Greenwich Cemetery, Wichita, Kansas

Greenwich Cemetery is not on Greenwich Road and it is not within the community of Greenwich. But this cemetery it does have connections to the Greenwich German Lutheran Church, which is where it gets its name.

In 1882, Daniel Mahlandt, a German immigrant and member of the Greenwich German Lutheran Church, gifted one acre of his land to the church for a cemetery.

Daniel W. Mahlandt, Source

“Greenwich Cemetery began in 1882 as a gift of one acre deeded to the Greenwich German Lutheran Church by D.W. Mahlandt and wife. The cemetery would be known as the Greenwich Cemetery.” Source

1882 map showing the cemetery on the northeast corner of Daniel Mahlandt’s land. Source

Daniel Mahlandt is not buried here; he moved further south and is buried in Derby, Kansas. Why he gifted a portion of his land to the church in 1882 is not documented, but there may have been one or more existing burials here when he did.

There is a gravestone here for an infant named Henry that died in 1877. His last name appears to be Iunge, which may be a variation of the surname Junge or Young. His gravestone says he is the son of H.N. and A.M. Iunge.

Does this gravestone look like Kimmerle & Adams‘ style to you? “Hier ruhe in Frieden” (Here rests in peace) “Henry N., son of H.N. & A.M. Iunge, died August 27, 1877, aged 7 mos. & 22 d’s.”

There is also a footstone that appears to bear the initials “A.M.I.,” which are the initials of Henry’s mother, so the presence of this footstone indicates that she is also buried here.

It may have made sense to Daniel Mahlandt to donate the portion of his land to the church that already contained graves after John and Margaret Toben, fellow church members, had an immediate need to bury a child. John and Margaret’s son Henry Toben died the same year that Daniel donated his land to the church; Henry’s death was likely the reason the cemetery was officially established.

Henry was the son of John and Margaret Toben, German immigrants who arrived in America in 1882 and were members of the German Lutheran Church.

Greenwich Cemetery is important to the Toben family. According to Payne Township, “the Toben family has continued to contribute to the care of Greenwich Cemetery … including fencing and most recently, a new sign.”

Nearby Lutheran Cemetery on Rock Road may have also been owned by the Greenwich German Lutheran Church, but I couldn’t find the connection.

The Toben surname is associated with German and Jewish (Ashkenazi) origins. There are at least seventeen members of the Toben family buried here.

A row of Tobens.

The Greenwich German Lutheran Church passed ownership of the cemetery to Payne Township in 1964, and the township oversees it to this day with support from the Toben family. There are around 160 known burials here, multiple unknown burials,and at least fifty plots available for purchase today.

Burials at Greenwich Cemetery

Many of the earliest burials at Greenwich Cemetery were for German immigrants or descendants of German immigrants.

The Frerichs-Müllers

After the two infant Henry’s, the third known burial here was Folkert O. Frerichs. He was born in 1883 in Germany and died shortly after he arrived here with his mother in 1884. His mother had a familial relationship with the Tobens.

His mother was Antke (née Otten) Frerichs-Müller. Her husband and Folkert’s father, Gerd Frerichs, died on the way to America leaving Antke with two young children, including Folkert who also died.

From Antke’s “Registration Affidavits of Alien Female” from the U.S., Registration Affidavits of Alien Enemies, 1917-1918. She also lists John Toben as a relative, though doesn’t specify how close. Source

Antke married her second husband Nicholas Muller in 1885 in the German Methodist Church, and over time she buried three more of her children here: two unnamed infant daughters and a boy named Otto.

Those three infant children and Folkert share this gravestone with her.

In the summer the plot is completely overtaken by lilies and foliage.

The Erdweins

There are at least ten members of the Erdwien family buried here including “our darling,” the infant daughter of Sarah (née Borg) and and Henry Erdwien, who are also buried here.

Lillie was Sarah and Henry’s oldest daughter. She lived to be 80 and never married.

The Reimers

There are at least three Reimers buried here, but only Catrina’s grave is marked. I couldn’t find out anything about her, other than what is on her gravestone. There are two other Reimers buried here, possible children of Catrina and John, but their graves are not marked today.

The Youngs

There are at least nine members of the Young family buried here, including Anna and Henry Young, German natives. Henry served in the10th Indiana Infantry, and was wounded during his service. Henry’s obituary says he was buried “in the local burying ground.”