52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History: Food

An announcement appeared at Geneabloggers for Week 5 of 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History, a series of weekly blogging prompts from Amy Coffin at We Tree. Week 5 asks us about our favorite food:

Favorite Food: What was your favorite food from childhood? If it was homemade, who made it? What was in this dish, and why was it your favorite? What is your favorite dish now?



























When I think back to my childhood, there was hardly any food that I didn't like! Mom made wonderful suppers every night. Some of my favorites were roast turkey and dressing, roast pork and sauerkraut, meat loaf, pot roast, and of course the wonderful desserts. Dessert was usually a cake, made from a boxed mix, but yummy all the same!

My absolutely favorite dessert from my childhood was chocolate pudding. It was made on the stovetop, and Mom served it in small individual glass dishes. The ingredients were simply milk and the pudding mix. After the pudding had cooled in the refrigerator for a time, it had a "skin" on top, which was the best part in my opinion! The modern instant chocolate puddings are delicious, but the puddings made on the stovetop were so much richer. Below is an advertisement for Royal Pudding from the March 4, 1957 issue of Life Magazine, accessed at Google Books. (The Royal ad is from page 117.)













As for my favorite food now....as in my childhood, there is hardly anything that I DON'T like! My family can attest to that fact.

Charles J. and Victoria Parker

Charles Joshua Parker was the youngest son of Joshua Parker and his second wife, the former Louisa Crampton. Charles was born in Huron County, Ohio on June 29, 1879. His occupation was "car inspector" for the railroad. According to records at Huron County, Ohio Probate Court, Charles J. Parker married Victoria Fuhr on May 21, 1903.

On August 18, 1896, Charles Parker was issued Patent Number 566012, for a Street Car Rail. Charles Parker was residing in Monroeville, Ohio in 1896.























Charles J. Parker passed away on January 27, 1950, in Geauga County, Ohio, as a result of heart disease. He was buried with his wife Victoria, at Oakland Cemetery in Shelby, Ohio. Victoria Fuhr Parker had died in 1948. Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Parker were the parents of three children: Laura, Charles V., and Catherine Parker.

Seth E. Bardwell

Harriet Taylor Upton wrote in THE HISTORY OF THE WESTERN RESERVE that Seth E. Bardwell was one of the most successful farmers of Margaretta Township, Erie County, Ohio. He was born in 1844 in Groton Township, to Seth and Louisa White Bardwell. After the elder Seth Bardwell died, the younger Seth took over the family farm. He married Celesta Thompson in 1874. Seth and Celesta Bardwell were the parents of Mrs. O. S. Alcott, Seth A. Bardwell, and Alvah Bardwell. Seth E. Bardwell served in the 145th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War.

Mrs. Celesta Bardwell died in 1893. Seth E. Bardwell married Rebecca Neill in 1900.









Seth Edgar Bardwell survived both his wives. He died on January 25, 1935,at the age of 90, and he is buried in the Bardwell family plot at the Castalia Cemetery.

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.

Eagles Monument at Oakland Cemetery

At Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery is a monument which honors deceased members of the Sandusky's Chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Aerie 444. The monument is located in northeastern corner of Section F, along 9th Street. The mission statement of the Fraternal Order of Eagles is:

Fraternal Order of Eagles stated mission is to unite fraternally for mutual benefit, protection, improvement, social enjoyment and association, all persons of good moral character who believe in a Supreme Being to inculcate the principles of liberty, truth, justice and equality, to perpetuate itself as a fraternal organization and to provide for its government as it's Constitution, Laws, Rituals, by-laws or other rules and regulations may from time to time provide, and to promote the general welfare, the Fraternal Order of Eagles ordains this constitution. To promote and raise funds for duly authorized Fraternal Order of Eagles charities and contribute to worthwhile charitable causes.

The words representing the principles of the Eagles, as stated in their mission statement, liberty, truth, justice and equality, are found at the base of each of the four sides of the obelisk.























The side of the Eagles monument which faces east features an eagle, and the word Liberty. Former Eagles members' names on this side of the memorial are:

Robert Feist
Herman Knupke
Joseph C. Stuckey
William J. Gill
Harley Gilmore
William Martin
John F. McCauliffe
William Allen
Orval F. Sinasac
Delbert L. Allen

Three names are found on the side of the Eagles monument which faces north:

Michael Manning
John Bruckner
Frank Marx























To date, no names of former Eagles members have been inscribed on the side of the Eagles monument which faces west. The Eagle's principle of Justice has been engraved at the base of this side of the monument.























