William Fink, Proprietor of Farmer's Hotel

While the name Wilhelm Finck is on the tombstone, the name for the same person in the 1870 U.S. Census for Erie County reads William Fink. it is very common for persons of German heritage to have variations in the spelling of their names as it appears on various documents. The Oakland Cemetery interment card for William Fink states that he died of typhoid fever, and is buried in Block 72, Range E. He was buried on December 4, 1871.

The 1870 Census lists the occupation of William Fink as: keeps boarders. The other persons listed in the family are:



Elizabeth age 42
Lizzie age 22
John age 19
William age 14
Rosa age 11
illegible age 3
Anna age 1

Birthplaces were indicated as Germany for William; France for Elizabeth; and Ohio for all the children. The 1870 Sandusky City Directory gives the name of the head of household as William Finke, who was the proprietor of the Farmer's Hotel, located on the south side of Water Street between Jackson and Decatur Streets.

Following the death of her husband, Elizabeth Fink married Samuel Wood. She continued in the hotel business for many years. Elizabeth Fink Wood passed away on 25, 1906.

General John Beatty

John Beatty was born in Erie County in 1828. He moved to Morrow County, where he was engaged in the banking business. During the Civil War, John Beatty served in the Third Ohio Infantry. Eventually he became a Brigadier General in the Civil War. He wrote a book about his experiences in the Civil War, entitled THE CITIZEN SOLDIER; OR MEMOIRS OF A VOLUNTEER. From 1868 through 1873, John Beatty was a United States Representative to Congress from Ohio’s 8th District.

John Beatty died December 21, 1914, and is buried in the Beatty family plot at Oakland Cemetery. His grandfather, also named John Beatty, was an early land speculator in Erie County, and was the Mayor of Sandusky from 1834 through 1836.

Chester John Thompson, Football Star

Chester John "Red" Thompson was born September 8, 1910, to Jay and Clara (Schoenewald) Thompson. Chester was the star center of the Sandusky Eagles football team. He also played football for Sandusky High School and the Sandusky Maroons.

A serious automobile accident claimed the life of Chester J. Thompson on October 3, 1932, as the football team was traveling home from Akron to Sandusky on October 2nd. The car's other passengers, Dallas Biechele, Allan Wuertz, Russell Furrer, and Edward Schaeffer, all received minor injuries. Mr. Thompson's funeral was held at the Andres Funeral Home on October 4, 1932, and he was buried at Oakland Cemetery.

A football is found at the top of his tombstone. Chester J. Thompson was just twenty two years old at the time of his death. He was survived by his parents, a sister Helen, and a brother Ellsworth. Chester's life was cut so short, that he did not have a chance to marry and have a family. A photo of Chester J. Thompson appears in the August 18, 1935 issue of the Sandusky Register, along with his teammates from Sandusky High School. An obituary for Chester Thompson is found in the October 5, 1932 Sandusky Register.

Mrs. Hannah Cowan

Mrs. Hannah Cowan was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania on March 4, 1803. She moved to Bellefontaine, Ohio in 1839. By 1844, her husband had died, leaving her to care for two young children on her own.

According to the November 28, 1882 issue of the Sandusky Register, Mrs. Cowan "was a woman of superior education and strong mind,and taking on her own shoulders the burden of life, she became a school teacher, a profession she followed for twelve years. Among her pupils were boys who have since become famous soldiers and public men, and often in the past twenty years she has been the recipient of personal attention from men who regarded her as their wise instructor in their boyhood."

Mrs. Hannah Cowan passed away on November 24, 1882. She was the mother of Mrs. Clark Center. For many years Mrs. Cowan had made her home with Mr. and Mrs. Clark. Hannah Cowan was buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Shortly after her death, General Robert P. Kennedy wrote a letter to Rev. D. J. Meese, pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Sandusky, which was reprinted in the Sandusky Register. General Kennedy stated about Mrs. Cowan, "...her patience, her piety and Christian character are still imprinted upon my memory..." He continued, pointing out that Mrs. Cown had laid the foundation for the superstructure of an education.

Gift from My Family: Memories of Christmas Past

Paul R. Orshoski,Sr., was born on July 1, 1927. His mother was 100% German, and his father was 100% Hungarian. Paul married his sweetheart, who had roots to Connecticut settlers of the Firelands, and she also had English and Irish immigrant ancestors. Their six children truly represented the American "melting pot." Paul and his wife enjoyed watching the children participate in school, church, and sporting activities. The family loved Christmas...letters to Santa, cousins to visit, "pieces" to learn for the church Christmas play, and little ones who could barely get to sleep on Christmas Eve. Here are some pictures from Christmases past. A holiday tradition was to send a family photo along with Christmas cards to family and friends. Though Paul is in heaven now, his family cherishes the time we had with him.

