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Woodland Cemetery

Woodland Cemetery Brings Back Walking Tours

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After a year without tours, due to the pandemic, the Woodland Historic Cemetery & Arboretum has announced they are bringing back a schedule Sunset tours  beginning Thursday, June 3rd.  There will be two different volunteer lead walking t0urs available, online reservations are needed and tours run just $5.  Here are the descriptions of the tours available:

 

Historic Tour

Founded in 1841, Woodland is one of the oldest rural garden cemeteries in the United States. You’ll visit the final resting place of the Wright Brothers, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Erma Bombeck, James Ritty, the Stanley Family, the Mead Family, George Newcom and many other famous and infamous Daytonians. Tours launch from the Eichelberger Plaza at the main gates on Woodland Avenue at 6:30 p.m.

Arboretum Tour

In 1841, cemetery founder John Van Cleve inventoried 41 different species of trees on the hills and valleys of Woodland. Today, Woodland is a Level II Arboretum and is home to over 165 species of trees. On this tour, you’ll take a walk through the cemetery and arboretum discovering many varieties of Buckeye, Dogwood, Sycamore, Spruce, Beech, Pine, Maple, Magnolia, Ash, Linden, Cedar, Fir, Elm, Oak and Poplar trees. And that’s just a sample of the trees you’ll see. Join us for this walk and let’s talk trees. Tours launch from the Eichelberger Plaza at the main gates on Woodland Avenue at 6:30 p.m.

 

They are also offering a Special 5 hour Headstone Cleaning and Restoration class on Sept 18th, brought to you by Misti Spillman of Reviving Cemeteries and Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum. This workshop is for beginners and cost is $30 per person. You will receive hands on, one-on-one and group instruction on headstone preservation techniques including: fixing breaks, resetting, cleaning and how to mix proper mortars for stone repair. You will also receive a Headstone Cleaning Starter Kit that will include all of the tools needed for the day. The entire workshop will be spent in the cemetery. A break for lunch will be provided. Please feel free to bring a lunch or visit any of the restaurants on Brown Street.

Misti Spillman has a background in researching and restoring cemeteries. She worked as an AmeriCorps member at the Ohio History Connection and serves as a reference and liaison to numerous museums and historical societies throughout Ohio. Misti is the owner of Reviving Cemeteries, LLC.

History, Mystery, Mayhem and Murder at Woodland Cemetery: Death of Officer Thomas J. McFadden

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In Louisville, Kentucky on December 29, 1865 while patrolling their beat on Water Street, Officers McFadden and Spaulding heard shots fired at a local house. As they approached the house through the alley-way, they encountered a group of Negro men and women who were armed. A scuffle ensued and Officer McFadden was shot in the head and died instantly; Officer Spaulding was not mortally wounded. Soon after the shooting, John Burdett, a soldier with the army, was arrested for the crime along with seven men and three women.

The next day on December 30th, a funeral for the fallen officer was held in the City Council Chambers where a large number of officers and citizens gathered. Afterwards, the remains were escorted to Cave Hill Cemetery and placed in the city vault to await the wishes of friends who were residing in Ohio.

By orders from Major General Palmer, John Burdett was immediately transported to a military prison. The other ten Negroes implicated in the murder were turned over to military authorities. Burdett alleged that he did not fire at Officer McFadden until two shots had been discharged by the policeman. Burdett stated that at the time of the crime, he was on duty as a guard with orders to arrest some Negro soldiers who had left their quarters without permission.

On Monday, January 8, 1866, the case of John Burdett of Co. I, 12th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery, was brought before a military court and Burdett was charged with the murder of Police Officer Thomas J. McFadden. Burdett entered a plea of “not guilty.”

Chris Shreck, a night watchman, testified that he and Officers McFadden and Spaulding encountered two Negro men with guns and fixed bayonets. Shreck also testified that the men tried to “run their bayonets” through Officer Spaulding. This is when the melee began and shots rang out. Officer McFadden was shot through the right ear and died instantly.

