Sep 14

Five Tips for Safely Reading and Photographing Tombstones

Liber Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana. Photographed November 2011.

Cemeteries are some of my favorite places to visit. It doesn’t make any difference if I have family buried in a particular cemetery or whose tombstone I am looking at, I enjoy looking at and photographing tombstones.

I have been photographing tombstones for some time now and have hundreds of tombstone photographs. Some of those photographs have turned out well, others, not so much.

How can you safely read and photograph a stone that is weathered and dirty?  The Association of Gravestone Studies recommends very few things to safely clean a tombstone and make it readable. They advise against using most chemicals, soaps, acids or anything that is abrasive. You should not use flour, shaving cream or sidewalk chalk either.

Below are a few techniques I have used over the years for viewing and photographing grave markers without harming them.

1. In my opinion the most important thing for getting a good tombstone reading and photograph is the position of the sun on the stone. A bright sunny day is best and the sun should be shining on the stone at about a 30 degree angle. For a stone facing west this time of day would occur from about 12:30-2:30. Late morning would be best for a stone facing east.

Tombstone of Johann Georg Schumm (1777-1846), Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio. Photographed at 1:58 p.m., 8 Aug 2008.

2. If you are at the cemetery at the wrong time of day or if the writing on the stone faces north you can use a mirror to reflect the sun’s light. This technique works very well and if done properly looks like a spotlight shining on the marker. If you are taking a photo of the stone you will probably need another person to hold the mirror. Although a mirror works best, any very reflective surface will also work. Cardboard covered with aluminum foil or a shiny windshield reflector both work.

Grave marker of Hannah Bryan (1830-1901), Limberlost Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana. Mirror illuminating inscription that faces north.

3. Just squirting plain water on the stone might make the engraving stand out. I always carry a squirt bottle of water in my cemetery bag. Yes, I have a cemetery bag packed and always ready to throw in my car trunk for graveyard visits.

4. Sometimes you can read a tombstone inscription better from a photograph. Inverting the colors in your photo program will make the image look like a negative and bring out the lettering. Enlarging and enhancing the photo on your screen may also help.

Johann Pantkraeius Schinnerred (sic) (1829-1857), Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio. Colors inverted.

5. The tombstone may need to be cleaned if it is covered with moss or some other biological growth. But be careful! It is best to use plain water and a soft nylon brush or sponge. If necessary, use one cup of household ammonia in a gallon of water to clean a tombstone. Use only soft nylon brushes or natural sponges. Do not use wire brushes since the metal may become embedded in the stone and rust. The Association of Gravestone Studies has a website and booklets that detail a few other ways to clean stubborn deposits from tombstones.

Nannie Headington (1835-1871), Liber Cemetery, Jay County, Indiana. Moss cleaned from inscription.

Tombstones could be considered historical artifacts. They may contain the only recorded information about an individual. Read and record the information on a tombstone but at the same time be careful not to damage the stone so future generations can also view and learn from them.

There are still plenty of nice late summer and autumn days left to visit to a cemetery and I hope to do just that.

Sep 11

Tombstone Tuesday–Johannes Betzel

Johannes Betzel, Kessler [aka Liberty] Cemetery, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio.

This is the tombstone of Johannes Betzel, located in row 14 of Kessler Cemetery, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed, Hier ruht Johannes Betzel, geboren 15 Juni 1852, gestorben 2 Marz 1879.Translated, Here rests Johannes Betzel, born 15 June 1852, died 2 March 1879.

According to the records of Zion Lutheran Church, Chattanooga, Ohio, Johannes Betzel, was born 15 June 1852 in Mercer County, Ohio and was baptized there. He was confirmed at Zion, Chattanooga, on 13 May 1866. He died 2 March 1879 at 1:30 in the afternoon at the age of 26 years, 8 months and 17 days.

Johannes never married and he died about 2 months before his mother.

Johannes Betzel, Kessler Cemetery.

Johannes Betzel is buried next to his mother in Kessler Cemetery. His tombstone is made from the same beautiful white marble as hers but his stone does not bear the engraver’s name. The top portion of his tombstone has broken off and it is leaning against the base, facing to the west. All of the other tombstones in that row face to the east . There is writing in German script on the portion of the marker still standing and it faces the east. It appears that something has broken off the very top of the marker as well.

Johannes Betzel, Kessler Cemetery.

Johannes Betzel, right; his mother, Anna Rosina, to the left.

Sep 07

On This Day Widget

On This Day Widget, GedStar Pro Android App, as seen on my Android phone and tablet.

Every morning my smart phone displays a list of my ancestors and relatives who were born, married or died on that day. The daily reminder is an interesting and fun feature. How does my phone do that?

I am using the On This Day Widget, an add-on feature for the GedStar Pro for Android app. GedStar Pro is my genealogy-on-the-go app that lets me view my genealogy data on my Android smart phone and tablet wherever I go. This home screen widget was released this past June and is $2.99, available from the Android app store under GedStar On This Day Widget.

