Jacob Lung - Bethabara

Bernard Grube (37) – minister

Jacob Loesch (31) – town manager

Hans Kalberlan (31) – physician and surgeon

Friedrich Pfeil (28) – shoemaker and nurse

Erich Ingelbretsen (31) – millwright and carpenter

Henrich Feldhausen (38) – shoemaker, carpenter, millwright, cooper, turner, and farmer

Jacob Lung (40) – gardener and washer * the oldest

Hans Petersen (28) – tailor and woodcutter

Johannes Beroth (28) – farmer

Christopher Merkly (39) – baker and farmer

Hermannus Loesch – (27) – miller and surveyor

These are the original settlers of the community that still is serving the Lord. Jacob Lung has always stood out to me . Perhaps because of his name. He is buried in Bethabara God's Acre. He is the one who laid out God's Acre at Bethabara and when Salem God's Acre was planned, Jacob took trees from Bethabara and transplanted in Salem. Brother Lung also planted the orchard at Bethabara. He was born October 2. 1713 in Wurtenberg, Germany. His first trade was as a baker and then spend many years as a soldier in Europe. Jacob immigrated to Pennsylvania and then came to North Carolina. The records also mention that animals loved him.

Jacob Lung is buried in the single brothers section of the God's Acre he laid out. His stone is unreadable but with the church records the possible spot has been located. His grave is between Johannes Richter and and Christian Pfeiffer.

Not much is in the records about Jacob Lung, however many hundred of people each week enjoy walking in the sacred spaces he laid out in our community. This perhaps is a great testament of the life of this gardener. We enjoy the "seeds" he planted almost three centuries ago. We as Christians can see hope as we look at the witness of Jacob Lung all these years later.

Historic Bethabara park has a virtual map of Bethabara's God Acre and this tool was a great help.