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."

Friday, September 23, 2011

September 22, 2011 Update - Dean Cemetery - Buckskin Township, Ross County, Ohio

Here is the latest report from Scott Andersen, who with his wife, have spent 3 days thus far this week working on clearing away the tall weeds and brush at the Dean Cemetery in Buckskin Township, Ross County, Ohio. 
Per the book, "Ohio Cemeteries - 1803 - 2003" published by the Ohio Genelogical Society - page 559:  "Dean Old Presbyterian - Location:  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.  Coord:  39" 20' 49.87" N, 83 degrees 17'49.23" W. South Salem."

Below is an excerpt from Scott's latest email.

Please note, below Scott's email are 3 photographs he took during their 3 days of work at the Dean Cemetery:

"We only spent about 3 hours working in the cemetery today, as a few other commitments pulled us away. We cleared out a lot of the brush, and really opened up the cemetery. Thistle and briar are awful plants! A few more headstones made themselves visible, and what seems to be the remains of a vault lid or "cap", has also shown up.

For the time being, we have just been leaving things as find them. My wife did pour water on, and scrub on a few of the stones, she just got too curious to pass them by.

One thing that was rather interesting; The headstone of Mary Dickey. Mary Dickey is actually Mary Polly Depew, 1791-1816.

Mary was married to my 5th Great Uncle, James Henry Dickey. There is a poem on her headstone. We need to work on the third line of it a bit more, as its hard to read the inscription.

"Ye Young and Gay Come Near and See


The Silent Bed that Waits for Thee


Time was like you, one Life Posses'd


And Time will be When You Shall Rest"

Anyone recognize that?

Hoping to spend most of the day out there Friday, provided the rain doesn't start falling again.

We are planning to spend some time documenting and recording in detail what we've found so far, and then attack the world of six foot tall weeds again." 
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Enjoy Scott's photographs that definitely show the clean up progress accomplished in just 3 days of time - (the latest photgraph appears first at the top)! 

Thanks for sharing Scott!

ABOVE: Day 3 - September 22, 2011 further clean up and digging up of some gravestones by Scott Andersen at the Dean Cemetery
ABOVE: Day 2 - September 21, 2011 beginning of clean up of weeds, etc. by Scott Andersen at the Dean Cemetery.

ABOVE: Day 1 - September 20, 2011 prior to start of clean up and digging up of gravestones by Scott Andersen at the Dean Cemetery.
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