Weigand Cemetery History, Knox County, Nebraska

The Leonhard Weigand family moved to Knox County in 1861. He filed a homestead in the SW Ľ of Section 1 in Addison township. He first constructed a dugout dwelling for his family at the foot of a steep hill near a spring. This was the beginning of what was known as the Weigand settlement. The old Freighter Trail, from Sioux City to Fort Randall ran right past the Weigand farm. Drivers often stopped at the farm overnight.

A log house was later constructed and an addition added in 1878. In 1883 the Weigand Post Office was established and Leonhard was made postmaster. In 1900 the village of Weigand had a general store, a blacksmith shop and a lodge hall. The lodge hall also served as a church, theater and dance hall.

Leonhard and Therese had a many children including a set of twins born in 1864. When they were six months old, one of them, Gustav Herman died. As was the custom of the pioneer families, Leonhard chose a hill behind the homestead and buried the little one there.

The next burial to take place was James Laird in 1887. James was the father-in-law of Minnie and Martha (Weigand) Laird, the sisters having married brothers. Other residents and neighbors of the Weigand community were to join them on the hill in the coming years: John Schoenberner in 1891, Peter Haug in 1895, and Loraab Jungclaus in 1899.

In 1901 Leonhard laid his beloved wife Therese to rest near their son, and placed a beautiful marble monument in memory of his wife. It was at this time that Leonhard made the decision to have this cemetery platted and gave a conditional warranty deed to the Trustees of the Weigand Cemetery Association. The condition of this deed was that the east portion of the cemetery was for the sole use of the Weigand family.

I set out one beautiful Saturday morning in January to find the Weigand cemetery. Having gotten some precise directions from a nearby resident and permission to enter the land, I set out on my journey. My walk took me about three-quarters of a mile into the heart of the Section 1. The path was littered on both sides with giant cottonwood trees, having died and fallen many years before. The sun was peeking through the existing trees casting shadows all around me.

When finally I came to the site of the Weigand homestead, I felt like I had entered paradise. The decrepit house has refused to give up its stance. The only sounds were the nearby babbling creek and an occasional cawing of the birds at the interruption of their solitude.

I climbed the hill and found what once was brick pillars marking the entrance of the cemetery. Fence and gates have been maintained around the cemetery to keep out livestock, and I was glad to see that. The cemetery hasn’t been used in years but somehow has eluded that "unkempt" look that so many of the pioneer cemeteries have acquired.

There are about 35 burials in Weigand, many are family members of the Weigand family.