Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

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PIONEER HISTORY OF INGIIAM COUNTY

them before the fireplace and had them ready for the next morning.
Thus the first Holy Mass was celebrated in Bunkerhill Township
in the month of February, 1845. Father Kelly came as often as
old age and the hardships of travel would permit until August,
1852, and that was to prepare Mrs. Markey for death.
Mr. James Birney and family came to Bunkerhill in 1848.
The next year a little child of this family died, and this child was
the first person to be buried in what is now the Catholic cemetery.
Father Hennessy, of Ann Arbor, had taken charge of the mission
at Bunkerhill in 1852. He visited it via Dexter, the nearest
railroad station, some of the pioneers going to that place to meet
him. Two persons had died in the settlement and the need arose
of forming an enclosure sacred to their remains. The land, the
present site of the cemetery, was donated by Mr. Patrick Markey.
An interesting letter regarding this event is still in the possession
of Mr. William Fleming, of Henrietta Township. It was written
by Father Hennessy from Marshall to Mr. James Markey, and is
dated Apr. 25, 1853. In it he says he encloses the deed of the
cemetery which he instructed him to have recorded at once. He
ends his letter by a request for the prayers of the family for his
"poor missions". The cemetery was then enclosed by a fence of
tamarack poles, and each one who took part in this work received
a family lot in the cemetery.
Among those present at this early date were Mr. James Markey,
who came in 1839; Mr. James Birney, who came in 1848; Mr.
Patrick McCann, who came in 1854, and Mr. John S. O'Brien.
Other names also may have been represented in the parish. After
Father Hennessy, Father Pulser attended Bunkerhill from Dexter,
making his last visit to the mission in June, 1867. During these
years there had been no appointed date for services. The Catholics were notified when the priest arrived, and Mass was always
celebrated in the Markey home. As an example of the hospitality
of those times we are told that, for many years, all who came for
services remained to enjoy dinner with the Markey family.
In November, 1857, Father Moutard, of Jackson, came to Bunkerhill for the first time, and arrangements were made for holding
services at more regular intervals. Mass was to be celebrated at
the mission once in every three months and on a week day. Not
long after this the parishioners, though still small in numbers