Mar 23

Tombstone Tuesday-Finger Pointing Down Symbol

I recently posted some tombstone art photos of a finger pointing upward, symbolizing the hope of heaven or that the soul has gone to heaven. This is a symbol commonly seen in older cemeteries.

Here is another example of a pointing finger, only this finger is pointing downward. A down-pointing finger is much less frequently found on tombstones. I believe this one is the only one I have actually seen, although I have seen photos of the symbol.

Riverside Cemetery, Rockford, Ohio, 1897 finger pointing down, Clyde Pennell.

No, a finger pointing downward does not symbolize what you are probably thinking right now. It is not that ominous. I doubt this person’s loved ones thought that he was not going to heaven.

Instead, a finger pointing downward symbolizes God reaching down for the person’s soul. It can also represent that the deceased had an unexpected, sudden, or untimely death. 

It is hard to make out, but that appears to be a calla lily and a leaf by the hand.  

Riverside Cemetery, Rockford, Ohio, 1897 finger pointing down, Clyde Pennell.

What an interesting bit of tombstone art!

Mar 19

Black Creek Schools in 1853

I had intended to move on from the old Black Creek Township schools but I stumbled across some additional information while working on another project. I work on several research projects at any given time, which is sort of like reading several books at a time. My attention often wonders from one interesting project to another and staying focused on the project at hand seems to be a recurring problem with me. Joe says that I am easily distracted by shiny objects. I guess old papers and documents are like shiny objects to me.

So, here is yet another post about the Black Creek Township schools, the information from the 1853 Mercer County plat maps. I noticed that among the maps and land descriptions that there are also descriptions of the township schools. I zeroed in on Black Creek Township.

The schoolhouse information, along with some church information, is in a separate section, made up of just a couple pages. One page had the heading, School Houses Belonging to Black Creek Township.

Black Creek Township schools, 1853 Mercer County Plat book.

There were only 6 Black Creek schools listed in the 1853 plat book. By the late 1800s there were 9 schools in Black Creek Township and I do not know if there were more schools in 1853 than the 6 mentioned in the book.

The 6 schools described were located in Districts No. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and an unnamed district. Comparing their locations, some schools were in a different location in 1853 than in the late 1800s. They were in the same general location, but across the road from where a school was later located, which often put the school in a different Section.

The 6 Black Creek schools, as described in 1853:   

School District No. 4, 50/100 acres, W corner of SW ½ Section 17; Situated on State Road; hewed log house. Val. [value] $85. [This would be Duck Creek School, located on the east side of State Route 49. Later plat maps show the school was located on the west side of 49, a little farther south, in Section 19.]

School District No. 5 [no location given]: Excellent hewed log schoolhouse, well furnished. Val. $95. [School No. 5 was located in the center of the township, in Section 15 in later maps.]

School District No. 6, 50/100 acres, SE corner of E ½ of NE ¼ [no Section given]: Good hewed log schoolhouse [?] [?] and furnished. Val. $70. 

School District No. 7, SE corner of W ½ of SW ¼, Section 13: Good schoolhouse hewed log [?], well furnished. Val. $85. [The location of this school seems strange, since it appears that it was close to School District No. 6. In later years School No. 7 was located in Section 35.]

School District No. 8 [no location given]: Good hewed log house, shingled roof, unfurnished but [?]. Val. $75. [School No. 8 was known as Grove School in later years.]

There was no District number given for the last school, which was located at the SE corner of the NE ¼ of Section 35, on the 80-acre farm of John Street. The school set on ¼ acre and was a hewed log house. Val. $70.

Black Creek School in Section 35, 1853.

As time went on these old log schoolhouses were replaced by brick and frame structures.

The 1882 History of Mercer County indicates that the first Black Creek Township schoolhouse was built in about 1840, on land owned at that time [1882] by Charles Jordan, which would have been in Section 2. The 1880 History also tells that Duck Creek Church, established in about 1856, occupied the schoolhouse until they built a frame church in 1868. That would place the early log schoolhouse on the east side of 49.

However, according to the 1978 Mercer County Ohio History, Duck Creek School No.4 was the first school in Black Creek Township and was started in 1852. The brick Duck Creek School building was built in 1893 and burned in 2005. It may have been the last old schoolhouse in the township.

Duck Creek School fire, 2005. Photo courtesy of Janet Myers.

