Rev. J. S. Widmann

A photograph of Rev. Joseph S. Widmann appears in the book HISTORY OF THE WESTERN RESERVE, available on Google Books, and in most larger Ohio libraries. Joseph S. Widmann was the son of Daniel and Mary Haffner Widmann, of Sandusky County, Ohio. He was born in Rice Township on January 4, 1861. Rev. Widmann received his education at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, and St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland, Ohio. Rev. Widmann was ordained for the priesthood on April 8, 1892.

Rev. Widmann began his position as curate (one who assists a rector) at St. Mary's Catholic Church on 1892. He served in that capacity for ten years, and then was the Pastor of St. Mary's parish for seventeen years. Father Widmann was devoted to the parish of St. Mary's Church, and also was very active in the community. The December 18, 1918 Sandusky Register stated that "Sandusky had no more loyal or enthusiastic citizen in Chamber of Commerce, the old Business Men's Association, and other acitivies...he was a supporter of any project that seemed likely to advance the city's interests." On October 14, 1903, Rev. J. S. Widmann led in prayer at the convention of the Ohio Woman Suffrage Association, held in Sandusky. It was through Father Widmann's efforts that the St. Mary's school building was built, the cornerstone having been set in 1909. The Register article continued, "This building stands as monument to his indefatigable zeal and ability.

Father Widmann passed away on December 10, 1918, after suffering a stroke. Church bells tolled at the report of Rev. Widmann's death. He had been greatly admired by not only church members, but by citizens throughout Sandusky and Erie County. Rev. Widmann's funeral was largely attended, and he was buried in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky.

Oakland Cemetery now Features a Walking Tour Brochure

The website of Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio now features a self-guided walking tour. The brochure is available online here.

Read this brochure to learn about the early leaders of Sandusky, artists, abolitionists, a talented photographer, and the many beautiful monuments at Oakland Cemetery.

This poignant passage from the April 20, 1850 Sandusky Clarion, which also appears at Oakland Cemetery's website reads:
The thought of being buried in so lovely a spot, though it takes away half the fear of death, makes one doubly thankful that he escaped the dreadful scourge of last season, and can hereafter repose in a place unsurpassed for beauty, where ‘twould seem sweet to lie forever.

Charles Armstrong Steen, a Native of Armagh

According to THE STEEN FAMILY IN EUROPE AND AMERICA,available at the Internet Archive, Charles Armstrong Steen was born in the city of Armagh in Northern Ireland on December 25, 1797. He emigrated to the United States about 1831, settling in Berlin Heights, Erie County, Ohio.


A family story that has been passed down through the generations is that Charles Armstrong Steen was from a noble family. When he fell in love with a peasant girl, his parents sent him to the United States to avoid being disgraced.

In 1842, Charles A. Steen married a widow, Lorenda Stevens Sexton, in Berlin Heights. They had four children: Eliza Jane Steen, David Orlando Steen, Mary Olmstead Steen, and Charles Fabine Steen. In 1858, when baby Charles was only an infant, the father of the family was accidentally drowned. THE HISTORY OF THE WESTERN RESERVE, in a biographical sketch about Benjamin Deeley, reports that Jane/Jennie Steen Deeley's father sold his property in Erie County, and was planning to take the family to Kansas. The story that has been told to the family is that Charles Steen was robbed, after making the sale of his property, and his body was thrown into Sandusky Bay. The Oakland Cemetery interment card states that Charles Steen died of an accidental drowning, and that he was buried on December 6, 1858. However, THE STEEN FAMILY IN EUROPE AND AMERICA, provides the death date as January 12, 1858.



Mrs. Lorenda Steen, now twice widowed, successfully raised her four children in Erie County, Ohio. Eliza Jane (sometimes called Jennie) married a Civil War Veteran, Benjamin Deeley, and they were the parents of six children, including a dentist, a doctor, and two school teachers. David Orlando Steen had a large family also, and his family moved to Oskaloosa, Iowa. Mary O. Steen married George F. Hill, and she served as the postmistress of Berlin Heights for many years. Charles F. Steen married Sarah Nodine Milner. He was a properous farmer in Perkins Township.

While records at Oakland Cemetery state that Charles A. Steen is buried in Block 60, no tombstone remains at Oakland for Mr. Steen. The descendants of Charles Armstrong Steen are numerous, and span from Ohio to Iowa to California.

George Fitch Hill and Mary Steen Hill

Mrs. Mary Steen Hill was born on May 20, 1849 in Berlin Heights, Ohio, to an Irish immigrant father, Charles Armstrong Steen. Mary's mother, Lorenda Stevens Sexton Steen, was a pioneer settler of Erie County who was born in New York State. Mary Steen attended a private school conducted by Job Fish in Berlin Heights. Later, Mary taught school in Florence Township of Erie County.

