Apr 19

The Scrapbook

Scrapbook It is interesting to see how the paths of people’s lives cross, through the generations, particularly in a small community.

I discussed using the FAN concept for family history research at a beginning genealogy workshop a few weeks ago. FAN is an acronym for friends, associates and neighbors. You can often add information and maybe even overcome some of those brick walls by looking into the lives of the friends, associates and neighbors of your ancestors.

I know for a fact that talking to friends, associates and neighbors of relatives can provide information about them and about the area in which they lived.

At Catherine Miller’s funeral a few weeks ago I visited with some of her family that I had not seen for some time. It was nice to see them again, even under the sad circumstance of Catherine’s passing. Catherine’s sister Dorothy Jean, who lives just a couple miles away, called me a few days later. She knew that I was interested in people and information from the Chatt area and she mentioned that she had a scrapbook I might like to look at. Dorothy Jean attended Zion Chatt while growing up and she and my dad were in the same class in school.

Always eager to learn more about the people and the area in which I grew up, I jumped at the chance to pay her a visit and take a look at her scrapbook.

About a week later I sat with Dorothy Jean at her kitchen table. She pulled out her high school scrapbook and asked if my dad had one of these. No, I don’t think my dad ever had a high school scrapbook. I never saw it if he did.

Dorothy Jean, Willshire High School Commencement, 1943.

Dorothy Jean, Willshire High School Commencement, 1943.

As she showed me her scrapbook, I noticed some dried flowers, her senior prom invitation, her Willshire High School graduation announcement and the tassel she wore at her graduation, plus a lot of photos and newspaper clippings. I think scrap-booking was and is still today more of a “girl” thing. I doubt that my dad ever took the time to save his high school memories in a scrapbook.

But what a treasure Dorothy Jean has kept. By looking at her scrapbook I was able to get a glimpse back in time at my dad’s high school years. I saw a couple photos of my dad that I had never seen before. It makes me wonder how many photos have been taken by others over the years that include my ancestors, my relatives or even me. There are probably many of these photos that I will never see.

The guys, Willshire High School Class of 1943. Front: Dick Cowan, Herb Miller, Junior Linn, Lewis Allmandinger. Back: G.M. Alspaugh, Ivan Wyer, Carl Ripley, Merlin Miller, Dale Caffee.

The guys, Willshire High School Class of 1943. Front: Dick Cowan, Herb Miller, Junior Linn, Lewis Allmandinger. Back: G.M. Alspaugh, Ivan Wyer, Carl Ripley, Merlin Miller, Dale Caffee.

What is most interesting about Dorothy Jean’s scrapbook and photos is that they connect with my family in several ways. Her family lived near Chatt and attended Zion Lutheran, as did my Miller family. Although she attended the Chatt grade school she later attended Willshire High School and was in the same high school class as my dad, the class of 1943. She rode the school bus from Chatt to the Willshire School with my dad and his siblings. She also went to Willshire High School with some of my Schumm relatives.

The gals, Willshire High School Class of 1943. Norma Jean Carr, Twyla Pifer, Helen Schumm, Doris Painter, Mary Daily, Ellen Schumm. (Dorothy Jean Leininger not shown.)

The gals, Willshire High School Class of 1943. Norma Jean Carr, Twyla Pifer, Helen Schumm, Doris Painter, Mary Daily, Ellen Schumm. (Dorothy Jean Leininger not shown.)

So among the photos she loaned me to scan were photos of close relatives, not-so-close relatives, church members and other area people that I knew or whose names were familiar. Her school photos, as well as many other photos that she shared, were not only of her family and friends and classmates, but also contained images of my relatives and their friends.

Dale Caffee on a bike

Dale Caffee riding a bike.

Dorothy Jean was meticulous with her photos. She labeled every single photo. Every person was identified in every photo. In the order they were standing. Even the old school photos. Wow!

Row 1: ?, Robert Bollenbacher, ?, ?, LaVerne Miller, Hamrick, ?, ?, ?, ?. Middle: ?, Catherine Miller, Dorothy Jean Leininger, ?, Dorothy White, Emilene Miller, Marjorie Pfifer, Catherine Leininger, Dorothy Carr, Helen Miller, Herb Miller, Twyla Pfifer. Back: Carl Ripley, Leland Carr, Laverne Stetler, Bob Myers, fern Bollenbacher, Genevieve Baker, Bill Chapman, ?.

1940 Bus from Chatt to Willshire School. Front: ?, Robert Bollenbacher, ?, ?, LaVerne Miller, Hamrick, ?, ?, Trolus Frank, Kenneth Miller. Middle: ?, Catherine Miller, Dorothy Jean Leininger, ?, Dorothy White, Emilene Miller, Marjorie Pifer, Catherine Leininger, Dorothy Carr, Helen Miller, Herb Miller, Twyla Pifer. Back: Carl Ripley, Leland Carr, Laverne Stetler, Bob Myers, Fern Bollenbacher, Genevieve Baker, Bill Chapman, ?.

Today photos are readily visible and easy to share on Facebook and other media, but how many old photos are tucked away in scrapbooks or boxes in attics and closets, never to be seen by those outside the family.

Thank you Dorothy Jean for sharing your scrapbook and photos!

 

Apr 16

Tombstone Tuesday–Helen Jean White

Helen Jean White, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)

Helen Jean White, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Helen Jean White, located in row 6 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. There is a photo memorial of Helen Jean and her husband Philip on the reverse side of the memorial. The marker is located next to her mother’s and is inscribed:

WHITE
Helen Jean
Jan. 20, 1926
Mar. 30, 2002

 Charles Philip
Aug. 30, 1924

 Married Aug. 5, 1944

Reverse side of White marker. (2011 photo by Karen)

Reverse side of White marker. (2011 photo by Karen)

Helen Jean (Hileman) White’s obituary, as printed in her funeral bulletin:

Helen Jean White will be remembered as a woman with a natural smile that was evidence of her strong faith in her Lord. In the last few months of her life she demonstrated that faith as she courageously dealt with the trauma of breast cancer.

Helen Jean was born on January 22, 1926, in Glenmore, to Orville and Louise (Becher) Hileman. She had two brothers, Waldo Hileman, now deceased, and Orville Edwin Hileman, of Dundas, Ontario, Canada.

Helen Jean was baptized into the Christian faith on January 26, 1926, by Pastor J.E. Albrecht. Her sponsor was Walter Becher. Church records reveal that her mother was buried on the same day that Helen Jean was baptized. She confirmed her faith on May 12, 1940. The pastor was Carl Yahl.

Helen Jean was a life-long member of Zion, serving her church in many ways. She was its treasurer for several years and was a regular attender of all worship services.

Helen Jean married Charles Phillip White on August 5, 1944. They had three children: Margaret Jean, who died as an infant; Charles Elmer White of Willshire who married Ruth; Martha David of Colon, Michigan. They also had five grandchildren.

Helen Jean and her husband owned and operated White Engine Service outside Willshire. Helen Jean was a life member of the Austin-Bantam Automobile Club, which she served for fifteen years as treasurer.

Helen Jean was a low key person who always had time for everyone from her grandchildren to salesmen who stopped at their shop. Her strong faith was quickly evident in the way she conducted herself. In the shop was a sign which ask all who were there not to use inappropriate language. She was a fixture every Sunday morning sitting on the left side near the organ. Undergoing chemotherapy had no effect on her spontaneous smile or her positive attitude. Her family meant everything to her. Her love for them was unconditional, just as God loved her unconditionally, something she came to realize even more with her cancer. Those who knew Helen Jean will miss her very much. The Lord gave Helen Jean 76 year, 2 months, and 8 days of life on this earth before granting her a final healing.

Rev. John J. Moffett presided at Helen Jean’s funeral.

Helen Jean is the young girl to the left in the confirmation photo below. My dad was also in Zion’s 1940 confirmation class. Left to right: Helen Jean Hileman, Rev. Carl Yahl, Dorothy Carr. Back: Herbert Miller, Robert Eley, Murlin Miller, Howard Dale Caffee, Fred Betzel, Joseph Bollenbacher, Carl Ripley and Dale Schott.