Gravesite of Thomas J. McFadden

Testimony by others could not positively identify John Burdett as the shooter as there were so many people coming from the house into the alley. On March 2, 1867, John Burdett was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced “to be dishonorably discharged from the service, with forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and that he be confined to hard labor for the period of five years at such as the general commanding officer may direct.”

The proceedings, findings, and sentence of the court were approved by General Palmer and the President. The Secretary of War designated the penitentiary in Albany, New York as the place of confinement for the prisoner.

Thomas J. McFadden died on December 29, 1865. His body was brought to Dayton and he was interred at Woodland Cemetery on January 3, 1866. He is located in an unmarked grave in Section 79 Lot 267.

 

You can visit the gravesite of Officer Thomas J. McFadden and all of the other people on the History, Mystery, Mayhem and Murder Tour at Woodland Cemetery by going to our Tour page and downloading our Woodland Mobile App. 

Woodland Cemetery, founded in 1841, is one of the nation’s oldest rural garden cemeteries and a unique cultural, botanical and educational resource in the heart of Dayton, Ohio. It is the final resting place of the Wright Brothers, Erma Bombeck, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Charles F. Kettering, John H. Patterson, Gov. James M. Cox, George P. Huffman, George H. Mead, and Levi and Matilda Stanley, King and Queen of the Gypsy’s and more than 111,000 others who made it great in Dayton.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the University of Dayton Campus. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm and until 7 pm during Daylight Saving Time. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum website.

History, Mystery, Mayhem and Murder at Woodland Cemetery: The Case of Little Leila Mead

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Col. Harry E. Mead

Excerpts from The Dayton Herald. Tuesday, March 19, 1895.

Leila Thruston Mead, the ten-year-old daughter of Col. and Mrs. Harry E. Mead died while under Christian Science treatment at the residence of John R. Hatten and his wife at 1068 South Brown Street (now the parking lot of the Old Hickory Restaurant). The girl was given no medicine, only the “science” applied.

On Tuesday, March 19, Dayton’s Police Chief Thomas Farrell had Hatten and his wife arrested on charges of manslaughter pending an autopsy that was held on the body at the vault in Woodland Cemetery by Coroner Lee Corbin.

Dr. Irvin C. Souders who was president of the Dayton Humane Society was appealed to and urged to take action in the case of Leila Mead, both in relation to the treatment which she received at the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Hatten’s Christian Science institution, and to prevent a recurrence of wrong doing by allowing a helpless victim of disease to die without making an effort to preserve life by medical treatment. The society was forced to wait on results of the autopsy and word from the authorities.

Excerpts from The Dayton Herald. Wednesday, March 20, 1895.

The parents of Leila Mead were devout believers in the society but negative public opinion in Dayton reached a fever pitch after the death of this innocent girl.

Eliza Thruston Houk

The Herald was given the following information about Christian Science. Their philosophy is that the body and all its functions and organs are entirely within the control of the mind, and that the cause of illness is directly or indirectly the result of mental actions. To believe that you are ill or in pain is certain to produce the illness or pain, and that bodily states and mental states are the results of moral states.  The person who is free from sin is free from disease, and everyone is free from sin who persistently denies the existence of sin in himself or in others.

Col. and Mrs. Harry E. Mead, parents of Leila, and Mrs. Eliza Thruston Houk, grandmother of Leila and widow of the late Hon. George W. Houk were acknowledged leaders of the society in Dayton. Claim was made in many cases of disease, chronic and other, that they had been cured by Christian Science and by the society in Dayton.

Mr. and Mrs. John Hatten fled to Springfield after the death of the child but were apprehended, placed under arrest on the charges of manslaughter and brought back to Dayton. They claimed that they called on the Mead home to “treat” the child but later took her to their own home. No medicine was given and they fed her only beef tea and water. The pair made several attempts to secure bail without success until Mr. and Mrs. Mead, the parents of the dead child, bailed the Hatten’s out of custody for $2,000.

On the morning of March 20th, an autopsy was performed at Woodland Cemetery. Coroner Lee Corbin was present. Doctor Negley conducted the autopsy, assisted by Dr. Dupuy. Dr. Goodhue and two male relatives of the child were present although Dr. Corbin ordered them to leave the room.

