NEWTON - The Newton Township Cemetery Association will continue its efforts of documenting information from the township cemeteries while also seeking younger members to continue the work in the future.
Lois Wynkoop, president of the association, said the group will hold a work day at the chapel at the East Side Cemetery off North Canal Street starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday for routine maintenance and restoration.
She said work is also planned at Duck Creek Cemetery on Hallock Sook Road, coordinated by member Ed Hoerig, a retired skilled mason who has done extensive work in repairing damaged markers.
"We are going to evaluate what work and projects need to be done at the cemeteries and need our attention this summer," Wynkoop said.
The township's seven cemeteries are Newton Falls East, Duck Creek, Pricetown on Pritchard Ohltown Road, Lutheran on Newton Tomlinson Road, Wilderson on Selkirk Bush Road, Newton Falls West on Ridge Road and St. Michael's on Newton Tomlinson Road.
Wynkoop said work will be done in the spring and summer on the chapel and cemetery stones, with particular attention to Duck Creek Cemetery.
Fact Box
Get involved
The next meeting of the Newton Township Cemetery Association is 6 p.m. May 17 at the township hall.
For information, call 330-872-3116.
To volunteer, call Gary at 330-872-5452.
The township's seven cemeteries are Newton Falls East, Duck Creek, Pricetown on Pritchard Ohltown Road, Lutheran on Newton Tomlinson Road, Wilderson on Selkirk Bush Road, Newton Falls West on Ridge Road and St. Michael's on Newton Tomlinson Road.
She said the stones need repaired, and there are also gravesites that are unmarked. Wynkoop said repair will be done to the roof at St. Michael's Chapel.
Wynkoop said plans are to go through the oldest sections of the Lutheran Cemetery and record information on the computer database about each marker such as markings and inscriptions.
Member Kay Gary is gathering information for the database.
Among the goals for the cemetery are to restore or reset weather-worn and broken Civil War and World War headstones and to repair access drives and paths.
"The volunteers at each cemetery will record the data on survey sheets,'' Wynkoop said, noting the older cemeteries will be more challenging to create a database.
She said the most modern cemetery is St. Michael Cemetery.
A list of the needs at the cemetery will be forwarded to the township trustees.
"Volunteers are always needed. The younger people need to see the importance of maintaining the community,'' Wynkoop said.
Linnett Vance, a Youngstown State University student, said she would like to see the school students get involved with the cemeteries while learning the local history. Schools study the Civil War and can learn about the local Civil War connections through the cemeteries.
Vance said an endowment fund has been established for the cemeteries. Donations in memory of someone can be made to the Newton Township Endowment Cemetery Fund, c/o Chase Bank, Newton Falls.
The endowment fund will provide continuous funding for the repair of the chapel and the surrounding landscapes and ensure the historical integrity and restoration efforts of the broken tombstones, some dating back many years, Vance said.
The association oversees the reading and documentation of the headstones, repairing them and cleaning them, in the township cemeteries. The work is done entirely by volunteers and supported by donations and by the yearly fundraiser of selling 2013 calendars.