YOUNGSTOWN — A small group of residents is seeking help with continued maintenance of a private cemetery that was established in the 1880s.

The Home Cemetery located off McCollum Road near Mill Creek Park has a cemetery association that does what it can, but its numbers are small.

Donna Hageman of Youngstown, who lives a few streets away from the cemetery, said efforts were made to get the cemetery listed on the Ohio History Connection’s list of historic places to visit, but that did not happen.

Wayne Hageman of North Jackson said the association tried to find someone buried in the cemetery from the Revolutionary War period.

Grace Hageman of Berlin Center said for the past 22 years, she has worked as the sexton to maintain the cemetery, but she noted strong foundations are not under the headstones, with some caving in and others needing reset.

“We want to keep the cemetery financially stable, but it is difficult. We have two burials per year, so there are few funds coming in. We are given no money for maintenance,” Grace said.

She said someone is paid to cut grass and rake leaves.

Grace and Donna’s husbands, Charles and George, are buried in the cemetery as are other relatives. Grace is a retired superintendent’s secretary and Donna is a retired teacher.

The cemetery has between 300 and 400 graves with markers from World War I and World War II.

Grace said there are people buried at the cemetery who do not have headstones.

“We would like to get family members of people buried here who would be willing to help out,” Donna said.

Many of the association members have since died or moved from the area.

“We want to be able to keep the cemetery solvent,” Grace said.

Donna said since association members are getting older, someone is needed to oversee operation of the cemetery. Wayne said if a tree needs to be taken down, it will eat up all the available funds.

He said donations also will help with the cemetery upkeep.

The cemetery is surrounded by a white fence that is broken in sections from falling trees and branches from nearby properties. Wayne said a fence company came in to repair some of the fencing, but more needs done.

Wayne said he does what he can to help straighten cemetery markers, but he is limited in what he can do.

“There is often a lot of digging involved for the markers,” Wayne said.

He also helps mark out graves and measures for when burials and cremations take place.

“I am still willing to help; I just can’t do all the work that is needed,” Wayne said.

Grace said some of the vaults are sunk 6 inches or more. She said space is available for people who want to be buried at the historical cemetery, which has markers from the 1880s and 1890s.

Grace said she would work with someone to take over her sexton responsibilities, noting the cemetery records are up to date.

Donna said veterans groups do help place flags on veterans’ graves for Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

The association has a perpetual care fund for donations. Anyone who can provide assistance can call Grace Hageman at 330-547-6207.