The Union Township Cemetery at Milford Center, Ohio

The Union Township Cemetery is also known as the Milford Center Cemetery.  It was originally started as a private cemetery by the George Brown Family before 1828.  H. Burnham purchased the land from George Brown and used the burial ground as his family cemetery for a time.  In the late 1820s, the residents of Milford Center took a subscription so that the community could purchase the burial ground for public use.  After this campaign was successful, residents of the village purchased the cemetery.    

The Old Winter Vault

In 1834, the Upper Liberty Presbyterian Church (later known as the Milford Center Presbyterian Church) erected a brick church adjacent to the cemetery.  This congregation built a second church near the cemetery in 1871.  This later brick church is still adjacent to the cemetery today, but it is now used as a garage.

Over the years, the cemetery has grown to become the largest cemetery in Union Township.  It is also one of the larger cemeteries in all of Union County.  The cemetery is cared for by the Union Township Trustees.  In the summer of 2012 a derecho destroyed many of the older trees in the cemetery.  Those trees have been replaced by the Union Township Trustees.

The Burial Vault in Union Township's Milford Center Cemetery

Was there ever a cemetery near Irwin?

A lot of my historical research involves researching stories and folklore.  Several years ago I was making apple cider at a friend's house and I had a very interesting conversation with my friend's neighbor.  He was/is a township trustee for Union Township in Union County, Ohio.  He asked me if I had ever heard of the Irwin Cemetery.  I had heard whispers that there had been a cemetery near Irwin, but I had no concrete evidence of this cemetery.  Still, this man insisted that there once had been a cemetery near Irwin.  So, my quest is to locate the site of this abandoned cemetery. . .  And, any hints at its location are greatly appreciated!

The Woods-Reed Cemetery in Union Township, Union County, Ohio

The oldest cemetery in Union Township is the Woods-Reed Cemetery.  It is located on Orchard Road, just southeast of Sam Reed Road.  The cemetery was started around 1813 by the Upper Liberty Presbyterian Church.  The land that was used for the cemetery came from parts of property once owned by George and Josiah Reed and Samuel Wood.  This cemetery has had some upkeep in recent years.  But, it is a prime candidate for a complete restoration as many of the pioneer gravestones are broken.

The Cemeteries at Unionville Center, Ohio

There are two cemeteries on the edge of Unionville Center.  The older cemetery was originally called the Sager Graveyard.  The first burials in this cemetery date to around 1813.  This cemetery is adjacent to the Unionville Center United Methodist Church.  It is on land that was donated to the community by the pioneer Sager family.  There are many burials from this family here.  Today this cemetery is cared for by the Darby Township Trustees.  The cemetery is now called the Darby Township Cemetery and is managed as a part of the second Unionville Cemetery.

The second cemetery is just a cross a small stream.  This cemetery was started when room ran out in the first cemetery.  This land, along with the land between the two sections, was purchased in 1916 from Lula Robinson for $1500.  The land between the two sections was later sold to Roy G. Scheiderer.  This new section of the cemetery has always been under the control of Darby Township.

The Cemeteries of St. Johns Lutheran Church

When St. Johns Lutheran Church was founded, the first burial place for its members was at the old Brown Graveyard, a community cemetery.  This cemetery was located near the south east corner of present-day State Route 736 and Scottslawn Road.  This location is just south of where the first log church for St. Johns was once located.  By 1883, the History of Union County notes the location a abandoned.  Nothing remains of this cemetery today, which is a shame as many of the original families had burials at this location.

The first cemetery privately held by St. Johns Lutheran Church is still located on the northwest side of State Route 736.  When the church split for the first time in 1846, the liberal group retained ownership of the log church, school, and cemetery.  This cemetery is now owned by Trinity Lutheran Church in Marysville.  Trinity requested deed to this cemetery in the 1880s.  Burials in this cemetery date to the early 1840s.

The second cemetery for St. Johns is located a little distance off of the east side of State Route 736.  This cemetery is near the location of the first brick church for St. Johns.  While not maintained today, the location is still marked by a large white wooden cross.

The third cemetery for St. Johns is located on Kandel Road a short distance west of the parsonage.  Burials at this location date to the mid-1800s.  It is still well maintained today.  Many of the earlier gravestones are inscribed in German.  This cemetery remains a private cemetery with any member entitled to purchase a burial plot.