The family started with a baby girl. This little one never grew tired of hearing stories about "the olden days."



Soon a little boy came along, named after his dad. He would grow up to coach youth athletics like his dad, too.


Then there were three. This baby girl would became a caring nurse in the years to come.


Christmas Eve usually involved Paul spending long hours assembling the toys that "Santa" brought, sometimes until the wee hours of Christmas morning.Oh how the children loved their presents!


There were a lot of smiles when another little boy was added to the family. This young man still keeps the family laughing today!


The family looks so calm, but there were hectic times more often than not.


Baby "Number Five" was a special gift. He would sing "I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" in Kindergarten, and later would also sing to his bride.


The baby girl of the family was the delight of her parents' hearts. "She keeps us young," they would say so often.



Stories of Orshoski Christmases past are now being passed down to the grandchildren and great grandchildren. Thanks for the memories, and Merry Christmas!

Alois Trapp

This metal grave marker for Aloys Trapp is found in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Aloys Trapp died in 1860. The cemetery's interment card for Mr. Trapp lists his name as Ludrick Trapp, who was buried on November 19, 1860, at the age of 38. The 1860 U.S. Census shows an L. Trapp living in Erie County, Ohio, with a wife Saphronia, and children named: Bertha, Benjamin, Wilhelmina, and Frank.

A search of immigration records at Ancestry Library Edition indicated that Alois, Stephanie, and Bertha Trapp came to the United States aboard the ship Nimrod. It arrived in the United States on June 28, 1852. Bertha was only three years old at the time of the ocean voyage.

The Obituary Index of the R. B. Hayes Presidential Center contains a citation for a Mrs. Stephena Trapp, who died in 1914. According to the 1910 Census, Mrs. Trapp (listed in that census record as Stephannia Trapp) was living with her daughter Wilhelmina Wigand at Put in Bay, in Ottawa County, Ohio. Mrs. Trapp's tombstone from Crown Hill Cemetery is pictured online.

A collection of family documents from the Trapp, Weigand, Phillips, and Schraidt families is on file at Bowling Green State University's Center for Archival Collections. As is so often the case, there several spelling variations for the first names of Mr. and Mrs. Trapp. Keep an open mind in your genealogical research. Compare census records, cemetery records, and vital records, to find the connections within a family unit.

Steve and Emma Orshoski

Steve Orshoski was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania on December 15, 1905 to Hungarian immigrants Joseph and Julia (Herzog) Orshoski. Joseph Orshoski worked in the coal mines in Pennsylvania. After living a few years in West Virginia (then Virginia), the Orshoski family settled in Bay Bridge, Ohio in about 1917. Bay Bridge was home to the Medusa Portland Cement Company, where Joseph Orshoski and many other Erie County residents found work. Steve Orshoski, and many of his brothers, sons, and nephews would eventually work at the cement plant as they became old enough to work. Steve and Emma are pictured (left) as a young couple fishing in Bay Bridge. The younger girl may be Dorothy, Emma's younger sister.

On July 25, 1925, Steve Orshoski married Emma Yeager, the oldest daughter of Huron residents Andrew and Lena (Piehl) Yeager. Steve and Emma had five children, a daughter and four sons. The Orshoski children grew up in Bay Bridge during the Depression and World War Two years, when money was scarce. Everyone worked hard, had gardens, and went fishing. Emma was a wonderful cook and homemaker. One of her special meals was "wiener stew," made with franks, cabbage, potatoes, and tomatoes. After her children were grown, Emma was employed as a cook at the Erie County Children's Home, and later in the laundry department of Sandusky's Memorial Hospital.

Steve Orshoski died on March 18, 1971. After Steve's death, Emma's mother Lena lived with her for several years. It seemed to the grandchildren that Great Grandma Lena Yeager was very, very quiet, and Grandma Emma Orshoski was quite outspoken. Emma Orshoski passed away on November 10, 1979. Steve and Emma Orshoski are buried at Meadow Green Memorial Park. Two of their granddaughters still live in the unincorporated village of Bay Bridge, Ohio, on Sandusky Bay. Steve's younger brother Nick married Emma's sister Dorothy, so the children of these two couples were "double cousins."