Woodlawn Cemetery - Lima Ohio

10/22/2026

Carpenter john Carnes was from Vermont - a builder of sash-mills. He came to Ohio where he had a watermill and later a foundry/machine shop. He brought his family to Lima in 1860 and reopened the former Lima Agricultural Works as the Lima Machine Works, where they made circular saws, threshing machines and sawmill machinery - and in 1879, locomotives! As president of the firm, Carnes was responsible for the pattern of the first locomotive ever built in Lima, and through his business associations, their Shay engines became famous worldwide. This shop turned into the Lima Locomotive Works, with which most are familiar. His widow, Mary (Baldwin) Carnes lies here with him, as do others of the family, including Ira, who was also deeply involved with "The Loco." The man who gave locomotives to Lima, John Carnes, Sr., died in 1908 at the age of 86.

10/15/2026

The Curtin family came to Ohio with the oil boom, working first in Auglaize, then Allen County. Emmett R. Curtin branched out into utilities and banking. He was president of the Lima Natural Gas Co. (precursor to West Ohio Gas), Lima Telephone & Telegraph, and the First American Bank & Trust Co. Emmett R., Sr. was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in 1931. The Curtin mausoleum dates to 1937 with the death of E.R., Sr.'s wife Effie (Allen) Curtin. E.R, Sr. was transferred there at that time. His son, Emmett R., Jr. followed in his father's footsteps in gas & oil as well as various Lima utilities and banking endeavors, and was buried there in 1949, followed by wife Hazel (Wright) Curtin in 1958.

10/08/2026

Two-time 4th Congressional District representative, attorney John L. Cable, literally wrote the book on immigration. He authored the act granting independent citizenship to American women in 1922, and co-authored the Restrictive Immigration Act setting national alien quotas in 1924, among others. Prior to his political career, Cable had been Allen County Prosecutor for two terms, and later was a candidate for governor. He was always active in Republican Party politics, and in local clubs and associations. He was married to Rhea (Watson) Cable, who was noted locally as a musician since her very early years. Mr. Cable died in 1971, and his widow survived until 1983. Also buried with them are their daughter-in-law, Helen (Leckron) Cable, and his sister Marion (Cable) McGraw. Their son, Davis W. Cable, is buried in Gethsemane Cemetery.

10/01/2026

The Cunningham family goes back to the beginning of Lima (those pioneers rest in the Old Lima Cemetery section of Woodlawn Cemetery) and Lima's first doctor, Dr. William and Anna (Ewalt) Cunningham. Their son, Theodore E. "Doan" Cunningham came to town the year of its birth and was a well-known attorney in later life. His son, "Lou" Cunningham, is remembered for his interest in the theater - he was manager of the Faurot Opera House in its heyday. Doan died in 1889, and his wife Sarah Elizabeth (Hyatt) in 1904. Lou survived until 1926. A simple monument adorns their family plot.

09/24/2026

Dr. Joseph Bradfield came to Lima from Mount Vernon, Ohio with his wife Edith (Payne) Bradfield in 1912 after he graduated from The OSU School of Medicine. Getting a footing as a Black physician in Lima was undoubtedly a difficult undertaking, but he worked hard to alleviate the social difficulties of his people as well as their physical ailments. He worked in the political arena, supporting the Republican party. He addressed the issue of Black migration from the south, and helped start the Negro Civic League, as well as seeking better housing and sanitation. Dr. Bradfield was offered a better job elsewhere, but chose to remain in Lima. He died in 1936 of pneumonia that was believed he contracted from a patient. It was said he "died from giving the community too much of himself." In 1937 when the local Black community opened a social center, they named it in his honor. The Bradfield Community Center was dedicated in 1938. His widow, Edith, survived until 1951.

09/17/2026

The Cory family interests were in real estate, and the Metropolitan Bank (when it was in the Metropolitan Block on the corner of Main & North Streets), although when they first came to town, their connections were railroading as master mechanics, and with the Solar Refinery. Charles H. Cory had been the machinist (d. 1928), his wife was Mary (Young) Cory. Their family plot is in the older portion of Woodlawn Cemetery. Their children: Charles H., Jr., Lewis, Fred, and James M. and their wives rest there with them, along with James's son, Frank L. His other son, Charles H. (d. 1976) lies in the old mausoleum with his uncle and aunt.

09/14/2026

Visit this link from Downtown Lima Inc. to learn more about this year's Woodlawn Cemetery Tours!

A historical visit to Woodlawn Cemetery with tour guide George MacDonell and transportation from Allen County RTA Downtown Trolley. Explore Lima's history and…

09/11/2026

09/10/2026

Blattner's will be long-remembered for their department store that stood on the northeast corner of Main and Spring, and later on N. Main in what would later become Gregg's Annex (the former Feldman's). Samuel G. Blattner and his young family had come to Lima in 1908 from Cincinnati, where he had been a clerk. He had married Lena Baer in 1905 in Springfield. The Blattners had three sons who survived childhood and grew into the retail business: Simon, Bernard, and Jerome. Grandchildren eventually joined the firm as well. It was among the first to have an entire floor devoted to a credit department. Samuel was active in club work after his retirement. He died in 1945, his widow in 1973. Their sons are buried elsewhere at Woodlawn Cemetery.

09/03/2026

Edwin W. Cook founded the Globe Machine Co., later known as the Globe Cigar Box Co., located on S. Main Street immediately north of the Ottawa River in 1879. His mausoleum was built on his death in 1928, and various members of his family rest here. His son, Fred W. Cook, died in 1968, and is remembered for purchasing the Old National City Bank on W. High Street, changing the name to Cook Tower, and then attempting to donate it to the City of Lima as a new city building