The Bethesda Cemetery, located on Wellington Road 8, outside of Moorefield, was the site of the Mapleton Historical Society’s annual cemetery walk on Sept. 9.
After months of compiling research, historical society members Debbie Oxby and Floyd Schieck led the walk, speaking on the history of the site and those buried there.
Between 1852 and 1866 a Methodist church was established on the 10th Concession of Maryborough Township. The first Methodist congregation was organized in the Hustonville area, prior to the Moorefield church’s formation.
Dr. William Savage, originally from Ireland, held services in a small frame church. Eventually, Savage established the Bethesda church in the northwest corner of the current Bethesda cemetery site.
In 1866, John Walker donated one acre of land from the corner of his farm on Lot 9 Concession 10. It is thought that the church and cemetery were on the site prior to the first burial in 1862.
Bethesda Methodist Church became part of the Moorefield and Rothsay circuit after both of these churches were established. George Walker, the son of John Walker, donated an additional three-quarters of an acre to church trustees in 1900.
The congregation disbanded in 1921 and members joined with the Moorefield congregation. In 1942 the United Church of Canada gave ownership of the cemetery to a private board of trustees. An additional 2.08 acres were donated to the cemetery site by the Hammond family in 1958.
In 1959, Alvin Schneider of Brampton donated and erected a memorial arch to the cemetery, in memory of his parents John L Schneider and Catherine Burkhardt. The arch located at the front of the cemetery is visible from Wellington Road 8.
A brick chapel, donated by Amelia (William) Hill, formerly Amelia Blundina Wetzel, was built on the northwest corner of the cemetery site in 1965.
During a dedication service on July 4, 1965, Hill described her gift as honouring the Wetzel family and a memorial to the pioneers of the district who rest in the cemetery. The chapel is still a fixture at the site today. Hill lived to be 105 years of age, passing away in 1980.
The cemetery’s history was compiled by local United Church minister Reverend J. Ure Stewart for the first memorial service held in 1957.
Stewart also prepared a new plan of the older part of the cemetery at that time. The Moorefield Rothsay pastoral charge was under the care of Stewart from 1942-46. In 1951, Stewart retired but remained active in the community. His daughter Marjorie married Alvin Hammond and settled in the area.
A plaque dated June 24, 1990 and located near the front of the chapel honours John and Dell Murray. The inscription reads, “Bethesda Cemetery dedicates this plaque to John and Dell Murray in recognition and appreciation for their countless hours of dedicated service in the care, maintenance and management of the cemetery over the years.”
John Murray, son of James Alexander Murray and Eliza Rodgers, was born on July 28, 1892. The family was of Scottish heritage, attended a Presbyterian church and farmed in Guelph Township. When John was two years of age the family of eight resettled to a farm on the 6th of Maryborough. Eliza passed away in 1898. James remarried and added eight more children to the family with his second wife.
At 11 years of age John went out to work for a neighbour. By 1912, John and his older brother George purchased a well drilling machine. The pair worked hard drilling wells and running a thresher. The two Murray brothers also repaired farm machinery and water pumps. The partnership continued until George decided to pursue building windmills and installing water pumps and plumbing systems.
John married Dell Campbell in Brantford in 1918. Known to each other for 10 years, the two eloped. John was unable to enlist as a soldier in the First World War due to a heart condition. The couple lost two children at an early age – Opal in 1922 at one year and Ivan in 1929 at two years of age. Their eldest son Neil died at age 18. The remaining children were Lorne, Jim and Doris.
John Murray Construction formed in 1926 when John began a gravel crushing business. The County of Wellington was searching for a steam powered crusher operator. Murray was chosen for the position because of his experience with steam powered threshers.
Shortly thereafter he purchased a crusher and expanded the business while continuing to farm. John noted that Dell made just as many good business decisions as he had while she worked alongside him on the farm and in the business. The Murray’s moved into Moorefield in 1939.
Lorne Murray, son of John and Dell, farmed with his wife Jean and their family on the 8th Concession of Maryborough. He served as the reeve of Maryborough from 1967-77. His son Bruce is currently a member of the Bethesda Cemetery board.
Jim Murray followed his father John as the owner of Murray Construction, purchasing the business in 1970. Jim married Joanne Gilmer and they lived in the “doctor’s house” in Moorefield in 1966. Joanne still lives there today.
John Murray passed away in 1994 at the age of 102. Murray Construction went on to become the Murray Group, a well established business in the Moorefield community today.
This article is the first in a series from the Mapleton Historical Society’s Bethesda Cemetery walk.
