Feb 08

Karen’s Chatt Begins Its Third Year

BalloonsJanuary 27th 2013 was the second anniversary of Karen’s Chatt, or as the Geneabloggers say, Blogiversary. I want to thank everyone for the Blogiversary wishes and for reading and supporting Karen’s Chatt the past two years.

This past year Karen’s Chatt had nearly 8,000 visits and over 16,000 page views. Visitors were from all around the word but most were from Ohio and Indiana. Here is what 2012 looked like:

The five most popular blog posts or pages were:

  1. Changes in Technology over the years (3 June 2011)
  2. Gallery/photos
  3. Tombstone Tuesday—Jacob Miller (29 March 2011)
  4. Five Tips for Safely Reading and Photographing Tombstones (14 September 2012)
  5. Dropping Pennies (18 March 2011)

The five most popular pages that people landed on when coming to Karen’s Chatt:

  1. Changes in Technology over the Years
  2. Five Tips for Safely Reading and Photographing Tombstones
  3. Tombstone Tuesday–Jacob Miller
  4. Dropping Pennies
  5. Our Ohio Century Farms (26 October 2012)

Some popular and unusual search terms that brought people to Karen’s Chatt:

  • Nicholas Headington War of 1812 [There are still a lot of people researching Nicholas Headington, my U.S. Daughters of 1812 ancestor. This is still by far the most popular search term.]
  • Changes in technology [Also still a very popular search.]
  • Dropping Pennies/Hear the Pennies Dropping [Eighty people searched for information about this little Sunday School song last year. I am amazed. One person was looking for the chords to the song.]

Other less popular things people were searching:

  • Rev. Kreiselmeyer
  • Todd Frazier [Fifteen people were looking for information about our favorite Reds player. I hope they enjoyed the photo of Todd and me!]
  • Is Karen an unusual name? [Not around here! Two of my best friends were named Karen, so there were three Karens in our wedding. Our pastor is a Karen, too.]
  • Lutheran Confirmation Records [They can be a very good source of information.]
  • Autograph book verses
  • What’s the wavil lack today? [Huh?]
  • Scary Santa [Six people probably looked at a photo of my Uncle Kenny’s homemade Santa face. It sure scared me when I was little.]
  • Andrews Sawmill, Wendel Brothers Motor Sales, Fisher Implement [All past Chattanooga businesses, each a separate search.]
  • The Chatt Bar and deep-fried pizza Ohio [I can vouch for both. Try the breaded tenderloin sometime,too.]
  • Why is there a town in Ohio called Chattanooga? [Not sure. This might be a good future blog.]
  • Genealogy of my great grandparents [I might be able to help you, but I’ll need a little more information.]
  • Photos of Schumms [Yup! I have quite a few of those.]
  • First Lutheran, Chattanooga [We are the first and only Lutheran in Chatt.]
  • Old Chattanooga
  • Phone numbers for Pete Brewster [I am not privy to that information.]
  • Karen Miller quilter [Definitely not me. I do not have the time or the patience to quilt.]
  • Stocking feet church [I play our church organ in my stocking feet but the rest of the congregation keeps their shoes on.]
  • #43 [I’m not sure what you were looking for but evidently I have a 43 in one of my blogs.]
  • Adult Chatt [Hmmm. I don’t think I’m interested, thank you.]
  • Cemetery corner of Wabash and Oregon Road, Mercer County, Ohio [I know that cemetery! You should have asked me about it.]

Thanks for reading and I hope you will keep visiting Karen’s Chatt.

 

Feb 05

Tombstone Tuesday–Anna R. Pflueger

Anna R. Pflueger, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio.

Anna R. Pflueger, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio.

This is the tombstone of Anna R. Pflueger, located in row 10 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Anna R. Ehefrau Von
A. J. Pflueger
Geb. 27. Feb. 1871
Gest. 20. Mai 1911
Alter 40 J. 2 M. u. 23 T.
PFLUEGER

Translation: Anna. R. Wife of A.J. Pflueger, born 27 Feb. 1871, Died 20 May 1911, aged 40 years, 2 months and 23 days.

Anna was the daughter of John C. Pifer and Fredrika Kniesel. Anna was born in Ohio and both her parents were born in Germany. [1] Anna married Adam J. Pflueger about 1893. [2] Adam was featured in last week’s Tombstone Tuesday.

According to the records of Zion Schumm, Anna Regina Pflueger, born Pfeiffer, was born 27 February 1871 in Auglaize County, Ohio. She died on 20 May 1911 at the age of 40 years, 2 months and 23 days. She was buried 23 May 1911 in the parish cemetery. Survivors included her husband Adam Pflueger; 5 children, Otto, Frida, Georg, Della and Viola; 5 full brothers, 2 half brothers, a stepfather, 3 stepsisters and 2 aunts.

I was unable to locate Anna’s obituary but below is a copy of her death certificate:

Death Certificate of Ann R. Pflueger, Van Wert Co., Ohio, 1911.

Death Certificate of Ann R. “Pfluegar”, Van Wert Co., Ohio, 20 May 1911.

Anna died on 20 May 1911 at 10:30 p.m. The writing on her death certificate is difficult to read but it appears that her cause of death was splenomegaly [enlargement of spleen], of indefinite duration, with accidental trauma from a detached placenta contributing to her death.

I was not expecting to learn of a detached placenta and a pregnancy. If I had not looked at her death certificate I would not have discovered the cause of her death and would not have learned the rest of this sad story. I then found the death certificate of their son, who was stillborn on the same day:

Stillborn infant male Pflueger, Van Wert Co., Ohio, 20 May 1911.

Stillborn infant male “Pfluegar”, Van Wert Co., Ohio, 20 May 1911.

The above death certificate is for a male “Pfluegar”, the stillborn child of Adam and Anna (Pifer) Pfluegar, who died on 20 May 1911 at 10:30 p.m., the same day and same time that his mother Anna died. The cause of his death was given as accidental hemorrhage of mother. His birth date is recorded as 21 May 1911 and his death date recorded as 20 May 1911. [3] That seems a little strange. The birth date may have been recorded incorrectly or perhaps they had to remove the baby the next day. I do not know very much about a detached placenta condition and will probably never know the whole story.

The death certificates also state that mother and infant were buried in Schumm Cemetery on 23 May 1911. The church records do not mention the infant’s death or burial nor can his tombstone be found. Perhaps he is buried with his mother.

I was not expecting to learn of this sad story and would not have if I had not searched for the death certificates of family members. Family Search.org  has Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953, which consists of images of Ohio death records from the Ohio Department of Health.

It can be worthwhile to check those additional sources.

 

[1] “Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8DH-7MK : accessed 03 Feb 2013), Anna R. Pfluegar, 20 May 1911; citing Willshire Twp., Van Wert, Ohio, reference fn 30208; FHL microfilm 1952987.

 [2] “United States Census, 1900,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MMXJ-8ML : accessed 27 Jan 2013), Adam Pflueger, ED 97 Willshire Township Willshire village, Van Wert, Ohio, United States; citing sheet 9B, family 199, dwelling 185, NARA microfilm publication T623, FHL microfilm 1241329.

[3] “Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8DH-7MP : accessed 03 Feb 2013), Pfluegar, 20 May 1911; citing Willshire Twp., Van Wert, Ohio, reference fn 30209; FHL microfilm 1952987.

 

Feb 01

Carl F. Miller WWI Draft Classification

I often find the best things when I am going through and organizing things. Yesterday I was going through some old Miller papers that we found while cleaning out my dad’s garage last summer. Some of the papers are old, barely readable land deeds that I probably would have archived instead of storing in a damp garage. I’m just saying…

Among the papers were two old postcards from the War Department, addressed to my grandfather, Carl F. Miller. The postcards were his Notice of Classification from his World War I draft registration in Mercer County, Ohio. What great historical family items to have!

Carl F. Miller, WWI Notice of Draft Classification, Jan 1918, Mercer County, Ohio.

Carl F. Miller, WWI Notice of Draft Classification, Jan 1918, Mercer County, Ohio.

There were three draft registrations during World War I. The first was on 5 June 1917 that registered men between 21-31 years of age. Carl turned 21 in February of 1917 so he would have registered in June 1917.

The first of the two postcards is dated 28 January 1918 and postmarked 1918 from Celina. Although someone wrote 1916 on the card in pen, the 1916 date looks suspiciously like my dad’s handwriting, written on the card years later. Carl’s Order No. was 1672, Serial No. 12 and the card was signed by Thos. R. Roop, member of the Local Board. Carl was classified as I-A.

Carl F. Miller, WWI Draft Classification, Mercer County, Ohio, Jan 1918.

Carl F. Miller, WWI Draft Classification as I-A, Mercer County, Ohio, Jan 1918.

There were five draft classifications during WWI and all registrants were initially placed in Class I. Their classification was changed if and when they were granted a deferment. Men were placed in deferred classes according to dependency, vocation, necessary agricultural and industrial work, family support needs, number of children, when married or moral disqualification.

Necessary agricultural and industrial workers were classified according to the degree of their skill and the relative necessity and importance of their enterprise. A registrant was placed in Class II if found by his district board to be a necessary skilled farm laborer in a necessary agricultural enterprise…among other things.

That would explain the second postcard sent to my grandfather. That postcard was dated March 1918 [again my dad later wrote 1916 on it] and Carl was given a classification of II-C. This card was signed by Dr. J.C. Hattery. So Carl was probably given an agricultural deferment because he farmed the Miller farm.

Carl F. Miller WWI Draft Classification as II-C, Mercer County, Ohio, Mar 1918.

Carl F. Miller WWI Draft Classification as II-C, Mercer County, Ohio, Mar 1918.

My grandfather Carl did not serve in World War I. Jacob Miller, Carl’s father, was not in good health the last few years before his death on 15 June 1918. Carl would have been the last male on the Miller farm and the only one left to work the farm. That was why he received the draft deferment.

Carl F. Miller WWI Draft Registration card, 5 Jun 1917.

Carl F. Miller WWI Draft Registration card, 5 Jun 1917. [1]

Information from Carl Miller’s WWI Draft Registration Card A:

No. 1672; 12

REGISTRATION CARD

  1. Name in full: Carl F. Miller          Age: 21
  2. Home address: Willshire, O.
  3. Date of birth: Feb 20, 1896
  4. Are you (1) natural-born citizen, (2) naturalized, (3) alien, (4) have you declared your intention? ————–
  5. Where were you born? Chattanooga, O.    USA
  6. If not a citizen, of what nation are you a citizen or subject? ——–
  7. What is your present trade, occupation or office? Farmer
  8. By whom employed: By Father            Where employed: on farm
  9. Have you a father, mother, wife, child under 12, or a sister or brother under 12, solely dependent on you for support (specify which)? No
  10. Married or single?  Single           Race?  Caucasian
  11. What military service have you had?  ———   Rank  ———–   Branch ——–
  12. Do you claim exemption from draft?   —————–

I affirm that I have verified above answers and that they are true.
Carl F. Miller (Signature or Mark)

REGISTRAR’S REPORT

  1. Tall, medium or short?   Tall           Slender, medium, or stout?  Medium
  2. Color eyes:  Blue              Color of hair: Light Brown             Bald  ——-
  3. Has person lost arm, leg, hand, foot, eye, or both eyes or is he otherwise disabled? ——

John E. Pifer (Signature of Registrar)
Precinct: Blackcreek
City or County: Mercer
State: Ohio
Date: June 5, 1917

Much of the above draft information is from the article, World War I Draft Registration, written by U.S. National Archivist Jean Nudd, and published on-line a few years ago by Dick Eastman. You can read the whole article at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2004/12/us_world_war_i_.html .

 

[1]  “U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918,” digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 31 January 2013), card for Carl F. Miller, no. 1672, Mercer County, Ohio; citing World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918, National Archives microfilm publication M1509, imaged from Family History Library film roll 1832519.

 

 

Jan 29

Tombstone Tuesday–Adam J. Pflueger

Adam J. Pflueger, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio.

Adam J. Pflueger, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio.

This is the tombstone of Adam J. Pflueger, located in row 11 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Adam J.
Pflueger
1862-1919
PFLUEGER

According to the records of Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm, Adam Jakob Pflüger was born 10 May 1862 to Michael and Catharine [Brandt] Pflüger. Adam was baptized 25 May 1862 at the church with Adam Büchner and Jakob Bienz as sponsors. Adam’s parents were born in Württemberg and Adam was born in Ohio.

Adam is my first cousin three times removed. Maria Barbara Pflüger, my second (and third!) great-grandmother and the wife of Ludwig Schumm, was Adam’s aunt.

