Veteran's Markers Replaced - Construction Briefs
Civil War grave markers replaced at Otterbein Cemetery
Volunteers gathered Saturday morning at Otterbein Cemetery to replace grave markers honoring Civil War veterans that had been lost or damaged.
The project was a joint effort by the Westerville Historical Society, Sunrise Rotary, and Westerville VFW.
The effort grew out of earlier fundraising by the Westerville Historical Society, inspired by Morning Rotary’s Civil War-themed Field of Heroes. Those funds helped provide replacement markers for veterans’ graves in Westerville-area cemeteries.
On Saturday, volunteers worked in small groups, using maps that marked the approximate locations of each gravesite. The maps, however, did not include the entire cemetery or reflect its more modern configuration. They also lacked detailed placement information, which often forced searchers to widen their search beyond the marked areas. Volunteers checked records, scanned rows of headstones, and compared names before placing the markers at the appropriate gravesites.
Searchers were instructed to leave older markers in place if they were still in good condition, replacing only those that were missing or damaged.
The work ensures that the veterans’ service remains visible in one of the community’s historic burial grounds.
Asphalt for trails was laid Monday over all but a small portion of the bike and walking paths along the new roads through East of Africa, the city’s 88-acre development project expected to be completed this summer.
The bridge that spanned the creek on the eastern edge of Walnut Ridge Park was removed Monday to be replaced with a new boardwalk that will cross over the redirected creek and wetland that will replace one of the baseball fields in the park.
Construction continues at Millstone Creek Park, replacing the 14-year-old playground with a more modern and inclusive play space. The renovation is expected to be completed in late summer.
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