Gravel Lawn Cemetery is situated in a picturesque wooded valley outside of the small town of Fortville, Indiana. Gravel Lawn is named for the natural geological deposits of gravel, which provides for a safe dry place for burial and for the lush park like setting of sweeping grassy areas and trees.
Established in 1915, Gravel Lawn is a non-for-profit entity, regulated by the State of Indiana. It is governed by a volunteer board of directors of local citizens whose goal is to provide a well kept, financially sound facility that provides a respectful and affordable service to the community. Unique to Gravel Lawn is the round the clock presence of a caretaker whose residence is at the cemetery entrance.
Gravel Lawn offers traditional graves, a columbarium for cremation urns, personal mausoleums, a babyland and a chapel for services on site. Personal grave markers are permitted and available through the Gravel Lawn office.
Our History
In July of 1966 The Fortville VFW Ladies Auxiliary presented this flag to the cemetery. Jim Girt/ caretaker, Cecil Blaydes/President of the Cemetery Board, Horace Wise/Cemetery Treasurer right of the flagpole are Mrs. Ruth Girt, Mrs. Mildred Oakes/Auxiliary President, Rosemary True/Auxiliary Secretary, and Mrs. Irene Durham/Auxiliary Vice President.
On September 28, 1915 Charles Hiday sold seven acres of land situated on his farm north of Fortville, IN, in Madison county to a Board of Directors for the purpose of developing the Gravel Lawn Cemetery, so named due to the gravel rich soil of the land.
The cemetery has been run ever since that time by all volunteer, lot owning, members of the community. We very much appreciate their service and wish to recognize and thank them here. See if your family, friends or neighbors have been a part of making Gravel Lawn Cemetery what it is today!
The original 15 Cemetery Board members were:
- Warner M. Barcus who served from 1915-1932
- J. C. Bright, Vice President 1915-1916,
- Robert Collins, Secretary 1915-1920
- Dr. J.B. Ellingwood 1915-1919
- Thomas Gardner 1915 -1935 and served as president from 1915-1919 and VP from 1919-1935
- Fred Hardin 1915-1921
- A.L. Helms 1915-1936
- Charles Hiday 1915-1918
- George Mc Carty 1915-1960 Awarded Board Member Emeritus as such a long standing Member of the Board
- Dr.C.E. Mc Cord 1915-1935
- A. J. Myers 1915-1917
- John Myers 1915-1918
- Orville L. Morrow 1915-1919
- Stewart Slocum 1915-1939
- James Trittipo 1915-1929 and served as Treasurer 1915-1929
After that others who have served on the board are:
In the fall of 2005 board members met with the Architect for a ground-breaking ceremony. Front center: Sam Mock/Cemetery board president and Bill Bolander/ Architect. Behind them from left to right are: Wilma Rhoads/Vice President, Sue Rhoads/Business Manager, Georgia Pearl Lain/Trustee, Louise Thomas/Trustee, Paul Durack/Trustee, Joe Postrack/Trustee and directly behind him is Sam Ellingwood/Trustee, Claude Scott/Trustee, John Ellingwood/Trustee, Alora Westra/Board Secretary, Vera Martin/Trustee, Jody Loney/Asst. Caretaker, David Childers/Superintendent.