Adam married Anna Regina Pifer/Pfeiffer in about 1893. They had the following children: Otto, Frieda, Georg, Della and Eva Viola. They also had a son that was stillborn or died the same day he was born, 20 May 1911. That was also the same day his mother Anna died. Surprisingly, Adam’s death was not recorded in the church records.

In 1900 Adam and Annie “Pfluegar” and their children were living in Willshire Township. Adam was a farmer and he and Annie had been married 7 years. In the household were Adam, (37), Annie (29), children Fredaricka (5), Otto (2) and George (9/12), plus Adam’s father Michael (76, widowed). The census indicated that Michael was born in Germany and immigrated in 1829. [1]

Obituary:

Adam Pflueger Met Death In Tragic Manner Friday
The people of this community had scarcely recovered from the shock of the tragic death of Lafayette Herle when news came that Adam Pflueger, a well-known resident of Willshire township, of the Schumm neighborhood, had been instantly killed in much the same manner—that of his team running away. In some manner throwing him from the engine wagon to which he had his team hitched, and under an 1,800 pound horse so that when the horse fell upon him the life was crushed out of him instantly.

Mr. Pflueger had gone to the Geo. Alspaugh farm at Abanaka to do some hauling on the oil lease, when the accident occurred, but as he was alone at the time, the exact circumstances surrounding the fatality likely never will be known, other than as to its fatal termination.

Mr. Pflueger had been a resident of the community for many years, and was aged about 52 years.  Mrs. Pflueger preceded him in death several years ago, and there are five children who survive: Mrs. Freda Putnam of Ohio City; Otto, Della and Viola, all at home.

Funeral services were held Monday, conducted by Rev. George Meyer of the Schumm Lutheran church, with interment in the church cemetery, and was attended by a large concourse of people. [2]

According to Adam’s death record he was born 17 May 1861, which does not agree with his baptism record. The death certificate indicates that he was a farmer and that his death was accidental, caused by a horse falling on the abdominal region of his body. [3]

Adam Jacob Pflueger death certificate, Van Wert County, Ohio, 1919.

Adam Jacob Pflueger death certificate, Van Wert County, Ohio, 1919.

We hear about farm tractor accidents today but I never really thought about accidents with teams of horses. Farming was as dangerous then as it is today.

I had not heard of Abanaka, although Joe knows where it is and has even worked there. Abanaka, aka Belden and Abanaka Station, is a little village in Section 24 of Willshire Township. It is a couple miles northeast of Schumm on Glenmore Road, laid out by John Brown in 1879 along the TD & BRR, later the Nickle Plate Railroad. The first house was built by Samuel Beldon, who also opened the first store. [4]

 

[1] “United States Census, 1900,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MMXJ-8ML : accessed 27 Jan 2013), Adam Pflueger, ED 97 Willshire Township Willshire village, Van Wert, Ohio, United States; citing sheet 9B, family 199, dwelling 185, NARA microfilm publication T623, FHL microfilm 1241329.

[2] The Willshire Herald, Willshire Ohio, 1 August 1919, p. 1.

[3] “Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X82K-83R : accessed 28 Jan 2013), Adam Jacob Pflueger, 25 Jul 1919; citing Willshie, Van Wert, Ohio, reference fn 45850; FHL microfilm 1984824.

[4] History of Van Wert and Mercer Counties, Ohio (1882; reprint, Mt. Vernon, Indiana: Windmill Publications, Inc., 1991), 241.

 

Jan 25

Remembering the Blizzard of 1978

Today is the 35th anniversary of The Great Blizzard of 1978. A storm we will never forget.

They say it wasn’t just a blizzard back in ‘78. It was a severe blizzard. The National Weather Service defines a “severe blizzard” as a storm with winds of 45 miles per hour or greater; a great density of falling or blowing snow; and temperatures of 10 degrees or less. That pretty much sums it up. It was the worst winter storm in Ohio’s history. And we lived through it.

Front walk of my parents' home after the Blizzard of 1978.

Front walk of my parents’ home after the Blizzard of 1978.

We had been our new house less than a year when the blizzard hit. A winter storm was predicted but I don’t think anyone thought it would be the blizzard of the century. As Joe and I were driving home from work that Wednesday evening, January 25th, it was raining and not all that cold. But that changed quickly.

