CALVARY CEMETERY
10000 Miles Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44105
(216) 641-7575
Est: 1893
Acres: 250
No Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 1 Tombstone
Calvary Cemetery opened its gates for entombment in 1893 under the watch of Cleveland Bishop, Ignatius Horstman. It is a Catholic burying ground and, as such, many of the larger monuments depict various saints and angels as well as images of Jesus and Mary. Given the year of its establishment, its vast acreage, and the fact (we assume) most of the residents were practicing Catholics, one would logically expect the cemetery to boast an impressive array of statuary and interesting monuments. Sadly, this is not the case.
The main gates on Miles Avenue are reached by traversing a number of impoverished neighborhoods that have most assuredly seen better days. Calvary is guarded by a set of unimpressive black, wrought-iron gates and identical fencing which bears the name of the cemetery in large, blocky, gold letters. The roadway leads visitors along a straight, flat, unremarkable "avenue" which eventually draws vehicles to the right where the main office is located. The squat building is architecturally uninspired, having functionality rather than aesthetics as its purpose. The cemetery's records are housed within.
To the left, one will see a large, flat, circular plot of land populated by flush lawn markers. The focal point is a sandstone wall of 10 to 12 feet in height. At the center stands a figure of Jesus, wrapped in graveclothes, arms raised in triumph or benediction as he emerges from his tomb. The words, "I am the resurrection and the life" are affixed in black letters to the stone facing. Don't get your hopes up...it sounds impressive, but the reality is far different. This is assuredly a monument best viewed at a distance. Up close, the face resembles a poorly-made papier mache mask and the joints where arms join torso may as well be on a toll-bridge.
Still, one might turn and face the cemetery proper and have cause for hope. Large monuments dot the landscape as far as one can see (though, admittedly, that isn't very far owing to the topography). Continuing on the main road, visitors will come upon a number of modestly-sized plots (on the right) dedicated to the various religious communities of women which once proliferated in Cleveland. Little Sisters of the Poor lie next to Hawthorne Dominicans, Carmelites and Holy Spirit Sisters (to name a few).
It is at this point, having rounded the first large curve, taphophiles with a bent for dramatic tombs will rightly begin to grow concerned. A concentration of monuments, like a number of circled wagons, stand to the left...but to the right, only flat or slightly-raised stones rest. There, too, the cemetery terminates at a dilapidated fence beyond which lie heavily-used railroad tracks
No need to belabour the point, Calvary does have (at its heart) a fairly sizeable collection of large monuments (see gallery link above for a small sample) and that may be sufficient for those less-travelled, but the sad fact is the lion's share of the hilly grounds are inhabited by the dead whose lives are remembered only on standard, flush grave markers which tell little (if anything) of the lives they are intended to honour.
A handful of private mausoleums are scattered throughput Calvary, but there is no public structure. An enormous, graceful stone angel spreads her wings in a protective span over an impressively-sized infant and children's section... though, here again, all the stones are flat.
The remains of over 17,000 veterans of several wars (including both World Wars) rest in Calvary's earth. A quick review of some of their names (and a bit of Internet research) reveals great courage and heroism on the part of those individuals who died or were wounded in action. A number gave their lives in attempts to save their comrades. We at Bella Morte salute all of these men and women who served (and sometimes gave their lives for) our nation.
It so happens there are a few interesting tales associated with some of Calvary's residents:
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10000 Miles Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44105
(216) 641-7575
Est: 1893
Acres: 250
No Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 1 Tombstone
Calvary Cemetery opened its gates for entombment in 1893 under the watch of Cleveland Bishop, Ignatius Horstman. It is a Catholic burying ground and, as such, many of the larger monuments depict various saints and angels as well as images of Jesus and Mary. Given the year of its establishment, its vast acreage, and the fact (we assume) most of the residents were practicing Catholics, one would logically expect the cemetery to boast an impressive array of statuary and interesting monuments. Sadly, this is not the case.
The main gates on Miles Avenue are reached by traversing a number of impoverished neighborhoods that have most assuredly seen better days. Calvary is guarded by a set of unimpressive black, wrought-iron gates and identical fencing which bears the name of the cemetery in large, blocky, gold letters. The roadway leads visitors along a straight, flat, unremarkable "avenue" which eventually draws vehicles to the right where the main office is located. The squat building is architecturally uninspired, having functionality rather than aesthetics as its purpose. The cemetery's records are housed within.
To the left, one will see a large, flat, circular plot of land populated by flush lawn markers. The focal point is a sandstone wall of 10 to 12 feet in height. At the center stands a figure of Jesus, wrapped in graveclothes, arms raised in triumph or benediction as he emerges from his tomb. The words, "I am the resurrection and the life" are affixed in black letters to the stone facing. Don't get your hopes up...it sounds impressive, but the reality is far different. This is assuredly a monument best viewed at a distance. Up close, the face resembles a poorly-made papier mache mask and the joints where arms join torso may as well be on a toll-bridge.
Still, one might turn and face the cemetery proper and have cause for hope. Large monuments dot the landscape as far as one can see (though, admittedly, that isn't very far owing to the topography). Continuing on the main road, visitors will come upon a number of modestly-sized plots (on the right) dedicated to the various religious communities of women which once proliferated in Cleveland. Little Sisters of the Poor lie next to Hawthorne Dominicans, Carmelites and Holy Spirit Sisters (to name a few).
