May 23

Military Honor Roll, Mercer County, Ohio

To commemorate Memorial Day this year I am participating in the Honor Roll Project, started by Heather Wilkinson Rojo in 2010. Her project is an effort to compile photographs and transcriptions of military honor rolls from across the country. The transcriptions will make the names available on Internet search engines for family, researchers, and others. Heather will post a compilation of the participating bloggers on Memorial Day and will make those posts permanently available on her Honor Roll Project.

Mercer County, Ohio, erected a Veterans Memorial in 1997 at the corner of Main and Logan Streets in Celina. It consisted of a large dark granite memorial flanked by a wall with five Roll of Honor plaques and a dedication plaque.

Mercer County Veterans Memorial, 1997. (2014 photo by Karen)

Mercer County Veterans Memorial, 1997. (2014 photo by Karen)

A few years later the memorial was taken down when the streets were widened. The granite portion of the memorial is now located at Lake Shore Park and the Roll of Honor plaques are housed at Celina’s VFW Post 5713, 1118 West Logan Street.

War Memorial, Lake Shore Park, Celina, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

Veterans Memorial, Lake Shore Park, Celina, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

The granite memorial reads: IN HONOR OF THE FALLEN HEROES OF MERCER COUNTY, Who at the call of their country entered the service to fight for the highest of American Principles. Dedicated May 26, 1997.

War Memorial, Lake Shore Park, Celina, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

Veterans Memorial, Lake Shore Park, Celina, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

The plaques contain the names of Mercer County soldiers who were killed in action during various wars. The brass name plaques were furnished by Celina’s VFW but the WWI Roll of Honor plaque is older and was once located in the courthouse.

Dedication plaque.

Dedication plaque. (2014 photo by Karen)

Dedicated to those men and women from our community who honorably served and continue to serve in the armed forces of the United States during peace time. They served and continue to protect what our war veterans fought and died to defend, our American way of life.

WWI Roll of Honor Plaque, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

WWI Roll of Honor Plaque, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

Honor Roll
1917-1919
In honor of the fallen heroes of Mercer County, who at the call of their country entered the service to fight for the highest American principles.

Charles C Adams
William Adams
Clem A Beckman
Robert Birkmeyer
Hubert H Bretz
William F Breymaier
Joseph A Buschur
Clifton Coats
Enis E Cole
Clotaire S Desch
J Coter Dugan
Glen D Echart
Eli Eichar
Harry M Eichar
Charles B Fishbaugh
August A Fleck
Elzie M Florence
Earl Frank
August Froning
George Fullenkamp
Charles E Gebele
Leo J Gast
Ira Goodwin
Herbert F Gottes
Edward Hay
Charles W Hitchens
Arland Kennedy
Leo Knapschaffer
Leo Kothman
W A Leiser
Emmet Mannix
Eldon M McAfee
Emmet J Meeker
Charles W Meyer
Richard W Moeller
Lewis U Moorman
Cecil Nolan
Jerome Obringer
Fred Overman
Albert Pierstorff
Howard Pifer
Grover C Powell
Fred G Rammel
Henry J Rammel
Albert W Rhodes
Harry Rindler
Charles F Schaadt
Gilbert Schoap
William E Searight
Ernest Shock
Leo J H Silk
Dole M Smith
Charles V Snyder
George W Spohn
Jacob Weaver
Roland D Wiley
Aloys J Will
Thomas U Wolfe
Harry H. Reinders
“The right is more precious than peace.
We shall fight for the things we have
Always carried nearest to our hearts,
To such a task we dedicate our lives.” Woodrow Wilson