The Mead Family Monument in Section 101

The autopsy was sketchy at best. While the abdomen and bowels were examined, they did not open the chest nor examine the lungs or heart. They found no trace of typhoid fever but stated they found the brain to be diseased by tubercular meningitis. In other words, a consumption of the brain. While many doctors believed that people could survive the ailment, others believed it to be incurable. Dr. Corbin was very guarded in his statements and his answers were unsatisfactory to many. Dr. Corbin believed in the diagnosis of tubercular meningitis and said that he thought she would not have had long to live anyways. On the other hand, Dr. Negley said that there were cases on record in which cures had taken effect and added that there was some doubt to the correct original diagnosis. Later Dr. Corbin admitted that the child’s life might have been prolonged had the proper treatment been applied.

Leila Mead is listed as Eliza Mead in Woodland Cemetery records. Her death date is listed as March 1895 and her burial date as April 16, 1895. She is located with the Mead Family in Section 101 Lot 1538.

 

You can visit the gravesite of Leila Mead and all of the other people on the History, Mystery, Mayhem and Murder Tour at Woodland Cemetery by going to our Tour page and downloading our Woodland Mobile App. 

Woodland Cemetery, founded in 1841, is one of the nation’s oldest rural garden cemeteries and a unique cultural, botanical and educational resource in the heart of Dayton, Ohio. It is the final resting place of the Wright Brothers, Erma Bombeck, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Charles F. Kettering, John H. Patterson, Gov. James M. Cox, George P. Huffman, George H. Mead, and Levi and Matilda Stanley, King and Queen of the Gypsy’s and more than 111,000 others who made it great in Dayton.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the University of Dayton Campus. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm and until 7 pm during Daylight Saving Time. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum website.

A Walk Through the Cemetery is Just What You Need!

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We are living in strange times these days. Viruses are named after birds, pigs and now beer. New words for the dictionary will be added by the end of the year: “self-quarantining” and “social distancing.” Fake news. Real news. Wash your hands. And the hoarding of toilet paper! Bars and restaurants closed. Libraries and casinos closed. Strange times indeed.

There are things to do and places you can go that will allow you to be socially distanced from others yet enjoy the beauty of emerging spring. Visit the cemetery! Yes! We’re serious, visit the cemetery.  Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is an open air museum that will delight you with the the visuals of greening grass and emerging flowers. We’ve seen the crocus bloom and the daffodils should be fluttering forth very soon.

If you’ve never been to Woodland  Cemetery and Arboretum you just might be amazed with all of the architectural wonders and beautiful sculptures throughout the grounds. There are over 110,000 people buried at Woodland and nearly 100,000 markers and monuments ranging from rugged boulders, left here from the glaciers, to Greek statues and temples. You’ll see a full sized dog, angels and trumpeters and lambs, crosses and flowers all made of cut stone.

There are unique poems and stories etched into the stones and symbols of death from a long ago era. What’s more is that you can learn about the history of Dayton’s citizens through one of the virtual tours offered by the cemetery’s mobile app. There are three tours you can walk, drive or sit on your couch and attend. A free downloadable app is available from the cemetery’s website at woodlandcemetery.org or click here to go straight to the app site.

The Historic Tour features several of the buildings and notable residents at Woodland. This tour offers an audio feature where you sit back and listen to the narrative. There is also the Dayton’s Walk of Fame Tour and the Celebrated African -Americans at Woodland Cemetery Tour. Give it a try and learn about a few of the men and women who made it Great’n Dayton.

If going to the cemetery, there are over 200 verdant acres of rolling hills and 9 miles of paved roads. Truly a much better workout than you can get at the gym. There are at least nine remaining trees designated as “Ohio Champions.” How fun would it be to find them all. You can stop at the front office and get free brochures of several walking tours or purchase a booklet that features both walking tour and historical bios on each of the people on the tour. Bring a picnic and sit down by the pond. Dogs, bring your humans and get them off the couch. And definitely bring your camera to take in the view and a photo of the beautiful “Gem City.”

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum sits in the heart of downtown Dayton on over 200 verdant acres of rolling hills with over 3000 tress on the property. This historic cemetery, founded in 1841, welcomes thousands of visitors who tour the grounds each year to visit the grave sites of inventors of powered flight, Wilbur and Orville Wright; poet Paul Laurence Dunbar; Matilda and Levi Stanley, Queen and King of the Gypsies; writer Erma Bombeck; inventor Charles F. Kettering; and entrepreneurs John H. Patterson (NCR); George P. Huffman (Huffy Bicycles); and George Mead (Mead Paper Co.).

Discover Woodland Days

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Meet the famous and infamous people that have made Woodland Cemetery their final resting place, complete with character reenactments by our volunteer actors. During this 2 hour stroll through the cemetery and arboretum, you just may meet John Van Cleve who established the cemetery in 1841 or the inventors of powered flight, Orville and Wilbur Wright.

Our friends from the Oakwood Historical Society will be on site offering insight to the residents of Oakwood who are now residents of Woodland.

Tours launch at 12:00 and 12:30 PM.

Reservations are required. Please call 937-228-3221 to RSVP.

A Day of Final Tribute Planned at  Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum

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In today’s world and economy, end of life rituals have become so varied that planning a funeral can be as elaborate as planning a wedding. Some funerals have readings, music, photos and videos while others are much more subdued, if there is even a funeral at all.
Cremation is being chosen over casket burial at an increasing rate, yet once the cremation is completed, many wonder what to do next. As many as 1 in 5 households have cremated remains of a loved one. Often times they have been placed on a mantel, in a closet or the bottom of a drawer and left forgotten until stumbled upon.
Woodland Cemetery understands the struggles a family goes through at the time of losing a loved one. Decisions need to be made and often times the cost can be as difficult as the loss of the loved one.
A Day of Final Tribute was created as a community service event to provide a final resting place for the cremated remains of your loved one in our Communal Memorial Garden. The program is open to the first 50 responders with cremated remains of an immediate family member. An appointment is required to meet with a Family Services team member at Woodland Cemetery on September 14th to submit required paperwork and make final arrangements.
Interments in our Communal Memorial Garden will take place at a later date and time. All religious denominations and faiths are welcome. This event is available to immediate family members only.
“We want families to know that once a cremation has been completed that there are options for a lasting tribute to their loved one’s memory,” stated Sean O’Regan of Woodland Cemetery. “This offers a permanent place of rest for the deceased and peace of mind for the surviving family.”
To register for this event, please go to http://bit.ly/WoodlandTribute and provide the requested information. A Family Service Representative will contact you directly to schedule your appointment. For more information or questions, please contact Angela McCracken at 937-228-3221. Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue in Dayton.

Street Names of Dayton: Earl, Herbert, Daniel and Kiser streets

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Kiser, the new Motor Racing “King”

Earl Kiser was one of the early pioneers of auto racing and was one of the most noted and respected race car drivers of his day. Earl drove in the days of the dirt tracks, when the rewards were frail in comparison to the thousands of dollars that are awarded to the NASCAR and Indy car drivers of today. For Earl, a $250 cash prize and a gold medal were a big take.

The “Winton Bullet,” built by Alexander Winton was the car that made Earl famous. He was young and strong and took the wheel to victory competing with such celebrities as Barney Oldfield, Tom Cooper, Fred Loughhead, the Canadian champion, Pontecchi of Italy, Chinn of England, and C. S. Mertens of Holland.

Kiser on the right, driving his Winton Bullet and winning at the St. Paul Races

In August of 1904, the Cleveland Press wrote, “Later in the special match race, Kiser broke the record, driving the last mile in the extraordinary time of 52 and 4/5 seconds and winning the race as well. This established Kiser as the full- fledged world champion and gives him one of the many records heretofore held by Oldfield.” This of course was in the “Winton Bullet,” now housed in the Smithsonian Institution. Kiser took the World Championship racing at what was then a terrific speed of 68 miles per hour for the distance of one mile. But things changed on a track in Cleveland on August 12, 1905.

The Winton Bullet after the accident in Cleveland in which Earl Kiser lost his leg

RACE TRACK, GLENVILLE, OH, AUGUST 12 – NEWSPAPER BULLETIN: Earl Kiser’s Winton Bullet just crashed through the fence near the half mile pole. Kiser is seriously injured. His left leg was torn off and the bullet is a mass of flames. Kiser was not satisfied at the manner in which the Winton Bullet worked before he made his second run of the car. The cylinders exploded irregularly and Kiser seemed worried. Nevertheless, he took the car out for another trial. He had just turned off the back stretch when the spectators in the stands were horrified to see his car skid at the turn and crash into the fence. The rails and post were scattered in all directions. The accident occurred so suddenly that Kiser had no chance to control his machine. The gasoline and oil caught fire from the sparks and the car was immediately a mass of flames. Hundreds of spectators ran to the scene of the accident, dodging the other cars which were speeding around the track. Kiser’s left leg was taken off below the knee. Kiser was taken from under the car before the flames reached him. He remained conscious and exclaimed, “Oh, my God, my leg!” In the hospital, Kiser who had also broken a shoulder blade told a friend jokingly, “I’m still on earth Pat, but minus a leg. They will have to advertise me as the only one-legged driver on the circuit. I’ll be a big drawing card.”

The Little Dayton Demon

Later, Kiser became an auto dealer with a store on East Second Street as well as a salesman for various auto accessory agencies and worked at this before relocating to Miami Beach, Florida, where he worked in real estate development and was the owner of the Nautilus Hotel.

Earl Kiser is located at Woodland Cemetery near other great men of Dayton such as the Wright Brothers and Paul Laurence Dunbar. He was the grandson of Daniel Kiser who was the name bearer of Kiser School in Dayton. Earl Kiser was known as “The Little Dayton Demon” in the days before auto racing and he was even then one of the leading names on the professional bicycle circuit.

Earl who was 5’6″ and weighing in at 155 pounds raced for the Dayton Bicycle Club and later the Stearns “Yellow-Fellow Team” which toured Europe and competed in the 1900 World Championship in Paris. Earl Kiser held the ½ mile and the one mile world record. Earl Kiser had two streets in Dayton named in his honor, Earl Avenue and Herbert Street. Daniel Street and Kiser Street are named for his grandfather and are all located near the interchange of I-75 and Route 4.

Earl Herbert Kiser died on January 19, 1936 at the age of 60. He is located in Section 101 Lot 2487.

Woodland Cemetery, founded in 1841, is one of the nation’s oldest rural garden cemeteries and a unique cultural, botanical and educational resource in the heart of Dayton, Ohio. Visit the cemetery and arboretum and take one of the many tours Woodland offers free of charge. Most of Dayton’s aviation heroes, inventors and business barons are buried at Woodland.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the University of Dayton Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm and until 7 pm during Daylight Saving Time. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum website.

Street Names of Dayton: Artz Lane

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Peter Artz 1792 – 1873

The Artz family made their way from Maryland with Peter Artz arriving in Ohio on horseback. Peter settled on a farm near Fairfield, Ohio but soon moved to Dayton where for years he operated a wholesale grocery business. Peter Artz died in 1873 at the age of 81. He rests peacefully at Woodland Cemetery with his wife Elizabeth who died in 1875 at the age of 77.

Joseph S. Artz 1824 – 1899

Joseph S. Artz was born on a farm in Greene County, Ohio in 1824 and grew up working on the family farm. He made his way to Germantown, Ohio and began working in the lumber and undertaking business. On account of deafness, he was rejected when he offered his services to fight in the Civil War. In 1866, he moved from Germantown to Dayton where he established a lumber business which he conducted for about eleven years. In 1877, he bought out the furniture firm of Chadwick & Beaver and continued in that line of business for a number of years until his sons took over the business. Joseph was married in Germantown to Miss Elizabeth Negley, a daughter of Captain W.H.H. Negley and together they had eight children.  Elizabeth Artz died on February 11, 1882 at the age of 56 and Joseph died on December 26, 1899 at the age of 75. Both are resting peacefully together in Section 103 Lot 2016 at Woodland Cemetery.

