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

id
first
middle
last
dob
dod
cod
98ElizaJ.Housman4/19/1855

veteran
exhumed
purchaser
cemetery
FALSEAdams Street

lot
plot
R7 G4
relations
Lewis A. Housman (father, b. c1810) Susan or Susannah Housman (mother, b. c1815) Sarah Housman (sister, b. c 1833) Mary Housman (sister, b. c 1839) George Housman (brother, b. c 1842) Harris or Harrison Housman (brother, b. c 1844) Upton Housman (brother, b. c 1846) Susan Rosetta Housman (sister, b. c Dec 1849) Charles Housman (brother, b. c1853) William Housman (brother, b. c1856)

comments
Eliza was born around 1835. Her family was enumerated in Middleburgh Twp in the 1850 census: father Lewis was a mason, age 40, born NY [sic]; wife Susan was age 35, also born NY, as were the first three children, Sarah (17), Eliza (15), and Mary (11). George 98), Harris (6), Upton (4) and Rosetta (8 mo) were born in OH. Eliza, Mary, George, and Harris were all attending school. Eliza died before records were kept of burials in this cemetery, and before there were local newspapers to record her death. Her tombstone was transcribed in 1904 as saying "Eliza J., dau of L.A & S Housman, died Apr 17, 184?" It was not included on the 1934 transcription list. In 2007, the stone was read "ELIZA J. Daughter of L.A. & S. Hous[..]an DIED April 19, 185[5?] Aged 19 y. 7m. 7? d." The sandstone marker is a narrow pyramidal obelisk, darkened with age and worn. Her family was enumerated again after her death, in Berea: L. A. Houseman, age 58, a mason with $200 real estate and $100 personal property, born MD, wife Susannah, 49, born NY, children George (18), Harrison (14), Upton (13), Susan R (10), Charles (7), William (4). All the children except the youngest were attending school. In 1870, L. A. Housman was 60, a brick mason with $2,000 real estate and $100 personal property. Wife Susan was 58, children Charles (18-a laborer), and Wm. (14) were attending school. In 1876, Lewis A. and Susan Housman sold one acre of land on the highway from Berea to Strongsville to R. S. Wellington for $1,000 (a considerable sum for one acre at the time). Susan Housman made a mark to indicate she approved the sale, meaning that she was illiterate (Lewis Housman deed, 13 March 1876). No marriage license for her parents in Cuyahoga Cty; they were probably married in NY, where the first children were born.

sources
E. S. Loomis and D. T. Gould, "Inscriptions from the Old Berea Cemetery," 1904, Western Reserve Historical Society Cemetery Transcriptions copy, Berea Historical Society 1850 US Federal Census, Lewis Houseman household, Series: M432 Roll: 673 Page: 193 1860 US Federal Census, L. A. Housman household, series M653, roll 954, p. 425b. 1870 US Federal Census, L. A. Housman household, Series: M593 Roll: 1193 Page: 425 Lewis Housman deed, 13 March 1876, Cuyahoga County Recorder's Office online. Eliza J. Housman tombstone photograph, Jeremy Feador, 2007.