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BLAND CEMETERY aka STEVENSON CEMETERY

Located in Bigger Township, in section 25, on the old Pribble or Schuman farm, 1 1/2 to 3 miles southeast from San Jacinto, 7 to 9 miles from Hwy. 50, depending upon different transcriptions. Those named as making lists of this cemetery are H.L. Morin in 1969 with a later arrangement done of his list by Bret Caldwell in 1983 and ones done by Margie Lawson and Robert Williams in 1973

This is a small cemetery but a difficult one to list as I have at least 5 different transcriptions, ranging from 1969 through 1983, one list is entirely hand written and although not signed appears to have been done by a relative as more detail is given. Another list is hand written notes/corrections of the other hand written list again unsigned. I hope it comes out understandable. All comments are from transcriptions unless they are in this color purple, then they are mine.


Caril "Willis" Hall     1/19/1871 - 4/13/1876 - child of John Eubank Hall (brother of Frances Hall Bland) and Eliza A. Bland (daughter of Meridith Bland)   inscription - Budded on Earth to Bloom in Heaven

Azariah Merrell/Merrill   d.  6/19/1853   Age 5 yr 6 mo 23 d  

Infant Daughter of  John Merrell/Merrill           5/14/1843

John Merrell/Merrill       11/7/1814  -   11/5/1853 or 5      Charter Member of Graham Baptist Church

Matilda H. or M. (Merrell/Merrill) Condrey     1/11/1841 - 11/4/1899  probably a daughter of John Merrell/Merrill

Elizabeth (Bland) Alexander   1835 -1870  wife of Caleb G. Alexander, only daughter of Rev. Thomas & Patsy Bland

Elizabeth Merrell/Merrill    1780 - 10/22/1831 wife of A. Merrill - probably mother of John Merrill Stephenson

Angie D. Bland   1/25/1962 - 8/27/1863  18 month old daughter of James Calvin Bland and Sarah (Burge) Bland

Thomas J. Bland   this name only listed on one of the cemetery lists the one from 1969

John Hall    4/11/1966 - 9/23/1871    son of Thomas E. Hall & Eliza Bland  found by Jane Midtby? & Robert Bland in 1981 not on other lists.

Mary Russell       5/22/1813 - 9/17/1836 or 39 age 23 years, consort of James Russell

Pearl Bland   5/13/1878 - 9/24/1886  8 years    daughter of James Calvin Bland and his wife Sarah M. (Burge) Bland   

Charles J. Bland   12/2/1863 - 8/11/1890    3rd son of James Calvin Bland and his wife Sarah M. (Burge) Bland - went out west and was killed 

Martha Ellen Bland     8/23/1855 - 3/3/1929  unmarried   only daughter of "Asbury" & Frances Bland    

Sarah M. (Burge) Bland     11/29/1835 - 10/10/1895

James Calvin Bland    1/13/1831 -  either 2 or7/19/1896    3rd known son Rev. Thomas & Martha "Patsy" Bland

Rev. Thomas Bland  two sets of dates given  1804 - 1892 and 1803 - 1891,  son of  Captain James Bland of Jefferson County, Indiana 

B. F. Bland    1829 - 1862    Benjamin Franklin Bland - Merchant  2nd known son of Rev. Thomas & "Patsy" Bland

Martha "Patsy" (Bland) Bland  1803 - 1891   wife of Rev. Thomas Bland

Frances Ann (Hall) Bland    3/1/1829 - 6/6/1860  first wife of Francis Asbury Bland and daughter of John Hall & Hannah Ewbank Hall of Jennings County.

