52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History: Winter

An announcement appeared at Geneabloggers for Week 2 of 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History, a series of weekly blogging prompts from Amy Coffin at We Tree.















Week 2 asks us to tell about Winter:

What was winter like where and when you grew up? Describe not only the climate, but how the season influenced your activities, food choices, etc.

I grew up in Bay View, a small village located on Sandusky Bay, to the west of Sandusky, Ohio. Winter time meant wearing lots of warm gear before going outside: hats, gloves, coats, boots, and scarves. My brothers and sisters and I enjoyed making snowmen, snow angels, and forts outside. Sometimes Dad would take us down to the frozen bay and pull us on a sled. Pictured below is Paul Orshoski, Sr., with sons Paul, Jr. and Todd in the winter of 1960.






















You can see the railroad tracks in the distance, as well as the silos for the Medusa Portland Cement Company in Bay Bridge, Ohio.

Though the picture below is blurry, you can see that my Dad even had Mom join into the fun. Joyce Orshoski can be seen with the four oldest Orshoski children. In the picture, Paul, Todd, and Robin are sitting on the sled, and Dorene is standing behind her mother Joyce. (Matt and Kellie had not arrived yet.)






















After playing outside, we would run indoors to get warm, and Mom would give us a cup of hot chocolate. When were a little older, we used to go ice skating on the bay with our friends, though I spent more time falling down than skating.

During the blizzard of 1978, several people were stranded in their vehicles on the Edison Bridge across Sandusky Bay. My dad, along with several other Bay View residents, drove snowmobiles across the ice to rescue the stranded motorists. Once they got back to the village, residents opened their homes to give provide shelter and meals for those stuck in the storm. My parents hosted the next door neighbors, as well as two truck drivers. I was married and living out of town at this time, but my parents told me many stories about the fun they had meeting new folks and making meals with whatever they had on hand. The truck drivers sent Christmas cards to my parents for several years, and they were always grateful for the hospitality they received during that wintry storm. You can read more about the blizzard of '78 here.