Saturday, August 20, 2016

W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Cromley Cemetery, Defiance Township

The Works Progress Administration was formed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in reaction to the Great Depression as a means of employing Americans and stimulating the economy.  Established in 1935, one of the projects of the W.P.A. was to conduct Historical Records Surveys, one of which included finding information on cemeteries and the graves of veterans.  The W.P.A. was disbanded in 1943, but the historical information provided on these surveys continue to be of interest and are, thankfully, preserved.

In this series, some of the general surveys of Defiance County cemeteries will be shared, transcribed as written with a few punctuation and/or spelling changes for readability.  The surveys were probably done around 1936.
For more up to date information on the cemeteries, check out this chart on our website:
 http://defiancecountygenealogy.org/cemeteries.html
Cromley Cemetery

1. Name of cemetery:
The Cromley Graveyard, so named from the people who owned the farm on which it stands.

2. Location, how reached:
Four and one half miles south of Defiance, Ohio on state route #111 and on the west bank of the Auglaize River, just above the power dam.

3. Name and address of caretaker:
George Newton, R.R. #5, Defiance, Ohio

Photo from www.findagrave.com
4. General description, size, appearance, etc.:
Placed on the bank of the Auglaize River overlooking the wide expanse of this river here made by the Toledo Edison Company's power dam across a river a quarter of a mile below.  The river bank has here been reinforced with concrete because it was fast washing the graveyard away; in fact, many of the older graves had to be moved to other places some years ago.

The plot contains today about an acre of ground, is fenced in and runs directly up to the road.  At the south side of the cemetery is the Cromley rural grade school.  At one time, across the road from this graveyard, there was a Methodist Church.  The graveyard was started by the congregation of this church; later the church was torn down and the graveyard became undenominational.

It hasn't any very fine markers, most of them being quite small and the old style pedestal kind.  There are three red granite markers of the heavy type in the graveyard and these are not so large.  

The grounds are well wooded and trees, however, are small. Evergreen shrubbery is profusiously scattered around the yard and is much overgrown.  Although supported by the township trustees of Defiance township, it does not seem to get much care.

5. Name and date of first burial recorded:
William Whitcomb, 1854 - 1869, is the oldest stone to be found in the cemetery today, but it dates back before the Civil War.  Other graves that were older and on the "point" were moved away after the Dam was built here across the river. 

6. Names of important persons buried there:
In importance, the Newton family plots the best known, the Newtons at one time being the greatest Dairy farmers in the county and had milk routes from door to door through Defiance City.  
 
William Newton, 1822 - 1872 (www.findagrave.com)
Then Charley Schooley, an old carnival man is buried here; he died in 1919 and was well known in all northwestern Ohio especially by horse traders and county fair people.

Photo from www.findagrave.com
7. Markers of unusual appearance:
None

8. Unusual epitaphs: 
None 

9. Is cemetery used for new burials?
The graveyard is still used by older people - several lots are still open.

Topic #624
Defiance County
District #13
Cemeteries
C. Cadwallader and C. Gish, Reporters
Consultant: Mr. Ray Karr, Harrison Street, Defiance, Ohio 

1 comment:

  1. The Cromley Cemetery is located on property that was owned by Jonas Cromley, born July 26, 1824 in Pickaway County, Ohio to Jonas Cromley and Catherine Searfaus/Searfoss. Catherine married Joseph Ball in 1830 and the family moved to Hancock County by 1833. Joseph, Catherine, and their three children, George W., Joseph and Sarah Jane, moved to Defiance County by 1846. From records, it appears that Jonas remained in Hancock County, where he married Mary Beard in 1848. They moved to Defiance County by 1854 and their land was located next to his stepfather, Joseph Ball. In the Ball family, the Cromley Cemetery is also referred to as the "Ball Cemetery," as a large number of the burials are related to the Ball Family.

    William Whitcomb died sometime between July 1863(Civil War draft registration) and July 1870(census). His wife, Agnes Jane Anderson, was the mother of Jonas Cromley's half-brother's (Joseph Ball) wife, Mary. Agnes and William had three children together. Agnes married John Heim in 1870 and moved with two of those children to Oceana County, MI prior to the 1880 census. Martha Azubah Whitcomb married Joseph Hiester and remained in Ohio. They are both buried in Cromley Cemetery.

    Jonas Cromley's sons, John and George married Addie Newton and Helen Newton, respectively. Addie was the daughter of William Newton and Martha Lobdell and Helen was the daughter of Townsend Newton and Caroline Brown. Townsend and William were brothers.

    Charles H Schooley buried in Cromley Cemetery died in 1928.

    One of the more recent burials in Cromley Cemetery was my cousin, Randy Alan Ball, in 2009. He was a well-known local business owner of Defiance Tractor Sales and Modern Welding.

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