Mitchell Cemetery in Darby Township, Union County, Ohio

The oldest cemetery in present-day Union County, Ohio is the Mitchell Cemetery.  This cemetery has also been called the Robinson Cemetery, the Mitchell Farm Cemetery, and the Mitchell-Robinson Cemetery.  There are many pioneers from both the Mitchell and Robinson families buried in this cemetery.

The land that this cemetery occupies was donated to the area by the Mitchell Family.  This land had been used as an Indian Burial Ground prior to use by Union County pioneers in 1800.  The first burial was that of Samuel McCullough in the spring of 1800.  Other noted pioneers buried here include Jesse Mitchell, the first pioneer child born in the area now encompassed by Union County and Mary Hawn, the first pioneer female child born in the state of Ohio.

The Mitchell Cemetery is located near the Big Darby Creek on a gravel bank.  The cemetery is on the northeast corner of the State Route 38 and Burns Road intersection.  It is directly north of the St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery.

St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery in Darby Township, Union County, Ohio

I am fascinated by cemeteries.  I like to walk through a cemetery and read gravestones while I imagine how the people buried might have lived their lives.  In the case of St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery, I do know the histories of a lot of the people.  I can walk down the rows and smile at stories I have heard.  I also find myself crying at the heartbreaks that many of the people.

St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery is one of my favorite cemeteries.  My husband has many family members who are buried here.  And, I have done extensive genealogical research on the families at St. Paul.  So, I am very familiar with the histories of the people buried here.  There are stories of parents who lost children much too soon.  One man crossed the flooded creek in 1913 to bury his newborn son alone.  Some families moved mothers and children from St. Johns Lutheran Cemetery in 1899 because this location was closer to visit than Neudettelsau.  There were tragic accidents that took youth much too soon.  And, there are burials of people who lived very long and prosperous lives.  Here is a peek at the history of St. Paul Cemetery.

ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CEMETERY
St. Paul Lutheran Church was founded at Chuckery in September 1893.  It soon became necessary to establish a cemetery for the congregation.  But, the land at Chuckery was not suitable due to the high water table.

St. Paul Cemetery is on land that was purchased by St. Paul Lutheran Church.  This land was purchased on January 17, 1899 from Gottlieb and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Burns.  The original tract of land contained 1.45 acres of land and cost the congregation $37.50.  This tract of land was (and still is) adjacent to the Mitchell (Robinson) Cemetery, the first cemetery of Union County.  The area that both of these cemeteries is located on is a gravel bank that rises above the Big Darby Creek.  This land was also once used by local Indians as a burial ground.

The first officially recorded burial in St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery was that of Andrew Greenbaum, a stillborn child of Andrew Greenbaum (Gruenbaum) on February 2, 1909.  It is important to note that there are burials that predate this burial.  However, either these burials were not recorded in church records or are reinterments.  The reinterments happened when people relocated loved ones from other cemeteries to St. Paul.

On February 17, 1974 an additional three acres of land was purchased for the cost of $2,400 from William and Mary Burns.  In 1985 the Cemetery Turf Fund was established with a bequest from Dr. Lorenz Nicol.  In July of 1993 a flag pole was erected on the edge of St. Paul's Cemetery.  This was donated to the church by VFW Post # 3320.  The flagpole was dedicated by Pastor Hubert Rausch on July 4, 1993.

Today, St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery remains the only burial ground for St. Paul Lutheran Church.  The cemetery is open to any person who has been baptized or confirmed a member of St. Paul.  This right is extended even to former members who have moved away.

Union County, Ohio Cemeteries

As a genealogist, I have always been fascinated by cemeteries.  I like to stroll among the graves, reading names and dates while I imagine how these people might have lived their lives.  I also have a fascination of history, especially the local histories of Union and Madison Counties in Ohio.  In many cases, I know the stories behind the people. . .  But, it is still something that I ponder.

Since Memorial Day is a traditional time for people to visit cemeteries, I have decided to take my readers on a virtual tour of the cemeteries in Union County, Ohio.  As we stroll through yesteryear, please let me know if there is specific information that you would like to know about each cemetery.  And, if you would like specific pictures taken, I am more than willing to help you out.

Thank you for visiting!

Decoration Day Services in Unionville Center, Ohio

As we approach Memorial Day, I thought it fitting to write about our forefathers celebrating Decoration Day in Unionville Center, Ohio.  On May 22, 1895, plans for Decoration Day were announced in the Marysville Evening Tribune.  Residents of Unionville and the surrounding area were invited to services at the Methodist Episcopal Church.  The service was scheduled to start promptly at 8 AM.  After the service, people were invited to help decorate graves in the Methodist Cemetery.  The crowd would then travel across the stream to the Unionville Cemetery.  A second service was scheduled to begin at the Methodist Church at 10 AM.  By reading this it is easy to see that things have not changed as much as we would have thought over the years.  This schedule is remarkably similar to what still happens today in Unionville Center.

