Lena Marshall Stippey

Lena Marshall was the youngest child of Nicholas Marshall and his wife, the former Catherine Elisabeth Erckmann, on September 30, 1850. Lena's parents emigrated to Ohio from Hesse in 1848, according to SANDUSKY THEN AND NOW. Lena Marshall married Henry Stippey on December 28, 1876, according to Erie County Probate Court records. Lena Marshall Stippey passed away on November 2, 1885 in Perkins Township. She left behind her husband and their young son. She was buried in Oakland Cemetery. A brief obituary for Lena Marshall Stippey appeared in the November 18, 1885 issue of the Sandusky Register. Lena was also survived by a brother, Ernst Marshall, and a sister, Elizabeth Marshall Cross. The word Sister can very faintly be seen along the top of the tombstone of Lena Marshall Stippey. (Stippey was sometimes listed as Stippie or Stippig.)

Louis and Sabina Leyh

In the 1900 U.S. Census, Louis and Sapina Ley are listed as residing on Hancock Street in Sandusky, Ohio, both having been born in Germany. In various vital records and news articles, Louis's first name is given as Ludwig, Lewis, or Louis. Sabina's name is seen as Sabina, Sabine, or Sapina. Their last name in some records is spelled Ley, and in other records, such as on their tombstone, it is spelled Leyh. Louis stated that he arrived in the U.S. in 1881, and Sabina arrived in the U.S. in 1872. Two daughters of Louis are in the household in 1900: Margaretta, age 20, and Luella, age 8. Sabina stated that she was the mother of one child, who was living, so that suggests that Margaretta may have been from a prior marriage of Louis Leyh. Louis Ley/Leyh stated that his occupation was stone mason.

An article in the October 6, 1926 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that Mrs. Sabina Leyh had died that morning. Her survivors included her husband Ludwig, and two daughters, Mrs. John Gessner and Mrs. George Hein of Pennsylvania. Rev. Theo. Stellhorn conducted funeral services for Mrs. Sabina Ley/Leyh, and burial was in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Mr. Louis Leyh died on November 1, 1940, in Baltimore, Maryland, and he was buried at Oakland Cemetery on November 4, 1940, according to the Oakland Cemetery interment card.

Dead-a-Base at Adams Memorial Library in Latrobe, Pennsylvania

While I was unsuccessful in obtaining a birth record for my grandfather, Steve Orshoski, who was born on December 15, 1905 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, I found an outstanding obituary service from the Adams Memorial Library in Latrobe, Pennsylvania!

Dead-a-Base is the clever name of the obituary database. Obituaries and death notices from the Latrobe Bulletin have been indexed from December 18, 1902 to the present. The fee schedule is:

One name $4.00
Two names $5.00
Three names $6.00
Four names $7.00
Five names $8.00

Requests and payments can be made by contacting the address below:

Adams Memorial Library
ATTN. Kathy Tobolewski
1112 Ligonier St.
Latrobe, PA 15650

I did find any of my ancestors in the Dead-a-Base, but I am sure that some of my Orshoski ancestors' neighbors and co-workers have been listed in the database. If you have ancestors from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, check out this great genealogical resource!

Wendelin Lieb

According to records found at Ancestry, Wendelin Lieb was born at Momlingen, Germany on October 19, 1841, and he died in Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio on October 30, 1898. His wife is listed as Anna Marie Wernig. Wendelin Lieb's tombstone in Oakland Cemetery is in the shape of a tree stump, which represents a life cut short, or a life interrupted. It is very likely that the monument honoring Wendelin Lieb was made by his brother Ambrose Lieb, who had a marble works in Sandusky for many years.

Obituaries for Wendelin Lieb appeared in the Sandusky Register on October 30 and October 31, 1898.
Mr. Lieb had died in a dreadful accident, in which he fell from his buggy, was knocked unconscious, and the flames from his cigar engulfed his body. His obituary stated, "The accident was a particularly sad one and the family has the sympathy of the community." Mr. Lieb was considered a well known resident, and was known for being a hard worker. Wendelin's faithful horse was found standing beside his lifeless body. The funeral was held at the family home at the corner of Jefferson and Putnam Streets.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History: Elementary School

The prompt for Week 44 of 52 Weeks of Personal History & Genealogy, by Amy Coffin of We Tree, and hosted by Geneabloggers, is: Elementary School

Describe your grammar/elementary school (or schools). Were they big or small? Are any of these schools still in existence today? If so, how have they changed since you went there?

