Old Criders Cemetery - Rockingham County, Virginia - Harrisonburg Rockingham Historical Society

Cemetery	Old Criders Cemetery
Location	Criders, Rockingham County, Virginia. From Harrisonburg, Virginia, take Route 42 North to Broadway. Pick up Route 259 (Brocks Gap Road) and go west. Travel past Fulks Run Grocery store and continue on Route 259 to Route 820 (Bergton Road) and turn left. Continue on Route 820 to Route 826 (Criders Road) and turn left. Go about 5 miles. The cemetery is below the hill of the current Caplinger Cemetery at Criders.
Notes	Notes in remarks column are taken from Patricia Ritchie records. Patricia Ritchie notes: This cemetery is bordered on three sides by the Gail and Shirley Smith Hupp farm. There is one large monument to mark this cemetery in the field. He had hoped to engrave the names of those buried there but was not able to complete the project. Mrs. Hupp reports that there used to be some carved markings along fence on the upper end of the cemetery. According to the notes of Lewis Yankey, these people are buried in the old cemetery down the hill from the present-day Caplinger Cemetery at Criders, Virginia. Most dates are from his notes, census records, the 1850 mortality schedule for Rockingham County, or the Rockingham County Death Register. In 1967 Mr. J. Robert Swank noted: It is said there are some slaves and possibly Indians buried here.
Survey Date and Recorder	30 Jul 2005 Patricia Ritchie

Cemetery Index

Surname Index

Surnames are sorted by section / plot / row / grave - only sections and rows are shown