These two names are found on the side the Eagles monument which faces south:

Robert E. Gisseman
Richard Steele























Visit Sandusky's Oakland cemetery to view a variety of grave markers that honor hundreds of individuals who once called Sandusky or Erie County, Ohio their home.

Constance A. Fleming

According to her death certificate, Constance Alma Fleming was born to Charles Jay Fleming and Anna Catherine Gessner Fleming on January 13, 1911 in Sandusky, Ohio. Sadly this little girl passed away shortly after her third birthday on January 25, 1914. A beautiful angel adorns her tombstone, which bears the mark of Conrad Keim. Many of Conrad Keim's tombstones are found at Oakland Cemetery and St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky. Constance A. Fleming is buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Unique Genealogical Resource: Enumeration of Youth in Sandusky, Ohio

Click here to see a blog post from Sandusky History which discusses the enumeration of the youth of Sandusky in 1912. It was similar to a census record, but was within a different time frame. It results in a snapshot of specific neighborhoods in the Ohio county where the enumeration took place.

Chester Sturzinger Hartung

Chester Sturzinger Hartung, the son of Mr. and Mrs. George F. Hartung, died on January 17, 1908, at the age of one year, one month, and four days. Rev. Thiersch conducted funeral services from the Hartung home on South Campbell Street, and burial was in Oakland Cemetery.

A lamb adorns little Chester's tombstone. Lambs were often used on the tombstones of infants and children during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Obituaries for Chester S. Hartung appeared in the January 18 and 19, 1908 issues of the Sandusky Register.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History: Cars

The prompt for Week Three of 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History, from Amy Coffin at We Tree, and hosted by Geneabloggers, is Cars.

The only image I have of my first car is not clear at all, but my memories of it are very clear! It was an early 1960's Chevy II, the predecessor to the Chevrolet Nova. The color of the car was aqua. I was a senior in high school when I got my driver's license. Driving was never my strong suit, and unfortunately that is still the case! I took my youngest brother Matt and sister Kellie to the beach, the park, bowling...we were always looking for an inexpensive afternoon of fun on my days off from the dairy queen, and they were delighted that big sister had "wheels."

During my first year as a new driver, I got into a minor fender bender, which left a rather big hole in my front fender. My parents had six kids, and fixing up that car was not a top priority. To make my car look not so battered, I applied flower stickers all around the area where the car had been damaged. The Chevy II promptly became known as the "flower power" car. Often I was short on funds, so I would drive up to Goins Sohio in Bay View, and get 28 cents of gas. I always figured out the mileage, so that I knew with that amount of gas, in 1969 or 1970, I could get to and from the beach safely. My siblings are all grown up now, but we laugh at many a family gathering, remembering that Chevy II and the miles of fun it provided.

Nicholas and Anna Ferback

This lovely monument which honors the memory of Nicholas Ferback (sometimes spelled Ferbach) and his wife Anna is found close to Mills Street at the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky. (The St. Joseph Cemetery is just across the road.) U.S. Census records indicate that Nicholas Ferback was a grocer in Sandusky, Ohio. According to the the 1880 Census, Nicholas was age 33 at that time, and was born in New Jersey. His parents had been born in Baden, Germany. Annie was 28, and she and her parents were born in Bavaria. They had two little girls, Emilie, age 6, and Annie, age 2, and an infant son named William. Philip Roth, age 28, and Katie Pfaff, age 16, also were living with the Ferback family in 1880.

Nicholas Ferback died on January 16, 1884, when he was only 37 years of age. His obituary appeared in the January 18, 1884 issue of the Sandusky Register. Anna's death certificate lists her death date as January 12, 1937. Anna had married Anton Herbert after the death of her first husband. Her father's name was listed as Christian Elman, but other records indicate the spelling of his surname as either Edelman or Adelman.

The memory of Nicholas and Anna Ferback Herbert is kept alive by the beautiful monument that bears their names at St. Mary's Cemetery.

