John and Linda Paul with sonTommy at the Beach

My in-laws, John and Linda Paul are pictured above with my future husband Tom in 1953 at the beach at East Harbor State Park. John and Linda both worked long hours at their jobs, so it is lovely to see them relaxing by Lake Erie on a sunny summer day! You can read more about John and Linda Paul at a previous blog post at the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay. We still miss you both, John and Linda!













This post was written for the 5th Annual Swimsuit Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, hosted by Creative Gene.

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.

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!

Harvey W. Paul, 1925-2011

On Thursday, we got word that my husband's Uncle Harvey had passed away in the hospital in Coffee County, Georgia. Uncle Harvey and Aunt Pat are pictured above on the day of our wedding in June of 1973.

Harvey Watson Paul was born in Georgia on November 7, 1925 to C.L. and Leattie (Taylor) Paul. Harvey's parents had both been married before. After C.L. and Leattie got married to each other, they had seven children together. Uncle Harvey was one of the older children in the group of children born to C.L. and Leattie Paul.























Uncle Harvey was often called "Dub," or variations of "Dub" such as Stubby or Tubby. The story I was told is that his little brother could not say "H.W.," so he called his big brother "Dub." Uncle Harvey was one of the kindest, gentlest individuals I have ever met. For many of his years at the New Departure Hyatt Bearings Division of GM, he worked 12 hours a day, for 7 days a week, in the heat treatment unit. Not once did I ever hear him complain. He also served in the United States Navy during World War Two.

Harvey was married to Elece "Pat" Stancil, and they had two sons, Gregory and Jerry, as well as several foster children. Having moved to Ohio from the Georgia, and South Carolina, Uncle Harvey and Aunt Pat opened their home to relatives from the South on numerous occasions. Their home was often the place where the extended family met for parties and picnics, complete with an abundance of good food and family stories. Often Harvey and Pat visited their families in the south as well, attending many family reunions through the years.

On February 17, 2011, Harvey W. Paul died in the Coffee Regional Medical Center in Douglas, Georgia, after a brief illness. Tributes to Uncle Harvey are found at Heartfelt Connections as well as the Sandusky Register. Services for Harvey W. Paul will be held at the Ricketson Funeral Home in Douglas, Georgia on Sunday, February 20, 2011, and at the Mitchell-Auxter Funeral Home in Clyde, Ohio, on Wednesday, February 23, 2011. Harvey W. Paul will be buried next to his wife, Elece "Paul" Paul at Meadow Green Memorial Park in Huron, Ohio. (Aunt Pat passed away in 1987.)

Uncle Harvey, you will dearly missed by your family and friends. You were a dear, dear man, and our lives are better for having known you.

Aunt Pat, She was Solid as a Rock!

My husband's Aunt Pat is pictured above with her husband Harvey at their home in Georgia in the 1980's. Aunt Pat was born "Elece Stancil" in 1926 in South Carolina, to Huey M. and Myrtle L. (Gillstrap) Stancil, Sr. By the early 1950's, Pat had moved to Ohio and become Mrs. Harvey W. Paul. The newlyweds first lived in Margaretta Township, in Crystal Rock, a small community close to Sandusky Bay. Pat and Harvey started something, because through the years, two more Stancil siblings married two members of the Paul family!

In 1955, Pat and Harvey bought two lots on Hayes Avenue in Sandusky, Ohio. Both Pat and Harvey worked for many years at the New Departure GM plant in Sandusky. They were known as hard workers. Not able to have their own children, Pat and Harvey adopted two young boys in the 1960's. They also cared for several foster children through the years. By 1965, Pat and Harvey moved back to Margaretta Township, this time to a house that had four acres of land. Many family picnics were held at the Paul's big house on Old Railroad Street. Aunt Pat was known for her fried chicken, green beans with bacon, huge tossed salads,and of course a large pitcher of sweet iced tea. On Friday nights, when we first married, we often stopped over at Aunt Pat's and Uncle Harvey's, and had long talks, and enjoyed sodas and longhorn Colby cheese. Aunt Pat had a special way of listening, and on more than one occasion she took in a niece or nephew who was having problems getting along with their parents. She welcomed them to her home, and usually things got back to normal before long.

