On the top of a hill overlooking the Sioux River Valley and the Iowa - South Dakota border, this land was used for burial purposes since the beginning days of settlement in the region. Swedish emigrant, Anders/Andrew Person/Peterson
deeded this land in 1879, to John Long, Andrew Swanson and Nels/Nils Peterson, reserving lots No. 54 and 55 for the heirs and the rest to the congregation of Swedish pioneer worshipers. In 1919, five years after the building of the Grand View Swedish Mission Church of Granite, Iowa, a deed was recorded in Lyon County where the heirs of the original owners deeded the land to the church.
Located in Sioux Township in section 25, the cemetery was appropriately named Grand View Cemetery for the scenic 360 degree view of the surrounding area and the fact the Church a mile to the east is located on the highest point in Lyon County. Early in the years of the cemetery, access to the graves was by a steep wooden stairway on the south side of the cemetery. Imagine the caskets with pallbearers and mourners climbing the stairs. It was years later that Anton Swanson donated the land where the entrance and drive is now located. Carl Johnson donated the entrance gate.
Graves were all hand dug until the 1970's, by Grandview Covenant Church members. Stories survive of attempts to dig into the dirt with pick axes in the cold of winter and fires set over the gravesite to warm the ground and the diggers. Fancy horse drawn hearses brought a few of those buried there to their final resting place but more often farm wagons brought these tough pioneers to the hill.
The earliest date of death on a stone is from the grave of Betsy Peterson, who was born in 1854 and died in 1876. She was the daughter of Nils & Anna Person/Peterson, Swedish emigrants who lived about a mile from the cemetery. Many early pioneers from this extreme NW corner of Lyon County and Grand View Swedish Mission Church of Granite, Iowa, later known as the Grandview Covenant Church of Larchwood, Iowa are buried here.
Provided by Diane Johnson
Land Deeds Book 80, page 548, No. 90 Recording Fee $1.10 Filed for record this 30th day of January A.D. 1919 at 10:20 a.m. W.B.Rogers, Recorder by Addie Kemplay, Deputy. Charles J. Long & wf et al. to C.T. Swanson
Warranty Deed: Know all men by these presents: That Charles J. Long and wife, Emma Long, Anna Peterson, widow, Anna Sophia Ruud and Husband, Martin Ruud, Olive Swanson, widow, Iver Swanson, unmarried, Johanna Cline and Husband R. M. Cline, Carolina Swanson, unmarried, Ida Swanson, unmarried, Albertina Swanson, unmarried, all of the County of Lyon and State of Iowa, and Alma Severson and husband, Severt Severson, of the County of Minnehaha State of South Dakota and Olga Sandbeck and husband Mathias Sandbeck of the County of Lincoln and State of South Dakota, in consideration of the sum of One Dollar ($1.00) and other valuable consideration, in hand paid by C. T. Swanson of the County of Lyon and State of Iowa, do hereby sell and convey unto the said C T. Swanson the following described premises situated in the County of Lyon and State of Iowa, to-wit:
A Tract of land situated in the Southwest Quarter of Section Twenty Five (25) in Township One Hundred (100) North of Range Forty Nine (49) West of the 5th P.M. more particularly described as: Commencing at a point 62 rods East of the Southwest corner of said Quarter Section and running thence North 20 rods: thence East 16 rods: thence South 20 rods: thence West 16 rods to the place of beginning, and containing Two acres more or less. And the said grantors hereby covenant with the said grantee that they hold said premises by good and perfect title: That they have good and lawful authority to sell and convey the same, and that said premises are free and clear of all liens and encumbrances whatsoever. And said grantors covenant to warrant and defend the said premises against the lawful claims of all persons whomsoever.
