Sounds from my Childhood: " Red Rover, Red Rover"

When I was in elementary school, our neighbors Ed and Agnes invited me to go to Bible School at St. Stephen's United Church of Christ in Sandusky, Ohio. I was friends with their twin sons, Larry and Garry. At Bible School, we were playing "Red Rover" in a grassy lot adjacent to the church. The only people I knew in this whole church were Larry and Garry, so when the opposing time wanted me to try to break through their line, they chanted:

Red Rover, Red Rover, let Short Fry come over!

Well, my name is Dorene, so I didn't know that Short Fry meant me! Finally my teammates pointed to me, and they said "They mean you!" So...I ran over to the their line of kids, arms linked together, and of course I could not break through the line. You can read about the game "Red Rover" at WikiPedia.

Other sounds I recall from that Bible School summer session was the song, "I've Got the Joy." At our Lutheran Sunday School, we sang the song very calmly. At St. Stephen's, the youth song leader encouraged us to shout "Down in My Heart" very loudly! It was great fun, and I used to sing that song to my own children when they were preschoolers.

Agnes and Ed were wonderful neighbors! Agnes helped my mom with recipes and babysitting, and Ed helped teach both my mother and myself learn to drive. Agnes hosted a bridal shower for me in her basement in her Bay View home, and invited our whole family to a host of parties, weddings, and picnics throughout the years. When my father was dying of cancer, Ed would sit with him for hours. As Agnes got older and lived in a nursing home, we would stop in and see her with our grandchildren. She always said that what she missed most about being in her own home was cooking. Agnes and Ed are both gone now, but they made our lives richer, and showed us what being a good neighbor was all about.















(Ed and Agnes Balduff are buried at Sand Hill Cemetery in Erie County, Ohio.)

In a unique turn of events, by the time my husband and I got married, the church which formerly was St. Stephen's United Church of Christ, at Jefferson and Lawrence Streets in Sandusky, Ohio, was Faith Memorial Church in 1973. The church where I once played "Red Rover" was the same location as our wedding!
















This blog post was written for Week 9 of 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History by Amy Coffin, and hosted by Geneabloggers. This week's prompt was: Sounds.

Arah Osborn, Early Settler

On the grounds of Osborn Park, located in Perkins Township, on East Perkins Avenue, is the tombstone of Arah Osborn, who died on February 27, 1843, at the age 59. An iron fence surrounds the tombstone.

An article in the June 14, 2008 issue of the Sandusky Register states that Arah Osborn settled in Perkins Township in the area that is now Osborn Park, a vital part of the Erie MetroParks System. Arah’s grandson, Myron Osborn, later lived on the land. When Myron Osborn died in 1932, he left his farm land to the State of Ohio along with a generous sum of money. From the late 1930’s through the early 1970’s, the State of Ohio operated a prison farm on the Osborn property. The Erie County Commission purchased the Osborn property from the state of Ohio in 1974, and Osborn Park was dedicated in 1975. Today Osborn Park provides a variety of recreational needs, including nature trails, playgrounds, area for public gardens, picnic shelters, and meeting rooms.

Mrs. Dorothea Hemminger

At Oakland Cemetery is this stone which is flush with the ground. The top of the stone features two hands shaking, which symbolizes saying farewell to one's earthly existence. Dorothea, wife of Jacob Hemminger died on February 29, 1864, at the age of 54 years, and 3 months.

On page 298 of SANDUSKY THEN AND NOW, is a listing for Jacob Hemminger, who was born on August 27, 1819, in Esslingen, Germany. He was married to Dorothea Schuman in 1846. Following the death of Dorothea Schuman Hemminger, Jacob married Adelheid Faist. They had five children. Jacob died on September 29, 1881, and is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Sandusky.

Annie M. Gentle, Sandusky Nurse

In the business listing in the back of the 1898-1899 SANDUSKY CITY DIRECTORY, is a listing of persons employed as nurses in the city of Sandusky. A name caught my eye:

Annie M. Gentle, who resided on the west side of Columbus Avenue south of the corporation line.

When the nurses were listed alphabetically by their surname in the city directory, her name appeared as:

Gentle, Annie M.

How delightful to find a nurse whose name was "Gentle Annie!" There was another nurse residing at the same location, Hattie G. Crosier. The address is very close to the location of the Erie County Infirmary, now at 2900 Columbus Avenue, so Annie and Hattie were most likely nurses at the County Infirmary. (This building is now an Erie County office building.)

