....And, What about Trees at Cemeteries? Good or Bad or Both?

First - the Good: 

Sharing this June 12, 2017 story from the "Urbana Daily Citizen" in Champaign County, Ohio entitled:  "Planting Leaves of Comfort" by Joshua Keeran about the Woodstock Lions Club's mission to plant 100 new trees within a five year period at two Rush Township Cemeteries - Maple Grove Cemetery located just outside of North Lewisburg and the Woodstock Cemetery.  

Both cemeteries are active / registered cemeteries with newer burials and frequent visitors, which is important to note. 

As stated in the article: 

“The ash trees are gone, the maples are dying of old age, and no one is replanting trees to restore the natural beauty of the cemeteries,” said Woodstock Lions Club President Tim Kemper. “These cemeteries were plotted on peaceful parcels of land over two centuries ago.

“Visiting a cemetery to pay respects to loved ones is an emotional experience that can be enhanced listening to the breeze blow through the leaves of the trees, and the shade provided can be soothing on hot days,” he added."

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Next, the Bad:

But, what about the adverse events that so often strike trees over time that cause them to lose large limbs or even topple completely over?  Afterward a once tranquil (and safe!) scene will become a devastated landscape of scattered damaged and destroyed gravestones lying beneath downed branches and heavy limbs. 

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AND,

Trees do need some TLC as we know. 

Photos below are from the South Murray Ridge Cemetery in Lorain County, Ohio where there are several mature trees, however, many have not been routinely pruned.  Over time trees grow and their roots surround and encroach the markers and monuments as shown below.

(Also, gravestones under trees tend to develop more lichens and moss on them.)

 The large monument below is barely visible now.

It is tightly squeezed between two large bushes that have been

left unattended and allowed to become huge!

 If this one large tree to the right shown below became uprooted and toppled over, how many

grave markers would be destroyed? 

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Thus, I think we can see that trees are not the best of friends for cemeteries or grave markers due to several reasons although they provide welcome shade and some coolness on bright sunny hot days for those visiting them.  

It is important that caretakers properly and routinely care for the trees as well as the cemetery grounds so neither are neglected.  

Sharing a message from Ralph Lowell Coleman, Jr. regarding "Find A Grave"

Ralph Lowell Coleman, Jr. wishes to inform others about his decisions regarding posting further memorials on the website "Find A Grave." I am sharing his message here.  

Ralph's biography and contact information on his "Find A Grave"profile page can be accessed by clicking on the title above. 

(a view of part of the Spain Cemetery above adjacent to the Maple Grove Cemetery in Rush Township, Champaign County, Ohio)

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"I am no longer personally creating memorials for "Find A Grave." I've never been concerned about the number of memorials I could create...only about those I could accurately create and manage.  I will continue to maintain the memorials which I have created in the past, and to provide assistance to those in need.

I have taken more than 7000 photos of the markers in Maple Grove Cemetery, North Lewisburg, Ohio (about 4700 burials), and Woodstock Cemetery, Woodstock, Ohio (about 1600 burials), and will be happy to provide photos to anyone who is creating memorials on "Find A Grave" for individuals buried in either of these two cemeteries, OR anyone who requests photographs through the "Find A Grave" process. Contact me for assistance if you have a loved one, friend or associate buried in either of these two cemeteries.

There are a great many volunteers on "Find A Grave" who create vast numbers of memorials using only obituary notices. Often, many months or even years go by before photos of the grave markers are added - if ever - to these memorials. I personally believe that every memorial should have a photo of the gravesite marker, if one is available. And, this action should be as soon as possible after the posting of the memorial, regardless of who posts the photo. The gravesite marker sometimes draws attention to error(s) in the memorial text, and vice versa.

Some "Find A Grave" volunteers do not want any gravesite photos attached to their memorials unless they provide their own. Why then does "Find A Grave" have a feature for requesting photos of gravesites and attaching them to memorial pages? I don't believe maintenance implies ownership, unless the creator of the memorial is paying for the memorial to the exclusion of "Find A Grave's" advertising.

