Wishing everyone a healthy and happy New Year! - Sharing news of SB 59 Ohio Veterans' Heritage Protection Act now headed to the desk of the governor for his signature

Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year - 2022!  Thanking everyone for stopping by and for your support!  

May the new year be one filled with many accomplishments benefitting Ohio's cemeteries! 

We will continue to explore almost forgotten gravesites - almost meaning not forgotten by those who care and seek to preserve and protect them.  Choosing the proper methods and applications that will sustain them for many years to come.

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This brings me to sharing an update to Ohio Senate Bill 59: 

"To amend sections 149.30 and 155.99 and to enact section 155.28 of the Revised Code to prohibit certain war relics located on public property or cemetery association property from being disposed of, and to designate this act as the Ohio Veterans' Heritage Protection Act." The effective date is March 23, 2022.  

 

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We look forward to the Ohio state legislators moving to introduce and pass further protective legislation so no cemetery in Ohio is abandoned and left without a legal owner who properly cares for and maintains it.

  Reviewing and strengthening any outdated Ohio Revised Codes so no Ohio cemetery faces becoming a victim of crimes committed against it by an unfit owner is overdue to be accomplished. 

And,

Finally, as many of us know, it is well past time for Inactive / Abandoned / Family Cemeteries to have the sorely needed legal protective measures put in place for them -- the same laws afforded to Active Cemeteries.  These are Ohio's most vulnerable cemeteries that deserve our best care and respect regardless of their age or status.

These are just some of the improvements we petition for in our prayers to happen for Ohio's cemeteries in 2022.  

We know the process begins with us!

We can motivate Ohio lawmakers to take a long serious look at those Ohio Revised Codes and understand that many simply are not strong enough to protect our state's cemeteries where our ancestors, close relatives, and friends found eternal rest and peace. Cemeteries have an important role in the communities that surround them.  

Please visit your local cemetery and advocate on its behalf for whatever it needs.  Those needs just might not be met if you do not.   

The Guernsey County W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Maps - .JPG format - have been added to the sidebar of the blog

The Guernsey County Ohio WPA Cemetery Plat Maps are based on those shown in the .PDF format from the Guernsey County Engineer's office.  A link to those is also included separately on the right sidebar of the blog. 

These maps do not have page numbers.  

Several maps appear to have been drawn at a later date than during the timeframe of the 1930s era when they would have originally been drawn.  

These maps are quite readable and in wonderful condition!

Townships are:

Adams Township

Cambridge Township

Center Township

Jackson Township

Jefferson Township

Knox Township

Liberty Township

Londonderry Township

Madison Township

Millwood Township

Monroe Township

Oxford Township

Richland Township

Spencer Township

Valley Township

Washington Township

Westland Township

Wheeling Township

Wills Township

Youth participate in wreath laying - Meigs County Ohio

Youth participate in wreath laying

Merry Christmas - Looking ahead to 2022 and news of more Ohio cemeteries being preserved and recognized for their important roles in our communities

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas 2021!  

May 2022 be a safe, happy, and productive year in all ways!  May you complete your cherished preservation projects benefitting Ohio's cemeteries!

This brings to mind the Facebook Group "Preserving Ohio's Cemeteries" that was created in 2013.  The overall theme centers around this: Sharing is Learning.  Learning from fellow members and their experiences; sharing links to the NCPTT and their Best Practices of Do No Harm procedures that have guided the goals of the group from its beginning.  

Extensive examining of topics such as the Ohio Revised Codes that impact cemeteries; adopting proper care of cemetery landscapes; studying the styles of early carvers who created some of the most exquisite grave markers in Ohio; and holding discussions ranging from GPR (ground penetrating radar) to using safe non-invasive ways to read badly faded tombstone inscriptions. 

Truly "cemetery preservation" stated as a term of reference, reflects on the fact it is an "umbrella term" that covers a vast array of subjects worthy of consideration to implement for the well being of cemeteries, gravesites, and grave markers and monuments. 

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December 18th, 2021, was "Wreaths Across America" day.  Again, volunteers who participated in this annual event placed wreaths at the gravesites of veterans buried at several Ohio cemeteries. We commend all of those who took part honoring our veterans and their service to our country.  Placing the wreaths is an outward gesture of our abiding respect and recognition of their service and sacrifices.  It is an important one that shows they are not forgotten.

Thank you for reading some of the posts here this past year.  Hopefully you found some informative and helpful. We continue Exploring Almost Forgotten Gravesites in the Great State of Ohio and striving to best preserve and protect them for the future!

Calling all Ohio Township Trustees - Please complete cemetery survey by January 14, 2022 the Cemetery Session to be held at the Ohio Township Association's Winter 2022 Conference - January 26 - 28, 2022

I saw this announcement from the Ohio Township Association.  

Included is a link to the announcement and to the Township Cemetery Survey.:  

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"Township Cemetery Survey"

****Please respond to the survey by

 January 14, 2022**** 

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Optional:  

Please forward copies of your rules/regulations/policies and fee schedule to: tespringattorney@gmail.com"

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As we know township trustees can struggle trying to properly (the key word is properly!) take care of township cemeteries; particularly the larger ones they "inherit" if a previous owner ends up in jail or has fled the state - two types of real examples of what has happened to Active cemeteries in Ohio.  

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Floral Hills Memory Gardens, an Active cemetery in Pickaway County, has been put up for auction multiple times for over a year and there have been no takers for it.  The cemetery does not have what would be considered a viable owner because the two men who owned it left Ohio almost a decade ago and owe back taxes on it to the State of Ohio. This was a for-profit cemetery.  Thus far, the township trustees have refused to assume responsibility for it.

