Getting to Know Harvey Newton Barrett

Image Courtesy Find a Grave

 Harvey Newton Barrett was born in Indiana in 1882 to Jefferson Joshua Barrett and his wife, the former Nettie Craig. By 1910, Harvey N. Barrett was residing in Margaretta Township, and he listed his occupation as chemist for the "cement works"  in the 1910 U.S. Census. In 1913, Harvey N. Barrett married Harriet Meggitt. Father Edward Graham from Holy Angels Church officiated at the wedding.

Between 1907 and 1915, Harvey N. Barrett, often along with Spencer Newberry, were issued several patents, while they were both key officials at the Medusa Cement Company in Bay Bridge, Ohio. Below is a page of Patent Number 1,162,944, for the process of making phosphate fertilizers. While the main focus of Medusa Cement Company was producing cement products, the company also looked for ways to use the byproducts of the cement making process.

Image courtesy Google Patents

When Harvey N. Barrett filled out his World War One draft registration, he listed his occupation as Superintendent of the Sandusky Cement Company in Bay Bridge, Ohio, later known as Medusa Cement Company.

By 1930, Harvey N. Barrett and his wife and their children, were residing in Tiffin, Ohio in Seneca County, where he worked as a chemist for a dolomite company. Sadly, on October 4, 1938, Harvey N. Barrett died from injuries in an automobile accident three weeks earlier. He was buried at Greenlawn Cemetery in Tiffin, Ohio.

When you see the intersection of Newberry Avenue and Barrett Road in Erie County, Ohio, you will be reminded of Spencer Newberry and Harvey N. Barrett, who were key officials at Medusa Cement Company in the first half of the twentieth century.

The Children of George R. and Mary Hand

The names of several children of Mr. and Mrs. George R. Hand are listed on the Hand monument at Oakland Cemetery in Erie County, Ohio. George R. Hand was a Captain on the Great Lakes, and prior to his death he had been connected with a tug business in Buffalo, New York. Mrs. Mary Hand was the former Mary “Polly” Stanbery. Mary and George were married in Erie County, Ohio in 1839.

George Hand,  Helen Hand and John Hand all died as young children. According to the June18, 1875 issue of the Catskill Recorder,  James Hand was killed when the tug R.R. Hefford exploded in Buffalo, New York on June 10, 1975.

Another child of George and Mary Hand, Bella Hand Wilson, died of typhoid in her early 30s. She was the wife of Frank A. Wilson, from New York State. Her name is on another side of the Hand monument.

An article whish appeared in the Sandusky Register of October 29, 1884, describes the Hand monument:

“A Fine Monument”

A magnificent monument has been erected in Oakland Cemetery over the remains of Captain George R. Hand, who died January 1st, 1884 at Buffalo, the body having been brought here and buried the following Saturday.

The monument, which is one of the finest in the cemetery, is of blue Quincy granite, of the cottage style, and stands a little over twenty feet high. It was made by a Boston, Mass., firm and shipped here through the agent, Mr. Eddy.

The remains were transferred yesterday from the place where they were originally buried to a spot in the same lot, by the request of his widow. The monument adds another ornament to the cemetery, and evinces the recollection of a loving wife.

Though many members of the Hand family passed away at very young ages, their names have been etched in stone and the memories of their lives live on.

The Names Joseph and Julia Orshoski Appear Many Times in My Family Tree

On my father's side of the family, there are many times in which a male has the name Joseph Orshoski, and a female has the name of Julia Orshoski. My oldest ancestor named Joseph Orshoski (1859-1940) was my 2 times great grandfather. He was born and died in Hungary. He came to the U.S. with his son, my great grandfather of the same name. He did not wish to remain in America, and he returned to Hungary. Below is an excerpt of the ship manifest from the ship Bulgaria in 1901. You can see the names Josef Orsoczky ages 42 and 16 on the manifest, which I found on the Ellis Island website.

My great grandfather Joseph Orshoski (1885-1976) is pictured below with his second wife, named Julia, nee Szmolya. These are the great grandparents I knew and loved, They lived in Bay Bridge, where Grandpa Joe worked many years at the Medusa Cement plant. 

Another Joseph Orshoski (1907-1954) was the son of Joseph Orshoski (1885-1976) and his first wife Julia Orshoski, nee Herzog. This Julia (mother of Joe Jr.) died in 1919, leaving Grandpa Joe with six sons. Joseph Orshoski , Jr. who died in 1954 passed away from injuries during a tragic trailer fire in Bay Bridge. His final resting place was near his mother, at the Castalia Cemetery.

Yet another Joseph Orshoski is my nephew, the son of my brother Matthew  S. Orshoski. He is alive and well!

The oldest Julia Orshoski in my family tree was my great grandmother, who died in 1919. A scene from her funeral service at St. Mary's Church in Sandusky is pictured below. Many friends and relatives from Bay Bridge were at the service.

My great grandpa Joseph Orshoski married secondly, Julia Orshoski, nee Szmolya. She was a wonderful cook and babysitter, and she saw to it that Grandpa Joe's glass for his beer was always chilled in the refrigerator. A favorite treat she made were special cookies with a walnut filling and covered in powdered sugar. Below is a clipping of  Joseph and Jula Orshoski on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. 

Two more young ladies, named Julia Orshoski, both great granddaughters of Joseph Orshoski (1885-1976), came along in future generations. They are all grown up now. The names of Joseph and Julia Orshoski are well known by all our extended family. They taught us to work hard, and to love your family heritage!

The MIddle Names of Ada and Alpha Steen

My great grandmother Ada Steen and her identical twin sister Alpha Steen were born to Charles and Sarah Milner Steen on February 3, 1880. They were close to each other throughout all their lives.

One day I go to wondering about the middle names of these precious twin girls. It turns out that the names of the twins were Alpha Huldah Steen and Ada Lorinda Steen.

You can see their full names in this copy from the Milner Family Bible, now in the collections of the Family Bibles at the R.B. Hayes Presidential Library.

 

A fuller view of this page from the Family Bible is:

 

Alpha's middle name was after her maternal grandmother, Huldah Milner Steen. Ada's middle name was after her paternal grandmother Lorinda Stevens Steen.

Below is a chart showing the parents and grandparents of Ada and Alpha Steen.

 

My mom told me so many stories about Great Grandma Ada Steen Parker! Charles and Sarah Steen truly loved those twins, along with their brothers Rollin and Harry, who sadly died young.