Headstone Information
Grave markers tell stories through names, dates, symbols, and epitaphs. This overview explains common motifs and wording you may notice while walking the cemetery and how they reflect personal and cultural traditions.
Local Roots
Berea and surrounding communities grew from small settlements into the places we know today. This article traces some of the families, landmarks, and local threads that connect residents to shared history.
Smedley
James Shelton Smedley was among the early figures who shaped religious and civic life in the area after studying at Oberlin. The PDF expands on his background, ministry, and ties to the community.
Smith Family in Berea
Several Smith households appear in Berea records across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This family sketch gathers marriages, migrations, and everyday details drawn from local sources.
The Sad Story of Samuel Blood
Samuel Blood’s story is remembered as a cautionary local episode involving loss and controversy. The following PDF recounts the events as they were recorded and discussed in period accounts.
Lang Connection to Berea Undertakers
There were numerous undertakers in Berea over the years, and it seems that their business changed hands fairly frequently by either consolidating or selling to another concern. Rarely was there more than one undertaker in the village for very long. The Lang family was...
Christian Family of Berea
Edward Corlett Christian was born Aug 25, 1833 on the Isle of Man, the youngest of nine children of James and Margaret Corlett Christian. His mother passed away in 1841, and he later was apprenticed as a tailor. He departed England for the United States on the ship
A Bit About the James Family
George James was born in 1806 in Herefordshire, England the second of five children born to George and Elizabeth Lewis James. He married Mary Probert on July 28th, 1842 in Eardisley, Herefordshire, England. They had 4 children in England prior to moving to Berea, Ohio...
Funeral History in the United States
The oldest funeral home in the United States began in 1759 in Williamsburg, Virginia, started by cabinet manufacturer Anthony Hay who made coffins as a side line. Prior to the mid 1800's, women were in charge of preparing the deceased. Many communities had a group of...