Friends of the Cemetery

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Friends of the Cemetery

The Friends of the Cemetery mission is to serve as an advocate for the beautification, maintenance and historic preservation of Medina's city-owned cemeteries.

As a 501(c)3 organization, donations and memberships support those efforts.

03/17/2026

Homer Davis Sr. and his wife, Margaret Batchelder Davis, were prominent public figures in Medina. Homer began his career as a Medina Village policeman in 1948, when the department consisted of a chief, two patrolmen, one car, and a motorcycle. In 1949 he was appointed Town Marshal, and when Medina became a city after the 1950 census, he was named Chief of Police. During his 20 years as chief, he helped modernize the station by introducing radio communication and expanding operations. Margaret devoted 26 years to Medina County elections as a clerk, deputy, and director, and served her community through church leadership and several civic organizations. Homer and Margaret are interred in Section 17 of Spring Grove Cemetery.

03/12/2026

John William Brown was born on December 28th, 1913 in Athens, Ohio. He is Ohio’s longest-serving Lieutenant Governor, serving from 1953-1957 and again in 1963-1975. Brown also briefly served as the Governor of Ohio for 11 days in January 1957. Previously, Brown served as Mayor of Medina (1950-1953), in the Ohio House (1959-1961), and in the Ohio Senate (1961-1963). John W. Brown died in 1993 at the age of 79. He is buried in Section 17 of Spring Grove Cemetery in Medina.

03/10/2026

Samuel Ingham was born on January 9th, 1849, in a log cabin southeast of Medina.
He attended “country” school in Montville Township and Chase Brook School. Later, Samuel would go on to attend college at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio.

As a child, Samuel had an affinity for music. He originally played the drums, but later switched to the flute at the advice of his doctor in order to correct a lung disorder. Samuel would go on to join the 8th Regiment band, the Ganyards’ Band, and the Sharon Band.

In 1884, at the age of 45, he organized his own band that consisted of family and neighbors. They played at hundreds of public functions, becoming a permanent feature at the Medina County Fair. One of the band’s last performances was at a parade in 1932, celebrating the opening of the “new pavement” on Route 42 to Cleveland.

Samuel Ingham’s last performance was in 1937 at the Medina County Fair. In failing health, his friends held him up while he played. One of his last requests was that his band play at his funeral service. His band members served as his pallbearers.

02/19/2026

Sadie Green was born in Medina County on March 4, 1885. During World War I, she was deployed to England as an army nurse, where she spent two years caring for wounded soldiers. Following her military service, she returned home in the early 1920s and became Medina’s first public nurse.

In this role, Sadie visited local schools to conduct health examinations and teach health education classes. She arranged for underprivileged children to attend summer camps at the YMCA and YWCA, as well as helped place children in loving homes through adoption and foster care. Her commitment to education extended to local jails, where she taught reading and writing to inmates.

Beyond her work in nursing and social service, Sadie was an accomplished artist, with many of her pieces displayed in various homes.

Sadie passed away in 1986, just three months shy of her 101st birthday. She currently resides in Section 4 of Spring Grove Cemetery. Her life is a powerful example of humanitarian service.

02/17/2026

Jim Curtice was born in Elyria, OH on September 3, 1916. He moved to Medina County as a child, where he learned the value of hard work at an early age. In 1938, Jim began a milk delivery career with Elm Farm Dairy that would span 40 years, first delivering door to door by horse-drawn wagon. His route began each morning at 7:30am and became a familiar part of daily life in Medina, complete with friendly conversations and neighborhood children along the way. Jim transitioned to a motorized truck in 1958 and continued with Elm Farm until its closure in 1978. He later worked as a supervisor for Stop-n-Go before retiring at age 72. Jim passed away on August 14, 2013, at the age of 96. He is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery in section 15B.

02/12/2026

Dr. Ella Mae Wray Wilson was born in 1939 in Lexington, Kentucky. As a child, Ella moved to Medina at a young age with her family as part of the Great Migration, when millions of Black Americans relocated north in search of safety and opportunity. She grew up in Medina’s close-knit Black community, centered around Bronson Street and Second Baptist Church.

In 1957, Ella married Joe Louis Wray, and the couple raised three sons in Medina. In 1968, following the sudden tragic death of her husband, she made the unconventional decision to attend college. With the support of her family and community, she earned multiple degrees and went on to become a professor at Hiram College.
Later in life, Ella became known as a respected educator, community leader, and trailblazer. She passed away in 2000 at the age of 62, her final resting place at Spring Grove Cemetery.

02/10/2026

Richard C. Coleman Jr. was born in Medina on January 12, 1952. Deeply impacted by his family, church, and community, Richard was determined to make Medina his lifelong home. A standout athlete at Medina High School, he lettered in baseball, basketball, and football, earning Athlete of the Year honors his senior year.

Driven by his love of sports, Richard became the first of his nine siblings to graduate college, earning a degree in Physical Education with a minor in Psychology. He went on to coach at the collegiate level, leading Cuyahoga Community College’s women’s basketball team to a 21–6 season.

In 1997, Richard was named head coach of the Cloverleaf High School girls’ basketball team, making him Medina County’s first African American head coach, a dream realized after decades of perseverance. Tragically, he passed away just weeks later before coaching his first game. Today, Richard’s final resting place is in Section 16 of Spring Grove Cemetery. He is remembered for his dedication, resilience, and lasting impact in the Medina community.

02/06/2026

We’re proud to announce that Spring Grove Cemetery has been awarded a 5-year renewal arboretum accreditation by the the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum! As the only arboretum in Medina County, this accreditation renewal will further strengthen our partnership with the City of Medina as we advance the care and development of the arboretum at Spring Grove Cemetery.

01/31/2026

Come see us today at Medina Library’s History Fair. We’re here till 4:00!

01/27/2026

George Gruninger was born in Liverpool Township in 1850. George came from a long line of carpenters and woodworkers; his father Michael Gruninger settled in the area in 1837, becoming the township’s local undertaker, presumably due to his ability to build coffins.

George’s expert craftsmanship helped shape Medina’s architectural landscape throughout the mid-to-late 19th century. He helped restore buildings near the Square that had burned in the Great Fire of 1870. He went on to construct several notable buildings and structures throughout Medina, including the Spring Grove Chapel (1884), the Spring Grove Grand Entryway (1892), the Town Hall and Engine House (1878), the Savings Deposit Bank building (now PJ Marleys, 1892), and the Gazette Block (1898). He also built several notable homes throughout town, including the McDowell, Reinhardt, Griesinger, and Spitzer houses, as well as his own residence at 598 S. Court Street.

01/22/2026

The Friends of the Cemetery is dedicated to the beautification, preservation, and maintenance of the historic buildings and structures at Spring Grove Cemetery. We work with skilled architects and contractors who specialize in preservation. Swipe right to see our restoration process over the last 12 years.

11/02/2025

Cheers to our 2025 Photo Contest Winners!

Address

775 East Washington Street
Medina, OH
44256

Website

http://www.friendsofmedinacemetery.org/

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