Sisters of St. Joseph Cemetery

The Sisters of St. Joseph cemetery is located on the east side of the retreat center campus. While the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana now owns the former Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton Motherhouse, the cemetery still belongs to the Congregation of St. Joseph.

It is the final resting place of those women who gave their lives in service of the Church. More than 100 people are buried in this cemetery, including Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton, four priests, 12 lay people and two founding Sisters of the Poor Clares of Kokomo, Indiana.

Most of the cemetery stones are of a uniform style, while the Mother General stones also feature a cross. This cemetery contains a few cenotaphs,  monuments erected in honor of a person whose remains are buried elsewhere.

Rows are numbered from west to east and stones north to south.

The Crucifix statue in the cemetery was erected Good Friday, April 6, 1917. A gift of the St. Joseph Academy Alumnae Association, the statue is in memory of Mother Gertrude, the Foundress of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton who died April 28, 1916. The figures of Mary, St. John the Beloved Apostle, and Mary Magdalene were added later.

The cemetery is a peaceful place to offer prayers for the deceased and to ask them to pray for us who are still on pilgrimage to the Kingdom where the Lord lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. 

For an alphabetical listing of people buried in the Sisters of St. Joseph Cemetery, as well as an obituary, tombstone photo and grave location, visit SharpsvilleAncestors.

Or, stop by the St. Joseph Chapel inside the retreat center to view a binder with an entry for each of the deceased. The binder includes historical details, pictures and obituaries of each person buried in the Sisters of St. Joseph cemetery.