W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Clinker Cemetery, Tiffin 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.

*When surveyed, the reporters placed Clinker Cemetery in Washington Twp. 
It is actually in TIFFIN TOWNSHIP

Clinker Cemetery

1. Name of cemetery:

The Clinker Cemetery, connected with the Olive Branch Church across the road.

2. Location, how reached:

On route #15 at the bridge over Mud Creek, seven miles northwest of Defiance, Ohio, reached by route #15 from Defiance, Ohio.

3. Name and address of caretaker:

Washington (Tiffin) Township Trustees and by members of the Olive Branch Church. 

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

 Situated on a hill on the south bank of Mud Creek.  It is fenced in with ordinary wire, has an implement shed, is well shaded with oak trees and contains much evergreen shrubbery.  It is laid out in lots.  The grounds are well kept for a country graveyard.  The Olive Branch Evangelical Church stands across the road from the cemetery.  It contains three acres.

Photo from www.findagrave.com

5. Name and date of first burial recorded:

John Hamill, 1851

6. Names of important persons buried here, for what noted:

John Ury, an early settler, who died in 1853, is probably the most important, being the great grandfather of the Urys now located in Defiance and grandfather of Dr. John Ury, a Captain in the World War who gave his life during the Flu Epidemic in 1918.

Other known people are the Agenbroads, Siscos, Kuhns, the Camerons, all old pioneers of this district.

7. Markers of unusual appearance:  None

8. Unusual epitaphs: None

9. Is cemetery used for new burials?  Yes.

Topic #624

Defiance County

District #13

Cemeteries

C.Cadwallader and C.Gish, Reporters

Consultant: Abram Smith, Defiance, Ohio