- Fred Brandom 1933-1958 and served as President from 1935-1958
- Dr. Bert Helms 1932-1960 a Board Member Emeritus
- Luther Collins 1935-1948
- Horace Wise 1917-1921 and again in 1944-1980, he also served as VP from 1957-1958 and Treasurer 1958-1970
- George Sylvester 1917- 1921
- Jennings T. York 1918-1929 and served as Secretary 1920-1929
- Otis Kinnaman 1920-1945
- Andy Denny 1920-1923
- L.R Yaryan 1921-1933
- Willis Shull 1922-1946
- John Cottrell 1922-1930
- Thomas Tobin 1923-1937 served as Secretary 1929-1937
- James Dye served one month in 1940
- Malhon Wiseheart 1923-1973 and served as Secretary 1937-1957 & Board Member Emeritus
- Frank Taylor 1922-1934
- Cecil Blaydes 1945-1995 and served as V.P. 1958-1966 and President 1986-1992 Awarded Member Emeritus in 1995
- G.S. Williams 1929-1941
- George Newhall 1936-1943
- Everett McMahan 1940-1944
- Herman McDonald 1944-1949
- Nellie Trittipo 1929-1970 & Treasurer 1929-1957, she was also awarded Board Member Emeritus
- Earl Lackey 1930-1943
- George Newhall 1936-1947
- Sidney Colvard 1935-1938
- Russell Cushman 1924-2954
- Alva Souders 1938-1954
- Lawrence Durack 1937-1955
- Bert C. Kinnaman 1942-1959 awarded Board Member Emeritus
- Paul Lacy 1946-1966 & President 1958-1966
- Ethel Lain 1948-1968 a Board Member Emeritus
- Unit Alexander 1948-1965
- Porter Bolander 1949-1969 & Board Member Emeritus
- Quitman VanLaningham 1954-1979 & Secretary 1957-1979
- Carl Hensley 1954-1961
- Leroy Durack 1954-1989
- Thomas Kelly 1954-1983
- Dale Pettigrew 1961-1974
- John Russell 1961-1968
- William P. Albea 1960-1974 & Vice President 1966-1974
- Nora Kelly 1955-1969
- Don Bolander 1963-1980 & Secretary in 1979
- Ralph Slaughter 1966-1970
- Hazel Lacy 1966-1977
- Hollis Thomas 1968-1969
- Clarence Kincade 1971-1985
- Paul Paxton 1970-1980
- Floyd Boram 1970-1984
- Thelma Stears 1970-1989
- Jesse Gudgel 1970-1977
- Louis DeVaney 1970-1980
- George (Jim) Girt 1974-1980 Caretaker 1959-1977 & VP 1874-1980
- John Ellingwood 1978-2016 Treasurer 1981-1992 Awarded Member Emeritus in 2016
- Ruth Lummis 1977-1995
- Joe Fuqua 1980-1998 Secretary 1980-1993
- Esther Flanagan 1980-1981
- Ray Taulman 1980-1981 VP 1981-1991
- Sam Ellingwood 1981-Present & Asst. Treasurer 1992
- Charles True 1974-1985
- Carl Branigan 1981-2002 VP 1994-1997
- John Kelly 1983-1993 VP1992-1993 & President in 1993
- Paul Vail 1984-1992
- Claud Scott 1985-2012
- Geneva Bolander 1985-1986
- Reba Weir 1986-1989
- Carolyn Navin 1986-1997
- Paul Durack 1989-2008
- Wilma Rhoads 1989-Present Treasurer 1993-1999 & VP from 2002-Present
- Vera Martin 1989-Present Secretary 1994-1999
- Dick Boram 1992-Present VP 1997-2001
- Sam Mock 1992-2013 and awarded Board Member Emeritus
- Sam was President 1994-2005 and served as a volunteer construction manager on the building of the Chapel
- Charles Hennis 1985-1992
- Louise Thomas 1995-1997
- Robert Shepherd 1995-Present
- Joe Postrack 1996-2009
- Alora Westra 1998-Present and Secretary 2000-Present
- Georgia Pearl Lain 1998-2011
- Richard Jones 1/2002-4/2002
- Marion Hensley 2003-Present and President 2006-Present
- Sue Rhoads 2004-Present and Business Manager/Treasurer 2004-Present
- David Childers 2007-2011 and Caretaker 1977-2007
- Shirley Arnett 2008-Present
- Jim Cooper 2009-Present
- Ronnie Wyatt 2011-Present
- Bruce Scott 2012-Present
- Charlotte Sears 2012-Present
- Roger Hudson 2012-Present
- Lenzy Hendricks 2016-Present
- Jeannie Dotson
- Anne Kelly
- Mike Tinnel
- Mary Noe
- Bob Yeager
- Leisa Harmon
- Jerry Ferrell
- Robert Hiday
Gravel Lawn Chapel
Construction of the Chapel began in the spring of 2006. It was funded largely by donations from the community. A dedication ceremony was held on October 15, 2006. The use of the chapel for a half hour committal service is included in the price of the inurnment/interment charge and is encouraged to protect mourners from all types of inclement weather and gives them a comfortable and beautiful to say good-bye to their loved one.
In June of 2011 a columbarium was installed. It is a beautiful, secure and respectful final resting place for cremated remains. Generations will be able to locate where this life finally came to rest. Each niche will be engraved with any information that is wanted such as: Name, Date of Birth – Date of Death and even a laser etched photo. All is included in the price of a niche. The benches on either side of our columbarium may be purchased as well and will hold a pair of cremated remains, as the bench can also be laser etched with all of the deceased information as well.
The record keeping at Gravel Lawn Cemetery is very thorough and all though it is archived electronically it also is physically kept in fireproof file cabinets and card files in the office on site. This includes deed stubs, burial transit permits, books of interment records, maps, articles of incorporation, and minutes of every meeting held for cemetery business.
