Rose Hill Cemetery, Tombstone Inscriptions and Index

Matawan Aberdeen Public Library maintains a copy of Rose Hill Cemetery Tombstone Inscriptions and Index, compiled and published by Carolyn B Heuser of Freehold in 1995. This self-published work of 110 pages contains a brief history of the cemetery, an index, a listing of inscriptions, an index to the cemetery's interment book, and a list of veterans and other servicemen buried in the cemetery, sorted by war.

On page 3 of her book, Mrs Heuser writes:

Rose Hill Cemetery was established in 1858 on land purchased from James Fountain. Mr Fountain and 13 other area residents were the first shareholders. The cemetery is situated on the east side of Ravine Drive near its intersection with Middlesex Road, and about a mile from Main Street. It is close to the Cheesequake area of Old Bridge Township as well as the Cliffwood Section of Aberdeen Township. Many from these areas are buried here. The uniqueness of Rose Hill is its topography. From the highest point, one can view Raritan Bay and the skyline of New York City. It was believed to have been a lookout area for the local Leni Lenape tribe and arrowheads and other evidence of Indian activity have been found at Rose Hill.


There are over 700 plots, although not all have stones on them, arranged in 11 sections. There are some stones weathered by age that cannot be read. Over the years, mismanagement, lack of interest by descendants of plot owners, and vandalism have led to vegetative overgrowth and broken stones. In 1986, a group of interested plot owners and nearby residents began an aggressive campaign to maintain the cemetery properly.

Hopefully, MAPL will consider getting the author's permission to scan this full record onto its web site. It would be a fine addition to the library's online genealogical and historical reference collection.