Memorial Day

General John A Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), established Memorial Day on May 5, 1868 as Decoration Day. Decoration Day was to be a day on which to decorate the graves of Civil War veterans. This day was observed in Union County as early as 1869. The first state to officially recognize Decoration Day was New York. It was not until after the end of World War I that this day was changed to honor all who have died in American wars. By 1971 Congress declared Memorial Day to be a national holiday to be observed on the last Monday in May. In December of 2000 Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act. This act encourages all Americans to observe a moment of silence at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day. Memorial Day is officially a day to honor any American service member who died in service to the United States.

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THE FLOWER OF REMEMBRANCE

IN FLANDERS FIELD

By John McMrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly.
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short day ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

In 1915, Colonel John McCrae, a surgeon in the Canadian Army wrote this poem to express his grief upon seeing the graves sites after a battle. In that same year Moina Michael of Georgia wrote the following poem.

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led.
It seems to signal the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

Ms. Michael went on to wear poppies on Memorial Day. This started a movement that spread to other countries, starting the tradition of the red poppy on Memorial Day. Anna E. Guerin of France, with the help of the VFW, started the widespread sale of artificial poppies.

What Happened to the Arras Family?

Church history at St. Johns Lutheran Church tells us that the first family in the German Settlement was the Arras family.  But, there are no Arras burials to be found in Union County.  And, there are no members of this family still in the area.  There is at least one recorded birth in that family while they were in Union County, Ohio in the 1830s.  Johann "Phillip" Arras was born to Johann "Peter" and Anna Margarethe "Margaret Arras in 1832 in Darby Township, Union County, Ohio.

It is known that Mrs. Arras was an aunt of Mrs. Rausch, matriarch of the Rausch family that would later become very prominent in Union County, Ohio.  And, it was because of letters from Mrs. Arras, that the Rausch family made the decision to come to America.  So, what pulled the Arras family away from the area?  I have found record that an daughter was born to the family in 1837 in Marion County, so the Union County stay for the Arras family was not very long-lived.

Another fact that is known about the Arras family is that they came to America aboard the James Beecham, also known as the Famous Dove ship.  This ship wrecked off the shore of Virginia.  This incident is documented in many places, including the St. Paul Evangelical Church's website (of Jenera, Ohio), and the St. Johns Marysville website.  As a result of this shipwreck, four Lutheran congregations in Hancock County, Ohio still celebrate Shipwreck Sunday each year.

Had the Arras family intended all along to head to Hancock family?  Had the Rausch family intended to follow?  These are questions that I hope to answer over the next few months.

But, what a fascinating story!

The 175th Anniversary of St. Johns Lutheran Church

Since marrying into a German Lutheran family in Central Ohio, I have had a fascination for both St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chuckery and its mother church, St. Johns Lutheran Church in Neudettelsau.  Both of these church are located in small communities in Union County, Ohio.  And, both churches have greatly influenced their communities for many many years.  Last year St. Paul celebrated a 120 year anniversary.  This year St. Johns is celebrating its 175th Anniversary.  What a special history to commemorate!  I feel truly blessed that I was able to attend the St. Johns Celebration held on Pentecost Sunday.

A History of St. Johns Lutheran Church
St. Johns Lutheran Church of Neudettelsau, Union County, Ohio was formally chartered on August 20, 1843.  But, its history reaches back in to the early 1830s.  German immigrants from Hessen-Darmstadt and Bavaria came to Union County and settled in the densely wooded area south of Marysville.  Pastor Furhmann, a circuit rider from Springfield, Ohio was the first to minister to the small congregation.  Prior to 1838, worship was held in the log cabins of different members.

On Pentecost Sunday in 1838, a small log-hewn building was dedicated for use as a church for the small Lutheran congregation centered on the Plain City Marysville Road.  This log church was near the north east corner of the intersection of present-day Scottslawn Road and State Route 736.  The old Brown Burying Ground was across the road to the south.

In 1843, the small log church burned.  And, the congregation debated disbanding.  Not only was the loss of their church a cause of concern, but members could not agree on whether services should be conducted in both English and German or just in German.  Those favoring English left the congregation.  Three families are listed as leaving at that time - Brown, Seeger, and Bartholomew.