It is at this point, having rounded the first large curve, taphophiles with a bent for dramatic tombs will rightly begin to grow concerned. A concentration of monuments, like a number of circled wagons, stand to the left...but to the right, only flat or slightly-raised stones rest. There, too, the cemetery terminates at a dilapidated fence beyond which lie heavily-used railroad tracks
No need to belabour the point, Calvary does have (at its heart) a fairly sizeable collection of large monuments (see gallery link above for a small sample) and that may be sufficient for those less-travelled, but the sad fact is the lion's share of the hilly grounds are inhabited by the dead whose lives are remembered only on standard, flush grave markers which tell little (if anything) of the lives they are intended to honour.
A handful of private mausoleums are scattered throughput Calvary, but there is no public structure. An enormous, graceful stone angel spreads her wings in a protective span over an impressively-sized infant and children's section... though, here again, all the stones are flat.
The remains of over 17,000 veterans of several wars (including both World Wars) rest in Calvary's earth. A quick review of some of their names (and a bit of Internet research) reveals great courage and heroism on the part of those individuals who died or were wounded in action. A number gave their lives in attempts to save their comrades. We at Bella Morte salute all of these men and women who served (and sometimes gave their lives for) our nation.
It so happens there are a few interesting tales associated with some of Calvary's residents:
- Frankie Yankovic (1915 - 1998): First person to be awarded a Grammy for Polka music (1985). Yankovic learned to play the accordion at the age of 8. He took lessons from a boarder who lived in the family household. In spite of his father's protestations, Yankovic was determined to make a living as a musician. By 1943, he had recorded and released two records under his own label, "Yankee." He took a break from music when he enlisted in the US Armed Forces. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and it was at that time he suffered frostbite in his hands and feet. In spite of every effort, this developed into gangrene and medical advice was for amputation. Yankovic refused to lose the fingers which allowed him to play his music and the feet which let him dance. He defied expectations and made a near-complete recovery which allowed him to spend the rest of his life as a professional musician. He enjoyed a long run on TV with his "Polka Varieties" show. His hits include: "Just Because," "Blue Skirt Waltz," "In Heaven There is No Beer," "Beer Barrel Polka" and "Who Stole The Kichska?"
- Ed Delahanty (1867 - 1903): Cleveland-born Delahanty was one of baseball's greatest sluggers. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1888 - 1901) and was with the Washington Senator's at the time of his death in 1903. With a .300+ batting average for over twelve seasons, and having earned the distinction of being only the second man to hit four home runs in one game (by the way, all were inside-the-park runs), one might have thought "Big Ed," as he was known, had the world at his feet. But, as with so many things in life, all was not as it seemed. Delahanty was known to hit the bottle as hard as he hit balls, and his reputation as a "roughneck" was almost as well-known as his baseball prowess. His heavy drinking caused him to miss a game in Cleveland in late August, 1902 and this resulted in suspension. Already inclined to depression, and distraught over the penalty, "Big Ed" traveled to Canada where he drank himself into even greater depths of poor behaviour. It was in a highly-inebriated condition that he boarded a train bound for New York to rejoin his team. After threatening several of his fellow passengers with a straight razor, he yanked a woman from her berth and threw her to the floor. The other passengers had seen enough and they demanded Conductor John Cole restore order. This was accomplished by stopping the train and forcing Ed off. At the time, the train was on the Canadian side of the Niagara River just across from Buffalo. Delahanty was next seen at 11:00 PM on a single-track railroad drawbridge which crossed the Niagara River. His presence was witnessed by bridge guard Sam Kingston. Initially, Kingston ignored Delahanty, but after several minutes he approached "Big Ed." According to Kingston, Delahanty became incensed when a light was shone on his face and he stated, "Take that lantern away or I'll break your face." Realizing Delahanty was intoxicated, Kingston said he reached out and it was then Delahanty jumped or fell from the bridge into the rushing black water below. At the time, a freighter named "Ossion Bedell" was passing, but no one on board heard or saw anything suspicious. Oddly, Kingston did nothing to rescue Delahanty. Instead, he collected the drowning man's derby and strolled away. Seven days later, Ed's body was found near the Maid of the Mist's dock on the Canadian side of the gorge. According to witnesses, the left leg had been nearly sheared off by the Maid's propeller and the entrails were...uh...how to put it as delicately as possible..."not in their usual spot within the torso." A sad end for one of baseball's greats.
- William Adolph Wambsganss a/k/a "Bill Wamby" (1894 - 1985): Bill played 2nd base for the Cleveland Indians and made baseball history when, during the 5th game of the 1930 World Series (Cleveland vs. Brooklyn Dodgers) he completed the only unassisted triple play in World Series history. It was the 5th inning at League Park. "Wamby" caught a line drive off Clarence Mitchell's bat to retire him. He then stepped on second base to take Pete Kilduff out and then turned to tag Otto Miller as he sprang for second base. As an aside, the entire game must have been exciting for Indians fans. In the 1st inning, Indian Elmer Smith hit the first Grand Slam in the Series with no one out. In the 3rd inning, Indians pitcher Jim Bagby found his way into baseball history by being the first pitcher to a hit a three-run homer in a World Series game. The Dodgers were scoreless up to the 9th inning when they managed a single run, making the final score 8 - 1 Cleveland.
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