There are several features of the On This Day Widget:

  • Configure the widget to select which events to include (births, deaths, marriages).
  • Tapping on an individual’s name will take you right to that person in the GedStar Pro database.
  • Tap on the calendar icon to view the events for any day you choose.

Below is a list of my ancestors that had vital events on 7 September, today’s date. I blacked out the last names of a couple living relatives.

Births:
Barbara Barhtel, 1789 (223 years)
Anna Barbara Pflueger, 1817 (195 years)
Hazel Virginia Nussbaum, 1907 (105 years)
Catherine Louise N, 1967 (45 years)
Brett S, 1969 (43 years)
Megan Maye W, 1983 (29 years)

Deaths:
Ursula Barbara Schinnerer, 1836 (176 years)
Georg Wilhelm “William” Joseph Schinnerer, 1963 (49 years)

Marriages:
Ernest Miles Whiteman & M. Alda Beohm, 1904 (108 years)
Virgil G. Theurer & Mary P. Schmidt, 1918 (94 years)

It is interesting to see the names each day. I find I have forgotten some of the names, so it is a good review of my database.

You need to have the GedStar Pro app installed on your Android phone or tablet to use the On This Day Widget. The GedStar Pro app allows you to view all of your genealogy data on your Android phone or tablet. This makes all of your genealogy data portable.

The app will run on a standard Android device, from version 2 through the latest version 4, Ice Cream Sandwich. You get the app from the Google Android Market, so your device must have access to that market. You get a free trial for up to 28 days and then you can purchase the genealogy app for $9.95. 

The process of getting your data onto your phone or tablet is fairly simple. You can directly import data from The Master Genealogist and Legacy Family Tree or import a GEDCOM file for all other genealogy programs.

First download the Windows GedStar Data Converter from the GHCS Software website onto your computer or laptop. Just make sure you have the latest version of the converter on your PC [if you already have this on your PC] and that your phone app is up to date for the widget to work. It is in the Data Converter that you determine what data you want to include from your genealogy file. Options include including photos and all your notes.

I use the Roots Magic genealogy program, so my first step was to make a GEDCOM of my genealogy database, name it with a recognizable name and save it. Next, open the GedStar Pro Converter on your PC, select the saved database and chose the data options desired for your device. I always check the box “Copy output file to Dropbox folder”. This is the easiest way to get the converted genealogy file onto my Android device.

Be sure you have installed the free Dropbox software on your PC and Android device. Your converted database goes into the “cloud” and when you open the file in the Dropbox app on your phone the data will go right into GedStar Pro. Dropbox makes this whole process so simple.

GedStar Pro app as it looks on my Android phone and tablet.

The GedStar Pro app is for Android devices only. It is not available for the iPhone or iPad and will not work on the Nook. However, I did manage to install GedStar Pro on my Kindle Fire. It was a real challenge but I eventually won that battle. The one detail I was missing was knowing which file to copy from my phone to my PC. It turns out was the APK file.

I won’t detail all the steps to sideload an app onto the Kindle Fire here unless I get requests for it. I found several how-to pages with a Google search. The GHCS Software website also gives some details about installing GedStar onto the Kindle Fire.

GedStar Pro is strictly a viewer. You cannot edit or add to the information in the GedStar app, which it is just fine with me. The important thing is to be able to carry and view my data on a compact device. When I edit in Roots Magic I just repeat the steps above and copy the new database onto my phone.

I love technology! No more dragging a briefcase full of binders with family group sheets and other data to the library to research. Now I simply take my phone or my tablet, equipped with my genealogy app.

Sep 04

Tombstone Tuesday–Anna Rosina Betzel

Anna Rosina Betzel, Kessler Cemetery (aka Liberty Cemetery), Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio.

This is the tombstone of Anna Rosina Betzel, located in row 14 of Kessler Cemetery, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed: Hier ruht, Anna Rosina Betzel, geb. Herzog, geboren zu Puschendorf, Bayern, 1 November 1828, Gestorben 15 Mai 1879.Translated it reads: Here lies Anna Rosina Betzel, born Herzog, born in Puschendorf, Bavaria, 1 November 1828, Died 15 May 1879.  

According to the Familienbuch portion of the records of Zion Lutheran Church, Chattanooga, Ohio, Anna Rosina Herzog was born 1 November 1828 in Buschendorf, County Court Herzogen Auerach, District Unterfranken in the Kingdom of Bavaria. She was the daughter of Johann Georg and Margaretha Herzog. She married Georg Friedrich Betzel on 1 October 1846, the location of the marriage not given. After they were married the couple resided in Butler County, Ohio, for three years before moving to Mercer County. The church records also mention that Mrs. Betzel died at about 12 o’clock at night. She was 50 years, 6 months and 14 days old.

