Tales from the Grave
Happy Hallloween!
As I have told you before, cemeteries are an underrated tourist attraction. Unique gravestones…and more importantly…wonderful stories can be found waiting at many cemeteries. So, to end our Halloween series, allow me to tell you two Tales from the Grave. We shall start with a short tale of “The Girl in Blue” from the Village Cemetery in Willoughby, Ohio. Then, end with probably my favorite gravestone and story combination that I have found so far. Fair warning…its a tear jerker about “A Boy and his Dog” from the Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, OH. I hope you enjoy these short Tales from the Grave.
GIRL IN BLUE
It was Christmas eve in Willoughby, Ohio, in 1933. And, the cold wind was blowing strongly off of Lake Erie. A woman wearing all blue left the local boarding house and ventured out into the town. Shortly thereafter, she was struck and killed by a passing train. The local towns folk tried to determine her identity, but failed. She had no identification on her. And, she had apparently, not talked to anyone during her short stay. Thankfully, the good folk of Willoughby did not leave her unrecognized. One villager donated the plot where she was buried. And, the town folk all chipped in to buy a grave stone that read…
“IN MEMORY OF THE GIRL IN BLUE / KILLED BY TRAIN / DECEMBER 24, 1933 / UNKNOWN BUT NOT FORGOTTEN” (see left picture below)
The 1933 grave marker 
The 1993 grave marker
For the next 60 years, the “Girl In Blue” grave stone became a vivid element in town lore. Both locals and tourists visited the grave site regularly. But, for reasons that I could not discern, someone in 1993 decided to solve the mystery. Apparently, the one clue on the Girl in Blue effects was a train ticket to Corry, Pennsylvania. And, with an exhaustive search of old records in that area of Pennsylvania, someone was able to finally identify the Girl in Blue. As you can see from the grave marker in the right picture above, the Girl in Blue was Josephine Klimczak. But remember, the second grave marker (right picture above) was a actually placed at the grave in 1993. Together, the two 60 year separated markers look like this…
Together the 2 markers make up the final resting place of Josephine Klimczak…The Girl in Blue
Now, my favorite selection in my Tales from the Grave…A Boy and his Dog
It was the mid 1860s, Johnny Morehouse was the son of a Dayton cobbler. Johnny often played with his dog along the canal that passed through their neighborhood. But, on this day, Johnny fell into the canal. Johnny’s loyal dog (name not known) jumped into the canal to save Johnny. The dog was able to pull Johnny from the water. But, not until after Johnny had died….I warned you it was not a happy story. Anyway, the family buried Johnny at the local Woodland Cemetery. For many days following Johnny’s interment, his dog would not leave the grave site. The site of Johnny’s dog sleeping at the grave site was so touching to the locals that someone commissioned a new grave stone that included Johnny’s dog.
A few items left for Johnny on the day that I visited 
A much better haul for Johnny and his dog
The first picture above is the grave site on the day that I visited. The second photo is a different, but busier day at the cemetery. Point being, the locals still love Johnny and his dog. Every day, people come by to put toys and other remembrances on Johnny’s grave. Every day, the caretakers at Woodland Cemetery remove the toys so Johnny can start fresh for the new day. If you look at the stone base where Johnny sits with his dog, you may see 4 objects…from left to right…a top, a ball, a harmonica, and his cap. These were the items found on Johnny’s body. Supposedly, you can still see the ghosts of Johnny and his dog wandering the grounds of Woodland Cemetery. Regrettably, I did NOT see Johnny nor his dog wandering about, but I love their story anyway.
Anyway, A Boy and his Dog can be found at the beautiful Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio. It was founded in 1841. And, its one of the oldest garden cemeteries in the nation. If you have a chance to visit, bring a toy and drop it off for Johnny.
Thank you for reading “Tales from the Grave” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks
Thank you to https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/731/johnny-n_-morehouse
You may also like reading https://travelingwithpt.com/a-grave-site-love-story/
