Katherine Peck

Katherine Peck was the only daughter of Sandusky dentist Dr. Clarence Peck and his wife, the former Jennie Farwell. Young Katherine died from typhoid fever when she was only 8 years old. She was laid to rest at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Mrs. Mira King Wagner, Cat Enthusiast

Mira King was born in 1852 in Kentucky to David A. and Martha (Vallandingham) King. In 1873 she married Sandusky businessman Charles L. Wagner, who worked in the natural ice industry. Mrs. King was known for her love of cats.

She operated Wagner Kennels at her home on Columbus Avenue. An article that appeared in the December 18, 1947 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News stated that Mrs. Wagner owned many pedigreed cats. Her kennel resembled a Veterinarian's housing unit, with many windows, porches, and rockers for the cats. The cats of Mira King Wagner, as well as her mother, Mrs. D.A. King, were often featured in the "Cat Journal." Mrs. Wagner cared deeply about the welfare of cats, and she raised funds for the Chicago Cat Refuge in the early 1900s. When someone would say to her, "Cats and women...they're all alike," Mrs. Wagner would respond, "Oh no they're not. A woman can't run up a telegraph pole, and a cat can't run up a millinery bill."

Mrs. Mira King Wagner died on July 30, 1904, after a lengthy illness. After a private funeral, she was buried at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio.

Oakland Cemetery on a Fall Day

 

Oakland Cemetery is in Erie County. The address is: 2917 Milan Road, Sandusky, Ohio 44870

You can search for burials in Oakland at:

Find a Grave

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/1612332/oakland-cemetery

and at the website below

City of Sandusky, Burial Search of Oakland Cemetery

http://www.cemeteryregister.com/search.asp?id=OH_SANDUSKY

Daughter of August and Mary Koegele Buried at Oakland Cemetery

 

According to her tombstone in the North Ridge at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio, this youngster was born in December 1877 to August and Mary Koegele. She died on August 10, 1889. Her name was listed as Natalie on her death record, a portion of which is seen below.

The 1880 U.S. Census gives her name as Ophelia. A listing at the Oakland Cemetery database lists her name as Atalia Koegele. I am sure  this little one was well loved by her parents August and Mary Koegele, as the youngest child, and only daughter in the family. Rest in peace little one!

Charles L. Wagner, 1852-1921

Charles L. Wagner was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1852 to Julius and Louise (Raymond) Wagner. The following biographical sketch about Charles L. Wagner appeared in volume 2 of Hewson Peeke's  book A STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY:

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C. L. WAGNER. In the City of Sandusky where he was reared and has spent practically all his life, C. L. Wagner has a record of progressive success in business affairs. From a clerkship he has risen to a place where he is a controlling factor in the principal concern handling ice on the southern shore of Lake Erie. Though his home has nearly always been in Sandusky C. L. Wagner was born in Cleveland, October 24, 1852. His father, Julius Wagner, was born in Germany. He came to Sandusky in 1849, and as a car builder and joiner by trade was in the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad for fifteen years. He married Miss Elizabeth Raymond and of their family of six children three are still living. The oldest in the family, C. L. Wagner received his education and early training in the public schools of Sandusky and at home. For six years he worked as a clerk in a local store, and there laid the foundation of a sound business experience. After that he was a salesman for ten years in the retail dry goods house of Zerbe & Company, and then entered merchandising for himself, in the partnership of Wagner, Powers & Bradbeck. When this company sold out he continued for himself in the carpet business up to 1885. In that year Mr. Wagner organized the Wagner Bros. Wholesale & Retail Ice Company. This subsequently became the Wagner Lake Ice Company, with Mr. Wagner as president and general manager. The business has a record of fifty years behind it, having been established in 1865 and incorporated in 1888. The storage capacity is said to be the largest around the southern shore of Lake Erie. While the business started on the basis of handling, storing and distributing lake ice, its development subsequently included the handling of coal, builders material of all kinds, and the concern was both wholesale and retail. But in 1906 this company was consolidated with several others into the Interstate Ice Company, which was later taken over by the City Ice Delivery Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, and Mr. Wagner is general manager of the wholesale department. The business is now a part of a large organization with its main offices in Cleveland, but Mr. Wagner remained as general manager of the wholesale business at Sandusky and Michigan. Thus Mr. Wagner has had a thoroughly successful business career, and together with that record has exhibited a public spirited generosity in behalf of everything that would promote the welfare of his home city.
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Charles L. Wagner died on August 5, 1921. He was laid to rest in the family lot at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. He had a very well known business man in Sandusky.

Willis Aaron Post, 1886 - 1913

Willis Aaron Post was born in the state of New York in 1866 to Nathaniel and Martha (Hill) Post. He married Elnora Sloan in 1887. Willis A. Post could trace his New England roots back Aaron Post , who served as a Corporal in the Revolutionary War.

