All cemeteries in the Town of Montezuma are closed for burial at the present time. Three of the Town cemeteries have public access; the others are located in remote farming areas between private property. We ask that you use discretion and the courtesy of asking for permission before trespassing on private property.
It is interesting to note the historic difference between the term “cemetery” and “graveyard.” Here’s an article that helps explain the subtle difference:
In the mid 1960′s a group of local historians and members of the Owasco, NY Chapter of the DAR compiled a 10 volume listing of Cayuga County, NY cemetery records. Along with other cemeteries in Cayuga County are the listings of seven Town cemeteries to assist with genealogy and family history research in Cayuga County, NY.
• http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nycayuga/cemetery.htm
The Montezuma Family History database is a site that is maintained by Kathleen Decker. If you have family information you would like to research or share including family photos, visit this site at:
Announcement….Historic Road Site Markers Dedicated for Montezuma Cemeteries
Montezuma has received funding for two historic cemetery roadside markers from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.
The first cemetery marker to be dedicated was at the Mentz Church in 2013. The Mentz Church graveyard has over 200 graves with the earliest burial of 1813, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It surrounds the Mentz Church which was built on the corner of McDonald and Mentz Church Roads and incorporated as the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Mentz in 1825. Many of the early immigrating families that first settled in the area of Mentz Corners are buried here.
The most recent marker is located at the Old Montezuma Cemetery located on Route 90 in the hamlet of Montezuma, and was dedicated on Memorial Day 2015. The earliest burial at this cemetery is 1810 when Montezuma was first settled. It contains approximately 185 graves with the last known burial in 1933.
Captain Richard Damewood, born in 1759, is buried in the cemetery. He enlisted in the military in 1781 and served in New York’s Regiment at the siege of Yorktown during the Revolutionary War. After the War of 1812, he became engaged in boating on the Erie Canal, eventually settling in Montezuma. Over the years Captain Damewood’s gravesite became obscured and forgotten located on an outer hedgerow covered by brush in the 
cemetery. During a cemetery cleanup project, it was discovered his cemetery marker had become embedded into the trunk of a tree. In 2007, the Town received a new military stone provided by the Sons of the American Revolution National Graves’ Committee to replace Captain Damewood’s gravestone. Joanne Damewood Butler, descendant of Richard’s son, Henry, was present to help install the new stone at the grave site and Joanne and many family members attended the dedication.
Montezuma Cemeteries may be located on this Cemetery Map.