Pioneer Cemetery, Town of Centerville, Allegany County, NY
The following is a newly discovered Pioneer Cemetery in the Town of Centerville. Located on Ballard Rd. where it meets Handcock Rd. The cemetery is approximately 500 feet from the road. This cemetery is on private property. Submitted by Cheryl Sporysz.
Per the Centerville 150th Celebration Book, this cemetery holds the remains of Jeremy Searl (Searle) and Cynthia Lasell (Lasalle). The tombstones remaining today are severely broken and unreadable. Through research, here is what is known: Jeremy Searl was born Sept. 24, 1789 and died Feb. 4, 1821. He was single at the time of his death, and he was the son of David & Judith Searl. Jeremy’s parents lived in Centerville at the time of his death, burying him on the homestead. They moved to Rushford in 1823 but eventually returned to Centerville. Cynthia Lasell was born Sept. 30, 1816 and died May 27, 1834. She was single at the time of her death, and she was the daughter of James & Sally Lasell, step-daughter of Thaddeus Elliott. Cynthia’s mother, Sally (Morse) Lasell, was a widow with several children when she married Thaddeus Elliott in 1825. For many years, the Elliott family owned the property the cemetery sits on.