The Ohio legislature established common schools in Ohio in 1825. At this time, the state government financed public education with a half-mil property tax. With the establishment of public education in Ohio, communities formed school districts to meet the state legislature’s requirements. [1]

[1] Public Schools, Ohio History Central, https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Public_Schools .

Mar 16

Tombstone Tuesday-Saloma Hardzog

Saloma Hardzog, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Soloma Hardzog, located in row 7 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

Saloma
Wife of George
Hardzog Was
Born Dec 25’
1777 & Died
July 23’ 1844
Aged 76 years
7 ms & 29 d

Saloma’s date of birth is 24 November 1767, as calculated from her tombstone, using her age at death. The age that is inscribed on her tombstone does not agree with the date of birth that is inscribed on her tombstone. Which is correct on her tombstone? Her date of birth or her age?

I believe her age is correct as inscribed on her tombstone.

Find a Grave.com provides some information about her but I do not know if it is family information or if the information came from other sources.

Find a Grave indicates that Saloma Hardzog, in addition to being the wife of George Hardzog, was also the mother of George Hartzog Jr (1789-1846), Christian Hartzog (1798-1874), Benjamin Hartzog (1806-1882), and Solomon Hartzog (1808-1848). [1] [2]

Several Hardzog/Hartzog families lived in Willshire Township, Van Wert County, and Black Creek Township, Mercer County, and the following were enumerated in 1840: Solomon, Fred, and George in Willshire Township, Christian in Black Creek Township.

Therefore, if Saloma was the mother of any of the above men mentioned she was probably not born in 1777, but instead was born in 1767. It is likely her date of birth inscription is incorrect.     

Soloma would have been about 74 years old in 1840 but not that many women in her 70-80 year age group were enumerated in either township in 1840. In fact, there was only one. There was just one woman in Black Creek (Isaac H. Sutton household) and none in Willshire Township. Perhaps Saloma had not moved into the area by 1840. Or maybe she fibbed about her age…

Unfortunately, Saloma’s death predates the records at Zion Lutheran, Schumm, and the recording deaths in Ohio. Little information can be found about her.

Several of Saloma’s descendants are also buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery at Schumm.

[1] This name is often spelled Hartzog as well as Hardzog, and sometimes Hartsock.

[2] Find a Grave.com, memorial no. 34047019, Soloma (Honer) Hartzog tombstone, (1767-1844), Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio.

Mar 12

Two More Photos of Grove School No.8

Today I have two more photos of students standing in front of Grove School No.8, Black Creek Township, Mercer County, Ohio. One photo was taken before 1930 and the other taken in 1930. A big thanks to Doug Roebuck for sharing these photos. And even better, he has identified most of the students in the 1930 photo.

Grove School No. 8 was located in Section 33, situated on the south side what is now State Route 707, a little west of Wabash Road. The school was taken town years ago.

The photo below was taken in 1930.

Grove School No.8, Black Creek Township, 1930.

The 1930 students, left to right, starting in the front. Front: Bonnie Roebuck

Bottom Row: Richard Tangeman, Norma Roebuck, Anna Bollenbacher, Eulah Gause, Doil Springer, Jack Springer, Junior Branstetter, Roma Miller, Billy E. Roebuck, and ? Kaylor.

Middle Row:  Garni Branstetter, Betty Kettering, Chester Gause, Edwin Counterman, Melvin Gehm, Edgar Schaadt, Lloyd Gause, LeRoy Counterman, and James F. Roebuck.

Top Row:  Iris (Roebuck) Putman, Delores Branstetter, Freda Bransteter, Pauline Detro, Irma Branstetter, Clara Kaylor, Guy Montgomery (Teacher), Lloyd Lenninger, and Chester Tangeman.

The next Grove School photo was taken before 1930.

Grove School No.8, Black Creek Township, before 1930.

Doug could name just a couple of the students.

Row 2: far right, (LeRoy?) Counterman; second from right end, Gause [?], third from right end, (Jim?) Roebuck.   

Below is the other photo of Grove School, taken about 1933. Thanks to Linda (Gehm) Duff who sent me this photo that includes her dad Melville.

Grove School, Black Creek Twp, Mercer County, Ohio, c1933.

Front row, second from left, Melville Gehm; fourth, Gause (?)

Again, a big thank you to Doug and Linda for sharing these great photos.

One final photo Grove School photo, probably taken about 1920:

Grove School, c1920.

