Niesz Cemetery

The OES visited Niesz Cemetery on August 18, 2007. Niesz Cemetery is a small burying ground adjacent to the Niesz Evangelical United Brethren Church in Canton Township at the Perry Township border in Stark County. In his younger days, John Niesz was quite an irreligious and sinful man. He belonged to a group that published a paper in favor of infidelity. John Niesz’s obituary stated that in 1831, one of his young children passed away, all the while “shouting praises to Christ.” This made such an impression on John that he decided he needed to change his ways and become a religious man. He was ordained a minister and in 1841, he built a church on the corner of his farmland, setting aside additional land for the cemetery. According to records, the oldest tombstone belonged to John Stringer, who died in 1848 at 49-years-old, but no tombstones from the 1840s are in existence today. The oldest tombstone we found standing in the cemetery belonged to Delilah Niesz, who died in 1853. The most recent gravestone belonged to William Niesz, who died in 1913. Most of the other tombstones in the cemetery seemed to be in good condition and the cemetery seemed well-kept during our visit.

Location Information: Inactive Cemetery [Safe]

Niesz Cemetery is located near the intersection of Faircrest Street and Sherman Church Avenue; Stark County.

Photographs