Great Grandfather David Lewis

In mid May 2014, my son Robert and I took a train trip from Oregon to Ohio to visit our many relatives there. Our first destination was Cleveland, Ohio where we rented a car to give us the freedom we needed to see all the places we planned to visit. Since many of my ancestors lived in Cleveland in the early 1900s, we spent a few hours getting a sense of where these folks lived, in an east Cleveland section called Glenville. When we found Woodland Cemetery, we were pleased to find David Lewis' tombstone among other Civil War soldier's stones. This cemetery, though in a populous area, has the serenity of the similar kind of square in London, England. There were lovely purple spring violets blooming around his grave site, birds singing, and a few other pedestrians strolling along the walks in the square. Witnessing this meant a great deal to me. I felt touched to be this close to this great-grandfather I had never known.

Although David spent most of his life on the Lewis farm in Newport Township, Trumbull County, Ohio, he lived in the Glenville community from 1898 until his death in June 1903. That's why he is buried here but his wife and other members of his family are buried in Trumbull County, Ohio.

David was mustered into Company F of the 6th Regiment as a Private of the Ohio Veteran Calvary on 25 Dec 1863. He became a corporal before he was honorably discharged in 1865. His description: Light complexion, light blue eyes, and dark hair, at 6 feet in height. His wife, Mary Wilderson Lewis, wrote this caption on David's photograph in her scrapbook: "My Dear Husband". 

David Lewis
Born: Jul 1843 Newport, Trumbull, OH
Married: 24 Sep 1968 Warren, Trumbull, OH
Died: 30 Jun 1903 Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH
Sources: Military Records from National Archives; Census:1900,1880,1870,1860,1850; Pension Petition;
Marriage records; Land records.