Happy Halloween!! -- "Haunted Cemeteries in Ohio" -- Chestnut Grove Cemetery - Ashtabula County, Ohio

Wishing everyone a Happy Halloween today, October 31, 2012.  

Gravesite of Priscilla Rogers -- partially pried open above-ground slab -- obviously, the veteran's marker is misplaced at her gravesite (at a cemetery other than Chestnut Grove.)

  I dare say that some ghosts and goblins may be waiting an extra few days to be beggars of the night because of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  But for others, October 31 is the traditional night and it will go on as scheduled.  

With this thought in mind, we know that pranks will be played, and not always ones without consequences.  Prime targets for Halloween pranks are, of course, cemeteries.  Many people consider them haunted and the ghosts will come out on Halloween.  Let's hope the ghosts at your favorite cemetery are only friendly ones and the visitors are too!

So, to get into the haunted Halloween mood, and to learn more about one Ohio cemetery that is reported to be haunted, we will link to:  "Haunted Places To Go"

The haunted cemetery is Chestnut Grove Cemetery in Ashtabula, Ohio.  There is even a "You Tube" video to watch on the website, but I have to say I wasn't thrilled with their choice of "music" for it!

There are 4,838 interments listed for Chestnut Grove Cemetery on "Find A Grave" with 63 open gravestone photo requests.

    So, let's hope some kind "Find A Grave" photo volunteers visit Chestnut Grove Cemetery to fulfill those gravestone photo requests once the weather is more conducive for cemetery walking.

Spotlighting Saint Colmans Cemetery in Fayette County, Ohio

My thanks to Gail Allen for sharing this nice photograph of a portion of St. Colmans Cemetery (AKA Saint Colman's) which is near her home in Washington Court House, Ohio. 

Gail is quite active with Fayette County, Ohio genealogy and is the editor of the "Fayette Connection" newsletter published by the Fayette County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society.  

The members of FCGS have always been active with their reading of tombstone transcriptions at cemeteries in each township in the county; whether a cemetery is an active one or not.  

FCGS has published booklets of their tombstone transcriptions which are available for purchase. 

This active cemetery is listed as "Saint Colmans" on "Find A Grave."  There are 55 interments listed for it on the website.  

Also, there are two open photo requests for gravestone photographs to be taken and posted to memorials.  

They are for: 

Agnes Creamer and Margaret Hidy.  

Both surnames are quite prominent in the Fayette County area. 

Spotlighting Cordelia Macey DePoy - Scott Andersen shares news of Cordelia Macey DePoy's Restored Unique Monument at the Old Burying Ground in Greenfield, Highland County, Ohio.

Scott Andersen, who has ancestors buried in and around the Greenfield, Ohio area, has shared "Before" and "After" photographs of the unique disk-shaped marble monument of Cordelia Macey DePoy.  

Cordelia died July 12, 1865 and was buried at the Old Burying Ground in Greenfield, Ohio.  

She was married to James Alstott DePoy.  He outlived her and was buried at the Chapel of the Chimes Columbarium and Mausoleum in Oakland, Calfornia.

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Cordelia's daughter, Irene, was buried next to her.  

Irene DePoy's smaller stone was also restored.  

Both gravestones were cleaned and received new footers, which are seen in the longer shot photograph below.

Directly below the "after" photographs appear two "before" images of Cordelia Macey DePoy's stone.  

Left to Right:  "After" restoration - Cordelia Macey DePoy's larger monument. Her daughter Irene's smaller monument is to the right.  Burials at the Old Burying Ground in Greenfield, Ohio.  Both grave markers were restored recently by Hardy Memorials of Greenfield.  

Above is a closer up photograph of the restored Cordelia Macey DePoy monument. 

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Below are the "Before Restoration" photographs of Cordelia Macey DePoy's monument.  

Quoting Scott: 

"What you can't see here is that the stone was leaning back at about a 30 degree angle, slowly falling down the hillside."

Thank you for sharing your photographs with us, Scott.  

Great going!! 

Old Burying Ground in Greenfield, Ohio

Sharing a Newspaper Story about Gravestone Rubbings

Click on title to link to a Huntington, West Virginia news story by The Herald-Dispatch that appears online today about the hobby of gravestone rubbings.  It is written by Jean McClelland.

