Established in 1830, Pioneer Methodist Cemetery is also known as Sisson Cemetery or Maltbie Heights Cemetery. It is on Maltbie Road on the west line of the Village of Gowanda. Land was given by Amasa Ladd Chaffe and later more was purchased from Betsey and Alfred Johnson. Meggs Kenny was the first burial in 1830. The church ceased burials in 1901. In the 1950’s it was turned over to the Town of Persia for upkeep.
Three Civil War veterans are buried here.
- Charles Franklin Sisson of Co. D., 72nd New York Volunteer Infantry, was killed at the Battle of Williamsburg on 5 May 1862.
- Willis G.C. Hall of Co. A., 1st New York Volunteer Infantry, died in Douglas Hospital, Washington, DC of wounds received in the Battle of Fredericksburg, 13 Dec 1862.
- Daniel P. Waller of Co. A., 1st New York Dragoons is buried here.
At least one Revolutionary War veteran is also buried here. Edmond Farnsworth 1762 - 1846, a private in Mooney’s Regiment in New Hampshire
Maltbie Heights Cemetery
| Martha Albro | 1852 – 23 Dec 1859 |
| Eliza Atkins | unk – 20 Feb 1841 |
| Leander Badger | 1810 – Oct 1863 |
| Francis Brown | 1780 – Aug 1866 |
| Mary Brown | Jun 1774 – 19 Dec 1853 |
| Betsey Brown Bryant | 13 – 2 Jun 1845 |
| Betsey C. Bryant |
unk – 6 Jan |
| Francis B. Bryant |
unk – 16 Jan |
| Della C. Cook | Jul 1853 – 8 Aug 1869 |
| Mary Elizabeth Dailey |
1853 – 1 May 1854 |
| Caroline Farnsworth |
unk – 1 Jul 1837 |
| Edmund Farnsworth | unk– 9 Dec 1844 |
| Jeannet L. Badger Farnsworth |
unk– 17 Aug 1859 |
| Sally Farnsworth | unk– 12 Nov 1852 |
| Thomas Farnsworth | unk – 21 Nov 1846 |
| Elias Hall | 1781 – 2 Sep 1868 |
| Jane Hall | 22 Oct 1826 – 20 Feb 1876 |
| Sarah Hall | unk – 22 Mar 1833 CPL |
| Willis G. C. Hall | unk – 28 Dec 1862 |
| Franklin Hammond | Feb 1804 – 18 Jun 1852 |
| Caroline Hanley | Sep 1812 – 19 Mar 1866 |
| Perry Harder | Nov 1836 – 7 Aug 1846 |
| Hannah M. Hillebert | unk – 17 Jan 1863 |
| Betsey E. Knapp | Sep 1846 – 25 Sep 1865 |
| Eli Knapp |
unk – 8 Jan 1863 |
| Nancy Brown Knapp | 8 Oct 1807 – unk |
| Obiather F. Knapp | Jun 1832 – 9 Dec 1855 |
| Olivia A. Knapp | unk – 27 May 1855 |
| Frank E. Lindsley | 1861 – 27 Jan 1863 |
| Anna McKee | unk – 15 Jun 1835 |
| Ephraim McMillen | 21 Jun 1800 – 10 Sep 1837 |
| Darius Palmer | 1809 – 13 Feb 1860 J |
| James Palmer | b/d unk George Parker unk – 1836 |
| Sally M. Perry | 13 Jan 1823 – 27 Jan 1837 |
| Mary Ann Pound | unk – 1900 |
| Jane Rundall | Jun 1817 – 15 Sep 1852 |
| Orpha Shepard | unk – 24 Apr 1834 |
| Adelaide E. Sherman | unk – 3 Feb 1862 |
| Mary Viola Sherman | unk – 1 Mar 1862 |
| Anna Madelia Sisson | Oct 1859 – 27 Jan 1863 |
| Carrie Bell Sisson | May 1862 – 1 Feb 1863 |
| Charles Franklin “Frank” Sisson | Oct 1839 – 5 May 1862 |
| Eliza Sisson | unk – 28 Jan 1868 |
| Cynthia Woods Thatcher | 1827 – 8 May 1840 |
| Hannah Thatcher | unk – 12 Mar 1856 |
| John Thatcher | unk – 9 Mar 1856 |
| Clarinda M. Torrance | 25 Sep 1846 – 4 Nov 1847 |
| Frances Torrance | 22 Apr 1848 – 27 Apr 1848 |
| Lucy Elizabeth Torrance | 20 Nov 1849 – 20 Nov 1867 |
| Lydia Cassandra Southwick Torrance |
12 Sep 1822 – 25 Jan 1852 |
| Matilda Hibbard Torrance | 24 Aug 1784 – 11 Sep 1845 |
| Stiles Torrance | 1 Jun 1774 – 24 May 1838 |
| Stiles Augustus Torrance | 12 Aug 1808 – 20 Dec 1872 |
| Daniel P. Waller | unk – 17 Mar 1865 |
| Lois Hall Webster | unk – 20 Jun 1830 |
| Charles Zimmerman | Jul 1859 – 23 Aug 1 |