Sunday, September 30, 2012

James O. Hoyt and William W. Hoyt, Brothers Who Died During the Civil War

Though the words on the tombstone are barely legible at this time, an article by Wilber A. Phillips, which appeared in the May 27, 1934 issue of the Sandusky Register, tells us the inscription that was engraved on the Hoyt brothers' tombstone back in 1863. The inscription reads:

Erected by the members of Company G, 123rd O.V.I.
to the memory of

James O. Hoyt
died
At Romney, Va., March 5th, 1863
Age: 22 yrs., 10 mos., & 2 days
and
William W. Hoyt
died
At Winchester, Va., May 18th, 1863
Aged 21 yrs., 10 mos., & 18 days

"How sleep the brave
Who sink to rest
By all their countries
Wishes blest.

By unseen hands their
Knell is rung
By unseen forms their
Dirge is sung."


After seeing this tombstone at the old Perkins Cemetery in Erie County,Ohio, Mr. Phillips wrote an article for the Sandusky Register entitled "Modest Shaft Over Twin Graves in Perkins Cemetery Has Story."














The author spoke with relatives of James and William Hoyt. He learned that James and William Hoyt were the sons of pioneer residents George Hoyt and his wife, the former Almira House. Almira House settled in Perkins Township with her family in 1815, coming from Connecticut by oxen train. George Hoyt was born in Vermont, and in 1833, he made his way to Ohio by river and lake boat, stage coach, on horseback, and partly on foot. Almira and George were married in 1835 in Perkins Township, and they had a total of ten children. When their sons enlisted in the 123rd Infantry, their father told them to "be just in their dealings with their fellow men." Many tears were shed as they went off to war. Both James and William Hoyt died in camp after contracting typhoid fever. The article continues, "Later their loving comrades of Co. G., 123rd O.V.I. placed the memorial which now like a silent sentinel, guards their final resting place, thus marking a hallowed spot of Ohio soil."

The Hoyt brothers were originally buried in the old Perkins Cemetery. The cemetery was relocated during another war, World War Two, when the U.S. government bought a large portion of land in Perkins Township for a munitions factory. You can still see the tall tombstone which honors the Hoyt brothers at the Perkins Cemetery. Though it is hard to read, it is located between the Morrow and the Eddy family lots. If you look closely, you can read the name Hoyt on the side of the stone that faces east.

A beautiful angel welcomes visitors to Perkins Cemetery today, where so many pioneer residents now rest in peace.




Saturday, September 29, 2012

Jacob Sutter, a Native of Switzerland






















Jacob Sutter's tombstone is located in Block 67 of Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. He was born in Switzerland, and he passed away on September 20, 1878. Though his tombstone inscription states that he died in Sandusky, Ohio, notes on the Oakland Cemetery interment card indicate that Jacob Sutter's remains were brought to Sandusky from Memphis, Tennessee. Jacob Sutter was aged 44 years and one month when he died, and his cause of death was listed as bilious fever. A lovely vase filled with flowers adorns the top of Mr. Sutter's tombstone, and the Odd Fellows symbol is found directly below the sculpted vase.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Lane and Mary Gill Lockwood


Lane Lockwood was born on April 22, 1838, in Ottawa County, Ohio, to William B. and Sarah (Hyde) Lockwood. He grew up in Ottawa County, but moved to Sandusky, Ohio about 1850. During the Civil War, he served in two different units, the 145th Ohio Volunteer Infantry and the 8th Ohio Infantry. He was involved in the shipping business, and operated a line of boats on the Great Lakes. He served as the Ottawa County Auditor, and later was assistant Postmaster in Sandusky, and a member of the Sandusky Board of Education. In 1867 Lane Lockwood began his career as a banker, which he continued for forty years. Hewson Peeke’s book A STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY contains biographical sketches of Lane Lockwood and Charles B. Lockwood.




Lane Lockwood married Mary P. Gill in 1864. Their children were: Louise, Anne, and Mary. Anne G. Lockwood was a talented pianist and taught at the Institute of Musical Art in New York City, later known as The Juilliard School. Anne married Joseph Fyffe, and she was known as Mrs. Fyffe in her later years at the school.

Lane Lockwood died on September 26, 1917. Mrs. Lockwood passed away in 1914. They are buried in Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery. Many details about the family of Lane Lockwood and Mary Payne Gill are found in the Gill Family Bible, transcribed online.

