Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving - 2019!

Happy Thanksgiving!

  

We do have much to be thankful for despite the setbacks that life throws at us. So it is that on Thanksgiving we devote a few moments to reflect on our country's past and the lives of the Mayflower pilgrims whose journey to America was perilous and uncertain.  Sadly, not all survived to reach its shores.  Yet, those who remained kept their courage and convictions.  Their strength sustained them to stay the course throughout the voyage and after they arrived in America.  They soon learned that they would be living on a landscape with a local culture that was vastly different than what they had left behind. It was their unwavering faith and fortitude that kept them going to adapt and even thrive.

"The rest is history"as they say, but what a glorious history and legacy these hardy pilgrims have given us.

In the spirit of sharing on a day of thanksgiving, here is a link to a "BillionGraves" Blog Post that I feel everyone can enjoy reading entitled: "Mayflower Family Gravestones."

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Burial Hill Cemetery

The Town of Plymouth, Massachusetts

The Mayflower Society

OGS library directs speaks at historical society meeting.

"OGS library directs speaks at historical society meeting".

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Yes, burial records are always useful whether there is a tombstone or not.  Some tombstones are worn away to the point that reading the inscriptions is no longer possible.  Or there are missing pieces to a broken marker that contain valuable information.  

In the 1950s, in Ohio, many D.A.R. Chapter members went out and conducted inscription transcriptions, sometimes including short epitaphs.  There were errors of course, but still there might have been gravesetone information that today is no longer readable or the marker has sunken below ground.

  

In the 1990s and into the early 2000's, many Ohio Genealogical Society Chapter members conducted whole cemetery tombstone inscription transcriptions and published them.  

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The Ohio Genealogical Society's library holds all of  the publications of its chapters.  

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With the advent of the internet, as many know, websites like "Find A Grave", "BillionGraves", "Interment.Net",
 and "Ohiogravestones.org" have offered much for contributor based gravestone photos and information.  
More websites are coming on all of the time. Also, those like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and the newspaper websites like NewpaperArchive.org or Newspapers.com offer possibilities for finding obituaries. 

Some county public libraries have digitized their local newspapers. Champaign County (Ohio) Public Library is one library that has digitized their historical newspaper.  

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If you are a genealogist, your last stop for research just maybe at your ancestor's gravesite. 

Sharing this story about the Butternut Ridge Cemetery in North Olmsted, Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Sharing this news story from TV Channel 19 in Cleveland.:

"Ohio Students uncover and mend grave injustice at historical cemetery"

By:  Sia Nyorkor

Also thanking William J. Krejci for alerting me to this link about George Peake. The Peake family was mentioned in the TV news report.:

"George Peake: First African American to settle permanently in Cleveland"

William J. Krejci is the author of the book:
"Buried Beneath Cleveland: Lost Cemeteries of Cuyahoga County"

Butternut Ridge Cemetery on "Find A Grave"

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Butternut Ridge Cemetery on "BillionGraves"

North Olmsted's Historical Places

Headstone Reading: Sarah McCall - From Wandering Appalachia Youtube Channel

Sarah McCall's memorial on "Find A Grave"

Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission Current Member Listing - November 2019

OHIO CEMETERY DISPUTE RESOLUTION COMMISSION

Members:

Rufus Slade
Woodland Cemetery
Dayton, OH
July 1, 2020
 

Kirk D. Roberts
Sherwood Memorial Gardens
Wooster, OH
July 1, 2020

 Thomas R. Thompson

Catholic Cemeteries Association
North Ridgeville, OH
July 1, 2021

Jay C. Russell
Public Member
Medina, OH
July 1, 2022

New Member:

Timothy D. Cassady

Public Member

Mechanicsburg, OH

October 4, 2019 - July 1, 2023

Vacant - Public Member

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77 South High Street
20th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215-6133 U.S.A.
An Equal Opportunity Employer and Service Provider
614 | 466 4100
Fax 614 | 644 0584
TTY/TDD 800 | 750 0750
www.com.ohio.gov

