Complex sentence: The first marked burial in the cemetery dates to 1864, but the deed to the grounds was not issued until 1868, so it appears that the land had been in use for burial and religious purposes well before the property transaction was formalized and recorded.
Split into simpler sentences: The first marked burial in the cemetery dates to 1864, although the deed to the grounds was not issued until 1868. It appears that the land had been in use for burial and religious purposes well before the transaction was formalized and recorded.