Cemetery Project

The Jefferson County Chapter formed a Cemetery Committee in November of 2002. Since that time, volunteers have been donating their time to reading tombstone inscriptions, locating, cleaning, and restoring cemeteries throughout Jefferson County, Ohio. This has been a long, drawn out process. When we began we thought it would be a matter of locating a few old pioneer cemeteries and reading the tombstone inscriptions, thus providing our members and the public with a much needed source for updated tombstone data.  We can not, with a clear conscience read tombstone inscriptions and leave and forget about what we have seen from the countless years of abuse, neglect, and/or vandalism.  The reality of it all is that is takes funding to restore these pioneer cemeteries. Since we are a small non-profit organization, we need donations to keep the restoration portion of the cemetery project moving along. Money is needed for archival supplies and other archival materials such as epoxies, glues, cements and cleaners.  These all cost money! We hope that the descendants of those buried in these old pioneer cemeteries that live out of state will feel that this is one way they can participate and aid in the preservation  of these wonderful, old pioneer cemeteries.

Respectfully yours,

Flora L. VerStaten, Co- Chair Cemetery Project  fverstraten@dishmail.net

John Borkowski, Co- Chair Cemetery Project johnborkowski@sbcglobal.net

Cemetery Preservation - Restoration Project Donations

Dear Ancestor

Your tombstone stands among the rest;
Neglected and alone.
The name and date are chiseled out
On polished marbled stone.
It reaches out to all who care
It is too late to mourn.
You did not know that I exist
You died and I was born.
Yet each of us are cells of you
In flesh, in blood, in bone.
Our blood contracts and beats a pulse
Entirely not our own.
Dear Ancestor, the place you filled
One hundred years ago
Spreads out among the ones you left
Who would have loved you so.
I wonder if you lived and loved,
I wonder if you knew
That someday I would find this spot,
And come to visit you.
{Author unknown}

Requesting Tombstone Inscriptions and Tombstone Photos Needed

If you have ancestors/families buried in a cemetery and there are no readable stones or no stones at all, and you have data, photos or other pertinent information showing where they are buried, please send your information along with your name and contact information to the following address:

The Jefferson County Chapter, OGS
P.O. Box 2367
Wintersville, OH  43953
Attn: Cemetery Project
Or email Flora at fverstraten@dishmail.net

Note from Chapter President- Please remember to include as much data as possible such as; cemetery name/location, along with the name/names and birth/death dates. If you have a photo that would be extremely helpful! If you have family photos or genealogy information, please include that as well. We look forward to locating those ancestors whose stones have long since been gone and would not be identified if it weren’t for descendants that have that knowledge to share! That’s what it’s all about SHARING!!!! (Flora L VerStraten, president)

Find A Grave

Cemetery Histories

Cemetery How To Videos

Video: Resetting a Stone Grave Marker

Video: Cleaning a Stone Grave Marker

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Chapter Donations

© Copyright 2007 - 2008 JEFFERSON COUNTY CHAPTER of the Ohio Genealogical Society
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