Old photo of Aunt Bertie and Great Aunt Hilda

Thanks to my dear cousin in Florida, I now have an image of my Aunt Bertie, my father's older sister, who is the younger child (on the left) in the picture above, about 1926. Hilda was an aunt to Bertie, though Hilda was only one when her niece was born! The older toddler (child on the right) is my Great Aunt Hilda Yeager. Aunt Bertie lived a full, rich life, which included serving as a police woman and co-owning a family restaurant for many years.

Great Aunt Hilda Yeager died when she was only four years of age. She was the daughter of my great grandparents, Andrew and Lena Yeager. Hilda died as a result of influenza. She was buried at St. John's Cemetery, near her parents' final resting place.

Below is a transcription of the obituary for Hilda Yeager, which appeared in the April 7, 1930 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal:

Child 'Flu' Victim To Be Buried Tuesday
Huron, April 7 -

The funeral of Hilda Elizabeth Yeager, 4, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Yeager, who died of "flu" Saturday, will be held from the family residence on River Rd., about a mile south of Huron, Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 and 2:00 from Zion Lutheran Church, the Rev. W. R. Lucht, pastor, officiating. Besides her parents the child leaves two brothers, Fred and Andrew, and three sisters, Mrs. Emma Orshoski, Mrs. Norma Ernst, and Miss Dorothy Yeager, all of Huron.


Rest in peace Aunt Bertie and Great Aunt Hilda!

Raymond Yeager, 1912-1914

In 1912, when my paternal grandmother Emma Yeager Orshoski was six years old, her parents, Andrew & Lena Yeager had a little boy named Raymond Yeager. Sadly, little Raymond died when he was only two years old. He was buried at St. John's Cemetery, south of Sandusky, Ohio, off of Route 250. I was always told that my father, Paul Raymond Orshoski, Sr., had the middle name of Raymond in memory of his uncle who died as a toddler. My brother was named after Raymond Yeager, too, since my brother was named after my dad.

Raymond Yeager's tombstone is adjacent to a farm field. His father, Andy, often worked as a farm laborer in Erie County, Ohio. How fitting that this little one's tombstone is still in a farm setting!

Marriage Records in Family Search for My Great Grandma and Grandpa Yeager

After spending a few minutes browsing through Family Search, I quickly learned interesting details about my father's maternal grandparents' marriage. First, I ran into their marriage record that was recorded at the Erie County Courthouse. I had always thought that they were married in Ottawa County, Ohio, since my great grandmother, Lena Piehl, was from Oak Harbor, in Ottawa County, Ohio. Their application for marriage was recorded on September 28, 1903, on page 115 of Volume 12 in the large books of Marriage Records housed in Erie County Probate Court. Judge U.T. Curran signed the license. Grandma's surname was misspelled Pheil, and her father's name was listed as Martin, instead of Ferdinand. The minister who was expected to perform the ceremony was Rev. Joseph Widmann, a minister at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sandusky, Ohio. I always recall hearing it said that Grandma Lena Piehl Yeager was a staunch Lutheran, and I was very surprised to hear that she was married in a Catholic Church, though I knew that Grandpa Andrew Yeager had been baptized as a Catholic in Germany.

Having at hand the exact date of the marriage license, I then looked up their marriage record in the St. Mary's Catholic Church Records, a part of the Ohio Diocese of Toledo Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004 available at Family Search. The record states that Andrew Yeager married Helena Piehl at St. Mary's Catholic Church on September 30, 1903. Standing up for them were Uncle Frank Yeager and Aunt Martha Piehl. Father F.A. Reuter signed the record, and on the right hand side of the marriage record is written in Latin a phrase that roughly translated reads:

Mixed Religions

To the best of my knowledge they raised all their children in the Lutheran faith, and many of their grandchildren and great grandchildren also were brought up as Lutherans. Though they were labeled as having a marriage of "mixed religions" they celebrated both a 25th and 50th wedding anniversary, with large family gatherings to celebrate each. In my memory bank, I recall Great Grandma Yeager as a very quiet, soft spoken dear older lady. She was as gentle as could be, and I personally never heard her raise her voice to anyone. Looking at these 1903 marriage records makes me think that either Grandma or Grandpa Yeager, or perhaps both of them, may have been considered rebellious, for marrying outside of the faith in which they were brought up! On my way to work in downtown Sandusky, I pass by the Erie County Courthouse and St. Mary's Catholic Church several times a week. Now I can associate both of those buildings with my dear great grandparents!