In the snapshot above, my friend Lydia and I are sitting on the Merry Go Round behind the old Venice Elementary School, where I attended school from Grade One to Grade Three. At the time I attended school at Venice, it was a part of the Margaretta Local Schools system. In the mid 1960s Venice was annexed into the Sandusky City Schools system, and the old Venice School was torn down. A new school was built nearby, in Venice Heights. My youngest grandson now attends school there.

My father, Paul, and all of his siblings also attended Venice School.

Dad was not too fond of school, but when he became a parent, he served as President of the Venice PTA! Mom was a "room mother" for several years at Venice Elementary. An article in the February 21, 1961 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that the Venice PTA helped in raising funds to purchase radios, record players, films, records, a clock, a movie projector and screen, and new flags for Venice School. The PTA was also instrumental in remodeling the school's basement to make way for a new cafeteria which served hot lunches.

My favorite memories of Venice School include our Christmas programs, the smell of sloppy joes and homemade gingerbread, and the wonderful teachers who gave us the start to our school days in those early grades. Today, a picnic shelter and playground are located at the site of the old Venice School.

Pictured below is my Third Grade Class at Venice Elementary. Our teacher was Mrs. Hall.

"The Islands of Erie" by Dr. Robert R. McMeens

Image courtesy WikiPedia

According to notes made by C. L. Martzloff, who collected and annotated POEMS ON OHIO, Sandusky physician Dr. Robert R. McMeens wrote the poem entitled "The Islands of Erie." It was read on the occasion of the anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie in 1858. The poem appears on page 33 of POEMS ON OHIO. POEMS ON OHIO was published by the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, and was printed by the F.J. Heer Printing Company in Columbus, Ohio in 1911.

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THE ISLANDS OF ERIE
By Robert R. McMEENS, M. D. (1820-1862)

The Islands of Erie arrayed in full dress,
Enrobe the lake scene with strange loveliness,
As gorgeously decked in bright verdure they lie,
In the soft mellow haze of the still autumn sky.
No more brilliant gems though lauded they be
Ever gleamed 'mid the groups of the old Grecian sea.
They circle the storm-brewing gates of the west
To soothe the "mad spirit" of Erie to rest
And lend their slight forms to the rage of the sea
To shelter the storm-tossed in succoring lee;
Or, like sentinels, seem to be pointing the way
To the harboring arms of bold "Put-in-bay."

When the winds breathless sleep in their caverns of peace,
How sylph-like they sit on the lake's lucent face,
Or mirrored in beauty on crimson dyed wave
When the sun silent sinks in her gold-tinted grave,
And the purple horizon depends as a shroud,
Of a tapestried mantle, in folds of rich cloud,
Then deep'ning so gently upon the pale glow,
So somber and sad, scarcely seeming to know
When the last flitting ray of fading twilight
Merges in darkness and death gloom of night.

Oh! Islands of Erie, how many a scene
Of shipwreck and battle around you have been!
How many a gallant young hero went clown
When Perry and sailors won glorious renown!
You stand as proud monuments over the dead,
Who sleep at your feet in their coffinless bed.
While the winds shriek or whisper a requiem sigh,

And the waves join in murmuring a fond lullaby,
And the mariner gliding along by your side
Recounts all their deeds with emotions of pride.
Oh, Islands of beauty, on Erie's broad breast
That smile in the sunshine like havens of rest;
Or when the storm-god in his wrath wildly raves,
Like "sisters" of mercy hang o'er the waves,
E'er bloom in your freshness as lovely as now,
To enrapture the eye and make the heart glow.

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The Battle of Lake Erie was fought on September 10, 1813 during the War of 1812. Oliver Hazard Perry, who led the Americans, became a national hero after his victory. Click here to read more about the Battle of Lake Erie and Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial. Dr. McMeens went on to become a surgeon with the Third Ohio Infantry. He died during his service in the Civil War on October 30, 1862.

George L. Barney

George Lawrence Barney was born about 1843 to George and Caroline (Lawrence) Barney. He was a hardware merchant in Sandusky, Ohio. Sadly, George L. Barney died on October 26, 1873 at the age of 30. His sister, Carrie Ella Barney, had died in March of the same year. George's mother, Caroline, would outlive all but five of her children. George L. Barney was buried in the Barney family lot at Oakland Cemetery. He left behind a wife, the former Kate Norton, and a two young sons, George Lawrence Barney and Charles Norton Barney. The tombstone of George L. Barney features beautifully sculpted floral adornments and a folded drape.