Exploring Almost Forgotten Gravesites in the Great State of Ohio

Dedicated to cemetery preservation in the great state of Ohio


"A cemetery may be considered as abandoned when all or practically all of the bodies have been Removed therefrom and no bodies have been buried therein for a great many years, and the cemetery has been so long neglected as entirely to lose its identity as such, and is no longer known, recognized and respected by the public as a cemetery. 1953 OAG 2978."

Monday, March 30, 2009

"A Sleeping Place: Cemetery Landscape, Evolution & Gravestone Symbolism"

Click on the title for more information about an upcoming presentation highlighting the topic of gravestone symbolism to be held Monday, April 20 at 7:00 pm. Morley Library Meeting Room in Painesville, Ohio.
Katie Karrick, "The Cemetery Lady", will be the presenter. She has extensive knowledge of a wide range of cemetery issues in Ohio.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Groveport, Franklin County Ohio - Newspaper Story about startling discovery by gravediggers

To read news story, click on the title which links to this "Columbus Dispatch" article
"Grave errors concern village
Budget cuts put off a plan to scan public cemetery to avoid more surprises
"
Monday, March 23, 2009 3:09 AM
By
Elizabeth Gibson
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Ridgelawn Cemetery - Elyria, Ohio - vandalism damage to at least 30 gravestones

A news story published in the March 20, 2009 edition of the Lorain "MorningJournal" reports that more than 30 gravestones were toppled over and damaged this past Tuesday evening at the Ridgelawn Cemetery, 385 Columbus Street in Elyria, Ohio, per the Elyria police department.

Please click on the title above for link to the story.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Old Burying Ground in Greenfield, Ohio

An inside the stone fence view of a partially completed section of the reconstructed stone wall enclosing the Old Burying Ground in Greenfield, Ohio. You can see the stones and partial stones that have been reset within the framework of the wall itself.




Above is a link to my Facebook page for the Old Burying Ground photographs that were submitted to me by Earlene Scott of Greenfield, Ohio. (Click title)



Earlene has worked tirelessly on many fronts to spearhead all of the efforts of restoring the Old Burying Ground in Greenfield, Ohio.



Thank you, Earlene, for all you and other volunteers have done and continue to do to preserve tombstones that have broken and fallen from their original burial locations in this early pioneer cemetery.
Quoting Earlene:
"Workers salvaged pieces and parts of tombstones and framed them within the wall so that they were preserved and could still be part of the cemetery. These pieces were lost from their graves thru the years and were stored. This project has allowed the wall to become a living memory for those early settlers and citizens."

My thank you to the Gravemappers Blog!!

Thank you, JoLyn (administrator of the blog "Gravemappers") for so kindly featuring the story of the Friends (Quaker) Cemetery in North Lewisburg, Champaign County, Ohio and this cemetery's subsequent preservation and recognition by the community as being the historical site that it is. Countless local residents have been committed to saving the Friends Cemetery.

If you haven't visited the Gravemappers blog lately, please take a moment to do so and read the links to other blogs as well. There just might be some information that will help you with your quest to preserve a cemetery special to you!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Ohio Genealogical Society Chapters on OGS website

Don't forget to check the Ohio Genealogical Society's Chapter web pages for cemetery information that might help you locate a burial site of your ancestor.

Information on these sites is updated periodically and in most cases you can contact a chapter officer for further information on such topics as tombstone inscription publications, county libraries and museums, or available local researchers.

**Also, the O.G.S. Conference is coming up soon! Information regarding the conference is shown below:

"2009 OGS Annual Conference"
"Finding Genealogical Gold in the Streams of History"
"2-5 April 2009, Sawmill Creek Resort, Huron
In 2009, The Conference committee is planning the usual roster of nationally known speakers. Download the full conference brochure and registration form
here.
Plus, to celebrate our Anniversary we are planning some special events.
Thursday evening OGS will hold an anniversary banquet with a special speaker as well as other features.
In 2009 we are adding some new features:
A consultation room manned by professional genealogists will be available to assist attendees with their brick wall issues.
Friday evening we are revisiting an old tradition!Ask the Experts question and answer open forum.
Come Join Us!2009 Ohio Genealogical Society Conference713 S. Main St., Mansfield, OH 44907-1644419-756-7294;
www.ogs.orgFor more information email conference2009@ogs.org. "

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The Step Foundation

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=109135&catid=3Please click on the blog title for more information about a worthwhile Cuyahoga County Ohio cause:
WKYC - Channel 3 television station, aired a segment in their news program today about "The Step Foundation" which offers funeral and burial assistance to families who are enrolled with the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (CCBMR/DD)."

"The STEP Foundation currently has greater needs than ever before. They now need to make their efforts more public and are asking for support. A fund-raiser on Saturday, March 14, will be one of several events at which the public can contribute."

Their story and contributions are truly inspirational and it is wonderful to learn that an organization such as this one exists in my own local community.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Map of Butcher Cemetery - North Lewisburg, Champaign County, Ohio


Above is a plat map for Butcher Cemetery, North Lewisburg, Champaign County, Ohio. It is always helpful to obtain the available deeds and maps for your cemetery of concern. The more information you know about it, the better you can discuss your concerns and preservation issues regarding it.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Rock Mills Cemetery - Wayne Township - Fayette County, Ohio

Rock Mills Cemetery is located in Wayne Township, Fayette County, Ohio. It is situated on the north side of Miami Trace (CR 47). It lies a short distance from rock Mills-Good Hope Road.