William Negley Artz 1862 – 1934

William N. Artz  had a prosperous business as a furniture dealer in Dayton. He was born in Germantown, Ohio in 1862. He was seven years old when his parents moved to Dayton and this is where he remained. William stayed in school until the age of fifteen then left to work for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in the Dayton yards. He spent five years with the railroad rising to the position of conductor and then moved on to the Dayton & Ironton Railroad and served that line as conductor for a year. Soon after, he left the railroad and joined his father in the furniture business at Artz & Ozias. William began delivering furniture for them at a salary of seven dollars per week. He had been receiving one hundred and twenty dollars per month with the railroad but working for the railroad was hard work and often dangerous and he wanted to learn his father’s trade and business. He also knew that  the opportunity for advancement always came to the man who was willing to work for it. He earned the position of shipping clerk, then salesman and eventually became one of the three owners of the store known as Artz Brothers.

Artz Furniture Store at 110 – 112 N. Main St.

In 1904, William purchased the interest of his brother and ran the store under his own name. His store was well stocked with a variety of goods of varying prices in order to meet the demand of his customers. He was well respected for his business practices and enjoyed much success in his new vocation. William married Miss Mary Anna Baile on April 6, 1882. William died on April 1, 1934 and Mary Anna died on June 28, 1932. They are both resting peacefully together in Section 34 Lot 1306 at Woodland Cemetery.

 

Artz Lane in Downtown Dayton

The W. N. Artz Furniture Store was located at 110 and 112 North Main Street in the heart of downtown Dayton. To the north of it’s location were the King Brothers and Company, and the Green, Green and Co. Bakery (Victoria Theatre) and to the south was G. W. Shroyer and Co., Jacobs Business College and P. M. Harman and Co. Currently, 110 North Main Street is the current site of Premiere Health headquarters.

Woodland Cemetery, founded in 1841, is one of the nation’s oldest rural garden cemeteries and a unique cultural, botanical and educational resource in the heart of Dayton, Ohio. Visit the cemetery and arboretum and take one of the many tours Woodland offers free of charge. Most of Dayton’s aviation heroes, inventors and business barons are buried at Woodland.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the University of Dayton Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm and until 7 pm during Daylight Saving Time. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum website.

Woodland Cemetery Offers Headstone Cleaning Workshop

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Woodland is pleased to partner with gravestone restoration expert Misti Spillman as she conducts a series of workshops for beginners who are interested in headstone cleaning and restoration.

Workshops will be conducted at Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturdays  June 8, August 24 and September 21, 2019.

Cost is $30 per person and includes hands on, one-on-one and group instruction on headstone preservation techniques including: fixing breaks, resetting, cleaning and how to mix proper mortars for stone repair. You will also receive a Headstone Cleaning Starter Kit that will include all of the tools needed for the day. The entire workshop will be spent in the cemetery. A break for lunch will be provided. Please feel free to bring a lunch or visit any of the restaurants on Brown Street.

Misti Spillman has a background in researching and restoring cemeteries. She worked as an AmeriCorps member at the Ohio History Connection and serves as a reference and liaison to numerous museums and historical societies throughout Ohio. Misti is the owner of Reviving Cemeteries, LLC.

Participation is limited to those 18 and over and registration is non-refundable. Limited to 25 participants per class.

Proceeds will benefit the Woodland Arboretum Foundation.

To register, go to: http://bit.ly/HeadstoneRestoration

Women of Woodland: Marj Heyduck

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Marjorie Irene Heyduck: Columnist and Journalist

Dayton Journal Herald
October 7, 1969
Page 23

Marj Heyduck, The Journal Herald’s nationally known columnist and a journalist since 1936, was found dead September 15 at her home hear Greenville in Darke County. Mrs. Heyduck, who was 56, was found by a neighbor, and died of coronary insufficiency.

Marj was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Evers of Dayton. She graduated from Stivers High School in 1931 and majored in journalism at Ohio State University.

Marj got her start in the newspaper business in the women’s department of the old Dayton Herald in 1936. Leaving that job, she worked for the Dayton Press, a weekly newspaper, and broadcast a daily human interest and woman’s feature program over WING radio from 1939 to 1941.

