The historical sign for the Union Cemetery at 151 Franklin Avenue in Wyckoff, NJ
The marker sign put up by the Wyckoff Historical Society
The walled garden just outside the cemetery in bloom
The Union Cemetery was originally the resting place of the Van Blarcom family and the right hand side of the cemetery has the Van Blarcom family plot
One of the descendants of the family, Ethel Van Blarcom Green donated money for the preservation of this family plot.
The Biography of Ethel Van Blarcom Green:
(From the Wyckoff Historical Site)
If you at all familiar with the Wyckoff Historical Society’s recent activities at Union Cemetery, you may know that the 250 year-old site was the original Van Blarcom burial site. The name can be traced to the early 1700s when the first Van Blarcom family settled in New Jersey. The oldest legible headstone dates to 1764.
What you may not know, is that Ethel Van Blarcom, a direct descendant, bestowed a significant financial contribution to the Society beginning in 1978, with her wish that her beloved family cemetery be maintained. Although she lived in California for most of her adult life, Union Cemetery obviously held a special place in her heart, and she wanted to see it survive. The Society has Ethel’s hand-written letters that confirm her generous donation. She also continued to renew her Society membership until 1984.
However, it wasn’t until 2019 that the current trustees decided it was time to use the funds for its intended use, and honor Ethel’s wishes. Several headstones were repaired, new fencing is being installed, and yearly grounds maintenance is conducted, thanks, in part, to Ethel’s generosity.
It was at this time that Society trustees, Doris Noerr, Melanie Long, and Linda Vreeland, dove into genealogy websites and Society archives to learn more about Ethel’s life and to particularly find a photograph of her.
“After several week of research, we obtained Ethel’s death certificate which led to contacting her niece Naomi who is now 92,” said Society president, Lynn Groel-Lynch. “To our delight, she had a photo of Ethel and her husband, Roy Green that we believe is her 1916 wedding photo.”
Ethel was born in Paterson in 1897 and lived to the age of 89. She and Roy moved to the Los Angeles, California area most likely around the time of her mother’s death in 1933. The couple had no children.
“We are still in the process of contacting a few descendants, and those we’ve spoken to have been happy to share what they know about Ethel,” said Melanie Long. “We also will install a plaque in her memory near where her father, Edward is buried in Union Cemetery. There are thousands of Van Blarcom names as they were the one of the prominent families in our area’s farming community, and after all these years, the Society is thrilled to finally honor the legacy of one very important Van Blarcom, Ethel Van Blarcom Green. As they say, ‘It’s never too late’”.
The current history of the Union Cemetery:
(Wyckoff Historical Society website)
The original Grange sign from the 1960s at the Franklin Avenue entrance of Union Cemetery was weathered and fragile. The Wyckoff Historical Society recently replaced the old sign with one that is also hand-lettered, and includes the Grange logo which was barely visible on the old sign. Two new posts display the new sign.
The Ackerman and Terwilliger families are buried to the left/northern side of the cemetery
The Terwilliger family plot
The resting place of James Terwilliger’s tombstone
To the right of the pathway around the cemetery to the south is the Van Blarcom family plot where on the oldest graves is that of John Van Blarcom, a veteran of the Revolutionary War.
The resting place of Revolutionary War veteran, John Van Blarcom
The original section of the Van Blarcom family plot dating back to the Revolutionary War
The later burial section of the Van Blarcom family
The resting place of Daniel and Rebecca Van Blarcom
The Terwilliger family has two sections of the family plot in the northern section of the cemetery
The Ackerman family’s plot is to the middle most northern end of the cemetery
The Mallinson/Westervelt family has the further most family plot of the cemetery
The cemetery is so peaceful and relaxing to walk around. The Wyckoff Historical Society has done a wonderful job maintaining the property. Even though it is the resting place of many family plots, it’s still a very welcoming place and you can feel it as you walk the paths. There is a respect of remembering the people of the past that can be felt here
As you walk the pathways, you visit the people who have contributed to the growth and history of Bergen County and the surrounding area. They shaped their communities from before the Revolution War to today.
My video of visiting the cemetery and the families that rest here.
The History of the Cemetery:
(From the Wyckoff Historical Society website)
The Union Cemetery on Franklin Avenue dates back to the first half of the 1700s, when Johannes Van Blarcom set aside an area of his property to become a burial place. The earliest readable stone is from 1764 and thought to mark the grave of a slave girl because there is no surname given. Johannes Van Blarcom’s daughter, who died in 1725, is alleged to be buried there also. Various community groups have volunteered to maintain the cemetery, including the Wyckoff Historical Society. In 2018, dead trees, underbrush, and poison ivy were removed.