1940 Confirmation Class, Zion Lutheran, Chattanooga.

1940 Confirmation Class, Zion Lutheran, Chattanooga.

I knew Helen Jean most of my life. She and Philip lived about a mile from my Miller grandparents, where I spent my summers as a child. We also attended church with the Whites.

My earliest memories of Helen Jean revolve around church. She would pick me up at the Miller farm and take me, along with her two children Martha and Charles, to Zion Chatt’s summer Bible School. She would drive us to Chatt in what I thought was the coolest car, a Pontiac Woody station wagon. For me it was like riding a small bus to Chatt. Back then Helen Jean taught Sunday School and Bible School at Zion.

Helen Jean Hileman, 1943.

Helen Jean Hileman, 1943.

In later years, when I was Zion’s organist, Helen Jean always sat in the pew behind us, which was in the section directly behind the organ. I would always go to church early on Sunday morning, before Sunday School, to run through the music and hymns. Helen Jean would usually come early, too, and sit there and listen to me practice. One of her favorite organ preludes was Blessed Assurance. Often she would be there to listen as Kendra and I practiced our piano/organ duets. Helen Jean was our biggest fan and Kendra and I played a final tribute to her at her funeral, playing some of her favorite piano/organ duets.

Helen Jean also liked family history research and was a member of the Mercer County Chapter OGS. When I became interested in genealogy she encouraged me to translate and print a book of Zion Chatt’s old church records. After all, her ancestors were the Bechers, one of the first families of Zion Chatt.

Over the years the Whites serviced our lawnmowers and they always enjoyed showing and talking about their Bantam cars.

Helen Jean was a fine Christian woman and a good friend and I still miss seeing her in the pew behind us at church and talking with her.

 

Apr 12

Shave and a Haircut…Two Bits

 

Old Chattanooga Barbershop (2013 photo by Karen)

Old Chattanooga Barbershop (2013 photo by Karen)

If you look closely through the trees and the undergrowth, into this woods on Schaadt Road near Chattanooga, Ohio, you can barely see an old frame building. You can see it when the trees are bare but it will be nearly hidden by the middle of summer. This old structure used to be the Chattanooga barbershop.

It is hard to say how old this frame building is or when it was moved into the woods. It was once located north of Fisher’s Hardware, between the homes of Luther & Gladys Fisher and Carl & Marcella Schroeder, on the west side of State Route 49.

Some people think it was moved to the woods by WWII. It was evidently moved to serve a new purpose–as a family dwelling. In the 1950s the old barbershop was home to Ester Baker and her family. It was painted white back then, but all the paint has worn off, exposing the bare wood.

This was the second building that I know of that was moved out of town once its original purpose had ended. Zion’s old frame church was moved to the north end of Chatt when the brick church was built in 1917. The frame church was then used as a garage for many years but is no longer standing.

I checked the 1916 Farm Journal Directory of Mercer County but there were no Chattanooga barbershops listed in it. However, in that same directory William Koch of Liberty Township gave his occupation as a barber. [1] William Koch was enumerated as a barber in the 1920 census, too. He was 57 years old and born in Germany. [2] Darrel Wilson gave his occupation as barber when enumerated in the 1930 census. He was age 26 and born in Ohio. [3] Perhaps they worked in this frame barbershop in Chatt.

Some people recall other barbers that were employed at the little barbershop. Among them were Jacob Duff, Carl Schroeder, Howard Caffee, Frank Mikesell and Hershel White.

Carl Schroeder is probably the best known Chattanooga barber. Carl was also a school teacher at the larger of the two Chatt schools. The large school was for grades 4-8.

Howard Caffee, one of the Chattanooga barbers.

Howard Caffee, one of the Chattanooga barbers.

Howard Caffee got his barber credentials and license by passing a test in Indianapolis. Reliable sources say that he learned to cut hair by practicing on the neighborhood kids.

Carl Miller family, front: Herb, Anna Lou, Kenny, Vernie. Back: Carl, Gertrude, Ruth, Helen, Kate, Em.

