52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History: Home

The prompt for Week Four of 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History, from Amy Coffin at We Tree, and hosted by Geneabloggers, is Home:

Describe the house in which you grew up. Was it big or small? What made it unique? Is it still there today?













The first house that I recall my parents owning was a small house in Bay View, Ohio in the mid 1950's. We lived in a small rental house nearby, while the house was being constructed. My dad, grandfather, and most of Dad's siblings helped in the construction of that house. Aunt Bertie applied the textured ceiling, and those ceilings lasted a very long time. The extended family helped in painting, putting up woodwork, cabinets, and pouring concrete sidewalks. The men folk would work at the their full time job all day, and work on "the house" in the evenings and on weekends. When our family moved in the house, we were a family of two young parents,Paul and Joyce, and three children, ranging in age from 1 to 5. Some of the time, my aunt lived with us too. As the number of children increased, we built on the front of the house, enlarging the living room area, and adding a big coat closet.
















Later, we put an addition on the back, adding on a bedroom, and a family room. I can recall having lots of fun playing with our cousins who lived next door. At Christmas time, Mom put Christmas decorations in the big picture window. Easter Sunday would find us standing on the front porch in our Sunday best, often with the sun in our eyes. Confirmation, graduation, and prom dates called for photos in the front room, or the sidewalk outside. Pictured below are the three oldest Orshoski children on Easter Sunday about 1957.























In the late sixties, for a time my three brothers all shared one bedroom. They had bunk beds, and under the bottom bunk, a trundle bed could be pulled out for the third child. They would often dive from the top bunk down to the trundle bed. The boys played basketball in that tiny room, and broke more than one light fixture during their rowdy horseplay. Below are some of the children in the doorway of one of the bedrooms. We used to do chin ups on a tension bar in the doorway.




















My youngest siblings loved Sam the dog.

















The house in Bay View stayed in our family for over forty years, but it now has new owners. The house in marvelous condition, with new siding and lovely landscaping. I have occasion to go by my childhood home quite often, and the fond memories of that house will stay with me for many years to come.

Sentimental Sunday: Bay View Baseball Photo from 1963

The photo above was taken about 1963 at the baseball field in Bay View, at Henry Keimer Park. Paul Orshoski was the manager of this ball team, most like "atom league," and Frank Orshoski was coach. In the picture below, the names of the players have been labeled. Both Orshoski families spent many an hour at the ball field during the summertime in Bay View, Ohio!

Wayne Orshoski

Wayne Orshoski was the third child born to Steve and Emma Orshoski. He was born in Bay Bridge, Ohio on September 6, 1929. Wayne graduated from Margaretta High School in Castalia, Ohio. He was a self-employed mason and owned Orshoski Construction. He and his wife, the former Betty Farrell were the parents of three children. He was a U.S. Army veteran, and he also was a former Sandusky Elks member.

Below Wayne is pictured with his brother Paul, at the wedding of Paul Orshoski and Joyce Parker in July, 1950 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church on Central Avenue in Sandusky.

For many years Wayne and Betty Orshoski lived next door to Paul and Joyce Orshoski in Bay View, Ohio. The Orshoski cousins spent a lot of time together during the "baby boom" years of the 1950's and 1960's. The boys were active in Little League baseball, often playing for the "Log Cabin Inn" team. The Log Cabin Inn was a restaurant in Bay View which was owned by Wayne's mother-in-law, Audria Deme. Wayne's hobbies were fishing, cooking, and gardening. He was known for teasing everyone, and for his colorful vocabulary. He had an incredible memory, and liked sharing old photographs with the family. He often told stories about growing up in Bay Bridge, and spoke of the his many colorful neighbors and friends, most of whom had a family member who worked at the Medusa Cement plant.

Wayne Orshoski died Monday afternoon, Sept. 8, 2003 in Firelands Regional Medical Center, Main Campus, Sandusky, after a lengthy illness. He was buried at Restlawn Memorial Park, Huron next to his beloved wife Betty. After Wayne's funeral, his family and friends met at Wayne Orshoski's home in Bay View, where a fish fry was held in his honor. It was a fitting tribute to Wayne.

Frank and Audria Deme

Audria Deme was born Audria Flick on April 20, 1909, in Crawford County, Ohio. Her parents were William and Ella Schell Flick. She graduated from Crestline High School. Following a divorce, Audria and her daughter moved to Margaretta Township of Erie County, Ohio in the late 1940's.

After moving, Audria met and married Frank Deme. Frank was born in Florida, but spent most of his life in the Bay Bridge area, a small village in Margaretta Township. Frank came from a large family of Hungarian descent. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War Two. For 20 years, Frank and Audria owned and operated the Log Cabin Inn, in Bay View, Ohio. The restaurant was popular among boaters and tourists. It was conveniently located near the old Sandusky Bay Bridge. Many business meetings, family dinners, and cocktail hours were hosted at the Log Cabin Inn. On Mother's Day and Easter Sunday, it was hard to find a parking spot at the popular restaurant.



