Grave Photos of Alice and August Ancestors

Where Are They Now?

Since I began this research last year, I have changed my attitude about graves and graveyards completely. Where I once found them to be sterile space, all but ignored, I now find them to be hallowed ground and respect that they are enduring symbols of lives well lived. And too often, grave stones are all we have left to remember a life.

Quite remarkably, many grave stones of Wagners and Rubrechts not only survive and are documented, but they have been photographed by Grave tenders from many organizations, primarily Find A Grave. In this post, I'll print photos of the graves I have found:

August Wagner and Alice Rubrecht

August and Alice were buried in the Rubrecht family plot at Immanuel Leidy Cemetery in Souderton.

They are buried alongside their infant son John (1909) who lived for one week.

Alice had four brothers, and two of them are in Souderton: Morris (and his wife May), and Luther, who died young:

Alice's brother George Keller Rubrecht became a pastor and lived in the midwest most of his adult life. He is buried in Lincoln, Nebraska along with his wife at Wyuka Cemetery:

I have not yet located brother Paul's grave, nor that of his wife, but they died in Philadelphia. They may be in Souderton, but I have no documentation as yet.

And of course, Alice's parents are in Souderton as well:

Most of you are aware that Alice's family goes way back in American history. With little effort, I was able to find graves of her grandparents,great grandparents and beyond. Alice's mother's parents: Joshua S. Keller  and Elizabeth Miller Keller (St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery in Orwigsburg):

Joshua parents' graves are also located (Daniel Keller and Catherine Schmidt Keller) in St. John's Cemetery, Berks County:

And, Elizabeth Miller's parents are buried in Berks as well, at St. John's Cemetery in Hamburg (Peter Miller and Elizabeth Kline Miller):

Peter Miller's parents were Revolutionary War participants:

George Miller (1754-1815) and Susannah Alspach Miller (1765-1824). They are buried in Hamburg, Berks County

Following is the inscription on Susannah's grave: In Memory of Susan Miller - Consort of George Miller - She was born Dec'br 31th AD 1765 - died March 10th 1824 - aged 58 Years 2 Months & 9 days - Farwell Children dear......

According to these cemetery records, George's parents are also buried there with the following information:

Johann Jürg (Hunter George) Muller was born on March 21, 1721 the son of John and Mrs. Muller in Baden-Durlach, Germany.

Johann Georg Muller emigrated from Feldkirchen near Neuwied in the village of Gonnersdorf . The Furst Wied Archives in Neuwied, notes the emigration, 
April 24, 1744 of Johann Georg Muller with his wife and 2 children from 
Gonnersdorf on the ship Aurora. They arrived in Philadelphia, Pa on October 8, 1744.
The name on the ship's Manifest was Johan Jorg Muller

Johann married Anna Margaretha about 1753 in Windsor Twp., Berks Co., Pa.

Johan Jorg Muller had five children, George Miller, Philip Miller, Jabob, John and Magdalena. 

And Susan's mother is buried in Berks also at the St. Paul's Smoke Chirch in Edenburg, Berks.

Her inscription reads (in German): translation - Here rests Maria Dorothea Rauschin - she was born 20 Dec'br 1744 - died the 27 July 1803 – was old 58 year 7 months 7 days - she lived with Henrich 34 years in marriage begat 8 sons 2 daughters

- Deborah (Vetrone) Long 

And believe it or not, researchers have found Maria's mother's grave as well:

Anna Margaretha Klein Reber 1720-1787, buried in Zion's United Church of Christ Cemetery in Shoemakersville Berks, with the following inscription:

Inscription:

Dieser im Gott ruhet de

Mitschwester Namens

Margaretha REBERIN

Wurde gebohren

1720

Sie zeugte in 43 Jahr

iger Ehe 13 Kinder

dasso ---------------- lebens

5 Sohn u. 6 Toch

Sie Starb nach 3 Jahrigen

im 1----------------- 27 Sept

1787

Ihres alters ------------

So I count graves for 6 generations beyond Alice Rubrecht. Remarkable. Enough of the Rubrechts for awhile . . .

The Wagner side came to the States generations later; August had two brothers and a sister.

Older brother John is buried in St. Paul's Episcopal Church graveyard in Elkins Park along with his wife Annie:

Louis is buried at Mt Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon. I know quite a bit about this cemetery since many of my Ellis ancestors are buried there. Once a proud shrine, the cemetery was orphaned, had no owner, and is now a ward of the state. It is terribly overgrown, but a volunteer organization has made great inroads to restore it. Part of the cemetery contains military graves, and that section is kept well.  Mt. Moriah is an interesting story in its own right. I have visited there twice and dug around looking for stones. The organization tending it is very devoted.

August's sister Amelia died in Philadelphia but I have not located her grave site.

August's parents John and Elizabeth are buried at Ivy Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia but I have no photo of their stones as yet.

Most of the ancestors mentioned above had children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters, and many of them probably have photographed graves. In time, we will fill in more blanks.