Exploring Almost Forgotten Gravesites in the Great State of Ohio

Dedicated to cemetery preservation in the great state of Ohio


"A cemetery may be considered as abandoned when all or practically all of the bodies have been Removed therefrom and no bodies have been buried therein for a great many years, and the cemetery has been so long neglected as entirely to lose its identity as such, and is no longer known, recognized and respected by the public as a cemetery. 1953 OAG 2978."

Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Facebook. Show all posts

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Happy 2018 and Wishing You All the Best with Your Cemetery Preservation and Gravestone Restoration Goals

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2018!  

The New Year is starting off in the deep freeze for many of us with winter storms and temperatures well below zero.  With such restrictive weather adversely affecting outdoor activities that many of us are now experieincing, it can be difficult to think about cemetery preservation plans for the rest of the year.  But, now really is a good time to conduct research and make plans so they can be implemented when Spring and Summer arrive with ideal weather.  

As a side note, this blog now is in its tenth year and many cemetery and gravestone topics and their problematic issues have been presented.  Several photographs of gravemarkers have been posted from almost forgotten cemeteries in Ohio.  I refer to some cemeteries as being "Almost forgotten" because in truth, they are not forgotten because those of us who care have taken the time to rediscover them.  

Our bringing awareness to almost forgotten cemeteries and gravesites inspires others to recognize and respect them as well.  Rallying residents to work together in their communities and volunteer their time, devise ways to raise funds, and do other hands-on work revitalizes too long neglected cemeteries so they can resume their rightful roles as vital sacred places in their communities.  

"All Cemeteries Matter!"  Please keep that thought close and make it a key consideration.  That lonely little cemetery with broken and buried stones tucked away on a rural road holds a history all its own; and is waiting for you to discover its hidden stories that others have missed.  You can be its hero! 


I personally predict that 2018 will be the Year of the Cemetery!  

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for Exploring Almost Forgotten Gravesites in the Great State of Ohio!     

Monday, February 2, 2015

Sharing News of a New Facebook Group Created for Szczepankiewicz Family Genealogy

I have started a closed Facebook Group for Szczepankiewicz Family Genealogy for anyone who has connections to this surname.  

Inviting anyone who has Szczepankiewicz as a surname in their ancestry, and is interested in connecting with others who also have Szczepankiewicz ancestors, to please consider joining! 

I know of two sons in a Szczepankiewicz family that changed their surname to Stevens:

Marion F. Stevens 

My maternal great-grandmother was Antonina Szczepankiewicz.

My maternal grandmother was Josephine Szczepankiewicz who married Andrew Zagorsky in 1908 in Lorain, Ohio.

Click HERE for a listing of all of the Szczepankiewicz surnames for interments at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Lorain, Ohio (including the maiden name in the search) 
~*~*~*~*~*~
Below is the Polish birth record for Antonina Szczepankiewicz buried at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Lorain, Ohio:

Thanking Julie Szczepankiewicz and Joe Malachowski for their help in obtaining this record and for their important help in transcribing it.

The following birth information is from LDS microfilm Roll # 2161267:

"Antonina's baptismal record for you: MiÅ‚aczew. 19. On the second of May in the 1st hour of the afternoon I baptized a child named Antonina, daughter of Józef Szczepankiewicz, age 45, and Petronella … (, age 35, born on the 26th day of April in the 10th hour at night. Godparents were Jakob Turkowski (?) and Tekla (?) Maniewska (?) of MiÅ‚aczew. 

The word "MiÅ‚aczew" in the margin of the document usually indicates the village where the baby was actually born, since it's understood that the baptism took place at the parish church, which in this case is in ZÅ‚otków. 

The number 19 signifies that Antonina was the 19th baby baptized in the parish that year. They just numbered them chronologically and then used those numbers to create an annual index.."
 ~*~*~*~*~*~
Click HERE to link to all of the "Find A Grave" memorials for those who have Szczepankiewicz surnames (including maiden in the search):

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Taking a Look at Some Cemetery Resoures on Facebook

If you are a Facebook user then you know that there are a growing number of cemetery related Facebook Groups that are now on this vast website to look at and:
"Like", Learn from, and Join!

Here are just a few that I have found that are worth taking a look at, and see how many others You can find on Facebook!: