Bellinger Cemetery is located on private property.

The following information is transcribed from the WPA Linn County Cemetery Survey, researched & prepared by Leslie L. Haskin on 8-7-1939:

The Bellinger Cemetery is situated in Section 15, Township 12 South of Range 1 West in Linn County.  To be more specific, it is about five miles south of Lebanon and about one and one-half miles north of the Lebanon-Berlin Market Road and one-half mile east of the road leading from the above Lebanon-Berlin Market road northward Lacomb.

There is some uncertainty as to the original Donation Land Claim on which this cemetery tract is situated but most probably it was the J. Hardman claim. (Might possibly have been the James Lindley claim).  The present [in 1939] owner of the land surrounding the cemetery is Mr. Thornton Cole.  The deed for the cemetery proper is vested in certain Bellinger heirs….

It is not known who or when the first burial took place here.  Tradition says that it was “some settler’s infant”, but no name could be learned.  The first burial of record here is that of Catharine, wife of F. Bellinger, who died on November 5, 1854.    However, informants in the Bellinger family stat that this woman, the first wife of the above F. Bellinger, “was first buried somewhere out in the pasture and her grave remained there for an umber of years before removed to the present situation.”

Following the burial of Catherine Bellinger there are no recorded burials until 1864.  In May of that year there were three as follows:

                May 9, Catharine J. Aged 9.
                May 14, Alwida E.  Aged 14.
                May 24, Mary E.  Aged 12.

These were all daughters of the first mentioned Catharine who had died in 1854.  All died of Diphtheria within a few weeks’ time.  Their father was Francis Bellinger, a pioneer of 1849.

After the above mentioned burials none are recorded until that of Emma l. Bartenshaw on December 21, 187, then again a lapse of some years and Eula Taylor in 1885.

The earliest birth date recorded here is that of James Vinson, Aug21, 1808; the second Wm. M. Rutledge, 1820, and the third Francis Bellinger, 1826.

Historical & Biographical Notes:

Grant Bellinger.  1865-1930.  A son of Francis Bellinger for whom this cemetery is named.

Jasper N. Bellinger. 1867-1926.  Another son of Francis Bellinger.

Catharine Bellinger.  1827-1854.  The first wife of Francis Bellinger.  Came to Oregon with her husband in 1849.  They settled east of this cemetery and north of present village of Berlin.  This woman is the first recorded death in this cemetery.

Catharine J.  1855-1864.  Daughter of the above Catharine Bellinger.  She, and her two sisters (next following) all died of diphtheria in the month of May, 1864.  Catharine J. died on May 9^th.

Alwida Bellinger.  1849-1864.  Died on May 14^th.  Sister of the last.  Born in Oregon soon after her parents arrived here.

Mary E. Bellinger.  1852-1864.  Sister of the last two.  Died of Diphtheria May 24, 1864.  She, her two sisters and her mother who died in 1854 were for many years the only burials here save for an unnamed infant.

Francis Bellinger.  1826-1900.  Father of the last three children.  He came to Oregon and settled near the village of Berlin in 1849.  His wife (see above) died in 1854 leaving him with three infant daughters for whom he cared himself, improving his claim at the same time—often taking the babies with him while he worked in the fields—leaving them near by on a blanked.  All three of these children died of diphtheria in May, 1864.

Ellen Bellinger.  1844-1910.  Ellen Dunlap Bellinger was a sixteen year old girl who was hired by Francis Bellinger to help care for his three infant daughters after the death of his first wife.  She became his second wife and the mother of five sons.

Jas. Fitzwater.  A Mexican War veteran.

Online Transciptions:

A survey of Bellinger cemetery from the WPA era ( DAR?), with additional information provided by John Miles in 1988, is available at Jan Phillips' site.

Return to Linn County Cemeteries

Home

References used to prepare these cemetery pages are provided.
Lisa L. Jones prepared and is solely responsible for the content of these pages. 
Copyright 2001.