She rejoined the Herald as a general assignment reporter in 1943 and began her regular column which later gained fame as “Third and Main” a year later.

It was at that time that she began a feature column on wrestling for the Herald’s sports department. Tales of her escapades as a reporter covering wrestling matches in Southern Ohio entertained hundreds of women at regular “Tea With Marj” occasions throughout the Miami Valley.

Marj was named editor of the Herald’s Women’s Department in 1948 and became women’s editor of The Journal Herald when the two newspapers were merged in 1949.

She gave up her title as women’s editor in 1966 and was named assistant to the editor, an honorary title, but she continued her daily “Third and Main” column for The Journal Herald’s Modern Living section.

Marj was best known for her sense of humor and devotion to anecdotes. She spun her tales from the thin thread of the most common, everyday occurrences, embroidering them with a bit of fancy and securing them in a bright burst of hilarity.

Marj’s affairs with hats were almost as legendary as her anecdotes. She seldom appeared in public without a hat and made a great fuss over them at her teas and in her column. She also demanded whenever possible that the picture that ran with her column be changed daily, each day with a different hat – a practice that left Journal Herald photographers sometimes fearing for their sanity.

Marj’s journalism prizes were numerous and her reputation as a columnist was nationwide. She won more than 75 prizes over the years in annual contests of the Ohio Newspaper Women’s Association; she won a National Headliners Award in 1946; was given the best column in Ohio award by United Press International in 1963; and her women’s pages won first place in the University of Missouri’s Penney Award for Excellence in 1964.

Marj was a regular discussion leader at women’s editor seminars at the American Press Institute at Columbia University appearing there

23 times between 1952 and 1968. She also was invited to lead similar discussion for the Ottoway Papers and the Press Associations of California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.

Marj married Emerson C. Heyduck, an insurance sales man and also a native Daytonian in 1934. Mr. Heyduck died in 1953. They had no children.

Charles T. Alexander, editor of The Journal Herald, had this to say of Marj: “She was as comfortable as home. She was as much a part of The Journal Herald as its masthead. The regard from all who knew her and read her column for her is inestimable. The depth of our personal loss is inestimable.”

Said James M. Cox Jr., chairman of the board of Dayton Newspapers, Inc.: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Marj Heyduck, Dayton’s best loved newspaperwoman.

“Her ‘Third and Main’ column brought good cheer and warm human sentiments daily for a quarter of a century. To thousands of Journal Herald readers, Marj was a welcome morning visitor. We share with them a feeling of great loss. Marj was truly an outstanding journalist, but even more a great lady.”

As a columnist, Marj traveled widely. Many of her columns were written from the scenes of national political conventions and inaugural balls where she found anecdotes and other material overlooked by thousands of other correspondents.

She also wrote her column from the decks of riverboats bound for New Orleans; from international fashion shows on New York’s Fifth Avenue, and from her stateroom aboard the SS Independence cruising in the Mediterranean.

But perhaps her best columns were written from tips and anecdotes exchanged over the phone with friends who called her regularly and strangers who overcame their awe and phoned nervously with a good story.

She also wrote frequently about her beloved Darke County and the small Ohio city of Greenville near her home at Wayne Lakes Park where she lived alone following her husband’s death.

Marj was a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, a Dayton Corps Trustee and a member of the Dayton Stivers Foundation.

Her three books, published by The Journal Herald, are The Best of Marj, published in 1962; The Anniversary Marj, 1964; and The Third Marj, 1966.

Marjorie Irene Heyduck died on September 15, 1969. She is located in Section 126 Lot 2. Unfortunately, no headstone was put in place for either her or her husband. The photo shows the area where Marj and Emerson are buried.

Woodland Cemetery, founded in 1841, is one of the nation’s oldest rural garden cemeteries and a unique cultural, botanical and educational resource in the heart of Dayton, Ohio. Visit the cemetery and arboretum and take one of the many tours Woodland offers free of charge. Most of Dayton’s aviation heroes, inventors and business barons are buried at Woodland.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the University of Dayton Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm and until 7 pm during Daylight Saving Time. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum website.