WWI veteran Edward George Klaus' gravesite at Elyria's Brookdale Cemetery is unmarked no more

Click on title to read the wonderful Elyria Chronicle-Telegram story of August 28, 2011 about how the gravesite of WWI veteran, Edward George Klaus, is now finally marked with a gravestone at Elyria's Brookdale Cemetery.

Spotlighting Guilford Township Cemeteries in Medina County, Ohio

Click on title to link to a website about the Mound Hill Cemetery in Seville, Ohio and River Styx Cemetery in Wadsworth, Ohio.

Both cemeteries are located in Medina County. 

Much history is provided for these cemeteries.

Floral and ground regulations are also stated. 

Links are provided to "Find A Grave" memorials posted for these two cemeteries. 

Finding the Tombstone of Simeon Shepard in a Lorain Backyard

Click on title to read the story and view the video about how a Lorain, Ohio man found the old broken tombstone of a man named Simeon Shepard while cleaning his back yard. 

The homeowner did the right thing by contacting authorities. 

Often times, when stones like Simeon Shepard's are found on private property it is not because they were buried there.  A thin tablet gravestone like Simeon Shepard's seen in the video most likely is an original stone.

Later, a new stone was purchased by someone who took the old one home, or it was discarded and picked up by someone else. 

I checked the website "Find A Grave" for a Lorain area man named Simeon Shepard and found five memorials posted for men with his name in America. 

One is for a Simeon Shepard buried in Lorain County at the Andress Cemetery in Henrietta, Ohio.   He died on June 16, 1864 and a photograph of his white marble monument is included in the memorial.

With the current information available, I feel it is possible that there could be either a reinterment involved or simply a new headstone that replaced the original stone for Simeon Shepard. 

The original tablet gravestone also with the death date of June 16, 1864 for Simeon Shepard, was at some point brought to Lorain - but the reasons behind the move will likely remain a mystery.

Below is an updated story that sheds more light: 

Friday, August 19, 2011

By ALLISON STROUSE
astrouse@MorningJournal.com

"LORAIN — The headstone Terrance and Jennifer Scott found in the back yard of their West 23rd Street rental home, has generated lots of interest and speculation as to where it came from.

Some people, including Nesbitt Burton Jr., believe the headstone belongs at Andress Cemetery in Henrietta Township.

He referenced "Cemetery Inscriptions of Lorain County," which was published in 1980. He believes the grave marker was taken after the 1980s but is unable to say for sure.

A picture was sent in by Kevin Myers showing the grave marker of Simeon Shepard at the Andress Cemetery.

The picture shows a tall white stone column, unlike the flat short stone found in the Scott's back yard.

Some readers left comments on The Morning Journal's website."

Weneedchange stated that they too know where the headstone belonged.

"I think I know where that stone came from," they said. "On the corner of 22nd and Pole there use to be a cemetery and the stones there mysteriously vanished."

Ohio Revised Code Regarding Vandalism

"What punishment should be given to individuals who are found guilty of desecrating, vandalizing, or otherwise intentionally damaging cemetery markers, crypts, vaults, mausoleums, fences or buildings?"

If you have an opinion, please post!

2909.05 [Effective Until 9/30/2011] Vandalism.

(E) Whoever violates this section is guilty of vandalism. Except as otherwise provided in this division, vandalism is a felony of the fifth degree that is punishable by a fine of up to two thousand five hundred dollars in addition to the penalties specified for a felony of the fifth degree in sections 2929.11 to 2929.18 of the Revised Code. If the value of the property or the amount of physical harm involved is five thousand dollars or more but less than one hundred thousand dollars, vandalism is a felony of the fourth degree. If the value of the property or the amount of physical harm involved is one hundred thousand dollars or more, vandalism is a felony of the third degree.

(2) “Serious physical harm” means physical harm to property that results in loss to the value of the property of five hundred dollars or more.


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2909.05 [Effective 9/30/2011] Vandalism

(E) Whoever violates this section is guilty of vandalism. Except as otherwise provided in this division, vandalism is a felony of the fifth degree that is punishable by a fine of up to two thousand five hundred dollars in addition to the penalties specified for a felony of the fifth degree in sections 2929.11 to 2929.18 of the Revised Code. If the value of the property or the amount of physical harm involved is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more but less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars, vandalism is a felony of the fourth degree. If the value of the property or the amount of physical harm involved is one hundred fifty thousand dollars or more, vandalism is a felony of the third degree.

(2) “Serious physical harm” means physical harm to property that results in loss to the value of the property of one thousand dollars or more.

Ohio Exploration Society - Cemeteries

Click on title to link to the "Cemeteries" page for the Ohio Exploration Society. 

