Hathaway Cemetery, Union Township, Union County, Ohio

The Hathaway Cemetery is on land that was donated to Union Township by Dr. Nicholas Hathaway.  This cemetery has also been called the Connor Cemetery.  It is near the banks of Treacle Creek near the pioneer location, Ricetown.  The Hathaway Cemetery is located 1 mile west of State Route 4 behind 22947 Connor Road.  This is approximately 2 1/2 miles southwest of Milford Center. 

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  Those trees have been replaced by the Union Township Trustees.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.