His Occupation was "Playing Baby"

While I was looking up my House ancestors who lived in Perkins Township, Erie County, Ohio, in the 1870 Census, I ran into an interesting listing for the neighbors of my Great Great Grandmother Marion House Parker. Grandma Marian lived close to a Methodist minister, Elvero Persons. Elvero's wife was Gertrude, and they had a son whose name was listed as Berton. Berton was one year old in 1870, and his occupation was listed as "playing baby." By the time of the 1880 Census, the Persons family had moved to Ashland, Ohio, and Berton's name was listed as Elbert. He was age 10 in the 1880 Census. I was anxious to learn more about young Elbert Persons. By 1900, Elbert E. Persons was in the Armed Forces, and he was stationed in the Philippines.

When I entered the name Elbert E. Persons in the search engine at Newspaper Archives, I learned that Elbert E. Persons was a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and Northwestern University. He was appointed First Lieutenant in the Medical Corps in 1900, and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1919. During World War One, Elbert Persons received the emergency rank of Colonel, and he reorganized the U.S. Ambulance Unit at Camp Crane in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Later in the war, Colonel Persons served in Italy, and was in charge of twenty units of the ambulance service. Colonel Elbert E. Persons died on July 8, 1924 at the Walter Reed Hospital, after a long illness. He was buried with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. An obituary for Elbert E. Persons appeared in the July 11, 1924 issue of the Washington Post.

Just by doing a bit of online searching, I was able to learn a great deal about my Great Great Grandma Marian's neighbor, and his exciting miltary career. It was a fun adventure on my afternoon off!

Reminder about Events Commemorating the Battle of the Peninsula

Click here to read about upcoming events which commemorate the Battle of the Peninsula, which took place during the War of 1812 in Danbury Township. The many activities will be held at the Keeper's House, the former home of pioneer resident Benajah Wolcott.

Josephine Haubursin, 1830-1907

This monument honoring the memory of Josephine Haubursin is found at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. The only facts that I know about Josephine are that according to her tombstone, she was born in 1830 and died in 1907. After searching through cemetery records, local death records, and several genealogical databases, I was unable to locate her name. Josephine Haubursin was not listed in the Sandusky City Directories for the early part of the twentieth century. The 1910 U.S. Census lists the surname Haubursin in Indiana and Pennsylvania, and gives Belgium as the birthplace for some Haubursin family members. If anyone knows more details about Mrs. Josephine Haubursin, please leave a message in the comments section. Thanks!

Elizabeth Quade, 1827-1900

This beautiful monument honoring the memory of Elizabeth Quade, whose life spanned from 1827 to 1900, is found in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Above the name of Elizabeth is an ornamental wreath which surrounds clasped hands. After performing searches in genealogical databases, I was unable to definitively learn more about the life of Elizabeth. However, her memory has been etched in stone, and it is clear to me that she was dearly loved, as evidenced by the exquisite workmanship seen on her tombstone.

Ebenezer and Ellen White

In Hewson Peeke's A STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, OHIO, we read that Ebenezer White was born in Massachusetts, and his wife, Ellen Jones White, was born in New York State.

Ebenezer White moved to Ohio with his family when he was age thirteen, his father Capt. John White being a pioneer settler of Erie County. For six years, Ebenezer White served as Erie County Commissioner. He was active in farming in Groton Township of Erie County, where he was a township trustee and a justice of the peace. Ebenezer White died in 1885, and he is buried in Graves Cemetery, with his wife Ellen. Ebenezer White was survived by three children: Lizzie Zabst, Harriet Neill, and Daniel D. White. Many other early residents of Erie County's Groton Township are buried in Graves Cemetery, just south of Castalia.