I have OFFICIALLY worked with the Board of Trustees of Maple Grove Cemetery and Woodstock Cemetery, Rush Township, Champaign County, Ohio, to officially photograph the cemeteries and transcribe the official records of the cemeteries.

I can thus assist with information regarding individuals buried in these two cemeteries, or photographs of the gravesite markers. 

I have the most extensive databases, created from transcribed original cemetery records, funeral home records, obituaries, and other sources. Even if a name which you are researching does not appear on the "Find A Grave" pages for these two cemeteries (Maple Grove Cemetery and Woodstock Cemetery) I can probably provide you with the available information.  Don't hesitate to ask.

Incidentally, in 2012, the entire databases and photographs for Maple Grove Cemetery and Woodstock Cemetery, Rush Township, Champaign County, Ohio, will be published on the Internet for access by and use of family history researchers. Watch for advance notice of the publication date here."

Ralph can be contacted at:

Ralph Lowell Coleman, Jr. 

1536 Robins Circle

Ogden, Utah 84404

ralph.l.coleman.jr@gmail.com

Spotlighting Find A Grave Contributor Ralph Lowell Coleman, Jr.

I am spotlighting Ralph Lowell Coleman, Jr. and his contributions to Find A Grave. 

Please click on the title to read more about Ralph and his ongoing efforts particularly with Maple Grove Cemetery just outside of North Lewisburg,  Rush Township in Champaign County, Ohio; and at the Woodstock Cemetery in Rush Township's other larger town, Woodstock. 

Below is the latest information from Ralph about how he is handling adding photographs to memorials posted by others where the burial site information has been lacking on the memorial.
 

Due to Ralph's extensive ongoing research at these cemeteries, he has gained the knowledge of gravesite locations and is adding such information in the caption sections below the photographs he posts:

"I have a tidbit (more correctly, a suggestion) for folks who add photographs to Find A Grave memorials, and who might read your blogspot.

There are many memorials which have been posted without accompanying photographs of the grave sites. When I review those which have been posted by other people for Maple Grove Cemetery (North Lewisburg, Ohio) and Woodstock Cemetery (Woodstock, Ohio) for example, I attach photographs to those memorials from my photo files (if available) for those cemeteries.

Using the "caption" feature for photographs on Find A Grave, I usually insert the burial site information (if it does not appear in the memorial proper), and the date of the photograph.

This information has proven to be of interest - and some value - according to folks who have responded after I've added the photos. It has also helped make it easier for some people to find the locations of the grave sites within those cemeteries.

****With 4,200 burials in Maple Grove Cemetery, and about 1,565 in Woodstock Cemetery, I have a long way to go before this particular side project is completed.

I work at it periodically, just about every time I sign in to Find A Grave."

Ralph

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(please note Ralph's new email address below)

Ralph Lowell Coleman, Jr.

1536 Robins Circle

Ogden, Utah 84404

ralph.l.coleman.jr@gmail.com

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Thank you, Ralph, for contacting me and sharing your information.

 

Your contributions are examples all Find A Grave contributors and contributors to similar sites such as Ohiogravestones.org can do well to follow!! 

Maple Grove Cemetery and Woodstock Cemetery - Rush Township, Champaign County, Ohio

Thanking Ralph Lowell Coleman, Jr. on this Thanksgiving Day 2010

I received a nice note today from Ralph Lowell Coleman, Jr. of Ogden, Utah.  

Ralph originally hails from North Lewisburg, Champaign County, Ohio. 

Ralph has been devoting countless hours of his time in research during the past two years in conjunction with personal hands-on work to document burials at both the Maple Grove Cemetery and the Woodstock Cemetery. 

These cemteries are in Rush Township which is located in the northeastern corner of Champaign County, Ohio.

