Memorial Ceremony
Planned By DAR

Muskingum Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, will hold an official grave-marking ceremony and reception at 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 27, at Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery near Norwich. A DAR marker will be placed on the grave of John W. Davis, the only Revolutionary War soldier known to be buried in the cemetery.

A new memorial gravestone has been placed adjacent to the original old stone by Davis' great-great-granddaughter, Betty Flegal Cruickshank of Coca Raton, Fla., and will be unveiled during the DAR ceremony.

Mrs. Cruickshank, a native of Norwich, will read a history of Davis and will distribute copies to his descendants whom she says will be present from North Carolina, Connecticut and Florida in addition to Ohio.

Davis was born March 19, 1757, in Wales and sailed for the United States when he was 10. His parents died aboard ship leaving him and his eight-year-old sister to continue the journey alone.

Upon their arrival in America the children were sold as indentured servants to pay for their passage. They were separated and never met again. John later settled in Virginia where he was taken into the army during the Revolution and served under General Mad Anthony Wayne.

He followed his children to Highland Township, Muskingum County, in 1813, and died March 19, 1834. His descendants in this area include persons with the names of Bradford, McCormick, Taylor, Bell, McVicker, Knicely, Sarbaugh, Clark, Shirer and Minner.