We looked at the now fire-gutted former sanctuary of Bethany Evangelisch Church last week, so I thought I would check out the accompanying cemetery out St. Charles Rock Road.
Like just about all German Protestant churches, the cemeteries were owned and operated independently by individual congregations, for better or for worse, sometimes for the extremely worse.
In this case, judging from the sign at the entrance, Bethany has been taken over by the much larger and financially stable St. Peter’s Cemetery, which we’ve looked at before. Bethany never looked to be the wealthiest cemetery, and there is even what looks to be a low-income portion in the far back acreage.
It is well maintained and looking good in the fall light with no signs of decrepit dead trees like sadly many cemeteries nowadays.
Apparently it was taken over by St. Peter’s in 1988.