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy: Family Heirlooms

The prompt for Week 6 of 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy, from Amy Coffin at We Tree, and hosted by Geneabloggers, is: Family Heirlooms

For which family heirloom are you most thankful? How did you acquire this treasure and what does it mean to you and your family?













The family heirloom for which I am most thankful is the antique wash basin set that was originally a wedding gift to my father's maternal grandparents, Andrew and Lena (Piehl) Yeager in September of 1903. The smaller pitcher, glass, and covered dish that are pictured above, sit on a piece of furniture in our living room. The wash bowl and larger pitcher are on top of our old piano.

To my family, this wedding gift that once belonged to Great Grandma and Grandpa Yeager is a connection to our family's past. I think often of how hard they both worked, in order to support their big family. Grandpa Yeager died when I was very young, but I had the opportunity to spend time with Grandma Yeager. She was a quiet, gentle soul, and she loved her family dearly.

The way this lovely set came to me was through my cousin Ruth. Long after my great grandparents had both died, I got together with Ruth, and she shared many Piehl and Yeager family stories. One day after we had lunch together, Ruth said she had a special surprise for me. She did not go into a lot of detail, but she said that somehow this antique set was given to her, when someone else in the family was downsizing. (I think this set may have been in several different homes of family members though the years.) She wanted me to have it, because it was from my line of the family, and she knew how much I loved our family heritage.





Thank you so much Grandpa and Grandma Yeager, and cousin Ruth B., for this lovely family heirloom!

So far, I have never learned the identity of the donor of this lovely wedding gift to my great grandparents. Grandpa and Grandma Yeager spent many years together, and they had family celebrations on both their silver and golden wedding anniversaries.

Thelma Tight Pelton

Thelma Tight was the oldest daughter, and the fourth of five children born to Fred and Louise Yeager Tight. She was born on June 19, 1910. The Fred Tight family lived in Perkins Township, Erie County, Ohio. Thelma was my first cousin twice removed, and she was a first cousin to my paternal grandmother Emma Yeager Orshoski.




















Thelma's mother, Louise Yeager Tight, emigrated from Germany to the United States with her family in 1881. In 1928, when Thelma was 18 years old, her parents had another baby girl, named Mary Louise Yeager. Sadly, on September 7, 1928, when Mary Louise was just an infant, Louise Yeager Tight took her own life, after becoming despondent over ill health. With Mrs. Tight having died at a young age, Thelma must have played a vital role in helping to raise her baby sister Mary Louise Yeager. An article in the July 12, 1933 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal reported that Thelma Tight hosted a birthday party for Mary Louise's fifth birthday.
















By 1944, Thelma had become Mrs. Kenneth J. Pelton. Her husband, formerly a Sandusky mail carrier, was stationed in England, serving as a Corporal in the U.S. Army during World War Two. In 1946, Thelma and Kenneth had their only child, a daughter named Majorie Pelton. When Thelma's baby sister Mary Louise Tight married Eugene A. Wasserman, in 1948, the news article about the Wasserman marriage reported that Mary Louise had made her home with her sister Thelma and brother in law Kenneth prior to her marriage. (The article appeared in the November 24, 1948 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News.) In the late 1970's, I had the pleasure of working with Thelma's daughter Marjorie, at Margaretta Junior High School. Later, Marge was my son's elementary Art teacher. Marge was a "no-nonsense" kind of teacher, and she was a pleasure to work with.

Mrs. Thelma Tight Pelton passed away on December 3, 1987. I never got a chance to get to know her, as I didn't realize we were connected until after her death. Thelma was buried at Sandusky's Calvary Cemetery, beside her beloved husband Kenneth J. Pelton.

Great Great Grandpa's Name Was Listed in the J's and Not the Y's

When I first began to learn more about my Dad's Yeager line, I found this obituary of my great great grandfather Lawrence Yeager, who died on August 16, 1911. The obituary appeared in the August 17, 1911 issue of the Sandusky Register.

Lawrence Yeager

The death of Lawrence Yeager occurred at the family residence, 208 Pierce Street, Wednesday afternoon at 1:45 o'clock. He was sixty four years and six days of age. Mr. Yeager who has resided here for the past thirty years, was struck by an automobile at the corner of Market and Jackson Streets about four weeks ago, but it is not known whether or not this contributed to his death.

