MANSFIELD CITY CEMETERY
389 Altamont Avenue
Mansfield, Ohio 44901
419.522.1831
No Official Website
Established: 1845
Acres: Unknown
Bella Morte Rating: 2 Tombstones
“Two roads diverged in a wood…” Well, in a cemetery, anyhow. How could those lines from Frost not dance through our minds as we turned off Altamount Avenue and were immediately confronted with a choice. Take the road to the right and enter Mansfield Catholic Cemetery, or take the road to the left into the secular Mansfield Cemetery. We decided to follow Frost along “the road less travelled” and began our explorations in Mansfield Catholic (see separate review) then moved on to Mansfield Cemetery.
Established in 1845, it was not until two years later in 1847 that the cemetery’s articles of association were written and the original twenty acres of land were purchased from Mr. Benjamin Johns.
The cemetery is still active today, though the majority of sections are older. The grounds are dotted with many upright statues and monuments and include two “Babylands,” -- one newer and one with a majority of burials from the 1940s -- as well as three Veteran’s sections. The newest of the Veteran’s sections is designated the “Veteran’s Honor Grounds.” It includes a monument honouring POWs and MIAs. Elsewhere on the grounds is an unusual “bandstand” type structure. At one time, the concrete face of the edifice contained a number of bronze plaques as well as holders for dozens of flags. Sadly, these are all missing now, having fallen victim to vandalism or the elements. We hope the latter is true and that the missing pieces are held safe by the Cemetery Association. Perhaps one day they will be restored to their rightful places.
Our research yielded the contents of a single plate (now missing) which read:
Memorial Stadium
~~~~~
Erected By
McLaughlin Camp No. 12
Sons of Union Veterans
of the Civil War.
Dedicated to the
soldiers and sailors
of Richland County.
May 30 - 1926
As regards the grounds in general, one can easily find information pertaining to Mansfield’s more famous eternal residents: numerous Congressmen, a Senator, a former football star, the founder of the town itself, etc. As is our custom, however, we will share with you tidbits regarding the cemetery’s less known dead.
Case in point, the Marshall children, memorialized by a zinc angel (head bowed, hands folded in prayer.) Visitors to the grave circle the monument, reading the words that reveal the tragedy of four dead in 13 days.
~~~~~~~~~
James Hayes Marshall
Died February 3, 1883
Aged 7 y’rs 4 Mo’s 16 d’ys
Laura D. Marshall
Died February 9, 1883
Aged 18 y’rs 3 mo’s 22 d’ys
Dora C. Marshall
Died February 8, 1883
Aged 13 yrs, 10 mos, 1 day
Jennie M. Marshall
Died February 16, 1883,
Aged 12 Yrs, 6 mos, 9 dys
~~~~~~~~~
The zinc also contains these sentiments: “Gone from our home, but not from our hearts,” “They are not dead but gone before,” “Lovely in life, in death we are not divided,” and this:
‘Twas not in terror, not in wrath
the reaper came that day;
but an angel visited the earth
and took our darlings away
The 15 February, 1883 issue of the Mansfield Herald contains a dramatic description of the funeral proceedings for Laura and Dora. The sisters died hours apart and were laid to rest in white coffins, both being placed in the same grave.
One can only imagine the heartache of the parents as they watched their children die one by one, victims of diphtheria. Remarkable how their faith appears to have remained strong through the tragedy as evidenced by the memorial they erected to the memory of their children. Note: Today, only about five cases of diphtheria occur in the entire U.S. per year.
The headstones of James, Laura, Dora and Jennie lie in a straight row next to the monument. Their mother and father also have stones there, but, those stones are poignantly absent the intended dates. Perhaps, with all their children gone, there was no one to complete this task when the time of their deaths arrived…
Though we were not able to obtain any significant information regarding Ida M. Suttles (1862 – 1937) and Charles E. Suttles (1859 – 1926), their monument at Mansfield certainly captures attention. A life-sized angel stands at the foot of large cross that rises into the boughs of an evergreen. Ornate planters, each emblazoned on four sides with a script letter “S,” are held aloft by sets of angels who grace the four corners of the monument’s base. The Suttles’ headstones lie to the rear of the plot.
Charles was born in Indiana and died in Mansfield, Ohio, the 1st of October, 1926. We do not know what brought him to Ohio or how it was he was able to afford this magnificent monument.
Speaking of magnificence, the most impressive of all memorials at Mansfield lies at Block 20, Lot 1. This is the final resting place for members of the Vasbinder family.
The plot is surrounded by a low granite border marking its boundaries. At each corner of the granite wall, a pedestal was placed. Each is surmounted by a different female figure, two standing, two seated. The tombstones themselves are arranged around a forty-foot obelisk of Maryland granite. At the time it was built, the Vasbinder obelisk alone cost $12,000, an astronomical figure in its day. One can only imagine the cost of the completed plot.
