SAINT JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC CHURCH CEMETERY

This cemetery is fenced but had not been maintained. There were no visible signs identifying St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery, however the old church building stills stands near it. This may be the only unused Catholic church building still standing in Dunn County.

Many graves at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery may have been relocated from other sites. Most likely their original burials had been from the previous church yard located somewhere in the bottom lands. In 1954, the reservation lost 152,300 acres to the United States Army Corps of Engineers for the filling of Lake Sakakawea. The flooding of the bottom lands destroyed the long-established Indian population centers and divided the reservation into five isolated segments. These relocated graves appear to have been identified with the same type of marker. These markers are cement blocks, approximately 5 inches by 5 inches square with a plastic-type plaque mounted on the top which makes note of the individual’s name, and birth and/or death years when available. Some markers also indicate a cemetery by a single letter of the alphabet, and grave number. Unfortunately, the plastic-type material on which the engraving was done is not holding up well to the elements. Many of these markers are too lichen populated to decipher completely or have broken and are now missing.

There are no interment records for St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery. This list was created only from the tombstone transcriptions and is not complete. As of May 30th, 2003, there were 91 marked gravesites.

Historical information was obtained from the book Dauntless Dunn II - 1989 A History of Dunn County North Dakota page 24.

*These sites are marked by what may be a standard relocated grave marker. Most are lichen filled, weathered and difficult to decipher. Some may have had more of an inscription at one time.