Joseph and Julia Orshoski

Joseph Orshoski was first married to Julia Herzog. Together they had six sons. Julia died in 1919. As was told in an earlier blog entry, the family legend was that after his first wife died, Joseph said to his family back in Hungary, "Send me a new wife, one named Julia." And, in keeping with his wishes, a new wife was found. Julianna Szomolya came to the United States on September 30, 1921. She and Joseph were married, and had two daughters. Joseph and Julianna were married for over fifty years, and left a host of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.



Joseph Orshoski and his second wife Julianna Szomolya are buried in the Castalia Cemetery in Erie County, Ohio. They raised their family in the small unincorporated village of Bay Bridge, Ohio, situated on the northern coast of the Sandusky Bay, which leads into Lake Erie. Julianna, known as Grandma Orshoski, was known for her wonderful cooking. Some of her favorite dishes were chicken paprikash and Hungarian nut rolls.

The Medusa Portland Cement Company provided many jobs for men in Bay Bridge and the surrounding area from the late 1890’s until about 1960.



The article above was in the Sandusky Register in December 1971 when Joseph and Julia Orshoski celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversay with a family party at the Log Cabin Inn, in Bay View, Ohio.

Schade Mylander Mausoleum in December

The persons honored at this mausoleum at Oakland Cemetery are Dr. Lester Mylander and his wife Christine Schade Mylander. (Other members of their family are also entombed here.) Dr. Lester Mylander died on March 1, 1970. Mrs. Christine Mylander passed away January 7, 1983. Christine Mylander's father was a prominent business man in Sandusky, George J. Schade. Christine was the granddaughter of Jacob Kuebeler, co-owner of the Kuebeler Brewing Company with his brother August Kuebeler.

The son of Dr. Lester Mylander is George Mylander, who is a retired educator, former Erie County Commissioner, philanthropist, and civic leader who is active in many community organizations.

The Schade Mylander Mausoleum is decorated with a holiday wreath during the Christmas season. You will also see the names Schade Mylander in downtown Sandusky at the Schade Mylander Plaza, a focal point for community activities in Sandusky.

Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery

Pictured below is the bandstand at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. It was erected in 1925, and has been the site of many speeches during Memorial Day celebrations in Sandusky, Ohio.


Oakland Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Erie County. The first burial in Oakland Cemetery was in 1850. The City of Sandusky features an online gallery of photographs.

Over one thousand interments are listed on the Oakland Cemetery section of the Find A Grave web site. Politicians buried at Oakland Cemetery are found at the Political Graveyard.



To the left is a monument which honors several members of the Feick family. The Feick family has been known for several decades for its design and building business,both in Erie County and beyond.

Mr. and Mrs. J. V. Brost

J. V. Brost was listed as a wine dealer in the 1880 Sandusky City Directory and the 1880 U.S. Census for Erie County. He was born in Germany. Mr. J. V. Brost died on September 21, 1889. His wife Mrs. Christina Brost died in 1891. Both Mr. and Mrs. J. V. Brost are buried in Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky.

In the 1898 Sandusky City Directory, J. V. Brost and Son are listed as having a Marble Works business on the west side of Hancock Street south of the B & O Railroad.

Dr. George Anderson, Sandusky's First Physician

Hewson Peeke wrote in his STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY that George Anderson was the first doctor in Sandusky. Dr. Anderson was born in 1792, and moved to Erie County from New York. Peeke stated that “He was skillful in his profession, but died of cholera in 1834.”




George Anderson married Eleanor Hull in 1821. They had two children, Pallas and George J. Anderson. You can read more about the Anderson family in the HISTORY OF THE WESTERN RESERVE, which is available full text on Google Books.






















Dr. George Anderson died on August 26, 1834. His wife Eleanor Anderson died on April 25, 1866. Both are buried in Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky. In the background, behind the tombstones of Dr. and Mrs. Anderson, one can see the tombstone of their grandson, George F. Anderson, who died in 1937. A scrapbook which chronicles the life and activities of George F. Anderson is in the holdings of the R. B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio.

Leroy and Ada Parker

Leroy and Ada Steen Parker were married on March 3, 1901 in Perkins Township of Erie County. To the left is a photo from their fiftieth wedding anniversary. The parents of both the bride and groom were farmers in Perkins, and were involved in the Perkins Grange, the Methodist Church, and the Erie County Agricultural Association. Leroy Parker served as an Erie County Commissioner from 1920 to 1924. Leroy and Ada both also worked summers for the Concourse Amusement Company at Cedar Point. One of their favorite attractions was "Noah's Ark," a ride in which you could go into a replica of Noah's Ark, and see the animals. It was similar to a "fun house,"because the floor moved as you walked on it.

During the Second World War, many Perkins Township farms were taken by the U.S. Government for the building of the Plum Brook Ordnance Works. Some farmers bought land elsewhere in Erie and Huron Counties, but Leroy and Ada did not choose to continue farming. They moved to an apartment in Sandusky, and focused on their work at Cedar Point, and often wintered in Florida.

Leroy and Ada took an active role in the lives of their families, especially enjoying their several grandchildren. Leroy and Ada Parker both died in the 1950's, and are buried in Perkins Township.




Throughout Ada Steen Parker’s adult life, she kept a personal diary as well as a notebook of clippings containing articles about weddings, church and grange events, family dinners, and funerals. These notebooks got passed down to my mother. As a young child I would read these articles over and over again, thinking about how life must have been in the “good old days.”

My Great Grandma Ada’s notebooks helped inspire me to learn more about my family heritage. Now Grandma's clippings help me piece together the chronology of events that transpired in the lives of my ancestors and their neighbors and friends in Erie County, Ohio.