Surname	Given Name & MI	Birth Date	Death Date	Remarks
Hottinger	Ben	abt 1846	22 Feb 1864	son of Reuben Hottinger and grandson of George Hottinger. Ben was born about 1846, died 22 Feb. 1864 of consumption at the home of his father at age 19 years, 5 months, 21 days, according to the Rockingham Co. Death Register. He was a private in Company C, 11th VA Cavalry and was transferred to Infantry by order of Gen. R. E. Lee on Nov. 14, 1862. He was later transferred to 2nd Co. B, 62nd Va. Mounted Infantry. His final illness was a result of hardships during his army service according to family sources.
Yankey, Sr.	Jacob	1790	25 Jul 1876	born 1790, died July 25, 1876. husband of Judith Riggleman who is buried in the new Caplinger Cemetery.
Conrad	Samuel			son of William Conrad and Mary Magdaline Yankey Conrad; grandson of Jacob Yankey, Sr. He drowned in a well.
Yankey	W. Ashby	1868		oldest son of Jacob C. Yankey, Jr., born in 1868, died young
Siever	Catharine "Katy" Whetzel	abt 1795	aft 1860	wife of Jacob Siever, daughter of John Whetzel and Elizabeth Caplinger, born about 1795, died after 1860.
Siever	Jacob	abt 1795	aft 1870	born about 1795, died after 1870. Son of John and Mary Magdalene “Polly” Swank Siever
Feaster	Family			No visible markers-noted by Swank in 1967. The Feasters married into the Criders-area families but later moved to what is now Grant Co., WV.
May	Priscilla Lantz	4 Mar 1814	22 Mar 1883	last one buried here-per Swank notes; born 4 March 1814, died 22 March 1883, daughter of Jacob Lantz Sr. and Julia Ann Sonifrank Lantz. (dates from Vergie Lantz’s May history, page 26)
Row	Noah			Notes from Patricia (Turner) Ritchie. Noah Row is not in the 1850, 1870 or 1880 Rockingham Co. census. He was a member of Phanuels Lutheran Church at Dovesville (now Bergton) & was a communicant on 2 Jul 1871 & 29 June 1873 in Warren Souder's history of Martin Luther Lutheran Church. Same church records, in March 1876, Noah Row, Catherine Row, & Mary Row voted to have church trusteeship with the Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod. All the other church members voted for another Synod. This was the time of their church breakup. In his Whetzel history, Lewis Yankey wrote that Noah Row was a brother of David Row and lived in another old Whetzel house across the river at the lower end of the John Whetzel place (page 38). David Row was from Shenandoah County & traded farms with John Whetzel on 11 January 1845. However, the 1850 census for Rockingham Co. doesn't show a David or a Noah Row. David Row's wife was a Sheets; they married in Shenandoah Co., but Noah didn't marry there before 1850. The Whetzel history goes on to talk about a Row estate settlement in April 1884, but I think it means David and not Noah.
Conley	William		1864	killed 1864. According to tradition, Conley was shot at Jacob Siever’s threshing floor while Jacob May was flailing out grain. At the close of the Civil War, he was accused of being a “Yankee Spy.” He courted Jacob Siever’s daughter Leannah. The flail almost hit Conley’s head as he fell on the threshing floor from where he was sitting on the fence. He was shot through the heart and fell dead before the shot was heard. Story from Lewis Yankey’s Dove history, page 39.
Bowman	Edward (or Peter Rader?)		1864	killed 1864 in Radar Camp Hollow. This is Lewis Yankey’s version of the story: During the Civil War Peter Rader was a "Swamp" who stole horses and cattle and took them to WV and sold them. He had a hideout camp in what is now known as Rader Camp Hollow. Bowman and other stockmen from the "Valley" shot and killed him, then they took and hanged him from the joist of the log house in the mouth of the hollow. Rader is buried in the old Caplinger Cemetery at Criders, VA. Reuben Riggleman who lived on German River close to the mouth of the hollow had a son Philip who was caught in company with Rader. They let him go but shot at him from a distance peppering him with a load of buckshot in his rear. Reuben vowed vengeance on Bowman and his companions. He watched the trail that led across the mountain for days to kill them but had no success. His wife Phoebe carried food up to him. There is a Rader Knob and Rader Camp Hollow up there, likely named after him. There do not seem to be entries in the Death Register to verify this story, but perhaps there was a newspaper story]
Hottinger	Sarah "Sallie" Riggleman	abt 1785	aft 1860	wife of George Hottinger. Sallie was the daughter of John Riggleman and was born about 1785, died after 1860.
Hottinger	George	abt 1775	aft 1860	George was the son of Conrad and Mary Catherine Kutz Hottinger, was born about 1775, died after 1860.
Lantz, Jr.	Mary Magdaline Siever	abt 1797	aft 1850	wife of Jacob Lantz, Jr. and daughter of John Siever, was born about 1797, died after 1850.
Lantz, Jr.	Jacob	27 Apr 1794	19 Jul 1858	son of Jacob Sr. and Julia Ann Sonifrank Lantz, was born 27 April 1794, baptized 5 Oct. 1794 at New Jerusalem Lutheran Church, Lovettsville, VA, died 19 July 1858 of dropsy, age 53. (birth & baptism dates from church records; death date from Rockingham Co. death register).
Lantz, Sr.	Julia Ann Sonifrank	abt 1785	aft 1850	Julia was the daughter of Jacob and Agatha Agnes Kimberlin Sonifrank. Julia was born about 1785, died after 1850.
