Indiana Spirit Quest #442: Clem-demonium! Traditional Geocache

The Indiana Spirit Quest series of geocaches will take you to a number of historic cemeteries built by Hoosier Pioneers. In just two years, the quest has grown to over four hundred fifty caches hidden in Indiana, as well as Ohio and Michigan, and the hiders have grown to over twenty-five cacher teams, most of which of which are comprised of Dogs and their Humans. Over 950 cacher teams have logged over 10,700 finds. One of many cache machines found 102 ISQ caches in a single day (daylight hours only).

Photo by Lord Elwood

Welcome to Clem Cemetery located in Madison County, Union Township, Anderson, Indiana. The map may trick you as the cemetery lies right next to I-69, however there is quite a bit of backtracking to get to this cemetery as it is tucked away in very rural Madison County.

DO NOT STOP ON I-69 TO GET THIS CACHE!!!!
This is illegal and you CANNOT reach the cache from the Interstate.

Photo by Lord Elwood

Named for the family who originally owned and donated the land and who had the first burials here, the Clem Cemetery now overlooks busy I-69. Isaac, 1804-1872, and Mary, 1810-1898, Clem were settlers to the southern area of Union Township. What started as the Clem family graveyard was also used by neighboring farming families, one of whom were the Bensenbowers. Christeain Benzenbauer, 1808-1895, was the patriarch of this immigrant family. The Benzenbauer name is an excellent example of how new arrivals from foreign lands would anglicize (make English) the spelling over time. Having a name spelled as it sounds in English made immigrants feel less like newcomers. The Hoppes and Poor families, later settlers to the area, also utilized the Clem's services. The Clem Cemetery is still being used and can be seen, if not traveling too quickly, while driving in the south lane of I-69.

The earliest confirmed burial here is listed on July 3, 1851. She was Anna Clem, the 6 year old daughter of Isaac and Mary. She only lived for 6 years, 9 months, 19 days. Three years later, Isaac and Mary buried another daughter. Her name was Anna C. Clem and she lived for 6 years, 9 months, 10 days.

Photo by www.cemeteries-madison-co-in.com

It was really interesting for me to take a tour of this cemetery as it is the family plot for my wife's family. Isaac Clem (see picture above) is my wife's great, great, great, great grandfather according to my father-in-law.

Photo by Lord Elwood

This is the resting spot for Samuel H. Mills. He served in the 140th Indiana Infantry, Company H during the Civil War. Some of the skirmishes the 140th was involved in were:
Engagements of the 140th Indiana Infantry
* Fourth Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee- December 7, 1864
* Skirmish near Fortress Rosecrans, Murfreesboro, Tennessee- December 13, 1864
* Assault on Fort Anderson, near Wilmington, North Carolina- February 18-19, 1865
* Battle of Town Creek Bridge, near Wilmington, North Carolina- February 19-20, 1865
* Skirmish at Gulley's Station, North Carolina- March 31, 1865
Samuel served his country and came home to live to a ripe old age of 73. He died on May 19, 1903 and was laid to rest here.

The cache container is a decon container. The cache is not located near a grave... If you find a fallen US flag, please stick it back in the ground. You must sign the cache log to claim a find. As always, please be respectful, and cache in, trash out.

"Indiana Spirit Quest" is brought to you by the following fellows of GEOISQ*: SixDogTeam (Earthdog Patrick, Lead Dog, Wheel Dog), Kodiak Kid, *The Shadow*, Team Shydog, Rupert2, Torry, ~Mystery Dog~, Team Tigger International, bbsurveyors, DoverDuo, - {LoS}-Xile, Prairiepartners, WilliamsFamGC, Team Itchy & Scratchy, Bean Blossom Gang, Wishbone86, krisNjoe, bikinibottomfeeders, 501 Gang, Awsome Ev and Lord Elwood. If you are interested in spreading the Quest to your neck of the woods AND WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US, email SixDogTeam.

*Grand Exalted Order of the Indiana Spirit Quest

** THIS IS A GENUINE INDIANA SPIRIT QUEST CACHE**