Ravenna Cemetery
12500 Heights Ravenna Rd.
Ravenna, MI 49451
Ravenna Township, Michigan
Sec. 1 & 2, T9N, R14W
History
The Township of Ravenna began settlement in 1844 and after the first influx of residents engaged in lumbering, became a farming community, the land being very suitable for agriculture. The population quickly grew to 400 residents by 1860, reaching two thousand residents by 1900 and has remained mostly agricultural with a few industrial concerns.
The first recorded death in the township was that of a Mrs. VanTassel in 1846. The first cemetery was located near Crockery Creek in the corner of the Schramm road. This land was originally owned by J. Mortimer Smith, one of the pioneer settlers of Ravenna Village. Eight acres containing the cemetery were sold to the township in 1887 by D.M. Hoogstaat for use as a cemetery.
At about this time Clifford S. Gamble, architect, surveyed and drew plans to formalize the cemetery in April, 1887 calling it Forest Lawn Cemetery.
The Muskegon line of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad was being built along the southern edge of Ravenna Village in 1888 cutting the old cemetery off from the village, so it was decided to move the cemetery to its present location downtown along Crockery Creek, off Main Street (Section 11). The Ravenna Township land records show references to the old cemetery and the new cemetery by 1890.
Clifford Gamble’s plans were used for the layout of the new cemetery and the graves and headstones were all eventually moved to the new cemetery and placed exactly where they had been located in the old cemetery. It is believed that this move took place over a period of years into the early 1900’s.
(Research by Sherry Miller)
For photos of headstones go to www.findagrave.com.
Ravenna Home A-E F-J K-O P-S T-Z