Spotlighting Pittsfield East Cemetery (AKA East Pittsfield) - Pittsfield, Lorain County, Ohio

Sharing a wonderful email I received today from Ralph A. Hayes:

    "Thank you for your interest in our cemetery preservation work.

The 1965 Palm Sunday Tornado that leveled Pittsfield passed directly over our East Cemetery. Many of the headstones were broken or completely destroyed. At that time, knowing very little about cemetery preservation, the township officials attempted to repair the stones to their best ability.

 Since then many of those repairs have failed. 

Over the past several years, we have attempted to correct or improve the efforts of these 1965 repairs. During this time we have also straightened and leveled many stones in our oldest section of the cemetery.

      I personally have attended a number of cemetery preservation workshops held throughout the mid-west, especially those held by the Indiana State Historical Society (which they usually hold twice a year)

      These past couple of years we have been somewhat inactive in our preservation work.

I find it difficult to find volunteers that are willing to attempt some of the heavy work involved since it requires a minimum of three people to do a good job of lifting and resetting the larger stones. 

Here in Pittsfield we have two other cemeteries which we have yet to work on, so as you can see the work is unending.
 

      I don't pretend to know everything about cemetery restoration,
but I have acquired a lot of "Dos", and more importantly "Don't Dos"
about the work. I have also met a lot of people who are much more
knowledgeable on the subject than I.
      If I can be of further help to you or your interests, please let
me know, as I'd be glad to share whatever kniowledge I have."

Ralph A. Hayes
Pittsfield Township Historical Society.

Currently, on "Find A Grave" there are 1,178 interments posted for the Pittsfield East Cemetery.