Frederick Henry Lexow (1875-1931) - "52 Ancestors"

Sometimes when your life changes you start to think of things differently. I am in the process of moving for a new job as supervisor of the Everglades Restoration South team. I've been looking at houses and wondering about neighborhoods. Because of the move, this is the last semester that I will be teaching my class on cultural ecology. I have had a great time teaching students about how our history and culture effect the way that we view the environment that we live in. As part of the class we take weekly field trips to various areas around the city. Recently, we were taking a 2.5 mile hike through the historic district, talking about how the neighborhood developed after the 1901 fire and looking at a park that was designed by Henry Klutho in 1929-1930. The land for this park has historical significance to the city that many residents never think about. After the field trip on the way home I was listening to NPR and they were talking about neighborhoods that have disappeared with history. One of the speakers made the following comment "Someone forgot to tell the story." This hit me pretty strongly. Who are our storytellers today? Who is keeping the story alive? We as family history researchers are among those that are responsible for continuing the story of our history. That is one of the reasons that I originally titled my blog as "Our AnceStories" - to emphasize the stories that everyone has, no matter how short their lives were. I feel the responsibility and obligation to bring back the lost stories and perpetuate them into the future. I hope many of you also feel this responsibility and do your part to keep the history alive.

And now on to week 7 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. Week 7, OMG! See I can be consistent, sometimes, maybe, if I don't have any other distractions. SQUIRREL! By the way, if you have been reading my blog since the beginning of the year you will remember that I made two resolutions. Well, I guess I am batting 0.500, since I stopped the other resolution after less than two weeks.

Now on to my story. This week I decided to stick with my wife's family for another story. This story is about Frederick Henry Lexow (1875-1931), her great-grandfather. Frederick was born on 7 September 1875 in Indianapolis, Indiana. His parents were J. Charles Lexow (1842-~1910) and Whilhelmina "Minnie" Dettof (1853-??). Both of his parents immigrated from Germany. Charles' immigration record indicates that he arrived in the United States on 2 July 1872 aboard the ship Silesia. He departed from Hamburg and arrived at Castle Garden. Charles and Wilhelmina married in Indianapolis on 8 September 1874, almost exactly one year before Frederick was born. Frederick had two brothers, Charles John (1877-1958) and William J (1884-??).

197 Orange Street, Indianapolis, Indiana (today)

The 1880 census has Charlie (age 35), Minnie (age 25), Frederick (age 4), and Charley Jr (age 2). Frederick's father is listed as being unemployed for two months. Charlie and Minnie are both listed as being born in Prussia, while the two boys are listed as being born in Indiana. They were living at 197 Orange Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. Today, this neighborhood is an industrial area. The story of this neighborhood has been lost to those who drive through it today.

270 Olive Street, Indianapolis, Indiana (today)

In the 1888 Indianapolis, Indiana City Directory the family is living at 270 Olive. It looks like this home has been demolished and is now a vacant lot. Frederick's father was employed as a truckman for the Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Chicago Railway. By 1895, Frederick's brother Charles is also employed as a truckman. Frederick was listed as a machine hand but soon changed jobs and became a bottler between 1896-1897. In 1897 Frederick enlisted in the US Army, Company C, 1st Det Regiment and was stationed at Sullivan's Island, South Carolina. While he was there he met Mary A. Truesdell, daughter of Stephen P. Truesdell and Katherine Churchill. Frederick married Mary A. Truesdell (1881-1950) on 14 February 1898, at No. 5 College Street, Charleston, South Carolina.

