Methodist Home Cemetery
It was 1919 when the Honorable Hyatt Cribbs and wife, Ida M. Cribbs,
deeded their home on the northeast side of Route 198, south of
Conneautville Borough, to the Erie Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church for the purpose of maintaining a home for old folks. Opening its
doors to 12 residents on 1 March 1919, it soon purchased the neighboring
home, originally owned by John Wormald. In need of more space, an
addition was completed in 1921 which joined the two homes providing for
a total of 75 to 80 residents.
On 14 June 1921, the home and burial ground was dedicated by Bishop
Francis J. McConnell. The cemetery, located on a hill between Route
198E and Abbott Road, was consecrated by Dr. N. E. Davis of the Board of
Hospital and Homes. It became the first cemetery connected with a home
or hospital in Methodism. The Home was dedicated as a residence in
which "to provide, in the evening of life, a comfortable dwelling for
gentle people who need a place of rest and peace where they may await
their Father's will". In 1926 the name was changed from "Ida M. Cribbs
Memorial Home" to "Ida M. Cribbs Methodist Home".
By 1945, the need for a new home was presented to the fall Conference
and by 1952, a new structure was completed on Park Avenue Extension,
Meadville, with the residents of the Old Home at Conneautville being
moved to Meadville. It was consecrated as "Ida M. Cribbs Methodist
Home". The old home was sold to Elwood Heaster by Article of Agreement
in 1953 with deed transferred on 13 July 1964. It continued as a
convalescent home until sold to Duane Braham in 1971. The old home is
gone, but a new one known as Rolling Fields was erected East of the
original site on farm land which once provided produce, meat, and milk
to the residents of "Cribbs Home".
The Cemetery, the final resting place of many of the former residents,
remains isolated on the hill across from the old Home site. maintained
by members of the present Valley Church United Methodist, it is no
longer accessible as the bridge crossing Fullwiler Creek collapsed a few
years ago and one would need boots to cross this stream and hike up the
roadway. Markers are not visible from the top of the roadway as they
are level with the ground. The last burial was made in 1960.
