Constantia Rural Cemetery

05/18/2026

We would like to sincerely apologize to the families of Constantia Rural Cemetery for the delay in mowing and w**d eating. We understand how important it is to keep the cemetery looking respectful and well cared for for your loved ones and visitors.
We have recently hired a new landscaper, and mowing and trimming will be completed this week. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to improve the care and appearance of the cemetery grounds.

05/09/2026

With sincere gratitude and appreciation, we recognize Jan Warford for more than 30 plus years of dedicated service to the Constantia Rurual Cemetery!

Jan has faithfully served in the important roles of Treasurer and Sexton, giving countless hours of time, care, and commitment to preserving and maintaining the cemetery with dignity and respect. Her hard work, dependability, and compassion have meant so much to our community and to the families who loved ones rest here.

Thank you Jan for your decades of devotion, service, and unwavering support. Your contributions will always be remembered and deeply appreciated! Happy Retirement!

10/26/2025

Thanks to Jan Warford, Wendy Gibbs, Beckie Klossner and Amy Manning for showing up for clean up yesterday! Less work we have to do in the spring!

10/27/2024

Orin Hiram Leonard was born Abt 1848 in Onondaga County, NY to Hiram D Leonard 1808-1899 and Mahala Dwinell 1822-1848. He had 2 full siblings that died in 1845 & 1846- and one-half sibling that died in 1869. Orin lived with his mother's sister Eunice and her husband Ichabod Williams, her second husband, after his mother's passing with his father here in Constantia. His father ended up remarrying and moved back to Onondaga County. Orin went on to marry Sarah P Brown and settled in Constantia. His occupation was an engineer, he also worked on the railroad and at the mill in his occupation. Orin and Sarah went on to have 5 children all of whom met early deaths. They had a daughter born Abt. Dec 1879 or January 1880 that did not make it on the Census in June 1880 her name was Mable she died in May 1880 of cerebral croup. The June 1880 Census shows that they had a son named Claude 4yrs old (birth abt. 1876), there is no indication of when he died. In a NYS Census 1892 Orin and Sarah lived in Onondaga County again with no children. The additional children where Katie, Daisy and James all of whom have no records that I can find at this time. I will do additional research because at this point it is a mission of mine. A big thank you to everyone that came last weekend for the fall cleanup of the cemetery. The Leonard babies resting place looks absolutely beautiful and is a great tribute to their memory!!

10/24/2024

The final thing on our clean up list is done! Stairs painted and babies resting place has first coat of paint done….and pipe that has been broken for years fixed and put back up! Please like and share this about the babies as they are one major mystery in our town….WHO ARE THEY? Very sad that there is no one left that can answer this. They have first names…no last names. Please ask your elderly parent…grandparents if they remember anything! Would love to give them a last name! If anyone has heard anything at all please let us know! Thank you!!

10/22/2024

Do we have awesome people on our board??!! Thanks to Steve and Glenda Brill for finishing the shed! Doesn’t it look wonderful?

10/21/2024

Thank you for all who showed up to our Constantia Rural Cemetery clean up! We got a lot done with just 8 people! New sign up and posts stained. Shed cleaned and then painted….till we ran out of paint…some of the graves filled in….and some of the babies final resting place painted! Thank you to Beckie Klossner, Jan Warford, Steve and Glenda Brill, Jim Harrington and his tractor, Amy Manning, Chloe Gibbs!

10/15/2024

***Update!!! This picture is of Carrie Scoville, Dorothy’s mom. So now I have to get some information together on her. 😊 ***

Marty Walsh recently sent me this photo of her grandmother Dorothy Scoville. On the back of the photo it reads "Grandma Scoville and her horse". The photo was taken in front of the Constantia Presbyterian Church.

With a little bit of research, this is what I found on Dorothy...

Dorothy Whiting Scoville of Constantia.
She was born November 8, 1894 in Constantia. Her parents were Horace (33 at the time of her birth), and Carrie (age 31). Her father owned Scoville Canning Company in Constantia.
In 1899, when she was just about 5, she almost drowned to death in Old Forge. She fell off a dock and into the water. The people around her didn’t notice or hear her because the water hitting the dock made so much noise. A lady rowing in the lake saw the whole thing happen and rushed over to save her. She arrived to Dorothy as she was going under for the third time and grabbed her foot to pull her out of the water.
In June of 1910, she was badly injured when she stepped on the teeth of a garden rake.
At age 19, she was the maid of honor for her sister’s (Mildred Amelia) wedding. It was a lavish wedding where 300 guests attended the ceremony at the Constantia Presbyterian Church. A reception was held at the Vanderbuilt.
Dorothy attended Cazanovia Seminary, an education place for the last two years of schooling. While here, she would visit her sister regularly. Mildred lived in Chittenango once she married.
July 3,1916, her sister Mildred died of tuberculosis which she suffered with for a year.
June 12, 1918, Dorothy married Ernest Oliver Fox of Springfield, Ma at the home of the bride in Constantia. She was 23 years old. They would end up having three daughters that were all born in Detroit, Michigan.
Dorothy lived out the rest of her life in Detroit and died in 1940 at the age of 46. I have not been able to find where she was buried or her obituary. She was definitely part of a well known family in Constantia's history.

10/15/2024

Constantia Rural Cemetery ❤️

Update on previous post...
This is Carrie Scoville as is the previous picture I posted with her horse.
She was born on January 17, 1863 in Lorraine, NY to Jay Grow (age 15), and Flora (age 16).
She married Horace Dobson Scoville on May 15, 1887 at age 24 in Lorraine, NY.
They had four children between the years of 1889 and 1897; Mildred A, Robertson W, Dorothy W, and Donald J. The last two born in Constantia.
Her and her husband resided in Constantia much of their lives but would also go to Detroit and stay there with their daughter Dorothy, her husband Ernest, and their three girls.
On Nov. 8, 1940, her husband Horace died in Constantia at the age of 79, they had been married for 53 years.
On Dec. 26, 1944, Carrie died in Detroit. Her body was returned to Constantia where she was buried on June 16, 1945 at 3pm in Constantia Rural Cemetery.
Carrie only completed 8th grade for her education but she had great musical ability. She would frequently visit friends and family up near Watertown and in northern Oswego County.