Proctor /Heaton Baptist Cemetery is located about 300 feet south of CR 6 and 1 mile east of CR 19. It is on the west side of the unmarked graveled road, west of the Kruse Farm Supply Store. This road was plotted and did connect County Roads 6 and 8, but because of little use, it became overgrown with underbrush. It now extends from CR 6 to the cemetery . It should be known as CR 21.The cemetery is about 1 1/2 acres in size. It is being well taken care of at present, but has broken stones on the ground because of the damage done by vandals in the 1970's. This was known for a time as the Heaton Baptist Cemetery, but received its name of Proctor in honor of John Proctor the Revolutionary soldier buried here. The oldest grave found is for Oliver Heaton born April 29, 1835 and died Aug 5, 1835, a son of Daniel and Elizabeth Heaton. Daniel is a son of Abram and Catharine (McKay ) Heaton. The Heatons had settled in nearby Osolo township in 1835.
Revolutionary War Soldier.
John Proctor Sr., was born in England in 1755. Bereft of his father and mother he was a stowaway on a trading vessel headed for the colonies. He was sold to a Virginian , to repay the cost of his transportation, to a shoemaker near Norfolk. Later served in the Revolutionary War at the Stony Point, under General Wayne and also Yorktown. After the war he became a farmer in West Virginia. Over a period of time he engaged in milling, construction of boats and coppering, shipping most of his products down river to market. After his son John took over the milling operations, he then resumed his farming. John Jr. settled in Osolo township in 1835 and his father soon came here. John Sr. died in 1856 at nearly the age of 101. It was in his honor that this cemetery became known as Proctor Cemetery .
The last burial seems to be for Mary Elliot, wife of Milton. She died Oct. 6, 1912. The cemetery is said to have been administered by the Baptist Society, thus Heaton Baptist. As years went by it received less attention and the site became over run by sumac, hazel bushes, sassafras and other rank growths . Some of the nearby residents on leaving this area, removed their loved one's remains and had them interred in a cemetery near their new home. Mrs. Carrie Rohrer, a past president of the Daughters of the Veterans, recalled the old cemetery near where she had spent her childhood and thus made inquiries for graves of any Civil War Veteran who may have been buried here. If there were, the graves should be taken care of properly. A young man, familiar with the neighborhood, volunteered to search for any headstones because he thought it was to grown over to have a woman making the search through the brush. He found John Proctor's grave and duly reported it . Mrs. Rohrer and Mrs. Ruby Wilhelm, President of the Jane Tucker tent, decided to make their own explorations. The grave was found and cleaned up . They then erected an American flag at his grave. Soon after, they returned to the site along with A. F. Runkle, a member of the Indiana Historical Society, Mrs Margaret Fisher, and assistant guard of the Jane Tucker tent, Miss. Nellie Smith, the patriotic instructor of the Jane Tucker tent, Mrs Sadie Wherly, a past department Chaplain of the Daughters of the Veterans and relatives of these principals who were interested in the proper administrating of these honored dead. Also, they saw that suitable markings were erected at these sites. This meeting mentioned above took place in September of 1923.
This cemetery was originally copied June 3, 1970 by Reah McGaffey, a member of the Elkhart County Genealogical Society. The results of this survey were typed up in alphabetical order instead of making the listing of the burials by rows. This cemetery was damaged by vandals in the mid 1970's and thus some markers were broken and some entirely destroyed. Because of questions on many of the inscriptions, the cemetery was rechecked on June 1, 1988. Not all markers were located but additional information was found on some stones. The cemetery is well taken care of and has several very interesting grave markers. The style of some markers are not found in any other cemetery in the county .
Also known as Heaton Baptist Cemetery and Goodrich Cemetery