Also in 1842, a cobbler, Adam Ernst from Bavaria arrived in the United States, settling in Columbus.  He then enrolled in a ministerial course at Capital University in Columbus.  He had come to Ohio with the intent of starting a Lutheran School, but he soon learned of a struggling Lutheran congregation that needed a pastor.  He traveled out to Union County in 1843, and soon the congregation was thriving once again.

On August 20, 1843 the small congregation dedicated another log church building.  This building was located further north on the Plain City-Marysville Road so as to be more centrally located in the German Settlement.  The congregation adopted a new constitution on this day, taking the name St. Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church - Neudettelsau.  The name of the community was in deference to Reverend William Loehe, the mentor of Adam Ernst.  Reverend Loehe was from Neuendettelsau in Germany.

In 1846, the congregation split, divided over the question of a crucifix on the alter and the drinking habits of certain members of the congregation.  The more liberal sect retained claim to the church building and cemetery.  This is where the present-day Trinity Lutheran Cemetery is located.  The northern division took 24 voting members with it, and named its church St. Johns Lutheran Church.

The more conservative sect built a brick church further south on the Plain City-Marysville Road.  They soon established a cemetery that was further off the road.  This cemetery can still be seen today, marked by a large white cross and visible on the east side of State Route 736.  The conservative southern sect retained 16 voting members.  It also added another 7 voting members within a year.  In 1847, Pastor Ernst traveled to Chicago, Illinois where St. Johns became a charter member of the Missouri Synod.

In 1851, St. Johns purchased its present-day property.  And by 1853 a parsonage was built for Pastor Jacob Seidel, the second pastor of the congregation.  Work on the fourth church house was overseen by the congregations third pastor, the Reverend Friedrich Nuetzel.  This new church with a new cemetery was dedicated in July of 1860.  In 1864 the congregation built a new school house adjacent to the new church.

In 1863, the Ohio Synod affiliated St. Johns founded a church in Marysville, which was also called St. Johns.  And, in 1864, the Missouri Synod affiliated St. Johns of Neudettelsau founded a Lutheran church Marysville, which was called St. Paul's.  Both town churches were cared for by pastors from their synodical affiliate.  By 1876 there were four Lutheran congregations in the area.  In 1878, the two town churches consolidated to form Trinity Lutheran Church, a member church of the Ohio Synod.  And, the two country St. Johns Churches reunited to form St. Johns Lutheran Church of the Missouri Synod.  Trinity Lutheran Church later requested the northern property that consisted of a brick church and cemetery.  The current St. Johns Parsonage was built in 1885.  And, in 1888 St. Johns celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Plains Branch of
St. Johns Lutheran Church & School
at Chuckery

In 1892, property was purchased by St. Johns at Chuckery.  Many families had moved south into the Darby Plains, and the trip back to St. Johns for school and church was exhausting in the best of weather and prohibitive in the worst of weather.  A small church/school building was erected.  And, a call was sent to the Missouri Synod for a pastor.  When the call was returned, due to a lack of available candidates, the small congregation remained a part of St. Johns for another year.  Officially this congregation was known as the Plains Branch of St. Johns Lutheran Church.  The following year a call was sent for a pastor.  This call was accepted by ministerial candidate Heinrich Knust.  He was ordained at St. Johns Lutheran Church in September of 1893.  And, on September 17, 1893, 26 families officially requested release from St. Johns to help form the St. Paul Lutheran Church congregation at Chuckery.

Trinity Lutheran Church - Monroe Michigan
Photo Courtesy of Cass Sheet Metal

By 1899 it became obvious that the 1860 church building needed to be replaced.  A resolution to rebuild on the existing site was passed by the voters on November 19, 1899.  And, the 1860 building was torn down on November 22.  The congregation was careful to save what materials they could for use in the new building.  The plan was to build a church of similar design to Trinity Lutheran Church in Monroe, Michigan.  Costs for this building were kept to around $16,000 due largely in part to generous donations from the members of the congregation.  These donations had a value of around $3000.  The cornerstone for the new building was laid on June 10, 1900, with over 1000 people reported in attendance.  On November 18, 1900, the completed church was dedicated.

The old school house burnt in 1937.  The current school house was built over the next several months.  This school was enlarged in 1956 and 1980.  The addition of the gymnasium/multipurpose building took place in 1989.  At this time, the addition was added to the church building.

Today there are over 200 children in the school.  And, there are over 1000 members of the church.  This church continues to bless the lives of many many families in central Ohio.