In the 1910s, Willis A. Post ran a saw mill on Olds Street in Sandusky, Ohio. Sometimes the business was known as the Post Hoop Works. Sadly, on October 17, 1913, Willis A. Post died following an accident at the saw mill. For a time, Mrs. Post ran operations at the saw mill. Willis A. Post was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Remembering Cousin Carol

 

Yesterday, my first cousin Carol passed away. She is seen above with just some of her many grandchildren. I literally knew her all my life, and I looked up to her, since I had no older sister or brother. Below, Carol is seen at the left, with my parents and me in Crystal Rock.

Carol was a hard worker, and had a dynamic personality. She used to babysit my children and she brought us over treats quite often. Sometimes she would take my grandson and adult daughter on "joy rides" to get ice cream or hamburgers on a hot summer night.

My favorite memory of Carol is when our dear neighbor had a stroke, and she could not do the things she used to do. Carol and I would go over and clean her house. Now I cannot tolerate spoiled food, and Carol did not like to clean toilets...so Carol cleaned the frig, while I cleaned the bathroom. We all three had many laughs, in spite of it being a challenging situation.

In Bay Bridge, Carol and her hubby were my neighbors for over thirty years. She shared with me many family stories and photos. One July 4th, my husband took the kids and grandkids to see fireworks, but I did not go. Carol called me over, and we looked through an old box of photos until they got back from the Independence Day fireworks!

I like to think of the joyous reunion in Heaven when Carol gets there, and sees her son John, and all our parents and grandparents who have gone before us. 

James Wheat, Died of Cholera in 1854

According to the Wheat Genealogy James Wheat was born on June 17, 1806 in Hartford, Connecticut. He married Harriet Hunt in 1827, and they had four children. In 1850, James Wheat was the superintendent of the Almshouse in Sandusky, Ohio. Sadly, James Wheat died on cholera on August 20, 1854. He was buried at the old Perkins Cemetery, which was moved during World War Two to its current location off Milan Road in Erie County, Ohio. After the death of Mr. Wheat, his widow and children moved to Utah.

Jacob Schmid's Death in 1926

 

Jacob Schmid was a German immigrant who worked as a stationery engineer in Sandusky for many years. The 1876 Hellrigle's Sandusky City Directory stated that he was employed by Jacob Kuebeler, a prominent business man who co owned a  brewery with his brother. (The Kuebeler brewery merged with the Stang brewery in 1895. In 1897, Kuebeler and Stang merged with other breweries to become the Cleveland and Sandusky Brewing Corp. ) At the time of his fall, Jacob Schmid was emplyed at the Crystal Rock Products Co., which was making soft drinks at the time, in the former Stang brewery on King Street. 

Mr. Schmid died following his fall, due to internal bleeding. He left behind a son Oscar, and daughters, Mrs. Fred Lessenthien, Mrs. Ed Casper, and Mrs. Charles Klepper, and several grandchildren and great grandchildren. His wife, the former Elizabeth Tiedke, had died in 1923. Rev. H.E. Pheiffer officiated at the funeral of Jacob Schmid, whose final resting place is Oakland Cemetery.

Below is a picture of Lot 51, in Block F of Oakland Cemetery. Mrs. Elizabeth Schmid and Adelaide Lessenthien are buried in this lot, but at this time, no stone remains for Jacob Schmid.

Peter and Mary Denova

 

According to records at FamilySearch, Peter Denova  (Pietro Dinova) was born in Palermo, Sicily in 1849. His first wife was Concetta Trentanelli. Together they had three children. Concetta Trentanelli Denova died in 1879. After the death of his first wife, Peter Denova married the sister of Concetta. Her name was Mary Trentanelli (also known as Maria.)

Together Peter and Mary Denova had four children, but only two lived past early childhood. Leonardo Denova, a son was born in 1883 or 1884. A daughter named Lillian (sometimes listed as Concetta) was born in 1886 or 1887. About 1894, the Denova family emigrated from Sicily to the United States. In the 1900 U.S. Census, the family was residing in Omaha, Nebraska, where Peter worked as a peddler. By 1910, the Denova was living in Sandusky in Erie County, Ohio. The U.S. Census listed the household as: Peter and Mary, son Nado, daughter in law Josephine, and two grandchildren, Mary and Peter, who were most likely named after their grandparents.

Sadly, Lillian died at age 26. She was the wife of Joseph Carrou. At the time of her death, she left two small children. Eventually Joseph remarried, and moved back to Nebraska.

Peter Denova passed away in 1919, and his wife Mary died in 1940. Peter and Mary Denova are buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Sandusky, close to their son Leonardo Denova.

Not far away is the grave of Lillian Denova Carrou.