WWII Roll of Honor, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

WWII Roll of Honor, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

World War II 1941-1946
Arthur D Alt
James R Anderson
Floyd Andrews
Thomas Anthony
Robert Bailey
Herman Baker
James A Bernard
William Bettinger
Albert Beyke
Ernest Bohman
Kenneth Boise
Joseph Bollenbacher
Paul A Buschur
James Collins
Robert J Collins
Virgil W Colson
Albert R Custer
Albert DeCurtins
Walter Diller
Glen Enyart
Doyt W Faurot
Donald Fell
Carl R Felver
Glen C Gilmore
Lowell Golder
Richard W Gray
Harold Hainline
Howard Hammer
Robert E Harrod
Jerome Harting
Sylvester C Heckman
Herbert Heitkamp
Gale Hileman
Louis Imwalle
Vincent M Jolly
Clyde Kaffenberger
Marcus T King
Charles K Kingsley
Owen P Klentz
Othmar Klosterman
Wilson W. Lehman
Eugene Limes
Elmer Long
Clarence W Martin
Paul F Maryz
Muryl K McCristy
Clifford McGee
Norbert Mescher
Joseph Meyer
Lee Meyer
Donald L Moore
Jack A Murlin
John E Muter
Leo Nerderman
James F Nevergall
John Niblick Jr
Glenn A Piper
Carl E Pond
Harvey Protsman
Neal Putman
Russell R Reed
Robert V Reno
Herbert Sanning
Donald Schmitz
E F Schumm
Edward J Schuster
Robert F Shaffer
Albert Shiverdecker
Luke Shockman
William Shockman
Richard Smalley
Frank Sommers
Corger L Squires
Walter Staugler
Francis Stelzer
Maurice Sullivan
Raymond J Thien
Robert D Vanderhorst
Robert Vantilburg
Cyril F Wehrkamp
Lester V Wurster
Cletus G Bice

Korean Roll of Honor, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

Korean Roll of Honor, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

Korea 1950-1955
Harold E Birt
Paul B Borgert
Cletus F Brunswick
Ermal M Dorsten
Alvah M Huerkamp
William A Kelly
Charles W. Lemunyon
Donald E Lowry
Charles C McDevitt
Paul M Miesse
George L Miller
Richland A Noll
William A Raudabaugh
Ralph E Siefring
Jerry D Wolfe

Vietnam Roll of Honor, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

Vietnam Roll of Honor, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

Vietnam 1961-1975
Sammy A Barga
Danny Cheadle
David K Deeter
Cary Fosnaugh
Nicholas Franzer
Lawrence D Jackson
Wayne A Painter
Benny J Sapp
John W. Smith

Lebanon-Grenada, Panama, Persian Gulf, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

Lebanon-Grenada, Panama, Persian Gulf, Mercer County, Ohio. (2014 photo by Karen)

LEBANON-GRENADA   1982-1984
PANAMA                       1989-1990
PERSIAN GULF             1990
No Mercer County lives lost.

I remember Cary Fosnaugh and Benny Sapp, who were killed in Vietnam. They also graduated from Parkway.

They plan to eventually place the Roll of Honor name plaques, that are now at the VFW, with the granite memorial at Lake Shore Park, making the memorial complete once again.

 

Celina's American Legion Roll of Honor, WWI & WWII. (2014 photo by Karen)

Celina American Legion Post 210 Roll of Honor, WWI & WWII. (2014 photo by Karen)

Celina’s American Legion Post 210 has a war memorial in front of their post, located at 2510 State Route 703, Celina. Their memorial shows the names of Mercer County’s WWI and WWII soldiers killed in action.

I have also created a permanent page on Karen’s Chatt for Mercer County’s Honor Roll. It is in the header section of the home page, under Military.

 

 

 

May 20

Tombstone Tuesday–John F. Merkle

John F. Merkle, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)

John F. Merkle, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of John Francis Merkle, located in row 7 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

John F.
Merkle
Feb 2, 1870
July 27, 1895
MERKLE

John Merkle was the son of Joseph and Lucinda (Kentner) Merkle, born in Wapakoneta, Auglaize County, Ohio. [1]

There are conflicting records concerning John’s date of birth. His Auglaize County birth record indicates he was born 13 December 1869. [1] That would appear to be the most reliable record, but the 1870 census, taken only months after his birth, indicates he was five months old and born in February 1870. [2] Finally, his tombstone is inscribed with 2 February 1870 as his birth date. Note that John’s parents were still living when he passed away and likely purchased his cemetery marker.

In 1870 the Joseph Merkle family was living in Wapakoneta, Auglaize County. At that time John was living with his parents and three sisters. [2]

The Merkle family moved to neighboring Mercer County by 1880. They resided in Chattanooga where John’s father worked as a blacksmith and his sister Mary taught school. [3]

The Merkle family attended Zion Lutheran Church when they lived in Chattanooga. John’s mother Lucinda was confirmed as an adult at Zion in 1885 and several of John’s siblings were baptized, confirmed, and married there.

John was the victim of a fatal accident on 27 July 1895 in Chicago. The following newspaper report tells of his misfortune:

Drowned in the Calumet
J.S. Merkle, 35 years old [sic], of No. 104 East Ninety-Second street, a well-known carpenter and contractor of South Chicago, was drowned in the Calumet River between Ninety-Ninth and One Hundredth streets last evening. His body was not recovered. Merkle went out in a boat alone for a row. A short time after the boat was found floating in the river bottom up and Merkle could not be found. [4]

John Merkle drowning, 1895

John Merkle drowning, The Inter Ocean, Chicago, Ill, 28 July 1895

This newspaper account gives his ages as 35, which appears to be an error. I believe he was 25 when he drowned. I do not know if John’s body was ever recovered but Zion Chatt’s records indicate that he was buried on the 30th. The church record verifies the above information–that John Francis Merkle, son of Joseph and Lucinda, drowned on 27 July 1895 in the Chicago River when his sailboat capsized. It also indicates that he was survived by his parents and siblings.

John’s parents and several of his siblings are also buried in Zion Chatt’s Cemetery.

John Merkle birth record, Vol. 1, p.25, item 83, Auglaize County, Ohio.

John Merkle birth record, Vol. 1, p.25, item 83, Auglaize County, Ohio.

[1] Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VN7R-R3Q : accessed 18 May 2014), Joseph Merkle in entry for John Merkle, 13 Dec 1869; citing Vol. 1 p. 25, item 83, Wapakoneta, Auglaize, Ohio; FHL microfilm 959200.

[2] 1870 U.S. Census, Wapakoneta, Auglaize County, Ohio, p. 36 (penned), dwelling 304, family 298, Joseph Merkley; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 May 2014); from FHL film 552671, from NARA film M593, roll 1172.

[3] 1880 U.S. Census, Liberty, Mercer County, Ohio, ED 188, p. 2 (penned), dwelling 13, family 14, Joseph Markrle; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 May 2014); from FHL microfilm 1255048, from NARA microfilm T9, roll 1048.

[4] “Drowned in the Calumet,” The Inter Ocean, Chicago, Illinois, 28 July 1895, p.2; digital image by subscription, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 18 May 2014).

May 16

Live Streaming From the 2014 NGS Conference

Last week, 7-10 May, was the annual National Genealogical Society [NGS] Conference, held in Richmond, Virginia. The 2014 Conference, entitled Virginia: The First Frontier, offered over 175 lectures during the four day conference.

Genealogical conferences, whether national, state, or local, are a wonderful means to learn and network. I enjoy attending them as often as I can, if they are within reasonable driving distance, which for me is no more than five to six hours travel time. It would have been about a nine hour drive to this year’s conference. Plus it just did not fit into my schedule this year. So I did not attend the 2014 NGS Conference.

Although I was not there in person, I was able to see a few of the sessions. Live. Right here at home, in my office, on my PC.

Viewing_PCThat’s right. This year NGS offered something new, something for those of us that could not attend the conference for one reason or another. For the first time NGS offered “live streaming” of certain sessions, making those sessions available to persons with an Internet connection anywhere. I was able to watch and listen to the sessions live, at the same time they were being presented. Or I can watch them later if I was busy when they were shown live. Roots Tech, a conference that focuses on genealogy and technology, has offered live streaming the past couple of years.

NGS offered ten sessions for live streaming, in two tracks that consisted of five sessions each. They chose lectures on popular topics presented by nationally known speakers. You could chose to view either or both tracks, at a cost of $65/track or $115 for both, for NGS members. Non-members could also sign up for the live stream, at $80/track or $145 for both. Membership has its advantages.

Track one was Records and Research Techniques and track two was Virginia Resources and Migration Patterns.

I chose to watch track one, which consisted of two lectures on Thursday afternoon and three on Friday morning. Sessions were: “Using Evidence Creatively, Spotting Clues in Run-of-the-Mill Records,” Elizabeth Shown Mills; “Can a Complex Research Problem Be Solved Solely Online?” Thomas W. Jones; “Using NARA’s Finding Aids and Website,” Pamela Boyer Sayer; “Disputes and Unhappy Differences…Surprises in Land Records,” Sharon Tate Moody; and “A Sound Mind and Body, Using Probate Records in Your Research,” Michael Hait.

I watched Elizabeth Shown Mills and Tom Jones present their sessions live on Friday. Then on Saturday I watched Sharon Tate’s presentation a few hours after its completion. I will watch the other two sessions some time in the future.

The nice thing is that I can watch the lectures as often as I want, whenever I want, for ninety days after the end of the conference. NGS On Demand Online Access was to be available within 24 hours of the recording, but it was actually available sooner than that. I watched one of Saturday’s sessions a few hours after the session had ended.

Live stream registrants also received a digital version of the conference syllabus, all 628 pages in PDF format. The syllabus includes the handout material for each session, which is usually four pages per session. The syllabus itself is a great source of information and interesting to look through.

LectureNGS selected Playback Now to broadcast sessions live and show the recordings after that. The live stream was simple enough to set up. I simply went to the conference live streaming website and logged in with my password. It worked extremely well. The video and audio were excellent. The video was a good mix as it went back and forth between the speaker and their Power Point slides.

There were a coupe disadvantages to the live stream for me:

  • It used a lot of data. I use my tablet as a hot spot for my Internet connection and I found that two sessions use about 1 GB of data.
  • There was a limited number of sessions for live streaming.
  • I did not get to chose the sessions I wanted to view.  They were already chosen.

It appears the 2014 NGS Conference live stream was a success. I received an e-mail from NGS yesterday announcing that they were taking registrations until 31 May for post-conference viewing of the ten sessions mentioned above. Before the conference over 400 signed up for the live stream, but others learned about it after the conference and want the opportunity to view the sessions, too. Post-conference registrants will be allowed to view sessions in track one, track two, or both tracks for the next three months, at the pre-conference price. The digital syllabus is also included.

I also have another option to hear the lectures I missed. I can purchase an audio recording from JAMB Tapes, Inc. They offer recordings of most conference sessions on audio CD for $12 each. The 2014 conference CDs will be available soon. And I can follow right along with my syllabus.

I still enjoy attending conferences in person to learn, to network with other genealogists, to see old friends and meet new ones, to shop in the exhibit hall, and to see the various conference venues, but I cannot attend every year. Live streaming was a nice opportunity to see some presentations this year.

It is almost the next best thing to being there.

 

 

 

 

May 13

Tombstone Tuesday–Infant Son & Daughter of A.L. & N.M. Schumm

Infant son and daughter of A.L. & N.M. Schumm, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

Infant son and daughter of A.L. & N.M. Schumm, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of stillborn twins, the son and daughter of Arnold and Naomi (Schumm) Schumm, located in row 8 of Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Infant Son & Dau. of
A.L. & N.M. Schumm
1926

Zion Schumm’s records show only that the infant son and daughter of A.L. Schumm were buried in 1926.

Ohio death records indicate that a stillborn male was born on 18 April 1926 in Van Wert County to Arnold L. and Naomi Schumm and was buried on 19 April. [1] The index below shows the information about the stillborn infant. [2] Neither of the state records mention the twin girl, although the FamilySearch record was an abstract of the original.

SchummStillbo DR 1926, ODH - Copy

Ohio Death Index 1908-1932.

About the parents: According to Zion Schumm’s records, Arnold Ludwig Schumm was born 7 August 1890, the son of John and Wilhelmine (Breuninger) Schumm. “Naemi” Margaretha Schumm was born 2 March 1897 to Fredrick Jr and Maria (Buechner) Schumm. Her name was spelled Naemi in her baptism and marriage records, but was spelled Naomi in later church records.

Arnold and Naomi were married at her parents’ home on 16 November 1922 by Rev. R.O. Bienert. Witnesses to their marriage were Amos Schumm and Salome Schumm.

It appears that the twins were the first children born to Arnold and Naomi. Other children born to the couple:

Lois Margaret 1928
Frederich John 1933
Wilma Louise 1936

Arnold Schumm died in 1968 and Naomi died in 1982.

[1] “Ohio, Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997, ” index. FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:MM9.1.1/F6CN-H73 : accessed 11 May 2014), Infant Schumm, 18 Apr 1926; citing Willshire, Van Wert, Ohio, reference item 11 cn 40; FHL microfilm 1952874.

[2] Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-2007, and 1958-2007, from Death Certificates and Index, Ohio Division of Vital Statistics, December 20, 1908-December 31, 1953, on-line database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 May 2014), Stillbo Schumm, 18 Apr 1926; from State Archives Series 3094, p.7530, Ohio Historical Society, Columbus, Ohio.

May 09

Chattanooga On Google Earth

Last week I wrote about Google Earth and posted some area photos that I screen captured while looking around in the program. It is interesting to look at the photos from various years and different views on Google Earth. This week I have some photos of Chattanooga, Ohio, from Google Earth.

Google Earth’s most recent aerial view of Chattanooga was taken 26 February 2012. Chatt’s downtown area looks pretty much the same today as it did in 2012. The Chatt Bar is in the left center of the photo below. Notice that the 2012 aerial view shows a vacant lot to the south of the Chatt Bar.

Chattanooga, Ohio, Google Earth, 26 Feb 2012 photo.

Chattanooga, Ohio, Google Earth, 26 Feb 2012 photo.

But when I switched to Google Earth’s Street View in front of the Chatt Bar I got a big surprise. I noticed that the aerial view and the street view were taken at different times. The street view photos were taken October 2008, four years before the aerial photos were taken. And I noticed something very interesting in the photos. The old brick building, once located south of the Chatt Bar, was still standing in October 2008 and it can still be seen in Google Earth’s Street View photos.

Chatt Bar and brick building, Google Earth, image Oct 2008.

Brick building & Chatt Bar, looking north, Google Earth, October 2008 photo.

That old brick building was once the Chattanooga Bank. Yes, Chattanooga had a bank at one time–the Farmers & Merchants State Bank. It was in business by 1917 and closed about 1930. A plat map of Chatt from the 1920s shows the bank was south of the hotel and bar. Semon Egger’s property and businesses were between the two.

Part of Chatt Plat Map, c1920s, showing Chatt Bank.

Part of Chatt Plat Map, c1920s, showing Chatt Bank.

A document from the Chattanooga Farmers & Merchants State Bank, dated 1917.

Farmers & Merchants State Bank, Chattanooga, Ohio, 1917.

Farmers & Merchants State Bank, Chattanooga, Ohio, 1917.

The brick bank building later housed two grocery stores, Heffner’s Grocery and then Bollenbacher’s Grocery.

Heffner's Grocery, Chattanooga, Ohio, undated photo.

Heffner’s Grocery, Chattanooga, Ohio, undated photo.

By studying Google Earth’s aerial maps of Chatt I was able to determine that the old brick building was torn down between July 2009 and August 2010. Someone from Chatt probably knows the exact date.

Chatt Bank/Grocery & Chatt Bar. Google Earth, October 2008 photo.

Chatt Bank/Grocery & Chatt Bar. Google Earth, October 2008 photo.

At one time there was another building between the Chatt Bar and the brick building. That building was Semon Egger’s grocery, which also included the Chattanooga Post Office and Egger’s mortuary, which was upstairs.

When I was a child that building was the home of the Chattanooga Volunteer Fire Department. At that time there was a large garage door on the ground level and the Chatt Chums 4-H Club would sometimes meet upstairs. Back then we had no idea the second floor had once been a funeral parlor.

Chatt Volunteer Fire Dept, undated photo, c1970s, courtesy of Jerry Miller.

Chattanooga Volunteer Fire Dept, undated photo, c1970s, courtesy of Jerry Miller. The building was once Egger’s store. Notice the former bank building to the left.

In the above photo, “Jug” Andrews (on street, looking at ladder, this side), Don LaBrun ( taller one with fire coat and helmet, to the left of the men on the ladder, with back to the windows of the store), Dick Stephenson (not in fire gear, standing near the fire station’s large open door). Don LaBrun was a volunteer for about 30 years.

Today Chatt’s Fire Department is across the street, in the building that once was Wendel’s Garage and Auto Sales. My parents purchased Pontiac autos from them years ago. Below is a Google Earth photo of that building as it looked in 2008.

Google Earth, October 2008 image.

Google Earth, October 2008 photo.

I am grateful that the 2008 Street View images of Chatt still remain on Google Earth and that I am able to see that old brick building once again.

Google Earth, October 2008 image.

Chatt Bar and Bank, looking south, Google Earth, October 2008 photo.

I did not have a photo of the brick structure before they tore it down, but I do now, thanks to Google Earth.

(All images accessed from Google Earth 30 April 2014.)