- ScholarSphere

Brandt/Gish Cemetery, Conewago Township, Dauphin County, PA
Off of Route 341 on the Bellair Road in the south east corner of the township
Ruth Runion-Slear, compiler
July 2006
A small family cemetery lies at the rear of what had been the Gish farm. This farm had
been in the Gish family for several generations. The farm was sold to Walter Brubaker,
and then sold to the present owner, Richard Leininger. (Myers, Clarence telephone
interview, July 17, 2006) This cemetery is on private land, always ask permission to visit
it.
On May 1, 2006, I visited this cemetery with my aunt Charlotte (McCorkel) Rissler and
my cousin Clarence Myers, former owner of the adjoining farm. As the photos below
show, this cemetery is overgrown, contains groundhog holes and most of the stones are
broken, lying on the ground or are leaning again trees. It is hard to determine how many
people are buried in the cemetery as some fieldstones are probably tombstone markers. I
photographed all tombstones I could find, including broken pieces.
References:
Everts & Stewart. Combination Atlas Map of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia: Everts & Stewart, 1875
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/frameset_search.asp (Hiram Balmer, wife
Susan, census record)
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=ancestorsearchresu
lts.asp (Michael Gisch birth record)
Myers, Clarence personal interview, May 1, 2006
Map of the South East corner of Conewago Township
Scenes from the cemetery
Readable Tombstones
This tombstone is in English and German
In
Memory of
John D. Brandt
Born January 2, 1802
Died May 29, 1863
Aged 61 years 4 mo
And 27 days
Zum andenken von
Johannes D. Brandt
Geboren den 2 ??
1802 starb ten 29 Den May
1863
Alter 61 Jahre 4 mont
Und 27 tag
Elizabeth
Wife of
Jacob D. Brandt
Born
July 31, 1814
Died
Sept 17, 1872
Aged 58 yrs 1 mo
And 16 days
Fanny
Dau. of
Jacob D. &
Elizabeth Brandt
Born Nov 1, 1850
Died Aug 1, 1853
Aged 2 years 9 mos
In
Memory of
David Brand
Born Jan 13th 1778
Died Nov 10th 1850
Aged
72 years 9 months
And 27 days
Jacob Brandt
Born
Feb 17, 1809
Died
Sept 16, 1877
Aged 68yrs 6 mo
And 29ds
Farewell my wife and children all
From you a father Christ did call
Morn not for me it is in vain
To call me to your sight again
Both parts of Christian Gisch’s broken tombstone
It appears as if these 2 broken pieces fit together.
Hier Ruhet
Christian Gisch
Starb
Ten 31 Nov? 1844
Alt 26 tage or 76 jahr ??
Zum andenken von
Elizabeth Gisch
Starb den 3? Ten ____
1862
Alter 86 Jahr
Und 4 monat
Michael
?
?stian & Elizabeth
Gish
Born July 6, 1808
Died Jan 1, 1881
Aged 72 yrs 6 mo
& 11 ds
According to familysearch.org, Christian Gish and Elizabeth Eshelman had a son
Michael Gisch born about 1808 in PA.
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=ancestorsearchresu
lts.asp
?????
Gisch
Geboran ten 29 M?? 1782?
Starb den 1 Dec 1823?
Alter
76 Jahre und 29 tage
Footstones
Tombstone Pieces
Hier ruhet
????
? departed ?
? e Nove ?
? 4 184?
? 6 yea ?
? mont ?
? 13 da ?
November 8 th
1845 aged 1
year 4 months
& 18 da
Sandstone in 2 parts
Christian B D ??
parted
e Novem
184
???
Mont