In 1870, Mary Steen Hill married George Fitch Hill, a son of Dr. Benjamin L. Hill and Joanna Hill. Mrs. Mary Steen Hill was the postmistress of Berlin Heights, for twenty four years, resigning in 1914. In some undated Hill family papers was a newspaper clipping which stated that in Mary's later years, she cherished the friendship of many of the young people whom she had watched grow up in Berlin Heights. She especially enjoyed the community's homecoming celebrations. The article continued, "It is given to few to retain all their faculties and the powers fully to enjoy so large a circle of friends throughout old age."

Mrs. Mary Steen Hill died on December 4, 1936. She is buried in the West End Cemetery in Berlin Heights with her husband George F. Hill, a Civil War veteran who had died in 1922. A family tree chart which shows the children of George and Mary Hill, as well as some of their ancestors is found on a Rootsweb site.

John Schact

John Schacht passed away on December 4, 1873. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The chain with three links is often seen on the tombstones of members of the Odd Fellows Lodge,
signifying friendship, love, and truth. The clasped hands represent bidding farewell to the deceased.John's first name is listed as Johann, the German name for John.

In the 1870 Erie County, Ohio Census, John Schacht is found residing with his brother Simon Schacht. Both men gave Holstein as their birthplace, and listed their occupation as "fish packer." The November 7, 1867 issue of the New York Times carried an article which reported on the thriving fish business in Sandusky.

In the Sandusky Register of December 5, 1873, a lengthy obituary is found for John Schacht. The Register reported that the funeral of John Schacht took place at his brother's home on Hancock Street, according to the rites of the Order of Odd Fellows. The article continued: "The corpse was presented to view in front of the house, and then the procession to the cemetery was formed. In front was the Great Western Band, and immediately following were members of the German lodges in this city, and then a long line of carriages. The marching dirge was finely played by the Band, and as the procession moved along many expressions of sorrow and many praises for the deceased were heard on every hand."

John/Johann Schacht is buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. A sketch of Simon/Siemon Schacht's business if found in the HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, OHIO, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich. It reads:

Siemon Schacht—The business of which Mr. S. Schacht is sole proprietor was established in 1865 by the Schacht Brothers. The trade at that time was the usual wholesale business of frozen, fresh and salt fish for home consumption and distant cities. Schacht Brothers were succeeded by Schacht & Co., and these in turn were succeeded by Schacht & Fruechtnicht. On the retirement of Mr. Fruechtnicht in 1880, Mr. S. Schacht became the sole Owner.

The building occupied by This firm is one hundred and eighty feet in length by twenty-five in width. The firm gives employment to fifteen men, and during the busy season often more. They send out four thousand packages of fresh, six thousand of salt, and sixty or seventy tons of frozen fish annually. Their trade is mainly located in Ohio, Indiana and New York.

Old Perkins Cemetery

The subtitle of the Cleveland Plain Dealer article (left) from March 31, 1941 reads: "Perkins Cemetery Must Yield Bodies of 450 Dead." An article from the website of Perkins Township in Erie County, Ohio, tells us that the original Perkins Cemetery was located behind the Methodist Episcopal Church near the intersection of Taylor Road and Columbus Avenue. In 1941, the War Department of the United States acquired about 9,000 acres of land in Perkins Township, to construct a munitions plant called the Plum Brook Ordnance Works. The Trojan Powder Company produced munitions for the United States Army during World War Two. All the farmers in this rich agricultural area had to leave their farms and re-locate. The Methodist Church, Grange Hall, and the cemetery also had to be vacated.

A company was hired to disinter the bodies of those buried at the old Perkins Cemetery, and the remains were re-buried at the site of the current Perkins Cemetery just off Route 250. A marker placed by the Erie County Historical Society briefly summarizes the relocation of the Old Perkins Cemetery to its currect location. The residents of Perkins Township in the 1940's thought their ancestors' remains had found their final resting place, but due to the War effort, a new final resting place was found.


To learn more about some of the people who are buried in Perkins Cemetery, do a search for Perkins at the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay. Pictured below is the Parker family lot at Perkins Cemetery. Some members of the Parker family were first buried in the Old Perkins Cemetery, and were re-interred, but many were buried here after 1941.

Burlin V. Boice

In the 1880 U. S. Census for Sandusky County, Ohio, B. V. Boice, age 60, is listed as a miller in Townsend Township. His wife Simbra, is age 47, and the children in the family are: James,Vincent, and Edith.

Erie County Probate records indicate that Berlin Vincent Boice married Margaret Fowler on November 26, 1844; and that he married Anna Robinson on March 16, 1858. The IGI portion of FamilySearch shows that Burlin Vincent Boice married Simbreanna Piana Meek on March 16, 1859.

Glenn C. Kuebeler wrote in his book CASTALIA, COLD CREEK, AND THE BLUE HOLE that Berlin Boice operated a mill in the area now known as Rockwell Springs from about 1868 through 1885.

Burlin V. Boice died on December 1, 1907, and he is buried in the Castalia Cemetery with his wife Simbreanna P. Meek.