Louise Lockwood Crawford is buried near her parents at Oakland Cemetery. Her sisters moved to New York City, and are most likely buried in New York.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Jerome and Lydia Bixby


A lengthy biographical sketch of Jerome Bixby is found in the 1916 edition of Hewson L. Peeke's A STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, OHIO.

"The ability to create success regardless of circumstances and difficulties has apparently been the chief factor in the career of Jerome Bixby, now president of the Castalia Banking Company. Mr. Bixby has lived in Castalia since 1875. For several years he sold general merchandise and operated a wagon for the country trade. In 1882 he established a general store at Castalia and kept this up for about ten years, during part of which time he was postmaster of the village. In 1894 he restricted his mercantile operations to hardware and farm implements, and almost continuously for the past twenty years has been identified with that business, being now senior member of the firm of Bixby & Meikle, who have the largest stock of general hardware and farm implements in Margaretta Township. On the reorganization of the Castalia Banking Company a few years ago Mr. Bixby was elected president, and has since had the executive management of that substantial institution, and is also a member of its board of directors.

On July 15, 1840, Nathan and Mary (Klock) Bixby, whose home was in Savannah, Wayne County, New York, became the parents of a son whom they christened Jerome. These parents were both natives of New York State. The Bixby family is of English origin, while the Klocks belonged to the old Dutch stock of the Mohawk Valley. Grandfather Joseph Klock served in the Revolutionary war.

When he was about seventeen years of age Jerome Bixby, who had previously profited by attendance at the common schools, entered Red Creek Union Academy in Wayne County, remained a student there about four years, and later for a time was in the Michigan State Normal at Ypsilanti. He also taught school for a short while in Columbia, Michigan. His student days in Ypsilanti were interrupted when he enlisted in Company F of the First Regiment of Michigan Cavalry. With this noted regiment he joined the Army of the Potomac, and served successively under such noted leaders as Buford, Hatch, Kilpatrick and Sheridan, and for the latter part of his service Was in the famous Custer's Brigade. His active participation in battle included Winchester; ; he was in Pope's army during its operations along the Rappahannock ; was in the second battle of Bull Run, and a short time prior to the battle of Gettysburg was detailed for clerical work at the military headquarters at Washington. He was given his honorable discharge from the army August 20, 1864. Mr. Bixby gained an appointment as sutler and in that capacity accompanied the Twenty-fifth Army Carps, Army of Observation, to Texas and continued as sutler to that 'organization until the fall of 1867. He then returned to Savannah, New York, lived there and at Saratoga Springs and at Lapeer, Michigan, until he came to Erie County, as above noted. Mr. Bixby owns two substantial farms in Margaretta Township, aggregating about 150 acres, devoted to general agriculture.

Mr. Bixby married Lydia L. Higley, who was born in Townsend Township of Sandusky County, Ohio, a daughter of Orson Higley, who in his time was one of the most prominent citizens of that locality. Mr. and Mrs. Bixby have one daughter, Pearl B., now the wife of Andrew J. Meikle of Castalia. Mr. Bixby has been a republican Once his days as a soldier of the Union, and is now and for several years has been commander of Post No. 423 of the Grand Army of the Republic at Castalia. He is also affiliated with the Masonic Lodge at Lapeer, Michigan, and has long been active in the Congregational Church at Castalia, which he has served as trustee."


The lovely marker in the Castalia Cemetery honoring Mr. and Mrs. Bixby indicates that the couple was held in high esteem by their family. The microfilmed copies of the Castalia Cemetery interment cards, on file at the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library, provides these birth and death years for Mr. and Mrs. Bixby:

Jerome Bixby, 1840-1920
Lydia L. Bixby, 1859-1941

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Who Was Susan Stephens Goucher-Riblet?
















This simple stone honoring the memory of Susan Stephens Goucher-Riblet is found at the Perkins Cemetery in Erie County, just off Route 250. I wondered to myself, " Who was this person with so many names?" By searching Family Search for death records, I found a death certificate for Susan Riblet, who died in Cuyahoga County on January 2, 1931. She was age 95 years, 8 months, and 27 days. Her parents were William H. Stephens, a native of Pennsylvania, and Mary Havelick, who was born in Staten Island, New York.




















