Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Austin and Harriet Ferry













The 1855 Sandusky City Directory lists Austin Ferry as a merchant of hats and caps, and a trustee of the First Congregational Church. Erie County Probate Court recorded the marriage of Austin Ferry and Eliza C. Muenscher on June 23, 1853. Eliza was the daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Joseph Muenscher of Mount Vernon, Ohio. Austin and Eliza Ferry had two little girls who died in infancy in the 1860's. Eliza Muschscher Ferry died on March of 1866, in Mount Vernon, Ohio. She is buried at the Kenyon College Cemetery. By the time of the 1870 Census, Austin Ferry had remarried, to a woman named Harriet. They had two children, William, born about 1869, and Annie, born about 1871. An article which appeared in the July 19, 1876 issue of the Sandusky Weekly Register reported that Austin Ferry had died while traveling out west with his family, in search of the healthier climate of the western states. He passed away in Wallace, Kansas on July 10, 1876. His wife and two young children returned to Sandusky immediately, and Austin Ferry was buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Harriet Ferry lived to be ninety years of age. Harriet lived at 420 Jackson Street in Sandusky. She passed away on November 30, 1933. Mrs. Harriet Ferry was survived by her son, veterinarian Dr. William A. Ferry, and a daughter, Mrs. Anna Ennis. Harriet was buried in the family lot at Oakland Cemetery. Harriet was also survived by a sister, granddaughter, and two great grandchildren.













Harriet and Austin Ferry both lived through the Civil War, and Harriet had such a long life that she saw several advancements in technology, including electricity, the automobile, motion pictures, and radio. I am sure she had many stories to tell her grandchildren.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

George W. Werner, 1892-1922



















Ohio Birth Records, available at Family Search Labs, tell us that George W. Werner was born on March 11, 1892, to Charles and Mary (Guckert) Werner. Sadly, he died when he was a young man, on November 29, 1922. George W. Werner was buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Below is a transcription of an obituary for George W. Werner, which appeared in the November 29, 1922 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal.

George William Werner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Werner, died Wednesday morning at Toledo, following a short illness. He was aged 30 years, 7 months and 18 days. He is survived by his bereaved parents. one brother, Carl Werner ; three sisters, Mrs. John Alton, Mrs. Jerome Faulkner and Miss Margaret Werner, all of this city. Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the residence of his parents, 717 John St., the Rev. Theo. Stellhorn officiating. Interment will be made in the family lot in Oakland cemetery
.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Mom's Margaretta Alumni Collection is Listed in NUCMC!


















After my mother's death in 2010, my siblings and I agreed that we should donate her collection of Margaretta High School Alumni materials to the R.B. Hayes Presidential Center. I found Mom's collection listed at NUCMC, the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections. I had seen the finding aid at the R.B. Hayes Presidential Center, but I had not previously seen the entry at NUCMC. The mission of the NUCMC is in part to "provide and promote bibliographic access to the nation's documentary heritage." The free cooperative cataloging program is operated by the Library of Congress.

To find family history materials on NUCMC, click on:

Searching on OCLC WorldCat


in the center column of NUCMC's home page.

I put Mom's name in the Easy Search Form. Her name is Joyce Orshoski. It brought me to this result.










For more details, click on:

More on this record

Mom's collection of Margaretta High School Alumni materials includes news clippings, photographs, obituaries, and bound copies of The Margaretta News covering the dates 1943 to 1948. Though Mom did not start attending Margaretta High School until her sophomore year in high school, she made lifelong friends with both students and teachers, and she was active in writing for the school newspaper. All six of her children, and several grandchildren also graduated from Margaretta. Anyone can view the Joyce Parker Orshoski collection at the library of the R.B. Hayes Presidential Center. The Hayes library also features valuable genealogical and historical information, and an outstanding and ever-growing Obituary Index. It is definitely worth a visit if you have Ohio ancestors!

Pictured below is a photo of Joyce Parker Orshoski, and just a few of her descendants, in front of her beloved alma mater, Margaretta High School, in the summer of 2007.

