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Archer
Boyle
Corrigan
Scholl
Spang
Consolo

I started into genealogy because I did not know my Grandfather. I knew my Grandmother because she lived with us and watched us when everyone was at work, my Grandfather died before I was born.

My father was one of 10 children, he being the 3rd oldest.

I was wondering who my Grandfather was but everyone died except my Aunt Evelyn.

I asked her what my Grandfather's name was and she told me it was John Joseph Boyle, he was born in Akron, Summit County.

I started searching and found Joseph's marriage certificate in Cleveland in 1909 and it had his mother and father's name on it. ( Neil Boyle and Louisa Murphy ).

I then went to Akron, and looked up the births for Boyle under Cornelius and Louisa ( Neil is short for Cornelius) I found 8 children born in Akron and one of them was Joseph James Boyle born on the same month as John Joseph. (sometime before he married, he changed his name)

My Aunt Evelyn was at home making phone calls (because she could not walk very well) and I was out in the field searching, keeping in touch with my Aunt, she would tell me where to search next.

She told me there was a Boyle family related to us in Akron, this is the descendants of Daniel, Cornelius's brother, and I should contact a cousin there.

I called the cousin and She told me that they were having a family reunion in Goodyear park in Akron, and I should come down to meet everyone. She remembered my father because he went there a lot to see his uncle (Her father).

I went to the reunion and met several cousins. One cousin and her brother
told me about the family and the canal boat the family owned, they introduced me to the family and told me where my Great Grandfather, Great Grandmother, and their Grandfather Daniel was buried. They were in their 60's at the time (This was back in the 1970's. We are one generation apart)

They did not know the name of the cemetery but they said they were buried somewhere in Summit County. They also told me that when they were about 5 or 6 years old (remember they are in their 60's now), they went to a cemetery where someone, they didn't remember who, was being buried. They followed a horse and wagon, with the casket in the back of the wagon. The wagon stopped at a place in the cemetery where there was a slight hill, they remembered they had to walk up a small hill to where the hole was dug for the casket.

They told me that because they were young, they couldn't hold still and they went searching and playing in the cemetery.

They were running around and were by a large sandstone building that had a lot of leaves on it. They looked inside and saw a lot of caskets leaning against the walls and some on shelves on the walls, They got scared and ran back to the funeral. They do not remember the name of the cemetery, but it was a cemetery where they brought in horses and wagons, and it had a small hill.

They drew me a map of what they remembered the Boyle plot looked like.

 

Unknown Adult	Empty        Louisa's Headstone	Child or baby
Cornelius	Louisa Murphy	Daniel

With that information, I went searching Summit County Cemeteries. I called my aunt Evelyn to tell her what cemetery I searched and she would tell me which one to search next. I also went to Akron library to search the cemetery books they had, looking for any Boyle's listed.

 

I searched all the cemeteries and was getting down because I could not find them, my aunt told me that she found a newspaper clipping from years ago, that had an article about the cemeteries in Akron, saying that they were putting in Interstate 270, and anyone who had relatives buried in certain cemeteries should claim the bodies or they would be buried under the Interstate.

With this in mind, I was giving up any hope of finding them. 

I went to the last cemetery. Northfield/Macadonia. 

I pulled into the cemetery and went to the office which was in a large sandstone building with ivy growing all over it. I asked the caretakers, who were on their lunch hour, if I could search the files to see if I could find my family. They asked what name I was searching for, and I told them Boyle. They said there was no Boyle buried in that cemetery, they knew because they worked there for years and did not remember seeing a headstone for Boyle. 

We, the caretakers and I, searched what records they had left, they told me they had to throw out a lot of books because they got wet and all the writing "was messed up", and you could not read what was written in them.

We searched the records and found nothing. I thanked the caretakers and went back to my car and sat there and lit a cigarette, just staring and thinking about not finding my Great Grandparents. 

I looked at the building I was parked next to and remembered what my cousins told me about the building they saw in the cemetery.

 

A large sandstone building with a lot of leaves,............ THE IVY!

 

I went back into the office and asked the caretakers if this building was always an office, they told me "no, they stored caskets in it years ago". I then asked them if there was another entrance, other then the one I came in where someone could bring a horse and wagon, and where there is a small hill. They said, "back on the right side, there was an entrance many years ago but it is blocked off by the fence now, and the land does slope down to it."

 

I asked if I could walk back there and see, and they said "sure, that is the old section but I know there is no headstone for Boyle".

 

I walked back to the old section, and went down a slight hill down to a flat area near the tree line. ( a line of trees and bushes separating the cemetery from the house next to it ) I looked towards the fence and noticed, it looked like a driveway  an area wide enough and flat enough where they could bring in horses and wagons.

 

I turned to go back up the hill, in front of me was a headstone, a post civil war sandstone headstone about 2 inches thick rounded on top. On it was written Louisa Boyle nee Murphy, and gave the date of birth and death. Next to the headstone about 4 graves to the right was about 12 Murphy's buried in the Murphy Plot. Her families plot

 

HURRAH!!!!!!, I found them, her at least. There was only one headstone.

I searched the Murphy Plot and recorded all the names and dates and went back to the office.  

Being anxious to find the others, I asked the caretakers: "What would I find if I brought in a back hoe and dug across the graves to see if there are 3 graves". They said: "Only black clay or bits of the body. Because they were buried long ago, there wouldn't be much left. Back then, they didn't bury them in caskets or wooden boxes".

The one caretaker told me: "Wait, I can let you know what is in there easier than renting a back hoe". He went into the storage shed and brought out 2 copper rods bent at 90 degrees, and 2 brass tubes, just long enough to fit in your hand. He said: "Follow me and I'll show you what is in the graves". Of course, I had my doubts, I never saw a Dowser at work before. I only saw a Dowser using a dividing rod in movies trying to find water. Even then, I didn't think it worked.

We came to the graves and I told him to start at where I thought Cornelius's grave was located and walk to the other side toward Murphy's Plot. Which will take him across all three graves.

Now remember, these two great people are still on their lunch break, helping me find my family.

 

I had the drawing of the Boyle plot that my cousins drew, in my pocket. I asked the other caretaker to take a pencil and paper and draw what his friend finds as far as the grave locations.

 

The other caretaker put the copper rods inside the brass tubing and held them in his hands with his arms into his side and his forearms straight out. I told him to start at Cornelius's grave and he said there wasn't anyone buried there because the headstone is up further. I told him to start there and let me know what he finds. He stood at the edge of what we thought was the edge of the grave and took one step and the rods crossed. He said "There is someone buried there". I told him to keep walking and let us know what happens. He took about 3 more steps and the rods opened. He said "This is the end of the body". He then went lengthwise to see how long the grave was and said "This is an Adult!!" I told him "That's my Great Grandfather Cornelius. Keep going".

 When he crossed over to Louisa, the rods closed again and he said "This is Louisa". He then took 2 more steps and the rods opened. He then took one more step and the rods crossed. He said: "There is someone buried here" and he went lengthwise and told me it was an Adult. "That's Daniel" I said.

 

I asked the other caretaker if he was writing this down and he told me yes.

I told the caretaker with the rods to go behind the headstone and walk across the graves in back the same as he did in front. He told me there wasn't anyone buried there. I asked him to check.

 

He went behind Cornelius's grave and started walking, He took one step and the rods closed, He said: "There is someone buried there". He went lengthwise and said it was an Adult. He then went behind Louisa's headstone and the rods stayed apart. He told me there was no other graves here. I told him to continue. He took two steps and the rods closed. He then took one step further and the rods opened. He told me that wasn't right and did it 3 more times, then went lengthwise 3 times and after he was through he told me there was an infant or baby buried there. I told him, "Thank You, you are right".

 I then took out the drawing I had in my pocket and gave it to the other caretaker and asked him if it was the same as he drew. IT WAS.

They then told me several stories of other graves they found with the rods.
I was a firm believer.

 

I went to the library and took out books and video's on Dowsing, It's very interesting. Go to a library, get the video and find out for yourself.

I don't know to this day how it happens but a Dowser can tell you what sex the body is either male or female, how deep the body is lying, what wood was used for the casket, and as far as searching for water, they can tell you how deep to drill for the water (within one foot either way) and how many gallons an hour will be pumped out.

 

Here is another story of finding graves with a Dowser

JONATHAN ARCHER'S GRAVE

Truman wrote me back in 98 and told me about the Archer cemetery in Macon County, Tennessee. I asked him for information on the headstones, and how many were buried there.

He wrote back and told me that he only found one headstone, one grave, Jonathan's. He talked to a person who remembered 6 graves there. I told Truman, when I was going to be there for the reunion, to have a Dowser there to see how many graves there are. 

Truman wasn't a believer either.

We did not know where Delila (his wife) was buried. When I arrived at his house, he had a Dowser, (a woman) there to check the graves. I knew of two graves since I pulled Delila's death certificate in Nashville and it said she was buried in Archer cemetery. 

Truman and I cleaned out the weeds. 

 



 

I did not tell her how many graves we knew of. She only had coat hangers bent at 90 degrees, holding them in each hand. 

Truman and I were marking the graves and putting rocks and twigs down where the rods crossed. 

 





She found 9 graves total. 7 adults, 1 teen, and one baby.

                 

Truman came back later and drove in the grade stakes to mark the graves.

 

 

 

 

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