Monday, January 30, 2012

Massillon Memory











Massillon Memory is a group of resources from the Local History Collection of the Massillon Public Library. The Obituary Index is very straightforward.
















Just enter a name in the search box, and click Search. Citations for the name entered will be retrieved. If you find an obituary that you would like to obtain, you can contact the library. (Note: There are several libraries contributing to this project. Contact information will vary, according to the source of the obituary.)

The Massillon Business Database is an outstanding resource! Business and industries can be searched by Organization Name, Category, or Individual Name.














By clicking on the category of: Photography Stores And Portrait Studios, an entire listing of photography related businesses is displayed, along with the years the business was active. So far I have only looked at the resources at Massillon Memory briefly, but I look forward to spending more time at this excellent website!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Paul and Orshoski Families as Listed in the 1956 Rural Directory






















Recently I glanced through a small collection of Erie County, Ohio directories at our local library. My family, as well as my husband's family, were both in the 1956 Erie County Farm and Business Directory from 1956. Both of our families resided on State Route 269.






















Below are approximate locations of our families in 1956. The Paul Orshoski family lived in the small village of Bay View, on Sandusky Bay. The John B. Paul family lived south of Castalia.






















The street listing portion of the directory indicates who resided near our families.























In 1956, my father, Paul Orshoski, was working as a plumber, and my father-in-law, John Paul was working as a driver for Sandusky Butter and Egg. If you have ancestors who resided in rural areas, see if your library or historical society have any rural directories. They provide interesting details that can confirm the exact location of a family in a given time frame.

Several members of the Paul and Orshoski families can be seen in a picture from our wedding, on June 10, 1973.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Linda Recommended a Terrific YouTube Video!!

Tonight I was browsing through my Dashboard, and I came upon a fascinating video, posted by Linda at Exploring Almost Forgotten Gravesites in Ohio. This link will take you directly to the Grave Adventures of the HCLL video on You Tube. This particular video provides an interesting history of the Berlin Cemetery in Holmes County, Ohio. The two "Library Ladies" and the videographer have done an amazing job of putting together the history of the Berlin Cemetery and the Pomerene family, along with lovely images of tombstones. The sections are connected by the artful turning of a virtual page, and the music is just right for the topic. Have fun watching the Grave Adventures of the Holmes County Library Ladies!!

Of course, Berlin is in the heart of Ohio's Amish Country, so consider going to Holmes County, Ohio in person. A delightful library system, historic cemeteries, and lots of wonderful shopping, cultural, and culinary delights await you! Thank you so much, Linda for always being so informative about cemeteries in Ohio!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Thankful Thursday: Katharyn Wunderley's Mentoring












Katharyn L. (Huss) Wunderley was a pint-sized bundle of energy! Katharyn was a fixture in the genealogy section of the library where I have worked for many years. Just by the nature of her being there so often, it turned out that Katharyn answered hundreds of genealogy questions for library patrons, because she was right there in the heart of all the genealogy books and microfilmed copies of local newspapers. She also answered questions by telephone and mail, and almost never received any payment for  her efforts. She would go to the courthouse, library, or cemetery in any weather conditions. More than once I ran into her at the Erie County Probate Court, and we would both be wearing our raincoats. Katharyn was the author, co-author, editor or compiler of several genealogy books and publications:




















In my early years of learning how to do genealogy research, Katharyn Wunderley helped me learn many things about doing genealogy. She taught me to write down the reel number of any microfilm reel I consulted for an obituary or news article, in case I had to go back and re-trace my steps. She taught me that when an obituary stated that someone had been "one of the community's best known citizens," it could have been the case that the newspaper headline had been somewhat exaggerated. Katharyn told me about the books of Banns at the courthouse, which held announcements of upcoming marriages of couples who belonged to the Catholic church, that may not have been recorded in the ledgers of the Probate Court. When a close relative of mine had a baby out of wedlock, Katharyn told me to encourage that young mother, and to just love both the mother and the baby with all my heart! (It turned out to be very wise advice!)

