Jun 11

Duckcreek Church, Mercer County, Ohio

The first religious society in Blackcreek Township, Mercer County, Ohio, was a Methodist Episcopal class at the Duckcreek school house. The class was formed by Rev. Joshua Smith in about 1856 and among its first members were A.M. Counterman & wife, Alonzo Cross & wife, George Clark & wife, and William Harper & wife.

Services were conducted in the Duckcreek schoolhouse until it became too small for the congregation. The schoolhouse was located a couple miles north of Chatt, on the west side of route 49, a little south of the cemetery. About 1868 a frame church was built across the road and about a quarter mile north of the school and was the first church in the township. Land for the church was purchased from Josiah H. Wilmore in 1873 for $12.50. A cemetery had already been started at the location, on a hill above Duckcreek Ditch. The oldest stone in the cemetery is that of Johnathan Emery, son of John and Sarah Emery, who died 18 August 1841.

Duckcreek Church, Blackcreek Township, Mercer County, Ohio, undated photo.

In 1859 Duckcreek Church/Duckcreek Society was in the Celina Circuit and conference members were George Clark, J. Koons, D. Foreman, A.M. Counterman, S. Hopkins, D. Tinkham, A. Foreman, J. Garwood, John Detterer, W. Foreman, I. Foreman, C. Counterman, M.A. Clark, N.A. Counterman, and M.S. Tinkham.

In 1867 Duckcreek Church was on the Shanesville Circuit and officers were Elmer Hill, collector, Porter Davis, George Clark, James Nelson, M.H. Porter, John Frank, D. Clark, Christiania Johnson, Mary Clark, and Alex Counterman.

In 1869 Duckcreek was put on the Willshire circuit. Members reporting to conference were C.Y. Hill, collector, Christiania Johnson, Mary Clark, G. Clark, J. Johnson, P. Counterman, Priscilla Wood, John Frank, L. Tinkham, R. Coppersmith, and S. Hollinger.

In 1878, because of much dissatisfaction, Duckcreek left the radical United Brethren circuit and joined the Shanesville Circuit of Methodist churches. This circuit was made up of Shanesville, Fountain Chapel, Mercer and Coss, and Willshire and Duckcreek as a Willshire Circuit.

Church officers in 1879 were John Davis, Moses Foreman, D. Smith, M. Detro, H. Mille, William Beall, J. Wechter, Reed Hopkins, Baldwin Clark, and Alex Counterman. Alex and Ann Elizabeth (Bolenbaugh) Counterman were among the list of older members.

In 1882 Pastor M.M. Figley reported that smallpox that spring was very detrimental to the work.

According to the 1891 conference notes Duckcreek Church was out of debt.

In 1903 church officers were G. Marbaugh, William Tinkham, J. Davis, A. Bailey, S. Tinkham, trustees; William Tinkham and Eva Morrison, stewards; and Emanuel Stetler, class leader.

WPA records indicate that the last Duckcreek pastor was Rev. B.W. George. These records describe the church as a small wooden frame building of English design, with a tower bell, stained glass windows, but no inscriptions. The WPA records indicate that there were 16 members when the church was completed and dedicated and that no church records could be found.

Late in the evening of 28 March 1920, just after dark, the church was completely blown apart by a cyclone while a meeting was being held. It had been a clear sunny day with a stiff wind but there was no indication of a coming storm. For some reason not many people were in attendance at that evening’s service and no one was seriously injured. The cyclone completely destroyed the church building and church bell came straight down and was taken and installed in the Mount Hope Church, Adams County, Indiana, four miles to the west. The storm also knocked over and broke some cemetery stones.

That storm, accompanied by lightning, hail, and a great deal of rain, crossed portions of northwest and southeast Mercer County and swept across several states. Mercer County had no storm-related deaths but all surrounding counties had fatalities, that totaled at least 25 victims.  

Duckcreek Church was never rebuilt and many of its members joined the Chattanooga Methodist Church after their church was destroyed.

A few Duckcreek Church records did survive. Next week I will post some of those records.

Sources:
History of Van Wert and Mercer Counties, Ohio, Sutton, 1882, p.418.

U.S. Work Projects Administration [WPA], Ohio Historical Records Survey, Duckcreek Church, Mercer County, Ohio; Hayes Presidential Library, Fremont, Ohio.

