Cleanup underway at local cemetery after storm - Sharing from WKBN27 in Youngstown - at the Tod Cemetery in Youngstown following the wind storm of this past Saturday (March 25, 2023).

Sharing from WKBN27 in Youngstown - this TV story update regarding the clean-up underway at the Tod Cemetery in Youngstown following the wind storm of this past Saturday (March 25, 2023).  

Urgent: PLEASE - Ask your U.S. Senator to support funding for FY2024 to Preserve African American Burial Grounds. Deadline is March 31, 2023.

"Coalition for American Heritage" 

~~~~~Call To Action ~~~~~~

*********************

Sharing from the Coalition for American Heritage PLLC 

Contact information:

Kelly Lizarraga

Advocacy Director

Coalition for American Heritage

Cultural Heritage Partners, PLLC

Direct/Text: 703-913-4818

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Sen. Sherrod Brown is asking the Senate Appropriations Committee to provide this funding. We need as many senators as possible to sign onto his letter (copy of letter below) in support of the funding request. This is an important way to show Congress that this program is important to us and needs to be funded.

The deadline for signatures is March 31st, so we need to act quickly. 

Please email your senators today and ask them to sign onto Sen. Brown's letter in support of the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program.  

Click on the link below.":

Send an email using the links on this page! Feel free to copy and paste the italicized language below into your message:

I'm writing to ask you to sign on to Sen. Brown's letter to the Appropriations Committee requesting $3 million in FY 24 funds for the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program at the National Park Service.

Use the links below to contact the senators who represent your state. Feel free to add any information you'd like to share about why this issue is important to you. If there's a burial ground in your state that is especially significant to you, please include that information to make an especially compelling case. 

Thank you for your help in preserving this important piece of history. Please, share this email with family and friends. The more people who contact their senators, the greater chance we have of securing funds for this vital work!

*********

"Text of Sen. Brown's letter to the Appropriations Committee"

Dear Chairman Merkley, and Ranking Member Murkowski:

As you prepare the Committees’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, we write to request a $3 million appropriation in FY 2024 for the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program. Congress authorized this program last year in Sec. 643 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328), and the President’s FY24 Budget includes $3 million for the program. The program will be administered by the National Park Service in consultation with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and African American heritage groups.

As you know, too many African American burial grounds from both before and after the Civil War are in a state of disarray or inaccessibility. Beginning with slavery and continuing through the Jim Crow era, African American burial grounds were often confined to remote areas or marginal property, and they frequently were not provided the same sort of state or local support or assistance as predominantly white cemeteries. The African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program will provide grant opportunities and technical assistance to local partners to research, identify, survey, and preserve these important and historic African American burial grounds.

Congressional authorization of the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program was a critical first step toward helping communities preserve these sacred spaces. Fully funding the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program at $3 million in FY 2024 will provide grant opportunities and technical assistance to local partners to research, identify, survey, and preserve these important and historic African American burial grounds.

We thank you for your consideration of this request, and we look forward to working with you.

 Sincerely,

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alabama

Sen. Tommy Tuberville
Sen. Katie Boyd Britt

Alaska
Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Sen. Dan Sullivan

Arizona
Sen. Krysten Sinema
Sen. Mark Kelly

Arkansas
Sen. John Boozman
Sen. Tom Cotton

California
Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Sen. Alex Padilla

Colorado
Sen. Michael Bennet
Sen. John Hickenlooper

Connecticut
Sen. Richard Blumenthal
Sen. Christopher Murphy

Delaware
Sen. Thomas Carper
Sen. Christopher Coons

Florida
Sen. Marco Rubio
Sen. Rick Scott

Georgia
Sen. Jon Ossoff
Sen. Raphael Warnock

Hawaii
Sen. Brian Schatz
Sen. Mazie Hirono

Idaho
Sen. Mike Crapo
Sen. James Risch

Illinois
Sen. Richard Durbin
Sen. Tammy Duckworth

Indiana
Sen. Todd Young
Sen. Mike Braun

Iowa
Sen. Chuck Grassley
Sen. Joni Ernst

Kansas
Sen. Jerry Moran
Sen. Roger Marshall

Kentucky
Sen. Mitch McConnell
Sen. Rand Paul

Louisiana
Sen. Bill Cassidy
Sen. John Kennedy

Maine
Sen. Susan Collins
Sen. Angus King

Maryland
Sen. Benjamin Cardin
Sen. Chris Van Hollen

Massachusetts
Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Sen. Edward Markey

Michigan
Sen. Debbie Stabenow
Sen. Gary Peters

Minnesota
Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Sen. Tina Smith

Mississippi
Sen. Roger Wicker
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith

Missouri
Sen. Josh Hawley
Sen. Eric Schmitt

Montana
Sen. Jon Tester
Sen. Steve Daines

Nebraska
Sen. Deb Fischer
Sen. Pete Ricketts

Nevada
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto
Sen. Jacky Rosen

New Hampshire
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
Sen. Margaret Wood Hassan

New Jersey
Sen. Bob Menendez
Sen. Cory Booker

New Mexico
Sen. Martin Heinrich
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan

New York
Sen. Charles Schumer
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

North Carolina
Sen. Thom Tillis
Sen. Ted Budd

North Dakota
Sen. John Hoeven
Sen. Kevin Cramer

Ohio
Sen. Sherrod Brown (no need to email- he's leading the effort!)
Sen. J.D. Vance

Oklahoma
Sen. James Lankford
Sen. Markwayne Mullin

Oregon
Sen. Ron Wyden
Sen. Jeff Merkley

Pennsylvania
Sen. Robert Casey (He signed the letter already, please send your thanks!)
Sen. John Fetterman

Rhode Island
Sen. Jack Reed
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse

South Carolina
Sen. Lindsey Graham
Sen. Tim Scott

South Dakota
Sen. John Thune
Sen. Mike Rounds

Tennessee
Sen. Marsha Blackburn
Sen. Bill Hagerty

Texas
Sen. John Cornyn
Sen. Ted Cruz

Utah
Sen. Mike Lee
Sen. Mitt Romney

Virginia
Sen. Mark Warner
Sen. Tim Kaine

Washington
Sen. Patty Murray
Sen. Maria Cantwell

West Virginia
Sen. Joe Manchin, III
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito

Wisconsin
Sen. Ron Johnson
Sen. Tammy Baldwin

Wyoming
Sen. John Barrasso
Sen. Cynthia Lummis

Sharing news of an upcoming presentation by Mr. Paul LaRue - Monday, March 20, 2023 - 7:00p.m. - 101 E. East St - Washington Court House (Fayette County) Ohio - "The World War I Burial Project"

Sharing this news of an upcoming event to be hosted by the Fayette County Genealogical Society on Monday, March 20, 2023 at 7:00p.m.  

***************

This will be a presentation given by Mr. Paul LaRue entitled.:  

"Honoring Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice:  The World War I Burial Project".  

See the image of the flyer below for the particulars.  

This is a free and open to the public event to be held at the Economic Development Building located at 101 E. East Street in Washington Court House, (county seat of Fayette County), in the downstairs meeting room. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Paul LaRue

Excerpt:
"Paul has been the recipient of numerous state and national teaching awards, including American Legion Ohio Educator of the Year, Veterans of Foreign Wars Ohio Teacher of the Year, and Ohio Daughters of the American Revolution American History Teacher of the Year. Nationally recognized, Paul received Time Warner’s National Teacher Award, the History Channel’s First Place “Innovation in History Education,” and the African American Civil War Memorial Teacher of the Year."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Reminder: Curator Talk - Researching and Preserving Ohio's Cemeteries - May 5, 2023 from 2:00p.m. to 3:00p.m. - by Krista Horrocks - Ohio History Connection

What a wonderful opportunity for those who seek to learn more about researching and preserving Ohio's cemeteries!

 The upcoming program by Krista Horrocks, Project Reviews Manager of Archaeology of the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office, at the Ohio History Connection will provide this presentation on May 5, 2023 from 2:00p.m. to 3:00p.m. at the Ohio History Connection.  

See the website for further details! 

"As an archaeologist, she reviews projects under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and serves as OHC’s cemetery preservationist, where she helps Ohioans with their research of the 14,630+ cemeteries in the state. She specializes in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) veteran grave registry efforts that took place from 1938-1940, which documented cemeteries and burial locations throughout the state."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Contact information:

800.686.6124info@ohiohistory.orgAdult - $16Student (w/ID) - $14Senior (60+) - $14Child (4-12) - $10Child (3 & under) - FreeOhio History Connection member - Free

The Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission (OCDRC) will be holding its March public meeting on March 16, 2023

The Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission (OCDRC) will be holding its March, 2023 meeting this week.:

"The Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission will meet on Thursday, March 16, 2023,  beginning at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held in person at 77 S. High Street, 22nd floor, Columbus." 

"The Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission assists in resolving complaints against registered cemeteries by using informal techniques of mediation, conciliation and persuasion. 

The Commission hears complaints brought by individuals who are experiencing a problem with a cemetery."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ohio Revised Code 4767 / Cemetery Registration

 

LINK TO FORM

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ohio History Connection's - Ohio Cemetery Preservation.

The Vinton County W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Maps are now on the right sidebar of the blog.

A link to the W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Maps for Vinton County, Ohio has been added to the right sidebar of the blog.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Notes about the Vinton County, Ohio W.P.A. Cemetery plat maps.:

The cemetery index page is quite difficult to read due to the fact it was copied under a wrinkled plastic cover sheet.  The page is quite fragile and faded.  

Fortunately, most map pages have their page numbers in the lower right-hand corner similar to what is seen for other Ohio county WPA Cemetery Plat Maps.

There is no Cemetery Locator Map, however, the cemetery maps do show a penciled-in number above the cemetery name like " #2" that would correspond with its location in the county should the cemetery locater map exist. However, none could be found. Note the example below for Oak Grove Cemetery in Madison Township the #70 would correspond with its location in Vinton County on a Cemetery Locator Map.: 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Agnes C. Lamb

Major - WACS in World War II

Served in the Women's Army Corps for 11 years 

The entry for Agnes C. Lamb is shown penciled-in on the Wilkesville Cemetery Map. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Duplication:  Wyckoff Cemetery and Wycoff Cemetery:

Both maps show an Ezekiel Knight and a Ezekiel Jarvis as two different soldiers buried at the Wyckoff Cemetery which is listed on Find A Grave, and also Wycoff Cemetery which is not listed on Find A Grave.  Each W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Map has its own cemetery locator number, and they are different.  Wyckoff Cemetery has #25, and the Wycoff Cemetery has #110.  So, it is unfortunate that the Cemetery Locator Map page is missing from this collection of W.P.A. Cemetery Plat Maps for Vinton County. 
Ezekiel Knight Jarvis on Find A Grave

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In Madison Township, Vinton County, Ohio.:

George Warner - Vinton Furnace Cemetery 

Find A Grave contributor, Brad Buck, has provided quite a lot of military information about George Warner.

**********

George Warner is also shown on the map for St. Mary's Cemetery, but he is not shown buried there on Find A Grave. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Vinton County Cemeteries on Find A Grave
~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Also, what is unique to this particular collection is that at some point later on from when the maps were first drawn, others added in by pencil the following information.:

#3 WWII; #5 Korean; and #7 Vietnam - thus adding those numbers on most maps for the later wars. As we know when the W.P.A. Cemetery Plat maps were created it was at a time during the years of the Great Depression in America from approximately 1932 to 1941 when World War II began. The numbers 3, 5, and 7, were already assigned to lesser known wars up to that time (#3 = Warfare with Indians on frontier) (#5 = War with France) (#7 = War with Tripoli).

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There are a few map pages with deteriorated condition issues, however over all, most pages are readable and have their page numbers.

Sharing a link to the "Chillicothe Gazette" story by Megan Becker regarding the fire at the Floral Hills Memory Gardens - Ross County

Sharing a link to the March 9, 2023 story by Megan Becker of the Chillicothe Gazette. 

Thanking Megan and the "Chillicothe Gazette" for publishing this follow-up story about the destructive fire that raged through part of the Floral Hills Memory Gardens this week.  

We look forward to further follow-up reports about this situation negatively impacting the Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Ross County - an Active cemetery that still, after a decade, does not have an owner. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sharing from the "Scioto Valley Guardian" - "Fire destroys a Ross County Cemetery" - The cemetery is the Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Ross County , Ohio,

Sharing this sad news from the Scioto Valley Guardian regarding the Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Ross County, Ohio. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Ross County, Ohio has been featured in this blog with links to several newspaper articles for a number of years, however, not for the reason it is being covered in this story. 

It appears from the reports provided in this account, a fire stemming from an undocumented origin raged through the grounds of Floral Hills Memory Gardens located in Huntington Township, Ross County, Ohio. 
~*~*~*~*~*~
The accompanying pictures show the large area of damaged scorched earth that devastated "nearly an acre" of the cemetery property.  Sadly, close up images show flat bronze markers that were severely blackend. 

~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Per Find A Grave, 3,721 people are interred at Floral Hills Memory Gardens. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hoping for an update soon to learn exactly how this fire was caused and by whom. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

The looming unanswered questions are how and when will all of the vast damage to the grounds and markers be repaired; keeping in mind also that Floral Hills Memory Gardens has no owner responsible for it?

~*~*~*~*~*~

Clean Up Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Facebook

~*~*~*~*~*~  

Offering some current links from the Ohio Department of Commerce - Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing - Ohio Cemetery Registration Guide & More

 Sharing some links to keep handy for those who have an interest in Active / Registered Cemeteries in Ohio. 

This Ohio Government website would be of interest to those who own and operate an Active / Registered cemetery - and/or those who are contemplating submitting a complaint pertaining to an Active / Registered cemetery.:  

 CEMETERIES

The Ohio Cemetery Registration Guide

2023 Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission Meeting Dates

Applications and Forms

Cemetery Grants

Filing a Complaint Against a Cemetery

Contact Us

"STOP--Before contacting the Division of Real Estate, please check to see if your question is answered in our Frequently Asked Questions: FAQ.  This is the fastest way to get your question answered.  Due to our small staff, we cannot respond to inquiries that are already answered in the FAQ."