COLUMBUS — A state group that oversees registered cemeteries in Ohio is awarding funds to help maintain the upkeep of dozens of cemeteries.
The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing has awarded $104,000 in grants to 45 Ohio cemeteries through the Fiscal Year 2023 Cemetery Grant Fund.
The division registers more than 4,1000 cemeteries. It also manages the Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission, which helps resolve complaints against registered cemeteries through mediation and conciliation, according to the department.
“We are honored to provide funds to help Ohio’s cemeteries improve recordkeeping, restore monuments, repair fencing, and improve signage, all of which will help preserve a piece of the state’s history,” Division Supt. Daphne Hawk said.”
The grant is funded by $1 of every $2.50 from burial permit fees received by the division, a spokesperson with the Ohio Department of Commerce said.
The grant impacts the following cemeteries in the area:
- Ft. Amanda Cemetery (Auglaize Co.) $2500 to repair and reset monuments and remove trees
- St. Joesph’s Cemetery Association (Auglaize Co.) $2500 to repair tornado damage
- Houston Cemetery (Shelby Co.) $2462 to pour a cement floor in the pole barn
- Jackson View Cemetery (Shelby Co.) $2500 to replace the chain link fence
- Macedon Cemetery (Mercer Co.) $2500 to repair and reset monuments and level graves
- Clarksville Cemetery (Clinton Co.) $2500 to purchase a new mower
For more information about how the division works with Ohio cemeteries, click here.