Family makes a meaningful discovery after years of searching
The gravestone of Isaiah Hallett now rests between that of his wife and youngest son in the graveyard of Ephraim Church ME, on Ohio 145 three miles north of Lower Salem. The broken edge of the sandstone was repaired with mortar and the stone itself was anchored in a “keyhole” recess in the new foundation slab. (Photo Provided)
A cenotaph, a way of memorializing remains buried elsewhere, gives the location of the Hallett farm where Isaiah was originally buried. (Photo Provided)
From left, Don Smith, Daniel Smith, Joe Fouss, Helen Kehl and Linda Boyce at the April 13 observance of Isaiah Hallett’s gravestone being relocated between those of his wife and his youngest son. Daniel is shown with the painting titled “Homecoming” that was commissioned by his father. It portrays Anna Hallett standing over her husband’s grave and Isaiah Hallett returning “home.” (Photo Provided)
The gravestone of Isaiah Hallett now rests between that of his wife and youngest son in the graveyard of Ephraim Church ME, on Ohio 145 three miles north of Lower Salem. The broken edge of the sandstone was repaired with mortar and the stone itself was anchored in a “keyhole” recess in the new foundation slab. (Photo Provided)
A cenotaph, a way of memorializing remains buried elsewhere, gives the location of the Hallett farm where Isaiah was originally buried. (Photo Provided)
From left, Don Smith, Daniel Smith, Joe Fouss, Helen Kehl and Linda Boyce at the April 13 observance of Isaiah Hallett’s gravestone being relocated between those of his wife and his youngest son. Daniel is shown with the painting titled “Homecoming” that was commissioned by his father. It portrays Anna Hallett standing over her husband’s grave and Isaiah Hallett returning “home.” (Photo Provided)
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LOWER SALEM -- The little white church just a few miles north of Lower Salem is quiet now, as are many of the houses of worship that were at the heart of life in the Ohio farmland and hills a century ago.
But Mt. Ephraim Church ME on Ohio 145 is the site of two significant homecomings this year.
One will be the gathering of the descendants of its past members on the last Saturday in July, an annual celebration of heritage and loved ones that has been held every July for the past 75 years.
The other is a special homecoming that was held April 13 by a family that, after years of searching parts of their ancestor's original hundred acres in Washington County, has been able to locate the grave marker of Isaiah Hallett and relocate it to its rightful place. For Don Smith and his family, that rightful place for his great-great-great-great-grandfather has always been the empty Ephraim churchyard spot between Isaiah's wife, Anna, and their youngest son, Zenas. The separation and eventual reconnection of the Halletts has been a story of patience, perseverance, and the special kind of obsession that can grip family genealogists.
Smith, who now lives in South Carolina but who returns for Ephraim Church homecomings, recounts the journey he traced when he took on the role of family researcher.
"As a youth I remember mowing the graveyard at the church," he said. "It never occurred to me that these were my relatives."
Smith now knows that he has six generations of his family in that graveyard.
His twin brother now owns all of the original family property that overlooks the church.
"When my mother died and was buried there, I took over where she left off. My son had also been involved before I took an interest, so he was a great help."
In 1818, Isaiah Hallett settled with his wife and six children in Washington County and bought land on Highland Ridge near Bear Creek. The Halletts had another son after that, but like many of his time, he died young. Isaiah became ill and died April 13, 1823, at the age of 40. His family, being of modest means, buried him on the family farm.
Many years later, his wife moved to the north of Lower Salem near her grown sons. She died in 1853 and was buried in the graveyard of the church. In 1872, the church moved and the graves were relocated to the new site. At that second site, there was an empty spot between Anna Hallett and her youngest son, Zenas.
There was also an empty spot in the family records for the next 50 years, according to Smith. Family letters and notes go back to the 1930s, with different relatives inquiring among each other about the whereabouts of Isaiah's grave. After years of research and courthouse visits to examine property deeds, Smith finally tracked down the land where Isaiah had moved. He sent letters to everyone who lived currently on the original 100 acres.
"By the grace of God, I was at the homecoming in July 2021 and talked to a friend of an older cousin who was there," Smith said.
The friend, Joe Fouss, was born on part of that property and said he remembered seeing the gravestone. That set in motion the plan for a road trip back to the farm site the following spring. Smith's companions included Fouss, Smith's cousins Linda Boyce and Helen Kehl, son Daniel and daughter Tina.
Smith's research, including family letters of the past 100 years, had helped him narrow the search to about one and a half acres on Highland Ridge.
"We hadn't been there 15 minutes when my son yelled, 'found it."'
The hunt that started in 2018 ended in March of 2022.
It was particularly gratifying for the elder Smith that Daniel made the discovery because his son had taken up his late grandmother's lead in tending to family history.
"I always told my children, 'Never forget your roots,'" Smith said.
When it was first discovered by the Smith group, Isaiah's grave gravestone was in the weeds by a telephone pole. There was discussion about whether to leave it there or move it to a proper location. Eventually, they decided to restore and relocate the stone, knowing there was a very good chance the marker already had been moved from its original spot and Isaiah's actual remains were elsewhere on the farm.
But the journey, the discovery and the symbolism of Isaiah's marker resting between his wife and youngest son is special enough for Smith and his family. They timed their small family observance for 200 years to the day from Isaiah's death on April 13,1823, to his resettlement in hallowed ground at Ephraim Church ME on April 13, 2023.
"It's a homecoming that only took 200 years," Smith said.