New Gravestone Photograph for George R. Aber at Sheep Pen Cemetery - Madison Township, Highland County, Ohio

1850 U. S. Federal Census Madison Township Highland County Ohio Series  M432  Roll 694 Page 147 FamilySearch

Matthew Aber, age 58, occupation of farmer, value of real estate owned - $2,250; birthplace PA; Hannah, age 53, birthplace PA; Charles, age 21, birthplace - Ohio, occupation of farmer; Lavina (sp?) age 26, birthplace Ohio; Julia A., age 19, birthplace Ohio; and Matthew A., age 15, birthplace Ohio. The family was living next to the Samuel and Margaret Yohn family.

Wills, Administrations, Guardianships & Adoptions of Highland County, Ohio 1805- 1880 - McBride & McBride, 1957, reprinted 1994, page 67:

ABER, Matthew, of Madison Township, Date: Aug. 11, 1858.  Wife, Hannah, children: Elmira, Samuel, Wilson, Charles, Eliza Simes, Julia Yohn.  Executors: Wilson Aber, Harrison Limes. Witnesses: John Limes, Rutherford Collier.  Proven Apr. 25, 1859.  The Executors declined to administer the estate and the court appointed Thomas M. Brady Administrator W.W.A.  Sureties: Rutherford Collier, John Limes.  Appraisers:  Rutherford Collier, William Irwin, Phillip McWilliams.  The widow elected to take under the will.

Comment by Linda Jean Limes Ellis:  Eliza “Simes” – Her married name was incorrectly spelled with an “S”when it should have been an "L" for Limes. Eliza Limes was married to Harrison Limes.  Harrison and Eliza Aber Limes are buried at the Cochran Cemetery in Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio.  Harrison Limes’ parents were William and Athaliah Doster Limes.  William Limes was an older brother to Henry Limes buried at Sheep Pen Cemetery.  Thus, Henry Limes was an uncle to Harrison Limes who was Eliza Aber’s husband. 

Wills, Administrations, Guardianships & Adoptions of Highland County, Ohio 1805- 1880 - McBride & McBride, 1957, reprinted 1994, page 269: “June 6, 1871.  Thomas M. Boyd appointed Administrator of the estate of Hannah Aber, dec’d.  Sureties:  W. W. Bell, Isaac Simpson, Appraisers:  Rutherford Collier, John Limes, William Gustin.”

Aber family members buried at Sheep Pen (AKA Limes or Gustin Cemetery):

•   Matthew Aber, and his wife, Hannah Kenley Aber
•   Matthew Aber (son of Matthew and Hannah Kenley Aber)
•   Elmirah Aber (daughter of Matthew and Hannah Kenley Aber)
•   George Aber (son of Matthew and Hannah Kenley Aber)
• Julia Aber Yohn (daughter of Matthew and Hannah Kenley Aber)
•  Eliza Aber Limes (daughter of Matthew and Hannah Kenley Aber.

(Eliza Aber was buried at Cochran Cemetery, Fayette County, Ohio – Eliza was married to Harrison Limes son of William and Athalia Doster Limes)

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Currently, "Find A Grave" is listing 158 memorials for the surname of Aber in the state of Ohio.  

Spotlighting Forest Cemetery in Circleville, Pickaway County, Ohio

I visited Forest Cemetery in Circleville, Pickaway County, Ohio on July 19, 2012.  I found evidence of the aftermath of the violent thunderstorms that had rolled through the area not long before.  There were tree branches down in the cemetery. Some limbs were cracked from tree trunks and hanging down which were awaiting removal.  

Most of my time at Forest Cemetery was spent walking around in Section 11 where my Duvall family is buried - Jeremiah and Sigariah (Simmons) Duvall and some of their children and other family members.  

Fortunately, the tree nearest to many of the Duvall gravesites had only a couple of cracked branches that were still attached to it.  Thus, no damage was done to any of the grave markers or the large Duvall monument.

Below are a couple of photographs taken that illustrate the cracked branches on the tree near the gravesites of my Duvall ancestors buried at Forest Cemetery:

Dean Cemetery - South Salem, Buckskin Township, Ross County, Ohio - Progress Report from Scott Andersen

Per "Find A Grave" -- Dean Cemetery:  

"Cemetery notes and/or description:
This cemetery is located east of the center of Lyndon, on a farm once owned by James Dean, then Will Stinson, and then Morton Titus. The cemetery is over grown, and is on the edge of a field currently used for farming."

