Sharing this spotlight story about Green Lawn Cemetery and Randel "Randy" Rogers whose work at Columbus' Premier Cemetery is a labor of love for him

Columbus Dispatch Reporter, Holly Zachariah, has covered news about Ohio's cemeteries in various types of stories spanning several years.  I can attest that's true; and I'm sure there may be some I missed.

Be sure, though, not to miss reading this one!  

Thanking Holly for bringing us this spotlight story published November 30, 2020 because it is one we so rarely find in content about an Ohio cemetery.  That is because so rarely does someone like Randel L. Rogers come along.  He is the Executive Director of Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus.  

Perhaps better known as Randy Rogers by those who are familiar with him and his dedicated work, he painstakingly preserves the cemetery's grounds.  He gives special attention to the needs of the monuments and markers that identify the gravesites of both the famous and the lesser known souls who found peace and rest at this historic landmark cemetery. 

Be sure to scroll down the page and view the four minute awe-inspiring video interview with Randy Rogers as he describes some of his work with preserving the trees and monuments at Green Lawn Cemetery.  

We hope for more truly inspirational cemetery stories like this one to come along - ones that could only be made possible by someone as uniquely qualified and dedicated as Randy Rogers. 

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   Green Lawn Cemetery on Facebook

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Green Lawn Cemetery Association

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Green Lawn Cemetery has 148,033 memorials posted for it on "Find A Grave."

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Current Green Lawn Cemetery Map

  

Happy Thanksgiving! -- Thoughts on Being Thankful and Grateful

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Thanksgiving is steeped in American history as we know.  Being thankful is what we do this day as we set aside time to count our blessings that give us reasons to hope for even brighter days ahead.

Many of our ancestors were a part of the history of America.  We may pause and be thankful for them and their sacrifices and contributions that helped bring us to today.     

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, being thankful, and thinking of ancestors, I wanted to share a Find A Grave link for the given name of Thankful for those buried in Ohio which numbers 147.    Taking it a step further, doing a global type search for the given name of Thankful on Find A Grave, we find there are currently listed 4,269 memorials posted for this beautiful name.  

Yet, it seems the given name of Thankful has fallen out of favor over the years; we rarely see it anymore or know anyone who has the name "Thankful."  

Fortunately, it doesn't matter if our given name is "Thankful" or not, we can celebrate Thanksgiving in all of the ways possible that bring us joy and gratefulness. 

By the way, "Find A Grave" only has 6 memorials posted for the given name of "Grateful."  We need more Grateful too!

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What a beautiful name - Thankful Joy! 

"Men Seek grave markers for Holmes County brothers who died in the Civil War"

 Sharing this news story from Baltic in Holmes County, Ohio.   From the "Times-Reporter" by Jon Baker and published November 22, 2020.: 

BALTIC:
"In December 1861, three brothers from Holmes County — Tobias, Isaac and Stephen Miller — enlisted in Company C of the 67th Ohio Volunteer Infantry to fight for their country in the Civil War.

Only one of them, Isaac, came back from the war.

Tobias and Stephen both died in combat on the same day on July 18, 1863, in the attack on Fort Wagner, S.C., a battle made famous by the movie "Glory."

Eventually, their bodies were brought back to Ohio and buried in the Shutt-Berger Cemetery just outside of Baltic. 

But their graves were never marked, and two men, Forrest Chanay of the Holmes County Civil War Roundtable and Jeff Schrock of the Sugarcreek American Legion post, are working to make sure the Miller brothers get the honor they deserve.

"We're applying for the stones now and hoping that everything will go through and we'll have them in time to have them installed by Memorial Day," said Chanay, who has spent the past several years getting military gravestones for Holmes.County Civil War veterans.

The three brothers grew up on a farm in Walnut Creek Township, the son of Jeptha Miller. The father was a member of the Amish Mennonite church and was born in Somerset County, Pa., Jeptha was married three times and had 19 children.

Isaac enlisted in the 67th OVI on Dec. 9, 1861, at age 19. Tobias, 23, and Stephen, 17, joined the unit 10 days later.

Their regiment saw hard service in the war, participating in numerous battles in Virginia in 1862 before the unit was shipped to South Carolina in 1863. During the assault on Fort Wagner, the 67th OVI sustained heavy losses.

"Isaac Miller served through the rest of the war with his regiment, being discharged on Dec. 9, 1865, with the rank of first sergeant.

He died Jan. 28, 1900, at age 57."

"Deceased was well and favorably known in eastern Holmes County where he had resided his whole life," his obituary said. "For several years, and at the time of his death, he conducted a general merchandise store in Charm, where his untimely death will be lamented, not only by his family but the public in general."

Isaac made an unsuccessful run for Holmes County commissioner in 1898.

Schrock said the Sugarcreek American Legion post plans to hold a small ceremony at the cemetery when Tobias and Stephen Miller get their grave markers.

In the meantime, he and Chanay are trying to track down relatives of the brothers who might be interested in attending the event.."

"Maybe some family members would come forward," Schrock said. "If we can get the stones, the goal is to have a little ceremony sometime close to Memorial Day next spring."

"Anyone with information on the family can contact Schrock at 330-852-2629 or Chanay at 330-600-4377."