Lay Me Down to Rest: Ep. 23 Shiffler Cemetery

Searching for Beulah Ann Johnson McCoy Smith - Born November 13, 1894 in New Martinsburg, Fayette County, Ohio

Searching for Beulah Ann Johnson McCoy Smith - learning when and where she died, and where she was buried - would help answer some questions about her life and what became of her.

According to the Albert Berry Johnson and Fannie Limes Johnson Family Bible, Beula Ann Johnson was born on November 13, 1894 in New Martinsburg, Fayette County, Ohio.  

Beulah had two known marriages and the announcements for those were in the local newspapers which are shown below; in 1914 and again in 1935.  

It is a mystery the name of her second husband.  It was shown as J. Laurence Smith. 

Below is a family photo with Beulah Ann Johnson (top rignt) and her then husband, Oscar McCoy, who later divorced her. 

Two Photos below courtesy of Daniel C. Rice.:

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

Below is the newspaper announcement of the second marriage for Beulah Johnson McCoy who married J. Laurence Smith, of Miami on March 2, 1935.

Washington Court House Record Herald

April 8, 1935

Page 4 

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

Below is the newspaper announcement of the first marriage for Beulah Johnson who married Oscar McCoy in 1914.

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

Below is the obituary for Beulah Ann's sister, 

Lillian A. Johnson Dellinger. 

Note, in this 1999 announcement, 

Beulah's last name is shown as McCoy.:

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

Below is a two-part report about local social activities that took place in and around the New Martinsburg, Fayette County, Ohio area in 1945.:

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

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

The Find A Grave memorial 

for Wendell Albert McCoy,

who was the son of Oscar McCoy

 and Beulah Johnson McCoy.

The Geauga County WPA Cemetery Plat Maps are now posted on the right sidebar of the blog

 A FLICKR collection of the WPA Cemetery Plat Maps for Geauga County, Ohio for public viewing and downloading is now posted on this blog, along with those for some other Ohio counties, on the right sidebar of this blog. 

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

Geauga County is comprised of 16 townships.: Auburn, Bainbridge, Burton, Chardon, Chester, Claridon, Hambden, Huntsburg, Middlefield, Montville, Munson, Newbury, Parkman, Russell, Thompson, and Troy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Geauga County is one of the counties situated in the Western Reserve district of Ohio.

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

From the website of the Cuyahoga County Recorder.:

https://fiscalofficer.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/WesternReserveHistory.aspx

"The so-called Western Reserve comprises the Northeastern corner of the state of Ohio. Its southern boundary extends 120 miles westward from the Pennsylvania line along the 41st parallel of north latitude. 

It includes all of the counties of Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Trumbull; and part of Ashland, Mahoning, Ottawa and Summit counties. In all it contains about 5,280 square miles and is larger than the states of Delaware, Connecticut or Rhode Island."

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

As I proceeded with naming and saving each of these cemetery plat maps drawn up in the 1930s, I noted how many of those burial grounds were deemed abandoned. I was reminded of just how many veterans we have buried in Ohio going back to the American Revolution.  Geauga County is certainly no exception, in fact it seemed that the smaller the cemetery the more likely I might find a name with the number "1" for their war service which is the number designated for the The Revolutionary War.

  Below are some of the maps of the smaller size cemeteries in Geauga County as they existed when these maps were created during the years of the Great Depression.: 

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

The Thwing Cemetery - John Thwing  buried at the Center Chardon Cemetery

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

Clark Cemetery - Chardon Township

From the Ohio Gen Web site.:

"Angel; no longer exists.  

     What stones could be found were moved to Larned in the 1940s."

"Thwing; no longer exists.  

      What stones could be found were moved to Larned in the 1940s."

"Clark; no evidence"

I have not been able to learn who the veteran was who had the surname of "Clark" at the cemetery identified as the Clark Cemetery in Chardon Township when the WPA surveys were being conducted. 

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

Angel Cemetery

Benjamin Pitcher buried at the Center Chardon Cemetery (AKA the Larned Cemetery)

Lieutenant Elijah Sperry 

Also buried at the Center Chardon Cemetery

Marauchie "Polly" VanOrden Sperry 

Also buried at the Center Chardon Cemetery

Zimri Wells Also buried at the Center Chardon Cemetery

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

Gates Cemetery - Middlefield Township

Elisha Bundy who was buried at the Bundysburg Cemetery

John Cox who was buried at the Old Cemetery

Jacob Gates who was also buried at the Bundysburg Cemetery.

Note: Neither the Bundysburg Cemetery or the Old Cemetery appear in the WPA Cemetery Plat Maps. 

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

The Henry Cemetery - Now shown as the Old Southwest Cemetery or the Southwest Cemetery 

Bainbridge Township

William Henry - War of 1812 veteran

JosephWitterIII-

RevolutionaryWar veteran 

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

The Webster Cemetery in Thompson Township

From the Ohio GenWeb site.:
"Webster; 7721 Clay St., private property) Inactive"

     "Location: on the east side of Clay Street,
3/4 to 1 mile north of Rt. 166.  Nine stones were found in 1984 scattered on a hillside.  Some had been moved to Maple Grove."

Pvt. Mark Barnes was buried at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Thompson Township. 

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

Warner Cemetery in Thompson Township.

John Jackson, War of 1812 veteran

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

The Sanford Cemetery

From the Ohio GenWeb site.:

"Evergreen/Sanford; (16217 Moseley Rd.) Inactive

     "Location: on the south side of Moseley Road, about 0.4 mile west of the 

intersection of Dewey and Moseley Roads.  It is not maintained; most of the 

stones were moved to Maple Grove."

Marcus Tillotson was buried at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Thompson Township.

From the Ohio GenWeb site.:

"TILLOTSON        Marcus                           TH Evergreen Cem.                25    0                      2 Aug 1864        65y 8m 20d       NO                                                                                                        was TILLATSON; replaced STONE & Others Evergreen Interments; consumption; see Maple Grove Sec 109, Lot 3 "

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

The Phelps Cemetery in Thompson Township. 

From the Ohio GenWeb site.:

"Phelps; (6700 Sidley Rd., private property) Inactive Location; on the southeast corner of the intersection of Sidley and Thompson Roads. Only a few stones remain."

"Abandoned Cemetery"

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

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

Bartlett Cemetery - Thompson Township

            From the Ohio GenWeb site.:

"Bartlett; (6979 Thompson Rd.) Inactive

     Location: about 1000' southwest of the intersection of Leroy and Thompson 

Roads.  The land was purchased in 1950 from a relative of the Bartlett family. " 

Joseph Bartlett - Revolutionary War

Eliu Emmons, Seth Hulbert, Joseph Patterson, Abel Ray, and Abner Stockwell were all War of 1812 veterans.

Ansel Bartlett, John Ransom, both were Civil War veterans.