This quaint old cemetery has been operated from 1811 and is still burying lot owners. It is located on Middle Ridge Road, known as the Cowles lot, in Tract No. 2, about 1/4 mile east of Genung Street. Genung Street is a small residential street running at an angle from Lake Street north to Middle Ridge Road. The next nearest intersection, called Genung Corners lent its name to the cemetery, although never officially. About this area, Violet Crandall wrote in her article "Madison's Heritage" in The Historical Society Quarterly, Lake County, Ohio August, 1966, "In 1842 Amos Genung established a furnace on the southeast corner of Lake Street (formerly known as Genung Road) and Middle Ridge. In 1851 William Genung added to the foundry business that of making machinery. He and his son Charles manufactured the Iron King seed drills and cultivators for onion farmers, also iron cook stoves, sleigh shoes, flat irons, etc."

The WPA cemetery map states that the cemetery was established in 1817, originally part of Gillett's farm deeded to cemetery Trustees May 5, 1817. This has not been found.

On April 14, 1838 Bennet and Asenath Martin sold for $20.00 to Isaac M. Martin, Nathan Crane, Martin Rand, William Balch, Jonadab Winchester, Grindall Rawson, Nahum Miller, Jonas Tower, Richard S. Wilcox, Truman N. Wilcox, Benjamin Smith, Elijah Smith, Levi Bartram, Ebinezer Ford and Cushing Cunningham all of the Township of Madison, "a piece of land occupied as a burying ground containing about half an acre on the north side of the Middle ridge road." This was transcribed in Lake County Deed Vol. F, page 638.

The Warren piece of property was described as beginning at the northwest corner of a lot conveyed by Bennet Martin and Asenath Martin by deed dated April 14, 1838 to Isaac M. Martin, et. al, containing about half an acre for a burying ground. The Martin piece of land appears to be the earliest section of the cemetery, and would be recorded in Geauga County.

On February 16, 1856, John Warren and his wife Phila sold land on the west side of the cemetery in Tract 2 to Martin Rand, Horace Winchester, Lovell Cram, William Bidwell, Cushing Cunningham, Richard Wilcox & others for $30.00. It would give an extra 36 feet of frontage on Middle Ridge Road. It was designated to the grantees' heirs and assigns forever as a burying ground.

In the Book of Associations in the Recorder's Office of Lake County we found the following on page 22:
We citizens of Madison Township Lake Co. Ohio hereby signify our intention of forming ourselves into an association to be incorporated and known as the Madison Middle Ridge Cemetery Association under the act for incorporating such associations passed May 17, 1854. Madison Jan. 25th 1859.
Martin Rand----Cushing Cunningham
Horace Winchester----Henry Rand
Richard S. Wilson----Moses B. Hubbard
Edmond Smith----A.G. Warner
Wm. H. Genung----C. L. Bartram
Thomas B. Warren----Jonadab Winchester
F.N. Wilcox----Madison Feb. 28th 1859
Pursuant to a legal Call of the original stockholders of the Madison Middle Ridge Burying ground the proprietors met and organized by electing Martin Rand Chairman. Object of the meeting to effect the legal organization of the proprietors of the Burying ground—The following resolutions were unanimously adopted----1st resolved
That this association be called and hereafter known as the Madison Middle Ridge Cemetery Association–
2nd That the Board of Trustees consist of Five members, viz.. Cushing Cunningham, Richard S. Wilcox–Horace Winchester–Martin Rand and Albert G. Warner.
3rd. That J.S. Wilson act as our secretary until his successor is appointed...
That we hold our normal meeting on the first Sat. of Jan.. J.S. Wilson Secretary
Received and recorded April 6th 1859.
Franklin Paine Recorder

On September 9, 1867 another piece of property was purchased for Middle Ridge Cemetery. R. R. and Lucinda Latham of Madison sold to N. Rand, Eli Olds, A.G. Warner, H. Winchester, R.S. Wilcox, Trustees of Ridge Cemetery in the Township of Madison for $100.00 a strip on the east side of the cemetery adding 2 more rods of frontage (33 feet) and 20 ½ rods of depth, containing 40 rods. [Lake County Deed Record Vol. 1 pg 294]

On May 23, 1868, the Association Trustees, R.S. Wilcox, Martin Rand, Eli Olds, H. Winchester, and N.B. Hubbard purchased another 50 rods of land at the north end of the original burying grounds from Calvin M. and Sophia Gillett for $50.00. [Vol. 1 pg 293]

On April 23, 1874 C.W. Gillett and his wife Sophia sold to the Trustees of Middle Ridge Cemetery Association a strip of land along the west side of the cemetery, and a piece on 2/3 of the north side, in a flying flag shape, totaling .54 acre. Cost was $118.50. [Vol. 5 pg 31]

On May 2, 1874, another similar piece totaling .23 acre on the east side was purchased from R.R. and Lucinda Latham for $50.00. [Vol. 5 pg 32]

These last two pieces seem to have been purchased for the road along the perimeter of the cemetery and the fence.

This lovely long 2 acre cemetery has among its interrees nine Revolutionary War soldiers: Daniel Bartram, William Bidwell, Wm. Branch, Jewitt Burdick, Anariah Crandall, Andrew Ford, Joseph Green, Isaac Martin, and Asa Turney.

The north west portion of this cemetery is called the "Home Lot." The Township does not have any record of these burials as there was an agreement that the National Women's Relief Corps Home for Soldiers and Sailors, their Widows, Wives, and Army Nurses would hold that lot for their resident burials and they would keep their own records. Information on the residents' burial wishes along with some death dates can be found at Ohio Historical Society, but no actual burial records have been found for this section. The stones are all alike, small rounded grey marble with first name, last name and birth-death years on each. The last of these stones seems to be about 1946.

First 17 stones in this home lot, in the north west corner of the cemetery, appear to have been moved back, probably for truck turning access. In row one, stones 1-17 and 26-35 are Women's Relief Corps type. Matching stones are found in each of the seven rows in the west section.

Readings were proofed on the following dates:
West 23 Apr 2001
East 5 June 2001
This page last updated 29 May 2017.