Comments on: In the Archives: Woodlawn Cemetery

By: Sylvia J. Russo

Sylvia J. Russo — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 04:21:09 +0000

Thank you for this very informative post. There are really so much that we should know about these cemeteries. These cemeteries are home to a lot of veterans that have long been forgotten because of some vanished gravemarkers.

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 06:20:35 +0000

Jim: Thank you for the additional info, and thanks for reading.

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 06:19:35 +0000

George: Thank you for the info. Washtenaw Co. property lookup gives a hint as to the clouded question as to the ownership of this parcel. Boildown: it is in limbo.

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 06:17:41 +0000

Cosmonicon: The cigarettes are not candy; it is a mini-packet of 5. Interesting guess…

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 06:16:31 +0000

Timothy: You are right; I should have been more clear and I appreciate your calling that out. The markers appear to be sinking into the earth. My husband and I found a few markers that had just a tiny corner or so showing amid the grass. There are also many depressions in the earth that seem to indicate gravesites.

So far as requesting new headstones: I know that over at Highland Cemetery, an independent group requested and received modern headstones for those of old headstones for black Civil War veterans. I have very mixed feelings about the replacement of the old headstones for the new.

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 04 Nov 2013 02:21:18 +0000

Describing the marker as brass, while the color appears to be consistent with the marble requested on the form you show is counterproductive to the spirit of the article. Theft of all copper alloys is a huge problem.

By: George Hammond

George Hammond — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 16:30:36 +0000

I did a little digging. The Ypsilanti Township online property database shows the street address as just
S HURON RIVER DR
YPSILANTI, MI 48197
and lists the owner as
WOODLAWN CEMETERY
YPSILANTI, MI 48197
The site is parcel # K -11-21-403-001
If you want to find it on a map, find Hubbard Street and South Huron River Drive, the cemetery is on the east side of Hubbard. There is a house at 7784 South Huron River Drive that is just across Hubbard from the cemetery.

Canton Township and the Michigan Historic Preservation Office together created a 200+ page guide to preservation of Michigan cemeteries. It’s online here: [link]

By: Jim Rees

Jim Rees — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 14:10:36 +0000

Cosmo, WWII ration cigarets came in packs of three or nine. Iodine was included in some rations for water purification. Also the condom suggests this is for soldiers, not civilians.

By: cosmonıcan

cosmonıcan — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 12:59:27 +0000

Agree with Jim, but that appears to be a bottle of Iodine in the middle. Maybe a kit for a fallout shelter in the 50′s? Though the matches with the plug to buy Victory Bonds would put it to WWII the iodine suggests otherwise. The cigarettes seem oddly small, they are usually larger than that — is it the candy variety?

By: Timothy Durham

Timothy Durham — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 12:08:26 +0000

Laura,
When you say “As the stones continue to disappear, it is worth remembering the veterans for whom the markers were requested.” Do you mean the markers are being stolen, subsumed into the ground, what?

Are the requests for new headstones going to/being handled by the Pentagon? Which office is handling that? Do you have a contact?

Thanks for the article.