Cemeteries: Mt. Zion Methodist Cemetery, Slate Hill Rd, Drumore Twp, Lancaster Co, PA

Cemetery Inscriptions
Submitted courtesy of Southern Lancaster County Historical Society, P.O. Box 33,
Quarryville, PA, 17566 or e-mail to SLCHS@aol.

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The inscpiptions written down and typed by Marie Malark (1995-97), 
while thought to be accurate typing or reading errors may always occur.
   MMaark2@aol.com

   The Shanks and allied families buried here are my family lines and I would be
interested in sharing any information on Alexander Shank or any of his descendants -
Marie Malark

Mount Zion United Methodist Church, Slate Hill Road, Fairfield, Drumore Township, Pa.

   Some points in the history of Mount Zion which is also known as
 Fairfield Methodist Church.

   Mount Zion was formerly a Methodist Epscopal Church. At first the meetings were
held in members homes. This was the practice from 1833 until 1835. In 1835 the land
was deeded, the congregation was organized and the first church was built. The
church was rebuilt in 1883 and then rebuilt again in 1950 after the church was
destroyed by fire. Church records from 1950 to present are held by the congregation.


The following is information from the book " History of Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania" by Ellis & Evans , printed in1883


          The Mount Zion Methodist Episcopal Church is situated on a hillock in
Fairfield.  It is a small frame structure, and was built in 1835. The carpenter work
was done by Abraham Boyce. Alexander Shank, W. H. Potts, Nathen Blake, William
Arnold, and their wives were the first members.  The first trustees were Shank,
Potts, Shade, Arnold and Barnett.  The present trustees are James Cain, N. N. Hensel,
Elias Hambelton, Matthias Harvey, and William Harrison Potts.  The first
preacher in charge was Lawrence McCoombs.  The first sabbeth-school
superintendent was W. Harrison Potts, and the present superintendent
is John Adams.  The members number fifty-two.

          Mount Zion Church was built mainly thru the efforts of Alexander Shank,
who emigrated to this County from Ireland in 1815.  He was a Weaver by trade.
Converted to Christ in the Methodist faith, he became an earnest exhorter, and was
licensed as a local preacher.  In his anxiety for a Church, he dreamed he was given a
blank paper to present to a Mr. Caldwell for a subscription-heading and a
contribution for church building. He stated the case to Mr. Caldwell, who headed the
list with fifty dollars, and directed him to go to Gardner Furnac, a generous and
eccentric Quaker, and secure a building lot. He did as directed and was successful.
Calling on Joseph Smith for a contibution, Joseph said "Alexander, thee knows I do
not believe in churches with paid preachers. " Alex replied, " We must have a fence
around the graveyard. " Joseph answered, " I will give thee ten dollars for the
fence. "
 In Baltimore he noticed three well dressed gentleman in conversation, and presented
to them his subscription-list. Looking at him for an instant, one of the party said
to the others, " Let us give him ten dollars apiece, on the condition that he build
as many bricks in the church as we give him dollars. It will be something to
remember us by when we are gone " He raised five hundred dollars, with which was
erected the plain little church, soon to be replaced by a new one. His constent
feast of merry heart, his sincerity and piety warmed all hearts toward him, and is
still affectionately spoken of by those who knew him as good old Father Shank. There
is a pile of stones between a few trees in the front of the cemetery, hopefully only
footstones or replaced stones, the ones I could read were only initials as follows

F.A.T.,   E.M.C. ,  J.B.,   J.B.S.,  L.M.B.,  J.B.,  M.E.K.,  ?. K.,  ?. V.H.,
  S.P.H.,  G.C.B.

RIGHT SIDE OF CEMETERY-- READING LEFT TO RIGHT

ROW 18
        stone #4
OLIVE MAY daughter of M. W. & Ruth A. HARVEY  Born Sept 16, 1881 
Died Sept 13, 1891 age 9 yr 11 mo 27 days

        stone #5
LIZZIE B. daughter of M.W. & R. A. HARVEY  Died Aug 9, 1897 age 13 yr 3 mo 4 days

        stone #6
HARVEY,    MATTHIAS W.    Born 1849       Died 1920
his wife   RUTH           Born 1859       Died 1942

Row 19     stone #5
      (this stone is actually in front of the above stone in between rows )
  only markings    M. W. HARVEY



Row 23A (the transcribtion had TWO row 23s, so I have designated them by A & B)

        stone #6
HARVEY,
father        JAMES    Born Oct 3, 1829         Died March 16, 1897
mother        SUSIE    Born April 5, 1827       Died Feb 14, 1895

        stone #7
WILLIAM J. HARVEY       Born 1862       Died 1925


Row 23B
 stone #1         (Very hard to read can only read the following) MARY
daughter of ------------- HARVEY  Born May    Died Sept  1910

        stone #2
MARTIN HARVEY   Born 1872       Died 1936

        stone #6
ANNA A. HARVEY  Born Jan 29, 1846       Died Jan 1, 1915

        stone #7
mother EMILY S. wife of Moses HARVEY  Born Sept. 10, 1817   Died Jan'y 7, 1890
      age 72 yr 3 mo 27 day

        stone #8     (hard to read looks like 1813 March 23 or 25 1888) 
father MOSES HARVEY  Born June 9, 18**   Died March 2*, 188* age 74 yr 9 mo 16 days

 ROW 28
        stone #4
DAVID HUNTER son of Jack H. & Alice B. HARVEY
     Born Sept. 19, 1941  Died Mar. 19, 1942