Harugari Cemetery

Harugari Cemetery. . The name Harugari is derived from the old German word Haruc, which means "Holy Shrine", a meeting place under the oak trees. In 1877, Harugari Cemetery was established as a burial ground for a secret German society named for the ancient order of German knighthood called "The Order of Harugari.", The society first began on the east coast in 1848, as a way for German immigrants to preserve the German culture and language. As they moved westward they established Harugari lodges along the way. By 1897 22 of the 25 Harugari lodges in Missouri, were in the St. Louis area., The society also recognized the need to establish their heritage and a means to identify their descendants. Therefore plots of land were donated or purchased for cemeteries. Accordingly, in 1877, the Eniigkeits Lodge #342 des Deutschen Ordens Harugari acquired 1.81 acres from Henry and Anna Seibel, prominent residents and landowners. Henry, himself an immigrant from Germany at the age of 16, donated his land to the Society, with the understanding that the property only be used as a cemetery., Of the many graves at Harugari Cemetery, only 22 of the markers remain, one of which belongs to Henry Seibel. For generations, surviving family members of those laid to rest here have provided the upkeep for the cemetery.