Osborne Family Cemetery, Town of Centerville, Allegany County, NY
Located on the north side of Weaver Rd, between Rushford Rd & Handcock Rd. This cemetery is on private property. There are no stones remaining today. All stones were removed sometime after 1958. The exact location and number of graves is unknown. The location of this cemetery has been determined using the 150th Centerville Celebration Book and memories of long-time Centerville residents. Submitted by Cheryl Sporysz, 2007.
Notice in the picture that the old fallen down tree was a key piece of evidence in locating this burial spot.
The only known interment was that of John Hopkins in 1813. His grave was said to have been the first marked grave in the town of Centerville. Per written documentation from 1958 John Hopkins headstone said he died Feb. 19, 1813, aged 61 years. His stone was engraved “Behold a tender husband gone, A much loved parent fled, Entered his long eternal home, And numbered with the dead”.
As a young man, John went on whaling voyages. It was said that while on shipboard he combined the trades of tailor, shoemaker, cutler, carpenter, blacksmith and silversmith. He was a Revolutionary War Veteran. His service included 31 days on a secret expedition to Rhode Island. After the war, John gave up his seafaring ways and eventually settled in Centerville. John was married to Hannah Clark. He was the great-great grandson of Giles Hopkins who sailed to America aboard the Mayflower in 1620. John’s son Clark and his family are buried in the Hopkins Family Cemetery on West Centerville Rd.