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Scott Andersen has been photographing the gravestones during his working visits at the Dean Cemetery since 2009.  

He has posted all of the currently documented burials at the Dean Cemetery on the website "Find A Grave."  Most memorials include a gravestone photograph.

Here is Scott's latest report on his project to restore the grounds at the Dean Cemetery:

July 25, 2012:

"Made it out to the cemetery today.  Things have grown up a bit, but its all soft stuff in the areas that we cut last fall.  So, I was able to clear it back out without much difficulty using a weedeater.   I ran out of string after about 20 minutes of work, so I'll have to go out again later in the week and finish up.  In that 20 minutes I cut down about what it took us all day to get through the first time.  So all the work we did last fall wasn't for naught.   Getting it trimmed back to that level will be fine for now, and I'll make another big push when the weather cools off, and perhaps I can burn some of the brush in the adjoining field."  

Scott

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Regarding the photograph below:

"The photo was taken in an area that I didnt get to cut today. We did have this spot cleaned out last fall. Grows fast!  But, it trims back easy."

Per the publication, "Ohio Cemeteries 1803 - 2003", by K. Roger Troutman, Editor, published by the Ohio Genealogical Society in 2003, on page 559, the Dean Cemetery is listed as: "Dean-Old Presbyterian (10341) Cond: N. Owner F. 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."  

The Condition "N" designates "neglected" to describe the current status at the Dean Cemetery.  The full definition for "N" is found on page 4 of the "Ohio Cemeteries 1803 - 2003" book:  

N:  "Neglected.  These cemetries suffer from benign neglect.  They probably have not been cleaned up or restored in the last ten years or more.  They are slowly disappearing for lack of human intervention to maintain them.  The term abandoned, used previously in the OGS cemetery books and in other publications, is now included in the term neglected."  

Scott deserves acknowledgement and thanks for his returning to the Dean Cemetery on a regular basis to remove the overgrowth; and to locate, clean, and photograph the gravestones.  

He has shared his gravestone pictures on the "Find A Grave" memorials he has created which greatly benefit those who are interested in learning more about the early area pioneers who are interred at the Dean Cemetery.  

I'm confident that in the future, the description of the condition at the Dean Cemetery will be upgraded from "N" to "R" -- meaning it has been Restored -- restored because Scott took the time and effort, on behalf of all of those buried at the Dean Cemetery, proving that indeed someone does care. 

Featuring the Hitler-Ludwig Cemetery in Pickaway County, Ohio

The Hitler-Ludwig Cemetery in Pickaway County, Ohio is not a large cemetery, but one that is well maintained with many unusual monuments and markers in the newer sections as well as older towering monuments erected for members of the Hitler and Ludwig families that lived in the area.  

It must be mentioned that none of the Hitler family that lived in Pickaway County had any connection to Adolf Hitler.   

Below are a few photographs of newer monuments taken on July 19, 2012

Hitler Ludwig Cemetery 

1819 Hitler Road 1, Circleville, OH 43113
(740) 474-2361

Spotlighting Reber Hill Cemetery in Walnut Township, Pickaway County, Ohio

Reber Hill Cemetery in Pickaway County, Ohio is among my favorite cemeteries to visit in the state of Ohio.  One of the reasons is that my great-great grandparents, Wesley and Martha Ann (Miller) Limes, are buried at Reber Hill.  

Reber Hill is situated on the East side of Winchester Road.  An on-site caretaker lives on the property the last that I knew.

Below are a few new photographs I took on July 19, 2012 that I'll share in this post.  

Sharing Some Photographs of Gravestones at Good Hope Cemetery in Wayne Township, Fayette County, Ohio

Sharing some photographs taken on July 21, 2012 at the Good Hope Cemetery in Wayne Township, Fayette County, Ohio:

Good Hope Cemetery has always appeared well maintained whenever I have visited it.  

The cemetery sections are laid out well and are easily identifiable with large section markers.  

 The Fayette County Genealogical Society has published a wonderful tombstone inscription book for Wayne Township.

(Wayne and Marion Townships are together in one book.)

Published in 2000 by Charles R. Gossett and Peggy Gilmore (now deceased). 

The Fayette County Genealogical Society members have done an outstanding job of documenting burials in their county. They have published all of their transcriptions by township name in books that can be purchased through the FCGS. Included when possible, are previous older readings that may offer transcriptions of stones no longer visible or readable.