Friday, November 25, 2011

J. H. Williams






















Not much is known about J. H. Williams, except that he died on November 25, 1838, at the age of 26 years and seven months. The tombstone of J. H. Williams is found in Block 17 of Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

If anyone has more details about J. H. Williams who died in Sandusky in 1838, please leave a comment at the end of this post.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!















Happy Thanksgiving from the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay!


I snapped a picture of these wild turkeys close to our home in Bay Bridge, Ohio. They seem to be visiting the historical marker that pays tribute to the old Medusa Cement Company, where my dad, his father, and his grandfather all worked, many years ago.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Layne Louise Bruens















Miss Layne Louise Bruens was a favorite teacher of my three children, now all grown up. Miss Bruens was funny, intelligent, and she was very well educated. Layne was born on March 19, 1950, to Charles and Evelyn (Payne) Bruens. Nicknames were popular in Layne's family. Her mother Evelyn was known as "Babe," and Layne's nickname was "Binky."

Layne was a graduate of Margaretta High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in Education from Bowling Green State University in 1972, and her Master's degree in 1982. Besides teaching for many years, Layne was employed in the administrative offices of Cedar Point for several years as well. After having dealt with a variety of health problems, Layne L. Bruens died on November 23, 2006, at the age of 56. She was buried next to her beloved parents at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. To date, there is no marker at her gravesite, but Layne will not soon be forgotten by all those who knew her well. The article at the top of this post appeared in the October 25, 1996 issue of the Polar Press, the student newspaper of Margaretta High School in Castalia, Ohio. Both the article and photograph of Miss Bruens were by Andra Whyde.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Sarah Ramsdell and Horace Allen Lockwood















The tombstone of Sarah (Ramsdelll) Lockwood and Horace Allen Lockwood is located in Lot 13 of Block 2 of Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Both the Ramsdell and Lockwood families were pioneer residents of the Firelands. Hewson Peeke wrote in his book A STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, OHIO, that Horace's father, Samuel Mills Lockwood, traveled to the Firelands in the early 1800's, and he was in charge of surveying and selling much of the land in Danbury and Portage Townships of Ottawa County, Ohio.

According to the database of Ohio Marriages, accessed at Family Search Labs, Horace A. Lockwood married Sarah Ramsdell on February 22, 1843 in Ottawa County, Ohio. In the 1850 U.S. Census, Horace and Sarah Lockwood were residing in Portage Township, Ottawa County, Ohio with their three children: Alfred, age 5; Frederic, age 4; and Samuel M., age 2. Horace listed his occupation as sailor. Sadly, Horace A. Lockwood died in 1857, leaving Sarah a young widow, to raise several children on her own. In 1880, Sarah Lockwood was living with her son Samuel and his family in Portage Township, Ottawa County, Ohio. Sarah Ramsdell Lockwood died in November, 1886 of heart disease. Oakland Cemetery interment records show that Sarah Lockwood was buried on November 25, 1886. Notes on the Oakland Cemetery card for Horace A. Lockwood state that he was originally buried in Gypsum, Ottawa County, Ohio, but on November 4, 1887, his remains were re-interred at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

An inscription at the base of the tombstone which honors Horace A. and Sarah (Ramsdell) Lockwood reads:

A Rest the Weary Pilgrims Found

Monday, November 21, 2011

Ira Burdette "Red" and Bertha Foster











According to the database Ohio Births and Christenings, 1821-1962, accessed at Family Search Labs, Ira Burdette Foster was born on July 25, 1902 in Henry County, Ohio to Frank and Eva Foster. Red Foster's name appeared in the 1930 Census as Burdette I. Foster. He was living in Toledo, Ohio, with his wife Betty, and young son Warren. By the early 1930's, Ira Burdette Foster, known as "Red," had opened a barber shop in Sandusky in the Cable Block. Red Foster continued as a barber in various locations in Sandusky throughout the 1970's.

In the 1950's and 1960's, Red and his family lived on Route 99 in rural Erie County, Ohio. They had a successful goat farm which they called Blueledge. The Sandusky Register Star News carried an article September 19, 1950, reporting that Mr. and Mrs. Burdette Foster had a senior champion goat, four firsts, two seconds, and two thirds in the Toggenburg goat division of the Huron County Fair. The Foster's award winning goats were named: Beatrice, Bessie, Binaca, Bluebelle, Brenda, Barbara, Blythe, and Blodwin. When my brother Todd was an infant, he had severe allergies, and our family doctor recommended putting him on goat's milk. We used to drive over to Mr. Foster's farm, and purchase fresh goat's milk from him. The goats' mild agreed with baby brother Todd very well! Todd is the baby in the family picture below.