Friedrich and Anna Rosina (Herzog) Betzel had the following children:

Elisabetha (20 June 1848-14 March 1853, buried in Kessler Cemetery)
Magdalena (b. 30 March 1850, married Johann Schlenker in 1869)
Johann (15 June 1852-2 Mar 1879, born and died in Mercer County)
Wilhelm Johann (b. 12 February 1854, married Sophia Deitsch in 1879)
Georg Friedrich (b. 6 December 1855)
Jakob (b. 26 December 1858, married Mary B. Drewes in 1882)
Maria Elisabetha (b. 15 March 1861)
Catharina Paulina (b. 19 April 1864)
Heinrich David (b. 30 November 1869, married Sophie Ann Kessler)

Although several members of the Betzel family are also buried at Kessler Cemetery, Anna Rosina’s husband Friedrich is buried in North Grove Cemetery, Celina. Anna Rosina is buried next to their son, Johann, who died only two months before she did. Both tombstones are carved from beautiful white marble that has weathered very well. The engraver’s name is even carved on the lower right of her monument. I cannot make out the name but it looks like it came from Cincinnati.

Engraver’s mark, Anna Rosina Betzel tombstone.

Anna Rosina‘s grave marker also gives a lot of information about her. It not only tells her maiden name and place of birth, but it actually gives her birth date as well as the date of her death. Usually only the death date and age are given and you have to calculate the date of birth.

Aug 31

Willshire Public School

Postcard photo of Willshire Public School, 1917. Van Wert County, Ohio.

After looking at last week’s old school photos I got to thinking about my elementary school, Willshire Public School, in Van Wert County, Ohio. I attended school there from first grade through eighth grade, although the school system expanded and changed its name during that time.

Construction on the Willshire school building was started in 1900 and completed in 1901 at a cost of $14,000. The first class graduated from the new building in 1902 with a three-year high school certificate.

In the 1920s one-room country schools were closing and the township schools in the Willshire area merged with the Willshire School system. Even the students from Blackcreek and Liberty Townships in Mercer County transferred to Willshire. Some of these students were from the Chatt School  No. 3.

So, to accommodate of the increasing number of students in the system, an addition was built in 1930. The addition included a gymnasium-auditorium, an office, indoor restrooms, a cafeteria, science lab, a home economics department and a study hall.

Another addition was built in 1953 and included the two-story addition of eight classrooms and a combination cafeteria-library. [1]

Willshire High School Class of 1939-40, Junior year.

Junior Class, Willshire High School, years 1938-39 (class of 1939-40) left to right:
Row 1, seated: (1) Mary Stetler, (2) LaVerne Bollenbacher, (3) Barbara Dull, (4) Bernice Pond, (5) Alice Handwerk, (6) Helen Miller, (7) Catherine Leininger, (8) Ruth Kuhn
Row 2: (9) LaVerne Stetler, (10) Margaret Painter, (11) Virginia Hamrick, (12) Lola Schumm, (13) Florence Dull, (14) Anita Stetler, (15) Genevive August, (16) Marjorie Pifer, (17) Orvie Putman, (18)Teacher
Row 3: (19) Bob Andrews, (20) Gene Duff, (21) Bob Myers, (22) Donnie Dellinger, (23) Marcus Hey, (24) Lincoln Cully, (25) Milton Schumm, (26) LaVerne Ripley

No. 6, Helen Miller was my aunt, one of my dad’s sisters.

Willshire and Rockford Public Schools consolidated in 1961 to form the Parkway Local School System. I remember that there was a contest to name the new school and all students were invited to enter. My entry was “Willrock”. My choice seemed pretty obvious to me, but it was not a winner.

After the consolidation of Willshire and Rockford schools, students in the elementary grades remained in the same school they had been attending and I continued to attend Willshire. Students from the former Willshire and Rockford schools were merged together for the seventh and eighth grades and were schooled at the Willshire building. Parkway High School was at the Rockford building.

Mendon Union joined the Parkway Local School system in 1992 and students were then bussed to all three schools. Then the Willshire building became the Parkway Middle School. A new Parkway Local School was erected at Rockford in 2005 and all the students in the district now attend the one building. The Willshire school building was demolished in 2006. The school buildings at Rockford and Mendon have also been torn down.

Some notable facts about the Willshire Public School: The Willshire School building was named in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The Willshire Bearcats basketball team was the state runner-up for the 1954-55 season. Both of my parents graduated from Willshire High School, my dad in 1943 and my mom in 1947. In fact, all of my aunts and uncles graduated from Willshire.

Willshire Public School, November 1932.

Unfortunately, I do not know the identities of the students in the above 2 photos. If anyone can identify them I would appreciate knowing.

 

[1] “Willshire Public School, 1900-1961”, 2006 Willshire High School Alumni Banquet program, reprinted in a 1994 Photo Star article; information originally compiled by Sondra Samples from Willshire Herald and Photo Star articles, Willshire Sesqui Booklet and from Phyllis Brockmyer, historical preservation consultant.