This presentation explores the history and ongoing restoration of Cheney Cemetery and Mount Hope Cemetery in Owen Township. Bayleigh Rangel will share how her childhood interest in Cheney grew into a dedicated preservation effort, highlighting historical research, burial timelines, and the lives of some of the area's earliest settlers. She will also discuss restoration work completed so far and outline future goals as the project moves forward in partnership with a professional restorationist.
Bayleigh Rangel has had a lifelong passion for genealogy and local history, beginning her research of Cheney Cemetery as a young girl. Growing up in a family that values the stories of those who came before them, she developed a deep personal connection to the small cemetery near her childhood home. After connecting with a descendant of someone buried there, her interest grew into a lasting commitment to preserving its history. Now, after graduating, getting married, raising children, and settling back in the area, Bayleigh has returned to her research with renewed purpose—working to document and honor the lives of some of the earliest settlers of Clinton County through both Cheney and Mount Hope Cemetery.
This Clinton County Genealogical Society meeting will be held in the library’s lower level meeting room. It is free, open to the public, and will be broadcast via Facebook Live for those
who cannot attend in person.
For more information, contact Jill Garrison at (765) 654-8746, ext. 1137 or jgarrison@myfcpl.org.