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."

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

"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.