THE REMAINING HEADSTONES
These are the inscriptions off of the only remaining stones at the cemetery:
CASE
Walter, born Nov. 13, 1785, died Oct. 11, 1868, aged 82 years 10 months & 28 days
Mary, wife of Walter, died Mar. 14, 1885, aged 81y’s 4m’s 17d’s
LOPER
Stephen, died Oct. 6, 1842, aged 33 years
Harriet M., daughter of S & E, died Aug. 18, 1843, aged 7 years
CASE
Frank E., son of M & J, died June 4, 1874, aged 2ms 26ds
Little Nettie, died Apr. 22, 1871, aged 1yr 2ds
Jennette, wife of Morris, died Mar. 12, 1874, aged 29 yrs 10ds
SALISBURY
Elizabeth, wife of C.H., died Aug. 30, 1856, aged 25 years
Helen M., wife of C.H., died Feb. 24, 1875, aged 39 years
MOVED TO SPRING GROVE CEMETERY
The following individuals are known to have been buried here originally but were later reinterred at Spring Grove Cemetery in Medina. They can be found in Section 5, Lot 19. The bodies for William & Prudence were moved in 1891. The large stone statue that marked the couple’s grave was moved also. Their original tombstones remained at the Case cemetery until stolen years later. The stones for William & Prudence were found later at the Rizer home which was the original Case homestead and is located down the road, east of the cemetery. It is not known if the childrens’ stones ended up at the Rizer house. It is also not known for certain that the children were ever moved to Spring Grove with their parents. Records for Spring Grove Cemetery do not list them although it seems highly unlikely that the family would have moved William and Prudence but not their children. The inscriptions given in parentheses are those as they appear now on their monument at Spring Grove although the first one listed for the children is the one Wolcott obtained from their original tombstones in the early 1900’s.
Finally, Spring Grove records show that the bodies of Charles and Jane Spilman were removed and reinterred there on November 3, 1911. The inscriptions provided are from their aging monument which no doubt once stood over their original graves in Case Cemetery.
ANDERSON
William, May 19, 1784 – Sept. 15, 1867
Prudence, Jan. 16, 1797 – Sept. 8, 1875
Emeline L., dau. of William M. & P, died Aug. 11, 1842, AE. 8y 5m 22d (1834-1842)
Emily L., dau. of William M. & P, died Aug. 26, 1842, AE. 8y 6m 7d (1834-1842)
George R., son of Wm. M. & P, died Aug. 21, 1842, AE. 5y 1m 10d (1837-1842)
SPILMAN
Charles B., died Oct. 10, 1877, aged 95y
Jane, died Oct. 11, 1868, aged 78y
BURIED HERE….HEADSTONES MISSING
The following are presumed to have been buried here based on the following information:
– all were listed in Wolcott’s inscriptions as being early Montville Twp. graves still visible in the early 1900’s
– all match the surnames Wolcott gives for this cemetery
– none can be found in any of the other township cemeteries
– Merritts and Lopers were known and mentioned by Walter Case descendent Evelyn Thomas as having been buried here
– the bottom of Mary Tousley’s tombstone allegedly turned up at the Rizer home in a dry well (now filled in)
LOSEE
Theodore S., died March 2, 1844, AE. 50y
Pamela, wife of Theodore S., died Nov. 21, 1852, AE. 58y
Elias T., died Aug. 13, 1853, AE. 29y “E.L.” *
* – this footstone is still at the cemetery.
MERRITT
Charles R., son of J., died May 18, 1855, AE. 4y 10m 9d
Rachel, wife of J., died Aug. 4, 1856, AE. 23y
also infant son, born 1856
TOUSLEY
Mary, former wife of Reuben, died Feb. 16, 1851, AE. 62y 11m 23d
(Despite a 1979 Gazette article which briefly mentions that a stone for Reuben Tousley was found on the Rizer property, Mary’s husband Reuben is buried in Western Star Cemetery in Summit County and his tombstone can be found there. He was born May 5, 1768 and died Aug. 28, 1836. It would seem that the stone referred to in the article is mistaken somehow; probably the bottom part of Mary’s stone.)
The following are known to be buried here based on information obtained from an article by Walter Case descendent Evelyn Thomas:
CASE
Charlotte Jane, dau. of W & M, died June 9, 1840, AE. 6y 11m 18d*
CASE
Adeline Eliza, daughter of Walter, died Sept. 13, 1852, AE. 9y 2m 22d
* – Charlotte’s stone was found at the Rizer barn and in Wolcott’s listings.
These three names were found on a single stone at the Rizer home and were also found in Wolcott’s listings. Evelyn Thomas also mentions Featherlys as being buried in the cemetery:
FEATHERLY
Lovisa, wife of Wm ?, died Mar. 17, 1849, aged 23 yrs 6mo & 1 day
Sons of William & L:
Wm. W. Jr., died Feb. 16, 1849, aged 3 yrs 11m 24d
Joseph, died Mar. 20, 1843, AE. 9d
This stone is still in the false fireplace in the basement of the Rizer home. The information on the stone of Rhoda was completed from Wolcott’s listings.
VANGALDER
Rhoda, wife of Jacob, died March 1, 1849, aged 50 years 10m 1d
ALSO KNOWN TO BE BURIED HERE…
BENNETT
Henry, died December 29, 1884, aged 70 years
The January 8, 1885 edition of the Medina County Gazette tells that “Henry Bennett was buried in the burial grounds north of Poe”. Based on that description, it could only be referring to the Case cemetery. A check of census records shows a Henry Bennett (aged 46 years) and his wife Rebecca (aged 37 years) living in Montville Twp. in 1860. They are also found in the 1870 and 1880 censuses living in Montville Twp. A marriage record for the couple shows that Henry Bennett married Rebecca Spellman on February 10, 1842 in Medina County. It is possible that Rebecca is a relative of Charles and Jane Spilman who are known to have been buried in Case cemetery. Henry’s death record provides the date and age given above and tells that he died in Akron, Ohio. A death record for Rebecca tells that she also died in Akron, Ohio on September 26, 1891, aged 71 years. It is certainly possible that she two is buried in Case cemetery with her husband.