For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11
I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.
Postmarked 1911
No postmark
Postmarked 1912
No postmark
Postmarked 1912
Dec 22
Tombstone Tuesday–Edna M. & Alma E. Berger
Edna & Alma Berger, Kessler Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio (2015 photo by Karen)
This is the tombstone of Edna M. and Alma E. Berger, located in row 7 in Kessler Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:
Children of
D. & M. Berger
Edna M.
Nov. 21,
1902
Nov. 7,
1910
Alma E.
Jan. 17,
1901
Nov. 10,
1910
These two sisters, who share a tombstone, were the daughters of David and Mary R. (Hiller) Berger. [1] The Bergers attended church at Zion Lutheran, Chatt.
Emma Elma “Alma” Berger was born 17 January 1901 in Jefferson Township, Adams County, Indiana. She was baptized 18 January 1901 with David Berger and Emma Bollenbacher as her sponsors.
Edna Maria Berger was born 21 November 1902 in Jefferson Township and was baptized 10 April 1903 with her parents serving as sponsors.
The two sisters were enumerated in only one census, the 1910 census, enumerated with their parents and their five siblings: David, 41; Mary, 39; Melia, 16; Rosa, 15; Willie, 13; Alma, 8; Edna, 6; Oma, 3; and Maryann, 11 months. [2]
Edna & Alma Berger, Kessler Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio (2015 photo by Karen)
Edna died of typhoid fever on 7 November 1910, at the age of 8 years, 11 months, and 15 days. She was buried on the 9th and was survived by her parents, 1 brother, and 4 sisters.
Her sister Alma died three days later, also from typhoid fever. Alma died on 10 November 1910, at the age of 9 years, 9 months, and 23 days. She was buried on the 13th. Survivors included her parents, 1 brother, and 3 sisters, according to church records.
Their tombstone is located near the markers of their parents and a couple of their siblings.
[1] The surname Berger was sometimes spelled as Burger in the church records.
[2] 1910 U.S. Census, Jefferson, Adams, Indiana, ED 4, p. 2A, house & family 34, David Berger; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 Dec 2015); from FHL microfilm 1374351, from NARA microfilm T624, roll 338.
Dec 18
Christmas in Chattanooga, 1933
In 1933 Chattanooga, Ohio, was home to a number of businesses and many of them advertised and sent Christmas greetings in The Willshire Herald. There was nearly a full page of Chattanooga ads in the paper and below are some of them.
Christmas Greetings from S.S. Egger, grocer, undertaker, and postmaster, whose business was south of the current Chatt Bar; Andrews Garage, where you could have your car winterized; Smith & Sons Hardware; and Vining Stock Yard, where there was a community sale every Friday night that featured good native farm horses, good cows, hogs, and sheep.
Merry Christmas from Lehman’s Home Restaurant and Yuletide Joy to All from Heffner & Heffner.
1933 Willshire Herald.
Heffner’s Grocery, Chattanooga, Ohio, undated photo.
Ivan Johnson sold Willard batteries, Goodyear tires, and Sinclair Products at his garage.
Johnson’s Garage, 1933 Willshire Herald.
Ivan Johnson’s Garage, Chattanooga, unknown date.
Wendel’s Motor Sales sold new and used cars and provided general automobile and body and fender repair. My parents purchased several Pontiac cars from them. Carl Schroeder’s Barber Shop, where you could get a hair cut for 25 cents and a shave for 15 cents. Smith & Sons Hardware, with Tin Shop manager Jack Brasher, offered sheet metal work of all kind, roofing, spouting, and plumbing work. I remember hearing the name Jack Brasher years ago. A. Smith had a portable feed mill which ground and mixed oats, barley, wheat, corn, rye, hay, soybeans, alfalfa, corn stalks, and chicken feed.
Willshire Herald, 1933
Dr. Metcalf, physician and surgeon in Chattanooga. I wonder where his office was?
Willshire Herald, 1933
There were also New Year’s wishes:
The Willshire Herald, 28 December 1933, p. 6.
The Willshire Herald, 28 December 1933, p. 6.
I posted these Christmas items once before but it is always fun to remember and reminisce about Chatt in past years.
Yes, Chatt was a thriving community in 1933 and these ads give us a good idea of the businesses and services offered in the village over 80 years ago.
Dec 15
Tombstone Tuesday–David & Mary R. (Hiller) Berger
David & Mary R. (Hiller) Berter, Kessler Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. (2015 photo by Karen)
This is the tombstone of David and Mary R. (Hiller) Berger, located in row 8 of Kessler Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:
BERGER
David
1869-1962
Mary R.
His Wife
1872-1921
Maria Rebecka “Mary” Hiller was born 17 September 1872 in Adams County, Indiana, the daughter of Jacob and Martha (Sundmacher) Hiller. She was baptized by Zion Chatt’s Pastor Schmidt on 27 October 1872 and her sponsors were Johannes Ganter and his wife. She was confirmed at Zion Chatt in 1886.