As I looked for his name in the Sandusky City Directories, I did not find him listed in the surnames that began with Y. It occurred to me that maybe I should check the surnames that started with J. His name and address were on page 131 of the Williams' Sandusky Directory for 1900-1901. He lived at 208 Pierce Street at this time, with his second wife Catharine.

Hundreds of German immigrants settled in Erie County, Ohio, and I was familiar the name Schmidt being later known as Smith, and Mueller being Americanized to Miller, but in this case the spelling difference occurred at the first letter of the surname. Our ancestors can keep us on our toes!

Emigration Record of the Lorenz Jaeger Family

After sending a small fee to the State Archives of Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, I received this Emigration Record for the family of Lorenz Jaeger, who was known as Lawrence Yeager after he and his family settled in Erie County, Ohio.

Listed on the document were:

Lorenz Jaeger, age 34 years, occupation: day laborer
Maria (born Schweikart), age 33 years
Andreas, age 6 years
Emma, age 4 years
and
Louise, age 2 months

The family originated from Homberg, near Stockach. Today Homberg is a part of Muenchhoef, Germany. Volume 13 of GERMANS TO AMERICA indicates that the Jaeger family came to the U.S.A. in 1881 on the ship "Pereire" from Havre to New York. The ship arrived in New York on May 18, 1881.

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Yeager resided in Sandusky, Ohio. Maria/Mary Schweighart Yeager passed away on November 2, 1891, and she is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. Lorenz Jaeger/Lawrence Yeager remarried after his first wife's death, to Catharine Geigel. Lawrence Yeager died on August 16, 1911, and he was also buried at St. Mary's Cemetery. (No tombstone remains for Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Yeager.) Andreas Jaeger, later known as Andrew Yeager, was a farmer in Huron Township of Erie County. He married Lena Piehl.



















Emma Jaeger marred John Keller, and they resided at Kelleys Island. Louise Jaeger/Yeager married Fred Tight. Sadly, after Louise became despondent over ill health, she took her own life. Her obituary is found in the 1928 OBITUARY NOTEBOOK at the Sandusky Library. Frank Yeager, the youngest child of Lawrence and Mary Yeager, was born in Ohio. He operated a successful hauling business in the Sandusky and Perkins Township areas.

Hundreds of Germans emigrated to Ohio in the nineteenth century. To learn more about the lives of the German Americans who resided in Sandusky, Ohio, see SANDUSKY THEN AND NOW, by Rev. Ernst Von Schulenburg, at the Sandusky Library.

Guest Book from Grandpa Yeager's Funeral

My Great Grandfather Andrew Yeager died on April 14, 1958. Recently I came across the guest book from his funeral.



















Grandpa Yeager's funeral was held in Huron, Ohio on April 17, 1958, at Zion Lutheran Church, with Rev. R.G. Trygstad and Rev. W.R. Lucht officiating. The Dutt Funeral Home handled the arrangements.



















The pallbearers were: Richard Camp, Paul Orshoski, Richard Grams, Andrew Yeager, William Orshoski, and Dennis Kurtz. Paul Orshoski, Andrew Yeager, and William Orshoski were all grandsons of Andrew Yeager, and Richard Camp, Richard Grams, and Dennis Kurtz were married to Grandpa Yeager's granddaughters.



















The guest book contained several pages of the names of the individuals who called at the funeral home. My parents' names appear on the page pictured below.



















Many relatives from both Grandpa and Grandma Yeager's sides of the family paid their respects. The surnames Yeager and Schweighart were from Grandpa's side of the family, and the surnames Hemminger, Wargowsky, and Genzman were from Grandma's extended family. Both of my great grandparents were of German descent. Two of Grandpa and Grandma Yeager's daughters married brothers with the last name Orshoski, so the Hungarian surname Orshoski (originally Orczaczky) is found several times in the guest book.



















Even Grandma Yeager signed the guest book.



















A funeral guest book serves as a "snapshot" of the people who were most important to a person. Names found include family, friends, church members, and others from the community who knew the person who recently died. If you run across a guest book from any of your ancestors, look through it carefully, and you may glean new details about that person by reading the names of those who called at the funeral home.

Note: A cousin alerted me that the Lena Yeager who signed the guest book may have been Grandpa Yeager's sister in law. Grandpa Yeager and his brother Frank both married someone named Lena.

Mrs. Norma Gruhlke

Norma Yeager was the daughter of Andrew Yeager and Helena "Lena" Piehl Yeager, born on March 30, 1910. Norma married Clifford Ernst, and they had one daughter. Before she was twenty years old, Norma became a widow. Clifford Ernst died on March 28, 1929 of peritonitis.


