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A matter of respect — Campell man vows to honor, clean old cemetery
Campbell man vows to honor, clean old cemetery
CAMPBELL — It’s a matter of respect, said Dave Shacklock, explaining his determination to clean and fix up the 169-year-old Pioneer Methodist Cemetery.
Shacklock, of Campbell, said his mother, Ruth Ann Shacklock, recently died, and the cemetery where she’s buried is “very, very nice.”
The graves of people in historic Pioneer Methodist Cemetery, at the southwest corner of U.S. Route 422 and Struthers-Liberty Road, deserve the same kind of attention, he said.
Among those buried there are 23 U.S. military veterans, including John Stephens, who served during the War of 1812. “That was mind-boggling,” Shacklock said of learning that the cemetery is the site of such a veteran’s grave.
Stephens, who was born in 1792 and died in 1874, is buried beside his wife, Margaret, who was born in 1790 and died in 1869. They are toward the west end of the cemetery near the top of the knoll.
Other veterans buried in Pioneer Cemetery are 15 who served during the Civil War, four during World War I, two during World War II and one during the Vietnam War.
Stephens’ granite tombstone looks new compared with the typical older sandstone grave markers in the cemetery, leading Shacklock to believe it may have been replaced at some time.
It was not, however, replaced in 1976 when the cemetery was restored as one of the Campbell Bicentennial Commission’s projects, said Florence Galida, who said she remembers Stephens’ marker being the same then as now.
Galida, along with Leonard and Susan Summers, Michael Minnie and Emily Redfern, were instrumental in getting the cemetery restored then, and for some years maintaining the grounds.
It was in 1976 that the name was changed from Coitsville Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery to Pioneer Methodist Cemetery, Galida said.
Shacklock has put together a committee of volunteers to head cemetery revitalization. Its members include his father, Ed Shacklock of Hubbard Township, who worked many years at Hubbard Union Cemetery and is acting as a consultant on the project; Barb Maker of Campbell, secretary-treasurer; and co-chairman Jeff Michaels of Youngstown, formerly of Campbell.
“I don’t like people to be forgotten,” Maker said of her involvement.
“I drive past that cemetery many times a day. I’ve seen people try to clean it up, but it doesn’t stay that way. I’d like to see it kept up,” Michaels said.
The cemetery was established in 1839 by the Coitsville Methodist Episcopal Church, which was at the top of the knoll just west of the cemetery. The land for the cemetery was donated by Isaac Powers of Youngstown, according to a history gathered for the Campbell Bicentennial celebration in 1976 by Galida and others.
Members of Coitsville Methodist Episcopal Church merged with Wilson Avenue Methodist Church in 1919 to form Marion Heights United Methodist Church, which is on Woodland Avenue in Campbell. Dave Shacklock and Baker are members of Marion Heights Church.
Members of the cemetery restoration committee urged community members to get involved in the project by participating in the first cleanup days, scheduled for 9 a.m. May 17 and 18.
People interested in helping should bring shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows and other tools suitable for cleanup. They will have to sign liability waivers at the site for the city of Campbell, which owns the cemetery, and the project committee, Shacklock said.
The initial cleanup is just the start to revitalizing the cemetery, said Michaels, owner of Precision Property Maintenance in Youngstown.
The first goal is general cleanup and pruning of plants and removal of dead plants and trees. That will be followed by landscaping and seeding the grounds and establishing a mowing and lawn care schedule, he said.
Shacklock said he wants to create a fenced parking area for several cars so people can safely visit the cemetery and not have to park along the street.
The last and most expensive part of the restoration will be righting the gravestones and putting foundations under those that need them. “Many are tipped, sinking or have fallen over,” he said.
This is a long-term project that will take a lot of donations of time, materials and labor, Shacklock said.
Galida said she is very pleased that people have come forward to work on the cemetery. She recalled that when her committee cleaned it up in 1976, many of the tombstones had fallen down or were in high grass and were somewhat protected from the elements.
During the 32 years that have passed since their exposure to wind and water, she believes many of the stones have become harder to read. Also, she said the Crane Co. of Youngstown was hired at the time to put concrete foundations under some of the stones that had fallen over.
“It was beautiful when it was finished. We had an adopt-a-grave day when volunteers fixed up grave sites and planted flowers. And, from time to time, individuals and groups such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts helped with upkeep of the cemetery,” she said.
Redfern, a retired Youngstown city schools teacher, established the Pioneer Methodist Cemetery Society, which raised funds for its upkeep.
When the city had more money, and when the municipal court sentenced offenders to community service at the cemetery, the cemetery was better kept. But in recent years, it has fallen into disrepair, Galida said.
Mayor John Dill praised Shacklock and his committee for being willing to spearhead cleanup work. He said the city has cut grass at the cemetery for several years but has not be able to trim around the gravestones.
“Dave has done numerous things for the city, and I have no doubt he will do a good job with this. I’m tickled to death. It’s an entrance to our community that looks deplorable,” the mayor said.
Campbell and area residents who want to get involved in the work at Pioneer Methodist Cemetery and want more information about the committee and its plans can call Shacklock at (330) 743-1703, Maker at (330) 507-5371, the Rev. Dan Yargo at Marion Heights United Methodist Church, or visit the Web site at www.thepioneermethodistcemetery.com.
Also, donations for the project can be made at any Huntington Bank office. Checks should be made payable to the Pioneer Methodist Cemetery.
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