Shanesville to honor Civil War vets
A celebratory ceremony is slated to take place Saturday, June 3 at the Shanesville Reformed Cemetery in Sugarcreek to honor two Civil War veterans, Dr. Noah Webster Yoder and Frederick Erwin.
A pair of Civil War veterans from Shanesville will receive the respect and honor deserving of those who served their country during the dedication of restored headstones for Civil War veterans Dr. Noah Webster Yoder and Frederick Erwin.
A celebratory ceremony is slated to take place Saturday, June 3 at the Shanesville Reformed Cemetery in Sugarcreek to honor two Civil War veterans for their service during that war.
The honorees include Dr. Noah Webster Yoder and Frederick Erwin, both members of Company G, 51st Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
In addition to the headstones, the recently restored Yoder family monument will be highlighted.
The 10-foot-tall marble obelisk was leaning badly on the verge of falling, and there were major repairs needed to the stone. A save-the-monument fund was created by American Legion Post 494 in the fall.
Enough funds were raised to bring in professional monument restorer Tim Foor of Hallowed Ground Cemetery Preservation LLC, who came in Saturday, May 6 and went to work on making the repairs. The lettering on the original stone could not be repaired, but included in the restoration was the addition of an eagle in flight with a 13-inch wingspan.
The event will take place beginning at 1:30 p.m., and in case of inclement weather, the ceremony will move to June 4 at the same time.
Foor, who has worked on many monuments and headstones over the years, said of the experience in working on the Shanesville Cemetery stones, “It’s an honor for me to be able to restore these stones and give these men who served the respect they deserve. We should take every opportunity we get to show our appreciation to every person who has served the country.”
Members of American Legion Post 494 of Sugarcreek will lead the ceremony. Brian McNamara and the 41st OVI will be in charge of the dedication and headstone ceremonies, using the dedication prescribed by the GAR and used by Sons of the Union of Veterans of Civil War.
There will be a special guest appearance from Jerry Payn of Wooster, who portrays Abraham Lincoln. Payn will give “The Gettysburg Address.” Boy Scout Troop 91 also will be involved with the program. Trent Johnson, a Tennessee native and a 51st OVI historian, and Glen Hammel of the Shanesville Historical Society also will be participants in the ceremony.
Several members of the Yoder family have been located; however, there have been no living ancestors of Erwin found, which is something Jeff Schrock, member of Sugarcreek American Legion, hopes to rectify.
“Our hope is that someone from the family will see this or hear about the ceremony and contact us because we’d love to have someone from the family present for the celebration,” Schrock said.
Erwin was born Feb. 23 in York County, Pennsylvania and passed away June 6, 1872, in Shanesville. He was officially discharged on a surgeons certificate of disability in May 1862.
Anyone with information pertinent to the Erwin family can call Schrock at 330-473-5928. Those wishing to attend the event are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy a day honoring the vast history of a pair of veterans who served their country during the Civil War.