The Association for Gravestone Studies is mentioned in the article.  The organization's website contains many more details that can best guide someone to understand the "do's and don'ts" of doing gravestone rubbings. 

Announcing a "Special Lorain County Preservation Event" - Saturday, October 20, 2012 - from 11:00a.m. to 3:00p.m.

Thanking Margaret Cheney, Treasurer of the Lorain County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, for the following announcement: 

"TOMORROW, Saturday, Oct. 20th, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m., is a special Lorain County Preservation Event, being held at the Starr House (Lorain County History Center), on Washington Ave., Elyria -- just south of The Hickories, on the OTHER side of the street, closer to downtown Elyria.

****This is your chance not only to see special displays of Historic Preservation projects that the various Lorain County historical groups have been working on, but also to take a FREE tour of the newly-opened LC History Center in the beautiful Starr House, a completely refurbished 1850's Victorian mansion, and
home to the new (Skip) Johnson Family Research Library. Remember, just for this day, you won't have to pay the $5.00 tour fee."

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 Also, below is information from the Lorain County Historical Society website:

"One-Day Event: Lorain County Historic Preservation Projects on View"

 October 20, 2012, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Lorain County Historical Society (LCHS) is pleased to announce a one-day event featuring historic restorations of buildings and sites across Lorain County, on view October 20, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Lorain County History Center, located at 284 Washington Avenue, Elyria, Ohio. This event is free and open to the public.

This exhibition will be comprised of 8-10 groups and individuals from Lorain County who will have on display photographs and text describing the preservation process involved with their historic restoration of a building or site. This exhibition will showcase at one location, preservation activities from different areas around Lorain County.

This event is sponsored by The Lorain County Preservation Network (LCPN). For more information, please call LCHS at (440) 322-3341.

***

The Lorain County Preservation Network (LCPN) consists of organizations and individuals who work to build a preservation ethic among Lorain County property owners and public officials. Network members seek to advance the knowledge and skills of all network members to promote the preservation of historic structures as a significant component of Lorain County's future.

 *** 

LCPN meets the fourth (4th) Wednesday of January, April, July, and October, usually a brown bag lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at The Hickories (509 Washington Ave, Elyria, OH 44035). For more information, call LCHS at (440) 322-3341.

Spotlighting the "Ghosts of Burton Tour" -- Burton, Geauga County, Ohio - Saturday, October 20th and Saturday, October 27th, 2012. Tour times are 6:00 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:00 pm, 7:30 pm, and 8:00 pm.

From the website of the Goodwin House Bed & Breakfast of Burton, Ohio:

"The Ghosts of Burton Historical Tour - 2012

The Ghosts of Burton Historical Tour - 2012 will take place on Saturday, October 20th and Saturday, October 27th, 2012.   Tour times are 6:00 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:00 pm, 7:30 pm, and 8:00 pm.   Volunteer guides will lead you through Century Village and our very old local graveyard, while you listen to historical stories of past lives and some local ghostly lore.   Each tour lasts about 2 1/2 hours.   (Century Village is the Geauga Historical Society's historical village in Burton, Ohio.)

The tour includes historically accurate stories of the local area, some good "ghost stories", and includes a shuttle bus ride to the local graveyard.   Get a good look at some very old grave markers.   A live paranormal investigation will be taking place in one of the museum buildings.   A light snack and beverage is included.   We will walk at an easy pace, covering about a mile.   Some stops (including the shuttle bus) have a few stairs, so the tour is not entirely handicapped accessible.

Pre-registration and pre-payment are necessary.   The Ghosts of Burton Historical Tour generally sells out, so book early.   You may book your reservations quickly though EventBrite.   Alternatively, you may mail in a check with the order form (see the PDF file) or call with your credit card number.   Use the 2012 registration form (PDF below) to print out the registration form.   After registration and payment, a confirmation will be sent to you. 

The cost is $18 per person. This tour is intended to be "family friendly", but very small children may find it boring.   This is NOT a "haunted house" tour, and we do not create artificial cheap tricks for amusement.

