North Plains Township in Hubbardston in Ionia County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
St. John the Baptist Church / St. John the Baptist Cemetery
St.John the Baptist Church
Organized in 1855 to serve Irish Catholic immigrants, the parish of St.John the Baptist worshipped in a simple church on the Cowman farm until 1868. That year, the parish of seventy families built this church, which seated four hundred people. It was the largest church in Ionia County at that time. St. John's grew to include a cemetery (1884), a rectory (1907), a school (1917), a convent (1927), which was razed in 1987 and a parish hall (1977).
St.John the Baptist Cemetery
Consecrated in 1884, St.John the Baptist Cemetery contains the graves of the Irish founders of the parish and their descendants. The oldest burials date from 1875 and were moved from the original Catholic cemetery, located one mile west of here. The Roach, Welch, Hogan, Cahalan and Connell families donated the land for the cemetery. At the entrance a shrine pays tribute to Father Eugene R. Fox, wwho served St. John's from 1938 to 1986.
Erected 2001 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number L2091.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches & Religion. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.
Location. 43° 5.505′ N, 84° 50.784′ W. Marker is in Hubbardston, Michigan, in Ionia County. It is in North Plains Township. Marker can be reached from South Washington Street near 1st Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 720 South Washington Street, Hubbardston MI 48845, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Dustin John Kaleyta Memorial Flagpole (approx. 6 miles away); Pewamo World Wars Memorial (approx. 6.3 miles away); Pewamo Veterans Memorial (approx. 7.1 miles away); Church of Christ (approx. 8 miles away); Westphalia Settlement / St. Mary's Parish (approx. 11.4 miles away); Westphalia Veterans Memorial (approx. 11˝ miles away).
Also see . . . The History of St. John the Baptist Church, Hubbardston. Excerpt:
For 156 years starting with Father Godez of St. Mary's Church in Westphalia, the only Catholic parish within 100 miles of Hubbardston, St. John the Baptist has been fortunate enough to have had a parish priest to guide the families calling "Fish Creek," "Plains," and finally "Hubbardston" their home. Because of its size (70 families in 1868), three parishes were formed from the original Hubbardston Parish.(Submitted on March 4, 2023, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 6, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 4, 2023, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 94 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 4, 2023, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.