Mrs. Betty Foster passed away in Fremont on March 12, 1969. Ira Burdette "Red" Foster died in a nursing home on November 21, 1981. He was buried at Restlawn Cemetery (now Meadow Green Memorial Park) beside his wife Betty. Mr. Foster was sometimes known as Ira, sometimes as Burdette, often as "Red," but there is no doubt that he met hundreds of area residents during his many years as a barber and farmer in Erie County, Ohio.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Sentimental Sunday: Advertisement for Schlitz Beer in Sandusky Star Journal






















In November of 1911, residents of Sandusky were able to purchase Schlitz Beer from C.H. Struebe on Columbus Avenue. The advertisement above appeared in the November 16, 1911 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal. Readers were informed that "the beer that made Milwaukee famous" started with barley, and the hops came from Bohemia. The brown bottle was said to protect the purity of the beer from brewery to the customer's glass! The ad also stated that Schlitz beer would not cause biliousness. Beer sales were adversely affected in the United States when Prohibition was enacted in the U.S. from 1920 to 1933.

I do not know what brand of beer my Great Grandfather Leroy Parker drank, but Mom always said that Grandpa Roy, and several other members of the Parker family really did enjoy drinking beer.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, November 19, 2011

Randy at Genea-Musings has posted a Thanksgiving edition of Saturday Night Genealogy Fun. The mission is to:

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1) Think about the answers to these questions:

a. Which ancestor are you most thankful for, and why?

b. Which author (book, periodical, website, etc.) are you most thankful for, and why?

c. Which historical record set (paper or website) are you most thankful for, and why?

2) Tell us about it in a blog post of your own; in a comment to this blog post; in a Facebook status line or a Google Plus stream post.


















Here are my answers:

a. I am especially thankful for my Great Grandma Ada Steen Parker, who instilled in my mother the love of family heritage, which was then passed down to me.

b. The website for which I am most thankful is Family Search. I so appreciate the ability to access so many vital, census, and military records from any computer at Family Search!

c. The historical record set for which I am most thankful is Heritage Quest. Again, it provides, from any computer, quick and easy access to census records and genealogical and historical books. It makes genealogy so easy and so much fun!

Thanks Randy for this fun edition of Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, and Happy Thanksgiving to all!


Note: Thanksgiving graphic is courtesy theholidayspot.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Thankful Thursday: Remembering My Visits with Mary

Many an afternoon or evening, between the years of 1979 and 2005, I spent time with my neighbor Mary. Usually we talked on her porch in the warm weather, but as time went on, we would visit together in her house, no matter what kind of weather! Mary lived in Bay Bridge from about 1937 until she had to go into a nursing home in her last year of life. She knew several generations of my family, beginning with my great grandfather, Joe Orshoski, a Hungarian immigrant, down to my two little grandsons. During our visits, Mary would reflect back on her many years of living in Bay Bridge. She told of her time working at the neighborhood store, which was also a post office and a bar. She knew virtually everyone in Bay Bridge. There were two major employers in the little village when Mary was a young woman: the Medusa Cement Company and Russell Trucking. Mary had friends and family who had worked at both of them. Mary often made dishes for her neighbors' parties, bridal, and baby showers. When someone in Bay Bridge passed away, Mary contributed towards the flowers. Mary knew that my Grandpa Joe loved to dance at the Hungarian dances that were held above the store on weekend nights. She knew who was a kind person, and also who was a "son of a gun."

