Mary Young is offering her expert headstone cleaning skills for free over the next year. In a project funded by the Ashland Monument Company, Mary will be cleaning headstones at the Ashland Cemetery, at no cost to any families. However, in order to do so, she requires permission from the descendants. If your ancestor is buried in the Ashland Cemetery and their headstone needs cleaning, reach out to ACHS to complete the required request form. Before you complete the form, please note the following:

• Headstones must have death dates prior to 1900.
• Stones must be under 5ft tall.
• The signatory giving permission must be a direct descendant of the person buried in the associated grave.
• Grave cleaning will only be done at the Ashland Cemetery at 523 W. Main St.
• Limit 2 stones per family will be considered. The decision whether to accept or decline the headstone cleaning is solely at Mary Young’s discretion. She reserves the right to accept or decline to clean a stone for size or condition.
• Mary will clean headstones as she is available and may not be able to accommodate all headstone requested in a year.
• Sign-Up for Headstone Cleaning by Mary Young – Fill out form

Mary Young is a resident of the Ashland, OH area. She is a retired nurse that took a great interest in gravestone cleaning and restoration after caring for family tombstones in western NY state. Mary has volunteered her time to multiple cemeteries at her own expense. Since 2021, Mary Young has cleaned 445 gravestones and cenotaphs in Ohio and western NY. Locally, Mary has cleaned many headstones in the Ashland Cemetery with permission by the Ashland Cemetery Association. Mary has taken classes on repairing stones through the 48 State Tour sponsored by Atlas Preservation. In 2025 and 2026, she taught classes on cleaning gravestones at Ashland Public Library, the Ashland Cemetery, and Marvin Memorial Library in Shelby, OH. Throughout 2026, Mary’s historic headstone cleaning will be focused in the Ashland Cemetery as well as in her hometown of Little Valley, NY – projects made possible in part through funding from Ashland Monument Company and the Little Valley Fund. For her, this is an honor and joy to connect those from the past to those in the future by doing grave preservation.

Join ACHS on September 13^th for our first-ever Hayesville-Vermillion Cemetery Walk! This year we will be showcasing the small town’s big personalities. Meet the Venus of Vaudeville, a nationally renowned hat-maker, a Freedman who made his way to liberty and settled in Hayesville, becoming a respected and industrious community member, and others! The Ashland County Historical Society is excited to work with Brethren Care to provide transportation to those in need to and from the cemetery for the event. This is on a first come first served basis. For more information regarding free transportation from Brethren Care Village, please call or email us at: (419)289-3111 or achs@ashlandhistory.org. The event will begin at 2:00 and will continue until 4:00. Tours will begin promptly at 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, and 3:30 PM.

• Tours will occur throughout the two hours, but space is limited.
• Tickets are $10 per person. No day-of Registration.
• Registration will open on 8/15 for non-members.

Registration ends on September 10th at midnight. Parking will be located at the Hayesville Methodist Church at 44 S Mechanic St, Hayesville, OH 44838, United States Please only register for the tour you plan on attending. Special thanks to Denbow-Gasche Funeral home and Crematory for sponsoring this years event! This event is also made possible through the support of Lighthouse Wealth Management,  Baker Bowman & Co., Ashland Elks Lodge 1360, and Brethren Care Village. With special thanks to Hayesville Methodist Church.