MAPThis cemetery is located behind Four Mile Lutheran Church on State Road 90. Some of the information for this cemetery was taken from the church records and do not have a marked headstone but burial in this cemetery has been confirmed. The information for this cemetery was considered complete in 1990 at the time of the last survey. This cemetery is made up of mostly Norwegian/Americans. The oldest listed grave is that of Johan Heinrich Staach with listed birth year of 1815 and death year of 1846.
Additional information:
written by Betty Ann Gunderson Vowell Freeman; transcribed by B. Miller, 1999
Four Mile Prairie, is a community cemetery, but “Four Milers” take great pride in it. The cemetery is owned by Four Mile Lutheran Church, according to Martin Jenson, in his book, “Four Mile”. The cemetery has graves that date back to 1848. There is a deed from Elise Warenskjold, (pronounced Vanshaw) for two acres of land, more or less, to be used for a “grave yard” and to “build a place of worship”. This deed was negotiated in 1879. People, of record, were buried there in 1848 so I do not know why the land was not deeded until 1879.
Elise Warenskjold came to Texas from Norway in 1847, and to Four Mile in 1848.
In recent years, to enlarge the cemetery, Victor E. Wattner, a descendant of Fred and Lula Wattner, deeded one acre of land in the W. T. Brewer Survey to Douglas Norman in exchange for one acre of land joining the cemetery on the north side. This was done in memory of Fred and Lula Wattner. The deeds are recorded in the records of Van Zandt County at Canton Texas.
The Fourth of July Celebration used to be held for a “grave yard working”. The ladies prepared food and later in the day there were games, singing, contests and speech making. In later years a church service was added to the celebration and this custom continues today. A special offering is taken that day for the upkeep of the cemetery. A Perpetual Care Fund was started several years back by the Wattner descendants, Mary Kay Davis, and others. No money, however, has been used from this fund so far. Monies collected on July 4tand money received from memorials has paid for the upkeep. In July 1970, $1,000.00 was received from the will of R. W. Reierson. This is in a separate Perpetual Fund and some of the interest has been used for upkeep of the cemetery. Bo Bo and Nettie Gunderson Oldfield were caretakers for many years and then Robert and Kathryn Norman Nanning took the job when Bo Bo and Nettie had to give it up.
There are many unmarked graves in the cemetery and the record book “Four Mile Lutheran Church July 4, 1964", by Dorothy E. Albertson, says there are many Americans and strangers buried at Four Mile with all the Norwegians. There are many babies buried at Four Mile and records were the mother and infant would both die and sometimes be buried together. Parents and other baptized the babies, conducted funeral services, with the committal held over until a pastor could come. Together they sang, confessed their faith, offered prayers, instructed the young, and read the sermons. They did not take it upon themselves to officiate at the Lord’s Supper.
During the Civil War, a pastor from the Norwegian Synod up north came to Four Mile and had a number of committal services in the cemetery. Funerals are recorded as far back as 1849 in the old record book. The record book is in Norwegian and in very poor condition, but Martin Jenson and his wife, Valborg, translated the book into English, and Dorothy Albertson made mimeograph books of 98 pages, and these were available on the 4th of July 1964. Copies are now in the Dallas Library, Clifton Museum, American Lutheran Archives and other places.
Four Miler Cemetery is one of the cleanest and well kept cemeteries in the state of Texas. The cemetery committee includes Howard Jones, A. G. Norman, Cranfill Paschall, Leon Hamilton and Charlie Wattner.
