More often than we know, early pioneer cemeteries - without burials for many years and sometimes even decades - are abandoned. This takes place in every county and state. Grave markers are often broken and illegible, suffering from neglect and the ravages of time and weather. Families move on, leaving behind few records and friends to remember and care for these nearly forgotten burial sites. As new settlers arrive, the cemeteries gradually lose their identity and meaning altogether.
So it was with the Hall Cemetery in Ottawa County, Ohio. But thanks to Elmore, Ohio's Robert Luckey, who wrote letters in the late 1890s to the Elmore Independent, a record does exist. In an 1898 letter, he reminisced about his friends and relatives who had long-since passed and were buried in the Hall Cemetery.
He mentioned his mother, Anna N. Luckey who was buried December 18, 1838 and his father John L. Luckey who died December 29, 1839. A. W. Luckey's wife died August 4, 1854 of cholera. Frank [Luckey] a son of theirs died April 10,1862 at the age of 7 years.
Nancy Ferris, wife of Ezekiel Ferris and daughter of Joseph and Letha Hall died September 2, 1840.
Rachel Gordon died March 3, 1842 aged 42 years [mother of Washington Gordon]. John Gordon died November 7, 1851 aged 53 years. Mary J. Gordon died August 21, 1837 aged 2 years
George W. Hall died February 9, 1837 in Port Clinton [and was buried in May of that year and then brought by canoe to be reburied in the Hall Cemetery. He was the first one buried in the cemetery.] Joseph Hall died January 1, 1859 aged 74 years. Samuel Hall died April 12, 1836 aged 25 years. James Hall died October 8, 1872 aged 64 years.
Desire Larned died March 4, 1846 aged 81 years.
Former Elmore, Ohio librarian Grace Luebke reprinted some of Robert Luckey's reminiscences in her Elmore Ohio, A History Preserved, Revised Edition with Supplement, 1997 by the Elmore Historical Society. For a complete reading, see pages 22 and 23.
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