Volunteers spruce up Wheatley Cemetery

There is an old, tiny family cemetery on a hill near the east entrance to what is now Richfield Commons Shopping Plaza at the corner of Wheatley and Brecksville roads.

Beginning in 1834 with the deaths of George (20) and James (13) Wheatley, who died of typhoid fever within a few days of each other, the Wheatley family (who emigrated from Yorkshire, England to the United States in 1832) buried their loved ones in that final resting place which once overlooked simple and serene rural scenery. In 2017, the last remaining member of the Wheatley family transferred the cemetery deed to the Richfield Historical Society, and the Society pledged to maintain and beautify this significant piece of local history.

Last fall, RHS board members Kitty Butler and Reggie Taussig – along with Reggie’s husband Jeff and their daughters Sue Cunningham and Becky Lybarger – cleaned out all the weeds, roots and debris from the hallowed grounds. Kitty then coordinated with the village of Richfield Service Department the donation and delivery of a giant load of wood chips to use as mulch. The Boy Scouts were approached about assisting with the project and Scoutmaster Eric Matheny, with the help of Scout Ryan Cunningham, rounded up volunteers from Troop 385 to help spread the chips. The boys were provided with lunch, snacks and drinks – as well as a big thank you – for their efforts. A local individual with 24 years of cemetery experience, hired by the Society, removed the 13 Wheatley family members’ headstones (a map was made of the stones positions for reference when replacing them) and took them offsite (access was needed to electricity and water) to clean them with a solution of ammonia and water, which didn’t damage the stones but kills lichen and mold. Three different grades of nylon brushes were used to deep clean and polish the stones. The bases of the stones had sunk, some up to 14 inches below the surface. When the stones were returned to their rightful locations, fill was placed underneath them to help prevent future sinking. Now all are untarnished and aligned.

Feature image photo caption: Under the auspices of the Richfield Historical Society, volunteers helped clean up and restore a small family cemetery at the intersection of Wheatley and Brecksville roads that dates to the 1830s.  The group of volunteers included, from left: Sue Cunningham, Matt Cunningham, Dave Gifford, Vaughn Thurman, Billy Thurman, Dane Thurman, Nathan Claus, Jeff Taussig and Ryan Cunningham.