New Gravestone Photograph for George R. Aber at Sheep Pen Cemetery - Madison Township, Highland County, Ohio

1850 U. S. Federal Census Madison Township Highland County Ohio Series  M432  Roll 694 Page 147 FamilySearch

Matthew Aber, age 58, occupation of farmer, value of real estate owned - $2,250; birthplace PA; Hannah, age 53, birthplace PA; Charles, age 21, birthplace - Ohio, occupation of farmer; Lavina (sp?) age 26, birthplace Ohio; Julia A., age 19, birthplace Ohio; and Matthew A., age 15, birthplace Ohio. The family was living next to the Samuel and Margaret Yohn family.

Wills, Administrations, Guardianships & Adoptions of Highland County, Ohio 1805- 1880 - McBride & McBride, 1957, reprinted 1994, page 67:

ABER, Matthew, of Madison Township, Date: Aug. 11, 1858.  Wife, Hannah, children: Elmira, Samuel, Wilson, Charles, Eliza Simes, Julia Yohn.  Executors: Wilson Aber, Harrison Limes. Witnesses: John Limes, Rutherford Collier.  Proven Apr. 25, 1859.  The Executors declined to administer the estate and the court appointed Thomas M. Brady Administrator W.W.A.  Sureties: Rutherford Collier, John Limes.  Appraisers:  Rutherford Collier, William Irwin, Phillip McWilliams.  The widow elected to take under the will.

Comment by Linda Jean Limes Ellis:  Eliza “Simes” – Her married name was incorrectly spelled with an “S”when it should have been an "L" for Limes. Eliza Limes was married to Harrison Limes.  Harrison and Eliza Aber Limes are buried at the Cochran Cemetery in Perry Township, Fayette County, Ohio.  Harrison Limes’ parents were William and Athaliah Doster Limes.  William Limes was an older brother to Henry Limes buried at Sheep Pen Cemetery.  Thus, Henry Limes was an uncle to Harrison Limes who was Eliza Aber’s husband. 

Wills, Administrations, Guardianships & Adoptions of Highland County, Ohio 1805- 1880 - McBride & McBride, 1957, reprinted 1994, page 269: “June 6, 1871.  Thomas M. Boyd appointed Administrator of the estate of Hannah Aber, dec’d.  Sureties:  W. W. Bell, Isaac Simpson, Appraisers:  Rutherford Collier, John Limes, William Gustin.”

Aber family members buried at Sheep Pen (AKA Limes or Gustin Cemetery):

•   Matthew Aber, and his wife, Hannah Kenley Aber
•   Matthew Aber (son of Matthew and Hannah Kenley Aber)
•   Elmirah Aber (daughter of Matthew and Hannah Kenley Aber)
•   George Aber (son of Matthew and Hannah Kenley Aber)
• Julia Aber Yohn (daughter of Matthew and Hannah Kenley Aber)
•  Eliza Aber Limes (daughter of Matthew and Hannah Kenley Aber.

(Eliza Aber was buried at Cochran Cemetery, Fayette County, Ohio – Eliza was married to Harrison Limes son of William and Athalia Doster Limes)

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Currently, "Find A Grave" is listing 158 memorials for the surname of Aber in the state of Ohio.  

Spotlighting Forest Cemetery in Circleville, Pickaway County, Ohio

I visited Forest Cemetery in Circleville, Pickaway County, Ohio on July 19, 2012.  I found evidence of the aftermath of the violent thunderstorms that had rolled through the area not long before.  There were tree branches down in the cemetery. Some limbs were cracked from tree trunks and hanging down which were awaiting removal.  

Most of my time at Forest Cemetery was spent walking around in Section 11 where my Duvall family is buried - Jeremiah and Sigariah (Simmons) Duvall and some of their children and other family members.  

Fortunately, the tree nearest to many of the Duvall gravesites had only a couple of cracked branches that were still attached to it.  Thus, no damage was done to any of the grave markers or the large Duvall monument.

Below are a couple of photographs taken that illustrate the cracked branches on the tree near the gravesites of my Duvall ancestors buried at Forest Cemetery:

Dean Cemetery - South Salem, Buckskin Township, Ross County, Ohio - Progress Report from Scott Andersen

Per "Find A Grave" -- Dean Cemetery:  

"Cemetery notes and/or description:
This cemetery is located east of the center of Lyndon, on a farm once owned by James Dean, then Will Stinson, and then Morton Titus. The cemetery is over grown, and is on the edge of a field currently used for farming."

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Scott Andersen has been photographing the gravestones during his working visits at the Dean Cemetery since 2009.  

He has posted all of the currently documented burials at the Dean Cemetery on the website "Find A Grave."  Most memorials include a gravestone photograph.

Here is Scott's latest report on his project to restore the grounds at the Dean Cemetery:

July 25, 2012:

"Made it out to the cemetery today.  Things have grown up a bit, but its all soft stuff in the areas that we cut last fall.  So, I was able to clear it back out without much difficulty using a weedeater.   I ran out of string after about 20 minutes of work, so I'll have to go out again later in the week and finish up.  In that 20 minutes I cut down about what it took us all day to get through the first time.  So all the work we did last fall wasn't for naught.   Getting it trimmed back to that level will be fine for now, and I'll make another big push when the weather cools off, and perhaps I can burn some of the brush in the adjoining field."  

Scott

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Regarding the photograph below:

"The photo was taken in an area that I didnt get to cut today. We did have this spot cleaned out last fall. Grows fast!  But, it trims back easy."

Per the publication, "Ohio Cemeteries 1803 - 2003", by K. Roger Troutman, Editor, published by the Ohio Genealogical Society in 2003, on page 559, the Dean Cemetery is listed as: "Dean-Old Presbyterian (10341) Cond: N. Owner F. Location:  South of Lyndon.  From SR 28 at Lyndon go 0.6 mile south on Lyndon Salem Road to just north of Buckskin Creek.  East of Lyndon Salem Road 0.4 mile."  

The Condition "N" designates "neglected" to describe the current status at the Dean Cemetery.  The full definition for "N" is found on page 4 of the "Ohio Cemeteries 1803 - 2003" book:  

N:  "Neglected.  These cemetries suffer from benign neglect.  They probably have not been cleaned up or restored in the last ten years or more.  They are slowly disappearing for lack of human intervention to maintain them.  The term abandoned, used previously in the OGS cemetery books and in other publications, is now included in the term neglected."  

Scott deserves acknowledgement and thanks for his returning to the Dean Cemetery on a regular basis to remove the overgrowth; and to locate, clean, and photograph the gravestones.  

He has shared his gravestone pictures on the "Find A Grave" memorials he has created which greatly benefit those who are interested in learning more about the early area pioneers who are interred at the Dean Cemetery.  

I'm confident that in the future, the description of the condition at the Dean Cemetery will be upgraded from "N" to "R" -- meaning it has been Restored -- restored because Scott took the time and effort, on behalf of all of those buried at the Dean Cemetery, proving that indeed someone does care.