Union Chapel/Beekman Cemetery is an old cemetery that is no longer used. It is located on the north side of 550 N. just east of 500 E. in Washington Township in Section 12 Township 25 N Range 8 E. This cemetery should not be confused with Union Chapel in Fairmount Township. This cemetery was once called the Beekman Cemetery.

UNION CHAPEL/BEEKMAN CEMETERY

Union Chapel Cemetery lies in the north east corner of Washington Township, Grant County. It is on the north side of the road and facing what was once known as the Beekman farm.

The Union Chapel was erected in 1876 by and used by the United Brethren and Society of Friends, but the deed for it was made in 1879. A part of it follows: Page 573, Deed Book 18. "Isaac Bradford deeds to William R. Jackson, Jefferson Hamaker, Christopher B. Porter and Isaac Bradford trustees of the United Brethren Church and their successors in office, for the sum of $50., the following real estate******Commencing at a point in the north east corner of the cemetery known as the Beekman Cemetery******containing one acre and being a part of the south end of the west half of the north west quarter of Section #18, Township 25 North Range 8 East." The date is June 7, 1876 and is signed by Isaac Bradford. The church stood here for 120 years until 1996.

Many pioneers of the county lie buried here. Two of them were veterans of the War of 1812 - Jesse Romine (d. 1855) and Levi Carter (1794-1876).
There once was a church just a few miles south of here of the Dunkard or German Baptist denomination. On the 20th day of May 1877 this church was partially destroyed by what they called a cyclone. A Union Sunday school had been organized by the good people of the vicinity and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon on the above date, when perhaps one hundred and fifty persons were engaged in the study of the lesson, a threatening cloud accompanied by lightning flashes and rolling thunder made its appearance. Two young men were killed in this storm and there is no record ot theM being buried in the Tinkel Cemetery that was just across the road from this church. One was Eddie Mills the other was John Jackson. In this cemetery there is buried a John Jackson died June 7, 1877 aged 16y.9m.7d. and another stone for M.E. Mills with no other information on it. Could these two be the two young men killed in the tornado at the German Baptist Church?

The earliest dates on tombstones here are in the 1840's. There are 14 Beekmans buried here, from 1850 to 1914. 29 Bradfords are buried here, from 1844 to 1959. Civil War veterans buried here include Levi White (1840-1909) Co. H 58th Ohio Infantry and Jos. Jones, Co. D 74th Indiana Infantry and Robt. Brevard Co. F 9th Illinois Cavalry and Civil War Casualty Jesse Moore, died Febr. 3, 1863, aged 37y 8m 13d, a member of Co. D, 34th Indiana Infantry.