Welcome to Cemetery Saturday!
I really enjoy exploring cemeteries - the older, the better! I happened to come across this one on Find A Grave when I knew I was going to have some downtime while visiting family in Ohio.
Please note - I'm just a visitor. I'm not from the area.
If you're looking for someone's headstone - I suggest the link above!
I went off on a tangent back in July about getting permission to go onto private property. Don't get me wrong - I totally understand getting permission - I also wouldn't want random weirdos walking around my property - but the question was (and is) HOW?!?!?!
I first contacted Find A Grave to see if they knew how to go about this.
They suggested the county historical society.
Who in turn suggested knocking on doors. 😧
Then I found the info for the county clerk (or "recorder" as Ohio calls it)
This particular cemetery is on church grounds - he suggested contacting them.
Which I did - but never heard back from them. I didn't have high hopes anyway since their website hadn't been updated in quite some time, either.
I have a confession to make.
I went anyway.
Honestly - I think it worked out well, since if I had gone as planned, with permission - it would have been daylight, but I would have been alone. This was just a spur of the moment thing, we (me, Sis1, Sis2 & Mom) were on our way back to our hotel after dinner and I realized we weren't too far away from the church, so we stopped. Mom & Sis2 stayed in the car while Sis1 & I went exploring.
Totally worth it!
These phots are heavily edited because we arrived right before dusk.
As soon as the cemetery came in sight, it looked to have a mist rising!
Super creepy.
This is between the gate pillars - there was no gate and the wall was made of slabs of stone lying flat.
Yes, there is a house just beyond the treeline and there was another house to my right of where I was standing.
It was just dark enough where we couldn't easily read the stones (this is considered the oldest cemetery in the county) but I was still able to get some decent photos.
Although I'm pretty sure I got the backs of those 3 above.
James Parrish
Died December 27, 1856
In the 82nd year of his age
I see a definite "T"
The only listing with a name starting with T is "Thomas Mac ral"
But there's no other info other than he passed August 1824.
I see a fancy "f" on the right side.
There's a "D" and a "J"
nobody with those initials listed.
Hannah Bewley
wife of Nathan Bewley
Died August 23, 1859
Aged 73 years, 7 months, 16 days
David Bewley
Co A 213th Penn Vols
Died in hospital at
Alexandria VA
Nov 9, 1865
Aged 34 years, 29 days
Someone's done some work in this cemetery, since the photo for David in Find a Grave is from 2019 and it's dirty and lying flat. This beautiful stone is different than most others and with it being white, glowed in the dusky light.
I found a plat map on the county recorder's website that there are 2 Civil War veterans buried there and one from the War of 1812.
Sarah (L) and Charlotte Bewley
Sarah died September 6, 1900 (born around 1827 per census)
Charlotte, daughter of Charles & Hannah, died April 1, 1851
aged 2 years, 10 months, 4 days
Deacon John Edward Berry
died October ?, 1828
aged 65 years, 1 month, 15 days
also has some very cool carvings
. 
This is Elceba Pease
daughter of Aboin & Parthenia (Lathrop) Pease
passed July 2, 1830 (or 1850)
aged 10 months, 15 days
The photo in Find A Grave is from 2000 and much easier to read.
I love the carving at the top.
John Perry
died February ?, 1825
aged 56-ish years
James Woods
the rest is illegible
Jane Woods
consort of James Woods
died June 6, 1817
aged 50 years
William Woods
died December 13, 1818
age 70
The rest of these are just scenery shots.
Since I apparently got a lot of photos of the backs of stones - I missed one that I saw on FindAGrave for Grizzela "Grizzy" Boggs. Her stone is said to be the largest in the cemetery, but I don't see any stones in my photos shaped like the one shown on the link above. I just think her name is interesting and I would have liked to see it.
I don't recall taking a panoramic photo, but here it is!
Also not edited so you can see it was rapidly getting dark.
As we left the woods where the cemetery was - Sis1 and I both had chills (we were there in late July so definitely NOT temperature chilly!) and we asked if anyone who might be with us would please stay there and honestly if this was the type of church that had a cross out front, I would have gone to touch it! Sis 1 said none of her photos turned out.
Anyhow. I think I'd still go back, but during the day so I could see better!
We're quite lucky over here. In Scotland, the trespassing laws generally allow people to access any land that isn't a private garden (or home, obviously) or growing crops, sports fields and a few other exceptions, so long as you aren't causing any damage to property. Therefore, if you want to access old cemeteries you can enter freely so long as you can get there without ruining any crops or fences. (Landowners can ask you to leave if they don't want you there, but it isn't a criminal offence unless damage is caused).
ReplyDeleteThat's a good thing! I didn't see any "no trespassing" signs in the area and a van that I assume was some sort of security was driving thru the parking lot as we pulled in. But they didn't stop. What if I had family there? I sure wouldn't want go thru all this trouble to visit them.
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