THE BETHESDA METHODIST
CHURCH at Adelphia, once known as "The Methodist Church of
Monmouth," is said to be the oldest organized congregation of that
denomination in the county. It was formed about 1780, and the cemetery must
have been placed in use not long after. The earliest dated burial still to be
found is that of Ellener Brewer, who died in December, 1785. (For additional
information on the history of this church, see Franklin Ellis, Hist. of
Monmouth Co. [1885], pp. 649-52.)
These records were
copied Aug. 25, 1946, by a group of the Society's "Tombstone
Hounds"--namely Miss Tam D. Conover, Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Hopkins, Mr. and
Mrs. Arthur E. Pettie, Isaac M. Philhower, Henry E. Pilch, Russell B. Rankin,
and Donald A. Sinclair. Checking was completed during the succeeding month by
Mr. Rankin and Miss Conover, and the entire work of carding, alphabetizing,
and final copying of these records has been done by Miss Conover.