W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Hire Cemetery, Richland 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

Hire Dunkard Cemetery

(Noffsinger Graveyard)

1. Name of cemetery:

The Hire Dunkard Cemetery, South Richland Township

2. Location, how reached:

In Richland Township, three miles east and one quarter mile south of Defiance, Ohio on State Route #18 at the high overhead bridge across the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

3. Name and address of caretaker:

No caretaker, for information, see Harold Derge at the farm just across the railroad.  His address is route #6, Defiance, Ohio.  Individuals who have relatives buried here are supposed to keep up their own graves.

Photo from www.findagrave.com

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

This Dunkard graveyard is not well kept up.  There are two parts to it.  The old part is so much overgrown with myrtle, schumac, and vines that one cannot even get through it.  The markers in this part are all white Mosaic slabs and oblisk markers.  The new part is much better kept up and has modern tombstones, although none of them are very pretentious

This graveyard is in the corner, setting almost under the bridge across the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.  It is not fenced it.  It is a Dunkard graveyard on the west side of route #18 and six cement steps down lead to it.  Formerly, the Dunkard Church was a mile and a half south of here, but this has been abandoned and the church is now at Defiance, Ohio, on Washington Street.  This graveyard is sometimes called the Noffsinger graveyard and contains one half acre.

5. Name and date of first burial recorded:

As far as we are able to make out, the first grave was made in 1851 and was Barbara Kepler who died at the age of 25 years.  However, I am told that this graveyard dates back before that and when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built through here, some of the graves were moved.

Barbara Kepler's stone not there or not photographed.  Photo from www.findagrave.com

6. Names of important persons buried here:

The Noffsingers were the most noted persons buried in this graveyard, Rev. John Noffsinger being the Dunkard Preacher for 50 years.  Also the Hires from whom the graveyard gets its name were important at one time as well to do farmers; however, there are none of them in this district at the present time.

7. Markers of unusual appearance:  None

8. Unusual epitaphs: A few in German

9. Is cemetery used for new burials?

This cemetery is still use.  A burial was made here the day we surveyed it, by the name of R. F. Williams, age 73, who died in Toledo, Ohio.

www.findagrave.com

C. Cadwallader and Charles Gish, Reporters

Consulted: Defiance Crescent News, August 17, 1936