To view a PDF file of the 2012 brochure, click here for the OUTSIDE, and here for the INSIDE.   Remember that you must read the OUTSIDE from right to left, since this is a 3-panel brochure."

"Preserving Historic Cemeteries" from the Ohio Historical Society

A link to the "Preserving Historic Cemeteries" found on the website of the Ohio Historical Society is available on this post by clicking on the title, and a permanent link is located on the blog's right column.  

The depth and scope of this information is comprehensive and valuable whether you are someone who is new to cemetery preservation or have been participating in preserving cemeteries and gravesites for some time.  

The key to locating the final resting places of our ancestors rests (and no pun intended!!) with saving their gravesites in the first place, as we all know.  Too many burial sites have been lost already.  Since many folks did not have grave markers placed for them their names do not appear on any tombstone transcription lists.  

The next steps include contacting local cemetery sextons, funeral homes, or researching local church records and libraries or museums. Seeking published obituaries might also help us to discover where burials occurred.  

The Ohio Historical Society, Ohio Genealogical Society, and The Association for Gravestone Studies are, in my opinion, the top three organizations that can help researchers who have an eye toward taking the all-important extra steps to preserve ancestral gravesites and monuments that mark their locations.    

Spotlighting "Interment.net" -- Children's Home Cemetery - Marietta, Washington County, Ohio

Click on title to link to the recently revised listing of the interments at the Children's Home Cemetery in Marietta, Washington County, Ohio as posted on the website:  "Interment.net."  Records were compiledand updated by Julie Witkowski, per the website.  

Excerpted from the information posted on the "Ineterment.net" website:

"Lat: 39° 26' 32"N, Lon: 81° 27' 20"W

Contributed by Julie Witkowski, Sep 10, 2012, last edited Oct 11, 2012 [jfwski@hotmail.com]. Total records = 77.

This burial site is behind the County Health Bldgs at the corner of Muskingum Drive and Colegate Road. To reach this cemetery, follow the two track road up a hill behind the building. (Note it is a very steep climb.) Once at the top you will need to walk a ways to the area where the marker is.

All names have been recorded. Only the bronze monument/plaque remains. There are no individual markers left. The area has a fence around it and is mowed.

I completed this transcription Sep 10, 2012."

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The Childrens Home Cemetery is also listed on Find A Grave where a few photographs are also posted.  Julie Witkowski is also a member of "Find A Grave" where you can find her public profile as a contributor.

Spotlighting Champaign County, Ohio's Upcoming "Tombstone Trail" Cemetery Tours - Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 1:00p.m. and 2:30p.m. and The Historic Walking Tour of Urbana's Oak Dale Cemetery on Saturday, October 27, 2012

Click on title to link to the "Urbana Daily Citizen" newspaper story published on October 8, 2012 about The Champaign County Preservation Alliance's upcoming "Tombstone Trail" Cemetery Tour.

Excerpts below from the this well written story by Sherry Virts of the Champaign County Preservation Alliance:

"The objectives of the Tombstone Trail project are many. We want to preserve our county’s contribution to history by retelling it. We want to draw attention to the upkeep of our cemeteries. We want to raise funds to help restore grave markers and other CCPA projects. We want to increase tourism in our county so as to show off the beautiful place we live. We also want to connect with cemetery tours moving into Ohio from Indiana. 

To purchase a copy of the CCPA’s first self-guided cemetery tour booklet, Champaign County’s Tombstone Trail 2012, please contact the CCPA at (800) 791-6010. 

After the kick-off guided tours, the self-guided cemetery tour booklet will be available for purchase at the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce or by leaving a message at (800) 791-6010. Call soon to reserve yours." 

***And,***

"Some of the stories in the 2012 CCPA Tombstone Trail booklet of Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana will be incorporated into the evening Historic Halloween Walking Tour in Oak Dale Saturday Oct. 27. The Soroptimist International will partner with the CCPA to once again bring the Historic Halloween Walking Tour through Urbana’s Oak Dale Cemetery. Historian John Bry will return to lead participants on a tour of the cemetery, recalling stories of some of Champaign County’s historical figures buried there, including some of the stories from the Tombstone Trail.

