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."

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Sheep Pen/AKA Gustin/AKA Limes Cemetery - Fayette/Highland County, Ohio

First, Happy New Year to everyone who reads or follows my blog.
Thank you for your time and interest!!

As the new year ends, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on righting a few wrongs before the new year begins.

I am a big "fan" of "Find A Grave" and have contributed to their website by posting memorials whenever I can.

However, some of "FAG's" contributors have caused me to have some issues with their burials posted incorrectly on "findagrave.com" who then became obstinate about removing or correcting their postings - primarily posting memorials for people I knew in wrong cemeteries!! I contact them and wait and send second requests and wait. I am learning that submitting your requests via the "public message" seems to work best for results.

After two such attempts, I contact Find A Grave via their email address of: Info@findagrave.com:

The kind folks at "FAG" have never failed me yet! When I have submitted my proof regarding an incorrect memorial posting and that the contributor isn't making the correction, the FAG folks step in and right the wrong. In the past few weeks they have helped with removing not only duplicate memorials but consolidated the "Old Burying Ground" cemetery in Greenfield, Ohio, from 3 listings into 1 - like it should have been all along!

So, my 2009 thank you to Find A Grave for running an efficient website despite the human inefficiences that can creep into it.

Below are some recent corrections I made on "FAG" for the Sheep Pen Cemetery that straddles the Fayette and Highland County lines in Ohio:

I would like to report corrections for two entries at the Sheep Pen(AKA Limes/AKA Gustin) Cemetery found on Page 60 of the Perry Township Tombstone Inscriptions - 2001:

1. Williams, Margaret P., dau. of J.F. & M.P., d 6 Sept. 1863 aged 7 y 1 m 9 d

Should be, per McBride's "Highland County Cemetery Inscriptions", page 362, and information from Mr. Jerry McWilliams:

McWilliams, Margaret P., dau. of J. P. & M. d 6 Sept. 1863, 7 y 1 mo 9 d

and

2. Williams, Ellen J., dau. of J.F. & M.P., d 30 Sept. 1855, 10 mos. 11 d

Should be, per McBride's "Highland County Cemetery Inscriptions", page 362, and information from Mr. Jerry McWilliams:

McWilliams, Ellen J., dau of J. P. & M. d 30 Sept. 1855 10m 1 d

ALSO,

From Jerry McWilliams, in his email to me dated December 28, 2009

(his email address: mcwmshist@aol.com):

John Parke McWilliams was born July 31, 1826 in Greenfield, Highland, Ohio and died March 13, 1904 in Madison Township, Highland County, Ohio.

He married Margaret E. Irwin October 23, 1851 in Highland County, Ohio. She was born April 9, 1834 in Ohio and died February 22, 1912 in Ohio, daughter of William Irwin, Jr. and Jane Turbett.

Other events in the life of John Parke McWilliams:

Baptism : October 22, 1826 in First Presbyterian Church, Greenfield, Ohio

Burial : March 16, 1904 in Greenfield Cemetery, Greenfield, Ohio

Other events in the life of Margaret E. Irwin Burial : Greenfield Cemetery, Greenfield, Ohio

Children of John Parke McWilliams and Margaret E. Irwin:

Philip B. McWilliams was born December 22, 1852 and died After 1929.

Ellen J. McWilliams was born November 19, 1854 and died September 30, 1855.

Margaret P. McWilliams was born July 27, 1856 in Madison Township, Highland County, Ohio and died September 6, 1863.

William Irwin McWilliams was born March 16, 1858 in Ohio, and died July 14, 1891.

John P. McWilliams was born March 12, 1860 in Ohio, and died November 6, 1900

Abraham L. McWilliams was born February 2, 1863, two miles west of Greenfield, Ohio, and died 1929 in New York, New York.

E. J. "Jennie" McWilliams was born December 13, 1864 in Highland County, Ohio and died After 1930.

Edward C. McWilliams was born February 3, 1871 in Greenfield, Highland Co., Ohio, and died December 8, 1925 in Ross County, Ohio.

James S. McWilliams was born January 27, 1878 in Highland County, Ohio and died January 27, 1962 in Greenfield, Highland Co., Ohio.