This family suffered so much loss, and had to create a new home far away from the land of their birth. Rest in peace Denova family!

*As often is the case in the first part of the twentieth century, spellings of surnames can vary widely, depending on the record.

Lillian Denova Carrou

 

Lillian Denova was born in Italy in 1887, to Pietro and Mary Denova. For a time the family lived in Nebraska, but by 1910, the family had moved to Sandusky in Erie County, Ohio. Prior to 1910, Lillian became the wife of Joseph Carrou. In the 1910 Census, the listing showed they had a young son and daughter, and resided at 218 Shelby Street, close to Lincoln Street. Sadly, another young son died in 1905 on the same day that he was born. 

Mrs. Lillian Denova Carrou passed away on September 2, 1912, following a miscarriage. (Though the death date on Lillian’s tombstone reads 1913, she actually passed away in September of 1912.) An obituary for Lillian appeared in the September 3, 1912 issue of the Sandusky Register.

Another article was in the Sandusky Register of September 4, 1912. Lillian was only 26 years old.

 

The final resting place of Lillian Denova Carrou was at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio, where several other family members were also buried. Her surviving husband and children moved back to Nebraska. Joseph remarried and had several more children. As is often the case in names of Italian descent in the early 1900s, there are many, many variations in the spelling of the first and last names of Lillian and Joseph. Rest in Peace!

When Your Friend Finds a Box of Treasures

My friend Madeline recently found a box of old photographs from her mother's things. So many memories are in those pictures!!

Below is a photo of Highland Park Ford employees in a baseball game after work. Madeline's father Joe is saying "Safe!" According to Wikipedia, the Highland Park Ford plant was the second American production facility for the Model T automobile and the first factory in history to assemble cars on a moving assembly line. 

This group photo is from Lyndhurst School in Sanilac County , Michigan in the late 1930s. Joe's future wife Ruth is the sixth person from the left in the back row. Ruth's identical twin sister Edith is the third person from the right in the same row. The twins had matching dresses for school picture day!

Joe was of Italian heritage, while Ruth came from a German family. They had three children, and lots of grandchildren and great grandchildren, and made a lot of cherished memories throughout their busy lives!

Kathryn Elizabeth Hoffman, M.D.

Kathryn E. Hoffman was born on December 12, 1910 to Charles and and Katherine (Rittman) Hoffman in Sandusky, Ohio. She was a graduate of Denison University and the Medical School of the University of Michigan. After obtaining her medical license, Dr. Kathryn E. Hoffman specialized in obstetrics and gynecology. She practiced medicine at the Lutheran Medical Center and Deaconess Hospital, both in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Kathryn E. Hoffman died at her home in Milan, Ohio on April 22, 1978, after a lengthy illness. She was buried in the family lot at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio.

Cousin Patti and Kathy's Grandma Ruth

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Ruth Norma Henrietta Lessenthien was born in Sandusky, Ohio in 1902, to Ferdinand Lessenthien and his wife, the former Adelaide Schmidt. Ruth was baptized at St. Stephens Church in Sandusky, which was primarily a German speaking congregation at the time.

Many thanks to the Special Collections Librarian at Sandusky Library for finding the baptism document on microfilm!

Ferdinand and Adelaide Lessenthien had a large family of two daughters and three sons. Between 1920 and 1930, Ferdinand disappeared, and Addie was on her own to raise these children. In 1922, Ruth Lessenthien married Sam Spinello, a shoe repairman who had been born in Sicily, Italy. They had two children, Evelyn and Harold (fondly called Sonny.) By 1942, Sam and Ruth divorced, and Ruth married Anthony Capozzi, another shoe repairman of Italian descent.

In the fall of 1964, Ruth Capozzi was in an automobile accident, and suffered a skull fracture. Eventually she moved to her son's home in California, where she died from a heart attack in 1967. Her final resting place is at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. 

Tombstone photo courtesy FindaGrave contributor 47135363

Both Ruth and her mother Adelaide were strong women. Their grandchildren and great grandchildren remember them both fondly!

 

St. Lorenz Lutheran Cemetery in Frankenmuth, Michigan

St. Lorenz Lutheran Church was founded by the original German settlers of Frankenmuth. You  can read about the history of this historic congregation here.  

The south cemetery across from the St. Lorenz Church was the original cemetery. Many of the tombstones date back to the nineteenth century.

The north cemetery is adjacent to the church. The website of the St. Lorenz Church features an "occupant list" of those buried in the St. Lorenz Cemetery up to the end of 2021. There is also a helpful cemetery  map on the church website. 

If you visit the charming town of Frankenmuth, Michigan, consider taking a side trip to the St. Lorenz Lutheran Church and St. Lorenz Cemetery!

