KIRTLAND, Ohio — Across the street to the north of the Kirtland Temple is the Kirtland North Cemetery. In the 1830s it was known as the Kirtland Mills Burying Ground. In those days a Methodist meetinghouse stood on the southeast corner. It was the practice of members of the various congregations at the time to be buried near their churches. Among the earliest burials on record is Philo Ingersoll who died in 1827.
Early members of the Church also buried some of their dead there, including Jerusha Barden Smith, first wife of Hyrum Smith; and Mary Duty Smith, Joseph Smith's grandmother. Other well-known members include John Johnson, the parents of Newel K. Whitney; Oliver Cowdery's father and the parents of Isaac Morley.
Today, the cemetery is owned and maintained by the City of Kirtland where it is still used for burials. Mayor Ed Podojil, as part of his beautification plan for Kirtland, has installed an attractive sign marking this historic site and encircled the cemetery with wrought-iron fencing with hanging baskets of flowers.
More than 30,000 tourists visit Kirtland each year. Many of those visit the cemetery to find the graves of the early members. Janet Lisonbee and Geneve Johnson of the Kirtland Ward, Kirtland Ohio Stake, have developed a tour of the cemetery to highlight several of the early members buried there and to give visitors an "eye witness" view of early Kirtland.
They portray Charlotte Bond, an early member buried there, and her friends while speaking in a "first person" dialogue. Charlotte was the wife of Ira Bond. Parents of six children, they joined the Church in Mendon, N.Y., along with the Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball families. The Bond family moved to Kirtland in 1834. Ira later received a blessing for working on the temple. The home where they lived still stands today.
"I enjoy recounting the lives of the Kirtland members," Sister Lisonbee said. "Building Kirtland required great sacrifice. After the wonderful spiritual outpourings surrounding the dedication of the temple, it seemed that the spirits of speculation, greed and jealously were high and many fell in apostasy. The Kirtland Safety Society Bank failed, along with many other banks in Ohio.
"At the same time, the testimonies of many members failed with the banks. Warren Parrish started his own church, 'The Church of Christ,' in opposition to the Prophet. Five members of that church are buried here.
"One of my favorite highlights is the story of Oliver Granger, who served as agent for the Church in clearing up the financial debts of the Church and the Prophet in Kirtland. He has a unique tombstone. The stone cutter must have been inexperienced since he was not able to cut Oliver Granger's name on one line. The name is off-centered, forcing the cutter to cut an 'r' just above the 'e'.
"Oliver Granger has a fascinating conversion story and was faithful in his service. The Lord refers to him in Doctrine and Covenants 117:12 by promising that, 'his name shall be had in sacred remembrance from generation to generation.' No doubt descendants of Oliver Granger remember his name, but his headstone, like those of many other early members, desperately needs assistance. The stone is splitting and the face is crumbling. Descendants of these early members could add to their legacy by taking steps to preserve the headstone.
"It's interesting to many members of the Church to learn that they had ancestors in Kirtland," said Sister Lisonbee. "Many don't know. The challenge is that in an older cemetery such as this, there are a number of stones that have weathered to the point that they need replacing or preserving.
"For instance, Susanna Whitney, Newel K. Whitney's mother, needs a new headstone. The headstone of Oliver Cowdery's father, William, is unreadable, although the inscription has been preserved. It would be a wonderful family project to fund the replacement or preservation of the stones of their early ancestors.
"I'm willing to assist those families who want to preserve their ancestors' headstones," she said. "But I believe it would be more meaningful if families would come to Kirtland and place the stones themselves."
Those visiting Kirtland who would like to see the cemetery may make prior arrangements by contacting Janet Lisonbee, (440) 256-8544, or by e-mail: janetlisonbee@yahoo.com.
Email: Shaun@desnews.com