Oct 12

Tombstone Tuesday-Bird Symbol

Birds, usually doves, are common tombstone symbols. They symbolize peace, resurrection, and innocence.

Birds are usually depicted as flying or sitting but we saw this unusual bird scene on a tombstone at Greenville Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio. The perching bird is looking at his friend or mate who is lying belly-up on the ground.

Greenville Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio. (2006 photo by Karen)

A bird lying dead symbolizes a life that was cut short prematurely and this is the case of the carving on the tombstone of Heinrich August Lindemann, who died in 1872 at the age of 29 years.

Greenville Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio. (2006 photo by Karen)

Real birds are often opportunists and a robin built this nest along the wings of this angel at Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm.

Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2013 photo by Karen)

Oct 08

Willshire Village School Bus No.3

I recently spoke at the Willshire Alumni Banquet, to a great group of people who waited a long time for that banquet to take place. One of the things I talked about was Willshire Village School Bus No. 3, which picked up the Chatt-area school children in 1939-40. I have posted this photo of the students who rode that bus before on Karen’s Chatt.

Willshire School Bus No. 3, 1939-40

However, since posting it a few years ago I colorized and labeled the photo. For some reason the colorized version seems sharper and clearer and labeling the individuals makes their identification easier.

Willshire Village School Bus No. 3, colorized & labeled.

While preparing for the alumni talk I discovered that I have two additional photos of that bus and the students. These three bus photos were very likely taken on the same day.  

Willshire Bus no. 3, 1939-40, colorized.

The above photo appears to have been taken immediately before or after the first photo. The kids have moved around and most are inside the bus. The are wearing the same clothing and that makes it easier to identify them. It looks like they were horsing around and having a good time. Perhaps the photos were taken on the last day of school. Everyone would have been happy about that.

The final photo shows the bus driving down the road, probably Sipe Road. Or maybe the bus was just parked on the road for the photo. Willshire Village School Bus No. 3, written on the side, is quite visible. What a cool bus!

Willshire Village School Bus No. 3, colorized.

The school bus seats were not arranged as they are today. Instead there were two long benches down the center of the bus and the riders faced toward the windows.

The bus picked up the Miller children at the end of their lane and dropped them off at Stetler Road. Stetler Road ends at Sipe Road and the Millers called Stetler Road “North Road.” Either way, it would have been a little trek in bad weather.

My dad Herb Miller and several of his brothers and sisters are in the photo—Helen, Em, Kate, Vernie, and Kenny. Helen was a senior that year and Kenny was in the first grade. My dad would have been in the 8th grade and was the third oldest of his siblings in this photo.

Who doesn’t love these old photos!

 

Oct 05

Tombstone Tuesday-John Shilling

John Shilling, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of John Schilling, located in row 8 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

John Shilling
Died
Nov. 8, 1877
Aged
55 ys, 7 mo, 22 ds

John Shilling is not mentioned in Zion Schumm’s church records but I was able to learn a little about him from other sources.

John Schilling was born 17 March 1822, as calculated from his tombstone. At least 2 local newspapers recorded his untimely death and gave a little information about him. They mention that John lived about four miles east of Willlshire, had a brother Joseph Shilling who also lived near Willshire, that John Shilling moved into the area several months ago, and that widower John Shilling married a widow from Van Wert.  

Zion Schumm’s records indicate that a Mrs. Schilling was buried in the church cemetery on 8 July 1876. That record entry also mentions that Mr. Schilling was not a member of the church. This was likely John Shilling’s first wife, Catherine Stake/Sage, a member of Zion Lutheran Schumm, and this could be the reason John is not mentioned in the church records. He was not a member. It appears that the first Mrs. Shilling’s tombstone did not survive. [1]

John Shilling married Nancy L. (Beaty) O’Day (1835-1917) on 28 May 1877 in Van Wert County. [2] John did not live long after their marriage and his widow Nancy married Morgan Mumaugh in 1881.

According the Van Wert Times, 16 November 1877: On Thursday a week ago Mr. John Shilling, an aged farmer of Willshire Township, went to the town of Willshire, with his wagon and team on business, we are informed, and after transacting it, returned to his home in the evening. Soon after his return he complained of being exceedingly thirsty saying that he had eaten a herring while in town and supposed it caused his thirst, and to allay it, commenced drinking butter milk and continued doing so until he had taken nearly a gallon. But a short time after he had done this he died. It is said, in great pain and that his jaws were firmly clenched together. The above is the report given to us of the affair by some of the relatives of the deceased. He was a brother of Joseph Shilling, of this place, and was a worthy farmer of Willshire Township. Being a widower, he came here some months ago and was married to a widow lady of Van Wert. The cause of his sudden death seems to be a mystery as yet we believe unknown to his relatives and friends.

Van Wert Bulletin, 22 Feb 1878: On the 8th day of November, A.D. 1877, I was called to visit Mr. John Shilling a worthy farmer, living about four miles east of Willshire, in Van Wert County, whom I found laboring under a severe attack of congestion of the stomach, superinduced by excessive eating and drinking while in Willshire on the 8thof said month, of which he died on the evening of the same day that I visited him, and I will take the responsibility of saying that all statement intimating that any unfair means had been used with him, are without any foundation in fact and consequently untrue. Respectfully, J.F. Schaffner (Dr.)

Only two Schillings are mentioned in Zion Schumm’s records and they could be connected to John Shilling, although the name is spelled differently: Widow Anna (Schilling) Geissler died 8 April 1866 at the age of 59 ½ years. It appears her tombstone did not survive. The other Schilling mentioned in the records is the Mrs. Schilling mentioned above, who died 8 July 1876, very likely John’s first wife Catherine.