After searching in several genealogical databases, I could not find any listings for Annie M. Gentle in the U.S. Census for 1880 or 1900, nor could I find any vital records for her. I would love to know who were parents were, and the locations and dates of her birth and death. Annie, I would love to know more about you, and how you chose to become a nurse whose name was "Gentle Annie."

Benjamin V. Vrooman

Benjamin V. Vrooman died on February 23, 1861. He is buried in the North Monroeville Cemetery in Huron County, Ohio, very close to the Erie County line. According to the book THE VROOMAN FAMILY IN AMERICA, by Grace Elizabeth Vrooman Wickersham, Benjamin Van Vechten Vrooman was born on August 13, 1805, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Martinus Vrooman. In 1835, Benjamin Vrooman married Nellie Wessels. They were married by justice of the peace Charles Rash.

The home of Benjamin and Nellie Vrooman was one of the depots on the Underground Railroad, which was a network of people who aided runaway slaves obtain their freedom.

J. J. Hinde, Industrialist

James J. Hinde, along with Mr. J. J. Dauch, purchased an interest in a paper mill. Later the two men became the namesakes of the company “Hinde and Dauch Paper Company” in Sandusky, Ohio. Hinde and Dauch was incorporated in 1900. The company manufactured corrugated paper products. While this firm is no longer in business, the company provided jobs to many Sandusky area residents throughout the first half of the twentieth century.

Mr. Hinde’s obituary in the New York Times, February 24, 1931, it is reported that J. J. Hinde manufactured an automobile before Henry Ford manufactured his first automobile. It was said that Henry Ford visited Mr. Hinde in Ohio many times.

James J. Hinde died of pneumonia on February 23, 1931. He is buried with his wife Catherine Ann Hinde in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio.

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.

Carl L. and Frederica M. Engels

Born in Germany, Carl Louis Engels came to Sandusky in 1877. He became successful in local businesses and was one of Sandusky's best known citizens. C.L. Engels was associated with the Engels and Krudwig Wine Company, which had been started by his father Herman Engels in 1878. In 1882 C.L. Engels operated a dry goods store with Mr. Hasselbach, which later was solely operated by C.L. Engels. In 1900, C.L. Engels became head of "Sandusky's Big Store," a large department store which was very popular with area residents. (By the early 1900's, Herb & Myers took over the Big Store.)























(The image above appeared on page 3 of the 1905 book RURAL MAIL DIRECTORY OF ERIE, HURON, AND SANDUSKY COUNTIES, OHIO, published by The Appleby Company.)

In 1895 Carl L. Engels married Frederica Wagner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles V. Wagner. They had a family of three daughters, Helen, Dorothy, and Florence. On February 19, 1935, Carl L. Engels died after contracting pneumonia. His funeral was held at the Masonic Temple, and burial was at Oakland Cemetery. Mr. Engels had been a member of the Elks, the old German Harmonica Singing Society, United Commercial Travelers, and he was very active in Masonic Circles. Mrs. Frederica Engels passed away on June 15, 1938. She was a lifelong resident of Sandusky, and had been a member of Grace Episcopal Church and the Eleanor Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star. To read more about the lives of C.L. and Frederica Engels, see the 1935 and 1938 OBITUARY NOTEBOOKS at the Sandusky Library.

Charles H. Deterding, Victim of Typhoid Fever

Charles H. Deterding, who was born in Sandusky in 1878, died of typhoid fever on February 17, 1904. According to his obituary, which appeared in the February 19, 1904 edition of the Sandusky Register, Charles had worked as a clerk in the Lehrer Drug Store in Sandusky, before he moved to Columbus, Ohio. After moving to Columbus, Charles H. Deterding was employed at the Kiefer's Pharmacy, and then he became the manager of a drug store on West Broad Street.

Charles H. Deterding was 26 years of age at the time of his death. He was survived by a brother Harry, a half brother Emil Henrichsen, and his mother, Mrs. Samuel Henrichsen. Charles H. Deterding's funeral was held on February 20, 1904, and burial was in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day
from the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay!

Google News Archive Search

A terrific free online tool is the Google News Archive Search.





This feature from Google sometimes leads to citations in a paid subscription database, and other times leads to an image of the actual news article. After entering in the search terms Sandusky and Reber, I was led to this link, to a full text article about Sallie Reber's death. The article originally appeared in the May 7, 1885 issue of the New York Times. Sallie Reber was born in Sandusky, and went on to become a popular singer in the nineteenth century.

A search in Google News Archive with the words Sandusky and Newberry led to several full text articles about Spencer B. Newberry and his divorce from Ambassador White's daughter.

Other items I retrieved through Google News Archive Search were obituaries of family members, an article about a cousin who had polio in the 1950's, and several mentions of athletic and academic honors earned by my nieces and nephews. Experiment with Google News Archive Search with surnames and locations of your family members. You may find some interesting surprises!

Baby Dolls and Books: 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History

It seems like babies and books have been a part of my life forever. Until I was nine years old, a new baby doll was my most cherished Christmas toy. In the fourth grade, I named my new doll after my teacher Caroline. My sister Robin liked dolls too. My brother Paul was thrilled to get a Huckleberry Hound Dog, and youngest brother Todd (at that point in time) seems to be wondering what all the excitement is about.
















As our family increased in size, I really enjoyed the real life babies too! Pictured below I am helping baby brother Matt learn to walk.






















When I was teenager, on a warm summer day I give baby sister Kellie a bath on the back patio.























My mother wrote in my baby book that I would listen to books being read to me by the hour. When I was old enough to read, I tried to complete as many book reports as I possibly could. For most of the last forty years, I have worked either part time or full time at a library. I started out shelving books, and later became a Children's Librarian, and after taking time off to have my own babies, I worked, and still do work, as a Reference Assistant. I think that my early baby dolls helped me to prepare for having a family in my adult life, and all the reading helped me to appreciate books and libraries...and of course I now embrace the computer and the amazing databases that the computer leads me to as well!





This blog post was written for Week 7 of 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History, a prompt from Amy at We Tree, and hosted by Geneabloggers.

Mrs. Auguste Witt

Not much is known about Auguste Witt. Records from the ERIE COUNTY CEMETERY CENSUS BEFORE 1909, provide these dates of her birth and death:

Mrs. Auguste Witt
born September 15, 1815
died February 12, 1899

The interment card database for Oakland Cemetery states that Mrs. Witt was buried on February 14, 1899 at Oakland Cemetery, at the age of 83. The cause of death was listed as old age. Mrs. Witt's actual tombstone inscription features the abbreviations for the German words born and died:

geb. for the German word geboren,which means born

and gest. for the German word gestorben, which means died, indicating that Mrs. Auguste Witt was most likely of German descent.

Mrs. Kunigunde Roder Textor

Records from Erie County Probate Court indicate that Albert Textor married Kunigunde Roder on October 13, 1855. Albert Textor was connected with both a wine manufacturing business as well as a jewelry store in Sandusky for many years. In the 1880 U.S. Census, A. Textor is listed as a merchant, who was born in Germany, and his age was 45. Kunigunde, spelled Keneakada in the census, was also born in Germany, and her age in 1880 was 46. Three children resided in the Textor home in 1880. They were: Oscar,age 20; Alix, age 18; and Cora. age 13. In the 1870 Erie County Census, daughter Amanda was listed as well. Amanda Textor was 14 in 1870. Erie County Probate records tell us that Amanda Textor married Henry Moore in 1879.

Mrs. Kunigunde Textor passed away on January 13, 1904, after a lengthy illness. She was buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. (Note: though Mrs. Textor's tombstone reads 1903, newspaper accounts of her death indicate that she died in 1904.)

According to the book HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN NAMES, by Charlotte Mary Yonge, (MacMillan, 1884), the name Kunigund/Kunigunde means "bold war." It can have a variety of spellings.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Photo of Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Orshoski

My cousin in Nevada blessed me again with some copies of old family photographs, which she inherited from her grandparents. (Thanks Debbie!) Pictured above are my great grandfather Joseph Orshoski and his second wife Julia Szomolya Orshoski. Before this picture arrived, I had never seen a picture of them at this stage of their lives. I am guessing that they are in their forties. I have written about them before in this blog, but seeing this picture reminded me of just how special they really were! Grandpa Joe could not see well in his later years, and his glasses were very thick. He always drank his Stroh's beer from a chilled glass, and if someone gave him a beer in a glass at room temperature, he let them know that was not his preference! Grandpa outlived his first wife, and two sons. After working in coal mines in Pennsylvania and Virginia, he worked at the Medusa Cement Factory in Bay Bridge for forty years. Then he started another career as a gardener at Cedar Point for eleven years. My dear neighbor Mary said that Grandpa Joe could outwork any of the young people employed at Cedar Point. So, Grandpa was a hard worker, and certainly provided well for his family. At times, Grandpa Joe could be stubborn. When I was a little girl, Grandpa thought that if he could put a hole in the water line to his house, that he could create an automatic sprinkling system for his lawn and garden! Well, my dad, who was a plumber, and knew about water pressure, had to go up to his house to prevent a disaster from happening. Luckily Grandma knew she better call someone! I honestly didn't get to know my great grandfather very well, and I so wish that I would have asked him questions about leaving his homeland of Hungary to make a new life in the United States.