"Ohio Mormon Cemetery Fascinates Researchers" -- New Portage Cemetery, Barberton, Summit County, Ohio

Click on title to read the story about about how the recent closing of a nearby school has impacted the New Portage Cemetery in Barberton, Ohio which appears today in the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper print edition.  

This link is featured today on "Cleveland.com" with the original source published by the Akron Beacon Journal.

Currently, there are 27 interments listed for the New Portage Cemetery in Barberton on "Find A Grave."

Spotlighting a "Columbus Dispatch" News Story about Gravestone Photograph Volunteer Ron Cruikshank

Click on title to read a heartwarming story written by Lori Kurtzman that was published on July 9, 2012 in The Columbus Dispatch about Mr. Ron Cruikshank of Licking County, Ohio and his dedicated efforts to clean and then photograph gravestones at the Pataskala Cemetery in Licking County, Ohio. 

This is among the best written accounts I have read regarding volunteers who devote their own time to cleaning and also recording gravestone information to share with others on various websites.  

Highlighted in the story is the "Ohio GenWeb Tombstone Photo Project" that is part of the "Ohio GenWeb Project" offered on the website "Rootsweb.com."  Mr. Robert Sizelove has been its long time project manager.  I am pleased to see him receive the credit for his dedicated efforts with this project.  It has been my pleasure to work with Robert over the years on the "Ohio GenWeb Tombstone Photo Project."

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Currently, on "Find A Grave," the Pataskala Cemetery has 4,883 burials listed.  The Kirkersville Cemetery is also mentioned in this story and interments there listed on "Find A Grave" number 2,260.

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The Licking County Tombstone Photo Project lists several cemeteries in Licking County with interment information provided by contributors including for both Pataskala (with two links) and Kirkersville cemeteries.  

Two Portage Twp. (Ottawa County, Ohio) Cemeteries Benefit from Recent Grants

Click on the title to read the account of how the Shook Cemetery and Christy Chapel Cemetery received improvements due to $2,665.00 in grants obtained by the local township trustees.  The story was published online on May 1, 2012 at www.thebeacon.net.  

Currently, on "Find A Grave," the Shook Cemetery has 152 interments and the Christy Chapel Cemetery has 113 interments listed.  

It is great to report on this positive news which provides insight into the different ways Ohio's cemeteries are being improved giving them a much brighter future.

"Limelighting Historic Gravestone Conservation with Jon Appell"

Rather than 'spotlighting' on this blog, today we'll be 'limelighting' the cemetery preservation blog 'limeWorks.us' by Jon Appell.

"Limelight on Jon Appell and his work in historic gravestone conservation. Jon travels across the US presenting lectures and trainings on proper gravestone conservation."

There will be a permanent link to Jon's "limeWorks.us" blog here so we can keep up to date with him.

 So, relax and enjoy Jon's blog and watch his YouTube Video!

Update on Storm Damage at Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio

Brent Nimmo reports today that he feels about 40 trees were toppled during the last round of storms at Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.  g

"Think Sandra L. Latimer said we lost about 40 trees. A call is out for volunteers to pick up branches and drag them to the road like after Ike. With all the storm damage, tree companies work on the ones blocking roads, fallen on electric lines, and people's houses before cemetery cleanup. Tree company got most of all of the huge oak in Soldiers Circle in Section M except the big stump.... I was surprised at how quickly that happened..."

I haven't seen any TV reports or newspaper stories about the damage, however, posted yet online. 

The title of this post links to Green Lawn Cemetery's own website.  

Green Lawn Cemetery's contact information:

Email: contactus@greenlawncolumbus.org
Phone: (614) 444-1123

A Warning - Parents Please Keep Children From Playing in Cemeteries - "Boy, 4, Dies After Tombstone Falls on Him in Utah"

Click on title to link to this tragic story published on July 6, 2012 about a four-year old boy who was crushed to death after the tombstone he was holding toppled on him during a picture taking event hosted by his father, who is a part-time photographer.  This report is linked to the online news source "ABC News" courtesy of the Associated Press.

Sadly, this happens more frequently than we may realize.  Children playing in cemeteries have a tendency to play around and 'hide behind' the tallest tombstones.  Unfortunately, those are the very tombstones that are the ones that, if toppled over, will either seriously injure or even kill a child.  Parents and guardians have to be extremely aware of this possibility.  Never trust a tombstone to stay stable as even a small child's push or pull could topple it over on the child or someone else.  