Most are early Van Blarcom family members as the cemetery was one of the original family cemeteries.
The stone marker sign at the entrance to the family cemetery. This cemetery is the final resting place of Captain John Outwater from the local militia who fought in the Revolutionary War and his family.
The memorial to Captain Outwater in the center of the cemetery dedicated to his contributions to Revolutionary War
Captain John Outwater during the Revolutionary War
When John J. Outwater was born on 9 February 1780, in Hackensack, Bergen, New Jersey, United States, his father, Captain John Outwater, was 33 and his mother, Hendrickje Dirck Lozier, was 34. He married Cathalina Van Bussum on 1 February 1813, in Old First Reformed Church, Passaic, Passaic, New Jersey, United States.
They were the parents of at least 4 sons. He died on 25 September 1842, in Wilson, Wilson, Niagara, New York, United States, at the age of 62, and was buried in Glenwood, Lewiston, Lewiston, Niagara, New York, United States.
The original entrance to the cemetery must have been on Moonachie Avenue in the distant past.
The original graves of Captain John Outwater and his wife, Louise Lozier
Across from their graves is the memorial to the family
Various members of the Outwater family including parents, brothers and sisters and children are buried here.
The grave of Jacob Outwater and his family
The tombstone of Jacob Outwater
The grave of Jacob’s son who died as an infant
The graves of George Outwater and his wife, Ann Van Note
I think this is the grave of George Outwater’s first wife, Mary
Buried outside the family plot is the grave of Henry Cordes
The Outwater family cemetery sits on a small hill overlooking a Quick Check store and gasoline station. Talk about modern progress.
I took a quick tour of the cemetery:
My video of the Outwater Family Cemetery and the grave of Captain John Outwater of Revolutionary War fame.
I can’t believe its been ten years since I started this project!
I read online all the time of how people say, “I walked every street in Manhattan in one Summer and I got so much out of it!” Sorry folks, I have been doing this for ten years and I have walked every street, park, road, bridge and byway including other parts of the City and outside the City when the City closed for COVID for a decade and I still have to revisit neighborhoods because they keep changing. The City just keeps changing faster since COVID.
Manhattan like the rest of New York City or any City for that matter is like an onion, you have to keep peeling back the layers and you find more than you thought. You always miss something. I had to revisit the entire Upper Upper and Upper West Side from West 125th Street to West 59th Street over the Fall and there was so much I had to revamp on over a dozen blogs. There is so much you miss the first time around that you have to go back again. Then you go “Wow, how did I miss that?”
The starting point of The Great Saunter at Fraunces Tavern in May 2025
Architecture I missed, restaurants have opened and closed and then opened again under new ownership. Museums that needed to be revisited and so much more that was discovered sometimes in just a one block area. How many residents just pass a building or a statue and give it not a second thought. There is so much to see, do and experience in this City and just on the Island of Manhattan. I think it is all fascinating the complexity of it all.
The only way to really get to know a place is by walking around it and experiencing it. I have done this over the last three years with visits abroad to Paris, Prague, Abu Dhabi and Dubai with NYU, especially when I finally had some time on my own to just walk those cities. What I missed on the tour I visited on my own, especially in Prague and Abu Dhabi, when I had the day to myself and I could relax and do. Just having a morning in Paris to myself and having breakfast near my dorm on my own was an eye-opener, especially to the French who could not believe an American could eat that much for breakfast.
Me doing the tourist thing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris the Summer of 2023 with NYU. Talk about walking a City!
This experience I have also shared in the Tri State area with visits to Philadelphia and Washington DC, walking around Newark, NJ (yes it does have it attributes) and exploring the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut in cities like New Haven, Narrowsburg, Cooperstown, Rhinebeck, Greenwich and exploring the shore towns of Cape May, Seaside Heights and Park, Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach and a complete tour of Long Beach Island towns. There is so much to experience so close to you and each little town has attributes you only experience once you leave the Boardwalk.
I have completed the Broadway Walk from 242nd Street to the Bowling Green over a dozen times and just completed the Great Saunter, the 33 mile perimeter walk of Manhattan for my forth time officially and plan the fifth time unofficially as soon as it stops raining.
On the day of the Tenth Anniversary, it rained all day (it never stopped raining for a week) in the City making walking around the City impossible so I went to the Museum of Modern Art to see some movies that were part of the retrospect that was part of “Pride Week” entitled “Queer and Uncensored”, which was a retrospect of what passed for racy in the 1970’s and 80’s. It is interesting that the MoMA showed what was considered provocative films of that era. I watched some interesting perspectives of art in film.
Honoring a courageous history of liberation and transgression, this major survey of queer film and video includes more than 70 shorts and features by 65 filmmakers. This cinematic celebration of lesbian, gay, and transgender sexuality, love, and activism presents seven decades of pioneering, landmark films and lesser-known or marginalized works.
Guest curators MM Serra, longtime head of Film-Maker’s Cooperative, and Erica Schreiner—both filmmakers themselves—write, “Since the inception of queer cinema, artists have faced censorship and invisibility, a challenge that persists today. Queer and Uncensored showcases a powerful selection of rarely seen, suppressed films that are crucial milestones in the evolution of queer filmmaking. Each program focuses on a topic that is relevant to the development and expansion of queer identity and its diversity. These films explore gender, race, class, sexual orientation, and the emergence of the epidemic.”
After the movies were over, I treated myself to dinner. Then the rain subsided finally in the evening and I decided to revisit a restaurant I had eaten at in post-pandemic in Kips Bay, Anjappar Chettinad South Indian Cuisine at 116 Lexington Avenue. I had eaten here a few years ago right after the City opened after the Pandemic and had wanted to come back to try it again. With some of the restaurants that I have visited lately, it is all about ‘the picture’ (meaning going back to restaurants of the past blogs to take pictures of the meals I had before).
My ten year anniversary dinner at Anjappar Chettinad South Indian Cuisine
This was the exact meal I had in the restaurant five years prior when the City had opened up. Because of COVID, only a handful of us were allowed in the restaurant at one time. As I recall, there were only three of us in the restaurant that night. It was nice to return. The food and service are wonderful here (See my review on TripAdvisor).
The Chicken Marsala is very spicy and wonderful with the bread to soak up the sauce
The Parotta bread is a spiral bread perfect for this saucy meal
The Mango Lassi to cool me down
The dinner was fantastic
The dessert, the Gulobjamun, a sweet rice cake in syrup. Unusual and delicious!
If wasn’t the day I had planned with me wanting to do the Broadway walk but that would be for another day. For tonight I dealt with the rain storm as I did the first day of the walk in Marble Hill on June 15th, 2015 (Father’s Day). It has been a long time since that day and I celebrated walking 2/3rds of the Island of Manhattan.
I will keep walking until I have visited every street, park, and garden until I get to the tip of Battery Park and that includes Liberty and Ellis Islands as well. Along the way, I will be sharing with all of you interesting restaurants and stores while seeing how the City keeps changing. I don’t bemoan things of the past but look forward to things of the future. There is more to come so keep walking with me.
There are more adventures ahead and I want all of you to enjoy them with me.
I have to admit that I have had a love affair with Coney Island since my first trip there at four years old. My parents took us there with our cousins in 1974 and I still remember my first Nathan’s hot dog and crinkle cut fries (which still taste the same fifty years later). I still remember riding Deno’s Haunted Mansion ride (I rode it three years ago and it was still the same cheesy ride) and I always remember all the times I have dipped my feet into that polluted beach (I have only swum on it once). I even wrote my senior paper in both high school and Grad School at NYU on Luna Park with a group of apathetic classmates, some of whom made me do all the work. Yet I still come back for more.
I had not attended the Mermaid Parade since the late 1990’s and had wanted to come back but it was one thing after another just to get down here that weekend. I had to plan it like D-Day almost two months in advance. I started my day early I was finishing my walk of the Avenues of lower Chelsea (this is on a separate blog) and all my classwork, housework and bills were already finished, so my day was open.
The poster for the Mermaid Parade this year
I left early for the City and started my day with breakfast at 9th Avenue Deli at 769 Ninth Avenue, one of my favorite late-night places that also makes a wonderful breakfast. It’s been all about the pictures recently when dining out, so I needed a picture of their special French Toast platter. They make it so good.
The French Toast Platter at 9th Avenue Gourmet Deli is the best
Everything I have ever ordered here has been terrific and the prices are so fair. The platters can feed two people easily and their cooks do such a good job especially at breakfast.
They make enough food for two people to share
I figured a large breakfast would keep me going for the rest of the day. They give you four large slices of French Toast, two Scrambled eggs and four pieces of bacon. It was a great breakfast and enjoyed the meal. I was fine through dinner.
