Pictured at the left is my great grandmother, Lena Piehl Yeager (standing) and her younger sister Bertha. This cropped portion of the picture was from a larger
family photo. Grandma Yeager grew up in Ottawa County, but after marrying Andrew Yeager, she resided in the Huron area of Erie County, Ohio. Lena and Andy had seven children. Two children died young, and one child took his own life as an adult. Grandma was very active in the Lutheran Church, sometimes the one in Huron, Ohio, and sometimes at Union Corner's congregation, out in the country. What I remember most about Grandma Yeager is her delicious sugar cookies, and her sweet, quiet demeanor. She was the oldest child of a large family, and she knew well the meaning of hard work, and "making do" when times were tough. At the time of her death in 1978, at the age of 97, Grandma Yeager was survived by two daughters, twelve grandchildren, 31 great grandchildren, and 16 great great grandchildren. She was beloved by her entire family!
Lena's younger sister Bertha was born in 1891, and died in 1933. She used to help her parents get ready for the big family reunions held at the farm in Ottawa County. In 1929, Bertha Piehl married Fritz Lassen. They welcomed baby Marcus Lassen in 1930. Sadly, in 1933, Bertha Piehl Lassen died of uremic poisoning. At the time of her death, she was expecting a baby, who died as well. Bertha was survived by her husband and young son. Marcus had developmental delays, and as an adult, he lived at the Lutheran Home of Mercy in Williston, Ohio.
Though these dear women had the same parents, and grew up on the same family farm, they had such very different lives. I am fortunate to call them both my ancestors.
