Genealogy Gal: Researching Medina County Cemeteries

Here I am again...Lisa Rienerth, a guest blogger for Kathy Petras! She was kind enough to let me do two blogs this month!

In the fall of 2015, I traveled all over Medina County and visited quite a few of the cemeteries located within the county. I took photographs at each cemetery, some of tombstones, some of signs and some of the surrounding area. I used these photographs to create a display at the library. I am going to post some of those photos today and include some direction on how to find your ancestor’s final resting place.

8296 Guilford Rd., Seville, Ohio. Right next to a farm. The owner's don't care
if you take photographs, but PLEASE be respectful of the property.

Let’s say you want to find your ancestor’s tombstone and you only know they were living in Medina County, Ohio when they died. So, instead of having to search all the cemeteries in the area around your ancestor’s last residence, there are a few steps you can take to make your search easier.

To show you how it's done I am going to search for a former Medina County resident, Carrie WILKINSON'S, grave site. The first thing to do is to check for an obituary. The Medina Library’s website has an obituary index for the Medina County Gazette (1850 - present) and the Medina County Sentinel (1899 - 1962).

The search for Carrie's obituary shows which paper her obituary is posted in and the date and page number.

The library has the microfilm and the readers to view it. You can either save the obituary or print it. Her obituary states she is buried in the Spring Grove Cemetery.

My next source is the Tombstone Inscriptions Book. This reference book can be found in the local history room at the Medina Library. I looked up Carrie's name and found the page she is listed on. The listing confirms she is buried in the Spring Grove Cemetery. Information on where her plot is located is also listed on the page.

The Tombstone book has a table of contents which list quite a few of the cemeteries in Medina County. There are also maps of the layout of the cemeteries. However, not all the Medina County cemeteries are listed.

Which leads me to my next resource for cemetery information, www.findagrave.com. I use Findagrave, because if somone else has taken a photo of the tombstone I am looking for and uploaded it to the website, it saves me time and money. However, we are at the mercy of volunteers so not all of the grave sites are listed and even if it is listed it may not include a photo. Carrie's listing gives the dates and no tombstone photograph.

Findagrave will also give you a map and directions on how to get to the cemetery. If you do a cemetery search it will give a list of cemeteries in Medina County.

O.K., now you know where you are going...so let's go!

WAIT!

You need to be prepared so …pack a bag!

For a complete list of items you can take, check out Your Guide To Cemetery Research by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack

Now you are ready!

Coddingville Cemetery - Granger Twp

Please remember that you need to treat the site with respect!

Be careful of the markers

Shaw Cemetery - Lafayette

Albert Munson Cemetery - Harrisville Twp.

Spencer Cemetery - Spencer Twp.

Do not try to excavate

or try to fix any of the markers. Please use only water and/or soft cloth to help read old markers.

Friendsville Cemetery - Westfield Twp.

When walking among the stones be careful where you step. The ground is not always level.

Town Line Cemetery - Brunswick

Photograph the entrance

Harrisville Township Cemetery

Photograph the surrounding area of the tombstone, it will help you find your way if you need to come back.

Albert Munson Cemetery - Harrisville Twp.

Photograph the entire plot – it will include other family members you may need to have information on.

Photograph the tombstone

Homer Reformed Church Cemetery

One regular distance

Homer Reformed Church - Homerville

One up close

When you get home, don’t wait to download. Identify & Update right away so you don't forget the details. Also, consider becoming a member of Findagrave.com. Learn how to create memorials & upload photos. You never know who you might be helping!

Spring Grove Cemetery - Medina

I was able to find Carrie’s marker and I will be uploading it to Findagrave. I now have a possible birth & death year for her and her husband, Harry WILKINSON.

Here are some photos from a few more Medina County cemeteries…Can you tell which ones they are?