Gary, I can't thank you enough for your help in locating this cemetery. After spending a long day at Spring Grove Cemetery in East Liverpool, and finding our way to West Virginia before actually ever making PA, my husband and I were finally on the right track. I had a report from Alice Kern, who I believe is employed at the Research Library, that a tornado had gone through the area an access may be difficult. However, coming up RT 18, if there had been no tornado we probably would not have found our way. What and awful sight at Holt Rd. All the trees in the area were gone and many houses were damaged. We got on to Moffet Mill Rd. and were sure we were in the wrong place, but we kept going till we found farm land. After several drive-bys and climbing out the sunroof to see over the bankon, we knew we had the right place. The interesting thing. I went to ask Mr. Hollister's permission and he asked me a lot of questions, I guess to make sure I wasn't going to do something I shouldn't. He told us that the RAMBO's, COLEMAN's and the MOFFET's all had lived on that piece of property and he is sure they were all related in some way. We walked over and the only stone standing was that of my g-g grandfather's, Jonnathan Coleman. This was very exciting. I tree had recently fallen directly across the cemetery and many stones were under the tree. I found what Mr. Hollister said very interesting and went back to my original assumption, that I had when you first answered me, that my g-g-grandmother Kezia Coleman was probably a Moffet or Rambo. I found some information that she may have possibly been married before, and had children, before marrying Jonathan Coleman. My question to you is are there any Kezia's in the Rambo line you are reserching, or are there any pieces here you can fill in. Thanks again for your help. Ruth Gagliardi buffy@tiac.net G. R. Tafini wrote: > Ruth GAGLIARDI is planning a trip to Beaver Co. and would like to locate the > graves of her ancestors Jonathon C. COLEMAN and his wife Kezia. I saw their > graves at a small cemetery in Raccoon Twp. in 1968 while searching for my > RAMBO relatives. On a return trip there in 1981 we could not locate several > of the gravestones including Kezia COLEMAN's. > > The Crail Farm and Center Church Cemetery on Moffet Mill Rd. is in Racoon > Twp about 4 1/2 miles east of the Shippingport Bridge which crosses the Ohio > River. The cemetery is just west of Raccoon Creek midway between where > Fishpot Run and Gums Run enter Racoon Creek. > > My maps are a bit old so if anyone can add to or correct these directions > please let us know. > > Directions from Rt. 18. > > Rt. 18 runs generally in a SW direction through Southern Beaver Co. from > Monaca to Frankfort Springs. It crosses Holt Rd. at a point about 2 miles > directly East of the Shippingport Bridge. > Turn East on Holt Rd. > Heading East you will pass through the small community of Holt at Patterson > Rd. Continue another 3/4 mile East on Holt Rd. and turn Right on Moffet > Mill Rd. > [I don't know if there is a road sign for Moffet Mill Rd. At one time Holt > Rd. continued on to Raccoon Creek. My maps seem to indicate that it fizzles > out now]. > Moffet Mill Rd. meanders its way downhill toward Raccoon Creek. > Travel about 1/2 mile and start watching for the cemetery which is on the > left [north] side of the Road. The cemetery is just before you reach a road > that intersects on the right and runs south along Raccoon Creek. > If you get to Raccoon Creek you've gone too far. > > The cemetery may be hard to spot. The last time I was there in 1981 it was > overgrown with trees. Most of the gravestones had fallen flat. A few were > leaning against trees. There may have been a church at the site at one > time, but any evidence of the building is long gone. I did hear of a Boy > Scout project to clean up the cemetery. Hopefully it is in better shape > now. > > I suggest that you stop at the farm house just west of the cemetery on the > North side of the road. The man that lived there in 1981 said that the > cemetery was on his property and was not happy that we entered without his > permission. I believe that his name was Mr. HOLLISTER. He said that there > had been motorcycle gangs and wild parties in that remote area in recent > years and that the cemetery had been vandalized. We soothed him by > promissing to send him a write up of the inscriptions that we found at the > cemetery. > > In 1968 and 1981 Jonathon C. COLEMAN's gravestone was leaning against a tree > in the North West corner of the cemetery. > > It read: > Jonathon C. COLEMAN > died Aug. 9, 1863 > in his 99 yr. > > There was a nearby footstone still in the ground with initials J C C > > In 1968 we also saw his wife's gravestone. We couldn't locate it in 1981. > > It read: > Kezia > wife of J. C. COLEMAN > Died > Jan. 9th 1852 > in her 66 yr. > > I will comment more about the missing gravestones in another message. > > Regards, > > Gary R. Tafini gtafini@tir.com Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA