Janet Ritter

According to her death record, Janet Ritter was the daughter of Dr. Roland Ritter and his wife, the former Belva Dilley. Janet died as an infant, on August 7, 1938, and she was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Janet Ritter was the descendant of longtime Sandusky cigar store owner, Henry Ritter.

Frank and Julia Van Blarcum

Frank Van Blarcum was born in Sandusky, Ohio in 1870 to Aaron and Laura Van Blarcum. In 1892, he married Julia E. Ernst, the daughter of Conrad and Philipena Ernst. Frank worked as a foreman for a local building contractor, G.W. Doerzbach. On  October 12, 1915, Frank Van Blarcum died as a result of an accident in which an elevator cable snapped in the elevator of the Rieger Hotel, which was being renovated. Frank fell five stories, and it is believed that he died instantly. Also injured in the accident was Edward Rieger, the proprietor of the Rieger, but Mr. Rieger did recover from his injuries.  Frank Van Blarcum was survived by his wife Julia, four children, and two brothers. Funeral services for Frank Van Blarcum were held at the family residence on McKinley Street, and burial was at Oakland Cemetery. Mrs. Julia Van Blarcum lived to the age of 74. She passed away from heart disease on May 11, 1939.

Hummel Monument at St. Mary's Cemetery

August Hummel was born in Germany in 1854, according to U.S. Census records. His wife, Mary J. Hummel, was born in Illinois in 1863. They had two sons, Charles and George Hummel. August Hummel was a saloon keeper. In 1906, both the business and the residence were located on Decatur Street in Sandusky. On July 29, 1915, August Hummel died from cancer. His wife Mary survived him. Mrs. Mary Hummel died on November 13, 1939. A beautiful monument at the St. Mary’s Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio honors the memory of Mr. and Mrs. Hummel. Created by Conrad Keim, the monument features lilies lying across the cross, with a fern. 

Alden W. Gallup, Victim of Influenza

Alden W. Gallup died on December 17, 1918, of pneumonia after having had influenza. He was born in 1890, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Mozart Gallup.  Alden Gallup earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell in 1913. He had been employed at the Hinde and Dauch Company in Sandusky. Alden left behind a wife, Helen, and a young son. Alden W. Gallup was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. In 1916, Alden W. Gallup and Daniel Kelleher were issued a patent for a wrapper package. The assignee was the Hinde and Dauch Paper Company. It is so sad that such a bright young man had such a short life. Rest in peace Mr. Gallup.

William Boor, Survivor of the Sultana Disaster

William Boor was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania on January 20, 1825. By the time of the 1860 U.S. Census, William Boor was residing in Sandusky, Ohio with his wife and three children, where he was employed as a carpenter. During the Civil War, William Boor was a private in Company D of the 64th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In November of 1864, William Boor was captured and confined in Confederate prisons in Mississippi and Alabama. After being released from prison, he was sent to Vicksburg, and received orders that he was going to be sent home. He and several other soldiers boarded the "Sultana." On the morning of April 27, 1865, the boilers on the Sultana exploded. Thousands of men died in this tragedy. William Boor gave a firsthand account of his ordeal in the book LOSS OF THE SULTANA AND REMINISCENCES OF SURVIVORS, by Rev. Chester T. Berry (Darius D. Thorp, 1892) ,which is available full-text at the Internet Archive. William Boor's account is found on pages 56 through 61. 

 After William Boor recovered, he returned to Sandusky, Ohio, where he worked as a whip stock maker. On August 13, 1903, William Boor died as a result of heart disease. Mr. Boor was survived by his wife and five children. He was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. William Boor was a hero who survived Civil War imprisonment and a maritime disaster. Obituaries for William Boor appeared in the August 14, 1903 issues of the Sandusky Register and Sandusky Evening Star.

Mrs. Louisa Schemenauer

Mrs. Louisa Schemenauer died on February 3, 1899. An obituary in the February 4, 1899 issue of the Sandusky Star stated that Mrs. Schemenauer was 48 years old, and she left behind nine children. Mrs. Schemenauer was the wife of Charles Schemenauer, and the family residence was at 123 Hendry Street in Sandusky. Mrs. Louisa Schemenauer was buried at St. Mary's Cemetery. A cross is found at the top of her tombstone. The newspaper said that she had been well known and highly respected.

Edward Streng, 1876-1935

According to an article in the November 17, 1935 issue of the Sandusky Register, Edward Streng had been paralyzed for twenty years. He lived at Providence Hospital from 1915 until his death on November 16, 1935. Edward was considered a "model patient," and he did not complain about his poor health. While usually confined to his bed in the men's ward at the hospital, towards the end of Edward's life, he asked the Sisters at the hospital to take him to the chapel for Easter church service. Funeral services for Edward Streng were held at the chapel of Providence Hospital, and burial was at St. Mary's Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio.