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VANDERHOOF and CONVERSE families
Bennett Cemetery

Near Harrisburg, Chester Township, Ottawa County, Michigan, USA

Family of Susan Accelia [VANDERHOOF] WINDOM HENDRIXSON (c. 1859-1943)
of Michigan, Oregon, British Columbia, and Washington State

Bennett Cemetery sign Cornfield west of Bennett Cemetery

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1. Introduction

Records from Michigan, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia show that my great-great-grandmother Susan Accelia [VANDERHOOF] WINDOM HENDRIXSON (b. Michigan about 1859, d. Washington 1943) was the daughter of John C. & Sarah E. [CONVERSE] VANDERHOOF, whose families were from New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

In 1859, John C. VANDERHOOF and Sarah E. CONVERSE married in Ottawa County, Michigan. After Susan Accelia's birth the new and growing family left behind their families of origin and moved westward, passing through Nebraska and Montana before settling in Oregon.

Several members of the CONVERSE & VANDERHOOF families who remained behind were buried in the small rural Bennett Cemetery in Ottawa County, Michigan. In July 2002, I had the opportunity to visit this cemetery. I found legible headstones, well over a hundred years old, for the two women I believe were Susan Accelia VANDERHOOF's grandmothers:

John VANDERHOOF's mother,
Mary [DAWEN or DOWLING] VANDERHOOF , d. 1855

Sarah CONVERSE's mother,
Augusta Catherine [WOLBERT] CONVERSE , d. 1864

Susan Accelia VANDERHOOF herself had a daughter, born in Oregon in the early 1880s, who may have been named for this woman: Katherine or Catherine Augusta WINDOM. This Katherine WINDOM was my great-grandmother.

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2. Bennett Cemetery Location

Map location: about 20 miles/ 32 km east of Muskegon, Michigan,
and about a mile or so east of Harrisburg, at Truman St (east-west) & 24th Ave (north-south).
Muskegon is on the east side of Lake Michigan.
Land description: in SW portion of Section 3, Township 9 N, Range 13W of Michigan Meridian
Coordinates: 43.1931°N, 85.8450°W (or 43° 11' 34"N, 85° 50' 53"W)

See a map of the area (starts a new window)
Cemetery notes, July 20, 2002:
- The entrance to this small rural cemetery is on the east side of 24th Ave, just north of Truman Street.
- When reading the headstones, you are facing east
- North of the cemetery property is a bungalow that faces west, with a friendly dog who watches the visitors
- To the west, across 24th Ave, there is a corn field and silo, typical of farms in the area
- This is a well-maintained cemetery but it may be eroding on its south edge where there is a steep drop-off downhill to a cow barn. It appears that some of the south ground may sometimes wash downhill in wet weather.

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3. Photographs

All markers listed below are in the south portion of the cemetery, mostly southwest. Other related families are also buried here, under the names of AVERILL, CONVERSE, BENNETT or BENNITT, HARRISON, and AUSTIN

