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."

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

News story regarding Johnson's Corners Cemetery - Norton Township - Summit County Genealogical Society looking for help to improve conditions at Johnson's Corners Cemetery

Click on link to access a story that was posted on the website of "Ohio.com" on June 1, 2009 by 'Beacon Journal' staff writer, Linda Golz, announcing a plea for help by members of the Summit County Genealogical Society to restore and improve the conditions at the Johnson's Corners Cemetery. 

Contact information for "any group interested in helping preserve Johnson's Corners Cemetery should e-mail cemeteryscogs@yahoo.com."
I am hoping a local group has stepped up to help the Summit County Genealogical Society with their goals with regards to the Johnson's Corners Cemetery and other such cemeteries in deteriorated conditions that are facing the same unfortunate fate in Summit County, Ohio.  

Monday, January 25, 2010

Ohio State Bar Association Web Site - "State Law Regulates Most Ohio Cemeteries"

Click on title to link to the Ohio State Bar Association's web site and the section entitled:  "State Law Regulates Most Ohio Cemeteries"  Of particular note is the first question:  "Are all cemeteries in Ohio regulated by state law" - the answer states cemeteries with burials dating back greater than 25 years do not have to be registered with the Ohio Department of Real Estate.  It also explains their defintion of a private family cemetery.

Thanking Beth Santore of "Graveaddiction"

Beth continues her work with traveling to Ohio's cemeteries; both large and small, and photographing gravestones; bringing to our attention that many cemeteries contain large amounts of broken stones, deteriorated stones, poorly maintained grounds.  Thank you Beth for your graveaddiction website and also your Facebook site

"Ohio Cemeteries" - "Family Search - Research Wiki"

Click on title to access "Ohio Cemeteries" - an  informational site of a general nature offered by "FamilySearch"

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Spotlighting William and Mary Lawhead buried at the "Dean Cemetery" in Ross County, Ohio


Photographs and information courtesy of Mr. Scott Andersen:
"Here are William Lawhead 1755-1823 and his wife Mary's 1803-1833 stones at the Dean Cemetery. They were basically laying on the ground, completely covered in brush."



Wednesday, January 20, 2010

"Dean" AKA "Dean - Old Presbyterian" Cemetery - Buckskin Township - Ross County, Ohio

Click on Title to access the "Dean" Cemetery, currently showing 20 burials, posted on the website of "Find A Grave." 
It is located in Buckskin Township in Ross County, Ohio. 

Per an email from Mr. Scott Andersen who has recently visited the Dean Cemetery, he writes that it is in great need of restoration:

"Here's my candidate for a cemetery restoration.  It's in South Salem, on the farm of Eldon Esslegroth. It's called the Dean/Old Presbyterian Cemetery.
I transcribed it onto the "Find A Grave" website.
(It's just the "Dean Cemetery" on "Find A Grave")
My 5th Great Grandfather Robert Dickey is supposedly there.  He was a Revolutionary War Veteran.
There is a monument for him at the South Salem Cemetery, but that is not where he is buried.  I visited the site last summer. Larry O'Laker set up a meeting with Eldon, and we went out there.  I'm fairly certain that the cemetery hasn't been cleaned up in over 30 years.
Completely overgrown, you could hardly get through the place. We found a few headstones that day, but most were broken and lying in the dirt. I'd like to go back sometime in the winter, when the brush is down a little, and have another look.
If you ever get a campaign going to clean this one up, count me in!
Check it out on "Find A Grave."
*******************************************
On page 559 of the book, "Ohio Cemeteries - 1803 - 2003" for the "Dean - Old Presbyterian" Cemetery - ".....south of Lyndon.  From SR 28 at Lyndon go 0.6 mile south on Lyndon Salem Road to just north of Buckskin Creek.  East of Lyndon Salem Road 0.4 mile..."
Interactive map and GPS data:

From "Find A Grave" website:
"GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 39.34616, Longitude: -83.30119"

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Mt. Sterling Public Library - Cemetery Records on-line including link to Pleasant Cemetery

Click on title to access partial records to approximately 26 local cemeteries near the Mt. Sterling, Ohio area. 
Searches can be done
"Note: Searches are compared with all data in our listings, not just their last name."


Friday, January 15, 2010

Spotlighting the Ashland County Chapter of O.G.S. and the "Ashland County Cemeteries" page on their website

Click on title to access the "Ashland County Cemeteries" page provided on the website of the Ashland County Chapter of the Ohio Genalogical Society
My thanks to Sheila Helser for permitting me to link this wonderful website to my blog!

"All materials located on this website are the sole property of the webmaster/Sheila Helser and the original contributors (file donations).
You may copy any of this information for your own personal research
but refrain from selling it commerically or reposting it online without permission."
"Ashland County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society
Ashland County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society © pages & graphics"








Nancy A. Gadbury Irwin Memorial on "Find A Grave"

Click on title for the memorial posted for Nancy A. Gadbury Irwin, buried at the Greenfield Cemetery in Greenfield, Ohio, on the website of "Find A Grave". 
Some relationship links are included.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Ohio Cemeteries Topic - "Rootsweb.com" Message Board & Plea For Help Posted on it

Click on title to access Rootsweb's Message Board for Ohio Cemeteries.

