Surveyed May 6, 1996 by Franklin O'Donnell
The Betts Cemetery is on the north side of State Road 16
(Broadkill Road), about 3/4 mile east of Union Street, which runs
south into the town of Milton in Sussex County, Delaware.
It appears to me that the cemetery was established in the mid-
1850s by Robert W. Betts (1815-1882) on his farmland. Some of
the oldest graves are those of his mother, Leah Betts d. 1859,
and a probable uncle of his, Samuel Betts d. 1867. The cemetery
also contains the grave of one child of Robert's brother Isaac S.
Betts; Isaac, however, is buried in another cemetery in
Ellendale.
For the most part the cemetery contains the graves of Robert W.
Betts and his descendants and their families; as well as those of
Robert's brother Joseph J. Betts (1828-1884) and his descendants
and their families.
I have been working for some time on a single-name study of Betts
families in Sussex County, Delaware, and would welcome email
messages at frank@inkbox.net (address as of late 2000). This
inventory appeared in the October 1996 issue of the Delaware
Genealogical Society Journal.
------------
The oldest set of graves is at the center of the cemetery and
contains these headstones:
-- In memory of Samuel Betts of Jas., born January 22, 1798, died
January 19, 1867, aged 68 years, 11 months & 27 days. Dearest
Father Thou hast left us, And thy loss we deeply felt, But 'tis
God with ... [rest difficult to read]
-- In memory of Leah, wife of James J. Betts, who died Sept 26,
1859, age 76 years, 4 months
-- In memory of Isaac S., son of Robert & Emeline BETTS, died
July 31, 1866, aged 13 years
Directly behind them are these four headstones:
-- Lydia B., daughter of Robert & Emeline BETTS, died Nov 17,
1856, age 9 days
-- Leah J., daughter of Robert & Emeline Betts, died Nov 17, 1856
[rest illegible]
-- In memory of Robert J., son of Isaac S. & Sarah J. BETTS, who
died June 26, 1854, age 4 months & 26 days
-- In memory of Dellephine, daughter of B.W. & H.B. Johnson, who
died Sept 8, 1859, age 1 year, 11 months, 23 days
Adjacent to these graves is a set of graves clustered around a
large tomb marker. The face of this tomb is badly weathered,
and
I was only able to make out some of the writing on it:
-- Robert W. Betts, born Oct 1, 1815, died Oct 12, 1882[?], age
67 years [plus poem]. Emeline, wife of R.W. Betts, died Sept
--
[?], 1885[?], aged --[?] [plus poem]
-- Mary L., daughter of Robert W. & Emeline Betts, born January
10, 1849, died April 16, 1881, aged 32 years, 3 months, 16 days
-- Clara T. Ehrie, 1859-1889
-- George Ehrie, born Feb 24, 1883, died Mar 19, 1883
-- Fannie C. Harriman, 1878-1952
Then there are these three graves together:
-- In memory of Robert B., son of Alfred B. & Elizabeth Reed,
1863[?] - 1890
-- Laura Reed, 1876-1881
-- Alfred B. Reed, 1839-1893. Eliza A. Reed, 1844-1918.
Then a line with the following five graves:
-- BANDO, Emma P., Oct 21, 1887-May 10, 1971
-- At Rest, William C. Betts, born July 12, 1878, died September
28, 1958, FATHER
-- At Rest, Naioma H. Betts, wife of William C. Betts, born July
[11? 17?], 1878, died June 6, 1915. Preston, son of William C.
&
Naioma H. Betts, born June 5, 1915, died August 23, 1915
-- BETTS, George H. 1856-1933, Winnie H. 1858-1885, FATHER-
MOTHER.
-- Elizabeth, wife of David H. Betts, died [1871? 1874?], aged
[18?] years
There is then a family plot with a large stone. On one side are
the following:
-- BETTS, Joseph J. Betts 1828-1884, and his wife Emeline Betts
1831-1914. Fannie M. Baker 1867-1897. Halstead P. Betts
1872-
1917. Father-Mother-Daughter-Son.
On the other side of the stone is:
-- ATKINS. Emma Atkins 1883-1883. BABY.