In the 1900 census, Frederick and Mary were living at Sullivan's Island. Frederick had achieved the rank of Sergeant after serving for two years. Frederick is listed as being a veteran of the Spanish American War. He was discharged from the Army on 25 August 1900, but that didn't end his military career. After being discharged he and Mary moved back to Indianapolis to live with his family at 1513 Barth Avenue. His father was a flagman for the railroad by this time. His brother Charles was a stove monitor and William was listed as a helper as his employment. Frederick was employed as a clerk at 128 South Illinois. In 1904 Frederick is listed as living at 1606 Shelby, in Indianapolis but is back living at 1513 Barth Avenue in 1905. During this time he is also active in the Indiana National Guard, 2nd Regiment Infantry, 1st Battalion. He had reached the rank of 1st Lieutenant by 1906. In 1907 he is employed at Van Camp Hardware and Iron Company as a foreman.

1545 Barth Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana (today)

In 1910, Frederick (age 34), his wife Mary A. (age 28), and children Alita W. (age 8) and Herbert J. (age 4) are living at 1545 Barth Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana. This neighborhood looks much the same today as it did back then except that Interstate 65 now runs right through the back yard. The house was built in 1905. There were five people in addition to Frederick and his immediate family, living in this house. They included his father Charles Sr. (age 68), his brother Charles H. Jr. (age 32), his sister-in-law Estell Truesdell (age 17), and two boarders Martin Hardin (age 50) and daughter Mabel Hardin (age 9). Frederick's occupation is listed as hardware salesman. In 1913 Frederick and Joseph Truesdell, brother of Mary, are listed as patent holders for an excavating apparatus with patent number #1,066,683.

Frederick served in World War I as a Captain in the Infantry Reserve Corps, C1 US Artillery, M1 Georgia Infantry Battalion D, and 6 Co Infantry Provisional Training Regiment. In 1920 he is listed as a Captain in the Officers' Reserve Corps stationed at Mayport, Jacksonville, Florida. They remained in Jacksonville until their deaths. The family consisted of Frederick (age 47), Mary (age 38), Alita (age 17), Herbert (age 14), Estelle Truesdell - Mary's sister - (age 26), Charles Lexow (age 37) and his wife Lena (age 26). They were living at 2232 Fisher Street in Jacksonville, Florida. Fisher Street and the neighborhood no longer exist. Frederick and his brother were employed at Dixie Wholesale Company, and Alita was working in the Eve Larsen real estate office. In 1923 the family moved to 2000 Hill Street and Frederick started working at the municipal docks and terminals sometime between 1923-1924. He continued working at the docks until his death in 1931. Estelle Truesdell continued living with the family at least through 1933.

The family moved around quite a bit during the late 1920s and early 1930s. In 1928 they were living at 1639 E 8th. In 1929 they were living at 1830 East Beaver. In 1930 they were living at 901 Parker Street and 1806 East Duval. Herbert, Frederick's son, became a fireman at Fire Staton #1 in 1927. I don't know why they moved so often in the final years of Frederick's life.

Lt. Col. Frederick H. Lexow

Frederick died on 7 August 1931. His funeral was held at the Seashole Funeral Parlor at 1806 East Church Street on 10 August 1931 with Rev. A. C. Shuler of Calvary Baptist Church officiating. The pallbearers were all former officers who had served under Frederick. They included First Lieut. J. E. Fant, Second Lieutenants F. H. Sharp, Conrad Mangles, J. E. Dahl, L. W. Raulerson and W. A. Miller with the honorary pallbearers from the local Reserve Association being Lieut.-Col. Lynwood Evans, Col. Chester H. Wilson, Lieut.-Col. R. R. Milam, Lieut.-Col. Robert L. Seither, Capt. S. A. Marshall, Lieut. W. M. Bishop and Lieut. Hunter Lynde. The 124th Infantry supplied the firing squad for his funeral service. Frederick was buried in the family lot in West Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida.

Stephen Piggott Truesdell (1841-1919) "52 Ancestors"

Ok, this is week 6 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge and I am already having problems thinking of new stories. I spent the week looking for information on a person to no avail. So I am falling back on an old name that I had researched several years ago. I asked my wife who I should write about this week and she said Katherine Churchill (1846-??) from South Carolina. I know almost nothing about Katherine but I do have a lot of information about her husband. So this week I will be writing about Stephen Piggott Truesdell (1841-1919), my wife's great-great grandfather.