Some of the cemeteries featured with gravestone photographs include: 

Stewart Cemetery in Crawford County, Williamsville Cemtery in Delaware County, Forest Rose Cemetery in Fairfield County, 

Carlisle Cemetery in Franklin County, and many others primarily in central Ohio.

Index to Old Cemeteries in Fayette County, Ohio

Click on title to access the current listing of cemeteries on "Find A Grave" for Fayette County, Ohio. 

**Please note, on the two-page list below, #46 is "Limes Cemetery, Greenfield-Sabina Pike, 1/2 in Highland and 1/2 in Fayette County."

Limes Cemetery is also known as Sheep Pen or Gustin Cemetery for Highland County. 

The Highland County Auditor's Office shows Sheep Pen located on "East Martinsburg Road" (County Road 98), which is the Greenfield-Sabina Road once you cross over into Fayette County, Ohio.)

Note, I have also added below on this blog, as a permanent image, the Plat Map for Sheep Pen Cemetery. 

It was recorded in Fayette County, Ohio and listed with the name "Old Limes Cemetery".   More veterans were buried there than only the two that are shown.  

Spotlighting the Hardin County Genealogical Society

Spotlighting The Hardin County Genealogical Society in Hardin County, Ohio. 

Click on title to access the website "hardincountyconnections" for the Hardin County Genealogical Society.

The current Spring-Summer 2011 issue of the Hardin County Genealogical Society's Newsletter, "Track and Trace" under the main page column heading: "President's Pen" by Kathy Hines, is a paragraph about the society's upcoming projects for doing more tombstone transcriptions at Hardin County cemeteries.

The work includes finishing their projects in Washington Township, and completing Patterson Cemetery in Jackson Township. 

Their plan is to move on to work at the large Hueston Cemetery by next summer. 

Quoting from the newsletter about the work of reading tombstones, Kathy states:

"The work is slow and hot as well as sometimes frustrating when it comes to deciphering the old weather-worn stones." 

I agree and say how true that is, but we have to be thankful they are still there at all to try to read. 

Untold numbers of grave markers have been lost to history for one reason or another, and the trend unfortunately continues. 

Thus, I wish to express here my appreciation to the Hardin County Genealogical Society and to those who have braved the elements to conduct their work transcribing tombstone inscriptions. 

It is a time consuming work that is valuable in so many ways that benefits those of us here today and for those generations that will be here in the future.   Thank You!!

Sheep Pen Cemetery - My Story & an Update

Reporting Vandalism at Sheep-Pen Cemetery - Summer of 2011

Madison Township, Highland County, Ohio

By Linda Jean Limes Ellis, August, 2011©

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     My July 15, 2011 trip to Sheep-Pen (AKA Limes or Gustin) Cemetery came within one day of the 30th anniversary of my first visit to this early pioneer burying ground that straddles the Fayette and Highland County boundary line on the Greenfield-Sabina Road heading toward Greenfield.

     After arrival and even before getting out of the car, I could see that Sheep Pen had suffered a senseless and brutal attack on a large number of its gravestones, older and newer ones alike, that I had come to know so well over the years. Several of my Limes family ancestors were buried at Sheep-Pen Cemetery so I had done considerable research about their connection to it.

     As I opened the gate and walked first past the more recent indigent burials marked with smaller homemade plaques, I could see farther ahead two rows of completely knocked down gravestones. Appearing to me as an appalling array of slammed down slabs, I felt they must have suffered crushing hateful blows by either humans or machines capable of delivering such forceful strikes against them. The frail marble markers and even newer granite monuments were defenseless against such violent attacks. I knew that one by one they had crashed hard into the earth that once supported them. Naturally, those thin fragile tablets completely cracked upon impact and now lie on the ground in jagged pieces.

     I immediately took note of the three newer large gray granite monuments belonging to John and Jane (Kelley) Limes; Hiram and Elizabeth (Cory) Limes; and Margaret and Rebecca Limes who were buried with their devoted nephew Charles Alvin Crooks. The massive top monuments for these three had been thrust clean off their bases causing each of them to land ‘face first’ at a 90 degree angle.

     I couldn’t help but feel those 19th century frail markers the criminals targeted were tearfully staring up at me and asking: “How could this have happen to us?” “We bothered no one and stood here in peace for over one hundred years!” I felt they deserved an answer. I was still shaking in too much disbelief though to provide one that would make any sense. There was no reason that could justify what indeed did happen. I believe we have a connection to our ancestors and others from the past through reading and touching their grave markers. As I think of those weathered stones and their purpose, I am reminded of the title from the book: “By Their Markers Ye Shall Know Them.”