Mary Hiller married M. David Berger on 6 April 1893. [Berger was sometimes spelled Burger in the church records.] David was born in February 1869, the son of John and Rosa Berger, and was 24 years old when he and Mary wed. David lived in Berne, Indiana, [1] but he was born in Switzerland and immigrated in 1882. [2] Mary’s sister Lizzie and Lizzie’s future husband Fred Huffman were witnesses to their marriage, according to Zion Chatt’s records.
David and Mary lived in Wabash Township, Adams County, Indiana, when they were first married. [3]
By 1900 they resided near Mary’s parents, in Adams County, Indiana, and they had three children: Melia E, 6; Rosa, 4; and Willie Jacob, 3. David worked as a charcoal burner. [4]
By 1910 David, age 41, worked as a farmer. He and his family lived near Winfield and Jane Brewster in Adams County. David and Mary had seven children by 1910 and in their household was Mary, 39; Melia, 16; Rosa, 15; Willie, 13; Alma, 8; Edna, 6; Oma, 3; and Maryann, 11 months. [5]
The family resided on their family in Adams County through 1920 and likely lived there when Mary died in 1921. [2]
Mary died of tuberculosis on 21 March 1921, at the age of 55 years. She was buried on the 24th.
It appears that David, a widower at the age of 70, lived in Lakeville, Indiana, in 1940 and was employed as a house painter. He reported that he had lived in the same house in 1935. [6]
It appears that David never remarried and died in 1962.
David and Mary had the following children. Most were baptized and confirmed at Zion Chatt:
Elisabeth Emilie (1894-1963), married Jesse Bollenbacher
Rosa (1895-1980), married Laban Otto Fogel
Wilhelm Jacob (1897-1985), married Rose Marie
Emma Elma “Alma” (1901-1910)
Edna Maria (1902-1910)
Oma/Omma Viola (1907- )
Marianna Magdalena (1909- )
Anna Louisa (1911- )
[1] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 10 Dec 2015), David Berger and Mary Rebecca Hiller, 6 Apr 1893, from Adams County, Indiana, Marriages Vol. 1, p.280.
[2] 1920 U.S. Census, Jefferson, Adams, Indiana, ED 4, p.7B, dwelling 147, family 157, David Berger; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 Dec 2015); from NARA microfilm T625, roll 420.
[3] Elizabeth Emilie Berger baptism record, Zion Lutheran Church, 24 Feb 1894.
[4] 1900 U.S. Census, Jefferson, Adams, Indiana, ED 4, p., dwelling & family 200, David Berger; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 Dec 2015); from FHL microfilm 1240357, from NARA microfilm ,T623 roll 357.
[5] 1910 U.S. Census, Jefferson, Adams, Indiana, ED 4, p. 2A, house & family 34, David Berger; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 Dec 2015); from FHL microfilm 1374351, from NARA microfilm T624, roll 338.
[6] 1940 U.S. Census, Lakeville, St. Joseph, Indiana, ED 71-45, p.6B, visited no. 122, David Berger; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 Dec 2015); from NARA microfilm T627, roll 1093.
Dec 11
Sitting on Santa’s Lap–It’s a Family Thing
In our family it sometimes takes a while to warm up to someone, especially if that person is Santa Claus.
This is the time of year when children stand in line to meet Santa, sit on his lap, and tell him what they want for Christmas. We all remember how exciting it was to see Santa and talk to him personally.
Well, maybe not just everyone is so eager to meet him and sit on his lap. Not at first anyway.
Years ago you were lucky to get your picture taken with Santa, but today most children get a Santa photo taken. Some photos with Santa are great, but others, not so much.
The photo below captured my first encounter with Santa Claus, probably taken the Christmas of 1952 in Grandma and Grandpa Miller’s home on Sipe Road.
Karen on Scary Santa’s lap. (Santa, aka Uncle Kenny)
Fast forward to 2015, at Bronner’s Christmas store in Frankenmuth, Michigan, a couple weeks ago, when the photo below was taken. The little toddler is our darling granddaughter Chloe, now nearly two years old. She is usually quite photogenic, but not that day with Santa.
She looks just about as happy as I was to be sitting on Santa’s lap. At least she hadn’t fallen and hit her head earlier in the day. (Note the band-aid on my forehead.) That fall likely contributed to my unhappiness that day.
It would appear that Santa puts up with a lot. Bronner’s Santa looks a little startled while the 1952 Santa (aka Uncle Kenny) appears to have a frozen face with hypnotic eyes. Those home-made masks from the 50s were a little scary.
Chloe did better with Santa last year because the photographer quickly snapped a photo before she had a melt down, although she looked like she was ready to bolt any second.
Unfortunately, as far as I know, the photo of me with Santa is the only Santa photo I have. There are no photos of a happy Karen with Santa. But, since parents take a lot more photos these days, I am sure Chloe will eventually have a more pleasant photo taken with Santa. Maybe even next year.
I believe that eventually almost every child comes to like Santa and looks forward to his arrival at Christmas time. But until that time comes photos with Santa can be less than memorable.
Like grandmother, like granddaughter, the similarities of sitting on Santa’s lap appear to a family thing.
Karen Miller Bennett, CG®, Retired 2024
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