eldest daughter of Abram and Catherine Welcher, pioneers of Volinia township. She was united in marriage January 1877, with Abner Brown who passed away July 9, 1909, and to this union six children were born, five sons and one daughterk Mrs. Bird Brown Emmons, who departed this life Nov 27, 1914.
    She was one of the organizers of the Oak Grove Christian Association and treasurer at the time of her death. She was also a charter member of the O.E.S.(Order of Eastern Star) of Volinia.
    She never fully recovered from her daughters' death and since that time her health has gradually failed. She leaves to mourn one sister, Mrs. Kitty Petty of Owosso, one half-brother, Manly B. Welcher of Cassopolis, and four sons, Floyd, Wilbur, Emory, and George W. Brown.
     Funeral services were held at the Baptist church in Volinia on Tuesday the 21st Instant conducted by Rev. J. W. Springsteen, assisted by Mr. and Mrs. Fank Curtis. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weaterh, a large concourse of friends and neighbors were in attendance, testifying to her worth as a member of the community in which most of her life had been spent. The fraternal orders of which she was a worthy member were well represented. After the service the early tabernacle was laid to rest in Crane Cemetery.
   Source - Rutherford Family of Cass County Michigan, author, David Arne Sisson

Andrew Rutherford: Source - Rutherford Family of Cass County Michigan, author, David Arne Sisson - unknown newspaper -
   Died Friday, August 9, 1895, at his home in Little Prairie Ronde (population 48 in 1895, also called Nicholsville, in northeast Volinia Twp). He was born in St. Lawrence County, New York, April 23, 1839 (sic; 1836 is correct). In 1855 (sic; Andrew was 17 in 1853) he came to Michigan and ever since has lived in Cass County. On June 12, 1864 he was wedded to Miss Ellenor Laporte. He was an industrious farmer and one of Cass county's most valued citizens. Nine children, Thomas, Isaac, Elador, Newton, Mila, Mary, Ezra, Edith and Catherine, survive him. On Sunday he was laid to rest in Crane Cemetery.

Mrs. Eleanor Rutherford  - passed away at Dowagiac, Thursday evening at the age of seventy eight.
  Mrs. Eleanor Rutherford, one of a family of nine children of Isaac and Rachel LaPorte, was born in Logan County, Ohio, November 13, 1844, and passed away January 26, 1928, 8:30 p.m. at the home of her granddaughter, Mrs. Joseph Lieber in Dowagiac.
  Mrs. Rutherford came to Cass county with her parents when she was seventeen and had spent all her life in this vicinity since that time.
  Mrs. Rutherford was also known as mother by the children of a sister, Mrs. Nora (Rupp) Pond and Wm. Rupp of Dowagiac and those of her son Thomas, Guy and Marion Rutherford, she having cared for them from childhood, besides her own family.
   On the 28th of last October, Mrs. Rutherford fell at the home of her son, Thomas, in Volinia and suffered a broken limb. After 13 long weeks of suffering, although her limb had healed, the nervous shock proved to great a burden for her advanced age and death claimed her.
  A short service was held at the home of the granddaughter, Mrs. Joseph Lieber, 110 Cross Street, Dowagiac, at 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning and the funeral service was conducted at 12:30 at Volinia Baptist church by Frank Flagg. Burial was in Crane Cemetery.
Source - Rutherford Family of Cass County Michigan, author, David Arne Sisson

DANIEL WELLARD born Stepney , London, UK 28th January, 1838. Died Volinia, Cass, MI 02 February, 1909
NANCY WELLARD nee FERREL born 19 March 1837, Wayne Township, Cass, MI. Died 19 September, 1895 [according to Cass County Death Record Book at Decatur Library ] - gravestone says October.
GEORGE WELLARD born 27th February 1869, Volinia, Cass, MI. Died 03 September, 1900. These are the two gravestone dates. [A LILLIE family web site says he was born 26th Feb. & died 1899
Wellard Family plot
Wellard information contributed by: Jan Horsey at J.Horsey@btinternet.com - photos of stones by: Teresa O'Riley

DANIEL WELLARD's obituary in the Decatur Republican [abt. 9th Feb 1909]
[The paper's mis-spelling of the surname] ALONE WHEN DEATH CAME
Dan Willard [sic] Was Seventy - Three Years Old and Had Lived for Nearly Fifty Years on the Farm Where He Died
WAS FOUND BY SON-IN-LAW - The dead body of Daniel Willard a well known resident of Volinia town ship for over half a century, was found in the house where he made his home shortly before noon last Thursday. He had evidently been dead since Tuesday. Willard lived alone on a little farm upon which he raised fruit and vegetables for market. He was a frequent and familiar figure on the Dowagiac streets as he peddled vegetables.
  He was seventy-three years of age and had lived for nearly fifty years upon the farm where he died.
  He leaves six children as follows: Mrs. Frank Arndt of Dowagiac; Will Willard; Mrs. Mary Hartman and Mrs. Warren Hummiston all of Volinia; Mrs. Frank Middlestate of near Wakelee; and Mrs. Susan Gant who resides near Decatur.
  The funeral was held in the Wayne chapel last Saturday morning at 11 o'clock. The Masonic lodge of Volinia of which Mr. Willard was a member, had charge of the service. Burial was at Crane cemetery. - Dowagiac Daily News
Wellard information contributed by: Jan Horsey at J.Horsey@btinternet.com

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