     It took me what seemed like an eternity to regain my composure and start the task of photographing the destroyed gravestones and then writing down the names engraved on them. As in the past, I had brought with me my list of burials at Sheep-Pen Cemetery to note any changes. This time, however, it became my checklist for identifying those markers and monuments now in varied degrees of damage.

     Afterward, I called the Highland County Sheriff’s Department and told a deputy on duty about the vandalism at Sheep-Pen Cemetery. I later learned from Eleanor Snodgrass, the Madison Township (Highland County) Clerk, that they had also called in a vandalism report. She thought the attack had taken place two or three weeks earlier. She also felt a vehicle might have been used, and I tend to agree given the severity of the damage.

     I wanted to be sure that more local people became aware of the vandalism done at Sheep-Pen Cemetery, so I sent emails to some friends living in the Greenfield, Ohio area, contacted the Southern Ohio Genealogical Society (Highland County’s chapter of O.G.S.) and called the Highland County Veterans’ Office.

     I contacted the Highland County newspapers: The Times-Gazette and The Highland Press. Within a few days, both ran stories and a panoramic photograph of Sheep-Pen’s widespread vandalism. The Record-Herald in Fayette County also published the story. I sent an email to WBNS - 10TV in Columbus. They covered it in a newscast and put it on the internet.

     Eleanor Snodgrass told me she is contracting with Hardy Memorials of Greenfield for the restoration of the destroyed stones at Sheep-Pen Cemetery, and promised the trustees would try to have the grounds mowed as best as possible given the circumstances. She said insurance should cover all the needed repairs.

     On August 5, 2011, I spoke with Mr. Hardy by phone and he conveyed his hope to begin working at Sheep-Pen Cemetery in a few weeks. Currently, his company is restoring a vandalized cemetery in New Vienna, Ohio.

     Also on August 5, I learned that “Find A Grave” approved a photograph I submitted to them of some of the damaged stones and it is now visible on Sheep Pen’s main page: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pis&PIcrid=43392&PIpi=46265609&PIMode=cemetery

     Please, if anyone has any information that could lead to the apprehension and arrest of the person or persons responsible for the destruction of grave markers at Sheep-Pen Cemetery, please contact the Highland County Sheriff’s Office at their crime tip phone line: 937-840-6243.

Or email: Sheriff Ronald D. Ward: rward@highlandcoso.com rward@highlandcoso.com

     The extensive and malicious damage done to so many grave markers at Sheep-Pen Cemetery is obviously an unforgivable offense to those buried there, to their descendants, and truly, to all of us.

Stones damaged or destroyed from the 2011 vandalism at Sheep-Pen Cemetery:

Sisters, Margaret and Rebecca Limes, and their nephew Charles Alvin Crooks – granite monument knocked off base.


John Limes and his wife, Jane (Kelley) Limes – granite monument knocked off base.


Hiram Limes and his wife, Elizabeth (Cory) Limes – granite monument knocked off base.


Hiram Limes and “EHL” - original thin stone tablet knocked down.


Pvt. Samuel Crooks – bent up new 2010 GAR flag holder. Rounded top stone tablet in slotted base knocked over and cracked in two.


Millie F. Crooks - rounded top stone with fancy scrollwork flowers knocked off base.


Maria (Limes) Crooks - white marble upright stone knocked over.


Jennie Crooks (AKA Hannah Jane Crooks) – the whole monument was knocked from the base and lies on the ground.


Henry Limes - Thin white marble tablet stone - cracked in half lying on the ground.


Julia Ann Limes - thin white marble tablet stone - cracked in half lying on the ground.


Jacob H. Geller, Jr. and his wife Eleanor Elizabeth (Patterson) Geller – both inscriptions on one white marble square monument - knocked off from the base.


Jacob H. Geller and Mary (Wilson) Geller - individual rounded top stones - each knocked over with bases attached and lying on the ground ‘face up.’


Priscilla (Beals) Rogers – wife of Joel Rogers - partial above ground slab with evidence of new damage from being pried open further in the front.

The Hiram and Elizabeth (Cory) Limes large gray granite monument in the foreground

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All known surnames of those buried at Sheep-Pen Cemetery:

Aber, Barkley, Beals (Bales), Bennett, Best, Boyd, Brock, Crooks, Daugherty, Dick, Dorman, Geller, Goodwin, Irwin, Kelley (Kelly), Limes, McVey (McVay), McWilliams, Penwell, Rogers (Rodgers), Roosa, Shepherd, and Yohn.

Sheep Pen Cemetery Flickr Photographs

http://www.flickr.com/photos/limesstones/sets/72157627126137229/