Hannah (Huey) Whiteman, Cheshire Cemetery, Delaware County, Ohio. (2002 photo by Karen)
This is the tombstone of Hannah (Huey) Whiteman, located in Cheshire Cemetery, Berlin Township, Delaware County, Ohio. Her marker is inscribed:
HANNAH CHRISTIAN
WHITEMAN
—1850
CEM. 5 GR. 2
This plot in Cheshire Cemetery was not Hannah’s original burial site. She was originally buried in Berlin Township House Cemetery, Delaware County, and her first tombstone told more details about her.
Her original tombstone bore the inscription, Hannah, Whiteman, wife of Christian, d. 26 November 1850, age 77 years and 6 days. From that information her date of birth can be calculated as 20 November 1773.
The transcription of Hannah’s original tombstone was made in the 1940s by two women who wanted to record information from area cemeteries before a proposed dam would cover much of the area with water. The women compiled the transcriptions which were published years later by Esther W. Powell.
The two women also made a note concerning the transcriptions: The following inscriptions are from the stones still legible at the graves toward the north side of the lot, from the entrance, which is in the southeast corner. Whiteman, Hannah, wife of Christian, d. Nov. 26, 1850, ae 77y, 6d (b1773) [1] Thank goodness they had the foresight to record the information before it was destroyed forever.
This example also shows the importance of looking at old cemetery transcription books which may contain transcriptions of stones that no longer exist or inscriptions that are no longer legible.
Hannah Huey was born 20 November 1773 to James and Elizabeth Huey. She was probably born in Pennsylvania, quite possibly in Fayette County. She married Christian Whiteman about 1798 in Pennsylvania. They moved to the Fairfield/Pickaway County area of Ohio in about 1805.
Christian and Hannah had seven children:
James E. (1799-1873), married Mary North
Elizabeth (1800-1854), married Jacob Ekelberry
John (1803-?) married Sarah Smith
Mary (c1805-1855), married Isaac Huey
Christian (c1806-c1846), married Mary (Polly) Neigh
Henry (1809-1864), married Sarah Wilson
Anna (1811-1838), never married
Hannah’s husband Christian died in 1827 in Fairfield County, Ohio, and Hannah remained there for few years more. Eventually she went to live with her daughter Elizabeth in Delaware County. Elizabeth was married to Jacob Ekelberry.
Hannah died in Delaware County on 26 November 1850 and today rests near her daughter Elizabeth in Cheshire Cemetery. Cheshire Cemetery is located on Cheshire Road (County Road 72), between Gregory Road and Lackey Road. The cemetery was established in 1973 because of the Alum Creek Dam. Remains from several cemeteries were moved there.
Cheshire Cemetery, Berlin Township, Delaware County, Ohio. (2002 photo by Karen)
We visited Cheshire Cemetery in 2002. Hannah’s marker is located at the back of the cemetery, in the old section. Her marker is in the far northwest corner, in a row bordering a field, and is the second marker from the end. A base sits next to Hannah’s marker and on the other side of the base is the marker of her daughter Elizabeth Ekelberry. Elizabeth’s husband Jacob is buried next to her.
[1] Esther Weygandt Powell, Tombstone Inscriptions and Other Records of Delaware County, Ohio, (Delaware Ohio Historical and Genealogical Society, 1972), 47.
