Sheehan Farm Cemetery (extinct, but known)

A number of years ago two headstones were found. This area has recently been developed into a housing subdivision. The cemetery is high on the cliff on the west side, directly across Erie Road from North and South Riverview Drive in Eastlake. It is located in a back yard on the new Sandy Knoll Drive. An old description stated it was off Erie Road, "about half-way between the ford and the lake." The property had belonged to E.W. Moore and then, when the stones were found, to William Hayward of 444 Erie Road.. An old Moore family did own property north of the burials where the school house was in 1857. Most certainly in 1840 the burial ground was in the Woolsey family. On the 1874 map, it appears to be Woolsey property, but Thos. Shehan owns the adjacent property. It is possible, although not researched, that he may have purchased more land later to include this cemetery, hence the name.

The two stones are at two different people's homes, one on North Riverview, the other in Timberlake. When the construction began, the cemetery was mentioned in the News-Herald on 28 December 1997. The developer promised to cordon off the area and not disturb it. There is a wonderful article from the News-Herald 6 July 1956 regarding the finding of the stones, with pictures of the stones. This article was reprinted in the Ohio Genealogical Society Register 31:3 (1991).

The stone still in Eastlake is that of Abigail Woolsey who died at age 99. The stone is marble, but is a rough cut stone except the front which was polished. The back is somewhat irregular in shape almost like it had split apart. The edges still have the cutting marks. It was broken off at the bottom in a rather jagged pattern.

This stone was read personally on 18 May 2002. The other was from the newspaper photograph.

Willoughby Township

Cemetery  

Name

Sec- tion

Row

Stone #

Inscription

Symbols

Comments

 Woolsey, Abigail

1

1

1

In memory of/ Mrs. Abigail Woolsey/ who died/ Oct. 2, 1830,/ in the 99 yr. of her age./ Prescious in the eyes of the Lord/ is the death of his saints.

 Woolsey, Sarah

1

1

2

Sarah,/ Wife of Henry/ Woolsey/ died Dec. 14,/ 1839,/ in the 77th year/ of her age./ The Lord knoweth the days/ of the upright, and their/ inheritance shall be forever.