A free database from the Cleveland Public Library, the Cleveland Necrology File, had this brief death notice for Susan:

Name: Riblet, Susan J.
Date: Jan 4 1931
Source: Source unknown; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #068.
Notes: Riblet: Susan J., widow of the late Henry K., beloved mother of Mrs. Horace Fisher, Mrs. B. S. Grosscup and Mrs. Ida A. Green, at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. Horace Fisher, 2596 Colchester Road. Friday evening, Jan. 2, 1930. Funeral services and burial at Perkins, O., Monday, Jan. 5, at 1 p. m.


Looking for Susan on the 1880 U.S. Census, I found her listed as Susan J. Riblet, age 42, living in Vermilion, Erie County, Ohio with her husband Henry Riblet, with children Jessie and Joey Riblet. May Goucher, age 13, is also living in the Riblet household.

When I entered the name Susan Stephens, combined with a spouse's surname of Goucher, I found an application for a marriage license for Susan Stephens and William Goucher in Erie County, Ohio on December 22, 1856.













By taking the information from a tombstone, and searching a variety of online resources, I learned a lot about Susan Stephens Goucher-Riblet, who now rests in peace at Perkins Cemetery in Erie County, Ohio.

Note: Susan's sister, Mary Marilla Stephens Greene, once overheard a plot to free prisoners from the Johnson's Island Prison during the Civil War. Read about it here.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Richard Joab Kelly, 1905-1922
















Richard Joab Kelly, the son of Thomas L. Kelly and Elizabeth Hansen Kelly, was only age seventeen, when he died from Bright's Disease, on May 28, 1922. He was laid to rest in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. His death certificate is on file at the Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953 database at Family Search.





















By tracing the ancestors of Richard Joab Kelly at Ancestry and Rootsweb, I learned that among the ancestors of Richard Joab Kelley were Thomas Hogg, the first engineer of the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad; Benajah Wolcott, the first keeper of the Marblehead Lighthouse; and William Kelly, the builder of the Marblehead Lighthouse. It is very sad that Richard Joab Kelly's life ended so soon. He came from a long line of pioneers who were such a significant part of our rich heritage here in the Firelands area.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Walburgis "Val" Schmidt















Walburgis "Val" Schmidt was born in 1939 in Germany to Walter and Ilse (Habig) Schmidt. She immigrated to the United States in 1961, and became a U.S. citizen in 1966. For 37 years Val Schmidt owned and operated a licensed public accounting business in Bellevue, Ohio. She was a member of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants. Val played many roles in the Public Accountants Society of Ohio, including serving as president of the organization. She was the first chairman of the Board of the Bellevue Cherry Festival in Bellevue, Ohio. Walburgis "Val" Schmidt passed away on September 17, 2003 in Bellevue, Ohio. She was survived by her husband, three daughters, a stepson, and four stepdaughters and many other friends and relatives. Burial was at the St.Peter's Lutheran Church Cemetery in Huron County, Ohio, outside of Monroeville. An obituary for Val Schmidt appeared in the September 18, 2003 issue of the Sandusky Register.

In 1992,Representative Paul E. Gillmor paid tribute to Val Schmidt on her many accomplishments. Below is a a transcript of Congressman Gillmor's tribute to Val Schmidt:

********************************************************************************
HON. PAUL E. GILLMOR

in the House of Representatives

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1992

* Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to W. `Val' Schmidt, an outstanding citizen and leader from my congressional district.

* I am pleased to announce to my colleagues that Val Schmidt has been elected president of the Public Accountants Society of Ohio. On September 19, she will begin serving in this important position, and I can predict confidently that she will serve effectively and with distinction.

* Val Schmidt is a remarkable American success story. A German immigrant, Val Schmidt has seized on the opportunities America brings and has bravely overcome the challenges it poses. She came to the United States in 1961, became an American citizen in 1966, and has enjoyed a solid, successful career as a public accountant for many years.

* Val Schmidt has also earned enormous respect for her civic achievements. Whether it is her work with the Public Accountants Society, or her previous service as president of the Ohio Federation of Business and Professional Women, Val Schmidt has never missed a chance to demonstrate what a commitment to excellence and service is all about.

* Once again, I congratulate her on being elected president of the Public Accountants Society of Ohio, and I wish her the best of luck.