(Transcriber’s note: This information was included in Book 4 Van Zandt County Texas Cemeteries that was published in 1995)
Surname First Name Birth Death AANENSON ANTON 1858 1916 AANENSON KIRSTON OLSEN 1813 1899 AANENSON ROBERT EDWARD 1886 1886 AANENSON STEPHEN OTO 1879 1881 AANENSON STIAN 1800 1873 AANENSON-KNUDSON MENA 1856 1929 ALBERTSON ELLING 1841 1865 ANDERSON ANETTE 8 MO 1889 ANDERSON ARTHUR LEE NONE 1899 ANDERSON CHILDREN NONE NONE ANDERSON ELBERT L. 1876 1963 ANDERSON ELLEN M. 1887 1971 ANDERSON FRED 1914 1986 ANDERSON GEORGE 1907 1967 ANDERSON HELEN 4 YRS 1889 ANDERSON INFANT 1861 1861 ANDERSON INFANT NONE NONE ANDERSON J. V. A. NONE NONE ANDERSON JOHAN OTTO 8 MO NONE ANDERSON MARTHA A. 1813 1882 ANDERSON MINA AMELIA 1855 1865 ANDERSON OWEN 1916 1989 ANDERSON ROY 1905 1907 ANDERSON RUBY 1919 1920 ANTHONY OLAUS NONE 1881 ASLAKEN Lt. CARL OLE NONE 1862 BACHE ERIC 1801 1867 BACHE INFANT 1861 1861 BOYD-OLSON-BRUNDAGE ALMA 1897 1968 BRUNSTAND JOHAN OLSEN 1816 1852 BRUNSTAND MARGRETE 1842 1852 BUNCH GUY C. 1897 1962 BURTON TRUE V. 1888 1933 BURTON-MARTIN MATTIE V. 1893 1980 CABINESS JAMES MONROE 1861 1936 CABINESS ROBERT G. NONE 1941 CABINESS-LEE LULA VIRGINIA 1870 1938 CABINESS-WISE-SAPP EDNA BERNICE 1902 1951 CAPPS-CHILDRESS NANCY C. 1846 1920 CARPENTER CALLIE D. 1882 1963 CARSON J. P. 1864 1892 CHILDRESS R. N. 1859 1902 CHRISTOPHER-WEEDIN ELIZABETH 1851 1935 CLARK EMUL JAMES 1905 1939 CLARK LOU NONE 1980 CLARK NANCYJANE 1873 1956 CLARK VAN RICHARD 1901 1972 COKER CANIEL P. "DAN" 1871 1940 COKER CHARLIE 1870 1920 COKER EVA LENA 1879 1957 COKER JENNIE 1884 1885 COKER JOES W. "JOE" 1886 1983 COKER NANNIE ANN 1890 1979 COKER VORDIE AUGUSTUS 1912 1916 DANIEL DORA MAE 1907 1988 DANIEL Z. 1897 1938 DAVIS V. O. "BILL" 1910 1980 DAVIS-BURTON MARY KAY 1915 1988 EASTWOLD ELLEN OLENA 1834 1909 EASTWOLD INFANT 1902 1902 EASTWOLD OLAVA SOPHIE 1863 1902 EASTWOLD OMOND 1855 1932 ENGELHAUD JOHAN ENGEBRETSEN NONE 1851 FLADELAND E. BACHE NONE NONE FLADELAND OLE KNUDSON 1823 1865 FOSS HELENE 1852 1853 FOSS JOHANNES OLSEN 1813 1852 FOSS MARTIN 1849 1861 FRETWELL-COKER-LUCE LuVINA 1853 1909 GILBERT ALICE C. 1862 1882 GILBERT CLARENCE 1891 1892 GILBERT J T. 1872 1896 GILBERT WILLIE 1879 1881 GILBERT-LINDBURG CATHERINE ELISE 1835 1869 GILL WILLIAM EMMITT 1924 1973 GILL-BARNES SHIRLEY ANN 1937 NONE GORDON EMMA M. 1903 1989 GORDON JAMES S. 1878 1963 GROGAARD ANNA MARIE 1827 1878 GUNDERSON MARTIN 1858 