The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County (PLYMC) joins the Oak Hill Volunteer Research Team for a walking tour honoring Police and Fire Services. Lead by members of the Oak Hill Volunteer Research Team, participants will be able to visit the resting places of local police officers and firefighters and hear stories about their lives and the struggles and triumphs of public service.
Oakhill Cemetery Historian Steffon Jones said, "Our team started out placing flags on the soldier's graves and replacing their headstones, then we started to create profiles on everyday people who were buried there so they would not be forgotten. This information is then sorted in the Oakhill office for the families and friends to read; this led to the tours, where the members can read the profiles to the public. All the information that the members research is done at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. Currently Oakhill is the only cemetery that has a research team that creates profiles for the buried here in the Valley."
Youngstown Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 28 President Chuck Guzzy reminds us of the importance of remembering the sacrifice of officers in the line of duty. According to Guzzy, “The first Officer of the Youngstown Police Department killed in the line of duty was William Freed. Officer Freed was shot on Phelps Street while pursuing a burglary suspect who had just shot another officer and escaped. Officer Freed was laid to rest in Oakhill Cemetery. A Youngstown Police Department grave marker was placed at his burial site by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 28 and he is remembered every May during Police Memorial Week. There have been fourteen Youngstown Police Officers killed in the line of duty while serving the citizens of our city.”
Registration is required and space is limited. Registration LINK, opens a new window
Saturday, August 8, 2026
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Oak Hill Cemetery
Follow PLYMC on social media (Facebook, opens a new window, Twitter, opens a new window, Instagram, opens a new window, and TikTok, opens a new window) and check www.libraryvisit.org, opens a new window for updates.
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County (PLYMC) has served the Mahoning Valley since 1880 when the Youngstown Library Association was officially created. With 14 branches across Mahoning County, including Main Library in downtown Youngstown, PLYMC is well known for its signature services and programs like Summer Discovery and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten. PLYMC serves our communities by preparing children for kindergarten, promoting early literacy, assisting job seekers, connecting Valley residents to technology, and providing resources for small businesses. Public Documents HERE, opens a new window