Linda’s Monthly Monday Morning Musings for Monday August 3, 2026.
This weekend, I joined in a walk through the Romeo Cemetery, that was produced by the Romeo Historical Association, designed to make people more aware of the cemetery and its many historic graves. On the 8th day of August in 1842, about 1 1/2 areas of ground was purchased from Jonas Crisman and set apart for a burial place on the west line of the present village limits, on the north side of St Clair Street (32 Mile Road). The first burial in these grounds was that of the wife of Edwin W. Giddings, whose maiden name was Martha S Makepeace. Once established, the remains of soldiers and veterans from the Revolutionary and Civil War were interred along with those who fought in every war through the 20th century.
An earlier area for burials was located at the Romeo Driving Park on North Bailey Street and the remains were reinterred in the new location. As there are no records to be found on the management of this first resting place, the facts are partly from traditions pasted on over the years. The Romeo Cemetery Association was first incorporated on the 31st of July in 1858 for a term of 30 years.
The first addition to the burial grounds was added on the 21st of December in 1860, and this area was just north of the original grounds. With space once again becoming a necessity, 2 more acres were added just to the north of the first addition in 1887, this being known as the Second Addition. Another four acres were added in 1903. The old fences around the grounds and all added purchases over the years, were removed and along the front on St Clair Street and replace with an iron fence in 1905 and wire fencing on the east and west sides.
The Association history lists the names of the following officers of the society from it’s incorporation in 1858 to the year 1909 as: Presidents – John W Dyer, Edwin W Giddings, Timothy A Smith, Dr Watson Loud, John A Brewer, George G Hartung and Charles C Thorington. Vice-Presidents – John C Benjamin, James Gray, Edward S Snover, John Brewer, Moritmore P Owens, Isaac N Brabb and Edward C Newbury. New street names for the paths into the cemetery were all renamed after former members of the Association who served on the Cemetery Board. The cemetery was deeded over to the Village of Romeo by the Cemetery Association in 1861. The Association group would continue to re-incorporate the organization until 1918.
While researching these names and their historical homes, there is an odd sense of familiarity when walking through this peaceful and lovely cemetery and seeing this is where those same founding members who shaped the growth of this community, made this their finally resting place.
I would like to thank the Romeo Historical Association for all the help on the research being done to bring these founding members of the village to life on the written pages of this next book. On that ‘wee note’ till Monday September 7, 2026.
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Linda Osborne Cynowa 