Below is an excerpt from Ralph's note which updates his ongoing Maple Grove and Woodstock Cemeteries research and beyond:

"I'm still working on cemetery records at Maple Grove and Woodstock to make them more complete. I will have a revised database to send back to Rush Township so they can update the database I installed there when I was home last year. I have over 4000 burial records for North Lewisburg, so it will significantly increase the records they will have onhand for folks' research.

I'll have some publications put together which I will be donating to the libraries in Urbana and North Lewisburg as part of this process. I have records of cemetery plot deeds, burials, and so forth which will make it easy for people to research family lines and information without having to actually go to the cemeteries. I'm having this material professionally printed and bound before I send it off.

I've also been transcribing the 1870 and 1880 census records for North Lewisburg. I'm almost done with the 1870 report; I'll have it printed and bound and a couple of copies sent off to both libraries. I don't foresee having the 1880 census done until spring; at that time, I'll also print and bind and send off copies for the libraries."

Click on this post's title to link to Ralph's Blog titled:  "Along Spain Creek"

Also,
"Along Spain Creek" - Cemetery references

Thank you Ralph!!!

Spotlighting - "Along Spain Creek" Blog - Ralph Lowell Coleman, Jr.

Click on title to access Ralph Lowell Coleman, Jr.'s blog, "Along Spain Creek" - specifically the section which offers links to both Maple Grove and Woodstock Cemeteries in Champaign County, Ohio. 

The burials for both are linked to the website of "Find A Grave" and Ralph has that link posted for the researcher's convenience in searching for burials at these two cemeteries offered on the site.

Ralph has done extensive work researching burials, both marked and unmarked, at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Rush Township, just outside the city limits of the Village of North Lewisburg in Champaign County. 

From Ralph:

"There are approximately 20 LOTS of the nearly 968 LOTS in Maple Grove Cemetery (appoximately 2%) which have more than four burials recorded in the original record book.

However, these lots generally contain the remains of a baby, (or babies), an infant, or the buried cremains of someone who was cremated. In some cases, the walkway areas adjacent to the lots were purchased and used as burial plots. It would have been very difficult to "squeeze" in five adults, complete with burial vaults, into the space allotted to individual lots within the squares. The lots were measured by length and width when the cemetery was laid out. Adjustments have also been made over the years for the placement of the roadways, and trees which have grown up in some of the lots, making some of the lots within individual squares unsuitable for burials.

One extreme exception to the "four graves per lot" rule of thumb, (and one of the lots referred to in my paragraph 1 above),

Square 83, Lot 1 contains SEVEN burials: George Holycross (baby), Annabelle Holycross, Thomas E. Holycross, Bertha Holycross, Alonzo Holycross, Annis Holycross, and Fred Holycross."

Information Update for Maple Grove & Woodstock Cemetery Transcription Records by Ralph L. Coleman, Jr.

Currently, Mr. Coleman is accepting look-up requests for anyone who is researching burials in either the Maple Grove or Woodstock cemeteries.

Researchers can contact Ralph at rlcolemanjr@hotmail.com or by writing to him at: 1536 Robins Circle, Ogden, Utah 84404, with their specific requests. A stamped, self-addressed envelope is appreciated for use in returns.

Please note, if a research request requires extensive printing beyond one or two sheets of paper, the researcher will need to provide postage reimbursement instead of a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Click on Title to be linked to Ralph's blog, "Along Spain Creek"

Maple Grove and Woodstock Cemeteries - Rush Township - Champaign County, Ohio - Project Progress Report by Ralph L. Coleman, Jr.

Currently, Mr. Coleman is accepting look-up requests for anyone who is researching burials in either the Maple Grove or Woodstock cemeteries.

Researchers can contact Ralph at rlcolemanjr@hotmail.com or by writing to him at 1536 Robins Circle, Ogden, Utah 84404, with their specific requests.  A stamped, self-addressed envelope is appreciated for use in returns. 
Please note, if a research request requires extensive printing beyond one or two sheets of paper, the researcher will need to provide postage reimbursement instead of a stamped, self-addressed envelope.  

Click on Title to be linked to Ralph's blog, "Along Spain Creek"