New Picker's Cemetery, St. Louis County, MO
In 1845 (or 1846) the Holy Ghost Cemetery (also called German Evangelical Cemetery) was established by the Holy Ghost Evangelical and Reformed Church (see below) and operated by the church until 1893. Often between 1845 (or 1846) and 1889 it buried cholera victims. In 1894 to 1901 it came under different management and was called Old Picker's (also still called Holy Ghost). An early name was also Picotte Cemetery (also called Piggott, Picot, Old Picotte, Vickert, Riddle). Picker's Cemetery originally was located where Roosevelt High School is today (Wyoming-Louisiana-Arsenal Streets). The cemetery needed more room soin 1853 it acquired about 20 acres on Gravois Rd. (7133) next to Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery, near River des Peres. At this time it belonged to the Independent Protestants. At that time the original plot was known as Old Picker's Cemetery and the 7133 Gravois location became known as New Picker's. Burials were forbidden by the city after 1896 so the city property was sold in 1917. Then the St. Louis Public Schools acquired the original cemetery where they built Roosevelt High which opened in 1925. The cemetery corporation acquired additional land on the other side of Gravois Rd., running between Gravois and Hampton Streets. Graves were moved. This new acquisition became known as New Picker's and the land next to Sts. Peter and Paul was renamed Old Picker's Cemetery. Recently, because the owners were not properly maintaining the cemeteries, the city of St. Louis acquired both areas and renamed the one St. Louis Memorial Gardens, then later both areas became known as Gatewood Gardens Cemeteries. Confusing? Sections in the land next to Sts. Peter and Paul are numbered 1 through 5, whereas the sections on the other side of Gravois are lettered A through P. In all these names, times, and locations it all boils down to only three locations, the one where Roosevelt High School stands and the two across the street from each other on Gravois Rd.
Holy Ghost Evangelical Protestant Church was established in 1834. It was originally located at 5th and Clark; in 1858 located at 8th and Walnut; in 1895 located at Grand and Page; in 1923 located at Spring and Flad; in 1944 the church moved to 4916 Mardel Avenue, just west of Kingshighway at Chippewa where it is today. The church was initially called Die Unabhaengige Deutsche Evangelische Protestantische Gemeinde der Kirche Zum Heiligen Geist (Independent German Evangelical Protestant Congregation of the Church of the Holy Ghost). A split occurred in 1843 when part of the congregation formed the "German Evangelical Congregation of St. Louis." In 1845 those who split off built two churches: the North Church, known as St. Peter's, and the South Church, known as St. Marcus. Under leadership of Frederick Picker (their minister from 1843–1855), the congregation split again in 1856 with a new congregation being formed under the name of Independent Evangelical Protestant Church, at 8th and Mound Streets.
The cemeteries on Gravois have the following graves related to our genealogy: The (-2G), etc., indicated the number of generations before Erven Thoma. Bold-face names have their own web page. They are together with Bloebaum graves in section (block) 1, lot 315. However the city's records do not match those of the St. Louis Genealogical Society.
There is another Bloebaum lot in block (section) A on the other side of Gravois. It has a large monument and has other relatives of the people listed below.
