The Middletown Cemeteryhas 7,000 stories to tell and I hope to live long enough to tell each and everyone of them. They came from allover the world to Middletownwith hopes and dreams of making a better life for their families and now restquietly within the grounds of this cemetery.
A meandering stroll throughthe Middletown Cemetery is like walking through thepages of our community’s history and therefore I believe it should be treatedwith respect and cared for like a rare history book.
These are the people that made our country, our state and Middletown great and they deserve not only ourrespect but our protection.
This is part of the research that I just completed on the BLAIR – McLEANScottish families that are buried at the Middletown Cemetery.
                         
Memoirs of the Miami Valley
Published in 1919

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John L. Blair, who is widely andfavorably known in commercial circles of Middletown as the proprietor of athriving grocery on South Clinton street, and who has also performed capablyand conscientiously the duties pertaining to several public offices, belongs toa family which has been connected with the business history of this communityfor sixty-eight years. He was born at Middletown,June 22, 1864, a son of John and Barbara (McLean) Blair, and a grandson of John and Janet (Barr) Blair, who met and were married at Campbelltown, near Glasgow, Scotland.The Blair family is traced back to the old Romans in Britain. In the second century,history relates, the Romans in Perthshire, Scotland,according to their reckoning, gained a great victory over the Caledonians, thescene of the decisive battle being known as Blair's Hill, which would indicatethat Blair was a familiar name even at that early date. Among ancient castlesof Scottish chiefs was Blair Castle, the stronghold ofthe Montrose clan in 1644, which was stormed by Cromwell about ten years later.In 1690 it was practically a ruin, but 200 years later was restored, and atpresent is the seat of the Duke of Athole. The home of the Drummonds ofPerthshire is called Blair-Drummond house. In the new world, a famous old Blairhome is that of the late Judge John Blair of Williamsburg, Va.,which is still one of the early colonial landmarks. American branches of theBlair family trace back to Scotlandthrough John Blair, of Virginia,an early colonist, and one Alexander Blair was a forefather also in the OldDominion. One of the New England forefathers was David Blair, of Massachusetts, whoseson, Robert, married Hannah Thompson. James Blair of Virginia was the founder of William and Marycollege and its first president, and too was a contemporary of three governorsof Virginia, Spottiswood, Gooch and Dinwiddie. Like them, he was of Scotchbirth. The statesmen of the Blair family have included Senator Henry Blair ofthe New England family and Judge Montgomery Blair, of Kentucky. Senator Francis Preston Blair ofKentucky, who was born in Virginiaafter the close of

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the Revolutionary war, was a son of James Blair, attorney general of Kentucky. MontgomeryBlair and Francis Blair, Sr., were brothers. The family of President James K.Polk was allied with the Blairs. "Like Angels' Visits, short and farbetween," is a line from one of the poems of Robert Blair, who was born inEdinburg, Scotland, and one of whose sons became lord president of the Court ofSessions. Hugh Blair, another relative, was born in Edinburg. His volume of sermons so pleasedKing George III that he granted him a pension, and the success of his lectureson literature led to the foundation of a chair of belles lettres at Edinburgh University. The Blair coat-of-arms isblazoned argent on a saltier sable nine, nine mascles voided sable. Crest: Astay lodged proper. Motto: "Amo probos (I love the virtuous)." Thisis the coat-of-arms of the Blairs of Scottish birth. There is a similar blazonof arms for the Blairs born in Ireland,only the number of mascles is five and there are crescents, mullets and garbs,symbolizing sincerity, loyalty and constancy. The parents of John L. Blair wereyoung people when they came to the United Statesfrom their native land of Scotland, and were married at Middletown in 1854. They came to Middletown, where JohnBlair became one of this city's first paper manufacturers, being superintendentof the old Barnitz Paper company. Later he embarked in the grocery business,with which he was connected until the time of his retirement in 1900. His deathoccurred June 14, 1906, and that of his wife in 1908. He was an elder in thePresbyterian church for a period of forty years, and he and his wife were theparents of four children: John L.; Anna, the wife of W. H. Ely, of Middletown; Miss Isabel Edna, of this city; and Jennie, the wife ofJ. F. Winton, of Philadelphia. John L. Blair was educated in the public schoolsof Middletown,and when he was still a youth began to be associated with his father in theconduct of the grocery business. At the time of his father's retirement, in1900, he assumed the management, and at the present time is sole owner of thebusiness, which is located at 316 Clinton street and enjoys an excellent patronage.Recognized as one of Middletown's premier business men, progressive andenterprising, Mr. Blair has also served his community well and energetically inoffices of public importance having been president of the school board for twoyears, a member of the city council one year and a member of the board ofpublic service for six years and eight months, during two years of which timehe was president of that body. As a fraternalist he belongs to the Masons andhis religious connection is with the Presbyterian church. January 15, 1891, Mr.Blair married Bertha Rebecca Thompson, who came from Belfast,Ireland, and whose fatherdied November 2, 1906, her mother passing away in Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Blair are theparents of six children: Hugh Thompson, Charles, Agnes Lucile, John Milton,Vincent Paul and Eugene.

By DebMorrison-I am Thrilled!!! 
Wonderful News this is.... TheMiddletown Cemetery Board did a wonderful Job in the last five years as a boardin raising awareness and in raising over $75,000.00 through private donations, and grantsfrom Middletown Community Foundation, area businesses,volunteers and the finalamount from the City of Middletown to make sure this vault was not torn downand to get this Vault roof completed. Did I say I was THRILLED!!!!

By Deb Morrison-Everyone keep throwing your DIGS out there at the Board and at the City. All Iknow is We, THE BOARD, have for the last 5 years raised Money andRaised Awareness to get this Vault Done and that was all done without Ms. Moon. The Walls are still standing and thenew roof will be put on this spring. I agree with you that Ms. Moon is the mostknowledgeable person about this cemetery and I commend her for all that she didand all the difficulties she had from the City from 2005 to 2010. I am sorrythat the City removed all the flowers that she planted because they werebeautiful. I fought with the city from 1995 to 2000 only getting a few thingstaken care of in the cemetery. As for giving Credit where credit is due. ThatCredit goes to all of us that have fought to get this Vault completed, pleasedon't make it sound like Vivian did all this on her own because as of 2009. Shehas not been allowed to have anything to do with the Cemetery. As for "Late Comers", I havebeen involved with this Cemetery since 1995 long before Ms. Gilliland, longbefore a cemetery board and long before Ms. Moon So you all say what you willbut, since I am on the Cemetery Board that is all I will say about! that..

Deb Morrison
I would strongly suggest you check your facts before you come on this forum anddiscuss what Vivian Moon has and has not done for the Middletown Cemeteryover the past ten years. The above statements are inaccurate.
And just for your information…I continue to work on researching and correctingthe records for the Middletown Cemetery and Woodside Cemeteryabout 4 hours every day. My web site is the most accurate official record ofthose buried at the Middletown Cemetery.
As a member of the Middletown Cemetery Board your actionsand comments are unprofessional.