Mostly hidden and undisturbed in northern Effingham County, on the land near the remnants of the farm that once was the home of George Bergman and Rebecca (Dasher) Gnann, sits a cemetery that is a testament to time, the elements and nature’s persistent growth. This is the peaceful resting place of the descendants of Salzburger settlers who came to America at Ebenezer to worship freely and who worked hard to live in this land. They rest there after difficult lives filled with back breaking work and the ravages of illness and disease and even the perils of the Civil War.  

The late Mamie Hinely Morgan told the story of this cemetery during the 1960s at the Hinely Family Reunion. Her grandparents are buried there.
Recorded in the minutes, she stated that there once were about 60 graves in this cemetery prior to a forest fire that burned the wooden markers – when this happened is not recorded. Some of the wooden markers visible today were likely replaced after the fire.  

The late George Weitman of the neighborhood recalls that his Uncle Elbert Weitman (who died in 1865), who married Hannah Reisser Hinely, etched the numbers and lettering on some of the wooden markers. It is believed that the markers on the graves that could be identified were re-marked after the fire and other graves not marked are unknown today. (See the booklet Gnann Cemetery authored by Norman Turner in 1991 to get a handmade plat and information on the cemetery. A copy is located in Historic Effingham’s Museum in Springfield.)  

There is no evidence of any slaves being owned by the Gnanns in any census or family information passed down through the years, nor is there any indication of slave burial there, contrary to a tour group looking for ghosts in the cemetery. Custom would not have allowed slave burial in the cemetery during that period of time in history.

Great effort has been made through the years to keep the cemetery clean. The Hinely family kept debris and trees trimmed and cleaned up once or twice a year when a winding dirt path was the only way of getting to the cemetery. The late Henry and Terrell Hinely, along with the late Bruce Hinely and son in law Arthur Exley, worked there over the years, giving reports on the condition of the cemetery at the annual Hinely Reunion.  

When the mini farm subdivision was created after the Gnann property was sold, the late Terrell Hinely let the developers know about the cemetery so that it was preserved and not sold as part of a land parcel. Turner, a descendant, has faithfully taken on the role of caretaker of the cemetery over many years. The landowners with adjacent property keep an eye out and do their part by removing fallen limbs and reporting to Norman any issue with the graveyard.  

A stone marker identifies the grave of Jane Maria Dasher who was born in 1800 and died in 1870. She was just over 70 year old. The daughter of Solomon and Elizabeth (Oglesby) Zittrouer, she was the wife of Samuel Dasher.

Another stone marker identifies the grave of 13-year-old Mary Ella Dasher. She was the daughter of Benjamin J. and Mary Sophia (Gnann) Dasher and granddaughter of Samuel and Jane M. (Zittrouer) Dasher and Joshua and Mary Elizabeth (Zeigler) Gnann. Mary Ella was a cousin to the George Bergman Gnann Family.

Rebecca N. Dasher Gnann’s uncle, Samuel Dasher, was buried there, the grave marked with a stone marker. Born in 1790, he was over 66 years old at his death and was the husband of Jane Maria (Zittrouer) Dasher.

Lydia Freyermuth (born 1793) died at the age of 73. She was the daughter of Jacob and Hannah Catherine (Metzger) Gnann and was Salome (Griner) Hinely’s aunt. She was also aunt to George Bergman Gnann as his father Jacob Gnann was a brother to Lydia (Gnann) Freyermuth. Lydia was buried beside her husband Peter Freyermuth, who was born in 1785 and lived to be 80 and one half years old. They have stone grave markers.  There are two wooden markers for Freyermuths which are either male or female (unclear as only initials exist) in the 1800s and little is known of them. It is possible these were children of Peter and Lydia.

There is a stone marker for 43-year-old Sarah Julia (Dasher) Heidt, who was born in 1838 and died in 1881. She was the first wife of James Jeremiah Heidt and was the daughter of Samuel and Jane Zittrouer Dasher. Sarah was also a first cousin of Rebecca N. (Dasher) Gnann as her father Samuel was Rebecca’s brother.

The Hinely graves with stone markers have a single line of brick laid on the ground all the way around the three graves. John Jacob Hinely, born in 1816, died at 65 years old. A stone marker marks his grave beside his wife Salome (Griner) Hinely, born 1821 and died 1895. She was the daughter of Andrew and Catherine (Gnann) Griner and granddaughter of Jacob and Hannah C. (Metzger) Gnann. She was first cousin to George Bergman Gnann. Her marker is also stone.

Beside the Hinely couple’s graves is a stone marker for John Andrew Hinely, their son who died at age 25 in 1865. Born in 1840, he is believed to have succumbed to illness after returning from the Civil War. He was married to Hannah Reisser, daughter of Christopher Frederick and Charlotte (Rahn) Reisser, and they had no children. Hannah later married Elbert Google Weitman in 1866.

Wooden markers that are very worn have been recently supplemented with a single stone marker in memory of James Augustus Gnann and Anna Marietta Gnann, who died in childhood in the 1800s. They were son and daughter of George Bergman and Rebecca Naomi (Dasher) Gnann and are buried in this cemetery near their parents’ home.  

Although George Bergman and Rebecca (Dasher) Gnann lived on the land, they were buried in Bethel Cemetery rather than the Gnann Cemetery and we do not know the reason. George aged 65 died in 1890 and Rebecca died at age 75 years in 1900.  

Although many other graves are there, time and nature’s wear on the grave markers have taken their identities. We pray that all of these late citizens may continue to rest in peace.

This article was written from information provided by Norman Turner’s booklet “Gnann Cemetery” written in 1991 and by Susan Exley of Historic Effingham Society. If you have comments, photos or information to share contact Susan at 754-6681 or email: susanexley@historiceffinghamsociety.org