Wellsville Ohio Cemetery Department

Springhill Cemetery
1301 Tenth Street Ext.
Wellsville, OH 43968
330-532-2435
Superintendent: Michael E. Lombardozzi

Prayer

SPRINGHILL CEMETERY is located at the top of Tenth Street overlooking the Village of Wellsville. The property contains 57 acres of grave sites, with the oldest grave dating back to the 1800s. The caretaker's home, built in 1840, is located at the entrance of the cemetery which gives the cemetery its dignified appearance.

In the late 1960s the home was valued at $100,000 when owner George Wilson first decided to sell. After speaking with Nunzio Lombardozzi, Mayor of Wellsville at the time, Mr. Wilson realized Wellsville was not able to afford the home at its market value. Mr. Wilson generously offered the home at the reduced price of $25,000 making it feasible for Wellsville to purchase.

There have been five known caretakers since the home was purchased: Clyde Baker, Harold Dickinson, James Harmon, Bobby Freeman and, at present, Michael Lombardozzi. With the exception of Clyde Baker, all caretakers have lived in the home watching over and caring for the property. The purchase of the home has proven to be a great asset. Not only does the house deter vandalism, keeping insurance rates down, it also provides convenience for out-of-town visitors when trying to locate their deceased loved ones at the cemetery. Although the gate gets closed in the evening, nobody is turned away...most importantly, those who have traveled long distances on the weekends. During a holiday week, the caretaker can expect to have 15-20 visitors knock on the door asking for assistance.

Another way the home saves the taxpayers money is by making it possible to house all of the equipment necessary for the cemetery's upkeep, thus eliminating the need to transport tractors, backhoes, mowers, etc...on and off the hill. An added bonus to having Michael as caretaker is that he tends to the maintenance of these vehicles, freeing up Wellsville's maintenance crew for other work which also eliminates the cost of hauling equipment down the hill to the maintenance shop.

At present, Cemetery Superintendent Michael E. Lombardozzi, his wife Opal and their three teenage children occupy the superintendent's home. Michael is responsible for grounds maintenance, opening and closing of graves, grave site sales and filing necessary paperwork associated with the above-mentioned.

Michael began his employment as the cemetery caretaker January 01, 2006. Although it was under the agreement that he and his family would live in the home rent free and water bill free, as it has been since the early 70s when the home was purchased by the village, Michael knew that he would have to pull his own resources in order to make the home fully livable again since his intentions are to live there until the year 2020.

When Michael and his wife Opal began work on the 160+ year old home, it was a bit over-whelming. Maintenance on the home had been left unattended for so many years due to fiscal emergency and the renovations proved to be no small task. The home was unlivable at times and the family had to move out while some renovations took place.

Money was also an issue. It was hard to come by, if not non-existent at times, but this didn't stop the Lombardozzi's from bringing back the home to what it is today. There was a total of $7500 in the cemetery fund, and with the cost of a new roof, this left a balance of only $1900 for other renovations. With the help of the balance, family, friends and donations, the work began. A new roof was first. From there, French drains were installed around the home, walls were busted out and re-finished, the carpeting had to be removed due to mold and mildew caused by water run-off going into the basement, the upstairs ceilings were replaced after the leaky roof had caused them to collapse, the woodwork was sanded and stained, new plumbing was added, as well as ceiling fans and light fixtures. At Michael's own expense, he added a new bathroom to the first floor, off of the office, to accommodate visitors to the cemetery, as well as the cemetery employees. He also installed an outdoor wood-burner to reduce the home's heating expenses dramatically.

Although there is more work to be done, Michael is more than willing to continue with his efforts. A new porch roof is needed and Michael hopes to finish this on 09 at no cost to the taxpayers other than the costs of supplies. Some chimney work needs done, but it is not imperative at this time.

Michael and Opal are very aware that this home belongs to the taxpayers of this village, but they love it as if it were their own. They have gone far beyond 'the call of duty' to restore it back to its original beauty, as George Wilson had intended it to stay. Because of their dedication, we now have a landmark to be proud of.

You can view some before and after pictures below:

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