We reveal the history of the community through the stories of its dead
individual record

id
first
middle
last
dob
dod
cod
84CharleyW. or U.Gardner8/16/1860

veteran
exhumed
purchaser
cemetery
FALSEAdams Street

lot
plot
stone missing, probably R16 G6 based on family relations and 1934 transcription location
relations
Silas Gardner (grandfather, b. c1780) Jemima Gardner (grandmother, b. c1790 Daniel Gardner (father, b. c1816) Maria H. Thorpe Gardner (mother, b. c1836) Silas (half-brother, b. c1848) Alzina (half-sister, b. cApr 1850) Warren (brother, b. c1861) Jennie (sister, b. c1864) Marthy or Mattie (sister, b. c1869) Clark Gardner (uncle, b. 1828) Lydia Gardner (aunt by marriage) Betsey Gardner (cousin)

comments
Charles's father was enumerated in the 1850 census, in Middleburg Twp, in the household of his grandfather Silas Gardner (70), a farmer with real estate worth $3,000, born in NY. Grandmother Jemima (60), also born in NY, father Daniel (34) a farmer born in Ohio, Daniel's first wife Chloe (22), half-sister Alzina (4 mos.), half-brother Silas (2), uncle Clark (22, a farmer), and Charles Laughlin (26, a laborer from Ireland. The family lived near the early pioneers Charles Green and Enoch Watrous, and also near Henry Carman Sr. Silas Gardner was one of the very earliest settlers of Middleburg Twp, when there were fewer than 100 people (Shaw 12-13). Charles's grandmother Mrs. Silas Gardner was considered one of the "pioneering women" of Berea (Shaw 30). Daniel Gardner has several deeds in his name. In 1844, he had purchased 66.5 acres in Strongsville for $600 from Jonathan Pickard (son-in-law of Daniel Fairchild, another early pioneer) (Daniel Gardner deed, 23 May 1844). In July of 1852, Daniel and Chloe sold land in Strongsville to R. B. Strong for $600 (Daniel Gardner deed, 14 Jan 1853). By 1856, Daniel Gardner was a Trustee of Middleburg Twp (Daniel Gardner deed, 6 Feb 1856). In 1857, Clark and Lydia Gardner sold to Daniel Gardner all their interest in a property that lay between the Watrous, Nathan Gardner, and Abram Fowles properties, for $1,000 (Daniel Gardner deed, 7 Apr 1857). All Daniel's other deeds refer to the period after Charles's death. Daniel remarried three years after Chloe's death, on 20 May 1858, to Maria H. Thorpe (Labaj). By the 1860 census, Daniel (44) was living with 2nd wife Maria H.[almost illegible] (24), had extensive real estate worth $18,000 and personal property worth $2,000. Chloe's son Silas was 12, her daughter Alzina was 10, both attending school, and Maria had had Charles, then a 9 month old baby. Silas Gardner was still alive and working as a farmer at 79. This census record was taken 19 June 1860, which is key in identifying this baby Charles as the Charley Gardner, age 11 mo, whose stone was transcribed in 1904 and 1934. In the 1870 census, Daniel Gardner was still prospering, now 54, with real estate worth $25,400 and personal property worth $1525. Wife Mariah [sic] (34) kept house, son Silas (22) was a farmer, daughter Alzina (20) was at home. New children Jennie (9), Warren (6), Marthy or Mattie (1). Alsina, Jennie, and Warren were attending school. Silas was still hanging on at age 89. There is no mention of Charles, who died 8/16/1860 ("Inscriptions"). In the 1880 census, Daniel (64) is still a farmer in Middleburg Twp, living with 2nd wife Maria (44), her children Warren (16), Jennie (19), Mattie (11), and Chloe's children Alzina (30 and unmarried) and Silas (22). All the boys worked on the farm, all the girls were at home. They had a servant, Mathew White (30), who did not know his place of birth or his parents'. Their neighbor was Robert Wallace, quarry owner. There is no Daniel Gardner household in the 1900 census in Middleburg. Berea's records of burials for 1860 say "Aug. 18 Charles U. Gardner [age] 1" In 1904, a transcription of the Gardner tombstones read (in alphabetical order) "Betsey, dau of C & L Gardner, died July 13, 1856, age 1 yr, 11 mo, 5 days," "Charley W, son of D & M.H Gardner, died Aug 16, 1860 age 11 mo 5 d" and "Chloe, wife of Daniel Gardner, died July 31, 1855, ae 27". In 1934, a transcription was taken again, in order of location--following the Cards to the SE "Charley W, son of D & H.H Gardner, died July 16, 1860, age 11 months," Chloe, wife of Daniel Gardner, died July 31, 1855, age 27 yrs," Betsey, dau of C & L Gardner, died Feb 15, 1856, age 1 y 11 m" In 2007, Charley's stone was found to be missing or damaged to illegibility. Daniel Gardner bought lot 88, where Chloe is buried; Clark Gardner bought 87 for his daughter Betsey; Chloe's grave is just to the south of the old towpath, so if Charley is buried next to her, he would be to her south, or R16 G6. Betsey's grave is also near the north edge of her lot, but there are no stones to her immediate south, and a GPR scan found no unmarked graves on her lot.

sources
"List of burials and names, 1856-1871," City of Berea Records Willard H. Shaw, A Collection of Historical Facts on Berea, Ohio. Centennial,1836-1936. Souvenir edition. Berea, OH: Mohler Printing Co., 1936. E. S. Loomis and D. T. Gould, "Inscriptions from the Old Berea Cemetery," 1904, Berea Historical Society "Cuyahoga Cemetery Inscriptions," Vol. I, compiled by the Western Reserve Historical Society, 1934 1850 US Federal Census, Silas Gardner household, series M432, roll 673, p. 185. 1860 US Federal Census, Daniel Gardner household, Series: M653 Roll: 954 Page: 108 1870 US Federal Census, Daniel Gardner household, Series: M593 Roll: 1193 Page: 407 1880 US Federal Census, Daniel Gardner household, Series: T9 Roll: 1009 Page: 211 "Number of burial lots and price," Adams St Cemetery folder, Berea Historical Society Daniel Gardner-Chloe McCraavy marriage license, vol. 4, p. 374, Cuyahoga County Historical Marriage License index. Daniel Gardner deeds, Cuyahoga County Recorder's Office online, recorded 23 May 1844-21 Apr 1880. Don Labaj, Berea Families CD, 2006. Ground-penetrating radar scan, Geosearches Inc., 27 July 2006.