I took the Q express outside of Macy’s Herald Square and got down to Coney Island by noon. I had already checked out the parade route and settled by the Cyclone Roller Coaster and the entrance of Luna Park, far away from the subway entrance. The best part of being by Luna Park you got to see the parade as it turned to the Boardwalk. Plus, I wanted to visit the Aquarium later that afternoon.
Looking down Surf Avenue before the parade
Surf Avenue by the Coney Island Museum and other amusements
The entrance of Luna Park on Surf Avenue before
In some ways, the parade reminded me of the Halloween Parade with all its craziness. The energy level and the excitement just build as the parade starts. The initial part of the parade was the police and the fire departments making a big entrance with all the bells and whistles. They brought a lot of excitement to the start of the parade.
The video of the beginning of the parade with the NYPD and the FDNY opening the parade.
Then a group of skaters followed them and got the crowd all excited as they skated past us. The kids were going nuts over this.
The video of everyone was cheering the skaters when they performed down the street.
About twenty minutes later, the opening of the parade started with music, cheers and well wishes. Stupid me had the perfect view and I didn’t turn my camera on while I was filming the beginning of the parade. This video captures the excitement of the parade as it started.
The video of the start of the parade
I was able to catch my mistake and film the rest. Still the excitement built and it was a grand opening of the parade. The performers and drag queens brought so much creativity and excitement to the beginning of the parade.
The video of the opening of the parade
The costumes and make up were amazing.
The parade turning on Tenth Street right by the Cyclone, which was running every ten minutes with people screaming all the time.
The costumes and floats gave the parade a Carnival atmosphere.
The costumes were fantastic
Everyone really got into it.
Some revelers got really creative
All the floats were so full of energy and the music was great!
Revelers dancing on the floats
The parade goers dancing by the floats were having such a good time on this beautiful day
Mermaids dancing down Surf Avenue
The Jellyfish on display
The Jellyfish dance on Surf Avenue was so much fun.
All I could think about was Shirley Temple singing the “Codfish Ball” when she was a toddler. Funny enough, I think Shirley Temple would have loved this parade.
“At the Cod Fish Ball” with Shirley Temple
The parade continued on with all sorts of dance teams, drum bands and costumed people walking down Surf Avenue. The crowds really swelled as the parade went on and it was tough to maneuver for elbow room.
By the middle of the parade, the crowds kept growing.
The costumes got more and more elaborate. I did not remember the parade like this but then a lot has changed in thirty years. You could tell that people put a lot of thought into their outfits.
A purple octopus leading assorted sea creatures down Surf Avenue
A sea of mermaids
The NY Aquarium had an interesting float
Followed by an assortment of fish
The video of one of the drum lines. It looked like they were having so much fun.
More mermaids walking down the street
Greeting the parade goers
Performances with the Hula Hoop
Jugglers
More mermaids walking down the street
The mermaids greeting parade goers
More bands and costumes
The floats got very elaborate
A video of the puppets joining the parade and led by the L Train band. This reminded me so much of the Halloween Parade in the Village on Halloween Night. It was our version of Mardi Gras!
Some of the Mermaid costumes were so creative
Whole families really dressed up for this
Towards the end of the parade, the energy just got bigger as the party continued to the Boardwalk.
The last of the floats coming down Surf Avenue
This video of the drum line led us down the Surf Avenue and up to the Boardwalk for the ‘Unlocking of the Sea’ ceremony.
The floats had to turn off on Surf Avenue and 12th Street, but the marchers made their way to the Boardwalk and the partying and music continued to make its way down to the Parachute Drop where the ‘Unlocking of the Sea’ would take place. This would open the beaches for the Summer Season (the Summer Equinox was the day before)
I had enough time to grab a Pineapple-Lime ice, and it was the best $5.00 I spent my money on. It cooled me inside and out. These ices vendors have the best desserts!
The parade continued down the Boardwalk to the beach
A video of these festive Mermaids, ‘The Tail Shakers’, who led the way down the Boardwalk who energized the crowds. This is when you have to stop letting the ills of the world get you down and just have fun! With all the craziness going on in the world this was such a fun distraction. Our part of the world was having so much fun. ‘1999’ was such an ironic song for this moment!
The parade led to the Parachute Drop and the Steeplechase Pier where the rest of the service took place at 4:00pm. The ‘Unlocking of the Sea’ was an old tradition on Coney Island. It was to open the beaches at the beginning of the Summer and since the Solstice was the night before this was the first full day of summer. There are old pictures had King Neptune and Miss Coney Island opening the beaches in Coney Island’s past. All I know is that the lifeguard had to keep shooing the crowds away as the excitement built at the cermony.