It would seem information on what must have been a very prominent family would be easily obtained; however, that is not the case. Our research yielded only minimal results. We did learn that Ephraim and Sarah Vasbinder brought their family to Ohio from Pennsylvania and that Ephraim was a wagon maker. Honourable as that profession may have been, however, it does not explain the wealth of the family.
The Vasbinders had two children, David Bryant and Jane. David was born on 6 September, 1805 and died of cancer on 9 May, 1882, at the age of 76. He left his fortune to Jane who died in her Mansfield home on 28 September, 1897. She was 90 years old. Neither of the siblings had ever married. Posthumously described in the obituary of a former employee as “well-to-do but rather eccentric benefactors” [Mansfield Semi-Weekly News: 05 July 1898, Vol. 14, No. 56], the siblings are remembered to this day as donors of the beautiful Vasbinder Fountain that still stands in the City of Mansfield’s Central Park.
Though limited in number, the grounds also contain some private family mausoleums and a rather haunting receiving vault built into a hillside. We were able to sneak a peek inside by squeezing our camera through a small opening near the front door. This yielded a view of a decaying wood-paneled interior and rusted doors standing ajar at the back of the room.
Another of the hillside crypts belongs to the Grimes family. Its dark, wet interior is more unsettling than uplifting and, evidently, has been viewed as such for well over 100 years as this dramatic and colourful description from The Mansfield Herald (25 October 1883, Vol. 33, No. 49) makes clear:
~~~~~~~~~
The Grimes Vault
This is a gloomy stone dwelling-house for the dead, and is built into a hill at the north side of the hollow in the center of the plot. It has a grated iron door, which is kept locked, and through which a number of marble slabs are visible, covering niches in the wall. These resemble the sarcophagi which we read about in ancient tombs. To this place Dante's inscription over the gate of hell might appositely apply --"Relinquish all hope, ye who enter here."
As one peers through the jail-like door into this prison-house of death, he can almost imagine that he sees ghosts and grim apparitions stalking over the marble floor, and he is irresistibly constrained to turn away with a shiver of affright.
~~~~~~~~~
Plan to spend at least two to three hours exploring Mansfield and adjacent Mansfield Catholic Cemetery.
{G}
389 Altamont Avenue
Mansfield, Ohio 44901
419.522.1831
No Official Website
Established: 1845
Acres: Unknown
Bella Morte Rating: 2 Tombstones
“Two roads diverged in a wood…” Well, in a cemetery, anyhow. How could those lines from Frost not dance through our minds as we turned off Altamount Avenue and were immediately confronted with a choice. Take the road to the right and enter Mansfield Catholic Cemetery, or take the road to the left into the secular Mansfield Cemetery. We decided to follow Frost along “the road less travelled” and began our explorations in Mansfield Catholic (see separate review) then moved on to Mansfield Cemetery.
Established in 1845, it was not until two years later in 1847 that the cemetery’s articles of association were written and the original twenty acres of land were purchased from Mr. Benjamin Johns.
The cemetery is still active today, though the majority of sections are older. The grounds are dotted with many upright statues and monuments and include two “Babylands,” -- one newer and one with a majority of burials from the 1940s -- as well as three Veteran’s sections. The newest of the Veteran’s sections is designated the “Veteran’s Honor Grounds.” It includes a monument honouring POWs and MIAs. Elsewhere on the grounds is an unusual “bandstand” type structure. At one time, the concrete face of the edifice contained a number of bronze plaques as well as holders for dozens of flags. Sadly, these are all missing now, having fallen victim to vandalism or the elements. We hope the latter is true and that the missing pieces are held safe by the Cemetery Association. Perhaps one day they will be restored to their rightful places.
Our research yielded the contents of a single plate (now missing) which read:
Memorial Stadium
~~~~~
Erected By
McLaughlin Camp No. 12
Sons of Union Veterans
of the Civil War.
Dedicated to the
soldiers and sailors
of Richland County.
May 30 - 1926
As regards the grounds in general, one can easily find information pertaining to Mansfield’s more famous eternal residents: numerous Congressmen, a Senator, a former football star, the founder of the town itself, etc. As is our custom, however, we will share with you tidbits regarding the cemetery’s less known dead.
Case in point, the Marshall children, memorialized by a zinc angel (head bowed, hands folded in prayer.) Visitors to the grave circle the monument, reading the words that reveal the tragedy of four dead in 13 days.