Mrs. Eva Jane Parker Jarrett

Eva Jane Parker was the oldest child of James Daniel Parker and Sarah Gurley Parker. Mr. Parker owned a general store in Perkins Township, and served for a time as the Postmaster at Bogart. He was also associated with the Sandusky, Milan and Norwalk Electric Railway. Mrs. Sarah Parker was a descendant of the pioneer Methodist preacher Rev. William Gurley.

Eva Jane Parker was born on January 22, 1871. According to Erie County Probate Court records, Eva J. Parker married James Jarrett on May 17, 1897. A baby girl was born to Eva and James Jarrett on December 26, 1899, but the baby died shortly after she was born. Mrs. Eva Parker Jarrett passed away on January 13, 1900. Rev. James Gray conducted funeral services, which were largely attended. Eva Parker Jarrett was buried in Oakland Cemetery, near other members of both the Jarrett and Parker families.

This lovely tribute to Eva, written by Julia Morgan, appeared in the Sandusky Register a few days after Eva Parker Jarrett died. She must have been so terribly missed by her family and friends.

Annual iGenie Awards for 102nd COG

The topic for the 102nd Carnival of Genealogy, as posted by Creative Gene, is the Annual iGene Awards. Bloggers are to choose their best blog posts in five different categories. Here are the entries from the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay from 2010.





Best Picture - The angel from the post Fall at Perkins Cemetery in Erie County, Ohio. I like to think that this angel represents angels watching down on us along with my mother Joyce, who passed away in 2010, and is buried here at the Perkins Cemetery.



















Best Screen Play - There's One in Every Family. My great grandmother Ada Steen Parker, along with her husband Roy, raised a family of four children during the first quarter of the twentieth century. She knew how to cook, can, sew, help in birthing babies, as well as preparing deceased loved ones for funerals. After the family farm was sold for the War effort in the 1940's, she adapted well to city life. Her life story could be told with Claudette Colbert as the star, and Jimmy Durante playing Grandpa Roy. The children would be portrayed by John Goodman as Glenn, Tony Danza as Steen, Olivia DeHaviland as Janet, and Groucho Marx as Paul Parker.


Best Documentary - Learning More About Joseph Willmann. Details about the life of Joseph Willmann were gleaned from census records, online family trees, vital records, and cemetery and genealogical databases.

Best Biography - Spencer Baird Newberry. A professor of Chemistry who studied in Europe as well as in the U.S., Mr. Newberry was issued several patents related to the manufacturing of portland cement. The company started by Spencer and his brothers provided jobs for many of my ancestors of Hungarian descent.

Best Comedy - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. A smile comes to my face every time I think of my baby brother singing this song in his Kindergarten class.

George W. Dewitt

George W. DeWitt was born in 1825 in Pennsylvania. Eventually he moved to Erie County, Ohio, where he and his wife lived on a farm in Perkins Township. The DeWitt's had a son named William C. DeWitt.

George W. DeWitt died on January 19, 1896. He was buried in the North Ridge section of Oakland Cemetery. Mr. DeWitt's obituary in the January 21, 1896 Sandusky Register read: "The death of Mr. George DeWitt occurred at the home residence shortly before 6 o'clock on Saturday morning at the age of 72 years. Mr DeWitt has been ailing for some time past. The funeral services took place at the residence and the remains were interred in Oakland cemetery, Rev. L. K. Warner officiating."

Claude B. DeWitt, the grandson of George W. DeWitt, was married to the daughter of General Henry A. Axline, who was considered the "father of the Ohio National Guard." (Claude B. DeWitt and Tella Axline DeWitt later divorced.) General Henry A. Axline is also buried in Oakland Cemetery.

Mrs. Adelaide Lessenthien

Adelaide Schmid was born in 1879 to Mrs. and Mrs. Jacob Schmid. Mr. and Mrs. Schmid were both natives of Germany, and Mr. Schmid was an engineer who worked for many years in a local brewery. In the 1900 U.S. Census for Erie County, Adelaide stated that her occupation was dressmaker. According to records at Erie County Probate Court, Adelaide Schmid married Ferdinand F. Lessenthien on September 27, 1900. Between 1902 and 1914, Ferdinand (sometimes called Fred) had a large family of five children: daughters Wilma and Ruth, and sons Lionel, Russell and Bretell. Ferdinand Lessenthien reported on his draft registration card for World War One that he worked as a marine fireman.

