Mrs. Catherine Robina Souter

According to her death record, Catherine Robina Souter was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1819, to Thomas and Bell (Winchester) Hickley.  By 1850, Catherine was married to David Souter, and they lived in Sandusky, Ohio with their three young children.

After 1850, the name of David Souter disappears from census records and city directories. To date, no death record for David has been found. The 1855 Sandusky City Directory lists Mrs. C.R. Souter as a dressmaker, residing on Market Street. Mrs. Souter’s son James W. Souter moved west, and he worked for the American Express Company. Her daughter Frances married Thomas Morris, and moved to Toledo, Ohio. Daughter Mary Souter died at the age of 21, in 1864.

Mrs. Catherine Robina Souter died at the age of 91 on November 3, 1910. She was buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery with her daughter Mary. Mrs. Souter’s father had been born in Scotland, and her mother was born in England. She lived a long life in Sandusky, Ohio, far from the place of her birth. Rev. William F. Murphy officiated at Mrs. Souter’s funeral and burial. In a few years, Rev. Murphy would officiate at the marriage Knute Rockne and Bonnie Skiles in Sandusky, Ohio.

Wordless Wednesday: Carl E. Stonerook Jr. at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio

 

John Gordon, Irish Immigrant to Sandusky

John Gordon was born in Ireland. His wife was the former Catherine Grinley. In 1855, the Sandusky City Directory listed John Gordon as a watchman for the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad. Later he held the same position for the Cincinnati, Sandusky and Cleveland Railroad (a predecessor of the New York Central Railroad.) 

John and Catherine were members of Holy Angels Church. Their many children were christened there, according to Diocese records. Two of the sons, John J. Gordon, and George H. Gordon became well known reporters for New York newspapers. Their youngest daughter, Mary Louise Gordon, was a suffragist and she served as the Women's Page editor of the New York Herald Tribune in the 1930s and 1940s.

Sadly, in August of 1883, John Gordon's body was found at the foot of Columbus Avenue. He had suffered a serious head injury. At first it was thought they he may have been murdered, but Erie County Coroner. Dr. Elwood Stanley, determined that he died from an accidental drowning.

John Gordon was laid to rest in the family lot at St. Joseph's Cemetery. His wife moved to the east to reside with her daughter. She died in 1916, and her remains were brought back to Sandusky for burial at St. Joseph's Cemetery. 

The Gordon family hoped for a better life in America, and sadly John Gordon's life was cut short. The names of the Gordon family are carved in stone at St. Joseph's, and their obituaries appeared in Sandusky newspapers. The Gordon family was indeed a part of the "melting pot" of America.

Remembering Ajaish and Mary Alice Rather

Ajaish and Mary Alice Rather are buried in Section S in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. They raised seven children together and were both active in community and church activities.

In 1967, the baseball diamond at Jaycee Park was renamed "Rather Field" in honor of Ajaish "Butch" Rather. An article in the August 14, 1967 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that Mr. Rather had been a member of the Board of Recreation for several years, and he helped hundreds of area youngsters in youth baseball programs. Ajaish Rather passed away in 1967, before his son David Elmer "Bo" Rather began to play college football at the University of Michigan. Later Bo played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears.

Mrs. Mary Alice Rather was active in Ebenezer Baptist Church. She was past president of the Sandusky Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. She was a member of the the Board of the Erie Metro Housing Agency, Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies, and the Human Relations Commission of Sandusky. For several years she was the executive director of the CAC in Sandusky. She worked tirelessly for the civil rights of the residents of Sandusky and Erie County. Mrs. Rather died on June 6, 2006. An obituary for Mrs. Mary Alice Rather appeared in the June , 2006 issue of the Sandusky Register.

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Rather for your many years of service to your community!