Welcome to Oxford Cemetery
Oxford Ohio


Notice: The ownership of the Oxford Cemetery has
move to the City of Oxford Ohio.
Call (513) 524-5202 to reach the
City of Oxford, department of Finance.
For more information Click here

Most links from this page take you to the City of Oxford website. City of Oxford Web link

This web site will go away in the near future. If you have linked to us, please update your URL to the City of Oxford's URL https://www.cityofoxford.org/residents___visitors/oxford_cemeteries.php

(last updated January 3, 2023)

History

The Oxford Cemetery Association (1855-2022) was founded in 1855 by a group of citizens who purchased 31.4 acres of farmland from W.A. Irwin. The land and its surroundings lie just south of the campus of Miami University at 4385 Oxford-Millville Road (US 27). The need for the cemetery developed with the coming of the railroad to Oxford. The Junction Railroad Company had purchased a right-of-way from village officials and the railroad track bisected the then existing burial grounds that had served the small community since 1817. Many residents felt the cemetery was no longer a suitable resting place for their loved ones. So with a $500 first payment on the land, the Oxford Cemetery was founded.

The first Association Trustees included a representative cross section of village dwellers: Thomas McCullough (merchant), J.D. Flingwood (grocer), James Smiley (farmer-banker), G.W. Keely (dentist), Elias Kumler (banker), Peter Sutton (Mayor), and Robert Ratliff (teamster). The first burial was that of Elizabeth Beeler Collins on August 1, 1855.

In the early years, graves were dug by hand and adverse weather conditions prevented burials after November 1. A chapel of 24 square feet was completed in 1870 and the caskets of the deceased rested there until suitable weather and ground conditions allowed for their burial.

A comprehensive history of the cemetery was written by Sylvia F. Ferguson and is available today in the Lane Public Library for the avid historian.

After years of financial losses, the board of Directors at their October 2022 meeting, determined that it was not practical to continue operating the cemetery. Following Ohio revised code, the board voted to disolve the Oxford Cemetery Associaiton and turn the cemetery over to the City of Oxford, Ohio. The transfer was completed January 1, 2023.

The board of directors would like to extend a special Thank You to all who have made donations of money, capital, and time to allow us to maintain a quality cemetery.