Katharyn L. (Huss) Wunderley died on September 14, 2003. Her obituary, which appeared in the September 17, 2003 issue of the Sandusky Register, stated that Katharyn had been a member of the Toledo Colony of the Descendants of the Original Signers of the Mayflower Compact, the Robert Scothern Chapter of Colonial Dames of the XVII Century of Seneca County, Ohio. She was also an active member of the Erie County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society for several years, and she volunteered many hours at the library of the R.B. Hayes Presidential Center in entering names in the early years of the Obituary Index, now the Ohio Obituary Index. I will never forget Katharyn's positive attitude, her willingness to teach beginners about genealogy, and her generosity in sharing her time, talent, and energy with others. On one or two rare occasions, I was actually able to assist Katharyn in finding some out of town addresses and phone numbers. Overall, Katharyn helped me incredibly more than I ever was able to help her! Katharyn Wunderley was laid to rest next to her husband, Richard Carl Wunderley, at the Toledo Memorial Park.

Thank you for your many years of mentoring, Katharyn! You are incredibly missed!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Erastus S. Gregg





















Erastus S. Gregg was a pioneer resident of Sandusky. His name is found in the 1830, 1840 and 1850 Census for Sandusky.(In 1830, Sandusky was still a part of Huron County. Erie County was formed in 1838.) Mr. Gregg's name appears in a list of early "city fathers" in THE HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich. He also was a fire warden in the 1830's. Erastus S. Gregg died on January 23, 1859. He is buried in Oakland Cemetery. His wife, Clara went on to marry Charles Harrison, following the death of her first husband, but she was buried next to her first husband when she passed away in 1864.

Monday, January 23, 2012

"Frederick Douglass - In the Shadow of Slavery" to be Presented Free in Sandusky








A one-man play will be presented free of charge on Sunday, January 29, at the Sandusky State Theatre at 3 p.m. The play is entitled "Frederick Douglass - In the Shadow of Slavery." Mr. Douglass spoke in Sandusky in March of 1864. Throughout history, many residents of Sandusky and Erie County shared the antislavery views of Frederick Douglass. Click here to read more about the upcoming free play about Frederick Douglass.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy: Free Offline Genealogy Tools

The prompt for Week 4 of 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy, from Amy Coffin at We Tree, and hosted by Geneabloggers, is:
Free Offline Genealogy Tools

For which free offline genealogy tool are you most grateful? How did you find this tool and how has it benefited your genealogy? Describe to others how to access this tool and spread the genealogy love.


The offline genealogy tool for which I am most grateful is the ERIE COUNTY, OHIO CEMETERY CENSUS BEFORE 1909. This book was published in August of 1989 by the Erie County Cemetery Project volunteers, friends, and benefactors. Co-chairmen of the project were Katharyn Huss Wunderly and Patty Dahm Pascoe. The book was printed by the Erie County Board of Education Graphic Arts Department, and was bound by the Crawford Bindery of Akron, Ohio. (Printing and binding of the book were by contract.) Several libraries in the ClevNet Consortium own the book ERIE COUNTY, OHIO CEMETERY CENSUS BEFORE 1909. The title is also available at the Library of the R.B. Hayes Presidential Center.















Cemetery inscriptions are included for all the tombstones that were able to be viewed by the volunteers. Information on each tombstone was recorded onto index cards, which were then microfilmed. A copy of the microfilmed index cards is available for viewing at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center as well as at the Center for Archival Collections, Bowling Green State University. Whenever possible, records were checked against cemetery records, plat maps, Probate Court records and on occasion newspaper accounts of a person's death. Only tombstones of individuals who died before 1909 were included in this project.