The key to ‘Unlock the Beaches’
The key and the bands approaching the sea
The Key Ceremony led by the bands
The ‘Sea Unlocking’ at the beach with the beach bathing beauties.
The ceremony was a mob scene and as soon as the ‘unlocking’ was over the crowds started to disperse. This was much to the relief of the poor lifeguard, who must have been glad we were gone.
After the ceremony was over, I walked around Coney Island to get something to eat. Talk about crowded! There were lines everywhere and forget about Nathan’s. The lines were still thirty deep in every direction. Even the little pizzeria by the subway jacked all their prices up and a pizzeria on Neptune Avenue would not let you eat inside. I did not want to be ripped off that afternoon for a meal. I was going to stop in Chinatown on the way back into Manhattan, but I wanted to stay in Coney Island longer, so I explored beyond the area off the Boardwalk.
I finally found a new Chinese restaurant that opened a block from the beach on the Coney Island shopping strip on Neptune Avenue called Famous Rotisserie & Grill at 1525 Mermaid Avenue.
Walking around the Midway trying to find something to eat but every place was packed with people or the prices had been inflated.
Famous Rotisserie & Grill at 1525 Mermaid Avenue was once a Spanish Chicken restaurant
I had a combination platter of their version of Lemon Chicken and Pork Fried rice. The food was good, and the portion size was large. It fit what I was looking for that afternoon (after I had finished, I wished I had gone to Chinatown).
The Lemon Chicken and Pork Fried Rice combination platter
The food was good and they give you a nice portion size for $10.00.
The inside of the restaurant
Their current menu and prices
The one thing that stood out about this late lunch/early dinner was the service. The woman who ran this restaurant was so friendly and accommodating to her customers I was really amazed by it. She catered more to the local resident than to tourist trade.
After lunch was over, I took one more walk around the amusement area before I left for the day. The crowds were still all over the place from the restaurants to the boardwalk. Between the parade, the beach and the weather, it was wall to wall people everywhere. By this point the Aquarium had closed.
While walking through Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, I came across the small museum, the Coney Island History Project at 3059 West 12th Street, which is inside the park. This small gallery tells the history of the development of Coney Island as an amusement area. From its development to its decline to its current rebirth, the area has had so many ups and downs.
This interesting little gallery/museum tells the stories of various times of Coney Island’s history. The museum displays a variety of artifacts in different points of the island’s history (I have attached several videos that will best explain each section of the museum and of the island’s history).
The outside display of Coney Island in its heyday in the early 1940’s
The front gallery with amusement artifacts
These pieces of former rides show the creativity of Coney Island rides and attractions. This is the nostalgia that visitors remember.
The history of Steeplechase Park, the second major amusement park after Sea Lion Park
Steeplechase Park of the past, the Steeplechase ride for which the park was named after
The history of Steeplechase Park and Luna Park of the past
Coney Island of the 1970’s and decline of the island
This video from the 1970’s contains many of the artifacts that the museum now has on display
The video from the movie “The Warriors” which what many thought Coney Island had turned into in the 1970’s.
Many thought the island of the movie ‘The Warriors’ in the 1970’s and that was not far off but like the rest of New York City, it keeps morphing and changing. It keeps surprising you. Trust me, it is not a Disney theme park.
The history of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park
The Miss Coney Island robot that dances.
Outside of the museum, there were murals on the history of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park.
The history of the park
The map of the park
As I left the island around 6:30pm, it was time to go. The Freak Bar at Coney Island USA was in full force with revelers after the parade. It looked like everyone was having a good time.
I took one last walk down the Boardwalk at twilight. Coney Island is a pretty amazing place. It still has complexities and wonders. It can be seen from many different aspects. I see the wonder that generations have seen here. Coney Island is not just a place, it’s an idea of the mid and an imagine. While it might never reach the heights it did before the Dreamland Fire of 1911, each generation has their Coney Island memories. I know I do.
Coney Island Boardwalk at the end of the day
CBS This Morning: ‘The People’s Playground’
The day was a lot of fun, and you have to experience Coney Island once in your life if you are from out of town.
Open: During the hours of the Nursery that surrounds it.
My review on TripAdvisor:
The Demarest Family Cemetery sits on a small embankment surrounded by trees and a cement island. You can only access it from one side and there is no stairs. Totally forgotten burial site.
