2026 - 23 A Family Gathered at Miller Cemetery

James Wallace/Wallis and Mary Jane Woodward,  My Paternal 2nd Great Grandparents

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

Week 23

Prompt: A Place That Matters

When I began researching the Wallace/Wallis family, I expected the most important grave in Miller Cemetery to be that of Revolutionary War Patriot Benjamin Wallace, my 3rd great-grandfather. Instead, I found myself drawn to the resting place of his son James Wallace and daughter-in-law Jane Woodward Wallace. Their graves—and one notable absence—helped reveal a much larger family story.

Grave Stone photo from: http://ingenweb.org/indelaware/Harrison/Miller/wallacebenjamin.jpg

Photo Contributed By: Gina Richardson. (USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material)

Photo taken June 5, 2026 courtsey of Ted Shideler. 

The Miller Cemetery, near Bethel in Delaware County, Indiana, is said to have begun in the 1830s when a small portion of Jacob W. Miller's farm was set aside as a burying ground. Over time, it became the final resting place for several generations of the Wallace family who migrated from Virginia to Indiana during the early nineteenth century.

More than 180 years after Benjamin Wallace was laid to rest beneath an Indiana walnut tree, Miller Cemetery continues to tell the story of the family he helped establish.

Twenty-eight of the ninety-six memorials on Find A Grave belong to members of the Wallace family or their descendants. As daughters and granddaughters married, surnames such as Newhouse, Childs, and Conner appeared alongside the Wallace graves.

Most but not all have grave markers. Some memorials include photographs of broken but still partially legible stones displayed alongside newer replacement markers.

Benjamin Wallace’s original marker was later replaced by the SAR in recognition of his Revolutionary War service.  Although no marker survives for Sarah "Sally" Sargent Wallace, family tradition places her burial beside her husband. A grandson later recalled attending his grandmother's funeral and burial, preserving the memory of her final resting place.

An LDS cemetery transcription was made in 1961. It noted that many markers were in poor condition and not legible.  Curiously, the transcription omitted both Benjamin Wallace and his son James, my 2nd great-grandfather.

The transcription did include Mary Jane Woodward Wallace, recorded as "Jane wife of James Wallace died May 16, 1870, aged 58 years, 10 months, 9 days." Yet her documented birth and death dates indicate she was actually 57 years, 9 months, and 9 days old, raising questions about whether the stone was misread, mis-carved, or damaged before it was transcribed.

Today the question is difficult to resolve. Jane's stone was later found broken into five pieces and repaired. While portions remain legible, it is impossible to know with certainty exactly what was originally carved. The discrepancy serves as a reminder that even cemetery records—valuable as they are—must be weighed against other evidence.

Photo courtesy of Delaware County History via FindAGrave.com

The condition of Jane's marker also raises another question. Does the absence of a surviving marker mean that James Wallace is buried elsewhere? I do not believe so. 

Given the condition of the cemetery when the LDS transcription was made in 1961, together with the evidence that Miller Cemetery served as the Wallace family burial ground for those who remained in Delaware County, I believe that James Wallace is buried beside his wife Jane.

Miller Cemetery, Near Bethal, Indiana. Photo courtesy of Allen County Tombstones via FindAGrave.com

I posted a query on the Indiana Cemeteries Facebook page to determine whether the photograph on Find A Grave showing numerous fallen and broken stones was in fact Miller Cemetery. Jennifer Lewis Sparks confirmed that it was and noted that the photograph was taken in 2011. At that time, numerous stones could still be seen broken, displaced, or lying on the ground. The condition of the burial ground helps explain why some markers have been lost and why earlier transcriptions are not always complete.

Jennifer also shared that the cemetery was restored around 2020. Another Facebook responder, Karen Carter, provided a link to a blog post by Ted Shideler titled The Hidden History of Miller Cemetery. Coincidentally, at about the same time I was posting my inquiry, Ted and his friend Kathi- Kathryn Hirons Kesterson visited Miller Cemetery and cleaned Benjamin Wallace's grave marker. Their efforts, along with additional photographs and the history of the cemetery, are documented in Ted's article. As Jennifer pointed out, several of the gravestones visible in the 2011 photograph can also be identified Ted's more recent images, illustrating the remarkable improvement in the cemetery's condition.

For readers interested in learning more about the cemetery and the cleaning of Benjamin's stone I highly recommend Ted Shideler's article: Hidden History of Miller Cemetery

Today, some stones are broken, some markers are missing, and some names survive only in old cemetery transcriptions. Yet Miller Cemetery still gathers the family together. Benjamin and Sarah Wallace, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren remain connected in this small Indiana burial ground. That is why Miller Cemetery is a place that matters to me.