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"Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission"

"1. Introduce myself and Kelly Neer
 

2. Who are we? 

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9 member commission, 

7 representing the three types of cemeteries and 

2 public members, that assist in resolving complaints against registered cemeteries using informal techniques of mediation.
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3. Complaint process
 

4. Authority
 

Top Maintenance Complaints:

1. Mowing and trimming
 

2. Pest control – groundhogs, deer, geese
 

3. Road conditions
 

4. Fences
 

5. Flags/decorations
 

6. Lot conditions – settling/seeding
 

Avoiding Complaints
 

1. Understanding your client

 2. Look at the big picture

 3. Communications with the client

 4. Communications with other cemetery staff

 5. Minimum Maintenance Guidelines

 6. Your rules and regulations

 7. Some complaints can’t be prevented – OCDRC provides a forum for families and cemeteries to be 

heard

 8. Most cemeteries are well maintained! It provides comfort to families – thank you for your work!!"

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Kimberley S. Wells, Division Counsel; Kelly Neer, External Auditor; and Christie Limbert, Assistant Attorney General.

Cemetery restoration group needs volunteers

Cemetery restoration group needs volunteers

Champaign County, Ohio.

The Rector-Gard Cemetery
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"The Champaign County Cemetery Restoration Project is inviting adults in the community, who enjoy an outdoor challenge, to assist in clearing a local cemetery. The Rector-Gard Cemetery at the corner of Upper Valley Pike and Storms Creek Road has been selected for a late-fall clean up. Bad weather and harvesting have prevented an earlier date.

The dates for the effort (weather permitting) are Saturdays, November 16 and 23, beginning at 10 a.m., and Sundays, November 17 and 24 at 1 p.m. Persons with brush saws and chain saws are especially needed. Participants should bring such tools as rakes and other helpful items. Boots and gloves are recommended. 

Prospective volunteers are asked to call and register with Janet Ebert at 937-653-3440 prior to attending the clean up date."

County cemeteries awarded funds - Fulton County, Ohio

County cemeteries awarded funds

Cemetery Grant Funds from HB 168.

Fulton County, Ohio. 

Johnson Cemetery 

Pleasantview Union Cemetery 

Archbold Cemetery

Veterans Day is Remembrance Day - 2019 - "Lest We Forget"

Honoring all veterans on this Veterans Day - 2019.

America and the world remembers you and your sacrifices made in service to your country. 

Your selfless acts of bravery have enabled us to have and hold dear all of the freedoms that we enjoy today.  

Thank you now, and thank you always.

(Above)
Valor Home, Lorain, Ohio

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Sharing this link to "BillionGraves"' blog post today.:

 "Remembrance Day - Lest We Forget"

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Through the eyes of Capt. Cooper: The night the Edmund Fitzgerald went ...

Sharing in memory of those who lost their lives 44 years ago today.  The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

"Geneva Cemeteries Seek Continuing Levy" - Ashtabula "Star Beacon"

This spotlight news story from the Ashtabula "Star Beacon" - November 2, 2019 presents specific details explaining how placing a continuing levy on the ballot will appeal to voters for several reasons. 

Excerpt: 
"Continuing levies can be applied under a number of different circumstances, including levies for operating expenses and permanent improvements, according to information from the Ohio Secretary of State."

Also, see the image below.  

Continuing/Continuous levies help townships keep funding in place for cemeteries.  

"Geneva Cemeteries Seek Continuing Levy"

"Geneva Township Cemeteries website"

Cemeteries Listed on Find A Grave for Geneva, Ashtabula County, Ohio.:

7 cemeteries in Geneva, Ohio.

Evergreen Cemetery

Bartholomew Cemetery

Lakeview Cemetery

Maplewood Cemetery

Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Sexton Cemetery

South Ridge East Cemetery