W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Defiance County Farm Cemetery, Tiffin Twp.

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

Defiance County Farm Cemetery

(now known as the Defiance County Home Cemetery)

1. Name:

The Defiance County Farm Cemetery (County Infirmary Graveyard)

2. Location:

Located in Tiffin Township, across the road from the buildings on the Defiance County farm, in section 32 and on the county infirmary road.  Reached by going out route 15 from Defiance to the North-west through Brunersburg, past the Alva Laverne Farm, and at the corner above this farm instead of following #15 around the curve, go straight on for one mile.  The grave yard can be easily seen from the road; it sets back about 220 feet.

3.  Caretaker: 

Glen Leaders is superintendent of the Defiance County Home. Inmates generally take care of the graveyard, but special work is done by county men.

4. This graveyard has recently been fixed over.  A new fence put up.  A driveway made clear around it and the whole place mounded up and several evergreen shrubs planted here.  Also many new stone markers put up and all reset.  It lies on a flat piece of ground with not a tree in sight.  The markers, all but one, are alike and all set in rows.  There is two acres in the field, not nearly all used.

5. First burial - exact date unknown.

This graveyard was started in 1875, but many of the graves were moved here from farther up the road.   And in the start, all was marked by number - no names were written on the stones.  Mr. Glen Leaders, the Superintendent, would have looked the names to these numbers if we had requested him to and also found out exactly the first burial date by going back over the old records.

6. Important persons:

Unknown.  One marker only, that of John Taft, a Civil War veteran is larger than the rest.  He is, of course, the only veteran buried here. How he came to be here, I cannot find out. He no doubt has a history. 

Original stone of John Taft

 

New stone donated by Homier Monuments

 7. All stones except the one to John Taft are alike.  Small grey stone slabs about a foot above the ground. John Taft's is larger and pure white and stands out amoung the rest.

8. Epitaphs:

Of course, there are no readings on the stones.  A few have their last names, but most are just numbers.  All except the one mentioned of John Taft.

9. This is still yet the County Cemetery for inmates of the County Farm Home.

Cecil Cadwallader, Reporter

Consultant: Glen Leaders, Superintendent of the Home