Information from Florence Gause, April 2005.

“Swept by Tornado,” The Rockford Press, Rockford, Ohio, 2 April 1920, p.1.

Jun 08

Tombstone Tuesday-WWI Military Inscriptions

During this time between our two patriotic holidays, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, I will feature military tombstone inscriptions on Tombstone Tuesday.

This image of a WWI soldier is on at least two tombstones at Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City. Both are on monuments for young men who died in battle or from battle injuries.

“For Democracy” WWI Inscription, Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio, City, Van Wert County, Ohio.

Sergt. Lawrence E. Beach, HDQR’s Co. 145th Inf, 37 Div., A.E.F. died of battle injuries 13 December 1918, age 19 years:

Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City, Ohio.

Pvt. John Yocum, Co B 335 Infantry, Private Meuse-Argonne, American Expeditionary Forces, killed in Action 4 Nov 1918. [1]

Pvt. John Yocum, Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City, Ohio.

Also inscribed on Pvt. John Yocum’s tombstone:

We heard humanity’s clear call,
And knew the voice divine,
He gave his life, he gave his all,
In deadly battle line.

From Greenlawn Cemetery, Wapakoneta, Ohio, Frank Rostorfer, Co. I, 146 Inf, 37 Div, killed in the Battle of the Argonne Forest, 28 September 1918:

Greenlawn Cemetery, Wapakoneta, Ohio.

A WWI flag staff:

WWI flag staff.

[1] FindaGrave.com, Memorial no. 91997340, Pvt John Yocum, Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City, Ohio. [Memorial services were held at Mendon Sunday for John Yocum, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Yocum, killed in action in France, November 5. He left for Camp Taylor, May 25, with a contingent of Van Wert boys. He was 25 years old. A brother, Gus, is also in France.]

Jun 04

Drury GAR Post 372, Neptune, Ohio

This past Tuesday I showed some examples of the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) insignia inscribed on local tombstones.

GAR symbol, Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City, Van Wert County, Ohio.

The GAR, founded in 1866, was an organization comprised of Union Civil War Veterans. The organization permanently dissolved when the last member died in 1956. Many of the post records did not survive and those that did were given to various archives.

Below is an undated photo of the members of Neptune’s GAR Drury Post No. 372. One of the members is Corporal Simon Peter Young (1840-1912), who served in Company H, 69th Regiment OVI from 1862-1865. Simon Peter Young is seated (on a chair), the 5th man from the left.  

Drury Post No. 372, Neptune, Ohio, undated photo by Brown, Mendon, Oh. Simon Peter Young, seated, 5th from left.

Simon Peter Young was married to Elnora “Ellen” (Bush) (1846-1913). They are laid to rest in Elm Grove Cemetery, St. Marys, Ohio.

Simon Peter Young & wife Elnora (Bush) Young, c1900.

I prepared a Society of Civil War Families of Ohio lineage application for the family several years ago and they shared these photos with me.

Mercer county had at least four GAR posts at one time, possibly six–the Harold/Harrod McDaniel Post No. 180, Fort Recovery; the McKendree-Murlin Post No. 319, Mendon; the Drury Post No. 372, Neptune; and the Dolph Graves Post No. 429, Shanes Crossing (Rockford). [1] [2] Stevens indicates that Celina had two posts, the DJ Roop Post No. 61 and the Celina Post No. 710. [2] 

[1] Ohio GAR Records Project (http://www.suvcw.org/garrecords/garposts/oh.htm), Posts by Location (https://www.ohiosuv.com/GARProject/GARPOST_by_Location.pdf).

[2] Ohio GAR Posts, compiled by Larry Stevens, (http://ohiocivilwar.com/gar.html).

Jun 01

Tombstone Tuesday-GAR Symbol

This patriotic tombstone inscription is the symbol of the Grand Army of the Republic.

GAR symbol, Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City, Van Wert County, Ohio.

The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a patriotic organization comprised of Union Civil War Veterans. One of its purposes was the “defense of the late soldiery of the United States, morally, socially, and politically.” The organization was founded in Springfield, Illinois, in 1866 and had more than 400,000 members at its peak in 1890. In its day the GAR was a powerful political influence and was usually aligned with Republican policy.

GAR symbol, Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City, Van Wert County, Ohio.