The reason I find this title so helpful, is that many of my ancestors lived and died in the same county in which I currently reside. All I need to do is go to page of a particular township, and I can view the names, and cemetery inscriptions, of all those who are buried in that cemetery before 1909. My Irish ancestors are listed in the St. Joseph's Cemetery. Some of my Steen ancestors are buried at Oakland Cemetery, the largest cemetery included in the ERIE COUNTY, OHIO CEMETERY CENSUS BEFORE 1909. Many, many of my Parker and House ancestors are buried in the Perkins Cemetery. My Hungarian great grandparents are buried in the Castalia Cemetery. This resource is a valuable tool for anyone researching family history in Erie County, Ohio. A companion volume for this title is: Erie County Ohio Cemeteries Census: An Every Name Index. This volume gives the exact page number listed for every name included in the Cemetery Census.

The reason I consider this a free offline genealogy tool,is because one can freely view this resource, as long as you visit a library that has this title in its collection. I can't think of a week that has gone by in the last five years, in which I did not consult this book! Of course, the fact that I work at a library probably has helped me find my way to this title so often.















Check out your own public library, and you too may find some valuable resources that are not accessible online. Happy hunting!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Tragic Death of Conrad and C.G. Scheufler in 1870

In the 1867 McKelvey's Sandusky City Directory Conrad Scheufler and his brother C.G. Scheufler were both listed as employees of the Cincinnati, Dayton & Eastern Railroad, a railroad that was formerly known as the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad. An article in the October 21, 1870 issue of the Sandusky Register covered the details of the deadly railroad accident which took place on October 19, 1870. Conrad and C.G. Scheufler (sometimes spelled Scheifler) were working as engineer and fireman on the Cincinnati, Dayton & Eastern Railroad. (The newspaper article stated it was the Mad River Railroad, as that was the name many Sandusky area residents still called the Cincinnati, Dayton & Eastern Railroad.) The weather was stormy, and the night was very dark. The train was traveling along at its usual speed, twenty two miles an hour. Someone had purposely placed a large oak tie in the open culvert of the railroad track, about five miles south of Carey, Ohio. Because of the inclement weather conditions, the engineer did not see the obstruction, and the train hit the oak tie at full force. The engine fell down onto an embankment, and the Scheufler brothers were both killed in the accident. Because there were two baggage cars and three loaded express cars ahead of the passenger cars on the train, none of the passengers who were traveling on the train that night were injured. Efforts were made to free the Scheufler brothers from the wreckage, but they were pinned under the engine.

The Register article stated that Conrad and C.G. Scheufler were "well known by many citizens and were highly respected by their acquaintances as peaceful and industrious men, and by the railroad officers as faithful employees." Conrad Scheufler left behind a widow and several children. The article said in conclusion, in reference to the individual who sabotaged the train, "Suffice it to say that no human punishment known among men would seem too severe a penalty for the crime." On the 24th of October, another Register article reported that the funeral of the Scheufler brothers was one of the largest ever held in Sandusky. Services were held at the Scheufler home, and also at the Lutheran Church with Rev. Lehrer of the Lutheran church officiating, and assisted by Rev. Farr of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church. The city band led the funeral cortege, followed by several railroad employees. Thousands were in attendance at the cemetery, which was "of a most solemn and impressive character." Conrad and C.G. Scheufler were buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. The monument dedicated to their memory was made by J.L. Smith.












C.G. Scheufler was only 21 years of age at the time of his death.






















Conrad Scheufler was age 39 at the time of his death.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Lena Grasgreen

Lena Grasgreen (sometimes spelled Grassgreen) died in the latter part of January, 1888, at the age of five years and ten months. She is buried in the Oheb Shalom Cemetery, in Perkins Township of Erie County, Ohio. Lena's tombstone contains a lengthy inscription, written in the Hebrew language. Lena's obituary, which appeared in the January 26, 1888 issue of the Sandusky Register stated that she was the daughter of Joseph Grasgreen.