If you have ever tried to pick up even a small marble marker you know it is heavy.  Please keep that in mind and imagine just how heavy the weight would be from a falling six-foot tall marble, stone, or granite monument as it crashes to the ground.  Even an adult may not survive such a horrific event.  

I don't wish to discourage parents from taking their children to visit cemeteries so they can learn to respect them, but please exercise extreme caution and keep the child close to you and hold their hand.  Please don't allow them to wander off and touch or hold the stones.  It is only inviting trouble.

Green Lawn Cemetery of Columbus, Ohio - One of the Cemeteries Affected by the Storms that Struck Central Ohio This Past Weekend

As those of us who live in Ohio already know, the change in weather this past weekend and the last couple of days have brought us much needed rain, however,  unfortunately with some of the rain came a 'wall of wind' -- straight-line windstorms, as our TV and radio weather forecasters tell us are called Derecho.  

The aftermath from these storms have left a wake of extensive damage done to property including at Ohio's cemeteries.

Sharing below a photo generously shared by Brent Nimmo who is a good friend to Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio: 

  

Brent reports Green Lawn is working on extensive clean up efforts at the cemetery.  

I hope to receive more reports about the restoration of the stones that were damaged at Green Lawn from Brent and other sources.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY AMERICA -- Let's Make the Connection!

Wishing everyone, including this blog's fantastic followers, a very Happy Fourth of July 2012 as we celebrate America's 236th birthday today.  

We have so many reasons to give thanks and be proud of our country's past and current contributions to the world.  Today, let's not forget to pause and honor those who have gone before us who rest in peace in city cemeteries and rural burying grounds across America.  

To help us toward that goal, I've chosen to spotlight a link to Find A Grave's "Success Stories".  

This is where people express their gratitude to strangers.  To strangers who have become contributors who generously share their knowledge so others can connect to their past by learning more about the lives of their deceased relatives and ancestors.   

Making these connections have enriched many people's lives, who, in turn, will be able to pass that history down to younger generations through story telling and from activities like painstakingly transcribing ancestral information found in personal old diaries and heavy family bibles.  

Yes those old books we walk past that silently sit on shelves in homes, libraries, and museums.  If they could, they would beg us to pick them up and look at their pages hidden inside their hardbound dust laden covers before they crumble under the weight of time.  What we can learn from them is almost limitless.

Thus, Americans have much reason to celebrate and many blessings to be thankful for on this Fourth Of July 2012.  As we reflect on American history, let's remember not only the 'how and why' but also most importantly, the 'who' -- the people who blazed the unpaved pioneering trails of times long past.  For without them, we could not fully appreciate our American heritage today.

Weighing in on Drilling for Natural Gas at Ohio's Cemeteries

I wish to state that personally I am against drilling of any kind at any of Ohio's cemeteries.   

 Please read more about this issue by clicking on the link below from "Ohio.com" published on July 2, 2012: 

"Gas under cemeteries raises money, moral questions"

By Julie Carr Smyth Associated Press

Lowellville Cemetery is featured in this news story.  

It is located in Lowellville in Mahoning County, Ohio.  

Currently, "Find A Grave" lists 2,556 interments at th Lowellville Cemetery.  

Announcing Further Details and Updates for the Upcoming Holycross Family Reunion

From Richard Haslep:

"We now have a venue for the 2012 Holycross Reunion:

 

The reunion will be held on 25 and 26 August 2012 at Shelter #1 at Mary Rutan Park in Bellefontaine, Ohio.

 

Please visit the website (www.holycrossfamilyreunion.com) for maps, accommodations, activities, info, RSVP, etc.

 

Please RSVP through the website no later than 15 August to enable accurate headcount for the caterer.

 

Note that the schedule is for Saturday and Sunday, but Sunday is just being held to provide a venue for continuation of visiting or family history review for those family members interested. 

No meals or organized activities are planned.

 

Please share this information with any family members that are not included on this e-mail. 

Those without internet access may RSVP directly to me at the numbers below or RSVP to Kimberly Berven at 1-214-679-1323 (I will be out-of-pocket from 25 July through 17 August)

 

Hope to see all of you on the 25^th!!!!!"

 

Regards,

 

Rick

Richard L. Haslep

Tel: +1-817-483-2982

Cell: +1-817-366-8052

4607 Michelle Drive

Arlington, Texas 76016

USA

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Also, please check out the Holycross Genealogy Information also on the Holycross Reunion website. 

And, 

 

Pape Funeral Home Records for searching Holycross Burials in Indiana.