1936 GUNDERSON OSCAR E. 1902 1902 GUNDERSON-PEDERSON MARIE PAULINE "MARY" 1861 1940 HAAGESTOL INFANT NONE 1885 HAAGESTOL OLA EVENSEN 1816 1868 HALL VIOLA 1884 1956 HALL WILLIAM HARRIS 1866 1942 HALVORSEN ELLIS NONE 1859 HALVORSEN JENS 1802 1859 HALVORSEN JOHAN 1844 1863 HALVORSEN OLE BARTHOLD 1862 1862 HAMILTON ANSEL NEWTON 1889 1959 HAMILTON JENNIE ETHEL 1883 1971 HAMILTON TOM G. 1885 1986 HAMILTON WILLIAM MARCUS "MARK" 1892 1969 HAMILTON-MJAALAND AURELIA SERENE 1892 1965 HANSDATTER BERTE 1785 1852 HANSEN VICTOR NONE 1871 HARRIS CHARLIE 1871 1922 HASTEDT CHARLIE C. 1890 1955 HASTEDT-CARNIE-MARTIN-KELLER ETHEL 1895 1964 HAZELTON INFANT B&D 1898 HOY AMANDA 1812 1888 HOY E. E. 1871 1946 HOY HERSCHEL H. 1873 1892 HOY M. L. NONE 1901 HOY MATTIE M. 1841 1902 HOY W. S. 1814 1877 HURST STEPHEN 1944 1944 JENSEN INFANT NONE NONE JENSEN MARTIN T. 1902 1989 JENSEN-TILLER VALBORG NONE 1989 JOHAN THORVALD 1870 2 WEEKS JOHANNESEN JOHN LUDVIG 1863 1864 JOHANNESEN NETTA JOSEPHINE 1861 1866 JOHNSON ANE 1847 1866 JOHNSON GURO 1850 1866 JONES ARA E. 1911 1989 JONES D. G. 1852 1927 JONES WILLIAM B. 1897 1982 JONES-MARTIN CLARA E. 1901 1959 JORDAHL A. G. OSTEN 1837 1902 KELLER KNUD LYNE 1885 1939 KILGORE INFANT 1905 1905 KNUDSEN AANEN 1825 1906 KNUDSEN ALMER 1873 1932 KNUDSEN ASBORG 1849 1867 KNUDSEN CLARA AMELIA 1861 1881 KNUDSEN ELEN GURINE 1854 1877 KNUDSEN GUNHILD ? 1825 1902 KNUDSEN KARL THOBIAS 1867 1867 KNUDSEN KNUD ANDREAS 1851 1868 KNUDSEN KNUD S. NONE NONE KNUDSEN OLA 1822 1863 KNUDSEN OLE AUGUST 1863 1863 KNUDSEN OLINE SOPHIE 1859 1862 KNUDSEN TALLAK 1823 1852 KNUDSEN-SKJEFSTED MATHEA 1834 1906 KNUDSEN-SMALL JULIE 1859 1896 LINDBERG CLEMENS 1802 1862 LISME TWINS NONE NONE LONG DAVID M. 1903 1954 LONG J. C. 1920 1920 LONG LULA E. 1879 1952 LONG ROY D. 1911 1955 LONG SILAS F. 1874 1940 LOSKE-LITTLEMAN DELORES M. 1928 2000 LUCE JAMES M. 1881 1904 LUCE M. D. 1820 1883 LUMLEY BILLY RAY 1962 1988 MARTIN BESSIE M. 1898 1900 MARTIN CHARLIE 1899 1953 MARTIN CONNIE O. 1890 1948 MARTIN GEORGE L. 1888 1947 MARTIN GEORGE WILLIAM 1856 1929 MARTIN INFANT 1892 1892 MARTIN INFANT 1895 1895 MARTIN LUCILLE M. 1917 1983 MARTIN MARY FRANCIS 1861 1926 MARTIN MYRTLE IRENE 1887 1900 MARTIN OSCAR R. 1911 1986 MARTIN THOMAS J. 1885 1885 MARTIN-TAYLOR ANNIE 1896 1936 McCLUSKY CLARA 1862 1876 McKAY OTHO 1891 1958 McKAY SADIE NONE NONE McKEE HASSEL E. 1918 1918 McNEELY JOHN F. 1879 1936 MEINERS EDWARD DAVID "EDDIE" 1943 