Pictured above is a serving plate from the old Log Cabin Inn. Many a platter of home fried potatoes were served on this plate, especially at dinner meetings, when customers were served banquet style. Steaks were a specialty at the Log Cabin. Many customers came back again and again, and got to know the waitresses personally.

Frank and Audria eventually sold the Log Cabin Inn, and moved to Florida, where they owned the Kerri Ann's Children's Clothing Store at Lauderdale by the Sea. Mr. and Mrs. Deme were totally devoted to each other, and they worked long hours in the businesses which they owned. Audria dressed stylishly, and always had her hair done in an attractive style throughout her life. She appeared at least 20 years younger than her actual age. Audria Deme died on October 4, 2004, at the age of 95. She was survived by three grandchildren and several great grandchildren. Frank missed Audria terribly. He passed away on July 16, 2006. Frank and Audria Deme are buried at Meadow Green Memorial Park,in Huron, Ohio, near Audria's daughter Betty.

Aunt Bertie was a Police Officer, and Co-Owned a Business

Alberta "Bertie" Orshoski was the only daughter of Steve and Emma (Yeager) Orshoski. The first of the five Orshoski children, Bertie was born on October 20, 1926. Bertie graduated from Margaretta High School in 1944, where she was on the cheerleading squad with her aunt, Stella Orshoski. (Though Stella was Bertie's aunt, they were very close in age.)

For twenty four years, Bertie and her husband John Maschari owned and operated the Log Cabin Inn, a restaurant in Bay View. Through the years, a host of relatives were employed by Bertie and John at the Log Cabin. Bertie's father Steve even helped out on occasion. The Log Cabin was a favorite place in the area for banquets, and luncheon business meetings. Boaters found it handy to dine there in the summer months, especially before the closing of the old Sandusky Bay Bridge. Many family anniversary parties, holiday parties, and funeral dinners were hosted at the Log Cabin by Bertie and John. When a close family member or friend passed away, Bertie often prepared a carryout meal and delivered it to the grieving family.


While she had no college degree, Bertie was a very successful business woman, and was known for her work ethic. In the 1960's, she also served as a Deputy Police Woman for the Bay View Police Department. In the article below, which appeared in the June 8 , 1961 issue of the Sandusky Register, Bertie, who then was also known as Mrs. Alberta Rutherford, was award with a Certificate of Attendance at the Law Enforcement Training School. At this time she was on the Special Police force for the Village of Bay View.












Alberta and her husband sponsored numerous youth baseball leagues in Bay View, and was active in organizing "Bay View Days" celebrations through the years.

After a battle with cancer, Alberta Maschari passed away on February 19, 1997. She was survived by two children, four grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. Inurnment was at Calvary Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. Bertie's memorial overlooks the grave of her grandson, John, who died in 1985, while still in his teens.



While this business is no longer in operation, the Log Cabin Inn, later known as the Angry Trout, served customers in Northern Ohio for many years.

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Nelson Martin

According to his death certificate, Christopher Nelson Martin was born in 1827 to Richard and Sallie Teller Martin. Records on file at Erie County Probate Court list November 23, 1852 as the marriage date of a Nelson martin and Phebe Reed. The 1900 Erie County Census shows Phoebe martin's birthplace as England and her birth year to be 1834.

Christopher Nelson Martin died on December 30, 1909. His obituary in the January 1, 1910 Sandusky Register reported that Mr. Martin's funeral was to be held at his home in Crystal Rock. On January 9, 1910, Mrs. C. N. Martin placed a "Card of Thanks" in the local newspaper, in which she thanked the Knights of the Maccabees, the clergymen, and the funeral director, Mrs. John J. Marquart. The article ended with this phrase:

"Rest in peace dearest father,
Thou art gone but not forgotten."

Mrs. C. N. Martin passed away on August 4, 1915.

A 50-year History booklet, printed by the Village of Bay View in 2001, tells us that the father of C.N. Martin, Richard Martin, came to the area now known as Bay View in the early 1800's. He owned and farmed the land, which was known in the early days as "Martin's Point." Martin's Point Road is the name of the portion of State Route 269 which runs through the western edge of the Village of Bay View today. (Image below from Google Maps.)



Descendants of Richard Martin lived in the Crystal Rock and Venice areas of Erie County for many years.

The tombstone for Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Nelson Martin is located in the Castalia Cemetery. The shape of the monument is an open book lying atop a tree stump. (Click on images for an enlarged view.)



Though covered with lichen, and quite worn, the initials and last name of the couple appear on the pages of the open book, with their birth and death years listed below their names.