Status: Maintained

While driving around on the backroads of Pine Island, NY one day, we stumbled across what at first appeared to be a cemetery–gravel roads running up a steep hill surrounded by a large stone wall. However, there was no sign immediately present. But, when we looked to the top of the hill, we saw a miniature church that was about 5 feet high and had painted on stained glass windows and doors. Upon walking up to the little church, we discovered that this odd looking place was indeed a cemetery. A ways behind the little church stood a plain white cross with the words “Lutherischer Kirchof”, which in German, translates roughly to “Lutheran Churchyard” (or in this case, “cemetery”). There were only a few gravestones in this widely spread out cemetery, mostly bearing the name of “Lust”. In Pine Island and the surrounding towns, there seems to be a lot of families with that name. It is possible that this cemetery is their family plot complete with their own little handmade church.

- Ember, 2003