1984 MITCHELL GILBERT ORAN 1887 1965 MITCHELL OLGA OLIVIA 1889 1986 MJAALAND EVEN OSCAR OLAUS 1858 1861 MJAALAND EVEN THOBIAS 1852 1853 MJAALAND OLE EVENSON 1820 1867 MJAALAND OLIVER 1898 1898 MJAALAND OSCAR EVENSON O. 1864 1907 MOLLESTAD JOHAN NONE 1851 MOQUINO L. LOUISE 1915 1983 MOQUINO WILLIE G. 1911 1989 NEILSEN ANDERS 1803 1870 NEILSEN ELISE MARIE 1874 1875 NEILSEN EVEN 1829 1874 NEILSEN GUNJORD 1801 1868 NEILSEN PETITE 18?? 18?? NEILSEN/NELSON-HASTVET MARGET N. 1826 1852 NEILSEN-NELSON ELSIE MARIE 1874 1875 NYSTUL INFANT 1865 1865 NYSTUL INFANT 1866 1866 NYSTUL MARTE 1828 1867 NYSTUL MARTINUS 1860 1867 NYSTUL OLE 18?? 1867 NYSTUL OSCAR 1858 1866 NYSTUL/NYSTOL-ANDERSEN EMILIE NONE 1863 OLSEN EDWARD OLORUS 1872 1880 OLSEN INGEBORG 1814 1869 OLSEN JENS OTTO 1877 1877 OLSEN KIRSTI 1840 1863 OLSEN MINA MARRIE 1879 1879 OLSEN OLE 1830 1904 OLSEN OLE 1842 1913 OLSEN OLE 1874 1938 OLSEN OLINE SERINE 1853 1868 OLSEN-ANDERSON OLENA 1848 1931 OLSEN-JONES GEORGIA 1880 1959 OMLAND OSMUND JOHNSEN 1805 1864 ORBEDK CLARA JACOBINE 1854 1857 ORBEDK OLE JOHAN 1821 1877 PAGE MATTHEW B. 1913 1983 PASCHALL ELMER 1879 1942 PASCHALL LONNIE 1886 1921 PASCHALL-AANENSON GENA 1889 1958 PASCHALL-RICHMAN ETHEL J. 1891 1964 PATE FLOYD C. 1883 1883 PAULSON JOHN 1846 1852 PEARSON AUGUSTA 1869 1890 PEARSON BETTIE S. 1869 1902 PEARSON INFANTS NONE NONE PEARSON LENA 1880 1884 PEARSON PETER 1823 1890 PEARSON-SPIKES CLAUD L. 1864 1892 PEDERSEN LARS 1835 1871 PETERS FERDINAND 1863 1863 PETERSON HELEN PETRINE 1880 1885 PIERSEN TORBOR MARIE 1851 1853 PREMEAUX-WATTNER ZEMMA 1915 1988 QUESTED-PEDERSON ANNE NONE 1852 REED ELLEN E. 1881 1956 REED JESSE B. 1870 1945 REED NANCY N. 1906 1958 REED ROY A. 1905 1923 REED SAM 1897 1984 REED, JR. EDWARD MARION 1928 1929 REED, SR. EDWARD MARION NONE NONE REED-WYCHE SUSIE 1897 1962 REIERSON GUSTAV ANDREAS NONE NONE REIERSON JEPHINE NONE NONE REIERSON JOHAN REINERT 1810 1864 REIERSON KIRSTEN G. 1790 1860 REIERSON-ORBECK OLENA 1829 1919 REIERSON-WALDT HENRIETTA CHRISTIANA 1818 1851 RICHMAN GEORGE NEWTON 1852 1934 RICHMAN-CHILDRESS MARY LOUVENIA 1857 1946 RINGNESS INFANT NONE NONE RINGNESS MARTE B. NONE NONE ROHNE FRODE B. NONE 1862 RUSSEL JOSEPH 1870 1870 RUSTEDALEN THARALD OLSEN 1807 1866 SAPP-CABINESS-WISE EDNA BERNICE 1902 1951 SAUNDERS-REED MARY ANN 1911 1981 SKJEFSTED ARNE SORENSON 1801 1866 SKJEFSTED EMILIE 1843 1863 SKJOLDEN OTTO WILHELM 1879 1885 SKJOLDEN SOREN TINIUS 1898 