After Mary had a stroke, she was paralyzed on one side of her body. She had to give up her favorite pastime, which was crocheting. To try to cheer her up, I would just ask her a question, and she would take me back in time to the "good old days." She told me about the Depression, how almost everyone had a garden, and went fishing, and took government help. She told me about her vacations to Michigan. She told me about how she lost her brother when he was just a child. She told me words of wisdom, like this phrase about husbands who drink too much: "Where there's drinks, there's women!" When she got blue about having had a stroke, she'd say, "There's always someone worse off than me." As life became more difficult for Mary, my neighbor/cousin and I would go over and help clean her house, and take her lunch and goodies as often as we could. Mary was so gracious and always thankful. If Mary only knew that she helped us, as much as we helped her! Visits with Mary took my mind off my own troubles, and I so loved traveling back in time with her many, many stories! I will always be thankful for my visits with Mary, and I miss them so very much.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Tombstone Tuesday: John Wigand of Put in Bay

According to the November 23, 1905 issue of the Sandusky Register, John Wigand, of Put in Bay, passed away on November 19, 1905. John Wigand had operated a restaurant near Doller's dock on South Bass Island for over twenty five years. He was survived by his widow Elizabeth, and two daughters, Minnie and Mrs. LaRue. John Wigand was buried at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky. While a G.A.R. marker is located near Mr. Wigand's tombstone, there is no listing for a John Wigand in the 1890 Veterans Schedules for Ottawa County, Ohio.

A photograph of the interior of Wigand's restaurant appears on the Lake Erie's Yesterdays website. In the description of the photograph, Reverend Henry Cooke stated: "The one great peculiarity of Wigand's is that they insist upon putting the dessert on the table before, long before, you are through with the rest of your dinner and you have to hold on to it with your left hand while you eat with your right, for fear an excusionist [a visitor on a day's outing] empty ... and hungry might get hold of it."

Visit Lake Erie's Yesterdays to view hundreds of photographs of the northwestern Ohio area.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Civil War Monument at Castalia Cemetery






















A statue of a Civil War soldier at the Castalia Cemetery in Margaretta Township of Erie County, Ohio, honors those who served our country.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Aunt Alpha hosted the Steen Family Thanksgiving in 1927

The extended Steen family Thanksgiving celebration in 1927 was held at the home of my Great Grandaunt, Alpha Steen Martin and her husband Fred Martin, Sr.at their home on Columbus Avenue in Sandusky, Ohio. Pictured below are the Steen family in the early 1900s. Pictured are twins Alpha and Ada Steen (Ada was my great grandmother), along with their parents Charles and Sarah Steen, and their younger brother Rollin Steen.

By 1927, both twins were married: Alpha to Fred Martin, Sr., and Ada to Leroy Parker. Ada and Alpha stayed close throughout their entire life, though Ada was primarily a county girl, and Alpha preferred city life. The following news article in the Perkins Township column of the Sandusky Register of November 30, 1927 reported on the Steen family Thanksgiving in 1927:

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Martin entertained the following guests for Thanksgiving: Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stein (should read Steen, Mrs. Marian L. Parker, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Parker, Mr. and Mrs. Rollin Steen, two children, Robert and Elaine, Halso Brooks, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Parker, Mr. and Mrs. Steen Parker and son Tommy, Miss Janet Parker, Harry Martin, student at Ohio Wesleyan University, and Junior Martin.


Aunt Alpha opened her home to her immediate family along with her sister's mother-in-law, and a Brooks family member related to Mrs. Rollin Steen. By 1927, Alpha had a son in college, and two of Ada's sons were married. Rollin was all grown up and had a wife and two children. Since Roy and Ada Parker lived on a farm, they probably contributed a variety of fruits and vegetables and home canned goods to the Thanksgiving dinner. Mr. Fred Martin, Sr. was the proprietor of Martin's Confectionery, which was a wholesale and retail confectionery business. I am sure that delectable goodies from Martin's Confectionery were served at Thanksgiving dinner. Advertisements from the November 22, 1927 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal indicate that coffee sold for 29 cents a pound, and eggs were 36 cents a dozen. The Erie Market was running a special sale of home dressed chickens, ducks, and geese for 30 cents a pound.

All those who attended that lovely Steen family Thanksgiving from 1927 are now gone, but I can imagine that there was plenty of wonderful food, lots of laughter, and lively card games being played. Mom always said that Grandpa Roy Parker was lots of fun, and he truly enjoyed spending time with the family. It must have been very special for Ada's first grandchild, Tommy, to join the family celebration! Tommy, whose full name was Steen Thomas Parker, is pictured below, with his parents Steen and Doris Parker.


