In the 1880 U.S. Census, Joseph Grasgreen and his wife Lotta lived in Sandusky, where Joseph worked as a stocking manufacturer. Mr. and Mrs. Grasgreen had a family of six children, ranging in age from infancy to ten years old. (Lena had not been born yet.) The 1880 Sandusky City Directory lists Joseph Grasgreen's place of business as 833 Market Street. Isaac Grasgreen was a dealer in boots and shoes at the same location. By 1900, Census records show that the Grasgreen family had moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where Joseph was a merchant in dry goods. Joseph and Lotta/Lottie's birthplace was given as Hungary, and the children were born in Ohio. The gates of Sandusky's Oheb Shalom Cemetery are pictured below.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Theodore Ruh


















Theodore John Otto Ruh, son of Otto and Nora Ruh, died at the age of three years, six months, and four days, at Providence Hospital on January 18, 1914. He was buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. An angelic face is found at the top of the tombstone of little Theodore Ruh, which was made by Conrad Keim.














Inscribed along the top of Theodore's stone are the words Our Darling.














Obituaries for Theodore Ruh appeared in the January 19 and January 20, 1914 issues of the Sandusky Register.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Whirlwind Tour of Cemeteries in Irwin and Coffee Counties Georgia

A couple days before the memorial for my husband's aunt, Ann (Paul) Donaldson, we had the privilege of spending the afternoon with his cousin, Mary Clyde. Mary Clyde and her hubby are seen with us in the picture above at the Cafe in Ocilla, Georgia, where Mary Clyde works part time. After getting off work a little early, Mary Clyde escorted us around Coffee and Irwin Counties in Georgia.








First, we visited the Lax Cemetery, where Mary Clyde's paternal grandparents, Claudie Alfonso "C.L." Paul and Annie Bell (Smith) Paul are buried. C.L. was the grandfather of both my husband and Mary Clyde. C.L. worked as a blacksmith.














Next we went to the grave site of Tom's grandmother, Leattie (Taylor) Paul at the Arnie Baptist Church Cemetery. "Mama Paul" became the wife of Claudie Alfonso "C.L." Paul after his first wife Annie died. Mama Paul was an outstanding cook and caregiver, and she traveled all over to visit her children and grandchildren. Before she even knew that I was going to become a part of the Paul family, she made me a quilt! Her green beans, fried chicken and sweet tea were fabulous! She had so much love in her heart, and she was generous with her hugs!


















The youngest daughter of C.L. and Leattie Paul was Catherine Lee Paul (Kitty) Holland. Aunt Kitty was such a gracious lady. She used to have a cabin in Cumberland Gap, which was between her home in Georgia, and her relatives up North, so she opened up her place in Cumberland Gap for many a gathering. She loved showing us the Cumberland Mountains and took us to a lovely little restaurant that had live music on Friday nights. Aunt Kitty and her husband Colonel Thomas J. Holland, Jr. are both buried in a small cemetery in Ambrose, Georgia, not far from where Kitty and Tommy grew up.












Mary Clyde's parents, Clyde R. Paul and his beloved wife, Mary (Luke) Paul, are both buried at the Satilla Baptist Church Cemetery in Irwin County, Georgia. We have such special memories of Uncle Clyde and Aunt Mary. We stayed with them during several trips to Georgia. They used to have family reunions at their home, which featured the finest southern food ever! Uncle Clyde was a barber for fifty years, and his hobbies were wood carving and giving nicknames to almost everyone he ever met! Of course, Aunt Mary was the wonderful "woman behind the man." Uncle Clyde and Aunt Mary welcomed me into the family with open arms, even though I was from the North. We miss them so very much.









Thanks so much, Mary Clyde, for taking us to all these cemeteries, and for all the fond memories and family stories! The song "Georgia on My Mind" sung by Ray Charles, has become our favorite song, and Georgia is on our mind right now.You can see many more pictures of tombstones of our extended family on FindaGrave, to which Mary Clyde is a generous contributor.