1898 SMITH INFANT 1928 1928 STAACH JOHAN HEINRICH 1815 1846 STANHISER CHARLES WHITAKER 1872 1872 STANHISER EMMA REGINE 1842 1875 STANHISER LORENTZ 1841 1873 SYVERTSON-SECLIA-WATTNER NORA E. 1824 1893 TAYLOR-MARTIN ANNIE 1896 1936 TEAGUE JAMES CLAUDE 1922 1985 THORBJORNSEN GUNHILD MARIE 1804 1865 TINSLEY IRA THOMAS 1904 1973 TINSLEY-OLSON HATTIE 1899 1981 TOUMI KARLO E. 1922 1982 VARNER HOMER NONE 1989 VAUGHN-JETT REBECCA DENISE "BECKY" 1962 1989 VEEHOUSE JORGEN ANDERSEN NONE 1852 WALKER JOE 1897 1949 WARD-MITCHELL WILLIE LOUISE 1919 1941 WARENSKJOLD FLOREN NONE NONE WARENSKJOLD FLORENCE MAUD "MARIE" 1875 1875 WARENSKJOLD THORVALD AUGUST 1872 1872 WARENSKJOLD THORVALD AUGUST 1858 1866 WARENSKJOLD WILHELM 1823 1866 WARENSKJOLD-VANSHAW LOUISE ELIZ 1876 1877 WARNER E. AUGUSTA 1900 1911 WATTNER ADOLPH SAMUEL 1836 1911 WATTNER ALFRED DALTON 1912 1973 WATTNER BETHA 1875 1880 WATTNER CARL OLAF 1912 1912 WATTNER CONSTANCE PAULINE 1885 1919 WATTNER GERALDIN 1926 1986 WATTNER GEROGE ADOLPH 1904 1904 WATTNER HANS A. EMIL NONE NONE WATTNER HANS ARNE EMIL 1875 1880 WATTNER IDA MARIE 1912 1977 WATTNER INFANT 1937 1937 WATTNER INFANT 1908 1908 WATTNER INFANT 1910 1910 WATTNER KARL ALFRED 1869 1940 WATTNER OTILDE FREDRIKKE ELIZ. 1835 1913 WATTNER OTTO FREDIRICK IMMANUEL 1873 1951 WATTNER OTTO SAMUEL 1909 1987 WATTNER SYLVIA MAE 1919 1989 WATTNER THORVALD 1867 1919 WATTNER WILLIAM B. 1913 1914 WATTNER-RICHMAN ALICE 1887 1972 WATTNER-RICHMAN LULA ADELIA 1882 1965 WEEDIN BESSIE 1894 1960 WEEDIN EDWARD 1895 1927 WEEDIN ELLIS CLEVELAND 1885 1949 WEEDIN INFANT 1923 1923 WEEDIN J. T. 1836 1901 WEEDIN RAYMOND DOUGLAS 1921 1962 WEEDIN ROBERT 1913 1913 WEEDIN SARAH A. 1861 1876 WEEDIN WILL W. 1887 1947 WEEDIN-GUNDERSON RASLIA ANTIONETTE 1892 1951 WILSON CARL WILHELM 5 WEEKS 1871 WILSON JOHAN THORVALD 2 WEEKS 1870 WISE ALBERT B. 1871 1935 WISE ANDREW F. 1892 1962 WISE ANNIE 1870 1927 WISE BLANCHE 1906 1989 WISE CHARLIE RLEE 1905 1976 WISE CHRISTINE BURL 1893 1965 WISE L. D. 1928 1929 WISE LORENE SANDS 1897 1919 WISE SPENCER LINCOLN 1908 1955 WISE-CABINESS EDNA BERNICE 1902 1951 WISE-DECKER ANN 1908 1989 WISE-MARTIN-AYERS EXA 1897 1986 WYCHE ANDREW ANTON "TONY" 1899 1968 WYCHE AUGUSTUS NONE NONE WYCHE BILLIE H. 1915 1969 WYCHE EMMA IRENE 1921 2002 WYCHE JIM WATT 1871 1922 WYCHE KATTIE MAGRETTE 1876 1915 WYCHE MARY MIGJON NONE NONE WYCHE THOMAS J. 1907 1933
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