Saint Michael Cemetery stands on the St. Michael's Catholic Church grounds in Tarnov, on the Nebraska prairie.
The church was built in 1901, but the cemetery was platted and first burials occurred in 1880, while the faithful were worshipping in more humble surroundings.
Both St Michael's church and cemetery are still active and in use. The Church rectory is now a social hall that can be rented for special occasions. Source: Visit Nebraska
Although the St Michael's Parish School, which was a boarding school, closed in 1961, we have not been able to find any information about the St Michael's convent next to the church, but we suspect that it is also closed, but more recently.
From Visit Nebraska.com: (
visit link)
"ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH 309 3rd St - Located on an 8.35 acre complex which includes the church built in 1900 with original furnishings (on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990), Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, cemetery and crucifixion group, and rectory. The rectory is now the Michael House and can be rented for a day, weekend or week by calling 402-246-4807. Walk the halls of the 1910 boarding school or visit displays of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition along with scale models and history of area parishes. Tours can include lunch or dessert by arrangement. Open May-Oct, first Sun of the month, 1-5pm or by appt. 402-428-2675."
The day Blasterz visited the St Michael's Cemetery, we estimated there were about a thousand people buried here, in both marked and unmarked graves.
We took a photo of what we thought was the most interesting tombstone in the cemetery. It's a painted wrought-iron cross with its inscription in Polish as follows:
[POL]
To Spoczywa
MARYANNA
SKOPURA
UR. 1879
UM. 1 MAJA 1907
Niech Odpoczywa Wpokoju
[ENG]
AT REST
MARYANNA
SKOPURA
Born 1879
Died 1 May 1907
Let her rest in peace
Some more detailed history of this lovely Parish Church and Cemetery, from Wikipedia: (
visit link)
"St. Michael's Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church in Tarnov, Nebraska, within the Archdiocese of Omaha. It is noted for its historic church, located at 309 3rd Street and completed in 1901, and its adjacent cemetery, platted in 1880.
Polish immigrants arrived in the area in the late 1870s, and petitioned the bishop for a church in 1880, preceding the establishment of the town. The arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad spurred the village's growth, leading to the need for a new church.
Planning for a new church began in December 1899 under Fr. A. Czech, O.F.M., on land donated by Frank and Sophia Paprocki, originally of Tarnov, Poland (then part of Austrian Galicia).
The new church was designed in the Gothic Revival style by another Franciscan, Br, Leonard Dorschied, O.F.M. Construction began in 1900 and was completed in 1901. The cost of $17,000 had been held down by the contribution of unskilled labor by parishioners, as well as through the use of brick and lumber from the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition in Omaha, delivered by train. Limestone for the foundation was transported from a quarry near Florence, Kansas, and sand was brought in from the Loup River, 20 miles to the south.
The new church has a 110 feet (34 m) tall tower and steeple, with two bells weighing 600 pounds (270 kg) and 1,000 pounds (450 kg).
In the fall of 1910, the parish constructed a new rectory, school-convent, and chicken house. The school remained in operation until 1961. The church has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since November 28, 1990.
The complex includes a grotto built in 1926-27 designed by Charles Wurdeman."