We made it home safely but it quickly became hazardous for those who were still out. The barometric pressure dropped to a record low. The temperature dropped drastically to around zero. And the wind blew fiercely. There were white out conditions and the roads became impassable in a very short time. It turned treacherous quicker than anyone could imagine and some people were stranded.

The wind blew and howled all night and the snow kept coming down. Joe actually thought he would go into work at GTE that Thursday morning but once we looked outside we knew we weren’t going anywhere. The 50-60 mph winds, with gusts over 100 mph, blew around the snow we had received overnight. It was still snowing and blowing. Nope, we weren’t going anywhere for some time.

When the winds finally calmed down on Friday we went outside. They said we received a foot of snow but there was at least 2-3 feet of snow everywhere, with drifts even higher. Some drifts extended all the way up to the spouting on the house. It was a hard crusty snow and we could walk right on top of it without sinking in.

We were one of the fortunate homes that had power throughout the blizzard and the days after. We were in good shape here. We had plenty of food and the power to cook it. My parents weren’t so lucky. They were without power for several days. They burned papers and catalogs in their fireplace and used a kerosene heater to keep warm. I believe that my dad purchased his generator after that storm. At least both our homes still had phone service and we called each other regularly.

On Saturday, day three of being snowbound, our day’s activity consisted of looking out our window with binoculars, watching a couple pay loaders open up Frahm Pike. It was a slow job for them. They opened up our road on Sunday. Then Joe and I walked out to the end of our 200 foot driveway with shovels, intending to shovel out our driveway. Seriously? Who could shovel that deep crusty wall of snow with a mere shovel?

We were grateful when the late Roger Hawk drove by on his large tractor with a snow thrower attached. He saw that we were not making much progress, pulled into our driveway and had it opened up in just a few minutes. Thank you Roger! Now Joe would be able to get out and go to work on Monday and start repairing and restoring phone service. He had no idea what lay ahead for him.

Back walk at my parents' home after the Blizzard of 1978.

Back sidewalk at my parents’ home after the Blizzard of 1978.

Joe has never since worked as much overtime as he did in the weeks after the blizzard. Those were long cold days and he worked late into the night. The main problem was fixing the phone pedestals along the side of the roads that the snowplows had plowed off.

When the sheriff finally lifted the county driving ban it was time for me to go back to work. And I got to see firsthand the condition of the roads. They were a solid sheet of bumpy ice and it was like driving down a big old washboard. I still remember what must have been at least a 4 inch drop-off near the Hometown Nursing Home on Myers Road in Celina. It was like dropping down a step, to a lower level of the road. It was a slow and tedious commute to and from St. Marys and it took weeks to get rid of the ice on the roads.

In 1978 we had an International Scout (4 wheel drive–Joe’s vehicle) and a Ford Mustang (rear wheel drive–my vehicle). Of course the Scout was the vehicle of choice after the blizzard. Joe insisted that I drove the Scout to work since I had farther to go. That left him with the Mustang. He could make it to and from Celina with the Mustang but navigating our driveway was the problem. He couldn’t get down the driveway with the Mustang’s rear wheel drive. But he is resourceful and he devised a plan. He would put chains on the Mustang’s tires in order to drive out to the road. Then he would take the chains off and drive on to Celina. On the way home he would stop at the end of the driveway, put the chains back on and drive up to the garage. That whole routine got old real fast and I felt more than a little guilty driving off to work in Scout every day, leaving him with the Mustang and chains.

Our back roads were one lane only. Driving on them was like going down a snow hallway with walls higher than our vehicle. It was an eerie feeling driving on those confined roads and we hoped that we would not meet another vehicle coming from the opposite direction.

Back of my parents home, Blizzard of 1978.

Back of my parents home, Blizzard of 1978.

Many people have more exciting stories to tell about the 1978 blizzard than I do. People with snow mobiles and four-wheel drive trucks stepped forward to transport doctors and nurses and people in need of medical care to hospitals. Others rescued stranded people and delivered food and medicine. Road crews spent endless hours clearing roads and utility workers worked many long days restoring power and telephone service. The Ohio National Guard was even called in to help out. We remember and thank all of those volunteers.

I did not take any photos after the blizzard but I have included a few photos that my dad took at their home.

Here are a couple articles if you want to read more about the Blizzard of 1978: 1978 Ohio Statewide Blizzard  and  Wikipedia, Great Blizzard of 1978.