John Shilling, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

To trace John’s movements, in 1860 the John Shilling family lived in Marion, Ohio: John, 38; Catharine, 31; Margaret, 10; Mary, 8; Elizabeth, 7; Joseph, 6; Josephine, 5; Francis, 4; Lana, 2; and John, 6 months. [3]  

In 1870 the John Shilling family lived in Harden County, Ohio, with a Kenton postal address: John, 48; Catharine, 40; Mary, 18; Elizabeth, 16; Joseph, 15; Josephine, 15; Frances, 13; Lena, 12; Eliza, 10; and William, 3. [4]  

Both census enumerations indicate that John was born in Germany and that he was a farmer.

From looking around on-line it appears that some of John Shilling’s descendants are looking for the burial place of John’s first wife Catherine. I hope this blog post helps them out since it appears her burial is mentioned in Zion Schumm’s records.

[1] Find a Grave, John Shilling memorial no.36978571, indicates that John’s first wife was Mary Catherine Stake (1829-1876) and that they had a number of children born between 1849-1867. Ancestry.com indicates her name was Catherine Sage and that they were married in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, 27 December 1848.

[2] Ohio, U.S. County Marriage Records1774-1993, Van Wert County, Vol. 4, p.528; John Shilling & Nancy L. O’Day, 28 May 1877; digital image, Ancestry.com.

[3] 1860 U.S. Census, Grand, Marion, Ohio, p.300, dwelling 466, family 455, Jno Shilling; digital image by subscription Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7667/ : viewed 4 Oct 2021).  

[4] 1970 U.S. Census, Goshen, Harden, Ohio, p.368A, dwelling 36, family 32, John Shilling; digital image by subscription Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7163/ : viewed 4 Oct 2021).

Oct 01

Another 1908 Willshire School Postcard

If this postcard looks familiar, you are not mistaken. I featured a postcard just like it last week and another one several years ago.

1908 Willshire Public School photo postcard to Charles Birkhold.

This was a very popular photo postcard in the Willshire area in the early 1900s. Willshire’s impressive public school was completed in 1901 and the community was proud of the building. There were many postcards of the new school circulating in the area at that time.

Yes, another Willshire Public School photo postcard, but with a different sender and recipient.

1908 Willshire Public School postcard to Charles Birkhold.

Postmarked Willshire, Ohio, 1 p.m. May 23 [?] 1908.
To Mr. Charles Birkhold
Columbus, Ohio
c/o Capital University

Message: I arrived home all O.K. Found the folks getting along fine. It has been pretty hot, especially working. I hope to get through planting corn sometime next week. It is as awful dry the ground works hard. With regards, B. B.

After doing a little detective work, I believe this postcard was sent to Charles Emmett Birkhold, written and sent to him by his younger sister Barbara Birkhold. Charles Emmett Birkhold (1881-1920) was born in Payne, Paulding County, Ohio, and became a Lutheran minister. According to Charles’ obituary he taught school for two years before attending Capital University in 1901. Charles graduated from Capital University in June 1906 and entered the seminary that fall, likely Trinity Seminary, which is adjacent to the Capital University campus. Charles Birkhold became an ordained minister in 1909.

This all fits perfectly with the date on the postcard.

Rev. Charles Birkhold married Onata Snellenberger in 1909 and they had 3 children. He was a Lutheran minister in Danville, Knox County, Ohio, between 1915-1920 and died near there from peritonitis in November 1920. He was 38 years old and is buried in Lehman Cemetery, Paulding County. [1]   

Charles Emmett Birkhold and his sister Barbara Birkhold (1886-1980) were the children of Charles D. and Margaret (Shrader) Birkhold, who lived in Benton, Paulding County, Ohio. [2] His sister Barbara Birkhold married Dennis Ankney. 

To be perfectly honest, I do not have this postcard in my possession. I purchased it a few weeks ago but it has not arrived. My expectations of receiving it diminish every day that goes by. It has apparently been lost in the mail and I probably will never get it. However, I did get these two screenshots of the postcard when I purchased it. Who knows, maybe the physical postcard will show up in my mailbox one day. At least I have these images.

[1] Rev. Charles E. Birkhold, Find a Grave memorial no. 55520537, Lehman Cemetery, Payne, Paulding County, Ohio. [obituary included in memorial]

[2] 1900 U.S. Census, Benton, Paulding, Ohio, ED 39, p.4, dwelling 78, family 82, Chas D Birkhold; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602/ : viewed 30 Sep 2021).

Sep 28

Tombstone Tuesday-Angel Symbols

Angel carvings are often used on tombstones and angel statues are frequently seen in cemeteries. Angels are agents of God, messengers between God and man, between heaven and earth. They symbolize spirituality. 

Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio.

Catholic Cemetery, Celina, Mercer County, Ohio.

An angel who is flying or ascending symbolizes rebirth and resurrection.

Union Cemetery, Darke County, Ohio.

Catholic Cemetery, Celina, Mercer County, Ohio.

An angel shown looking down with a drooping head or shown to be weeping symbolize mourning.

Kessler Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio.

St. Joseph Cemetery, Wapakoneta, Auglaize County, Ohio.

Greenlawn Cemetery, Wapakoneta, Auglaize County, Ohio.

The angel Gabriel is usually depicted with a horn and represents the Resurrection or Judgment Day.

Angel Gabriel with horn.

Angel Gabriel with horn, Elm Grove Cemetery, St. Marys, Auglaize County, Ohio.

A cherub may adorn a child’s grave.

Cherub on child’s grave, Greenlawn Cemetery, Wapakoneta, Auglaize County, Ohio

The Angel of Grief monument, located in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome, was sculpted by William Wetmore Story as a memorial to his wife Emelyn, who died in 1895.

Angel of Grief, Protestant Cemetery, Rome.