More information is to come regarding times and details of this evening cemetery tour. Everyone is welcome for a little non-scary pre-Halloween fun with this tour. 

The Spring Grove Cemetery tour in the booklet will be strictly self-guided because of limited parking space in the older part of the cemetery. Oak Dale Cemetery gravestones and stories will also be strictly self-guided except for those included in the evening Halloween Walking Tour."

Please read the whole online news article for full details. 

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Currently, on "Find A Grave", the interments at the Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana number 15,034.  

Also, on "Find A Grave", interments at the Spring Grove Cemetery in St. Paris in Champaign County are presently listed at 2,326. 

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Oak Dale Cemetery (City of Urbana website)

"Tombstone Trail" - Champaign County Preservation Alliance 

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 121 Champaign County Cemeteries are represented with interment information on "Find A Grave."  Something to keep in mind for future visits to Champaign County, Ohio!

Spotlighting the family of Fred and Margaret (Limes) Stiebritz

Below are a row of gravestone photographs for Naomi Stiebritz McGarity, her husband, Carl George McGarity, and her parents, Fred and Margaret (Limes) Stiebritz.  

They are all posted on Find A Grave.

Spec William Earl Foster, Jr (1943 - 1968) - Find A Grave Memorial

Spec William Earl Foster, Jr (1943 - 1968) - Find A Grave Memorial

Sharing this "Find A Grave" memorial.  

Thanks to kind "Find A Grave" photo volunteer, Linda, his grave marker is now posted to his memorial.  

Edna M. Townsend Cipriani (1894 - 1979) - Find A Grave Memorial

Edna M. Townsend Cipriani (1894 - 1979) - Find A Grave Memorial

Gravestone photograph was just posted today by a helpful Find A Grave Photo Volunteer!

"Fall Tree & Tombstone Tour" - Historic Woodlawn Cemetery - Toledo, Ohio - Sunday, October 7, 2012 - 1:00pm to 2:30pm

Click on title to link to the Facebook Page of the Historic Woodlawn Cemetery of Toledo, Ohio and their upcoming "Tree and Tombstone Tour" - Please call to register for the FREE program.
419-472-2186

Update from Scott Andersen - Resumed Clean Up Work at the Dean Cemetery - South Salem, Buckskin Township, Ross County, Ohio.

Scott Andersen and his wife, Venus, have resumed their work at the Dean Cemetery near South Salem in Buckskin Township, Ross County, Ohio.  He has an update with new photographs to share that show the progress they have made thus far.  

Thanks to their new work clearing away the overgrowth, they uncovered a gravestone that had been hidden:

"More stones show up all the time.  Only one has been easy to identify.  It belongs to a Mary McArthur, who died in 1818 at age 66.  I posted the picture and made a memorial for her on FindaGrave."

Below are photographs thus far from his October, 2012 working trips to the Dean Cemetery: 

Above: A. W.

Above: J. W.

 Above: photo was taken at the front of the cemetery looking to the rear.

 Above: photo was taken at the front of the cemetery looking to the rear.

Above: Collins?

 Above: This picture was taken in the rear of the cemetery looking toward the front.

 Above: This picture was taken in the rear of the cemetery looking toward the front.

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Thank you so much, Scott, for sharing the photographs and we look forward to viewing many more!

Currently, The Dean Cemetery lists 27 interments on "Find A Grave."

October Cemetery Tour for Pioneer Cemetery in Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio - October 12th and 13th, 2012 - 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Click on title to read about the upcoming Pioneer Historical Cemetery Tour for October in Lebanon, Ohio.  

"Admission is $20 per person in advance. 

Please call 513-932-1817 for your reservation."

The link is part of the Warren County Historical Society's website. A wonderful website to visit and browse!

Enjoy viewing the photographs of presenters dressed in period attire from past cemetery tours!

Currently, there are 467 interments listed for the Pioneer Cemetery on "Find A Grave."

Silas Reames (1842 - 1888) - Find A Grave Memorial

Silas Reames (1842 - 1888) - Find A Grave Memorial

A change of death day and spelling of name was made from a suggest a correction sent by a Find A Grave contributor.