Later Norma married Leonard Gruhlke. They lived on West Parish Street in Sandusky, and their nieces and nephews enjoyed the cuckoo clock in their living room. Norma's daughter is pictured to the right with her stepfather Leonard Gruhlke. (Norma was probably the person who took the photo!)






While visiting her sister Dorothy and brother in law Nick, Norma Gruhlke died suddenly on March 13, 1967. She was buried in Restlawn Cemetery in Huron, Ohio, now known as Meadow Green Memorial Park. Norma Gruhlke was survived by her husband, daughter, three grandchildren, her mother, and two sisters.

Thrifty Thursday: Share Your Stories and Photos

The pictures above were mailed to me via the U.S. mail by my cousin Debbie in Nevada. (See a larger view of these photos here). In the top photo, pictured are: Front: left,Ray Furney; right, Fred Yeager. In the back are: Florence Furney at left, and then: Norma Yeager Ernst Gruhlke, Julia Orshoski, Dorothy Yeager Orshoski, and Joseph Orshoski.

In the bottom picture in the back row, from left to right are: Martha Schweighart, Florence Furney, Julia and Joseph Orshoski, and Marge Green Yeager. In the front row, people we know are: front left, Ed Schweighart, unknown man smoking, Norma Gruhlke, the gal next to the man smoking; and the two adults next to the dog are Fred Yeager and his younger sister Dorothy Yeager Orshoski. We do not know the name of the man standing with his arm around Norma, or the names of the two little boys by the dog.

We do not know the occasion of this gathering, and several individuals remain unidentified. However, after an email from my dad's cousin Janet in Florida, we now know that the pictures were taken at the home of Nick and Dorothy Yeager Orshoski at their Adams Avenue home in Huron, Ohio and the little dog was named Trixie.













With the ease of pressing a few buttons on the computer, I was able to share the photos that Debbie had in Nevada, with our mutual relative Janet in Florida. We didn't uncover all the mysteries associated with these images, but we now a bit more about those Yeager/Orshoski family members in Huron, Ohio so long ago! Use your computer to share stories, images, and documents with your cousins online. I love the computer age!

Sentimental Sunday: Letters to Santa in 1916

Three letters to Santa appear on page 13 of the December 18, 1916 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal. (The image above is a newspaper ad from the Herb & Myers store in Sandusky.) The Yeager children, Emma, age 10; Andrew, age 8; and Norma, age 6; were all the children of Andrew and Lena Piehl Yeager, who were living in Oak Harbor, Ottawa County, Ohio in 1916.























From family stories that have been passed down, the Yeager family lived very modestly, so I am not sure if all the childrens' wishes from Santa were granted. Below is a photo of the Andrew Yeager family about 1918.















Here is an image of the Yeager family which has the names of the individual family members listed. I don't see the oldest son, Fred in this picture.















I remember Great Grandma Yeager,my paternal grandmother Emma, my Great Aunt Norma, and Great Aunt Dorothy very well. If only I had asked them more family history questions!

Sentimental Sunday: Articles about the Yeagers' Anniversary Celebrations

In this article from the October 4, 1928 issue of the Sandusky Register, the headline states that Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Yeager were celebrating fifty years of marriage. However, they were actually celebrating their twenty fifth wedding anniversary in 1928. (They were married in September of 1903.)



Over one hundred guests celebrated with Andrew and Lena (Piehl) Yeager at their home in Huron, Ohio. Guests came from Kelleys Island, Cleveland, Oak Harbor, Bay Bridge, and Fremont. The decorations were silver and white, and there were two cakes in honor of the happy couple. Sadly, in 1929, Mr. and Mrs. Yeager's daughter Norma Ernst would become a widow, and in 1930, Andy and Lena's youngest daughter Hilda would die from influenza, at the age of four.





Twenty five years later, the Sandusky Register Star News of September 24, 1953 featured an article about Andrew and Lena's Golden Anniversary.

















At the celebration in 1953, their son Andrew had died, and their daughter Norma had remarried. Of course many, many more descendants had been added to the Yeager Family Tree. Wilma Voight, who had been a young girl at the Silver Anniversary, was all grown up, and she helped prepare special dishes for the Golden Anniversary celebration.



Andy and Lena both worked very hard, and shared a lot of joys and sorrows together. I was delighted to track down these newspaper articles about their anniversary parties. Andrew Yeager died in 1958, and Lena Piehl Yeager died in 1978. They are buried in the Union Corners Cemetery just off Route 250 between Sandusky and Milan, Ohio.