Rev. John H. Hull

A military funeral was held for Rev. John Henry Hull, who passed away in McAllen, Texas on January 18, 1929. An obituary for Rev. John H. Hull is found in the 1929 OBITUARY NOTEBOOK at the Sandusky Library. The article stated that Rev. Warren Tuttle, of Kent, Ohio, officiated at Rev. Hull's funeral, held at the Old First Presbyterian Church in Sandusky, Ohio. A firing squad from the Cleveland Grays gave a salute at the grave of Rev. Hull in Oakland Cemetery. Rev. Hull had served as the chaplain of the Cleveland Grays for thirty five years.

Parishes where Rev. John H. Hull served as pastor included churches in Marblehead, Ohio; Frankfort, Michigan; Kent, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; as well as churches in South Dakota. Rev. Hull was survived by his widow, two sons, and four grandchildren. Rev. John H. Hull was the son of John L. Hull, who was well known in Perkins Township of Erie County, Ohio. Rev. John H. Hull was also the brother of Judge Linn W. Hull.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Remembering Aunt Ann


















The past several days we have spent with the extended family, following the passing of my husband's Aunt Ann. Aunt Ann was full of life, and she was always welcoming to the family, especially the children. Aunt Ann's father and mother had both been married before. When Granddaddy and Mama Paul married, they had seven children of their own. Ann was the oldest girl of this "bunch."

The Paul children grew up in Irwin County, Georgia, and their father was a sharecropper. As time went by Granddaddy Paul was in poor health due to severe arthritis, and the children had to work on the farm at a very young age. Aunt Ann went on to marry, have four children, and she got to travel, and visit her many siblings throughout the country. Aunt Ann's youngest brother became a minister of the gospel, and he spoke at the family gathering, and he led us in singing "Bind Us Together, Lord." Family ties truly are bound together with cords that cannot be broken.



This Ohioan was blessed with a whirlwind tour of cemeteries in Irwin and Coffee County, Georgia this week. I got to touch base with my brother, and I got to see more Paul family members than I have seen in a very long time. We played "Georgia on My Mind" over and over again the whole trip, and we loved the weather in Ocilla that was 72 degrees on January 12! Georgia is truly still on my mind, and we will dearly miss our Auntie Ann! Thank you to our extended family for all the wonderful memories and your generous southern hospitality!

J. P. Pinder, Civil War Veteran

J. P. Pinder's tombstone is located in the North Monroeville Cemetery in Huron County, Ohio. Mr. Pinder's grave marker is decorated with a flag and a marker from the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization for Veterans of the Civil War.

A search of the database Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans, 1879-1903 , available at Ancestry Library Edition, provides us with the unit in which J. P. Pinder served. John P. Pinder served in Company D, of the 76th New York Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. Mr. Pinder's tombstone was supplied by the W. H. Gross Company of Lee, Massachusetts in 1896.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

G. Friedrich Kubach























This monument for G. Friedrich Kubach, located in the North Ridge section of Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery has fallen down, but Mr. Kubach's name is clearly legible. In the 1860 U.S. Census for Erie County, Ohio, the Kubach family (spelled Kuback by the census enumerator) is listed as:

Frederick, age 38, born in Baden
Magdaline, age 20, born in Baden


and the children, all born in Ohio:

Christina, age 10
August, age 7
Charles, age 5
William, age 2

Another person, John Shepley, age 10, also lived with the Kubach family.

The book SANDUSKY THEN AND NOW, has this listing in the section on German Settlers in Sandusky:

Kubach, Friedr., b. May 1, 1822, in Liedolsheim, Baden, d. Jan. 8, 1865; m. July 7, 1850 to Magdal. Schopfle, b. Aug. 31, 1833, in Kretzingen, Baden

SANDUSKY THEN AND NOW, which was written by Ernst Von Schulenburg in the German language, and translated into English by Norbert A. and Marion Cleaveland Lange, is an excellent resource on the people of German heritage who settled in Sandusky.

Friday, January 13, 2012

L.S. Hubbard Monument at Oakland Cemetery


















Lester Samuel Hubbard was born in Connecticut on December 16, 1807. After living for a time in New York City, he moved to Sandusky in 1835, where he was a well known merchant and banker. He married Jane Paterson Livingston on June 25, 1850. Jane was the daughter of Dr. Charles Paterson Livingston and Eliza Clement (Brewer) Livingston. The side of the Hubbard monument at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery which faces west reads:

LESTER SAMUEL HUBBARD
WAS BORN IN BLOOMFIELD, CONN.
DEC. 16, 1807
AND BECAME A RESIDENT OF SANDUSKY,O.
IN OCT. 1835
WHERE HIS WELL SPENT LIFE WAS CLOSED
JULY 11, 1875

HIS WIFE
JANE PATERSON LIVINGSTON
PAINESVILLE, O.
DEC. 13, 1829 - MARCH 22, 1909


















Names inscribed on the side of the Hubbard monument that faces south are:

LESTER SAMUEL HUBBARD
DIED JAN. 21, 1889
AGED 34 yrs., 4 mos.

GEORGE WATSON HUBBARD
JULY 4, 1874 - SEPT. 7, 1898

CHARLES LIVINGSTON HUBBARD
APR. 29, 1851 - MAY 20, 1904

KATHARINE FOLLETT HUBBARD
DEC. 31, 1875 - JAN. 3, 1905



















The side of the Hubbard monument that faces to the east includes these names:

ELIZA C. BREWER
WIFE OF
DR. C. P. LIVINGSTON
BORN JULY 13, 1798
DIED APRIL 2, 1878

CHARLES HENRY LIVINGSTON
BORN DEC. 28, 1832
DIED SEPT. 4, 1874

EDWARD LIVINGSTON
BORN DEC. 29, 1838
DIED AUG. 28, 1881


(These individuals are related to Jane Paterson Livingston Hubbard.)



















The side of the Hubbard which faces to the north includes the names of several of the children of L.S. and Jane Paterson Livingston Hubbard.

OUR CHILDREN

MABEL BARNARD
DIED OCT. 3, 1854
AGED 1 YR., 9 MOS., 20 D.

MARY ELIZA
DIED SEPT. 1, 1864
AGED 3 MOS., 1 D.

JOHN EDWARD
DIED MAR. 11, 1865
AGED 9 MMOS., 11 D.

WALTON BARNARD
DIED MAR. 13, 1865
AGED 5 YR., 1 M.

ELIZA BREWER
DIED DEC. 28, 1885
AGED 18 YRS., 10 M., 16 D.


The L.S. Hubbard family was well respected in Sandusky, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard lost several children at quite an early age. To see some pictures of the L.S. Hubbard home, visit the Sandusky History blog. More details about Lester Samuel Hubbard and his family can be found in the book DESCENDANTS OF GEORGE HUBBARD OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT, by Frank Allison Hubbard (Sandusky, Ohio: 1918), available fulltext at Heritage Quest Online.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Howard Grant Riggs






















The 1900 U.S. Census tells us that Howard Grant Riggs was born in Ohio in February, 1864. He was residing on Washington Street in Sandusky in 1900 with his parents, Thomas and Emma Riggs, along with two of his brothers. His occupation was listed as machinist. After a brief illness, Thomas Grant Riggs died at his home on January 12, 1905. Mr. Riggs had been a member of the mechanics' union, the Knights of Pythias, and the Woodmen of the World. An article in the January 14, 1905 issue of the Sandusky Register asked the local members of the Woodmen of the World to attend the funeral of Thomas G. Riggs as a group.