Below is a plea for help for Abraham Mast Cemetery in Berlin, Holmes County, Ohio (click on link which includes three photos): 

http://boards.rootsweb.com/topics.cemetery.us.ohio/1387/mb.ashx

"HELP, Abraham Mast cemetery in need of restoration in Ohio.

sherrellhofbauer (View posts) Posted: 28 May 2009 11:46AM
Classification: Cemetery
Surnames: Beight, Burkholder, Cole, Degler, Drushel, Esch, Hage, Hammond, Hartzler, hochstetler, Kempf, Kline, Kurtz, Lint, Martin, Mast, Miller, Schlabach,Sommers, Summers, Troyer, Yoder,
Hi, I am John Lint. I am layed to rest in the Abraham Mast cemetery in Berlin, Holmes Co, Ohio. I died in 1889, Matilda, my wife in 1869. There are 114 soles resting here.
The cemetery is located on rt 351 just west of Berlin then North about 2 miles, On a hill overlooking a vast area. The land was bought some time ago by the Lauren Agra research group. This is cow farm. To get to us you must find a path around the barns, then drive threw manure, trash piles, large ruts and a field. When you get to the bottom of the hill you have to walk threw waste deep weeds to reach the cemetery. When there, not much can be seen. The trees are rapidly taking back the land. Bushes and weeds hide most headstones. Animal holes run deep into our graves. Infant stones are piled againt a wall almost invisable now.
The history that is buried here is being lost with every year that passes. Help preserve some of Ohio's history. I came here around 1815 with my father, Henry Lint. There wasn't even a Holmes Co, yet. My wife Matilda McQuiston came in 1815 with her father Thomas. Most everyone in this cemetery is related in one way or another. We forged a path riddled with Indians, Starvation, epidemics and death so our decendents could have a better way of life. Jacob Mast came here in 1826, his son Christian Mast bought this land from Andrew Troyer in 1829, this is the hill he set aside for all his family members. There are 10's of thousands of you that have a history to this place. We are asking for help. My 5th gr granddaughters have been the only visitors to this place in many years. They have done what they could but are only two and need your help. So anyone that can get the word to organizations, or family in the area, help set up cleanup time. My gggggranddaughter can be reached at sherrell@tds.net anytime. She is attaching photos from last year. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"




Happy 101 - for Happy New Year

Thank you to everyone who has departed from busy schedules to follow my blog from time to time. 

Winter is a "slow time" for cemetery preservation projects  and even cemetery trips; at least here in northern Ohio. 

Ten things that make me happy are:
1. More cemetery preservation projects to announce!
2. Hot and dry summers
3. Winters without snow (not realistic!)
4. Having Good Health (rank this as #1!)
5. Financial stability
6. Enjoy reading a great history book
7. Finding new friends
8. Searching Google
9. Taking long walks
10. Getting a good night's sleep.

Blogs I enjoy:


Gravemappers
Graveyard Rabbit of Central Ohio
Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay
The Graveyard Rabbit
Whistling Past the Graveyard
Ohio Genealogical Society
Along Spain Creek

Monday, January 4, 2010

Hamilton County Ohio - On-line Probate Court Records

Click on title to access the page of links for the following Hamilton County, Ohio Probate Court Records (copied from website):

"Probate Court Archived Records Search

Categories of Online Archived Records Estates 1791 - 1984
Wills 1791 - 1973
Trusts 1791 - 1984
Guardianships 1791 - 1984
Marriages 1808 - 1983
Minister's License 1963 - 1975
Birth Records 1863 - 1908
Birth Registrations and Corrections 1941 - 1994
Death Records 1881 - 1908
Naturalizations 1856 - 1906
Probate Court Journal Entries 1791 - 1837
Physician Certificates 1919 - 1934 and 1973 - 1987
Listing of Available Books
Discrepancies found in Hamilton County Probate Court Archived Records may be reported via email to: Probate Court File Room
Note: To access the Listing of Available Books and the book pages in PDF format you may need Adobe Reader. Click on the icon to begin the Adobe Reader download process."

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Cynthiana Cemetery - Pike County, Ohio - Remembering William Townsend

Click on link to view the "Find A Grave" memorial for William Towsend buried at the Cynthiana Cemetery in Pike County, Ohio. 

Whenever possible, when transcribing the name, birth and/or death date, and age inscribed on a tombstone, also take a couple of extra moments to transcribe any epitaph chisled on it. 

Normally, epitaphs are found on the lower portion of the stone written in small, cursive style etching.  

Epitaphs convey the culture of the times prevalent during the last days of the deceased's life. 

A wonderful book entitled:  "Tombstones of Your Ancestors" by Louis S. Schafer, published by Heritage Books, Inc., is a twelve chapter book that covers the broad range of information regaring tombstone epitaphs.  It offers the reader educational yet fascinating facts citing many examples of epitaphs spanning the serious and whimsical about the diseased.  Some also reveal much about the surviving loved ones.  


"Death stikes a blow and we are gone
And leave all things below
Our dwelling place
The Silent tomb
And we are seen no more"