Walter Payne, 1879-1903

About August 14, 1903, Walter Payne accidentally shot a blank cartridge into his left hand. At first the wound seemed minor, but soon infection set it, followed by lockjaw. An article in the August 21, 1903 issue of the Sandusky Evening Star reported that though Dr. Hubbard was doing everything possible, Walter was in serious condition. Sadly, at the age of 24, Walter Payne died on August 22, 1903. He was buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Walter was survived by his bride of two months, his parents, five brothers, and a sister. The inscription on Walter Payne's tombstone reads:

Blessed are the pure in heart
For they shall see God.

Tombstone Tuesday: Miss Emma Beecher

Emma Beecher was the daughter of Lucas S. Beecher and Janet Turk Beecher. Lucas S. Beecher was an early lawyer in Sandusky, who was well known as an abolitionist. The Beecher home was a "safe house" on the Underground Railroad. Miss Emma Beecher died on August 22, 1933, at the age of 91. She is buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Sentimental Sunday: Grandma Ada Parker's Grange Mementos

On September 7, 1944, my great grandmother, Ada Steen Parker, received this certificate from the Erie County Pomona Grange No. 78, in honor of her thirty years of continuous membership. The certificate was signed by William H. Ortzel and Mrs. Mae Graves. Both my great grandparents, Roy and Ada Parker, were appeared in the group photo of members of the Perkins Grange in the fall of 1950 when the Perkins Grange dedicated their new building on South Campbell Street in Erie County, Ohio. (The picture was featured in the October 24, 1950 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News.) I am not sure if Grandma Ada or my mom, Joyce Parker Orshoski, added the x's to mark where Grandma and Grandpa Parker appeared in the Grange group.

The Perkins Grange was a big part of the lives of Grandma and Grandpa Parker.

They went to Grange meetings, banquets, and Farm Institutes for many years of their adult lives. The Grange members were their neighbors, relatives, and friends, and they were all tied together through the shared experience of agricultural pursuits in Perkins Township. Though I personally never lived on a farm, I treasure the rich heritage left to my generation through the many family stories that have been passed down. Thanks Grange members for all your years of hard work, family values, and the wonderful memories we still cherish today!

Mrs. Hannah DeWitt

According to an article in the August 20, 1872 issue of the Sandusky Register, Mrs. Hannah Dewitt died at Blissfield, Michigan on August 18, 1872, She was 72 years old. Funeral services for Mrs. Hannah DeWitt were held at the residence of her son in law, O.C. McLouth, on Perry Street, at 2 p.m. on August 20, 1872. Mrs. DeWitt was buried in the North Ridge section of Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Clara Schumacher

Mrs. Clara Schumacher is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. She was born on October 23, 1806, and died on August 16, 1870. In the 1860 Census, which lists the surname as Shoemaker, Clara appears to be the wife of George Shoemaker, and they had three daughters: Julia, Clara, and Elizabeth, aged 18, 13, and 9.

Baden is given as the birthplace for every member of this family. Not much is known about this family. The occupation for George states simply "Laborer."

If anyone knows further details about George and Clara Schumacher/Shoemaker, leave a message in the Comments field. Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday

Tombstone Tuesday: Henry Walter

Henry Walter was born on February 4, 1838.. He died on October 3, 1863, at the age of 25 years, 8 months. Oakland Cemetery records indicate that Henry Walter was a victim of drowning. An inscription at the base of the tombstone of Henry Walter reads:

In the midst of life we art in death.

Henry's tombstone was made by Sandusky resident J. V. Brost.

My Family in the Summer of 1952

Pictured above are my parents, Paul and Joyce Orshoski, in 1952. I am in the baby stroller. My beloved pet dog Rusty can be seen between me and my cousin Carol. At that time we lived in Crystal Rock, where our house was situated right across from Sandusky Bay.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy: Ancestor Legend

The prompt for Week 33 of 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy, from Amy Coffin at We Tree, and hosted by Geneabloggers, is: Ancestor Legend

What is your favorite ancestral legend or family lore? Who originally told the story and what was the claim? Have you been able to prove the story true or false? What steps did you take to do so?