Grandma Julia was really my step great grandmother, but she was the only Orshoski great grandmother that I ever knew. She was very tiny, but she could could cook and bake very well, and she opened her home to our family quite often. Her specialties were chicken paprikash and nut rolls. Even though my mother had no Hungarian roots, she loved Grandma's nut rolls, especially at Christmas time.

Grandma and Grandpa Orshoski left many descendants, several of them still living in northern Ohio. They left us with a wonderful example of hard work and love of family, and many terrific memories! Joseph and Julia Orshoski, as well as Grandpa Joe's first wife, also named Julia, are buried at the Castalia Cemetery.

The Civil War Service of Great Grandma Irene's Grandfathers

Long before my great grandmother Irene Larkins was born, her maternal and paternal grandfathers had both served in the Union Army during the Civil War.























A native of Ireland, Patrick Larkins served in Company K of the 19th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted on April 23, 1861, and mustered out on August 31, 1861. Patrick worked on the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, and later worked at Hubbard's lumber yard in Sandusky. He and his wife Bridget had a family of seven children, all baptized in the Catholic church.

My Great Grandmother Irene's maternal grandfather was James C. Cross. He was a carpenter by trade. The father of James Cross, an English immigrant named Charles Cross, was the Mayor of Sandusky from 1853-1856. James Cross enlisted in military service at Monroeville on September 19, 1862, as a private in Company G of the 123rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. At the time of his honorable discharge, at Camp Chase, Ohio on June 12, 1865, James Cross had risen to the rank of Corporal.


















Between 1868 and 1883, James Cross and his wife Elizabeth Marshall had a family of six children. He provided the birth dates of all his children on a document in his military pension file.























Both Patrick Larkins and James Cross were buried at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. Keeping in the family tradition of service, my Great Grandmother Irene's uncle, Nicholas Charles Cross became a Brother in the Catholic Church with the Xaverian Order. Her fist cousin, Naomi Cross, was a nun who worked in the Hough area of Cleveland in the 1960's. Naomi changed her name to Sister Bertha after she entered into religious service.

Through the years I have never seen a photograph of my ancestors James Cross or Patrick Larkins, nor have I ever heard any stories about their years in military service during the Civil War. I get the impression that both men must have felt it was their duty to serve their country. Seven of my Great Grandma Irene's great grandparents were born in foreign countries. I am proud of my ancestors' service to their families and their country.

Seventy Five Years in Perkins by W. D. Gurley

In the December 29, 1890 issue of the Sandusky Daily Register, W. D. Gurley wrote an article about his ancestors, who were early settlers in Perkins Township of Erie County, Ohio. Mr. Gurley, whose full name was William Dempster Gurley, was the son of pioneer Methodist minister Rev. William Gurley.

My ancestor, Julius House, and his wife and children were among those who came by oxen train from Glastonbury, Connecticut to Perkins Township in 1815 with John Beatty. Julius House, Rev. Gurley, and many of those early Perkins Township settlers were laid to rest in the Perkins Cemetery. They were first buried in the old Perkins Cemetery, but were moved to the current Perkins Cemetery when their land in Perkins Township was needed for a munitions factory during World War Two.



















A transcription of W. D. Gurley's article about "Seventy Five Years in Perkins" appears below. Mr. Gurley contrasts the rustic cabins of the early settlers with the lovely home of Truman B. Taylor, which was built in the 1890's.

Seventy-five Years in Perkins
by W. D. GURLEY
For The Register

At the close of the war of 1812 the Rey. John Beatty and Julius House then living in Connecticut, formed a colony of twelve families. Late in the fall of '15 they arrived in Erie county and selected their farms in Perkins township on the sand ridge now leading from Bogart to Bloomingville, then an Indian trail. Each family built his own campfire and slept in their wagons while building their one story log cabins, The country being now, they were surrounded by wild beasts and savage tribes. These cabins were built without boards, nails or glass. During the winter of '15 they organized the first M. E, church on the Firelands, John Beatty being a local preacher and Julius House an exhorter. Mr. House was chosen class leader, which office he held for more than fifty years. The number of members was about fifteen. At a meeting in'86 there was 108 added to their number. This society has prospered for the last seventy five years under such preachers as the Rev. John H. Powers, Wm. Runnells, John Kellam, Adam Poe. Rev. T. B. Gurlev, Sawyer, Dunn, McMahon, Mitchell, Barkdull, Breckenridge, Broadwell,
Thompson and a host of others.