Sentimental Sunday: Birthday Party for Lena Yeager

On August 13, 1961, the family of Lena Yeager celebrated her 80th birthday. Though many photos were taken on this day, I was only able to track down a few. In the collage are pictured:

Top left: Lena Yeager with her children, Norma Gruhlke, Emma Orshoski, Dorothy Orshoski, and Fred Yeager. (Emma and Dorothy married brothers!)

Top right: Lena Yeager, Steve and Emma Orshoski; Lena's grandson Paul Orshoski is standing next to his sons Paul,Jr. and Todd; Steve Orshoski is holding granddaughters Sue and Robin Orshoski; Don Orshoski is holding his daughter Debbie.

Bottom left: Norma and Leonard Gruhlke are pictured with Norma's daugher and son in law, Norma Jean and Denny Kurtz and their two children

Bottom right: Dorene is standing in front of her great grandmother Lena Yeager, grandmother Emma Yeager Orshoski, and father Paul Orshoski, Sr.

(*Note: A slightly altered version of the above image appeared in an earlier blog post. )

A small newspaper article about the family gathering appeared in the August 16 issue of the Sandusky Register. Lena Yeager lived seventeen more years after this party. She is buried next to her husband Andrew at Union Corners Cemetery.In her later years, when her vision was impaired, Grandma Yeager would often be found siting quietly in her chair, with her hands folded. Lena Piehl Yeager lived a full life filled with a lot of hard work, good times and sad times, and over ninety years worth of memories.

Scrapbook Page: Grandma Lena Piehl Yeager's Birthday

Treasure Chest Thursday: Evelope from Eigeltingen

In the beginning of June of 2003, I received an envelope from Eigeltingen, from the Standesamt Eigeltingen, which translated into English means Register or Registration Office. Among the contents of the envelope was this photocopy of a birth record for my great grandfather, Andrew Yeager.


While I cannot decipher all the words on the document,the main facts recorded on the document are:

A child was born to Lorenz Jäger and Mary Jäger, whose maiden name was Schweikart, on November 13, 1874. The baby's name was Andreas Jäger, and he was born in Münchhof.
In an earlier blog post we read that Andreas/Andre Jäger emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1881. By the time that the Jäger family settled in Ohio, the name Andreas Jäger was Americanized to Andrew Yeager. Andrew, who went by the name "Andy," married Lena/Helena Piehl in 1903. They had a large family, and lived most of their lives in Huron Township, Ohio.


Andrew Yeager died in 1958, and Lena Piehl Yeager died in 1978. They are buried in the Union Corners Cemetery just off Route 250 between Sandusky and Milan, Ohio. Though the tombstone states that Andy was born in 1876, his birth record from Germany recorded the years as 1874. Variations in dates are not uncommon in genealogical research. The best advice I was given is to record all dates that you find, and cite your sources. (Not that I always follow my own advice!)

Lorenz Jaeger/Lawrence Yeager

Lorenz Jaeger was born on August 10, 1847 in Germany to Mr. and Mrs. John Xavier Yeager. On February 18, 1873, Lorenz Jaeger married Maria Schweighardt in Münchhöf, Germany.

According to Volume 38 of GERMANS TO AMERICA, the Jaeger family sailed to the U.S.A. aboard the ship Pereire from Havre to New York. The family members were listed as:


Jager, Laurent age 34
Marie age 32
Andre age 6
Emma age 4
Louise infant

Baby brother Frank Yeager was born after the family settled in Erie County, Ohio.

On file at the Erie County Probate Court is a document which stated that Lorenz Jaeger arrived in the United States in May of 1881. He renounced his allegiance to William, the Emperor of Germany, before Erie County Probate Judge A.E. Merrill.

By 1888 the Jaeger family was living in Erie County, Ohio and Mr. Jaeger stated that his occupation was that of a carpenter. Lorenz Jaeger's name became Americanized to Lawrence Yeager. Mrs. Maria/Mary Yeager died on November 2, 1891. After Mary's death, Lawrence marred Catherine Geigel, who was the widow of John Christian Dannenmann.

Lawrence Yeager passed away on August 16, 1911. He was buried near his first wife at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio, though at this time no tombstones for Lawrence and Mary Yeager have been located.


Today a host of Jaeger/Yeager descendants live throughout the United States, including nurses, teachers, pipe fitters,medical transcriptionists, business owners, and an amateur genealogist!