For a time, Pat and Harvey Paul lived in Clyde, Ohio, near several members of the extended Stancil family. In 1980, Pat and Harvey Paul moved to Georgia. Pat passed away at the age of 61, after a lengthy illness. She died on Monday, November 16, 1987, in West Green, Georgia. Funeral services for Elece "Pat" Paul were held at the Foos-Hinman Funeral Home in Clyde, Ohio, with Rev. Sam Studer officiating. Burial was at Restlawn Memorial Park in Huron, Ohio, now known as Green Meadow Memorial Park. Pat was survived by her beloved husband, two sons, two brothers, and two sisters. She is still sadly missed by her family and friends. Aunt Pat was solid as a rock. She always made me feel as though I had been born into the Paul family. I truly miss her family stories and encouraging words.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Mug Holder made by Uncle Clyde

This wooden mug holder was made in the late 1970's by my husband's uncle, Clyde Paul, who lived in Ocilla, Georgia.

















Our family has used this mug holder for many years, and it shows signs of being loved, but it is so terrific to still have a tangible reminder of such a wonderful family member!























Clyde R. Paul was born to Claudie Alfonso Paul and Annie Bell Smith Paul in Stockton, Georgia in 1910. In 1932 Clyde Paul married Mary Lissie Luke, and they were totally devoted to each other. They hosted our family several times, during Paul Family Reunions, and on the sad occasions of the funerals of family members. When I first met Uncle Clyde and Aunt Mary in 1977, they loved me like I had been born into the family, AND I was a northerner too! Geography didn't seemed to enter in to the picture at all. Uncle Clyde quickly nicknamed our toddler twin girls when he first met them: "Miss Piggie" and "Minnie Pearl" were there nicknames, and he always seemed to be able to tell the apart.























My father in law, John Paul, was born to Claudie Alfonso Paul and his second wife, Leattie Taylor Paul. As you can see from the family tree, it was a very big family! Uncle Clyde often had to look after his younger siblings when his parents were working. The 1920's and 1930's were lean years for the big Paul family, and all the members of the family worked hard on the farm.

Clyde Paul was a barber. He was known for his big heart, and wonderful sense of humor, and also for making items out of wood. At his funeral, held on September 15, 1998, the minister asked how many people there owned a sling shot or a walking stick that had been made by Clyde Paul, and almost everyone at the church raised their hands. Uncle Clyde's beloved wife Mary passed away before he did, on May 28, 1989. Clyde R. Paul died on September 13, 1998. He was buried in the Satilla Baptist Church Cemetery in Irwin County Georgia. You can read more about Clyde R. Paul at FindaGrave.

Pictured below is a portion of an article about Clyde Paul from the Country Neighbors column in the Georgia Country Neighbors magazine, written before Clyde's death in 1998. (This article was sent to me by relatives in Georgia, and I do not have the exact date of publication.)























My husband's Uncle Clyde and Aunt Mary were dear to our heart, and we still miss them a great deal!

Sentimental Sunday: John Paul and the Tower of Stroh's

For many years, John Paul sold and delivered Stroh's Beer for the Sandusky Butter and Egg Company. Here he is standing next to a store display of Stroh's six-packs, in the 1960's.





John met a lot of wonderful people throughout his years at Sandusky Butter and Egg. Since Stroh's was a sponsor of the Detroit Tigers, John's children and grandchildren all became Tigers fans. The family especially enjoyed following the Detroit Tigers during the 1968 and 1984 seasons. Cecil Fielder was one of the Paul family's favorite players. John Paul passed away on August 3, 2005. He is buried at Meadow Green Memorial Park with his first wife Linda.

Mr. and Mrs. John B. Paul

John Brown Paul was born to Claude Alphonso and Leticia Taylor Paul on November 3, 1928 in Ambrose, Georgia. As some of his older brothers move to Ohio in the late 1940's to find jobs, John too moved to Sandusky, Ohio.

Linda Lou Porter was born in Columbus, Ohio on July 25, 1930. Linda was orphaned at a young age, and was raised by either a foster or adoptive family. Very little is known about her background.

John B. Paul and Linda Porter were married on November 22, 1947 in Greenup County, Kentucky. Through the years, John had a variety of jobs, but he is best remembered for his long years of delivering Stroh's beer for the Sandusky Butter & Egg Company. He worked long hours, and met a lot of people. Since Stroh's was the team's sponsor, John became an avid Detroit Tigers baseball fan. Linda enjoyed reading, knitting, and sewing, and she worked as a waitress at the Log Cabin Inn, in Bay View, Ohio. John and Linda had two children: Thomas and Nancy.

Linda Paul died on October 3, 1971, after a lengthy illness. She was only 41 years old at the time of her death. John eventually married again, to Marilyn Dreschel Gioffredo. They had many happy years together, and enjoyed traveling. John B. Paul died on August 3, 2005. John and Linda Paul are buried in Meadow Green Cemetery in Huron, Ohio.