When I was old enough to understand what a family tree was, my mother told me that my great grandmother, Irene Larkins Risko, always said that Daniel Boone was in our family tree. I have doing family history research since the early 1990s, and so far I find no evidence of this connection!

The only family in my several ancestral lines that I think would likely be connected to the family of  Daniel Boone, would be that of my fourth grandfather Charles Cross. Charles Cross was married to Patience Manning, who was born in Kentucky. I have checked Boone family history books, Heritage Quest, Rootsweb, Ancestry Library Edition, and general online searches, and so far I cannot verify the parents of Patience Manning. She was born before 1820, and so far I just have not found any record of her birth or her parents. If anyone knows about a Patience Manning being in the family tree of Daniel Boone, or any of his ancestors, please let me know! Gram Irene heard this from someone along the way, but of course no one told me the source.

While I was trying to learn more about the family of Daniel Boone, I ran into these excellent online resources about Daniel Boone, the well known American frontiersman.

• Daniel Boone biography from the Encyclopedia of World Biography
• Daniel Boone Homestead
• Life and Adventures of Daniel Boone, by Timothy Flint
• Boone Family Information from THE DANIEL BOONE AND FRONTIER FAMILIES RESEARCH ASSOCIATION

Note: Image of Daniel Boone from WikiPedia

Eloise Schultz

The six year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank P. Schultz is honored with this monument of an angel at Oakland Cemetery. Eloise Schultz died in August of 1926. She was survived by her parents and two sisters, Audrey and Pauline.

An obituary for Eloise Schultz is found in the set of Obituary Notebooks at the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library. Years covered are 1921 through 1952. An index is provided, which directs patrons to the exact page on which the obituary is located.

Through the Seasons at Calvary Cemetery

Throughout the week I pass by Calvary Cemetery in Sandusky several times. As I go by, a particular tree always catches my eye. Here are four views of that tree from the past years's four seasons:

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy: Family Memories

The prompt for Week 32 of 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy, from Amy Coffin at We Tree, and hosted by Geneabloggers, is: Family Memories

Records are the backbone of genealogy, but memories are the glue that hold our history together. For which memory of a loved one are you most thankful? Describe that moment in time, answering the who/what/when/where in the details. How did this memory impact your life and the way you approach family

Joyce and Dorene Orshoski in September of 1961

As so often happens with my approach to 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy, I do not have just one moment in time for which I am most thankful. What I am very thankful for is the time I spent with my mother listening to family stories, from when I was a very little girl, and on throughout my whole adult life. It started out that I would say to Mom, "Tell me about the olden days." I loved to hear how they didn't see the Christmas tree until Christmas Eve, and the cousins would go to their grandparents' farmhouse, while each respective family got the holiday tree and gifts all in order. She told me about being at the farm at threshing time, and all the wonderful food, especially the homemade pies. As time went on, Mom would tell me more serious details of her life, how she lost her mother when she was only 11 years old, and how her father drank too much. Sometimes she would tell me about the Irish get togethers on the Larkins side, and how they really celebrated at the family gatherings after the funeral of of a loved one.

Sometimes I got to go to the cemetery with Mom in May, to put flowers on her parents' and grandparents' graves. There was the Perkins Cemetery for the Parker side, Oakland Cemetery for her mother's grave, and on to St. Joseph's Cemetery for all the Larkins relatives.

Once I started getting serious about genealogy, Mom and I would travel to various libraries to learn more about the family tree. One night we went to the Milan Library, and a researcher there shared the portion of HISTORY OF THE WESTERN RESERVE that dealt with our Steen ancestors. Just a couple years before Mom died, a group of four of us Parker/Lindsley descendants visited the Hayes Presidential Center, and researched the history of the land in Perkins Township that was taken over by the U.S. Government during World War Two for a munitions factory. Pictured below are: Joyce Orshoski, myself, cousin Linda Hills, and Gloria Lindsley, with whom we share several mutual relatives.

