Emmanuel Lutheran Cemetery - Washington Township, Defiance County, Ohio

This cemetery was formed with the Emanuel Lutheran Church, State Route 15, Ney, when the church was founded. According to the Civilian Conservation Corps survey, it was once called the Ginther Graveyard.  Perhaps it already contained some graves when the church acquired the land.  It sits on the bank of Lick Creek which is at the back of the property.

The CCC survey, probably completed in the 1930s, but undated, noted that Mr. Geo. Garver was the caretaker.  At that time, it was "well wooded with oak and pine trees and was fenced on three sides with an ornamental wire fence" with the front side toward the church open.

The first burial in the graveyard, according to the survey, was Sarah Goller, 1876, a six year old child of the Gollers.  The surveyors, Cecil Cadwallader and Charles Gish, also named these 'important people" buried there:

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

John Weber, 1853 - 1916, widely known farmer

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

On the Goller stone is written his history about coming to America and "by frugal effort, became a foremost citizen of the county."

This information was provided by Arlo Fidder (Fidler?), Route 1, Ney, O.
 

On the early stones, information is often engraved in German or even a mix of German and English.  (gest - died and alter - aged, den - on) Some of the earliest burials here are listed below:

Goller, Mary Strahle: Born Feb. 27, 1830 at Wittenburgh, Germany.  Married to George Goller Jan. 3, 1850; Died Nov. 3, 1850; Aged 76y 8m 29d

            George - Born Wuertenburg, Germany, came to America in 1830, to Washington Twp 1855; died Jan. 12, 1908, aged 80y 2m 18d

Fieldner

Rosa, died May 9, 1882, aged 22y, 4m 23d, Dtr of C & R. Fieldner

Otto, died Apr 22, 1883, aged 75y 27d

Rosina C., died Oct. 3, 1910, aged 82y 9m 20d

Uffer

Christiana, Mutter: Frau Christ Uffer, Gest 3 Dec 1879, Alter 71j 3m 17t

Bergman

Herman, son of C & W Bergman Gest den 6  Sept 1, 1879, Alter 10m

Vollmer

Louisa, Frau des J. G. Vollmer, Gest Den 2 March 1889, Alter 58y 2m 1 t

Jacob George, Gest Den 26 July 1829 in Bruken, Den 22 October 1883, Alter 54 2m 26t

This is just a sampling; the cemetery's tombstones were last read in 1999 and published by the Defiance County Genealogical Society.  A copy may be purchased from the website or a copy of the Washington Twp. Cemetery Tombstone readings should be in all the Defiance Public Libraries.

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