The fencing and locked door with a rusty lock surrounds the cemetery. There is no way to access it. I was able to walk up the cement embankment and was able to walk around the fence. The trees have taken over the cemetery and have knocked over the tombstones.
You can see some of the fallen tombstones from neglect at the fence
The growth surrounding the burial site
Some of the historic tombstones are still standing like this one of the burial sites of Lettya Ann Demarest who was born in 1830. She had inherited the house in 1863.
Most of the historic tombstones have fallen down
The fallen and forgotten tombstones have growth surrounding them.
The historic Demarest homestead was around the corner from the nursery. The house had been in the family for 194 years almost five generations.
The family homestead still exists up the road around the corner from the nursery.
This tiny historical and very forgotten and neglected cemetery was once part of this branch of the Demarest family. The small cemetery sits on a small hill not far from the house. Once the farm was sold off and the town grew around it, this small cemetery sits still in its original spot in the middle of nursery.
When I talked with one of the workers there, he said the owner was very careful to built around it and let it intact. He also said that no one seems to own it. It is the final resting place of James S. Demarest, who fought in the Revolutionary War.
With all the growth, I could not find it. It has been lost to time.
It is a family cemetery started before 1792 on land originally owned by Abraham Hopper. The Hopper family was the first to settle Ho-Ho-Kus, then known as Hoppertown. Many Dutch families also settled the area including the Zabriskie, Ackerman, Blauvelt, Bamper, Banta, and Terhune families. Most were members of the Old Paramus Reformed Church nearby.
While family members were commonly interred in the church graveyard, some chose to bury family members in small local plots closer to their residences. Such was the case with the Ackermans who had a plot on the northeast side of town near the Saddle River, and the Hopper and Zabskie families who were buried in the small plot in Hoppertown near the Ho-Ho-Kus brook.
The small cemetery
The historic sign
The original family cemetery of the Hopper family when the original name of the area was ‘Hoppertown’ for the family whose land dominated the area. While some would bury their loved ones at the family church’s graveyards, some preferred their loved ones closer and would be buried on the family farm. Some families picked the highest point, usually a small hill that would over look the land. This particular cemetery is located in a small cove at the bend of the road.
This small historical cemetery is another example of history lost in time. The generations of distant family members no longer care for this historical spots and they were left for the elements. This cemetery was cared for by Veterans of the Wars and the Boy Scouts who put a lot of care in it. Now it is under the Borough of Ho Ho Kus, NJ.
The history of the cemetery
The history of the Zabriskie family
The family plot map of the tombstones.
The small family burial plot common to farms in Bergen County at that time.
Who is buried here:
(From the Borough of Ho Ho Kus, NJ website)
There were a number of descendants from the Hopper and Zabriskie families who were interred in the small cemetery between 1792 and 1867. In 1910, an archivist named John Neafie from New York City cataloged the names on the headstones and provided a copy to the Bergen County Historical Society. Some of those appearing in this catalog included:
Garret Hopper, died Feb.17, 1792, age 69 years
Elsey Hopper, wife of Garret Hopper, died March 8, 1816, age 89 years
Mary Zabriskie, wife of Henry Zabriskie, died June 3, 1821, age 69 years
Francis W. Perry, wife of James H. Perry Esq. and daughter of H. and Sally Zabriskie, born June 25, 1814, died Nov. 27, 1834
Henry Zabriskie, died Feb.23, 1839, 22 years
Henry H. Zabriskie, died Feb. 27,1832, age 46 years
Sally Zabriskie, wife of H.H. Zabriskie, died May 11, 1829, age 41 years
Garret H. Zabriskie, died Aug. 6, 1867, age 79 years
Caty Van Voorhase, wife of Garret H. Zabriskie, died Nov. 6, 1833, age 41 years
Garret Zabriskie, son of Henry and Lavinia Banta, died Oct. 16, 1832, age 4 years
Ann Bamper, wife of Jacob Bamper, died Feb. 26, 1844, age 90 years
C.I.Z. (probably refers to Casparis, son of Mary Zabriskie)
The grave of Henry Zabriskie
The graves Henry and Garrett Zabriske
The graves Garrett Zabriske and Francis Perry
The grave of Caty Van Voorhase
The grave of Sally Zabriskie
The grave of Francis Perry
The cemetery is a testament to the family and their love of the land they owned.
