Mt. Pleasant Cemetery

 

 

 

 

According to Tombstone Inscriptions Green Township Ross County, Ohio 1999, compiled by Ross County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 6352, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601-6352, p. 45, "The Presbyterian church was organized in August 1798 and a log meeting house was erected a mile west of Kingston in what is today the McCoy family lot in Section 5 of the cemetery. A monument commemorating the log church is located there. [See Site 2 below]. The cemetery was laid out in 1800 and several burials were made that same year. A second house was completed in 1814 which was in use until 1829. From 1829 to 1837, the congregation worshipped in the Methodist Episcopal church in Kingston. It built a third church in 1838 which was in use until 1860 when the congregation moved permanently to Kingston. The cemetery has continued in use to the present and is one of the oldest in Ross County."

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Directions for finding this Ross County Cemetery in Kingston, Ohio:

Drive South from Columbus on I-71 to 270 S to Rt. 23. Take Rt. 23 toward Circleville. Turn left at Tarlton Road. Proceed to 56 and turn right. At Rt. 159, turn right. Proceed to Kingston. Proceed through town, under the metal underpass, and go straight (don’t follow 159). The cemetery is on the left at the top of the hill.

There are six burial sites of interest to Steely, McCutchen, and Rice families at this cemetery.

  • Site 1: (GPS 39° 27.751' N, 82° 55.794' W.) Buried here are Meek Steely (#47), Martha [McCutchen, McCutcheon] Steely (#48), Gabriel Steely (#93), John Steely (Meek Steely's [#47] brother and son of Mary [Meek] (#94) & Gabriel Steely [#93]), and Margaret [Emmerson; Emerson] Steely (John's wife). A tombstone for Marvin G., Amelia D., George H., Jean, and Susan Steely also exists nearby. According to George Steely (1873-1953...Great Grandson of Gabriel) and quoted by Robert Steely (current Steely genealogist), Marvin is the G-G-G Grandson of Gabriel and Mary (Meek Steely). Amelia D. was Marvin's wife, George was Marvin and Amelia's son. The ancestral connection is as follows: Gabriel and Mary (Meek) Steely>John and Margaret (Emerson) Steely>Lemuel and Guyna (Holderman) Steely>John P. and Mary Elizabeth (Ludwig) Steely>George S. and Jessie (Thomas) Steely>Marvin and Amelia (Wright) Steely>George H. Steely 1928-. [Note: Jean is probably George's wife and Susan is probably George H.'s and Jean's daughter. Susan would be Gabriel's G-G-G-G-G granddaughter.]

 

  • Site 2: (GPS 39° 27.745' N, 82° 55.887' W) Buried here are Susanna [Caldwell] McCutchen (McCutcheon) [#96], Eliza Ross [McCutchen] Rockwell (Martha [McCutchen] Steely's [#48] sister and Susanna & John McCutchen's [#95] daughter), James McCutchen (Martha Steely's brother and Susanna & John McCutchen's son), Hanna Kinnear (Martha Steely's sister and Susanna & John McCutchen's daughter), Susannah May (Martha Steely's sister and Susanna & John McCutchen's daughter), Susannah May's husband (Henry May), and some of Susannah and Henry's children (ie. Meek and Martha's nieces and nephews and Susanna & John McCutchen's grandchildren.)

 

  • Site 3: (GPS 39° 27.737' N, 82° 55.894' W) Buried here are Isabella [Steely] Duncan and her husband, T. K. Duncan. Isabella was Meek Steely's (#47) sister and the daughter of Gabriel (#93) & Mary [Meek] Steely.

 

  • Site 4: (GPS 39° 27.764 N, 82° 55.911 W) Buried here are Margaret Bell [Harwood] Steely (wife of William Meek Steely), William Meek Steely (son of Meek (#47)and Martha [McCutchen, McCutcheon] Steely (#48) and brother of Susanna R. Steely (#24)), and Taylor Boggs Steely (son of Margaret and William, grandson of Meek and Martha, and nephew of Susanna R. Steely and Anthony C. Rice (#23)).

 

  • Site 5: (GPS 39° 27.741' N, 82° 55.839' W) Buried here is Frank M. Steely. According to Margaret Harwood Steely's obituary. Frank was Margaret and William Meek Steely's son. Frank was Meek Steely's grandson, Susanna R. Steely's (#24) and Anthony C. Rice's (#23) nephew, and Taylor Boggs Steely's brother.

 

 

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Site 1: Pass by the first two entrance roads to the cemetery. Turn into the third. After entering, turn right at the first roadway. Go to the first roadway (it's grassy), and turn left onto it. About halfway down this roadway on the left is a standing tombstone for Gabriel Steely.

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The front of Gabriel's tombstone says "Revolutionary Soldier.. Gabriel Steely...Born August 19, 1763...Died May 2, 1830...Aged 66 Yrs. 8 Mos. 13 Ds....Erected by his Great Grandson H. M. Steely of Danville, Illinois."

The back of his tombstone states "REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER GABRIEL STEELY BORN AUG. 19, 1763-DIED MAY 2, 1830 WIFE: MARY [STEWART] STEELY PARENTS OF JOHN STEELY, DR. MEEK STEELY AND ISABELLA DUNCAN OF KINGSTON, OHIO, GEORGE STEELY AND SARAH SHELBY OF COVINGTON, INDIANA, REUBEN STEELY AND ELIZA B. RAY OF WEST POINT, INDIANA. REMAINS REMOVED FROM FARM ABOUT 4 MI. NORTH-WEST TO THIS PLACE DECEMBER 2ND 1914, BY HIS GREAT GRANDSON, H. M. STEELY OF DANVILLE, ILL." An article describing the relocation of Gabriel's body can be seen at the following link: Removed Remains of Soldier of Revolution to Mt. Pleasant.

