South Kirtland Cemetery

Kirtland

South Kirtland Cemetery is located on the west side of State Route 306 and just north of Chardon Road, US 6, in the south of the city of Kirtland. South Kirtland Cemetery has brick pillar gateways and a wrought iron fence.

This very active City of Kirtland cemetery has grown considerably since its first interment in 1812. Christopher Crary, well known as the first Kirtland settler, buried his three-year-old grandchild on his farm in the winter of 1812. Crary subsequently donated this part of the land next to his farmhouse for use as a cemetery. The Lake County Historical Society erected a historical marker in the oval part of section D which reads as follows:

“In memory of
Christopher Crary
1759-1848A descendant of Peter Crary who came from Scotland to Groton, Conn. about 1663.

Served in the militia and marine service during the revolution.

Came from Hinsdale, Mass. in 1811 with his wife, Mary Witter, and seven grandchildren. His married son, Erastus, and family joined the party in New York state.

They built a log house near the northwest corner of this cemetery becoming the first settlers of Kirtland.

He was a farmer, merchant, mathematician, surveyor, justice of the peace and township trustee.

Jonathan Goldsmith and his wife came with this party and located in Painesville. He became a noted architect and builder.”

Although there is a monument erected for Christopher Crary in Section D, lot 35, grave 9, he and perhaps his wife “Polly” are actually buried in Curl / Darby Creek Cemetery, Perry Township, Logan County, Ohio. (An old marble stone for him is in Garwood Cemetery in nearby Zane Township, and the family appears to be there. A Rev. War plaque for him was moved from Curl to Garwood, and the stone at Garwood is “In Memory Of,” which often means it is a cenotaph and the body is not actually there.) He has a nice article in Soldiers and Widows of the American Revolution who lived in Lake County, Ohio by Mildred E. Hoyes Steed. The county of burial is misstated, however, as Union County. Crary is noted in the WPA cemetery map for Logan County.

Several additions to this cemetery make it about five acres, according to an article in the News-Herald 1 October 1989. From 1815 to 1930 there was a ten foot wide access road through the original section, which has since been filled in and sold as grave sites.

According to Larry Spence, current sexton, there was a fire in the then-township hall in 1910 which destroyed many cemetery plot deeds and burial records. Mr. Spence has compiled cards from the remaining records, gravestone inscriptions and other information and maintains those at the service department.

Section D is the large area toward the rear of the cemetery with an oval drive through it. For our purposes and for ease of location, this project divided it into several sections. The furthest west section behind the road is an all flush stone section. It has been designated section DC. The side sections are a combination of flush and slants. These are mostly all granite and bronze grave markers. The narrow north side is designated as DD and the narrow section to the south is DB. The center of the oval, designated DA is the oldest section with many old marble stones, many of them clustered in the center and to the south. Some of the oldest have been replaced by newer granite monuments. All of the rows in the D sections except DB were read from east to west, and the stones were read from south to north. Section DB stones all face west. The rows were read from the back (west) to the east, and the stones were read backwards, from north to south.

These inscription readings were complete and proofread as of 1 June 2001.

Section A is the front, or east, center section with a flagpole in the west end. Under the flagpole is a veteran memorial with an eagle that reads as follows:

In Memoriam
To the following men
who served in the services
of the United States
from Kirtland, Ohio
William G. Mailer Lyle P. Moore
Kenneth E. Williams Allan M. Barber

At the east end, in front of the entrance gate, is a bronze plaque on a brick pedestal with plants around it. It reads:

South Kirtland Cemetery
Front Oval Drive
Paved through the generosity of
Richard L. McCann
1996
In memory of his beloved wife
Cecelia D. McCann
1921-1990

The section is being filled from the west to the east, and the majority of the section is still empty. Almost all of the markers are granite and after the first four rows all markers will be flush. The rows were read west to east and the stones from north to south. This section’s inscriptions were completed and proofed as of about 16 August 2000.

Section B is on the south side, and about half of this section is still empty. The east two-thirds of the section is designated as flush markers only. The rows were read west to east and the stones from north to south. This section was complete and proofed as of about 16 August 2000.

Section C is on the north side, and a bit less than half of this section is still empty. More than half of this section is designated flush. There are three stones at the far east end of the section under shrubbery. The rows were read west to east and the stones from north to south. This section was complete and proofed as of about 16 August 2000. History updated 11 Oct 2005.

Note: Duplicate stone numbers indicate multiple persons inscribed on the same stone as detailed in the inscription column.