Below is a small portion of the Steen family tree. In each of four generations, the name Steen is found as either a surname, maiden name, or first name. Today, I have a brother living in Ohio and a cousin living in California who still have the name Steen in their full name. The Steens were oh so proud of their name and their heritage.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Cora Mary Kubach






















Birth records accessed at Family Search Labs tell us that Cora Mary Kubach was born on August 29, 1879 to Charles and Lena (Hassenpflug) Kubach in Sandusky, Ohio. She died on November 13, 1879, at the age of three months. Little Cora was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemtetery, where the front of her tombstone is in the shape of a scroll.

The sides and back of Cora Mary Kubach's tombstone were sculpted in the shape of bricks. What a lovely memorial to a precious little one whose years were so few on this earth.







Saturday, November 12, 2011

Dad's Service in the U.S. Navy






















My dad, Paul R. Orshoski, Sr., served in the United States Navy from April 3, 1945 until his discharge on October 27, 1947.
















Dad was a Fireman First Class, which helped him learn skills he would use later as a plumber and pipe fitter. He was a part of Operation Crossroads, a nuclear testing series that took place in the summer of 1946 in the Marshall Islands. The ships that Dad served on were:

  • U.S.S. Hughes
  • U.S.S. Niagara
  • U.S.S. Oakland

Dad was glad to serve his country, and he enjoyed getting to know the men on his ships who came from all over the United States. He liked the fact that he got to see a lot of the world, as he grew up in a family where money was scarce, and I think the furthest he had traveled before enlisting in the Navy, was to Cleveland, to see the Indians play. He did not speak much about his years in the service, but he had always hoped to go back to Hawaii, where he was stationed.

On March 26, 1983, Paul R. Orshoski, Sr. lost his battle with lung cancer. He was buried at Perkins Cemetery. Mom joined him in Heaven on September 8, 2010. Paul and Joyce's children and grandchildren still miss them dearly, and cherish the wonderful memories they gave to us!
















This post was written for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun at Genea-Musings. If you have ancestors who served in the military, stop by Genea-Musings, and read how you can join in tonight's fun!

(Note: Most of the images and content in this post have appeared in previous blog posts at the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay.)

Michael J. Orshoski, 1960-1993






















Pictured above is Michael "Mike" Orshoski at the Bay View Park in 1966. Mike was the oldest son of Cliff and Barbara (Lindsley) Orshoski. Like so many youngsters who lived in Bay View in the 1960's, Mike loved to play Little League baseball. The picture was taken by his Aunt Joyce.

Mike loved life, as did his father. He worked as a sales representative for Resort Exchange Systems, of Moline, Illinois. Sadly, Michael J. Orshoski was killed in an automobile accident in Ashtabula County, Ohio on November 21, 1993. He was buried at Restlawn Memorial Park in Huron, Ohio, near his mother Barb, who had died in November of 1983. (Restlawn Memorial Park is now known as Meadow Green Memorial Park.) Mike was survived by his father, two sisters, a brother, and four children.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

D. E. and Sarah Livermore


Darius Elias Livermore was born in New York State in 1833, and died in Rhea, Oklahoma on June 24, 1925. D. E. Livermore served as Lieut. Colonel in the Ohio Third Cavalry during the Civil War. Just prior to serving in the Civil War, D.E. Livermore is found in the 1860 Census living in Oxford Township with his wife Sarah. Several listings on Rootsweb indicate that Sarah Livermore's maiden name was Carpender, the surname of an early Erie County family.


Following the Civil War, the Livermore family moved to Chicago, and eventually homesteaded in Oklahoma. One of Col. Livermore's daughters, Jessie May, won the contract for the stained glass windows found in the Adams Street entrance to the Sandusky Library.

Because Mrs. Livermore always kept ties with her family in Erie County, Ohio, D. E. Livermore, his wife, and two daughters are all buried in the family plot in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Tombstone Tuesday: William Cox























The inscription for William Cox's tombstone, at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery, reads:

In Memory Of

William Cox

A Member of

Company E, 29 O.V.