The History of the Hopper and Zabriskie families in the area:
(From the Borough of Ho Ho Kus, NJ website)
The Hopper’s owned homesteads in the center of town on both sides of the brook and operated a grist mill. During the American Revolution, they were committed to the patriot cause and served with the Bergen County Militia. The British made several raids into Hoppertown during the war while foraging for military stores, farm animals, and other goods. One notable siege took place at Hoppertown on April 16, 1780. John J. Hopper was seriously wounded. His home and those of his brothers were burned down. The grist mill on the brook was also destroyed. The Zabriskie family would later acquire and occupy the original Hopper residence which was placed under siege. The building is now known as the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern. Materials from John Hopper’s original house razed during the raid are believed to be incorporated into the foundation of the inn.
Around 1830, John J. Zabriskie took up residence in the former Hopper home, which became known as the Mansion House. The Zabriskie’s owned several farms and buildings nearby and built a dam and mill on the brook. The Zabriskie family also acquired the Hopper family cemetery on the hillside adjacent to the mill. When the first Zabriskie mill dam breached in 1862, John Jacob would build a much grander dam out of brownstone blocks to create Sylvan Lake while at the same time expanding cotton mill operations.
The Hopper Farm Family Cemetery is a reminder of what happens when time passes you by and the world changes around you. I went in search for the grave of Andrew Hopper, a veteran of the Revolutionary War. I could not find it.
This historic cemetery is hidden from the road behind two large homes on a tiny hill in the back woods. The only way to access the cemetery is to walk down the utility road off the main road, walk through the woods and walk up through the bush to back of two families back yards.
You can tell by the rotting fallen fence that this cemetery was once enclosed but the fence has since fallen and the cemetery in disarray. Still there is a quiet elegance to it.
The cemetery is in desperate need of clean up and repair as tombstones are broken, fallen and discolored.
Some of the family tombstones have fallen. Still you can see members of the Hopper and Demarest families buried here.
Members of the Vanderbryck family Maryann and Rachel
The grave of David Hopper
The grave of Susan Storms, wife of one of the family members buried here.
The grave of Peter Bogart, a member of the extended family
One of the broken tombstones that I could not read
Another tombstone in loving memory of a name I could not read
The broken stone of Fredrick Storms grave
The family cemetery sits quiet and neglected in the woods. Most of the tombstones broken and discolored and hard to read.
I took one last look as I walked down the hill and said a prayer to these forgotten people. One what must have once been the family farm sits a development of extremely large and well maintained McMansions. This is the irony of this once prominent family.
The family buried at this cemetery:
(Bergen County Genealogical Society website)
Copied July 4, 1913, By John Neafie New York City.
1. Abraham Verbryck, d. Jan. 8, 1843 ae. 63-11-8. 2. John P. Ackerman, d. Feb. 24-1829 ae. 34-1-4. 3. Rachel, wife of John P. Ackerman, d. Oct. 4,1844 ae. 49-11-22. 4. Martha Ann, d. Apr. 6, 1835 ae. 1 yr. 8 da. 5. Martha Ann, d. Feb. 5, 1837 ae. 2 mos. 7 da. 6. Rachel Ann, d. July 12,1838 ae. 6 mos. Children of Abraham and Susan Hopper. 7. Peter G. Bogert d. 5 Dec. 1859 ae. 76-6-16. 8. Mary his wife d. 5 April 1866 ae. 72-6-21. 9. David Berthoif d. 8 Jan. 1851 ae. 85-2-29. 10. Catharine Storms his wife d. 19 June 1864 ae. 87-2-5. 11. Peter, son of Stephen D. and Eliza Berthoif, d. 19 Nov.1843 ae. 1-7-2. 12. Elizer L. Ramsey (My Mother), wife of Stephen D. Bertholf d. 18 Dec. 1876 ae. 56-7-5. 13. Stephen S. Berthoif (Brother), d. 28 Oct. 1875 ae. 21-11-17.(same stone as above.) 14. Frederick Storms d. 20 Feb. 1826 in 54th yr. 15. Alice, widow of above, d. 6 Jan. 1859, ae. 81-6-25. 16. John, son of Frederick and Alice Storms d. 29 Apr. 1852 ae. 37-7-10. 17. Susan B. Storms, wf. of Stites Miller d. at San Francisco, Cal. 16 Dec. 1863 ae. 60 y. 18. Eliza, wf. of Philip Vantassel d. 10 Sept. 1830 ae. 29 y.21 d. 19. Samuel V. Codington b. 19 Jan. 1824 d. 30 Oct. 1834. 20. Mary Ann Verbryck, wf. of William Codington b. 9 Sept.1802 d. 17 Feb. 1835. 21. Samuel Verbryck b. 15 Nov. 1780 d. 16 June 1847. 22. Rachel his wife b. 5 Aug. 1778 d. 13 Dec. 1864. 23. Conrod Lines d. 20 Dec. 1839 ae. 66-2-8 (footstone C. L.) 24. Garret G., son of Philip and Jane Hopper, d. 17 Apr. 1833 ae. 15 mos. 25. Rachel Bogert d. 22 Oct. 1793 ae. 70 y. 22 d. widow of Lucas Bogert. 26. Rachel dau. of Lucas Bogert d. 21 Feb. 1791 ae. 30-10-4. 27. Lucas Bogert d. 2 Sept. 1777 ae. 57 y. 4 m. 28. Maria Mandevil, wf. of Steven Bartolf, b. 26 May 1736 d.22 Feb. 1813 ae. 76-8-27. 29. Aaron G. son of Patrick and Sarah M. Cronk d. 25 Nov.1861 ae. 6 m. 29 d.
