2002/03 CEMETERY and TOMBSTONE TRANSCRIPTION PROJECT
By T. A. Godlevsky


SAINT JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC CHURCH CEMETERY

The NE Quarter of Section 24 in Township 147 N, Range 91 W
Twin Buttes, Dunn County, ND
Saint Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery is easy to get to but not marked. It is approximately 4 1/2 miles northeast of Twin Buttes, ND on the Fort Berthold Reservation. The Fort Berthold Reservation is the home of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Tribes, which together comprise the Three Affiliated Tribes.

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.


Last Name First Name Birth Death Comments
Arrows R nes W T 1945 1997 This site was outlined in rocks and marked with a metal funeral home marker that had broken. Part of the original inscription was missing. The following is how the first name appeared, please replace the "?" with undecipherable letters: R??NES
Bl Kers Chas     * It read Chas Bl kers Son.
Black Hawk Addie 1884 1943 This site contained 2 markers. The first is the kind described above as (*). It showed her name as Addie Grant.
Brim Lillian 1933 1991  
Brim Victor D. 1926 1976  
Bug Woman       *
Burr Anna F.     *
Burr Emma 1878 1935 Mother Note: The third marker was the kind described above as (*).
Burr Fred     *
Burr Gertrude 1915 1971 Mother
Burr Richard 1878 1947 This site contained 2 markers. The first is the kind described above as (*).
Burr Dennis Richard Jr. 12/3/1963 12/9/1976 Son
Carroll Monte 1960 1968 Son of Mr. & Mrs. Burton C. Bell
Chase Anna F. 1901 1983  
Chase Joseph Sr. 1903 1933  
Coming Hay William 1964 1987  
Crows Breast Frank Jr. 1921 1954  
Crowsheart Annabelle R. 7/29/1960 1/22/1961  
Danks Lyle Marvin 1979 1979  
Finley Anthony 1983 1984  
Finley Antoney 1955 1955  
Finley Gerald J. 1958 1958  
Fredericks Catherine 1908 1995 Mother
Fredericks Craig L. 1971 1996  
Fredericks George 12/28/1908 11/20/1915  
Fredericks Gisela M. 1928 2002  
Fredericks Hans C. 1962 1997  
Fredericks John Sr. 1904 1963 Father
Fredericks Keith 1940 1991  
Fredericks Kenneth J. 10/15/1928 12/31/1988 S SGT US Air Force
Fredericks Thomas     *
Fredricks Luke M. 1931 1952 This is transcribed exactly as it appears on the marker.
Gillette Lillian M. 1985 1985  
Huber Charles F. 1882 1940 * Father This site had 2 markers.
Huber Felix 1913 1944 * Son This site had 2 markers. The first name on the relocated grave marker may begin with "F" and may end with "X".
Huber Gordon E. 5/11/1927 6/4/1974 S1 US Navy
Huber Grace 1930 2000  
Huber Philomena 1889 1964 Mother
Jones Ben L. 3/26/1903 1/31/1987  
Jones Emma L 2/12/1910 9/23/1999  
Lincoln Anabell     *
Lincoln Angeline 1927 1929  
Lincoln Bessie 11/20/1887   This marker is broken. The engraving is very faint and the death date is missing. Also, this site contained a second marker, the kind described above as (*).
Lincoln Fred     *
Lincoln Levi Paul 9/29/1929 12/27/1973 PFC US Army Korea
Lincoln Maria 1902 1957 Mother
Lincoln Merle     *
Lincoln Opal Jane     *
Lincoln Samuel 6/12/1896 4/22/1977 Father
Lincoln       * The first letter of the first name may be "O" or "C".
Lincoln Michael Jr. 1963 1987  
Lockwood Joyce 1968 1996  
Mahto Margaret B. 1907 1951  
Morsette Alfred 1911 1989  
Morsette Lena 1919 1963  
Morsette Victoria 1940 1993  
Mossett Ruth Ann 1955 1955  
Perry Ernestine 9/24/1922 10/27/1997  
Perry George W. 11/21/1921 6/18/2001 S1 US Navy World War II
Powers Victoria Ann 1943 1997  
Rederick   1959 1959 The soil at this site had been piled in a mound and was marked with a metal funeral home marker that had broken. Part of the inscription was missing.
Spotted Bear Eugenia 1924 1926 This site contained a second marker, the kind described above as (*).
Spotted Bear Ignatius R. 10/28/1928 6/22/1952 North Dakota PFC 5 Infantry RCT Korea PH
Spotted Bear Julia 9/1/1915 2/18/1921 This site contained 2 markers. The first is the kind described above as (*). The first name is illegible.
Spotted Bear Lena     * CEM. C. GR. The GR number may be 36.
Spotted Bear Lorenzo 1918 1954 Husband and Father
Spotted Bear Mary Angela 10/28/1936 8/10/1981  
Spotted Bear Serine 1926 1929 This site was outlined in rock and contained a second marker, the kind described above as (*).
Spotted Bear Stella   1944 This site contained a second marker, the kind described above as (*).
Spotted Bear       * CEM. C. GR. 33. The first letter of the first name may be "L" or "M".
Spotted Bear     8/7/1911 Age 66 Years. Note: This site contained a second marker, the kind described above as (*).
Tail George     Age 55 Yrs. Note: This site contained a second marker, the kind described above as (*). CEM. A. GR. 192
Thomas Patricia 1936 1994  
Unknown       This site was outlined with rocks and marked with a small, white wood cross but had no inscription.
Unknown       This site was marked with a small pile of rocks but had no inscription.
Unknown       This site was marked with a metal funeral home marker that had broken. The inscription was missing.
Unknown       This site is marked with a cement table. The inscription is missing.
Unknown        
Unknown       This site was marked with a metal funeral home marker that had broken. The inscription was missing.
Unknown       This site is marked with a rock but had no inscription.
Unknown       This site is marked with several rocks and some artificial flowers but had no inscription.
Unknown       This site was marked with a metal funeral home marker that had broken. The inscription was missing.
Unknown       This site was outlined with bricks but had no inscription.
Unknown       This site was marked with a rock and a small American flag but had no inscription.
Unknown       This site was marked with small American flag but had no inscription.
Unknown       This soil at this site had been piled in a mound and was marked with a small American flag but had no inscription.
Unknown       This site was marked with a metal funeral home marker that had broken.
Unknown       This site was marked with a metal funeral home marker that had broken. The inscription was missing.
Watson Ruth Mae 5/31/1925 1/23/1994  
White Man Quentin 1925 1964  
Whiteman Oscar 3/20/1894 7/31/1954 North Dakota PVT 90 Spruce SQ World War I
Whitman Carl 1888 1967 This site was outlined with bricks.
Whitman Franchon 1933 1965  
Young Bear Jasper Lee 11/6/1929 9/18/1952 North Dakota SGT CO K 38 INF DIV Korea PH
Tombstone Transcription Done May 30, 2003
Transcribed by T. A. Godlevsky

Please note:   Every care possible has been taken to obtain accuracy but mistakes do occur.   This transcription is only as accurate as the source it was transcribed from.