
Royer-Factor Cemetery
Royer Chapel cemetery is peacefully nestled under a canopy of trees and occupies the eastern part of the one-acre property. The cemetery portion of the site is located on land once owned by the Mathias Factor family. It (0.28 acres) was deeded to Archbishop John D. Purcell and the Catholic Church by Factor's heirs on December 23, 1856. The land transfer happened four days after Nicholas and Ann Royer deeded the property's western 0.28 acres to the church to serve as the site for St. Nicholas Church, and later Royer Chapel.
The cemetery is laid out in a series of nine rows that run perpendicular to the access driveway, atop the knoll. The rows do not have an equal number of burial plots. Row 1 is nearest to the chapel, while Row 9 is along the eastern boundary line. The first to be interred at the cemetery was Martin Factor, infant son of Lewis and Catherine Factor, who died at only 14 days old in 1857. Royer Homestead patriarch and matriarch, Nicholas and and Ann (nee Lego) Royer, are both buried at the cemetery, as are Martin and Ann (nee Salrin) Royer. The grave marker for Clara Royer, daughter of Martin and Ann, features a beautiful statue created in her likeness holding the cross. The statue was handcrafted in France upon her death in 1895. She was 22 years old. Many gravestones include inscriptions in the deceased's native French language.
A number of footstones can also be found at the cemetery. Over the years, these footstones were moved or tossed aside for various reasons. The effort to match footstones with their appropriate headstones and reposition them to their original spot is underway.
The Royer-Factor Cemetery is not an active cemetery.
Notable and interesting facts:
Researched and compiled by Royer descendant, Cheryl Velasquez
- Martin Factor, son of Lewis and Catherine, was the first to be buried in 1857
- Joseph Charret was the first adult to be buried in 1859
- The most adult deaths occurred in 1864*
- The most child deaths (5) also occurred in 1864*
- Four families lost children in 1864
- There are 37 children under the age of 18 buried at the cemetery
- The oldest adult buried in the cemetery was 95 years old
- There are two sets of twins and one set of triplets buried at the cemetery
- There are three (3) unnamed infants buried at the cemetery
- Three one-day-old children are buried at the cemetery
- There are 24 children under one year old buried at the cemetery
- There are 33 children under five years old buried at the cemetery
- Three adults who died in their twenties are buried at the cemetery
- The last baby to be buried was an unnamed infant, interned on October 27, 1900
- One couple (the Shue family) died within one week of each other
- One couple (the Ferry family) died within one year of each other
- There are 14 Royer family members buried at the cemetery
- There are five (5) Factor family members buried at the cemetery
- There are 11 Berton family members, including nine (9) children buried at the cemetery
- John and MJ Berton lost seven (7) children over the course of 28 years
- There are nine (9) rows of graves and a total of 57 early grave sites containing 70 people (38 children and 32 adults)
*1864 was a harsh winter including extreme cold, snow, and muddy roads.