As the Civil War veterans passed away the GAR dwindled and the organization permanently dissolved in 1956. Their records went to the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, and their badges, flags, and official seal went to the Smithsonian Institution.

Sometimes the soldier’s service information in is also inscribed on the tombstone.

Riverside Cemetery, Rockford, Ohio.

There may be a GAR flag staff at the base of the veteran’s tombstone.

GAR flag staff, Willshire Cemetery, Willshire, Ohio.

GAR flag staff, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio.

Memorial Day, which was observed yesterday, began as a way to remember and honor both Union and Confederate soldiers who were killed in battle during the Civil War. After WWI Memorial Day was extended to honor Americans who died in all wars. Now on Memorial Day we honor all American veterans who have died. 

Woodlawn Cemetery, Ohio City, Van Wert County, Ohio.

May 28

Clues in the 1850 Mortality Schedule

As I was researching this week’s Tombstone Tuesday about Michael Billman I found some additional information about a woman who I theorize was his daughter.

The records of Zion Lutheran Schumm indicate that Louisa A. Billman married John Bienz on 7 November 1848 at Zion. The bride and groom were both from Zion. Their marriage is also recorded in Van Wert County Probate, which indicates they were married by Rev. George Streckfuss, [1] Zion Schumm’s minister at that time.

Noted at the end of their church marriage entry is that Louisa died 18 June 1849. The couple was married less than a year when she died.

And Louisa was very young. Zion Schumm’s records indicate that she was 17 years, 6 months, and 11 days old when she died. Her date of birth is calculated as 7 December 1831.   

Louisa (Billman) Bienz was in my database but I did not have much information about her, just that she was married to John Bienz.

But this week I found some additional information about Louisa Billman from an interesting record group that I do not use very often, the U.S. Census Mortality Schedule. The Mortality Schedules contain good, but specific information and I usually do not find many people I am looking for in it.

1850 Mortality Schedule, Willshire Township.

Only four mortality schedules were taken. They list the people who died in the 12 months before (1 June through 31 May) the federal census was taken in the years 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. These schedules list the dead person’s name, age, sex, color, whether married or widowed, birthplace, month of death, occupation, and cause of death. Mortality schedules were taken along with population schedules but they are separate from the population schedules. Ancestry.com has most of the mortality schedules, although a few states/years are missing. FamilySearch.org has the 1850 mortality schedule images and indexes.

The first column of the 1850 Mortality Schedule lists the Name of every person who died during the year ending 1 June 1850, whose usual place of abode at the time of his death was in this family.

The regular census was taken in June and since the information was intended to include those who died the year before the census was taken, the Van Wert County’s 1850 Mortality Schedule includes Louisa (Billman) Bienz, who died 18 June 1849.

The mortality schedule gives this information about Louisa: Louisa Billman, female, 18 years of age, born in Ohio, died in June 1849 from a fever that she had for 6 weeks. [2] Interesting that her maiden name was given instead of her married name. Note that this record shows she was 18 years of age, while the church record gives her age as 17. Either way, she was a young bride but I did not see that her father gave his consent for her marriage.

The best thing about seeing Louisa’s death date in the mortality schedule is that it corrected some information for me. The name Louisa looks like Louis In Zion Schumm’s old church records, which are written in the old Gothic script. I had transcribed her death record as Louis Bienz and did not know who he was. But now I know it is the death record of Louisa (Billman) Bienz. Mystery solved! 

On the line below Louisa’s death entry in the mortality schedule is the name Lewis Schumm, 1 month old, male, born in Ohio, died in October 1849 of UK[?], which he had for 1 day. Zion Schumm’s records confirm that Ludwig Schumm, son of Jacob Schumm, was buried 12 October 1849, age 1 day. I believe the letters under cause of death are UK, for unknown.   

The mortality schedules are an interesting source of information, although they are limited to a very specific time period.

[1] “Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958,” Van Wert, Vol. 1, p.55, John Bienz & Louisa A. Billman, 1 Dec 1848; FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9392-S5QV-CZ?i=51&cc=1614804: viewed 27 May 2021).

[2] U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885, Non-population Census Schedules for Ohio, 1850-1880, Van Wert, Ohio, 1849, District 147, p.243, line 4, Louisa Billman; Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8756/ : viewed 24 May 2021).