A Life of Service in Chagrin Falls
Jane Elizabeth Church (1833–1917) was the daughter of Henry Church Sr. and Clarissa Sanderson Church. Born in 1833, she was just one year old when she arrived in Chagrin Falls with her parents and half-sister after the family moved from Massachusetts. She attended local schools and became an accomplished seamstress. Those who knew Jane remembered her as a woman of strong convictions and definite opinions.
Jane grew up in a family deeply involved in the community and in the abolitionist movement. The Church family participated in the Underground Railroad, providing shelter to freedom seekers traveling north. Jane later became a committed abolitionist herself, an experience that helped shape her lifelong dedication to helping others.
Jane Church and Civil War Relief
When the Civil War began in 1861, Jane Church became an important leader in Chagrin Falls’ wartime relief efforts. She was a charter member of the Chagrin Falls Soldiers’ Aid Society and served first as its secretary and later as president.
The Soldiers’ Aid Society organized local support for soldiers and their families during the war. Jane’s leadership reflected the important role women played on the home front, organizing relief efforts, raising money, and providing practical assistance to those serving in the conflict.
Her commitment did not end when the war was over. When the Soldiers’ Aid Society had money remaining after the war, Jane believed those funds should be put toward a lasting memorial to the local men who had died.
The Soldiers’ Monument at Evergreen Hill Cemetery
Jane took the initiative to campaign for a monument honoring the Chagrin Falls men who lost their lives during the Civil War. The Soldiers’ Aid Society had $134 remaining, and Jane successfully persuaded the town to allow her to raise additional funds for the project. She ultimately helped raise $1,350 to construct an obelisk bearing the names of 21 Chagrin Falls soldiers who died during the war.
The Soldiers’ Monument was dedicated in 1867 and still stands at Evergreen Hill Cemetery. It remains an important reminder of Chagrin Falls’ Civil War history and the community’s efforts to remember those who served and died.
In recognition of her extraordinary efforts, Jane was given the honor of dedicating the monument—a distinction rarely afforded to a woman in the 1860s. Her contributions were also recognized with a silver ice-water set, which is preserved in the History Center’s collection today.
From Chagrin Falls to California
In 1886, Jane left Chagrin Falls with her sister, Mrs. F. M. Hunt, and moved to Redlands, California. Although she spent the final decades of her life in California, her legacy remained firmly connected to Chagrin Falls through the organizations she helped lead and the memorial she worked to create.
Jane Church died in Redlands in 1917. Today, the Soldiers’ Monument at Evergreen Hill Cemetery stands as a lasting testament to the men of Chagrin Falls who served during the Civil War—and to Jane Church, whose determination ensured that their sacrifices would be remembered.