~~~~~~~~~
James Hayes Marshall
Died February 3, 1883
Aged 7 y’rs 4 Mo’s 16 d’ys
Laura D. Marshall
Died February 9, 1883
Aged 18 y’rs 3 mo’s 22 d’ys
Dora C. Marshall
Died February 8, 1883
Aged 13 yrs, 10 mos, 1 day
Jennie M. Marshall
Died February 16, 1883,
Aged 12 Yrs, 6 mos, 9 dys
~~~~~~~~~
The zinc also contains these sentiments: “Gone from our home, but not from our hearts,” “They are not dead but gone before,” “Lovely in life, in death we are not divided,” and this:
‘Twas not in terror, not in wrath
the reaper came that day;
but an angel visited the earth
and took our darlings away
The 15 February, 1883 issue of the Mansfield Herald contains a dramatic description of the funeral proceedings for Laura and Dora. The sisters died hours apart and were laid to rest in white coffins, both being placed in the same grave.
One can only imagine the heartache of the parents as they watched their children die one by one, victims of diphtheria. Remarkable how their faith appears to have remained strong through the tragedy as evidenced by the memorial they erected to the memory of their children. Note: Today, only about five cases of diphtheria occur in the entire U.S. per year.
The headstones of James, Laura, Dora and Jennie lie in a straight row next to the monument. Their mother and father also have stones there, but, those stones are poignantly absent the intended dates. Perhaps, with all their children gone, there was no one to complete this task when the time of their deaths arrived…
Though we were not able to obtain any significant information regarding Ida M. Suttles (1862 – 1937) and Charles E. Suttles (1859 – 1926), their monument at Mansfield certainly captures attention. A life-sized angel stands at the foot of large cross that rises into the boughs of an evergreen. Ornate planters, each emblazoned on four sides with a script letter “S,” are held aloft by sets of angels who grace the four corners of the monument’s base. The Suttles’ headstones lie to the rear of the plot.
Charles was born in Indiana and died in Mansfield, Ohio, the 1st of October, 1926. We do not know what brought him to Ohio or how it was he was able to afford this magnificent monument.
Speaking of magnificence, the most impressive of all memorials at Mansfield lies at Block 20, Lot 1. This is the final resting place for members of the Vasbinder family.
The plot is surrounded by a low granite border marking its boundaries. At each corner of the granite wall, a pedestal was placed. Each is surmounted by a different female figure, two standing, two seated. The tombstones themselves are arranged around a forty-foot obelisk of Maryland granite. At the time it was built, the Vasbinder obelisk alone cost $12,000, an astronomical figure in its day. One can only imagine the cost of the completed plot.
It would seem information on what must have been a very prominent family would be easily obtained; however, that is not the case. Our research yielded only minimal results. We did learn that Ephraim and Sarah Vasbinder brought their family to Ohio from Pennsylvania and that Ephraim was a wagon maker. Honourable as that profession may have been, however, it does not explain the wealth of the family.
The Vasbinders had two children, David Bryant and Jane. David was born on 6 September, 1805 and died of cancer on 9 May, 1882, at the age of 76. He left his fortune to Jane who died in her Mansfield home on 28 September, 1897. She was 90 years old. Neither of the siblings had ever married. Posthumously described in the obituary of a former employee as “well-to-do but rather eccentric benefactors” [Mansfield Semi-Weekly News: 05 July 1898, Vol. 14, No. 56], the siblings are remembered to this day as donors of the beautiful Vasbinder Fountain that still stands in the City of Mansfield’s Central Park.
Though limited in number, the grounds also contain some private family mausoleums and a rather haunting receiving vault built into a hillside. We were able to sneak a peek inside by squeezing our camera through a small opening near the front door. This yielded a view of a decaying wood-paneled interior and rusted doors standing ajar at the back of the room.
Another of the hillside crypts belongs to the Grimes family. Its dark, wet interior is more unsettling than uplifting and, evidently, has been viewed as such for well over 100 years as this dramatic and colourful description from The Mansfield Herald (25 October 1883, Vol. 33, No. 49) makes clear:
~~~~~~~~~
The Grimes Vault
This is a gloomy stone dwelling-house for the dead, and is built into a hill at the north side of the hollow in the center of the plot. It has a grated iron door, which is kept locked, and through which a number of marble slabs are visible, covering niches in the wall. These resemble the sarcophagi which we read about in ancient tombs. To this place Dante's inscription over the gate of hell might appositely apply --"Relinquish all hope, ye who enter here."
As one peers through the jail-like door into this prison-house of death, he can almost imagine that he sees ghosts and grim apparitions stalking over the marble floor, and he is irresistibly constrained to turn away with a shiver of affright.
~~~~~~~~~
Plan to spend at least two to three hours exploring Mansfield and adjacent Mansfield Catholic Cemetery.
{G}