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 The slow, somber cadence of the horse drawn funeral
cortege ascending Warsaw Pike was a familiar sight to Westsiders of the
mid-1800's. The group's destination was almost always St. Joseph
Cemetery at West Eighth Street and Cemetery Road (now Enright Ave.)
The history of St. Joseph Cemetery at West Eighth and
Seton is rooted deep in Cincinnati's German Catholic heritage. In
August, 1842, Cincinnati Bishop John Purcell, through his brother
Edward, purchased 19 acres in Price Hill so that members of his
burgeoning diocese could be buried in blessed ground. German nationalism
was very important to Cincinnatians of the 1840s and they sought a
section in this new cemetery separate from the English speaking
Catholics. Bishop Purcell granted this wish. In January, 1843, Edward
Purcell deeded half of the cemetery property to Joseph Gohs. Gohs, in
turn, deeded the property to the German Catholic Cemetery Society, which
was chartered on March 10, 1843. Both cemeteries retained the name St.
Joseph Cemetery.
In 1853 the English speaking Catholic cemetery moved
two miles to the west - but retained the name St. Joseph Cemetery. St.
Joseph's at West Eighth then was commonly called either 'old' or
'German' St. Joseph Cemetery.
When German Catholics consecrated St. Joseph's in May
1843, West Eighth Street ended at the cemetery gates. Some burials in
original blocks of the cemetery took place in ground that is now part of
West Eighth Street. The extension of West Eighth to Nebraska Avenue in
1875 made it necessary to cut through the cemetery. The remains of those
interred were carefully moved to inside the present grounds.
As the number of people with German heritage grew in
Cincinnati, it became necessary for St. Joseph's to expand. More land
was purchased to the west until the current boundaries, containing 128
acres, were reached. Among the more notable German Catholics buried in
the cemetery are Louis and Mary Hudepohl, founders of Hudepohl Brewery.
They have a stately monument in Section 16.
Eventually, the importance of nationalism diminished.
In 1943 the German Catholic Cemetery Association became the Cincinnati
Catholic Cemetery Society. Today, St. Joseph Cemetery at West Eighth and
Seton has laid aside the terms Old and German, but retains the rich
tradition of 150 years of dedicated service to all Catholics seeking
assurance of a final resting place.
Many former archdiocesan priests are buried in the cemetery. One lot in section 32
was set aside for pastors of St.
Catherine's Parish. Many Little Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis are
also buried in St. Joseph's.
Philip Ober, St. Joseph's Cemetery Director of
Operations, said about 400 interments take place each year. Mr. Ober
added that the cemetery has plenty of space for future needs.
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