Francis Asbury Bland   10/1/1826 - 9/2/1907  1st son of Rev. Thomas & Patsy - named by his father the Rev. Thomas Bland after Francis Asbury 1st Bishop of the M. E. Church, he was known by the family as "Uncle Asbury"

Jane A. (Hansell) Bland    4/8/1853 - 5 or 9/17/1896   second wife of Francis Asbury Bland 

Benjamin F. Bland        1853 -1933   known as "Ben" 3rd son of Asbury & Frances Bland  -  unmarried

Martin Chapman Bland        1858 - 1946  known as "Mart"  4th son of Asbury & Frances Bland  -  unmarried

Ralph C. Bland     4/17/1879 - 7/24/1880  3rd son of John Hall & Mary C. Bland

Susan Effie Bland      2/2/1812 - 10/14/1887    1st daughter of John Hall and Mary C. Bland

Mary Catherine (Hamsel) Bland   4/9/1844 - 11/14/1901

Blanche Bland     10/12/1875  - 1/9/1876   2nd daughter of John Hall and Mary C. Bland

Graun E. Bland     3/18/1880 - 3/31/1880

Robert T. Burge       Co. B. 8th Ind. Inf.   Civil War - probable brother of Sarah M. Burge Bland who married James Calvin Bland son of Rev. Thomas

Ruby King           9/27/1822 - 9/13/1895    wife of Sidney C. King

Sidney C. King       12/6/1804 - 5/22/1866

John Hall Bland     1848 - 1924   son of Francis Asbury Bland & Frances Hall Bland, born in Bigger Township and died at age 76 of pneumonia in Jenings County & was buried in Stephenson Cemetery according to Death Notice at the Vernon Annex, he was married to Mary Catherine Hamsell.

Earl Sporleder     11/29/1892 -3/30/1893  infant son of Frank & Josephine Bland Sporleder

Thomas Johnson Bland    Co. K  12th Ind. Inf.    Civil War

Benjamin Thomas Bland     1884 - 1892   5th son of J.H. & Mary C. Bland

Earnest E. Bland    5/6/1870 - 11/23/1871  probably, 4th son of J. Calvin & Sarah W. Bland

Benjamin Franklin Bland  1829 - 1862  Merchant   2nd known son of Rev. & Patsy Bland

Permelia Violet Bland    1831 - 1880 (widow of ____Rail) mother of Edmund Rail, wife & then widow of Benjamin Franklin Bland - may be the small stone with P.B. on it

John Hall,  this could be the marker for John Hall  b. 4 April 1789 in Lincolnshire England & d. July 12, 1848 in Jennings Co. buried in Stevenson cemetery, the dates were not distinguishabel. His grandson who died at 5 yrs was also buried in this cemetery.
John Hall, the elder, married Hannah Eubank, born in Yorkshire Eng., came to America in 1807 & to Ind. 1811, near Guilford, Ind. They m. in 1820. She is buried in Eastfork Cem, Guliford Ind. They were parents of - Frances Ann Hall whom Francis Asbury Bland - Thomas Ewbank Hall who m. Eliza Bland - Rachel Hannah Hall who m. Francis Marion Bland, (s/o Capt. James)  This information from the "Ewbank Book"

1985  The latest grave to be found here is that of  Lawson Stevenson  b. 1789   d. 1835  He was ordained as a Mister of the Regular Baptist Church, March 1831.  United with the church 8 yrs. before in Jefferson Co. 1825, probably at Middlefork Ind. He was liscensed to preach the Gospel in 1828 (it is believed he was a Curcuit Rider) & labored faithfully for the salvation of mankind until he died.
   All this was on his tombstone which had been broken & covered with about 2 inches of dirt. There are probably more Stephenson graves yet to be found here.
   Lawson married Betsy Merrill,  July 24, 1828, according to Mary Jo Wahlman, this cememtery is also know as the Stephenson Cemetery.

C.I. Bland   - (controversy here so I am listing all comments) possible first child of Rev. & Patsy Bland. Name engraved on 3rd side of square stone engraved on two sides with Rev. Thomas Bland and Martha Bland. Date 1825 - C.I. Bland, only date 1825, was definately not a child of Rev. Thomas & his wife Martha "Patsy" Bland (nee Bland) as the family bible gives their marriage as Thursday, Dec. 15, 1825 & their 1st child was born Oct. 1, 1826 a scant 10 1/2 mo. after their wedding.  Who was C. I. Bland?


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