An early benefit of membership in the Woodmen of the World was a tombstone in the shape of a tree stump. This program ended in the 1920's, but the life of Thomas Grant Riggs was honored with a distinctive tombstone in the shape of a tree stump from the Woodmen of the World. Thomas Grant Riggs was buried in Oakland Cemetery. He was survived by his parents, two sisters, and four brothers. The tree stump shaped tombstone reminds us that the life of Thomas Grant Riggs was cut short.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Charles Cramer, Final Survivor of the American Eagle Disaster















Charles Cramer, of 525 North Depot Street, died on January 11, 1914, from pneumonia at Sandusky's Providence Hospital. He was believed to have been the last survivor of the American Eagle disaster which took place in Sandusky Bay on May 20, 1882. According to the Maritime History of the Great Lakes, the boiler of the American Eagle exploded while on route to Put in Bay. The explosion took place near Kelleys Island. Six lives were lost in this disaster. Mr. Cramer was horribly burned about his face, chest, and arms.

An obituary for Charles Cramer appeared in the January 12, 1914 issue of the Sandusky Register. Mr. Cramer was survived by his widow, the former Mary Goosman, two daughters, and a son, Jay Cramer of Cleveland. Father Joseph S. Widmann conducted services for Charles Cramer, and burial was at Oakland Cemetery. Charles Cramer had been a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Sandusky References at the Fulton History Website












Thousands of historical New York State newspapers can be searched at the Fulton History website. Click on the FAQ at the top right portion of the website to read more about this amazing website, including the ground rules and searching tips. I found many, many hits when I entered in the search term Sandusky, along with other key words. Some of the "hits" I got related to Sandusky are:

  • An article from the New York Herald from the fall of 1852 which discusses the fugitive slave case in Sandusky, Ohio in which Rush R. Sloane represented seven runaway slaves.

  • An article from the April 19, 1904 issue of the Binghamton Press which reported on President Theodore Roosevelt's appointment of Charles A. Judson to the post of Collector of Customs at the Port of Sandusky and James A. Melville appointment to the position of Postmaster.

  • A brief front page article from the Ithaca Daily News of June 4, 1913, carried a front page article about the fear that Harry Atwood, an early aviator, may have been lost in Lake Erie.(It turns out he was not.)

  • An article which reported that welterweight champion Jack Britton defeated Ray Bronson in a ten round bout at Cedar Point appeared in the September 7, 1920 issue of the Poughkeepsie Eagle-News.

Check out this valuable local history resource to see if there is information pertaining to your family!

Monday, January 9, 2012

The 5th Annual iGene Awards for the 114th Edition of Carnival of Genealogy

The topic for the 114th Carnival of Genealogy, as posted by Creative Gene, is the Annual iGene Awards. Bloggers are to choose their best blog posts in five different categories. Here are the entries from the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay from 2011.







Best Picture - For the Best Picture category, I chose the Harding Memorial image from the post Harding Memorial Re-Visited. Though reviews of President Harding as a leader are mixed, the monument which honors the memory of President and Mrs. Warren G. Harding is quite majestic.














Best Screenplay - The Wedding of Leona Schoenegge and Clifford Lindsley could be adapted into a screenplay. Clifford and Leona had their hopes and dreams shattered when their farmland was taken by the U.S. Government by eminent domain for the war effort during World War Two. They rebuilt their lives and moved to a new farm in an adjacent county. They worked hard, never stopped loving each other, and always kept a wonderful sense of humor.

Best Documentary - Documents from the Pension File of Civil War Veteran Ernest Marshall/Samuel Wilson . In 1862, Ohio resident Ernest/Ernst Marshall enlisted in Company A of the 158th New York Infantry under the name of Samuel Wilson. He remains somewhat of a mystery man, but his Civil War pension file helps us learn more about his life and his family.

Best Biography - Brother Sulpicius, C.F.X. Nicholas Charles Cross, went from a youth leader at Holy Angels Church in Sandusky, Ohio to become a teacher at Catholic schools in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and Massachusetts. He was very well respected and he never lost his passion for knowledge and serving the church.

Best Comedy - When the Reverend Ate the Whole Pie. I laugh every time I recall the story of Rev. Thompson eating a whole pie from my Great Grandma Ada's pantry!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy: Paid Genealogy Tools

The prompt for Week 2 of 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy, from Amy Coffin at We Tree, and hosted by Geneabloggers, is: Paid Genealogy Tools.

