During the years 1993 to 1999 a group led by Dutch Mennonites worked on the restoration of former West Prussian Mennonite cemeteries. During the course of this work they transcribed all of the readable inscriptions in the following cemeteries: Heubuden, Marcushof, Gross & Klein Lesewitz, Thoerichthof, Ladekopp, Ellerwald, Fischau, Kampenau, Rosenort, Fuerstenwerder/Baerwalde, Prangenau, Petershagen and Gueldenfeld. A summary of the restoration work and a listing of the grave stone inscriptions was prepared by Maarten t’Hart. A copy of this document is available at the Mennonite Heritage Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba and the archives of the Mennonite Historical Society of British Columbia in Abbotsford, BC.
The following is an list (alphabetical and by cemetery) of those grave stones inscriptions. These inscriptions provide a lot of genealogical information. Unfortunately there are very few stones which were created before the mid-1800s. It seems likely that prior to the major immigrations to Russia (1788-1820) most West Prussian Mennonites were buried without inscribed grave markers. This is also true for most of the early Mennonite cemeteries in Russia and Canada.
Please send any comments to Glenn Penner.
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