********************************************************************************


During the 1970s I got to know Val through a mutual friend. Val was a dynamic individual, and she put her whole heart and soul into every endeavor she undertook! She is truly missed.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Vincent Kerber

Vincent Kerber was born in Baden, Germany on July 21, 1824. The 1880 U.S. Census, freely available at Family Search, lists these members of the Kerber family:

Vincent Kerber age 55
Constene Kerber age 51
Frank Kerber age 26
Louise Kerber age 27
Baulina age 22
(should read Paulina)
Edward Kerber age 19
John Kerber age 14
Anthony Kerber age 11
Albert Kerber (nephew) age 19


An article in the September 18, 1898 Sandusky Register stated that Vincent Kerber came to the United States in 1846. He was "one of the foremost and most prominent of contractors" of the Sandusky area. Among his building projects were Link's Hall, Hertlein's Hall, the Standard Wheel Company Works, and the Whiskey Run Sewer. Helen Hansen wrote in AT HOME IN EARLY SANDUSKY, that Vincent Kerber was the builder of the Fifth Ward School, also known as Barker School. The book TREASURE BY THE BAY, by Ellie Damm, features a photograph of Barker School, which was built of native limestone in the Italianate style. Leaving the building field, Mr. Kerber had a prosperous ice business, which later was carried on by his sons. Another business venture he undertook was the feed, flour, and commission business.

Vincent Kerber was married twice, the second marriage having occurred during a trip to his homeland. Mr. Kerber died on September 17, 1898.He was buried in Oakland Cemetery. His obituary stated that he was "one of the best known and most highly respected of Sandusky's residents." Hewson Peeke's A STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, OHIO contains a sketch about the Kerber family, with the main focus being John, the son of Vincent Kerber.

A lovely monument in St.Mary's Catholic Cemetery was erected in memory of two of the daughters of Vincent Kerber, Louise Kerber, and Pauline Kerber Heiberger.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

When Mom Forgot It Was "Picture Day"

In the fall of 1957, my mother had three young children between the ages of two and six. I was the six year old in the family at that time, and in the first grade. On the evening before picture day at Venice Elementary School, my mom was having a busy night. She usually took the time to curl my hair in pin curls, and send me off to school with lovely curls. The morning of picture day in 1957, I was sent to school with two pony tails, which had become quite unkempt by the time the photographed snapped my picture! Every time Mom used to see my first grade picture, she would say "How could I ever have sent you off to school with your hair like that!" Both my mom and I adored Mrs. Pack, my dear first grade teacher. Mom and Mrs. Pack sent Christmas cards back and forth for the rest of Mom's life. Mrs. Pack didn't care if my hair wasn't up to Mom's usual standards on that day so long ago. After my mother's death, Mrs. Pack sent me a lovely letter saying that Mom had taken her under wing back in 1957, and gave her many words of encouragement. She was just starting out in her career, and she really appreciated Mom's kindness towards her. Mrs. Pack and I are pictured to the left from the 1957 Venice Elementary School class picture, and below is a picture which shows how Mom usually fixed my hair. I am the oldest child, holding my mom's hand. (By the time baby sister Kellie came along, Mom switched from pin curls to sponge rollers.)





Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Doors of Faith: Holy Angels Church in Sandusky, Ohio






















Many of my Cross and Larkins ancestors worshiped in Sandusky, Ohio at Holy Angels Catholic Church. Charles Cross, my fourth great grandfather, was Sandusky's first Catholic Mayor. He and his wife and children all attended church at Holy Angels. My great great granduncle, Nicholas Charles Cross, became Brother Sulpicious with the Xaverian Brothers. He taught religion at Catholic schools in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and Massachusetts. His earliest religious training was in Sandusky, Ohio at Holy Angels Church. Below is a baptism record of Nicholas Charles Cross, sometimes known as Charles Nicholas Cross, from Holy Angels.






In 1844, both my Irish ancestor Daniel Larkins, and my English born ancestor Charles Cross, signed a resolution which was published in the newspaper, that the "Sons of the Emerald Isle" resolved to celebrate St. Patrick's Day on temperance principles, without any intoxicating beverages. They participated in a temperance parade and a banquet, with the proceeds from the banquet to go to Holy Angels Church.






















Many more members of my extended family attended Holy Angels Church, which was founded in 1839. My grandsons also both attended PreSchool in the educational wing of Holy Angels Church. While I was not raised as a Catholic, I have a deep faith in God, and I truly respect the faithfulness of my Cross and Larkins ancestors, as they played an active role in their church home, Holy Angels.