Digital photos by G. Sutton July 2002 Click on small picture to link to a larger version of it	Comments (July 2002)	As described in the 1942 Cemetery Transcription at http://www.macatawa.org/ ~brianter/ BennettCemetery.html
(Enhanced image of Mary VANDERHOOF stone)	Small, white stone for Mary [DAWEN or DOWLING?] VANDERHOOF. In very worn condition, flat in ground, edges overgrown. Located in Southwest portion of cemetery, with other VANDERHOOF markers. "Mary" is legible; "VANDERHOOF" is legible if you know to look for it. Cannot determine if or where it says "wife of" or "June" or "Age" or "years" Is this the wife of Gilbert Henry VANDERHOOF and mother of John VANDERHOOF, and the paternal grandmother of Susan Acelia VANDERHOOF?	"VANDERHOOF Mary, wife of G.H. Vanderhoof d. June 25, 1855; Age 45 years"
	Flat grey in-ground marker for: VANDERHOOF Minnie Giles ???8-19__ ??54-???? Note: Giles may possibly be a younger son of Gilbert Henry VANDERHOOF & Mary [DAWEN] VANDERHOOF. Unsure who Minnie is. Could Minnie be the namesake for Arminta VANDERHOOF, who appeared to be John VANDERHOOF's daughter on the Yamhill, Oregon 1870 census?	"VANDERHOOF Minnie 1848 – 19 - - Giles 1854 – 1923"
	Large upright newer-looking stone: VANDERHOOF HENRY 1842 – 1917 ADELINE, HIS WIFE 1845 – 19—(year not yet on stone) In front (west) of this stone, there is a set of family markers (see below): - small upright: FATHER (would this be William Henry VANDERHOOF?) - small upright 2-sided white stone for Clyde VANDERHOOF - small upright white stone for Hattie VANDERHOOF - flat green metal: MOTHER ADALINE VANDERHOOF Is this William Henry VANDERHOOF, brother of John VANDERHOOF (who was possibly father of Susan Acelia VANDERHOOF)? And Soffrona or Sophronia Adeline VANDERHOOF, nee CONVERSE, sister of Sarah E. CONVERSE (who was possibly mother of Susan Acelia VANDERHOOF)? A Vanderhoof researcher says S. Adeline died January 5, 1927	"VANDERHOOF Henry 1842 – 1918 Adeline, his wife 1845 – 19 - - Clyde, son of Henry & S.A. Vanderhoof d. Jan 19, 1878; Age 2-7-28 Hattie, dau. of Henry & S.A. d. Feb. 8, 1867; Age 19 days"
	FATHER perhaps William Henry VANDERHOOF?
	one side of small white upright stone for Clyde VANDERHOOF (2-sided): [carving of angel] OUR CLYDE other side of small white upright stone for Clyde VANDERHOOF (2-sided): Son of HENRY & S.A. VANDERHOOF DIED Jan. 19, 1878. Aged 2 years 7 mn's & 28 d's This would make Clyde's birthdate 22 May 1875. One Vanderhoof researcher says Clyde died from spinal meningitis.
	small white upright stone for Hattie Luella VANDERHOOF, almost illegible except for HATTIE and VANDERHOOF
	Small metal marker: MOTHER ADALINE VANDERHOOF
	Large upright grey marker for: Gilbert J. CONVERSE Katie CONVERSE[image indistinct]. Stone bears dates that appear to be 1871-1883 or 1888 Gilbert J. may also have been known as John Gilbert CONVERSE, and may be a son of Henry CONVERSE & Augusta C. [WOLBERT] CONVERSE. The bottom portion for Katie appears to show H. & J. CONVERSE, not H. & C. as indicated in the 1942 transcription. If Katie was born in 1871 as the transcription indicates, perhaps she was a daughter from Henry's second marriage to Mary Jane [EATON? HEASTON?] after the death of his first wife Augusta Catherine [CONVERSE] in 1864?	"CONVERSE Gilbert J., son of H. & C. CONVERSE d. Mar. 9, 1878; Age 19-2-28 Katie, dau. of H. & C. 1871 – 1883 Augusta, wife of Henry Mar. 21, 1864; Age 53 yrs, 8 mos. Elijah d. Nov. 24, 1871"
	Upright marker for Augusta C. CONVERSE: [Image of clasped hands] Our Mother AUGUSTA C. Wife of HENRY CONVERSE DIED Mar. 21, 1864 Aged 53 years 8 mos Is this Augusta Catherine WOLBERT, the mother of Sarah E. CONVERSE? Possible maternal grandmother of Susan Accelia VANDERHOOF? Possible great-grandmother of Katherine/Catherine Augusta WINDOM? (Note name repetition)
	Elijah L. CONVERSE upright marker, image not clear but dates as shown in transcription (d. Nov. 24, 1871) Elijah may be a son of Henry CONVERSE & Augusta C. [WOLBERT] CONVERSE