W.P.A. Cemetery Survey - Brunersburg Cemetery, Noble 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

Brunersburg Cemetery

1. Name of cemetery:

The Brunersburg Cemetery, Brunersburg Village, Noble Township, Defiance County

2. Location, how reached:

Located on the hill on the banks of the Tiffin River at the eastern edge of Brunersburg, a small hamlet on routes #15 and 18, two miles northwest of the city of Defiance, Ohio.  Reached by automobile on these two routes from Defiance, Ohio.

3. Name and address of caretaker:

John Balbaugh, R.F.D. #2, Defiance, Ohio.

Photo from www.findagrave.com

 4. General description, size, appearance, etc.:

The cemetery at Brunersburg is on a huge hill on the western bank of the Tiffin River, an ideal spot for a cemetery at the time it was laid out.  This cemetery is considered the oldest in the county of Defiance.  This, however, is disputed, but there are written records of a burial here in 1822, which is authentic.

The cemetery is fenced in with an ornamental wire fence and has an iron gateway at the entrance.  It is well wooded and has many large tombstones, as well as several of the old fashioned kind, as the plain marble upright slabs, used so much seventy-five years ago.

The cemetery is fairly well kept up but not as good as it could be; it is now supported by the Noble Township Trustees.  This graveyard is now undenominational although until a few years ago, it was kept up in general by the Methodist Church.  The church was demolished in the cyclone that passed through and completely razed this town of Brunersburg in 1920.

5. Name and date of first burial recorded.

Margaret Delette, 1822 

6. Names of important people buried there:

The most important person buried here is Brice Hilton, a rich manufacturer, lumber man and land owner, one of the co-founders of Brunersburg.  He lived to be ninety some years old, age disputed.  He owned Hilton's Mill, Hilton's Tannery, Hilton's Lumber Yard and the Hilton House, a tavern.  After his death or really after he became too aged to carry on business, Brunersburg went downhill fast.  There is a marker memorizing his grave

Photo from www. findagrave.com

 7. Markers of unusual appearance:

All ordinary, old ones and old fashioned white slabs, the new ones of heavy granite of red and grey and a few obelisk markers.

8. Unusual epitaphs:  None.

9. Is cemetery used for new burials?

This graveyard is still used but not as much as formerly; however, it is being kept up better lately since the Noble Township Trustees took it over.

Topic #624

Defiance County

District #13

Cemeteries

C. Cadwallender and C. Gish, Reporters

Consultant: Louis Hanna, R.R. #9, Defiance, Ohio