Millicent West Hubbard Crosskill

Millicent West Hubbard was born in Sandusky on September 21, 1880 to Charles Livingston Hubbard and Jenna West Hubbard.



















Millicent's paternal grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. Lester Samuel Hubbard. L.S. Hubbard was an early merchant and banker in Sandusky. Millicent's maternal grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. William T. West. W.T. West, along with his brother A.K. West, operated a store in Sandusky, and built the West House hotel in the mid 1850s. Millicent married Arthur Crosskill in 1907. They lived in New York City at the time of the 1920 U.S. Census.

On December 11, 1923, Millicent W.H. Crosskill was issued patent number 1,476,693, which was for a flour sifting utensil.























An article which appeared in the September 12, 1963 issue of the Putnam County Courier, from Carmel, New York, reported that Mrs. Millicent Crosskill had died on September 10, 1963. She was survived by two sisters. Funeral services for Millicent W.H. Crosskill were held at the Charles Andres' Sons Funeral Home in Sandusky, and burial was in Oakland Cemetery. Many of Millicent's ancestors were also laid to rest at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Dr. Usher Parsons, Acting Surgeon During the Battle of Lake Erie

Dr. Usher Parsons was the Acting Surgeon aboard the Brig Niagara during the Battle of Lake Erie, which took place on September 10, 1813, during the War of 1812. Click here to read an account of how Dr. Parsons provided medical care to ninety-six wounded men aboard the Lawrence, Niagara, and another smaller vessel during the Battle of Lake Erie. In A TREATISE ON MILITARY SURGERY AND HYGIENE, by Frank Hastings Hamilton, published by the Baillière Brother in 1865, we read how Dr. Parsons managed men with compound and simple fractures, severe lacerations, and injuries which resulted in several amputations. There were only three deaths of the wounded men under Parsons' care. (Of course there were numerous battle casualties for both the British and United States during the Battle of Lake Erie.) You can read more about Dr. Usher Parsons at the Rhode Island Historical Society's website. Visit FindaGrave to view an image of the tombstone of Dr. Usher Parsons at the Swan Point Cemetery. Dr. Parsons died on December 19, 1868, after having lived a full life as a physician, historian, and genealogist.

Note: Image of Dr. Parsons from Wikipedia.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Snapshots of Mom from the 1940s

Recently I ran across a couple of old pictures of my mom, Joyce Parker Orshoski, from the 1940s. In the picture to the left, Mom was playing dress up, while she was spending time with her paternal grandparents, Leroy and Ada Parker, on their farm in Perkins Township.















Mom wrote a few notes on the back of the picture.






















In 1947, Mom gave her Grandma and Grandpa Parker a picture of herself, at age 16, at Christmas time.






















Eventually the picture from 1947 made its way back to Mom. It seems like you can see the zest for life in Mom's eyes in that photo. When she was playing dress up, I think she was looking ahead to the day when she would be a wife and mother, and be the "lady of the house." She surely did indeed grow up to achieve all that, and so much more! She put her whole heart in everything she ever did, and it is a joy to look back at pictures of Mom from her growing up years.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Moe C. Frohman

Moe Frohman was the son of David and Rachel Strauss Frohman, who were both natives of Frankfort, Germany. Moe was a lifelong resident of Sandusky, Ohio. He worked at the Hinde and Dauch Paper Co., and was a member of the Elks Lodge and the United Commercial Travelers. Moe C. Frohman died on June 18, 1942, at the age of 67. He was survived by his wife, mrs. Pauline Miller Frohman, a daughter Portia, and a granddaughter Polly. An obituary for Moe C. Frohman is found in the 1942 OBITUARY NOTEBOOK at the Sandusky Library.

Moe C. Frohman was a brother of Sandusky businessman and philanthropist, Sidney Frohman. Moe's nephew was historian and author, Charles E. Frohman. Cousins of Moe C. Frohman, who were also born in Sandusky, were David and Charles Frohman, who were both very active in the theatrical business in New York City.

Moe C. Frohman and his wife Pauline are both buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.