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Receiving as much feedback as possible regarding cemeteries from Ohio township trustees will help the cause of resolving some long standing issues that township trustees face with maintaining their cemeteries.  

When pondering placing a cemetery levy before the voters, citing this example, there is often serious hesitancy in doing so because township trustees know there is a strong possibility it will not pass.  It is felt that many voters feel the dead don't vote - that it is an either/or situation between taking care of the needs of the living vs. the needs of a cemetery.  

It shouldn't have to be that way.  

However, local descendants of the dead resting in peace in their township cemeteries do care, and they do vote.

Hopefully they will care enough to vote for a levy that benefits cemeteries when it is needed. 

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Link to OTA Announcement

Link to Cemetery Survey

A link to the Brown County W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Maps is on the right sidebar of the blog

There is now a link to the Brown County W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Maps Collection on Flickr listed among the others on the right sidebar of the blog.  

The .pdf version of these maps can be found on the Brown County G.I.S. website.  

There are 16 townships in Brown County.:  Byrd, Clark, Eagle, Franklin, Green, Huntington, Jackson, Jefferson, Lewis, Perry, Pike, Pleasant, Scott, Sterling, Union, and Washington. 

Unlike most other Ohio counties that have an alphabetical cemetery index (listed either by cemetery name or township and then cemetery name), one could not be located for Brown County.  Thus, without the aid of such a useful reference tool, it was more difficult to be sure that all of the cemeteries were accounted for.  

Below are three cropped images showing the northern, middle, and southern portions of Brown County.:  

Each orange color symbol

represents a cemetery.

 Clicking on (when using a computer) the orange cemetery symbol, brings up a cemetery name. Clicking on the cemetery name, in turn, brings up its W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Map. 

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However, unfortunately, there are cases where the cemetery is named, but the W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Map for it does not appear.  

Otherwise, if a map appears, it will be named with a (cem0000) type of code on the downloadable .pdf document of the actual WPA Cemetery Plat Map. 

The map number's normal position on the  page is located at the lower right corner. However, in some cases the number is either blurred out or that part of the page is gone.  In those instances, the page number for the cemetery's map is identified as "No Page Number" for the purposes of this map conversation project.  

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Shown below are the names of Brown County cemeteries listed alphabetically by township name that appear on the map when clicking on thesymbol designated for cemeteries, however, the W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Map itself is not there.: 

TOWNSHIP             CEMETERY NAME

Eagle                          World War Memorial

Franklin                     German Reform

Franklin                     Lucas Family Cemetery

Green                          Mt. Orab Cemetery

Huntington                 Atherton Cemetery

Huntington                Bowman's Cemetery

Huntington                Cooper Family Cemetery

Huntington                Daulton Family Cemetery

Huntington                Evans Family Cemetery

Huntington                Flaugher Cemetery

Huntington                Gilbert Family Cemetery

Huntington                Harrover Cemetery

Huntington                Kerr Family Cemetery

Huntington                 Lowe Family Cemetery

Huntington                 Pettyjon Family Cemetery

Huntington                Reins Family Cemetery

Huntington                Scott Family Cemetery

Huntington               Wilson Family Cemetery

Jackson                      Beechwoods Cemetery

Jackson                      Bennington Cemetery

Jackson                     Greathouse Cemetery

Jackson                     Name Unknown

Jackson                     Waters Cemetery

Jefferson                   Associate Reform

Jefferson                   Gardner Family Cemetery

Lewis                         Carter Family Cemetery

Lewis                         Clark Family Cemetery

Lewis                         Day Family Cemetery

Lewis                         Ellis Family Cemetery

Lewis                         Richard Family Cemetery

Lewis                         Salee Family Cemetery

Lewis                         Stayton Family Cemetery

Lewis                         Wells Graveyard

Perry                         Engle Cemetery

Perry                         Ursuline Nunn Cemetery

Pike                           Harris Cemetery

Pike                           Moyer Cemetery

Pleasant                    Bridgewater Cemetery

Pleasant                    Cahall Cemetery

Pleasant                    Devore Cemetery

Pleasant                    Early Georgetown Cemetery

Pleasant                    Jennings Family Cemetery

Pleasant                    Lauerman Cemetery

Pleasant                    Lyon Family Cemetery

Pleasant                    McFadden Cemetery

Pleasant                    William Curry Tomb

Pleasant                    Printy Family Cemetery

Scott                          Courts Family Cemetery

Scott                          Martin-Hiler Cemetery

Scott                          Penny Family Cemetery

Sterling                     Small Cemetery

Union                        Bower Family

Union                        Dragoo Family Cemetery

Union                        Stephenson Family Cemetery

Washington             Gregory Cemetery

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While a bit challenging to navigate and work with, these Brown County W.P.A. Cemetery Plat maps were a welcome surprise! It is exciting to learn about their existence on the G.I.S. website. 

Looking forward to learning about other elusive W.P.A. Cemetery Plat maps of Ohio counties coming online in one form or another. 

These often overlooked cemetery maps have served as a helpful resource for genealogists and those wishing to learn more about veterans' gravesites.

Lay Me Down to Rest: Ep. 49 Heritage Cemetery - From the Williams County Public Library.

The Heritage Cemetery in Williams County on Find A Grave

Sharing this Youtube video: "Virtual Cemetery Tour: Shope Cemetery - Scioto County, Ohio" from "Wandering Appalachia" by Eli Allen

Sharing from the Portsmouth Daily Times - "Greenlawn Christmas Remembrance Service slated for Dec. 5, 2021"

Greenlawn Christmas Remembrance Service slated for Dec. 5

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Greenlawn Cemetery in Portsmouth, Scioto County, on the website "Find A Grave."