Born in

Eng., Dec. 3, 1821

Died Nov. 10, 1888

Monday, November 7, 2011

Military Monday: Frederica Altstaetter














According to her online obituary, Frederica Altstaetter was the daughter of Frederick Laurence and Virginia Mary Parker Altstaetter. Frederica graduated from Sandusky High School in 1955. After obtaining a degree in nursing from The Ohio State University she served in the Navy Nurse Corps from 1958 to 1962. Frederica Altstaetter achieved the rank of LTJG in the United States Navy. After a lengthy illness, Frederica Altstaetter passed away on November 2, 2008 in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The Island Funeral Home and Crematory was in charge of funeral arrangements, and burial was in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Myron Osborn

Myron D. Osborn was a well known farmer in Huron Township of Erie County, Ohio. He died on November 6, 1932, after a lengthy illness. Mr. Osborn's obituary, found in the 1932 OBITUARY NOTEBOOK at the Sandusky Library, stated that Myron Osborn was born in Huron Township and he lived his entire life on the family farm. The funeral for Myron Osborn was held at the Osborn residence and he was buried at Oakland Cemetery.

The Ohio Department of Corrections operated a prison farm on the former Osborn property for many years. The land formerly owned by the Osborn family is now part of the Erie MetroParks system, called "Osborn Park" in honor of the Osborn Family. Below is a trail guide for Osborn Park from an Erie MetroParks brochure.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Corporal Charles M. Edwards

Corporal Charles M. Edwards is buried in Sand Hill Cemetery in Erie County. According to the database American Civil War Soldiers, available at Ancestry Library Edition, Charles Edwards enlisted as a Corporal on May 12, 1864, at the age of 24, in Co. G of the 145th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He mustered out on August 24, 1864 at Camp Chase, Ohio.

Charles Edwards appears in the 1850 and 1860 U.S. Census for Groton Township with Alden and Mary Edwards. Erie County Probate Records list a marriage between Charles Edwards and Susan Fowle (possibly Fowler) on September 29, 1867. By the 1880 Census, Charles M. Edwards is listed as a carpenter in Groton Township, with three children: Estelle, age 11; Madge K. Edwards, age 9; and Asa M. Edwards, age 7. No wife is listed in 1880, and to date no death record or obituary has been found for Mrs. Susan Edwards.

On November 11. 1910, Charles M. Edwards passed away. His obituary appeared in the November 16, 1910 issue of the Sandusky Register. Mr. Overmyer officiated at the funeral, and the Castalia Congregational church choir provided the music.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Alpha and Ada Panzer: Pretty Sandusky Twins






















Ada and Alpha Panzer were the two years old twin daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Edward H. Panzer of Sandusky, Ohio. Their picture appeared in the November 4, 1923 issue of the Sandusky Register. Though I have no idea of any connection, I wonder if these young ladies were named after my great grandmother Ada Steen Parker, and her identical twin sister, Alpha Steen Martin!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Documents from the Pension File of Civil War Veteran Ernest Marshall/Samuel Wilson























A great deal of genealogical information was contained in the pension file of my third great granduncle Ernest/Ernst Marshall and his widow Josephine. Ernest Marshall seved in Company A of the 158th New York Infantry under the name of Samuel Wilson. According to the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, he enlisted as a private on August 8, 1862. He reached the rank of Sergeant before he was mustered out with his company on June 30, 1865 at Richmond, Virginia.

Though it is difficult to read, in the claim filed in 1893 by Ernest Marshall aka Samuel Wilson, his health problems included rheumatism, heart problems, catarrh, and hearing loss.


















On December 4, 1897 a document was filed which contains information related to the marriage of Ernest Marshall to Josephine Long in 1868, and a listing of the names and birth dates of their seven children.


















In 1889, Ernest Marshall filed a Declaration for Invalid Pension.


















After Ernest Marshall's death on February 24, 1905, his widow Josephine applied for an accrued pension.


















It appears that in May of 1905, Josephine Marshall received notice that she would receive an accrued pension.



















Though we may never know why a young man from Sandusky, Ohio enlisted with a regiment from the state of New York, it is very interesting to read the items from his pension file. Mrs. Josephine Marshall passed away on November 2, 1910, and she was buried at Oakland Cemetery next to her husband Ernst/Ernest Marshall.