With them are these:
-- Franklin H. Baker, son of Fannie M. Baker 1890-1941
-- Nora M. Baker, wife of Franklin H. Baker 1887-1962
-- BAKER. Georgia Betts Thornton 1926- . Jane Shea O'Donnell
1923-1981.
Across the cemetery Franklin Baker's brother is buried:
-- BAKER. Joseph B., December 14, 1892-November 30, 1968.
Gladys G., July 1, 1907- .
Behind the family plot, a line of graves is against the western
wall of the cemetery:
-- REED. Carl H., December 13, 1914 - July 13, 1992. Betty
A.,
April 19, 1917, August 11, 1984. (Betty was a Betts and the
mother of Richard Reed, who introduced himself to me during my
visit and told me that he takes care of the cemetery.)
-- BETTS. Addie M., February 26, 1878 - September 26, 1968.
Alfred S., March 10, 1878 - October 27, 1960.
-- Maggie Millman, wife of Alfred S. Betts, born July 10, 1880,
died July 26, 1905. Sweet be thy slumber. MOTHER.
-- Alfred Ray, son of Alfred S. & Maggie Betts. [rest illegible]
-- [illegible if anything]
-- David H. Betts, born May 24, 1851, died May 5, 1914. At Rest
-- Ida P. Betts, born January 6, 1857, died October 28, 1897.
At
Rest
-- Reedy D. Betts, born August 24, 1887, died April 11, 1915.
At
Rest. (plus one small white marker to the right)
There is then a substantial portion of the cemetery which appears
to be devoted to members of the LOFLAND family.
-- James H. Lofland, born May 30, 1838, died February 1, 1918.
FATHER
-- Susan M. Lofland, wife of James H. Lofland, born Sept 25,
1842, died Sept 25, 1902. MOTHER
-- Julia C. Lofland, born Feb 13, 1860, died Dec 5, 1908. MOTHER
-- Henry C. Lofland, born Dec 21, 1862, died April 27, 1907.
FATHER
-- James B. Lofland, born Oct 7, 1894, died May [29?], 1907[?]
-- [headstone broken off; grave sunken]
-- Blanche P. Lofland, daughter of James H. and Susan M. Lofland,
born Jan 29, 1882, died Sept 3, 1910
-- Joanna Lofland, 1884-1920
-- JONES. Willard S., 1862-1933. Emeline, 1872-1949.
-- Trusten Polk Lofland, born March 1, 1868, died Feb 19, 1952
-- Mark H. Lofland, Apr 24, 1886 - Feb 14, 1959
-- LOFLAND. Alfred H. Sr., Apr 25, 1873 - May 27, 1958.
Annie
E., July 20, 1888 - Nov 4, 1970
-- Carlton J. Lofland, Aug 22, 1917 - Jan 10, 1989
-- Jennie M. Lofland Huff, beloved wife of Harry A. Huff Sr.,
1876-1957
-- Harry A. Huff Sr., beloved husband of Jennie M. Lofland, 1878-
1952
Then there are a series of plots on the east side of the
cemetery. The first:
-- Clarence B. Reed, Apr 17, 1882 - Feb 9, 1951
-- Capt. George S. Reed, Feb 10, 1864 - Mar 14, 1948
The next plot:
-- George B., son of Benjamin & Sallie Robinson, 1906-1915
-- Benjamin W. Robinson, 1870-1935. Sallie V., his wife, 1868-
1927.
The next plot:
-- Willard Frank Jones, Oct 7, 1898 - Sept 5, 1976
-- JONES. Delema S., March 30, 1906 - March 6, 1985. Charles
C., March 18, 1901 - Nov 9, 1963.
Then there is a series of headstones against the east wall:
-- Leighton Betts, 1899-1941
-- Alice E. Betts, Oct 23, 1859 - July 27, 1918. MOTHER
-- Greensbury W. Betts, born March 1, 1856, died April 12, 1916.
FATHER
-- Joda A. Betts, 1855-1877
-- Sadie Betts Reynolds, 1890-1937
-- Franklin S. Betts, April 25, 1904 - July 10, 1979
-- David M. Betts, Aug 23, 1907 - Aug 3, 1992
Then there is a group of three headstones in a plot:
-- Estella B. Betts, 1889-1931
-- James C. Betts, 1885-1922
-- Rose Mae Betts, 1906-1907
[end]