The grantor herein, Charles J. Long, being sole legatee and devisee under the Will of John A. Long, deceased, whose will was probated in Lyon County, Iowa, the proceedings in probate being known as Cause No. 100 Probate, in the District Court of Lyon County, Iowa. The said John A. Long, deceased, being identical with John Long, one of the grantees of the Premises herein described in the certain warranty deed from Andrew Peterson, dated March 17th, 1879, filed for record, March 17th 1879, and recorded in Book C, at Page 244, of the land deed records of said Lyon County, Iowa. The said grantors, Anna Peterson and Anna Sophia Ruud being the residuary legatees under the will and Nils Peterson, which will was admitted to probate in the District Court of Lyon County, Iowa, and is known as Cause
No. 200 Probate in said District Court and the said Nils Peterson, deceased, being identical with Nels Peterson one of the grantees of said premises above described in the certain warranty deed from Andrew Peterson above described as being recorded in Book C at Page 233 of the land deed records of said Lyon County, Iowa, and the said grantors Olive Swanson, Iver Swanson, Alma Severson, Johanna Cline, Olga Sandbeck, Carolina Swanson, Ida Swanson, and Albertina Swanson, being the widow and sole and only heirs at law of Andrew Swanson, one of the grantees in the warrant deed above described from Andrew Peterson as being recorded in Book C at Page 233, of the land deed records of said Lyon County, Iowa. And the said Emma Long, wife of said Charles J. Long, Severt Severson, husband of the said Alma Severson, R.W. Cline, husband of the said Johanna Cline, and Mathias Sandbeck, husband of the said Olga Sandbeck and Martin Ruud, husband of the said Anna Sophia Ruud, each hereby relinquish right of dower in and to the above described premises. should the property described herein at any time be used for other purposes than a cemetery, said property shall revert to the Grantors or their heirs, named herein. this deed given to prefect the title to said read estate.
Dated this 11th day of December A.D. 1917. Signed Olive Swanson Iver Swanson Johanna Cline R. M. Cline Ida Swanson Albertina Swanson Olga Sandbeck Mathias Sandbeck Carolina Swanson Emma Long (her mark, witness mark by O.E. Holly & August Swanson) Charles J. Long Anna Peterson (her mark, witness mark by O.E. Holly & August Swanson) Anna Sophia Ruud Martin Ruud Alma Severson Severt Severson State of Iowa, Lyon County, SS: On this 11th day of December A.D. 1917, before me a Notary Public in and for said County personally appeared, Charles J. Long and wife, Emma Long, Anna Peterson, widow, Anna Sophia Ruud and husband Martin Ruud, Olive Swanson, widow, Iver Swanson, unmarried, Johanna Cline and husband R. M. Cline, Carolina Swanson, unmarried, Ida Swanson, unmarried, Albertina Swanson, unmarried, Olga Sandbeck and husband, Mathias Sandbeck, to me know to be the persons named in and who executed the foregoing instrument and acknowledged that they executed the same as their voluntary act and deed. Notary Seal O. E. Holly. Notary Public in and for Lyon County, Iowa State of South Dakota, Minnehaha County, SS.
On this 12th day of December A.D. 1917, before me a Notary Public in and for said County, personally appeared Carolina Swanson, Alma Severson and husband, Severt Severson, to me known to be the persons named in and who executed the foregoing instrument and acknowledged that they executed the same as their voluntary act and deed. Notary Seal A. N. Graff. Notary Public in and for Minnehaha County, S.D. Land Deeds, No. 132, Lyon County, Iowa No. 414 Recording Fee $ .50 From C.T. Swanson and wife to Grand View Church of Granite, Iowa Filed for record the 10th day of March A.D. 1919 at 3:00 p.m. W.B. Rogers, Recorder by Addie Kemplay Deputy
Know All Men by these Presents: That C.T. Swanson and wife, Anna S. Swanson of Lyon County, State of Iowa in consideration of the sum of one dollar in hand paid by Grand View Church of Granite, Iowa the following described premises situated in the County of Lyon, and State of Iowa to-wit All of the lots contained in the Plat of Grand View Swedish Mission Cemetery, situated in the Southwest Quarter of Section, 25, in Township 100 North Range 49 West 5th P.M. being lots 1 to 70 both inclusive excepting however, lots No. 54 and No. 55 which are reserved from.
A special thanks to Diane and Darlene Johnson for the cemetery records and land deed, and also a special thanks to Roger and Joyce Swanson for taking the tombstone photos.
Burial Data
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