Resurrection Cemetery: Madison, Wisconsin
Resurrection Cemetery
Madison, Wisconsin
Smith Family Genealogy
“Irish” John Smith’s sister, Bridget Smith Vallender, lies buried in Resurrection Cemetery. She died in 1872 a young woman. What caused her death is unknown. By the time her mother passed in 1896, Bridget was only a distant memory to those living in Bear Creek, Sauk County, Wisconsin. Bridget’s name was missing in the obituary for her mother, Catharine (Smyth-Greenan) Rooney.
Resurrection Cemetery is Madison’s Catholic Cemetery. Situated next to the city’s main cemetery, Forest Hill, Resurrection Cemetery has a storied past. Bridget’s grave is found in the old section originally known as Calvary Cemetery. The first grave was dug in 1863. Calvary Cemetery was divided in sections, part for the Germans and part for the Irish. The Irish were assigned sections C, E, F, G and the southern half of B. The Germans were given sections A, D and the northern half of B. The Germans gave their sections Biblical names – Blastus, Abednego, Carmel, Enoch, Callistus and Priscilla. Before 1900 it was said only one Irishman, Farrell O’Bryan, had been buried in the German section. Perhaps he was the only Irish known to have been buried in the German section. Bridget Vallender is buried with the Germans (northern half of Section B).
Photo: Holy Cross Gate; Resurrection Cemetery; Madison
By 1923 Calvary Cemetery was full, and more land was needed. A new cemetery, Holy Cross, was created adjacent to Calvary. In 1953 both cemeteries were consolidated to form what is now known as Resurrection Cemetery. Catholics segregated across ethnic lines at Mass. In 1848 Catholics built St. Raphael’s church. Two thirds of its members were Irish, and one third were German. The Germans wanted to hear sermons in their own language, and they built Holy Redeemer Church. The founding families of Holy Redeemer parish included Jacob Esser, Anton Jesberger, Francis Esser, and Frank (Franz) Vallender.
| Photo: Left is Holy Redeemer Church and right is St Raphael’s Catholic Church in Madison, Wisconsin |
The names listed above fall within the Bridget Smith family tree. The first wave of Irish to Dane County happened during the Famine years. The Irish bonded together by ethnicity and religion. In those early years the Irish were viewed with contempt for the menial jobs they accepted, their drinking habits and their Catholic religion.
Section A:
Surnames found on various grave markers in Section A:
Jesberger, Anton Sr. (Aug 30, 1802 – Feb 19, 1888) and Maria Anna VanHoerst (Mar 18, 1809 – Mar 30, 1893) – Located A-29
Jesberger, a native of Sumarau, Bavaria, came to New York City in 1846. He moved to Bristol in 1847, farming for the next 5 years. In 1852 he moved to Madison. He was the father-in-law of Jacob Esser, Jr., Dane County Clerk. Maria attended at the births of more than 3,400 Madisonians. Born in Bavaria, she came to America with her husband. She was well known in the city as a midwife, nurse, and doctor. “She was a remarkable woman, always willing and never failing in her attentions. She was to her patients as a mother”. Members of Holy Redeemer, the Jesbergers lived at 325 West Johnson Street.
Section B:
Vallender, Franz “Frank” (Feb 14, 1815 – Dec 17, 1900) and Maria Sophia (July 19, 1813 – Jan 30, 1890) – Located B-26.
The Vallenders were among the earliest Madison residents, coming to town in 1842. Frank was a mason and worked on the post office and several other prominent buildings. He and Maria belonged to Holy Redeemer.
The Cemetery Manager from Resurrection Cemetery provided us the following information: “In researching our records, I have found a burial for Bridget Vallender, located in Section 1, Block 1, Lot 89, Grave 1. Although I do not have detailed information on the burial, it did occur in 1872.
Other burials on the cemetery location are for Anna Vallender, Franz Vallender, Maria Vallender and Mathias Vallender.” Franz and Maria were Bridget’s in-laws, and they died much later. Bridget may have been the first person buried in the Vallender family plot.
Section C:
(The Trainor family married into the Patrick Smyth family of Bear Creek, Wisconsin.)
Trainor, Charles (Sept 6, 1857 – Sept 18, 190\1) and Mary O’Toole (Aug 4, 1856 – Dec 28, 1915) – Located C-22.
Trainor “went to his death as has many a brave man before him, with his hand on the throttle, and was buried beneath a pile of wreckage.” An engineer on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Road, he was killed near Prairie du Chien when his train, which had the right of way, collided head on with another. While the rest of his crew jumped to safety, he stayed in the cab and reversed the engine to lessen the impact of the crash, a delay which cost him his life. He had worked for the Road for twenty years, rising from wiper to engineer. From 1897 to 1899 he was alderman for the Fourth Ward; when he ran for reelection, he and John Dohm tied and cast lots for the seat. Trainor lost. “He was a good boy, and excellent man, true to the company employing him, a great chum among the men he mingled with daily and above and beyond all, he was an exemplary husband and father.” His was “a good man’s life ended too early.” “Mrs. T. was well known in Madison and leaves a host of friends to mourn her loss, besides those connected with her family.” She and Charles were members of St. Raphael’s, and lived at 430 West Wilson.
Trainor, James (Jan 14, 1854 – Mar 1, 1880) – Located C-74
“The deceased was a young man well known and liked in Madison, where he had hosts of friends, who have anxiously watched and cared for him during his long and painful illness.”
Section D:
Esser. Reverend Joseph G. (1902 – 1979) – Located D-4
Esser was an army chaplain overseas. Ordained June 11, 1927, he served in France from 1942 to 1945 and in Korea from 1947 to 1949. His rank was Captain. Father Esser received his theological training at St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, WI.
Esser, Jacob (Nov 26, 1846 – Nov 9, 1920) and Mary K. Jesberger (Jan 3, 1848 – Oct 9, 1915) – Located D-3
Esser was a merchant. Born in Cologne, Germany, he came to Madison when he was ten. He served as Dane County clerk from 1887 to 1891. After leaving office, he and Alderman W. L. Dowling founded Esser & Dowling, a shoe business, on W. Main Street. He was secretary of the Northwestern Building and Loan Association. He was a member of the St. Michael’s Society of Holy Redeemer and the Knights of Columbus. He was a trustee of Holy Redeemer, and vice president of the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin and the Madison Maennerchor. Mary came to Madison with her parents, natives of Bavaria who were original members of Holy Redeemer, in 1855. She was a member of the St. Ann and St. Elizabeth societies. “She was greatly devoted to her home and family and was loved and respected by a large number of friends”. The Essers lived at 350 W. Mifflin Street.
Section H:
Esser, Werner B. (Oct 3, 1861 – Dec 29, 1936) and Sophia Eichmann (Step 24, 1863 – Oct 13, 1934) – Located H-26
Esser worked for the UW department of buildings and grounds from 1910 to 1935. Prior to that, he operated a grocery store at W. Mifflin Street and the Capitol Square. He was a member of Holy Redeemer, and lived at 305 Lathrop Street. Sophia was killed when run over by a car at University Avenue and Mills Street.
Esser, Werner J. (1890 – Nov 11, 1918) – Located H-26
Esser was killed in France on Armistice Day. He served in Company F of the 131st Infantry, American Expeditionary Force.
The names listed above are only a small portion of surnames connected to our family tree. Other cousins are buried within these walls – Coyle, Sullivan and Smyth for example.
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August 2009