From Mausoleum To Arboretum — Woodside Cemetery and Arboretum, Middletown, Ohio

By Kevin Burrows, assistant editor

Consisting of 135 acres – 35 acres of turf and 100 acres of mixed turf, woody ornamentals, and flower beds – the cemetery is the site of about 550 burials per year and over 35,000 interments. Pictured are impatiens, as well as dwarf Serbian spruce and boxwood trees.

Founded in1891, Woodside Cemetery in Middletown, Ohio has long been known for its large open green spaces and pristine landscaping. The original one hundred acre tract of land that the cemetery sits on was purchased from Dr. T. A. Dickey and was originally known as “Winton Farm.” Subsequent purchases of land increased the total property to 135 acres, with over fifty acres yet to be developed.

Often described as “one of the most beautiful cemeteries” in the country, the landscape includes numerous varieties of trees, plants and shrubs, which are continually planted. The title arboretum was added to the cemetery’s official name to pay tribute to its 110th anniversary in 2001. Arboretum maps, available to the public, allow visitors to tour the many varieties of trees on the property. The seasonal beauty of the grounds together with the historically interesting individuals who are buried there attract many visitors annually.

The John Deere utility vehicle at right is used every day to haul compost, fertilizer, tools and workers around the facility. An average of 5,000 pansies and another 5,000 annuals are added to the grounds each year. Pansies are planted early spring and late fall.

Staff

With a dedicated staff of experienced professionals, many with over 20 years of service, the grounds maintenance crew is made up of eight full time employees, while the support staff is made up of three full-timers.

General Manager Fred Wehr has been with Woodside since 1980. He has an Associate Degree in Botany from Miami University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration-Personnel from the University of Cincinnati.

The Thatcher mausoleum, one of two private mausoleums at Woodside (the other being the Levy mausoleum), features annuals, such as petunias planted in the late spring. This particular mausoleum and the area around it, utilizes a Rainbird irrigation system funded by an endowment from the Thatcher family.

Maintenance

Special attention has always been paid to the care and maintenance of Woodside. The grave sites are arranged for maximum beauty and carefully placed so loved ones may easily visit grave sites.

To make sure maintenance is a priority for years to come, the Woodside’s Board of Directors allocated 10 percent of all sales to be placed in a trust fund for upkeep. The fund assures that grave sites are attractive and that the cemetery grounds will continue to be given professional attention.

This fountain and its surrounding wall were built in 2001 and sit at the entrance of the crematory. Utilizing re-circulated water, it is surrounded by plants such as Japanese maple and dwarf spirea.

Arboretum

When the cemetery celebrated its 100th anniversary on June of 2001, “Arboretum” was added to its name. An arboretum, by Webster’s definition, is a place where trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes. The grounds are open to local residents of the Middletown area to use as a resource while teaching the young and old alike.

They are able to study which plants will flourish in the area, thus broadening the plant material used in the local community.

Mapping Woodside

Over 2,000 trees and shrubs can be found on site and are identified and placed on individual burial lot maps. The original map of the cemetery, hanging in the main office, dates back to 1891. The firm of Earnshaw and Punshon Landscape Engineers, the same engineers who mapped Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in Cincinnati, Ohio produced the map of Woodside. All the plant material identified on the original map was deciduous and evergreen plants.

The Woodside mausoleum accounts for around 10 percent of the internments at the cemetery. The pristine grounds in front of it feature pansies, as well as winter king hawthorns.

Trees and Plants

One of the oldest trees at the cemetery is a large post oak located behind the main office. An aging trumpet vine hangs from its trunk. Believed to be an Ohio Champion, or the largest tree of that specie in Ohio, it stands 52 feet tall, 79 feet wide and 13-3/4 feet in circumference. A ginkgo (gingko biloba) tree and the American elm can also be found on site.

Some 100,000 naturalized bulbs bloom in the Spring and five to 10 thousand more are added each year, along with an average of 5,000 pansies and 5,000 annuals.

Landscape Superintendent, Brad Dreier is pictured in front of the Woodside’s entrance, which showcases petunias planted every spring. An arboretum was added in 2001. This project involved developing a map of the entire cemetery with every woody ornamental marked and identified. Over 2,000 trees and shrubs are located and identified on the map and currently there are 275 different species with an identification tag containing both the scientific and common names.

Veterans Memorial

The Veterans Memorial project was begun in 2001 to honor all area veterans from the areas of Middletown, Monroe, Trenton, Jacksonburg, Poasttown, Lemon Township, Madison Township and Liberty Township who have served during times of peace and war since the founding of the country.

The Veterans Memorial is located at Woodside Cemetery in Middletown, Ohio in a area adjacent to the other veterans memorials located at Woodside.

During the late fall, Woodside must deal with the falling leaves in Ohio. While a great deal of the leaves are mulched back into the turf, these workers ride two of the crew’s 6 Kubota mowers (with the decks removed), and are using a front attachment to blow and vacuum the turf. The staff at Woodside sub-contracts out most of the trimming around grave makers and monuments. Because of this they do not have a great deal of trimming equipment on site. They do use 2 John Deere Gators, as well as ten 14-inch push mowers. Interestingly, the brand of mower that they used was discontinued, so they had 14-inch decks built for them locally. The staff then built the rest of the engines and body parts, essentially fabricating their own push mowers.

WWII Plaza Memorial

After World War II, the local community and the local War Mothers group requested a new veteran’s section from the Trustees of Woodside. The Trustees dedicated seven acres to the veterans associations of Middletown. The War Mothers asked the community to help raise money to finance the 167 white marble crosses, the flag pole, the WWII Memorial Plaza and the Memorial Chapel. The work began immediately after WWII in 1945. Five years later, the Memorial Chapel was dedicated along with white marble crosses, a memorial plaza and the flag pole.

The flag pole is approximately 60-70 feet tall, and flies a 8×12-ft. American flag.