TOLEDO, Ohio — The Forest Cemetery is the city of Toledo's oldest, filled with those long gone, but not forgotten. That's thanks to Bowsher High School teacher Robyn Hage who's been working tirelessly for about 30 years to make sure everyone buried there has a headstone.
"This cemetery has a lot of people that no longer have a voice," Hage said. "There are many people buried here without a headstone. So, I think it's incumbent upon our generation to correct that error."
She has been working to make sure everyone she finds has a marked resting place in the Forest, Calvary and Woodlawn cemeteries.
Whether it's because of money, vandalism or just time, Hage said there are a lot of reasons somebody may not have a headstone. But there's a story for each person laid to rest, like veteran John Fields.
"He sat in section X3 without a headstone for many years," Hage said. "Then when someone was doing ancestry, they found that he was buried here without a headstone. So, they purchased the headstone and they had a big dedication in 2020."
The most recent person to get a headstone is Hannah Meriwether Davidson. Hage said Davidson is Fields' neighbor. However, you wouldn't know it because there's no headstone.
Davidson was born into slavery in Kentucky back in 1852. Hage said Davidson wasn't allowed to, and therefore, couldn't read of her freedom in 1862. She was interviewed about her time as a slave and it was archived and put into the Library of Congress. To read it, click here. Eventually, she was freed thanks to Union soldiers, got married and came to Toledo in 1919.
"When she came to Toledo, she was taught how to read," Hage said. "On Emancipation Proclamation Day, she was able to read that text to the students of Newberry Elementary."
Forest Cemetery made a post in December of 2021 about Davidson, and together the cemetery and Hage worked on getting her a headstone. They started raising the funds on March 8 and in less than 30 days had the money for her marker.
"Unless you are a historian and you dig deep, you're never going to learn about her. You're not going know her," Hage said. But, if you're walking past her headstone and you see it says, 'Born enslaved, died Free' there's a spark there."
Hage plans to have a dedication ceremony for Davidson's headstone in the fall of 2023. The event will be open to the public. Though this is a final place of rest for hundreds of people, it's alive with Hage's mission.
"Frances Belcher, she wrote 'The Raven' and she was known as 'Lady J' on the radio. She ran that for many, many, years. Again, she does not have a headstone," Hage said. "Albert Payne. He graduated from Toledo High School in 1899 and he was salutatorian of his class and he is buried in the old grounds section. He does not have a headstone."
Hage will continue to walk the grounds, making sure these souls are never forgotten.
She said those interested in donating funds for headstones, volunteering their time or getting tours of the cemeteries should visit the Forest Cemetery's Facebook Page for more information.