Beth Wilson Shoemaker and her "A Grave Sight Cemetery Photographs by BAWS" posted a new link on Facebook, on March 3, 2018, connecting to her Past Lives Photography Blog (a link for it is also included in this blog) with an update detailing her visit to the almost lost and forgotten Mastin Family Cemetery in Clay Twp., Scioto County, Ohio.
Learning of Beth's discovery led to my own recollection of someone who helped me in 1997 with documenting a relatively obscure Ohio cemetery --- the Friends (Quaker) Cemetery in North Lewisburg, Champaign County Ohio.
I am writing about surveyor, Mr. James L. Murphy, who, himself, had paid an earlier visit to the Mastin Cemetery. Thankfully, he shared his research results on the USGenWeb site on November 16, 2007. He provided his listing of the inscriptions on the gravestones he found at the Mastin Cemetery. His work included surveying the little cemetery for the Ohio Historic Inventory . The cemetery information was added to the official records at the Ohio Historical Society (now the Ohio History Connection). The OHI number for the Mastin Cemetery is SCI0046813.
So, while searching for information on the Mastin (Mastin Family) Cemetery in Scioto County, I decided to do a "Google" search for James L. Murphy who I had not communicated with for several years following our exchanges regarding the Friends Cemetery.
Sadly, I learned that he had passed away on October 8th, 2012.
I dedicate this blog post to James L. Murphy whose assistance helped me complete the first Ohio Historic Inventory Form that I finished in 1997. Over the years, I completed seven more OHI forms for other early Ohio cemeteries.
Sharing James L. Murphy's "Forgotten" Cemeteries and the Ohio Historic Inventory publication.
Please take a moment to read it, and if you feel so inclined, contact the Preservation Office of the Ohio History Connection to learn more how these forms can help protect Ohio's almost forgotten cemeteries.