Front Row: Gale Gause, Viola Topp, Creava Kettering, Wilma Branstetter, Ray Kettering, Delilah Schaadt.

Middle Row: Anna Gause, Hazel Branstetter, Thelma Branstetter, Lewis Gause, Dick Branstetter, Margaret Carr, Bill Topp.

Back Row: Glen Leininger, Louella Felver, teacher, Marie Topp, Arthur Leininger, Hulda Carr, Thelma Gause.

Mar 09

Tombstone Tuesday-Catharine (Hardzog) Strete

Catharine (Hardzog) Strete, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Catharine (Hardzog) Strete, located in row 7 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Van Wert County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

IN
Memory of
Catharine wife
of John Strete who
Died Feb. 27th 1845
Aged 20 [?] Years, 3 Mo
& 8 days

Catharine Hardzog was born 19 November 1824, as calculated from her tombstone, when she died at age of 20. She was the daughter of Christian and Katharine (Lintermoot) Hardzog and her family lived in Black Creek Township, Mercer County, Ohio, in 1840. [1]

Her death predates the records of Zion Lutheran Church, Schumm, so there was no information about her in the church records.

Catharine Hardzog married John Strete in Mercer County, Ohio, on 31 Aug 1841. John Strete was also a resident of Mercer County. [2]

Catherine was only 16 years old when she married, legally underage to marry without the consent of her father or guardian. Therefore their marriage record tells us that her father was Christian Hardzog. Christian gave his consent for his daughter Catherine to marry John Strete and several people attested to Christian’s signed consent. The following is a transcription of that document:

The State of Ohio
Mercer County ss
Personally appeared John Streete who being duly sworn says that in the contemplated marriage between himself and Catharine Hardzogg he the said John Streete is of lawful age and both reside in the County aforesaid and further that the certificate produced by him and signed by Christian Hardzogg as the father of said Catharine Hardzogg giving his consent to said marriage he saw him sign the same and heard him acknowledge his consent thereto.
Sworn to this 31 day of August 1841.
Franklin Linzee, Clerk Pro Tem

August the 30 1841
To the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Mercer County Ohio I hereby certify in the presents of the subscribing witness that it is my wish and with my consent that you grant to John Streete License for the marriage of the said John Streete to Catharine Hardzogg my daughter in testimony whereof I sign my name in presence of Joseph John Hartzog. Christian Hardzogg. We hereby testify that we saw Christian Hardzogg subscribe his name to the above order.
Attest Daniel Berger
Attest John Streete

John Streete
&
Catharine Hardzogg

License Issued Aug. 31 1841
I hereby certify that John Streete and Catharine Hartzogg were joined in marriage on the 31 day of August A.D. 1841.
By Josephus Dowus, Justice of the Peace
Sept. 7, 1841
Franklin Linzee, Clerk Pro. Tem

I love it when research comes together and results in new revelations. Catharine’s sandstone tombstone is weathered and her surname has been misread. Her maiden name and her true identity have probably been unknown for some time.

But it all fits together.

The surname on the tombstone is Strete. The marriage record of John Strete and Catharine Hardzog states that Christian Hardzog was Catharine’s father. Several Hardzog family members are buried in Zion Lutheran Cemetery at Schumm, including Catharine’s mother Katherine and Catharine’s sister Caroline Hardzog, who are both buried row 7. Their markers are some of the oldest sandstone markers that remain in Zion Schumm’s cemetery. Catherine’s father Christian is buried down the road in Hileman/Smith/Hartzog/Alspaugh Cemetery.  

Catharine Hardzog can now be added to the list of children of Christian Hardzog and his first wife Katharine (Lintemoot/Lindenmuth).

Catharine (Hardzog) Strete, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio. (2012 photo by Karen)

However, other questions remain unanswered. Did John and Catharine (Hardzog) Strete have any children and if so, did any survive to adulthood? What happened to John Strete after Catharine’s death? Where did John and Catharine live?

I may continue to research this family…

[1] 1840 U.S. census, Mercer County, Ohio, Black Creek Township, p. 84, line 10, Christian Hartsock; digital image by subscription, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8057/ : accessed 13 January 2013).

[2] “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016,” Mercer County Marriages, Vol. ABC (1838-1852), p.79, John Streets & Catharine Hertzogg/Hardzogg, 31 Aug 1841; FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939K-BJSW-SQ?i=71&cc=1614804&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AXZC5-8Y3 : viewed 7 Mar 2021).