Which paid genealogy tool do you appreciate the most? What special features put it at the top of your list? How can it help others with their genealogy research?





As part of a membership to the R.B. Hayes Presidential Center, access is provided to the online database Heritage Quest Online. Heritage Quest features six different components that are helpful to family history researchers:













United States Census images from 1790 through 1930 are available at Heritage Quest. When I looked up my great grandparents, Leroy and Ada Parker, in Perkins Township, Erie County, Ohio in Heritage Quest, I found them listed on page 16, of roll 1377, in the T625 series. Grandpa Roy and Grandma Ada had four children, between the ages of 5 and 14. Also listed in their household was a servant, Edith Lorcher, and a hired man, Earnest Stierhoff. (My great grandparents were not extremely wealthy; in 1920, it was not uncommon to for farm families to have hired help.) I learned that my great grandparents were neighbors to the House, Hill, and Meyer families. Almost everyone who lives in the United States will find many ancestors listed in the U.S. Census, which makes this portion of Heritage Quest an extremely valuable tool!

Over twenty thousands books relating to family history and local history are available at Heritage Quest. When I looked at page 85 of the book OUR YOUNG FAMILY IN AMERICA, by Edward Hudson Young (Durham, N.C., 1947), I found a listing for my great great grandmother, Marian House Parker, who was a descendant of Morgan Young. Data on that page lists her husband, George B. Parker, her children, parents, siblings, and many preceding generations in the Young family. Hours can be spent at the book portion of Heritage Quest, browsing for resources in hundreds of different family lines!

PERSI, the Periodical Source Index, which provides citations for articles contained in genealogical and local history magazines. If you find an article you would like to read, you can obtain a copy of it by contacting the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Below is the citation from the PERSI section of Heritage Quest for a letter written by my ancestor, Julius House. He had moved to Erie County, Ohio, and had written a letter back to his loved ones in Glastonbury, Connecticut, and told them of his experiences as a settler.







In the Revolutionary War files available at Heritage Quest, I was able to view the full file of my grandson's Revolutionary War ancestor, Timothy Tuttle of New Jersey. Timothy Tuttle served in several different military units from New Jersey during the Revolutionary War. On page 9 of his file, I learned that while Timothy was on an expedition to Canada with Colonel William Winds' New Jersey regiment, he led his comrades in singing sacred songs. I think that shows excellent coping skills - he was in a difficult situation, and singing helped him and his fellow soldiers get through it! It was a thrill to learn such a personal detail about my grandson's ancestor on his paternal grandmother's side of the family.

In the Serial Set portion of Heritage Quest, which contains actions taken by the U.S. Congress, I learned that well known Sandusky lawyer Hewson L. Peeke was given compensation for an accident that took place when he was hit by a piece of glass transom while he was at the United States Customs House in Sandusky, Ohio on February 27, 1899. Mr. Peeke was awarded $5,000 for treatment of his injuries.

These are just a few examples of the type of information that one can access at Heritage Quest Online. This resource is a gold mine of information! Happy hunting!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Views of the Schoepfle Monument at Oakland Cemetery






















Every time I visit Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery, I see this beautiful monument in memory of Christian F. Schoepfle, a prominent banker in Sandusky and his wife, the former Sarah Knoepfle. Mr. Schoepfle died on December 16, 1919, and Mrs. Schoepfle died on April 30, 1910. Because I am very much an amateur photographer, it seems like the light and shadows never allow me to get the "perfect shot." Though my photography skills are lacking, I never fail to be inspired by this lovely sculpture, which features a female deep in thought, holding a wreath of flowers.






















Here is a view of the monument in black and white.






















One of the software editing tools from Kodak EasyShare is called the coloring book effect, which creates the look of an engraving.






















If you are ever in Sandusky, Ohio, see this lovely monument at Oakland Cemetery for yourself!