Carl Miller family, front: Herb, Anna Lou, Kenny, Vernie. Back: Carl, Gertrude, Ruth, Helen, Kate, Em.

Even though Howard learned to barber on the neighbor kids he was not responsible for the nearby Miller boys’ uneven haircuts. The Miller boys had their own resident barber—their father, my grandfather, Carl Miller. I have it on good authority that he pulled hair and made the whole hair-cutting process rather painful. I can understand why if he used the old pair of rusty trimming scissors we found in the barn last summer.

It looks like Grandpa Miller used the bowl-cut technique to cut hair. But apparently he had trouble getting the bangs even. My uncle (the boy to the far right with uneven bangs) said that when his grandson saw the above photo he asked if everyone in the family had been Amish at one time. Note that my dad was wearing a hat.

Shave and a haircut—two bits. This phrase is usually recognized as a 7-note musical riff used as a humorous song ending which was also used on the old TV show, The Beverly Hillbillies.

Shave and a haircut—two bits. Twenty-five cents may have indeed paid for a visit to the Chattanooga Barbershop several decades ago.

 

 

[1] The Farm Journal Illustrated Directory of Mercer County Ohio (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Wilmer Atkinson Company, 1916), 102.

[2] 1920 U.S. census, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio, ED 140, p. 1A, dwelling 3, family 3, William Koch; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 April 2013); from National Archives microfilm T625, roll 1418.

[3] 1930 U.S. census, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio, ED 20, p. 2A, dwelling 33, family 33, Darrel Wilson; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 April 2013); from National Archives microfilm

Apr 09

Tombstone Tuesday–Louise W. Hileman

Louise W. Hileman, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)

Louise W. Hileman, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Louise W. Hileman, located in row 6 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

 LOUISE W.
HILEMAN
1904-1926

According to Zion Chatt’s records, Louisa Wilhelmina Becher was born in Mercer County, Ohio, on 11 May 1904, the daughter of Johann F. and Friedericke (Mamber) Becher. She was baptized 12 June 1904, with Louisa Laesch and Wilhelmina Volz as sponsors. Louise was confirmed at Zion Chatt on 27 May 1917 by Rev. W.F.H. Heuer. Her confirmation verse was Ephesians 4:5.

Zion Lutheran Chatt 1917 Confirmation Class. Louise Becher: front row, middle. [1]

Zion Lutheran Chatt 1917 Confirmation Class. Louise Becher: front row, middle. [1]

Louise Becher married Orville L. Hileman on 4 October 1922 at Zion. He was 21 years old and from Van Wert County. She was 18 years of age and from Mercer County. Witnesses to the marriage were Walter Becher and Alma Wall. Orville and Louise lived in or near Ohio City after their marriage.

On 8 September 1924 Louise and her brother Walter Becher were sponsors at the baptism of their niece Wilma Grace Becher, daughter of Albert and Mary (Meriman) [Merinar] Becher.

Louise died in Van Wert County on 23 January 1926 at the age of 21 years, 8 months and 12 days. According to the church records she died of blood poisoning, but according to her death certificate she died of postpartum eclampsia the day after the birth her daughter Helen Jean. [2] Louise was buried on 26 January, the same day her baby daughter Helen Jean was baptized. Survivors included her parents, her husband, her one day old daughter, and six brothers. The funeral was conducted by Rev. Jacob E. Albrecht. Helen Jean was raised by her grandmother Friedericke (Mamber) Becher.

Louise Hileman death certificate, Van Wert, Ohio. 1926.

Louise Hileman death certificate, Van Wert, Ohio. 1926.

Back in the early decades of 1900 Zion had a pump organ and someone would have to run the bellows to make the organ work. That job usually fell to young boys from the congregation. The access opening to the bellows was small and it was easier for a young person to squeeze through it. Louise (Becher) Hileman used to play the organ for services at Zion and her brothers would pump the bellows for her. One Sunday she tried to play the organ after the sermon but no sound came out because her brother had fallen asleep by the bellows.

