Resident urges county review of abandoned Reister Cemetery; commissioners recommend legal and township follow-up

A resident, Eugene Scott, used public comment at the Nov. 17 Fulton County commissioners meeting to request that the county take ownership of an apparently abandoned Reister Cemetery in Newcastle Township.

Scott said the cemetery — which he identified as having graves dating to the 1800s, including Civil War veterans — has lacked consistent maintenance funding since about 1973 and that deeds, ledgers and other records are incomplete or missing. He told the board he has gathered whatever records he can and said earlier corporate paperwork for the cemetery was not renewed, that dividend payments from 527 shares of Goodyear stock once paid into the cemetery’s account stopped during the COVID era, and that there may once have been a $10,000 CD at Beacon Credit Union. Scott said transfer-company searches showed the stock had not been sold but that there is no clear current trustee or bank documentation accessible without a court order.

Commissioners and staff responded that the legal ownership and trustee status are unclear and that state code and township responsibilities would need to be reviewed; multiple officials suggested the township board, an accounting firm or the State Board of Accounts would be the appropriate next steps to trace funds and determine lawful authority. Commissioners did not commit the county to taking ownership at the meeting and emphasized more research is necessary before any transfer of property or funds could be considered.

The board asked staff to follow up with the township and explore records options. Scott and other participants noted inconsistencies in the recorded deeds and plot records and urged a formal records review to determine whether funds exist and who holds legal responsibility.

The commissioners took no formal action to assume ownership during the meeting; they recommended legal review and township engagement as the next steps.