How I treasure those talks with Mom. She always could help me understand what life was like for her in the 30s and 40s, and how her family dealt with the Depression, World War Two, and losing loved ones too soon, all too often. Mom inspired me to try to uncover family history stories, and to cherish the memories of our family. I only wish I had asked her more questions while she was still with us! She taught me so very much! Thanks Mom!

Mourning the Loss of Frederick A. Wargowsky, Cousin, Author, Family Historian

This evening after work, I learned of the passing of my distant cousin Frederick A. Wargowsky on August 2, 2012. In the early 1990s, Fred Wargowsky, and our mutual cousin, Al H.,began communicating on the phone and via the U.S. mail, sharing information about our mutual roots. We are all descendants of J. Samuel Jaensch, who was originally from the province of Posen, Germany. Fred and Al encouraged me to find out all the birth and death dates of my particular branch of the family, that of Lena Piehl Yeager. Fred provided me with a copy of the large family history which documented the descendants of J. Samuel Jaensch. Fred spent hours and hours of research, and spent his own money securing vital records, obituaries, passenger records, and valuable family stories. Without the questions that Fred and Al asked me, I would never have learned how to do genealogical research. We will miss Fred so very much. Thanks for all your years of research, persistence, and generous spirit of sharing, Fred! Your work lives on!

Copies of Fred's book, Descendants of grandfather J. Samuel Jaensch (Johann Samuel Jänsch) of Ohio; compiled by Frederick August Wargowsky (Willison, Ohio, 1995),are at these two genealogical libraries:

R. B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio

and

Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

My personal copy of Fred's book is filled with sticky notes, annotations, and shows definite signs of heavy usage!

Here is a page in Fred's book that features a picture of my great grandparents:

God bless you, Fred, and may you rest in peace!

Siram Jones, Veteran of 42nd U.S.C.T.

In 1900, Siram Jones was 60 years of age, and he was a resident of the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home, now known as the Ohio Veterans Home, in Erie County, Ohio. During the Civil War, Siram Jones served in Company D of the 42nd U.S.C.T. He enlisted in September of 1864, and was mustered out on October 8, 1865 in Huntsville, Alabama. On May 3, 1904, Siram Jones married Victoria Holden in Erie County, Ohio. In the 1910 U.S. Census, Siram was no longer at the Soldiers' Home, but was residing on Finch Street in Sandusky, Ohio, with his wife Victoria. Eventually Siram Jones became a widow, and he moved to California. According to the Historical Registers of National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, accessible at Family Search, Siram Jones died at a Home for Disabled Soldiers in Sawtelle, California on August 4, 1927. He was buried at the Los Angeles National Cemetery. The life of Siram Jones had many chapters. Thank you for your military service, Mr. Jones!

Elisa Neuert

This metal grave marker at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery honors the memory of Elisa Neuert, the daughter of Jacob and Maria (sometimes Mary) Neuert. Elisa was buried at Oakland in August 2, 1864, at the age of 7. She died of smallpox.
















Elisa's father, Jacob Neuert, was named superintendent of the Barney and Kilby Machine Works, according to a "40 Years Ago" column which appeared in the June 30, 1928 issue of the Sandusky Register. In 1885, Jacob Neuert was issued a patent for a valve gear for steam engines.






















In the late 1890's, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Neuert moved to Chicago, Illinois. An article in the June 30, 1911 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that Jacob Neuert had died in Chicago. He was survived by his wife and eleven children.

Offers Keen Delight to Youth or Old Age

In this advertisement for Esmond Ice Cream, from the Sandusky Star Journal of August 1, 1921, we read that Esmond ice cream was considered healthy, and was to be enjoyed by people from all ages! The Esmond Dairy was in operation in Sandusky from about 1907 through the 1970s or 1980s. My maternal grandfather, Steen Leroy Parker, was employed by the Esmond Dairy at the time of my mother's birth in 1931.