Pleasant Ridge  (Wentzel)  Cemetery
 
Section 8 - Norway Township - Turner County - South Dakota

The Pleasant Ridge Cemetery

This cemetery has probably been known by more names than any other cemetery in Turner County.  There is some evidence that when it was first dedicated in 1889 it was named the Clarkston cemetery, after a town called Clarkson founded in 1890 which lasted only until 1902, that vanished as did many others when the expected railroad did not get built. 

The land the cemetery is on was Wentzel property, and the deed was held by Hattie Wentzel until the 1980's.  Hattie was the mother of Cliff Wentzel  who only recently sold the surrounding property after years and years of Wentzel ownership.  Since the cemetery was on Wentzel land it quickly became known as the "Wentzel Cemetery" although this has apparently never been a formal name. 

The cemetery has had the formal name "Pleasant Ridge Cemetery" for a good many years and is well known by that name locally.  During the WPA cemetery census surveys in the mid 1900's for some unknown reason WPA used the name "Turkey Valley Cemetery" on their reports.  This has caused some official state records to label the cemetery with that name, although it appears there is no legal basis for the use of that name.

It might be important for genealogy searchers to know that there are churches near Irene South Dakota named Turkey Valley Lutheran and Turkey Valley Baptist that each has a cemetery.

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The Pleasant Ridge Cemetery information database consists of 3 parts.

This information was prepared by Ken Tiahrt in 2010, with the generous assistance of Duane Tieszen and may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use.  Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires written approval.

1. A Cemetery Map

A map of the cemetery showing the individual lots in relationship to the adjacent Turner County Roadway, 280th Street, gives the user a physical setting.  

2. A List of Burials

A listing of the burials at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery – Section 8 – Norway Township – Turner County, gives the individual names in order of lot number, and site in the lot.  This listing also gives the date of birth and date of death when available.

Photos of Grave Monuments
**UPDATE NOTE - October 2018 -- The cemetery list does not contain any tombstone photographs. Thankyou for understanding. Anyone wanting to donate personal tombstone pics is encouraged to do so on the following dedicated site for that purpose: South Dakota Gravestones Project.

Pleasant  Ridge  Cemetery  Burial  Record  as  of  2010

   Section  8 - Norway Township - Turner County - SD

There is known to be a number of unmarked graves and at least the names Howe, and Brown have been suggested as having family members buried in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery.