Wolf Cemetery, Portage TownshipIndex of Wolf Cemetery burials . . . .

The index of Portage Township cemeteries published in 1995 by the Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society provides the following information concerning the Wolf Cemetery:

       "At one time there were grave stones north of the big brick
        [Josephus] Wolf home in SW 1/4 sec. 30."

The Wolf home is located in the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 30, at the northwest intersection of 700 North and 450 West. The statement above concerning the tombstones located near the Wolf home is indeed true.

My great aunt, Ellen Marie (Shook) Forbes, commonly referred to as Marie, lived in the Wolf home from November 1917 to March 1920, along with her parents, William Addison Shook and Mary Lunette (Florence) Shook, and her siblings - Mae, Ross, Ralph, Floyd, Mary, Ray, Roe [my grandfather], and Jay. The Shook family were the caretakers for the Wolf Farm, then owned by brothers Robert and Lewis Robbins. In 1992, in a privately published, 230 page book titled Memories for My Grandchildren, Marie writes in great detail about the Wolf and Robbins families, the Wolf farm, the Wolf house, and the small grave yard near the Wolf house. On page 48 of her book, Marie writes:

       "The house and the barn, of course, made tremendous impact
        on my child's mind, and still do, to this day, more than seventy
        years later. A brick mansion is unusual for a farm residence, and
        there are few double cowbarns that I know of, in fact, not other
        of which I have heard. But exceeding those two buildings in
        interest to me was something I have seen only on the Wolf Farm,
        although I have read it was sometimes the custom in much
        earlier times.

        In memory I can still behold the tiny private cemetery which
        lay a little north of the Wolf House, and which I saw day by
        day from our windows. The little headstones were encircled by
        an iron railing and, like it, showed much evidence of
        weathering. I thought I could remember there were five and
        asked my sister Mae how many she though there were, and
        without telling her my opinion. She said there had been five.

        The number of Wolf children deceased before the 1882
        History [of Porter County] was five. Only the three sons,
        Francis, Milton, Elmer, survived. I did not know the names on
        the tombstones, since I could not read, so I am unaware if
        there were any daughters.

        Several years ago we found Josephus Wolf's tombstone
        in the McCool Cemetery. It was a tall black one, ugly to
        me -- many other names are inscribed around the bottom of
        it, presumably those of his children who predeceased him.
        Evidently there was removal to the grave site of the parents,
        and the little stones were discarded.

        Despite the wealth of Josephus Wolf (at least, in land) he
        was poor in other ways. Losing more than half his family
        of eight children should have been a far greater tragedy
        than being a pauper in worldly goods."

Records of the McCool Cemetery in Portage Township, as well as visual observation of Josephus Wolf's tombstone, show that there were, in fact, five Wolf children who died young. These children were Edith, Gladys, Josephus M., and two infant daughters. The vital information for each of these children are provided below.

NOTE: If you have information that you like to add to this database, including corrections, then please contribute it to Steve Shook.

WOLF, Edith
Birth:
Death:
Note:

WOLF, Gladys
Birth:
Death:
Note:

WOLF, Josephus M.
Birth:
Death:
Note:

WOLF, Infant Daughter
Birth:
Death:
Note:

WOLF, Infant Daughter
Birth:
Death:
Note:

Wolf Cemetery data prepared by Steven R. Shook

 

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