Listings in the 1928 Sandusky City Directory indicate that Ferdinand and Adelaide were living at separate addresses. In the 1930 U.S. Census, Adelaide Lessenthien was living in Sandusky with her daughter Wilma, sons Russell and Bretell, as well as her married daughter Ruth Spinello. Ruth's young children Evelyn and Harold Spinello also lived in the household.

Mrs. Adelaide Lessenthien passed away at the Fisher-Titus Hospital in Norwalk on January 9, 1969, at the age of 90, following a brief illness. She had been a lifelong member of St. Stephen's United Church of Christ. She was survived by a daughter, Mrs. Lloyd Beck, three sons, Lionel, Russell, and Bretell, five grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. She had been preceded in death by her parents, her daughter Ruth, three sisters and a brother. Frey Funeral Home was in charge of funeral arrangements, and burial was in Oakland Cemetery. Adelaide was a strong woman who kept her faith strong, even when she faced life as a single parent and enduring the economic challenges presented by the Great Depression.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History: Winter

An announcement appeared at Geneabloggers for Week 2 of 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History, a series of weekly blogging prompts from Amy Coffin at We Tree.















Week 2 asks us to tell about Winter:

What was winter like where and when you grew up? Describe not only the climate, but how the season influenced your activities, food choices, etc.

I grew up in Bay View, a small village located on Sandusky Bay, to the west of Sandusky, Ohio. Winter time meant wearing lots of warm gear before going outside: hats, gloves, coats, boots, and scarves. My brothers and sisters and I enjoyed making snowmen, snow angels, and forts outside. Sometimes Dad would take us down to the frozen bay and pull us on a sled. Pictured below is Paul Orshoski, Sr., with sons Paul, Jr. and Todd in the winter of 1960.






















You can see the railroad tracks in the distance, as well as the silos for the Medusa Portland Cement Company in Bay Bridge, Ohio.

Though the picture below is blurry, you can see that my Dad even had Mom join into the fun. Joyce Orshoski can be seen with the four oldest Orshoski children. In the picture, Paul, Todd, and Robin are sitting on the sled, and Dorene is standing behind her mother Joyce. (Matt and Kellie had not arrived yet.)






















After playing outside, we would run indoors to get warm, and Mom would give us a cup of hot chocolate. When were a little older, we used to go ice skating on the bay with our friends, though I spent more time falling down than skating.

During the blizzard of 1978, several people were stranded in their vehicles on the Edison Bridge across Sandusky Bay. My dad, along with several other Bay View residents, drove snowmobiles across the ice to rescue the stranded motorists. Once they got back to the village, residents opened their homes to give provide shelter and meals for those stuck in the storm. My parents hosted the next door neighbors, as well as two truck drivers. I was married and living out of town at this time, but my parents told me many stories about the fun they had meeting new folks and making meals with whatever they had on hand. The truck drivers sent Christmas cards to my parents for several years, and they were always grateful for the hospitality they received during that wintry storm. You can read more about the blizzard of '78 here.

Medusa Cement Used in "Cemetery Work"

Adjacent to Sandusky Bay, in the small unincorporated area of Erie County known as Bay Bridge, are the old silos from the Medusa Portland Cement Company. (Click on above image for an enlarged view.) Spencer B. Newberry, along with his brothers Arthur St. John and William Newberry, organized the Sandusky Portland Cement Company at Bay Bridge, Ohio in 1892 due to the rich deposits of marl and clay in this area. The discovery of these raw ingredients necessary for the manufacturing portland cement were discovered by John Strong Newberry during his geological survey of Ohio. Later, the Sandusky Portland Cement Company became known as the Medusa Portland Cement Company.

The historical marker pictured below was placed near the site of the former Medusa Cement Company in 2005 by the Erie County Historical Society. The Bay Bridge plant closed about 1960.

















In a 1912 issue of Water and Sewer Works, available at Google Books, the Sandusky Portland Cement Company advertised that Medusa cement was used in the construction of a mausoleum in Tiffin. Librarians from the Tiffin Seneca Public Library helped me find the location of this mausoleum, which is found at the Greenlawn Cemetery in Tiffin, Ohio, on Coe Road.



















An advertisement in volume 52 of Architectural Record, also available at Google Books, tells us that the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington Cemetery was executed in marble that was set in mortar made from Medusa stainless white cement.



