Do You Remember Joseph E. Wing?

In November of 2011 I wrote about Joseph E. Wing of Mechanicsburg, Ohio.  So, for a little refresher, I am repeating a part of that post.  But, I am also expanding on what I first wrote.


Joseph E. Wing

Joseph E. Wing was born on September 14, 1861. He was raised on Woodland Farm near Mechanicsburg, Ohio. He spent time working on a cattle ranch in Utah. This proved to be life-shaping for him, as this is where he acquired his interest in alfalfa as a hay source for livestock.

Wing was one of the first farmers east of the Mississippi River to grow alfalfa as a forage/hay crop for livestock. And, once he found it to be a successful crop on his own farm, he began to spread the word, first to farmers around Champaign County, and then to farmers around the state of Ohio. In 1913 he hosted an "Alfalfa Picnic" on his farm that attracted of 3,500 people, including the Governor James M. Cox.

Mr. Wing also was a well-known breeder of Dorset sheep.  In fact, he served as the first executive secretary of the Continental Dorset Club.  He also was an author of the book, THE WINTER LAMB.  In this book he wrote, "The sire is half the herd; if he is a poor one he is all of it.  Don't quibble about the price, but be a stickler for quality. If he is not right you will regret it all your life, maybe, for it takes ten year's weeding to undo one year's bad breeding."

For his work with alfalfa, Joseph E. WIng was posthumously inducted into the Ohio Agriculture Hall of Fame in the 1940s. His farm remains in the Wing Family today. Over the course of his life, he also contributed to many agriculture publications both in Ohio and across the United States.

Elmwood Place at Irwin, Ohio

Elmwood Place

In 1798, George Fullington from Vermont was granted land in the Virginia Military District for service in the Revolutionary War.  The plat of land that he accepted was near the present-day village of Irwin, Ohio.  This property was handed down over several generations through the Fullington family.  By 1866, the land was acquired by Captain James McIlroy, a Civil War veteran and husband to George Fullington's granddaughter.  Captain McIlroy soon began work on a very ornate farmhouse.  This brick home (pictured to the right) was completed in 1868.  Throughout the 1870s, many more buildings were constructed at Elmwood Place.  A carriage house, barn, smaller sheds, and a cottage for tenant farmers were completed before 1880.  Many of these buildings are still standing today.  The farm has been also called Elmwood Park.  But, the home has always been known as Elmwood Place.

Irwin's Place in US Agriculture

Soybeans and Their Irwin, Ohio Roots

I am making good on my promise to revisit Irwin.  Chances are, it is not any larger of a village than when I first wrote of it in November of 2011.  If you think
Irwin is not an important village
, then you are wrong  Irwin holds an important place in the history and development of the modern-day soybean.  And, according to Iowa State University, soybeans are found in many products. From diesel fuel to soy oils, soy milk, to synthetic materials and every where in between, the soybean is a very important crop in the United States.

What if I told you that this was not always the case.  What if I told you that once upon a time, soy beans were grown primarily as a hay.  But, there was a farmer on the outskirts of Irwin who thought that the soybean might be used for more than just hay.  In 1909, Glen G. McIlroy planted a small field with soybeans.  His intent was to use the beans as a hay for his livestock.  But, he decided to separate the beans from their stalks.  He used the stalks for for bedding.  This was done in spite of the skepticism of other Union County, Ohio farmers.

Elmwood Place Farm House

At about this same time, practical uses for soybeans were being discovered.  George Washington Carver found soybeans to be an excellent source of protein.  Henry Ford began to experiment with soy oils for use in plastics.  And, so Irwin farmer McIlroy simply needed to show his Union County neighbors how successful the crop could be.  By 1926, the combine was introduced to Ohio farmers, making it much easier to harvest soybeans.  By 1938 so many farmers near Irwin were growing soybeans that over 450000 bushels were harvested.  It was recorded that around 3 million bushels of soybeans were grown in a 50 mile radius of Irwin.  This just goes to show that a very innovative and persistent man from a tiny village in Ohio was able to effectively help make soybeans the top crop grown in the entire state of Ohio.  What an accomplishment!  Glen G. McIlroy was posthumously inducted into the Ohio Agriculture Hall of Fame in 1969.

Tomorrow I will write more about Glen McIlroy's Irwin farm, Elmwood Place.  Thanks for stopping by today!

I am Back!

After a hiatus of nearly a year, I am back to writing about the history I discover - one day at a time.  Thank you to those who have followed me on this trip.  There are a lot more stories to share!