 

[1] 1917 Zion Lutheran Chattanooga confirmation photo, left to right. Front: Luetta Baker, Lucile Becher, ?, Louise Becher, ?, Matilda Becher, Anna Ruth McGough. Middle: Clarence Kuhn, Walter Becher, ?, Charles Andrews. Back: ?, ?, Rev. Heuer, ?, Vera Heffner. Others in class, unidentified in photo: Frieda Louisa Hoehammer, Harold Roman Bender, Ralph Huffman, Lee Kuhn, Florence Kuhn, Clara Linn.

[2] “Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X6ZJ-VXJ : accessed 08 Apr 2013), Louise Whilime Hileman, 23 January 1926; citing Willshire Twp., Van Wert, Ohio, Regis. Dist. no. 1297, Primary Regis. Dist. no. 5993, File no. 79,

 

Apr 05

The 1890 Veterans Schedules

This Saturday, 6 April, I will be giving a Beginning Genealogy Workshop in Celina for some new members of the Mercer County Chapter OGS. I plan to discuss most of the major beginning genealogy topics, such as where to begin, recording information, analyzing the data and drawing sound conclusions, citing sources, organization and the various records to look at when doing research.

I plan to spend a good deal of time talking about census records, which are among the first records I look at when beginning any research project. Although never intended for genealogical purposes, census enumerations contain a great deal of information for family historians.

U.S. Federal Census records from 1790-1940 are now indexed and fairly easy to search on-line, with the exception of the 1890 census. The vast majority of the 1890 census was destroyed by a fire, but Ancestry.com has put a number of items together to form their 1890 Census Substitute Collection. Among their 1890 Census Substitute Collection are many city directories, some state censuses and tax lists, and the 1890 Veterans Schedules.

It was the 1890 Veterans Schedules that caught my eye. I had looked at the 1890 Veterans Schedule for Mercer County on microfilm at the Mercer County Public Library some time ago, but now, with the Internet, the collection is easy to search or browse from home. Ancestry.com shows the actual images on-line. Your local or county library may have your county’s census on microfilm and major libraries may have the whole collection.

Veterans schedules are often used as a partial substitute for the 1890 federal census and are a partial head of household list for those who were old enough to have served in the Union military during the Civil War. The 1890 Veterans Schedules record the following information: names of surviving soldiers, sailors, and marines, and widows; rank; name of regiment or vessel; date of enlistment; date of discharge, length of service; post office address; disability incurred; and remarks.

They give enough military information to verify military service and to identify the specific military unit in which a person served. This information can help you do additional research on your veteran ancestor.

Since you can browse through the 1890 Veterans Schedule on Ancestry.com, I focused my search for veterans in the Chattanooga area. I did not perform a name search. Instead I searched for Liberty or Blackcreek Township, Mercer, Ohio, and the index showed all the names in the township. There were about five pages for each township so it was easy to browse through the names. You could easily do a similar search for your area. Below are some names that I found.

Liberty Township, Mercer, Ohio, page 1, District 2, ED 189:

Christian Bollenbacher, Chattanooga. Private, Co. I, 56th Ohio Infantry, served from 8 Oct 1862-8 Jul 1863, for 9 months. (Line 5, house 32, family 33.)

Jacob Ballenbach/Bollenbaugher, Chattanooga. Private Company A, 23rd Ohio Infantry, served from 22 September 1864-5 June 1865, 9 months 14 days. Disability Incurred: veins. (Line 6, house 37, family 38.)

Frederick Kuhn, Private, Company F, 99th Ohio Infantry, served from 12 Aug 1862-19 Dec 1863, [part crossed out & rewritten], Trans. Disability Incurred: [unreadable]. (Line 7, house 44, family 45.)

Henry Kuhn, Chattanooga. Private, Company J [?], 56th Ohio Infantry, served from 8 Oct 1862-26 Jul 1863, for 9 months, 15 days. (Line 8, house 46, family 47.)

1890 Veterans Schedule, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio.

1890 Veterans Schedule, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio.

 

Blackcreek, Mercer, Ohio, page 1, District 2, ED 178:

Jasper Byer, Chattanooga. Private, Company H, 23rd Indiana Infantry, served from 15 October 1864-29 July 1865, for 9 months, 15 days. (Line 3, house 25, family 25.)