The Hopper family burial ground once sat between two branches of the Hopper family farms and was the resting place for members of both extended families.
The graves date back to before the Revolutionary War to the late 1800’s. It now sits between the suburban neighborhood in Glen Rock, NJ and one of the town’s elementary schools.
The grave of Elizabeth Alyea, the last person to be buried here in 1867
The grave of John Van Embury, whose wife was a member of the Demarest family.
The grave of Jess Demarest mostly is covered
These graves of the Hopper family were covered by grass.
The grave of John Hopper
Raham Hopper and his wife, Maria Goetschius graves
Except for the last person to be buried here in 1876, all the tombstones were laid flat. Most have been overgrown by weeds and grass.
No one has been maintaining this cemetery or edging the tombstones so the cemetery is hard to study. Most of the graves were grown over or in bad shape.
The cemetery needs some work and a little TLC but still a reminder of the important part of our Country’s history.
Under the direction of Chef Prince of the NJ State Firemen’s Home and our member, NJ Firemen’s Association President Bob Ordway, they cooked up a feast for the residents, their guests and members and families.
NJ State Firemen’s Association President and Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association member Bob Ordway manning the grill.
Chef Prince of the NJ State Firemen’s Home cooking up a storm.
The wonderful lunch that everyone enjoyed
Our entertainment that afternoon was singer Kelly Carpenter, who had entertained at many of our functions in the past. She sang popular show tunes, rock hits and country tunes.
The Sautjes Tave Begraven Ground Cemetery is an example of an early Dutch Cemetery of some of the first Colonists in Bergen County with some families arriving in the early 1600’s .
The entrance to the Sautjes Tave Begraven Ground Cemetery in Demarest, NJ
The historic sign at the entrance placed by the David Demarest Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
The inside of the historic cemetery
These early families once owned farms under royal patents of hundreds of acres and these would be passed down from generation to generation. These small family cemeteries were once located on the edge of family land that have since been replaced by modern suburbs. This is now in the middle of a traffic circle surrounded by homes. The cemetery is a wonderful shape and is nicely landscaped.
The cemetery from the south side
Generations of a Bogarts, Blauvelts, Haring, Demarest, Du Bois, Van Scivan and other prominent families all inter married into each family were buried here.
The Bogart-Bauvelt family plot
The Bogart-Blauvelt family plot
The Demarest family plot
The Demarest-Haring family plot
The Ann Marie Demarest grave
The Cornelius Demarest grave site, a Revolutionary War veteran
Patriot Douwe Talema, who was killed by the Tories during the Revolutionary War
The Daniel Van Scivan grave, another Revolutionary War veteran
The Haring Family plot
The Haring family plot
The James Haring grave
The Sophia Haring grave
The Du Bois family plot
The Cemetery view from the southern corner
My video of Touring the Cemetery and its historic roots:
My tour of the cemetery
Leaving the cemetery you can see the landscaping offers these families privacy in both life and death.
After the tour of the cemetery, I explored Downtown Demarest, NJ and discovered a beautiful little town with small local stores and a beautiful set of parks surround the streams and the train station just off the downtown.
The town of Demarest Veteran’s display
The town of Demarest has its own rich beauty and you can see this by visiting its Downtown area and its parks.
The breathtaking Duck Pond Park attracted a lot of painters who set their easels by the banks of the streams.
The Duck Pond is really beautiful
They also have a really nice railroad terminal that is now a senior center
The historic Demarest Railroad Station
This wonderful community has so many wonderful attributes.
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