Monday, January 30, 2017

Emeline Voigt

















According to her death record, Emeline Voigt was born on August 10, 1842  to Michael Fike and his wife, the former Eva Jacobs. Emeline's parents were both natives of France. On November 5, 1867, Emeline Fike married Casper Voigt, a fish merchant in Sandusky.











In the 1870 U.S. Census, Casper was listed as a fish merchant. He was born in Switzerland. Emeline, was listed as  Emma, was a house keeper. Their infant daughter Ida was nine months old. Emeline Voigt passed away on September 26, 1917. She was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. As often is the case, both the first name and last name of Emeline Voigt appear in a variety of spellings, depending on the source. 

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Mrs. Veronica Daniel, 1821-1884





















Veronica Daniel was the second wife of Christopher Daniel. According to the book Sandusky Einst und JetztChristopher Daniel was a grocer who died of cholera in 1852.  Veronica continued to run the grocery store after her husband's death. The 1867 Sandusky City Directory lists her residence and business as 176 Market Street in Sandusky. On January 29, 1884, Mrs. Veronica Daniel died from heart disease. She was buried at the St. Mary's Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. Brief obituaries for Veronica Daniel appeared in the January 30 and January 31, 1884 issues of the Sandusky Register. A draped cloth is sculpted onto the top of Veronica's tombstone.


Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Grandma Marian's Birthday Celebration in 1895













Recently I came across a newspaper article which reported on my Great Great Grandma Marian's twenty-ninth birthday. Grandma Marian Parker is pictured below with her husband George B. Parker, sometime before 1914.















The article stated that seventy-five friends of Marian Parker celebrated her twenty-ninth birthday as a surprise. The article appeared in the January 29, 1895 issue of the Sandusky Register.












That is really a lot of friends! My great great grandparents lived on a farm in Perkins Township, and they were very active in the Methodist Church as well as the Perkins Grange. I am guessing that many of their friends from Grange and church attended the celebration!

Note: Top image courtesy thegraphicsfairy.com




Monday, January 23, 2017

Sisters Were Buried Together













Mary Zimmerman was born in 1853, and her sister, Margaret J. Zimmerman Hahn, were both the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Zimmerman. Mary Zimmerman died on May 8, 1923, and Margaret J. Zimmerman Hahn died on February 3, 1927. The cause of death for both women was heart diseases. Mary and Margaret were buried at the St. Mary's Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. A joint grave honors the memory of these two sisters.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Ellen Dart, Died at Age 17






















Ellen Dart died on January 19, 1846, and she was buried at the St. Joseph Cemetery in Sandusky,Ohio. An inscription on her tombstone reads:


Sacred to the memory of Ellen Dart who departed this life January 19, 1846, who departed this life January 19, 1846. aged 17 years. 

Ellen may have been connected to the Dart family who resided in Margaretta Township in 1850, but to date we do not enough information to know the other members of her family for sure.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

The Love of Music Runs in Our Family










Recently I ran into this old news article about my maternal grandfather, Steen Parker, playing a piano solo at the old brick church in Perkins Township. The article appeared in the Sandusky Star Journal of February 20, 1922. Sadly, Grandpa Steen died before I was born. I would so loved to have heard him play the piano!























Mom told me stories of how her Great Grandpa Thomas F. Larkins used to play The Sidewalks of New York on the piano for the grandkids, when Mom lived at his home on Shelby Street in Sandusky. Mom grew up to be the volunteer choir director for a children's choir at Grace Lutheran Church in Castalia, Ohio for many years. My brother Paul sang at my wedding, and he had the lead in "Paint Your Wagon" in the school play when he was in high school at Margaretta. Baby sister Kellie played the Sousaphone both in high school and in college! My brother Matt sang at weddings for many, many years. He often was featured as a soloist in the Congregational Church Choir. One of my favorites was You Raise Me Up.

Though I am not so skilled in the field of music, I did take piano lessons for ten years, and I thoroughly enjoyed the High School Band, where I played the alto clarinet. While I do not know so many musical stories about my dad's side of the family, I will never forget him singing I've Been Working on the Railroad, during road trips, or hearing polkas every time I went to visit Grandma Emma Yeager Orshoski on Sunday afternoons in Bay Bridge!























My daughters used to perform in the Show Choir when they were in high school, and I so enjoyed hearing Melanie sing in a choral ensemble during her years at Mount Vernon Nazarene College (now Mount Vernon Nazarene University.) Currently the song I am most enjoying is All God's Creatures God a Place in the Choir, seen here on YouTube. This song reminds me that everyone in a large family, no matter how old or young, or how rich or poor, has something to add! How I miss Mom's stories about the family!




John Kelham, Carpenter























John Kelham was born in England in the early 1820s. By 1860, he was living in Sandusky, Ohio, where he worked as a carpenter. In the 1867 Sandusky City Directory, John Kelham was residing on First Street, in a section of Sandusky known as Camptown. John Kelham died on January 15, 1874. He was buried at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery. This lovely obelisk with the surname Kelham at its base honors the memory of John Kelham.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Martha M. Steward, Died at the Age of 21






















Martha M. Steward (sometimes spelled Stewart) died on January 10, 1858, at the age of 21. She was the daughter of Samuel and Sarah Steward. Martha's stone has a weeping willow on it, which symbolizes mourning. Read more about the Samuel Steward/Stewart family in the HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY, on pages 1013-1014. Martha M. Steward's final resting place is the St. Paul United Church of Christ Cemetery in Bellevue, Ohio.

Friday, January 6, 2017

"Our Darling"






















Fannie Louise Chapman was born on July 4, 1853, to William P. Chapman and his wife Eliza. She died on January 3, 1858, at the age of 4 years, 6 months. The beautiful tombstone which honors the memory of Fannie Chapman features a lamb, above which are the words: "Our Darling." A poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is inscribed at the bottom of Fannie Chapman's tombstone.



Ere Sin could blight or Sorrow fade,
Death came with friendly care;
The opening bud to Heaven conveyed,
And bade it blossom there.









Fannie L. Chapman was buried in the family lot at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio.

Monday, January 2, 2017

Mystery Monday: Emma's Tombstone at Strong's Ridge Cemetery























This lovely tombstone with a decorative draped cloth and sculpted book honors the memory of Emma, whose surname is unknown. Emma is buried at the Strong's Ridge Cemetery in Huron County, Ohio, near several members of the Nims family. The left hand page of the book reads:

We Miss Her at Home



















Rest in peace, Emma.