The Rev. James Gray has been returned for the second year to Perkins for to persuade the people to come out to church and receive the blessings reserved for them. These old pioneers, fathers and mothers, went to work, fenced and cleared their land, plowed the ground, set out several apple orchards which grew and thrived and in a few years furnished apples and cider not only tor the neighborhood but also for Sandusky.

In a few years those old log cabins were removed, frame buildings took the place of the old ones, barns and outhouses were erected, rail fences torn down and picket and board fences became the fashion of the day. These old pioneer fathers went to work, toiled hard early and late for more than half a century, then they one by one passed away, leaving their homes to their children and grand children.There are today six of those children living who came with their parents to Perkins seventy-five years ago: Mr. Stuart Bell, of Sandusky; Mrs. Susan Monnett, of Norwalk; Mrs. Riley, of Avery; Mrs. Green, of Perkins; Ellery Taylor and Lindsley House, were all children when they arrived here.

The new generation that has sprung up was not satisfied with those old pioneer orchards because they were old fashioned and somewhat infirm with age, so they have all been cut down and cleaned away. Mr. T. B. Taylor, grandson of Jessie Taylor, now occupies his grandfather's old homestead of seventy-five- years. A magnificent mansion has just risen on the sight of the old cottage by Mr. Taylor. It is built in the latest French style, its windows filled with French cut glass, while those of the hall are Chinese glass. Tho building fronts the road and is built with its hip roof, its stack chimneys and surmounted spires; it is roofed with slate and painted in the latest style of the nineteenth century. The driveway leading from the road to the stable curves to the east parlor door, then passes through a beautiful potochere, a French name, and is a very convenient part of the house. The way is covered with slate and pebble stones; the sidewalk leading from the gate to the house is laid with long square flag stones imported from some foreign port. Shrubbery occupies the yard, while in front of the house stands a beautiful row of maples. The old barn has been removed a little back and a magnificent one erected on the site of the old one, with its surmounted cupola and spire; it is painted red and tipped with white. Thrift and fashion have removed the old land marks by Mr. Taylor and introduced a new era into the shady paradise of the past. Mr. Taylor and family are now comfortably settled in their new home and the well arranged furniture shows the taste of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. There was one of these old pioneers apple trees standing in the door yard which had escaped the notice of the woodman's axe.

Sandusky Daily Register, December 29, 1890, p. 4

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History:Radio and Television

An announcement appeared at Geneabloggers for Week 6 of 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History, a series of weekly blogging prompts from Amy Coffin at We Tree. Week 6 asks us about Radio and Television:

What was your favorite radio or television show from your childhood? What was the program about and who was in it?


There is no doubt about it, "I Love Lucy" was the favorite television program at my house when I was a child. (In real life, I was close in age to Lucille Ball's own daughter, and my brother was close in age to Desi Arnaz, Jr., so we could relate to the program very well.)I am sure that both my mother and I saw every single episode of "I Love Lucy" that ever aired. When Lucy told Ricky she was expecting, there was not a dry eye at our house! When Lucy and Ethel baked the bread that grew into a huge loaf, we howled with laughter. The commercial for "Vitameatavegamin " was hilarious! There have been books, documentaries, and television shows about Lucille Ball and the "I Love Lucy" show. The show was, and is, popular all across the U.S. and throughout the world, so I am not coming up with anything new here, but "I Love Lucy" brought joy, laughter, and wonderful homespun memories to my entire family in Bay View, Ohio in the 1950's. (And of course the re-runs are still enjoyable today!)
















Learn more about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz at The Museum of Broadcast Communications and the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center.

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.

First Lieutenant John B. Beatty, Jr.

First Lieutenant John B. Beatty lost his life during a combat training flight on February 5, 1944 near Ainsworth, Nebraska.

John B. Beatty, Jr. was born on July 30, 1918 to Mr. and Mrs. John B. Beatty of Bloomingville, Ohio. He was a 1936 graduate of Sandusky High School, and also graduated from Ohio State University. According to his obituary in the 1944 OBITUARY NOTEBOOK, in the genealogical collection of the Sandusky Library, John B. Beatty, Jr., enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 22, 1941. He graduated on November 10, 1942 from the Army Air Base at Lake Charles, Louisiana, and received his wings and rank of Second Lieutenant. Later he was promoted to First Lieutenant. Lieut. Beatty served in the Caribbean Sea area and the Panama Canal Zone. He returned to Beggs Field in Texas, and then was transferred to the Ainsworth Army Base in Brown County, Nebraska. Lieut. Beatty was in a training flight near the Ainsworth Base when his plane collided with another plane, and both pilots lost their lives.

