W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Myers Cemetery, Highland Township

In this series, some of the general surveys of Defiance County cemeteries will be shared, transcribed as written on the original W.P.A. reports, 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)

Myres Cemetery

(Myers Cemetery)

1. Name of Cemetery:  The Myres Cemetery in Highland Township

2. Location, how reached:

Myres Cemetery is five and one half miles south of Defiance, Ohio on State Route #15 at the bridge over Powels Creek, in section #19 of Highland Township.

3. Name and address of caretaker:

L. E. Myres, R.R. #8, Defiance, Ohio

Myres Cemetery at www.findagrave.com

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

This cemetery sets on a hill on the bank of Powels Creek about thirty rods back off the road in a well wooded grove of oak and cedar trees.  Over the driveway at the road entrance is an ornamental iron gateway with the name of the cemetery over the iron arch over the drive.  This drive then runs back to the grave plots and is of stone.

This is a regular rural cemetery kept up by Highland Township and is laid out in lots (like our) city graveyards.  It contains around seventy five stones, most of them very elaborate.  One erected on the Hoyt lot is a red granite marker on a gray stone base.  It is of the pointed obelisk type and is eighteen feet high, is surrounded on all sides by an iron, New York style ornamental fence painted green, and is kept locked up.  In this enclosure is planted shrubbery and a wreath hangs on the monument at all times.  This is the finest marker I have so far found in any rural cemetery.

Hoyt monument at www.findagrave.com

 Ten other stones are of the massive, granite type belonging to Halls, Myres (3), Skiver, Boyd (2), Knopp, Sloppy and Wiler.  The grounds of this fine cemetery are as well kept up as any city cemetery.  It is surrounded by a heavy wire fence.  It is undenominational and contains five acres.

5. Name and date of first burial recorded:

Athelbert Hall is the first marked grave in the cemetery, died 1855.

6. Names of important people buried there:

The Myres are the most important people, were rich farmers, soldiers, county officials, and church members.  Next in importance are the Boyds.  One of the uncles of Thomas A. Boyd, the author of "Through the Wheat," Samuel Drummond and other stories whose fiction and historical novels I have referred to several tmies in the material on American Guide, and whose name was listed in Who's Who in America until his death last fall, is one of the graves.

7. Markers of unusual appearance:

See description of the Hoyt marker in topic number four above as this marker is really unique for a rural graveyard.

8. Unusual epitaphs:

Epitaph on the stone of Daniel Myres, 1847 - 1908, reads, "Meet Me In Heaven."

Daniel Myers at www.findagrave.com

Epitaph on a marker of Lary A. Boyd reads:

"Affections sore, for years I bore,

Physicians were in vain;

At length, God pleased to give me ease

And freed me from all pain."

Lany Boyd at www.findagrave.com

 (The name is actually Lany Boyd.)

9. Is cemetery used for new burials? 

This cemetery is now well used, well kept up and a lot can be purchased here by anyone wishing a burial plot.

C. Cadwallader and C. Gish, Reporters

Consultant:

L. E. Myres, R.F.D. #8, Defiance, Ohio 

(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.)

W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Old South Ridge/ OLD St. Stephen's Lutheran Cemetery, Highland Township

In this series, some of the general surveys of Defiance County cemeteries will be shared, transcribed as written on the original W.P.A. reports, 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)

1. Name of cemetery:

The Old South Ridge Cemetery, Highland Township, so named from the South Ridge Glacier Moraine which passes through here.  This graveyard is in connection with the St. Stephen's German Lutheran Church, which is a quarter mile southeast of here.  Another new cemetery is now kept up by this same church, a half mile south of the church on the Ridge Road, called St. Stephens.

2. Location; how reached:

This cemetery is situated on a hill just off the south ridge road and is in section one, one and one half miles straight east of the hamlet of Ayresville in Highland Township and is reached on good, gravel roads.  It is also a mile and a quarter from the Henry County line.

3. Name and address of caretaker:

This graveyard is not kept up now, only that work which is done by relatives of those buried in it, since the new cemetery was started south of the church on the ridge road in 1898.  For information, see Rev. Schroeder, pastor of St. Stephens Church or John Boda, both addresses New Bavaria, Henry County, Ohio, Route #3.

 4. General description, size, appearance, etc.

South Ridge Cemetery sits on a small knoll near the road.  It is fenced in with wire and has an iron gate, but the grounds are grown up with weeds and shrubs.  It is not wooded - one tree only standing on the lot and covers about three quarters of an acre.  However, it has many nice, fine granite markers.  Also a lot of old mosiac slabs; most of the stones are inscribed in German.  Since the establishment of St. Stephen's Cemetery to the south of the church, this graveyard has not been kept up.  It is German Lutheran in denomination.

5. Name and date of first burial recorded:

The first grave was made in 1853 for John Troeger, one of the early German settlers of Highland Township. 

6. Names of important persons buried there:

Perhaps the most known persons are the Troegers.  A grandson of the first man buried is Fred Troeger, Auditor of Defiance County.  Other well known people are the Hohenbergers, Marchhouses (Marshaus), Schadts and Orts. 

7. Markers of unusual appearance:  None

8. Unusual epitaphs:

Most all of these stones are inscribed in German, even in German script, which is unusual in this county.  We have found quite a few inscribed in German, but most of them were in English script and German words only.

9. Is cemetery used for new burials?

We are told there are to be two more persons buried in this graveyard, relatives of one already resting here.  Otherwise, it is not used.

Cecil Cadwallader and Chas. Gish, Reporters
Consultant: Al. Logan,R.F.D. #6, Defiance, Ohio 

(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.)