Henry & Eliza's Grave

The first loss in the Henry Menke family since moving to Nebraska was their son Lewis, at only a few days old in 1885. He was the first family member laid to rest in the Clatonia Cemetery. The tall monument tombstone they purchased is inscribed on the east side of the stone: "Lewis son of J H & Elisa Menke, Died Feb. 5, 1885 Aged 8 days". 

On the south side of that same stone is inscribed: "Mary A, daughter of J H & Elisa Menke, Died Sep 19, 1889, Aged 19 Yrs, 11 Ms & 3 Ds". These inscriptions are the only place I've ever seen Henry Menke's name with that initial J. 

Next to the tall stone are the flat markers simply inscribed with the names and dates of my Second Great Grandparents, Henry Menke and Eliza Menke. 

Another infant son, John, died in Ohio in 1869. His grave if it had been marked has probably long been lost to the elements. Along with Mary and Lewis, five other children are also buried in Clatonia - C Albert, Rosa Wayman, Carrie Kloepper, Katie Wayman, and Nettie Steinmeyer. George Edward Menke moved to Missouri and is laid to rest in an unmarked grave in Franklin County, Missouri. Matilda Daubendiek is buried in West Bend, Iowa. Eliza Keine died in Palm Springs, California and was cremated, her ashes scattered "at sea". 

Henry had four children from his first marriage to Mary Neuhaus (or Niemeyer?). The oldest daughter, Emma Warner, stayed in Ohio when the rest of the family moved west. She is buried in Long Run Cemetery, Rubyville, Ohio. John Frederick came to Nebraska for a few years, but then went back to Portsmouth where he ran a grocery business for many years. He is buried in the Greenlawn Cemetery in Portsmouth, Ohio. I know from a small paragraph in the Portsmouth Daily Times that he made the trip to Nebraska to attend his father's funeral.

Henry Menke Jr preceded his father in death. He had spent several years preaching in Missouri, Iowa and finally Michigan where he died and was brought home to be buried. Henry Sr's youngest daughter, Lizzie Scheidt, is buried in Friend, Nebraska about 30 miles from Clatonia. 

Henry Menke died in 1915, his wife Eliza died at age 102 in 1944. They were married for 48 years, she was widowed for 29.  Eliza's parents are resting in the St John Lutheran Church Cemetery in Scioto County, Ohio. Henry's parents are likely buried somewhere in that vicinity, but I don't know the location.