I visited the Sheep Pen Cemetery on Friday, July 15, 2011 and found about 15 gravemarkers, some large gray granite monument type stones, forceably pushed over.
Some of the more fragile older markers such as for Henry Limes, Samuel Crooks and Millie F. Crooks were cracked and broken due to being knocked down very hard.
Sheep Pen Cemetery has suffered from vandalism over the years. I have been visiting Sheep Pen Cemetery for 30 years, however, I have never seen as extensive vandalism to it as this episode was that damaged almost half of the stones in the entire cemetery.
I know that on Veteran's Day 2010 a new GAR flag holder was placed for Samuel Crooks, who was a Civil War veteran. A photograph of his stone was taken at that time and it was still standing. Not only is his stone now pushed over and broken, but also his new GAR flag holder was purposely bent out of shape.
Below are some of the photographs that were taken of the destruction.
Below are some of the photographs that were taken of the destruction.
I am contacting the Madison Township, Highland County, Ohio trustees who are responsible for the maintenance of the Sheep Pen Cemetery to learn if they would do at least some repair and restoration of these badly damaged stones.
****Update for July 20, 2011***:
The Madison Township Trustees have contacted Hardy Memorials of Greenfield about repairing the restoring the stones. Hardy Memorials has told me that they have submitted an estimate for their work.
Surnames of recently damaged stones are: Crooks, Geller and Limes
