epitaph (noun)
[via Latin from Greek epitaphion, from epitaphios over a tomb, from epi- + taphos tomb]
These beautiful epitaphs were written 173 – 200 years ago and appear in Terra Vista Cemetery also known as:
Tinkers Creek Cemetery, Pilgerruh Rest (or cemetery) and Valley View Cemetery located in Valley View, Ohio ( incorporated in 1919) these graves are over a century older than the Village itself. Many residents were early residents of neighboring Independence, OH and it is said that there are many unmarked graves of Irishmen who worked on the Ohio & Erie Canal in the cemetery (which runs along Canal Road in the valley just below the cemetery).
The first three photos below belong to the epitaphs above and the rest of the pics were taken the same day. This cemetery is known for it’s high occult activity and thankfully we didn’t encounter any while there….although last week when my oldest and her friend visited…there was a group of people performing a ceremony in a circle (around a grave) holding hands, which sent the girls running back down the hill…lol.
Fitch Comstock Died 1810
Sally Tuman died 1828
Adah Mann died 1837
Asaph Mann Died 1844
Beginning a very long walk, up a veryyyy steep hill.
Just waiting for someone scary to pop out and scare the bejesus out of us.
Oddly, on such a hot day...as we veered onto the path toward the cemetery....a very cold (like air conditioning cold) hit us. We all felt it. If you look closely, the cemetery is dead ahead.
Ruth Mann Died 1844
Interesting to note, he's from Youngstown...over an hour by car.
Children's side of the Campbell family marker
Broken stones make me sad.
And so do the one's now unreadable
Jeptha Moses died 1844
William Moses died 1822 or 1842 ?
Phoebe Moses
I'm Sheila. In addition to raising 1 husband and 3 teens, I've founded 
nice. i love walking through graveyards…looking at all the headstones…we have a pretty cool one in town here…sprinkled with the towns history as well…
brian´s last [type] ..160 – rollin dawn
Have you read The Graveyard Book. It’s Neil Gaiman. Clever story about a boy raised by the ghosts in a graveyard. You might enjoy it. I did.
Carabee´s last [type] ..Still Going
Those epitaphs are really great, I wonder if they wrote them themselves? They sound more personal then someone writing about them.
I wonder what it is about that cemetery that attracts occult activity, maybe that cold wind?
Julia @ Easy Eco To Go´s last [type] ..Dancing with Dylan – Wordless Wednesday
I think some of the coloring and mottling really add to the interest of the headstones.
blueviolet´s last [type] ..Lart de charbon de bois – W-W
Wow that is an neat old cemetery, I love the epitaphs, and even the spelling was different, neat. Children graves always, always, always make me sad.
Jenna @ Newlyweds´s last [type] ..Drunken Pork Chops
Hi Sheila! I’ve been reading through your cemetary posts and just wanted to add that I’ve often wondered if the weird irregular piece of my yard (it was originally behind the now torn-down garage) was a family plot. I suspect my house and the houses on either side were in the same family, although I’ve never researched it. Mine was built in 1895, but the two on either side of mine are two of the oldest in Brooklyn Centre, I think 1860 and 1865.
sheila Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 8:31 am
You should spend the day at the Cuyahoga County Archives in the old Rhodes house located on 2905 Franklin. They have all the original records for all the houses in Cleveland down there. You literally could spend all day there. If I were you I’d call there first (they are very friendly!) and explain your question and see which records they recommend researching. Chances are that through old Plat maps and home records, you could see if there was ever an old cemetery in that area. It probably wouldn’t take you more than a day to find what your seeking!
That road certainly changed since I was there ! Are the old buildings still there? Who clears the driveway? I want to see a post on the cemetery on Old Rockside Road! Answering the question above, I don’t think the people wrote their own inscriptions in those days, but their survivors were very religious and pious so it would make sense they would want something nice written on their families stones.
They are so interesting.
secret mom thoughts´s last [type] ..Shes Growing Up
My mom just loved going into cemeteries and looking at old tombstones. I spent many an odd weekend as a child doing this!
This is a great concept for a blog post because there’s so much to consider, from the context right down to the typography. Nice work.
Jenni´s last [type] ..Starring Jenni as…herself
Really, 1919 they incorporated? Geez! And here me thinking all these years Valley View, OH in corporated in 1918. I guess I do learn something new every day!!
A blast of A.C eh?? spooky.
xoxo
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The air contiditioning clold thing….spooky!
Marie´s last [type] ..Awwww
Strange as it is I love looking at old headstones.
I remember making rubbings of some of the grave stones in the old cemetery where I grew up (in North Kingsville) when I was a kid… it was creepy and exciting at the same time.
Michaela´s last [type] ..Wordless-ful Wednesday – My brother
This sounds so weird, but how beautiful!! thanks for sharing because that is about as close as I will ever get to graveyard hiking.
Shady Lady´s last [type] ..First Floor
Fascinating stuff! Those first few are so beautiful. Wow.
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