Mary Caroline Wakeman Dibble

Mary Caroline Wakeman was born in 1801 in the state of New York to Adams and Susanna Wakeman. She was the first wife of well known shipbuilder Daniel Dibble. Sadly, Mary Caroline Dibble while in her forties, on December 1, 1842. She was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Finding Ferdinando Mazza on a Passenger List

Ferdinando Mazza is an ancestor of one of my friends. We have both been learning about the Italian heritage of Sandusky, Ohio.

You can search for passengers who entered the U.S. at the free Ellis Island Passenger Search database or at FamilySearch.org. Both databases require a free registration.

Ferdinando Mazza departed from Genoa, Italy, on February 25, 1906, aboard the ship Il Piemonte, and he arrived at New York on March 18, 1906.  He was listed as number 18 on the passenger list.

He stated that he was going to Sandusky, Ohio, to join his brother Guglielmo.

Several individuals of Italian descent were also traveling to Sandusky, Ohio on this voyage. Surnames included Berardi, Corelli and Magi.

One can learn so much about their family history by searching through passenger lists! If you have ancestors who came to the U.S. between 1892 and 1924, try searching for them online! Happy hunting!

Moore Monument at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery

Henry Moore was born in Germany in 1826. He came to the U.S. in 1846. In 1849 he settled in Venice, Ohio, and that same year, he married Mary J. Bourke. He ran a general store in Venice with James McGookey. Mr. Moore also served as the Postmaster in Venice, Ohio for several years. During the Civil War, Henry Moore was in the 145th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. After being ill for some time, Henry Moore died on November 5, 1905. Funeral services were held at the Masonic Temple, and he was buried at Oakland Cemetery.

George A. Moore, son of Henry and Mary J. Moore died from typhoid on on March 27, 1906. Sadly, Mrs. Mary J. Moore died on July 29, 1906. Within nine months, three members of the Moore family all passed away. The Moore monument at Oakland Cemetery honors the memory of father, mother, and son. May they rest in peace.

Lurena Strong Todd, 1777-1851

Lurena Strong was born in Lee, Massachusetts to Ozias Strong and his wife, the former Susanna West. She married Amos Todd in New York in 1794. She died in Sandusky, Ohio in 1851, and was buried in Oakland Cemetery.  The tombstone of Lurena Strong Todd is barely legible now, but you can faintly read the words Amos Todd. 

According to the interment card for Oakland Cemetery, on microfilm at Sandusky Library, it once read, "Relic of Amos Todd."

 One of Lurena's daughters, Mary Jones Todd, married David Campbell, who was the founder of the "Sandusky Clarion," the predecessor of the "Sandusky Register." Her youngest daughter, Lydia Mahala Todd, married William T. West, who was a prominent businessman in Sandusky, and operated the West House hotel with her brother for many years.

 Rest in peace, Lurena Strong Todd!

Charles Hoffman, 1868-1941

Charles J. Hoffman was born in Sandusky, Ohio to parents of German descent, Daniel and Philippina (Fuchs) Hoffman. He worked in the family coal business, and also was associated with the Hoffman Manufacturing Company in Sandusky. One of the items made at the Hoffman Manufacturing Company was an elevating truck. Below is a portion of the patent for the truck.

Charles Hoffman and his wife Katie Rittman Hoffman were the parents of four children. On October 4, 1941, Charles J. Hoffman died at University Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Charles J. Hoffman had been widely known in Sandusky, Ohio. An obituary for Mr. Hoffman appeared in the October 4, 1941 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News.

Mrs. Philippina Fuchs Hoffman

Philippina Fuchs Hoffman was the wife of Sandusky businessman Daniel Hoffman. She must have kept very busy, as she was the mother of eight children. Born in Germany, she emigrated to the U.S. in 1867, the same year that she married Mr. Hoffman. Mrs. Hoffman passed away in Sandusky, Ohio on August 21, 1914. The following obituary appeared in the August 22, 1914 issue of the Sandusky Register.

Mrs. Hoffman was laid to rest in the family lot at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Daniel Hoffman, 1841-1911

According to his death record, Daniel Hoffman was born on September 15, 1841 in Germany to Peter and Margaret (Samsel) Hoffman. By 1867, he was residing in Erie County, Ohio. Daniel Hoffman married Philippena Fuchs on August 5, 1867.  Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Hoffman had a large family of eight children. For many years, Daniel Hoffman was a dealer in coal. Later he also went into the milling business. Daniel Hoffman passed away on August 16, 1911. He was buried in the family plot at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery. An obituary for Daniel Hoffman was in the August 16, 1911 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal.

Tombstone Tuesday: Albert M. Stoakes

The inscription on this tombstone at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio reads:

Albert M. Stoakes 
Sleeps Here

The name Albert M. Stoakes did not show up in Erie County, Ohio in a search of genealogical databases, so his life story remains a mystery.  Rest in peace.