The former Medusa Cement Company in Bay Bridge provided jobs for hundreds of residents of Erie County, and was used in many the construction of many area roads, including the Ohio Turnpike. A brief entry from volume 6 of Concrete-Cement Age, edited by Allen Brett and Harvey Whipple, describes some of the uses for Medusa Cement in this description of an informational booklet available from the Sandusky Portland Cement Company in 1915.

Medusa White Portland Cement—Sandusky Portland Cement Co., Sandusky, Ohio, paper, 9" x 7", 32 pp., illust. This booklet describes in minute detail the use of Medusa White Portland cement for building ornamentation, concrete building block, interior decoration, cemetery work, parks and grounds, tile, mosaic, statuary, etc. The method of using this cement for stucco work is also thoroughly described, and illustrations given of typical buildings wherein this cement has been used. Testimonial letters are also given from many users of Medusa cement.

Franz Tschill

According to an article in the January 4, 1924 issue of the Sandusky Register, Franz Tschill was found stricken on the sidewalk of Decatur Street outside the Ogontz Garage, as he was walking to his home on January 3, 1924. Albert Krohn found Mr. Tschill, and contacted George Muehlhauser, who was the owner of the Ogontz Garage. They notified police, but Franz Tschill was already deceased by the time the authorities arrived. The news article stated that the cause of death was a stroke. Franz Tschill was buried at the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio.

In the interment records of St. Mary's Catholic Church, available at Family Search Labs, the surname of Franz Tschill was spelled Schöll. (Click image for a larger view.)







While Mr. Tschill's tombstone lists his death date as January 4, 1924, his death certificate lists the date of death as January 3, 1924.





















Keep an open mind when viewing genealogical records. You will often find variations in dates and spelling, especially when researching ancestors of German or Eastern European ancestry.

Gustav Jarecki

Gustav Jarecki, the founder of Jarecki Chemical Company, died on January 12, 1915. Mr. Jarecki’s obituary, which appeared in the Sandusky Register of January 13, 1915 stated that he had a “long and honored career.” Gustav Jarecki had been born in Prussia in 1829. (Some sources state 1826.)

He was captain of a cavalry unit in his native land, while during the United States Civil War, he organized an artillery unit based in Erie, Pennsylvania. During President Grant’s administration Mr. Jarecki was appointed the U.S. consul to Augsburg, Germany. Mr. Jarecki organized the Jarecki Chemical Company at Erie, Pennsylvania in 1878. In 1893 the Jarecki Chemical Works opened a plant at Sandusky, Ohio.

Mrs. Dorothea Jarecki had died before her husband, in February of 1914. Gustav Jarecki was survived by two daughters, two sons, and several grandchildren. He was buried at Oakland Cemetery, following funeral services held at the Jarecki residence.

How Great Grandma and Grandpa Parker Spent the First Week of 1931

On January 1, 1931,my great grandparents Ada and Leroy Parker had all their children, grandchildren, and family friends the Lindsleys over. They had duck for dinner, which son Glenn Parker had picked out earlier in the week, along with his parents.

On January 2, Grandma Ada worked at the church, and her son Steen Parker had to be hospitalized due to problems with his eye. (My great grandparents are pictured to the left, in the early 1950's.)










On January 3, Grandma Ada went to town in the afternoon, and in the evening Thomas and Emma Larkins and the Louie and Adeline Moosbrugger came out to the family farm for a visit. From the listing in Grandma Ada's diary, it sounds like the two couples stayed overnight, and left the next day. Son Steen was feeling a little better. Mr and Mrs. Steen Parker (couple in back) and Louie and Adeline (couple in front) are pictured in the picture below.















Grandma Ada washed and ironed on January 5th, and she visited Steen in the hospital, and on January 6, she and Grandpa Roy hauled a piano and desks for the school. On January 7, Grandma Ada cleaned and washed windows and visited Steen in the hospital again. On January 8, some young men hauled coal, and Doris Wheeler Larkins and her baby Tommy came out to the Parker farm for a visit.


















Grandma Ada left two scrapbooks to my mother, and they were then passed down to me. I am so thankful that I can get an idea of what daily life was like for my Great Grandma and Grandpa Parker by reading her diary and scrapbooks. My great grandparents worked hard, but they also had a lot of fun with family and friends by hosting frequent dinner and card parties at their big farmhouse in Perkins Township. Though my great grandparents are gone, they will never be forgotten!