Lantz, Sr.	Jacob		Mar 1850	Jacob died in March 1850, age 83 of old age after being sick for 8 days. He was born in Virginia. (from mortality schedule, 1850)
Yankey, Jr.	Jacob C.	3 May 1841	27 May 1874	was born 3 May 1841 according to Hottinger-Yankey book, was murdered 27 May 1874 near the Cold Spring on the Shenandoah Mountain.
May	George	25 Sep 1811	27 Oct 1875	born 25 Sept 1811, died 27 Oct 1875, son of James May. Husband of Priscilla Lantz (dates from Vergie Lantz’s May history, page 26)
Riggleman	Barbara Whetzel	abt 1770	aft 1850	wife of John Riggleman, daughter of Henry and Sarah Catherine Weatherholtz Whetzel. Barbara was born about 1770, died after the 1850 census was taken.
Winkler	Barbara Kline Mason			daughter of Henry & Elizabeth Kline. She first married William Mason. They lived in the divide between the end of Church Mountain and Grindstone Knob at the head of Fort Run. William Mason may be buried in the Fulk-Fawley cemetery behind Chester Litten's house on Hwy 259 at Fulks Run, VA. Barbara later married Michael Winkler. Michael lived close to Hugh Caplinger at the foot of the mountain there is a hill on the road close to where Michael lived called Winkler Hill. Hugh Caplinger lived a short distance farther up against the mountain. Michael lived up from Frank Secrist after they married.
Riggleman	Margaret "Peggy" Dove	abt 1820		Margaret was the daughter of Reuben Dove and Catherine Dove. Margaret was born about 1820, death date unknown. Margaret and Pharaoh lived near Criders on the mountain. They possibly could be buried in the Martin Luther Lutheran Church, but there is no record that they are buried there.
Dove	Pharaoh			Refer to Pharaoh Riggleman in this cemetery.
Riggleman	Pharaoh	abt 1816	2 Dec 1877	Pharaoh was the son of Catherine Riggleman and George Dove. His mother named him Riggleman instead of Dove. Some of Pharaoh’s children used the name Dove and some used Riggleman. Pharaoh was born about 1816 and died 2 Dec. 1877
Riggleman	Jacoob			son of John Riggleman (or Jacob could be buried in the new cemetery). [Note from Pat Ritchie: Jacob Riggleman, son of John & Barbara Whetzel Riggleman, died in 1878 and is buried in the Riggleman cemetery near Cabins, WV]
Ritchie	Susannah Caplinger			daughter of Lewis & Sarah Fitzwater Caplinger. Both Levi Ritchie Sr. and his wife have stones in the new Caplinger cemetery
Ritchie, Sr.	Levi			Both Levi Ritchie Sr. and his wife have stones in the new Caplinger cemetery
Riggleman	Hagar	abt 1815-1817	bef 1880	daughter of John & Barbara Whetzel Riggleman, born about 1815-1817, died before 1880.
Caplinger	Lewis		5 Jun 1862	died 5 June 1862 of dropsy of the chest in Brocks Gap, age 63, son of Christian & Magdalene Caplinger, born in Brocks Gap, wife was Catherine Caplinger. Death was reported to Rockingham Co. Death Register by J. Caplinger, Lewis’ brother and executor.
Dove	James	abt 1790	23 Apr 1878	born about 1790, died April 23, 1878. Served in the War of 1812 in Capt. Thomas Hopkins Company, Virginia Militia. Son of George and Elizabeth Bean Dove. James has a military marker recently placed by relatives.
Riggleman	John	abt 1775	bef 1840	born about 1775, died before 1840. Husband of Barbara Whetzel Riggleman.
Shaver	Abraham			[Lewis Yankey had a question if Abraham was buried here. Here is information on Abraham Shaver/Shafer from the Rockingham County Death Register: Abraham Shafer Jun. [Junior] was born 9 July 1858, died of consumption at age 82 years, son of Palser & Catherine Shafer, born in Loudoun County. Farmer. Wife was Barbara Shafer. Reported by Magdalene Shafer, daughter. Abraham’s wife Barbara died Jan 5, 1858 in Brocks Gap of consumption at age 75 years. She was the daughter of Adam & Barbara Kepner, born in Pendleton Co., WV, was a housekeeper, wife of Abr. Shafer Jr. Reported by Magdalene Shafer, daughter.]
Ritchie	Philip			This Philip Ritchie’s identity is not known.
Whetzel	Jemima (sometimes pronounced Germima)	bef 1820	aft 1876	wife of George Whetzel Sr. and daughter of Cutlip and Catherine Hevener/Heffner of Pendleton Co., WV. Jemima was born before 1820, married George Whetzel in 1833, died after 1876.Acording to Edna Whetzel Dove’s history of the Whetzel family, George and Jemima lived 3 miles above Criders Post Office under the Shenandoah Mountain on Persimmon River.
Whetzel, Sr.	George	abt 1809-1810	aft 1885	born about 1809-1810, died after 1885. He was the son of John and Elizabeth Keplinger Whetzel, and husband of Jemima Hevener/Heffner
Hottinger	Julian A.	abt 1847	aft 1880	daughter of Reuben Hottinger and Mary Ann Smith Hottinger. She was born about 1847, died after 1880. The 1880 census states that Julia, age 37, was suffering from rheumatism and did not walk for 10 years.
Siever	Catherine "Katie" Shaver	abt 1823	aft 1880	wife of Joseph Siever. She was born about 1823, died after 1880, and was the daughter of Abraham Shaver and Barbara Shaver.
Caplinter	Catherine Fitzwater	abt 1796		daughter of George Fitzwater. Born about 1796. She married Lewis Caplinger on 25 Oct. 1813 in Frederick County, MD. Tradition says their home was on the bend of Germany River below Shaver’s Schoolhouse and above Feaster’s Spring.

Rockingham County Virginia Tombstones by Cemetery