Lieut. John B. Beatty, Jr. was buried in the Sand Hill Cemetery, in Erie County, Ohio. Services were held both at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Beatty and at Sand Hill Church.

A great uncle of Lieut. John B. Beatty, Jr., also named John Beatty, was a Civil War Brigadier General. General John Beatty is buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Rev. Moses Kieffer

Moses Kieffer was born to Christian and Mary (Poorman) Kieffer in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, in 1814. He graduated from Marshall College in 1838. After attending Theological Seminary, Moses Kieffer was licensed as a minister in 1839. Rev. Moses Kieffer served as a minister in churches in Pennsylvania, Maryland,Iowa, and Ohio. In 1840, Rev. Kieffer Miss Catherine Ann Smith. In 1855 Rev. Kieffer became president of Heidelberg College, at Tiffin, Ohio,and he served in that office for thirteen years. He was also involved in the publishing of religious materials.

In 1868, Rev. Kieffer moved to Sandusky, Ohio. Following the death of the first Mrs. Kieffer, Rev. Moses Kieffer married the widow of Charles Barney, Elizabeth Caldwell Dennis Barney. Rev. Moses Kieffer died in Sandusky, Ohio on February 3, 1888. He was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. An obituary for Rev. Moses Kieffer is found online.

Snowy Day Discovery

Having the day off to due the latest winter storm that hit the MidWest, I had some time to browse through the many databases available at Family Search. I entered the name of my great grandmother, Irene Larkins (sometimes spelled Larkin.) My Grandma Irene was married several times, but I had never before encountered the name of Emmett W. LaTourette, the man she married on January 21, 1915. The marriage record, according to the database Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958, took place at Seneca County, Ohio. Gram Irene listed her name as: Mary Irene Larkin, and her birth year as 1892. She provided her parents' names: Thomas Larkin and Mary L. Cross. Emmett W. LaTourette stated that he was born in New York, and his parents were James W. and Emma LaTourette. Emmett stated that he was single, while my Grandma Irene stated that she was divorced.























So far, I have not found any other evidence of my Grandma Irene and her brief marriage to Emmett W. LaTourette. She married again, before 1920, so no census record exists showing her name as Irene LaTourette. (She married Mr.LaTourette after 1910, but before 1920.) An obituary of Mrs. Emma LaTourette, which appeared in the May 10, 1949 issue of the New York Times, stated that she was the wife of James W. LaTourette, and had a daughter named Mrs. Lucy Huber, and a son, Emmett LaTourette. Mrs. Emma LaTourette had been a resident of Staten Island, New York for seventy three years, before her death at the age of 90. She was very active in the Molly Stark Council of the Daughters of America. An entry on FindaGrave indicates that Emmett W. LaTourette died in 1970, and he was buried at the Bethel Methodist Churchyard in Tottenville, New York.


My memories of Grandma Irene are of a wonderful, caring great grandmother, who loved me very much. She was a talented seamstress and baker, and she was very generous to my family.















When I was only two years old, she paid for my mother and I to take a train trip across the country to see my Uncle Tom and Aunt Evelyn and their three children in California. She had so many delightful qualities, and I only wish that she could have found true love. Reading between the lines, I think she had her heart broken many times.

Sylvester and Comfort Higgins

Sylvester and Comfort Higgins are buried in the Castalia Cemetery, in Margaretta Township of Erie County, Ohio. Sylvester died on February 1, 1860 at the age of 84, and his wife died on December 7, 1859. At the base of the monument is the inscription:

Erected by their son N. Higgins

At the top of the tombstone are the words Our Father & Mother, below which is a hand with a finger pointing upward to Heaven.

According to the book AMERICAN ANCESTRY, edited by Thomas Patrick Hughes,Sylvester Higgins and Comfort Lyman Higgins had a daughter named Minerva, who married William Clark. Minerva was born in Connecticut, on August 29, 1799, and died on September 10, 1875.

Sylvester (spelled Silvester in the Census) and Comfort Higgins are found in the 1850 U.S. Census for Margaretta Township, Erie County, but no children are found residing with them in that year.