W. P. A. Cemetery Survey - Emanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Washington 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

Emanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery

(Trinity Lutheran)

1. Name:

The Emanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery, Washington Township, sometimes called the Ginther Graveyard.

2. Location:

Located one and one half miles north of Ney, Ohio, on state route #15, on the west side of the road and on the bank of Lick Creek, back of Emanuel Lutheran Church.  Reached over route #15 going north from Ney, Ohio.

3. Caretaker:

Kept up jointly by the Washington Twp. Trustees and the Emanuel Lutheran church.  Mr. Geo. Garver , Ney, Ohio, is the caretaker.

4. Description:

Situated on a small rise of ground just back of the church building and on the bank of a creek.  It is well wooded with oak and pine trees.  It is fenced on three sides with an ornamental wire fence.  The front side next to the church is open. It is one of the modern graveyards and is very well kept. Its denomination is Lutheran.  It contains around two acres and is laid out in lots.  Much open space is still left.

5. First burial:

Sarah Goller, 1876, a six year old child of the Gollers.

6. Important people:

Geo. Ginther, 1830 - 1915, a well to do and county known farmer

John Webber, 1853 - 1916, widely known farmer

Geo. Goller, a German settler from Wittenberg who came to this county in 1855 and became one of the first citizens.  He died in 1888.

 7. Markers:

There are very few old style markers in this grave yard, almost all of them are the new type heavy granite ones.  None of them are so different and none stands out above the rest.

8. Epitaphs:

The only difference here is that a lot of the reading is in German.  On the Goller stone is written his history about coming to America and by frugal effort became a foremost citizen of the county.

9. This cemetery is still used today and is one of the most noted in Ney, Ohio, and surrounding vicinity.

Cecil Cadwallader and Chas. Gish

Authority: Arlo Fidder, Ney, Ohio, Route #1