Moe's parents, David and Rachel Frohman, are buried in Sandusky's Oheb Shalom Cemetery.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Thomas Caswell, War of 1812 Veteran






















In the book HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, OHIO, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich (D. Mason & Co.., 1889), we read that Thomas Caswell was born in the state of Massachusetts, and resided in Steuben, New York, before settling on 500 acres in Margaretta Township, Erie County, Ohio. His wife was Elinor/Eleanor Force. Thomas and Elinor Caswell had a family of seven children. Their son Calvin Caswell was a prominent agriculturist in Erie County, and he served as Erie County Commissioner from 1863 to 1868.

During the War of 1812, Thomas Caswell served in a unit from the State of New York.


















Thomas Caswell died in Margaretta Township, Erie County, Ohio, on September 2, 1853, at the age of 60. He was buried in the Castalia Cemetery. A War of 1812 marker and an American flag adorn his tombstone.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Sundial Presented to the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home in 1933






















On September 3, 1933, the Wormen's Relief Corps, McMeens Post No. 48, presented a sundial to the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home as a part of the Home's Golden Jubilee Celebration. At the presentation, Rev. A. J. Funnell of the First Presentation gave the invocation. Miss Etta Mehling sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Speeches were given by Commandant Perry Null, Wilber Phillips, and Major E.T. Thorson. Mrs. Perry Null spoke about "The Significance of Time."

The base of the sundial has an inscription that reads:

Presented by
McMeens Corps No. Forty Eight
Womens Relief Corps
In Grateful Remembrance
To the Grand Army of the Republic
Upon This Our Golden Jubilee
Nineteen Thirty Three


Around the sundial are the words:

Hours Fly
Flowers Die
New Days, New Ways Pass By
Love Stays























The Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home, now known as the Ohio Veterans Home, has been home to thousands of honorably discharged United States Veterans since 1888. Also on the grounds of the Ohio Veterans Home is a cemetery which serves as the final resting place for many men and women who served our country through military service.









Sunday, September 2, 2012

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy: Ancestor Photos

The prompt for Week 36 of 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy, from Amy Coffin at We Tree, and hosted by Geneabloggers, is Ancestor Photos

For which ancestral photograph are you most grateful? Who is in the photo and how did you acquire it? Why does the photo hold a special place in your heart?

This vintage picture is one of my very favorite family photographs from my mother's Larkins side of the family. My great great grandfather Thomas F. Larkins appears in a four generation photo with his daughter, Irene Larkins Risko, granddaughter Doris Wheeler Parker, and great granddaughter Joyce Parker, who later married my dad, Paul Orshoski, Sr. The date of the picture is December 8, 1941, the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the day of President Roosevelt's well known "Day of Infamy" speech as the U.S. entered into World War Two. My mom, Joyce Parker Orshoski, was in the wedding of family friends, Elizabeth Schmid and James Summy. Mom was ten years old in this picture. The wedding took place at St. Stephen's Evangelical and Reformed Church in Sandusky, Ohio. The reason I love this picture, which was in my mother's collection of family photos, is that it represents to me a much happier time in the Larkins line of my family. Grandma Doris died on May 6, 1943, at the age of 32, following a divorce. Great Great Grandpa Tom suffered a debilitating stroke, and Great Grandma Irene would end up taking care of both her ailing daughter and father in the early 1940s, not all that long after this lovely picture was taken.

Mom was resilient, however, and enjoyed her years at Sandusky High School and Margaretta High School. She got married in 1950 to my father, Paul R. Orshoski, Sr.


















They had six children, twenty grandchildren, several great grandchildren, jobs they loved, lives filled with lots of friends and family, and many years of making memories.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

August Ruemmele

August Ruemmele was born on December 6, 1818 in Zell, Baden. He emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1849. In 1851, August Ruemmele and Herman Ruess founded the first German language newspaper entitled the Intelligenz-Blatt. (An excellent article about German speaking newspapers in Sandusky is found at the Sandusky History website.) On September 1, 1857, August Ruemmele lost his life in a railroad accident. Several cars of the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad separated from the track near the Castalia Mills. Henry Ross and David Cassett, both railroad employees also lost their lives. An account of the train accident appears in the September 2, 1857 Sandusky Daily Commercial Register, on microfilm at the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library, and the library of the Hayes Presidential Center.

The newspaper article reported that August Ruemmele left behind a young wife and child, as well as nine siblings. When the train arrived in Sandusky, carrying the bodies of the deceased, many of the friends of August Ruemmele met the train. He was buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.