 

Behind and to the right of Gabriel's tombstone are the partially buried stones for Margaret, John, Martha, and Meek. The remains of Margaret and John Steely and Martha and Meek Steely were moved from the family burying ground in Pickaway township to the Steely lot in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery by their great granddaughters. Click on the article title to read it and a transcript of same: Family History of Early Settlers Recalled.

 

 

MARGARET

Wife of John

Steely Died July

7 1847 Aged

60 years &

16 days

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Remember Friends as

you pass by

As you are now so once

was I, As I am now so you must be,

Prepare for death and follow me.

 

 

JOHN STEELY

Born October 17th

1785 & Died August

6th 1842 Aged 56

Years, 9 months

& 19 days.

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Remember Friends as you

pass by

As you are now so once

was I

As I am now so you

must be

Prepare for death and

follow me.

 

 

MARTHA

WIFE OF

MEEK STEELY

Feb. 1st, 1842

Aged

36 Yrs, 9 ms. 4ds

My buried friends shall I forget

For shall the Grave eternal sever

They linger in my memory yet

And in my heart they live forever”

 

 

 

MEEK STEELY

DIED

April 23, 1865,

Aged 67 yrs.

____________

My buried friends shall I forget

For shall the Grave eternal sever

They linger in my memory yet

And in my heart they live forever”

 

 

 

 

Meek's stone is located at (GPS 39° 27.750' N, 82° 55.792' W)

 

 

Below is the stone for MARVIN G. 1899-1975, AMELIA D. 1903-1996, GEORGE H. 1928-, JEAN 1930-, and Susan 1952.

 

Site 2: After leaving site 1, drive straight until the road deadends. Turn right. (You will be in the back of the cemetery). Drive a short distance until you see the monument that marks the site of the Pioneer Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Log Church on your left. About 25 yards to the right of this site on the opposite side of the road are two large stones marked “F”. Down the section between the “F’s” are stones Hanna Kinnear, James McCutchen, Eliza Ross Rockwell, Susanna McCutchen, Susannah May and Henry May. The photograph immediately below shows the stone arrangement facing South (ie. facing the road.)

 

Below is the stone arrangement facing North. The first stone colored blue is that of James McCutchen, the second is that of Susanna (Caldwell) McCutchen.

 

 

Below are two views of Susanna McCutchen's tombstone. Applying chalk helped to read the engraving.

 

 

 

In Memory of

SUSANNA McCUTCHEN.

died Nov. 19, 1843 in the

73 year of her age

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is the broken tombstone of Eliza Ross Rockwell. Even after applying chalk, it was very difficult to read. This stone is very damaged. It appears that the stone has been repaired at least once in the past, but the piece that is still standing is broken and ready to fall apart.

 

The inscription reads:

Memory of
ELIZA ROSS
ROCKWELL
??????????
Susanna McCutchen
Born  June ? 1812
Died April 11, 1832
Aged 19 Years
10 Months &
?????

Her virtue ?????????
Shall ??????????
??????????
Th?????????????????

 

Below are two views of James McCutchen's tombstone. Applying chalk helped to read the engraving and to see the intricate work of the engraver.

 

 

 

In Memory of

JAMES McCUTCHEN

son of John &

Susannah McCutchen

Departed this life Ja 6th

AD 1820 in the 24

year of his age

 

 

 

 

 

Below is the tombstone of Hanna Kinnear.

 

Sacred
To the Memory of
Mrs. HANNAH KINNEAR
Wife of
SAMUEL KINNEAR
Who departed this life
Sept 10 1828:
In the 20 year of her
age.

Her mind was gentle and serene.
No terror in her looks was seen.
Her Savior’s smiles dispel’d the gloom
And smooth’d  her passage to the tomb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below are the tombstones of Henry May and Susannah McCutchen May

 

 

 

HENRY MAY SEN
BORN
NOV. 27. 1787.
DIED
DEC. 9. 1851

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUSANNAH
WIFE OF
HENRY MAY SEN
DIED
FEB. 23. 1850.
IN THE 56 YR.
OF HER AGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 3: By returning to the road and walking a few paces to the right, you will come to the site of stones for Isabella Duncan and T. K. Duncan.

 

 

ISABELLA
Wife of
T. K. DUNCAN
DIED
JAN. 29. 1849
Aged 48 ys.
10 mo. 19 ds.

The Lord has been my help.
To him my spirit flies.
An on his gracious promise.
My cheerful  hope  relies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T. K. DUNCAN
DIED
APR.1. 1837:
Aged 46 ys.
9 mo. 9 ds

Go home dear friends.
Refrain your tears.
I must be here.
Till Christ appears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 4: From site 3, continue driving down the lane. The road will curve and parallel a farmer's field. After the curve, drive approximately 30 yards and look for the three stones pictured below. Farther down the road on the same side of the road is a monument marking the location of Buffalo Trail, Indian Trail, Scioto Trail, and Zane’s Trace.

 

 

MARGARET BELL STEELY

1831-1924

 

 

 

WILLIAM MEEK

STEELY

1831-1902

 

 

 

TAYLOR BOGGS

STEELY

1865-1896

 

 

 

Site 5: To get to this site, continue driving past the Buffalo Trail sign. The roadway will curve to the right. At the first lane, turn right. Proceed to the end of the lane and you will see on your left the tombstone of Frank Steely.

 

Site 6: To get to this last site, look across the lane from Site 5. There will be Shoemaker stones. Directly behind these stones are those of Hanson and Alice Rice. Behind that is the large Rice stone. At the time the photograph below was taken (August 2007), there were two large overgrown bushes on either side of the stone.


To find out more about this cemetery, use the hyperlink: Mount Pleasant Cemetery.