In 1903, eight local families formed a German Lutheran church, later known as Friedens Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ, and a burial ground was established on this property donated by Philip Engelke. Although the church moved to Riesel from this location in 1908, parishioners and others continued to use the cemetery. German epitaphs on grave markers reflect Riesel's heritage as a settlement established by German families, and features such as vertical stones and family plots preserve the history of the congregation and of the pioneers who settled this area.