Oberlin High School Youth Memorial

This fundraiser is designed to support the Young Ancestors Memorial, located at the Northern edge of the Oberlin High School campus. The Memorial currently has 109 stones with the names and dates of Oberlin youths who have lost their lives, with three more stones to be added in the spring. The Young Ancestors are aged up to 30 years old, thence the name.

The Memorial was dedicated just over 20 years ago, in 1998. Since then, maintaining and improving it has been passed on to various groups of students. This year’s group’s intent is to raise funds for a couple of bronze signs to call attention to the memorial and increase folks' knowledge about it.  The crew also plans to place a brochure box at the site, containing free information.  Finally, and alas, we need to have funds in reserve for future stones.  In the spring, the students will scrub the stones, weed the space, tend to the foliage in the area, and possibly plant a small flower garden, all in honor of the Young Ancestors. 

Further, this year’s student group plans to host a celebration to commemorate the Memorial’s 21st Anniversary, in the fall of 2019. The entire community will be invited to attend.

Ever since its beginning, the Memorial has been funded entirely through generous donations from the community.  Its funds are not part of the school system’s finances.  They have been held by various non-profit entities in Oberlin, currently the Unitarians.  Thus donations are tax-deductible.  The goal of this fundraiser is $2,000.

Throughout its twenty-plus years of existence, the Memorial has been an important presence for those who know of it, in the high school and in the town--and in particular the families of our Young Ancestors, who can take comfort in knowing that they are not alone.  The students know this; their work for the Memorial means a great deal to them. Their efforts are at a high level and are worthy of your continued support, for which we thank you.