Emanuel Detro, Chattanooga. Private, Company C, 13th Ohio Infantry, served from 26 May 1861-26 Jun 1864, for 3 years, 7 months. Disability Incurred: Shot through the shoulder. (Line 4, house 30, family 32.)

Asa Snyder, Chattanooga. Private, Company G, 40th 0hio Infantry, served from 21 September 1861-21 September 1864, for 3 years. Disability Incurred: Shot in the hip. (Line 5, house 16, family 16.)

Henry Tricel [sic], Chattanooga. Private, Battery 4, Light Ohio Artillery, served from 2 August 1861-27 August 1864, for 3 years, 3 months, 10 days. (Line 6, house 40, family 42.)

Blackcreek, Mercer, Ohio, page 2, District 2, ED 178:

Elias Slusser, Senior, Chattanooga. Private, Company #, 47th Ohio Infantry, served from 15 October 1864-3 July 1865, for 9 months, 15 days. (Line 13, home 95, family 97.)

Elias Slusser, Junior, Chattanooga. Private, Company E, 46th, Ohio Infantry, served from 3 Oct 1861-5 January 1863, for 1 year, 2 months, 23 days. (Line 14, home 93, family 95.)

George Grougbarger [sic], Chattanooga. Private, Company C, 122nd Ohio Infantry, served from 8 June 1864-26 June 1865, for 11 months 28 days. (Line 15, house 108, family 108.)

Willshire Township, Van Wert, Ohio, page 6, District 1, ED 110:

Levi Rollin, Willshire. Private, Company A, 52nd Ohio Infantry, served 28 July 1862-16 January 1865, for 3 years. Disability Incurred: Rheumatism. He was a prisoner at Andersonville Prison. (Line 20, house 79, family 79.)

Willshire Township, Van Wert, Ohio, page 7, District 1, ED 110:

Henry A. Tindall, Willshire. Private, Company G, 54th Ohio Infantry, served from 22 February 1864-15 August 1865, for 1 year, 8 months. Remarks: Prisoner at Andersonville Prison. (Line 31, house 119, family 119.)

James H. Sims, Willshire. Private Company 34, Ohio Infantry, served from 22 February 1864-24 February 1865, 1 year, 5 months, 5 days. Remarks: Prisoner at Libby Prison, Richmond. (Line 27, house 111, family 111.)

 

1890 Veterans Schedule, Willshire Twp, Van Wert, Ohio.

1890 Veterans Schedule, Willshire Twp, Van Wert, Ohio.

Schumm, Willshire Township, Van Wert, Ohio, page 3, District 1, ED 111:

Michael Pflueger, Schumm. Private, Company C, 41st Ohio Infantry, served from 4 September 1864-13 June 1865, for 9 months, 12 days. Disability Incurred: Camp diarrhea & rheumatism. (Line 34, house 121, family 126.)

Nicholas Geisler, Schumm. Private, Company G, 20th Ohio Infantry, served from 8 October 1862-15 July 1863, for 10 months. Disability incurred: Camp diarrhea. (Line 33, house 110, family 114.)

You may have noticed that some of the dates of service are not equal to the total service time. Some of the discharge dates were crossed out and another date was written in, but it appears that the length of service was not readjusted.

As I scanned the Disability Incurred section I noticed some other injuries: malarial fever resulting in weak lungs, loss of index finger, shot in the right leg, shot through the right limb and back, shot through right arm, blinded and paralyzed on one side, sun stroke and mumps, deafness, blindness, died in the service [the widow was enumerated if the veteran was deceased], crippled left hip and wounded in face. There were a lot of complaints of chronic diarrhea, lung trouble and rheumatism. And a few claimed that they incurred no disability at all.

I also learned that a couple local men were imprisoned at Andersonville and Libby Prison. The stories these men could have told…

Source:

1890 Veterans Schedules, database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 April 2013), from National Archives Microfilm, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Publication M123, Record Group 15.