Stephen Truesdell was the son of David B. F. Truesdell. David was born in New York but moved to Charleston, South Carolina prior to 1821 and was the single largest landowner on Sullivan's Island. David owned a plantation and interestingly enough, in 1837 while he was excavating some land on Sullivan's Island to build his house, he uncovered a Revolutionary War breastwork. The breastwork was believed to have been occupied by Colonel Thompson with 300 riflemen in his regiment, Colonel Clark with 200 regulars of the North Carolina line, Colonel Horry with 200 South Carolina militia, and was armed with an eighteen pounder and field pieces. The breastwork was instrumental in opposing the passage of General Clinton from Long Island while they were engaged with the fleet of Sir Peter Parker. After finding this breastwork, David Truesdell was able to collect approximately 50,000 bricks.

Advertisement for New York Oyster House
Charleston, SC (1823)

According to advertisements in the Charleston City Gazette, David Truesdell had started his own restaurant, known as the New York Oyster House at 32 Queen Street in Charleston by 1821. David applied for and received, a retail Spirituous Liquors license in 1823. By the 1840s David had started to farm oysters in the waters surrounding Sullivan's Island. In 1842, he submitted a petition asking for a grant to marsh land on Sullivan's Island but he was opposed by the town of Moultrieville which claimed ownership of those lands. In 1844, he was granted a plat for 400 acres of marsh lands on Bourons and Scotts Creeks. The town of Moutrieville continued to petition that the plat given to David Truesdell be revoked for many years. Finally on 28 April 1999 (yes, it was 1999) the town won it's battle when the General Assembly of South Carolina repealed the plat. In 1845, there is another plat for 645 acres of marsh lands on Scotts Creek granted to Stephen Piggott Truesdell. This is a little confusing since our Stephen would have only been 4 years old at the time. We haven't found another Stephen P. Truesdell in the area so I am not sure if it is for the same person or not. The oysters that the Truesdell family harvested were headed to one of the two restaurants the family owned. These restaurants were the New York Oyster House in Charleston and another in Columbia, South Carolina.

Now that I have set the stage for the family, we return back to the subject of this post, Stephen P. Truesdell. Stephen was born on 24 December 1841. We know of the following siblings; Jane Elizabeth, Francis W, and David B Truesdell. The 1850 census only lists D. Truesdell, age 60 as a tavern keeper. No children are included in this household. We do know that the tavern was associated with his oyster business. Additionally, the 1850 slave schedule lists twelve slaves owned by D. Truesdell. So, where are the children? I don't yet know.

In the 1860 census, Stephen (age 20) and his brother David (age 25) are living together in Christ Church, Charleston, South Carolina and are employed as oystermen. During the Civil War, Stephen enlisted in Company M, 1st (Gregg's) South Carolina Volunteers on 22 April 1861. He then joined the 1st Regiment, Company I, South Carolina Infantry (McCreary's 1st Provisional Army) on 20 July 1861. On 17 January 1862 he transferred to the Navy where he served as a Landsman, an inexperienced sailor, on the Confederate ironclad, CSS Virginia. On 18 March 1865, Stephen Truesdell's name is included on a report of Confederate refugees and deserters from the Gunboat Charleston, being captured and taking an oath of allegiance.

After the war, Stephen returned to South Carolina and married Mary Churchill (1848-??). They had the following children: George David (1866-1932), John F (1868-1902), Wyatt Akin (1870-1936), Stephen Wyatt (1875-??) and Joseph A (1877-1948). The 1880 census lists the family as living in Moultrieville and consisting of Stephen (age 39), Mary (age 32), George (age 13), John (age 11), Wyatt (age 10), Stephen (age 4), Joseph (age 2) and Catherine Churchill (age 15) sister-in-law. Stephen's occupation is listed as Marshall. Mary died sometime after the 1880 census and Stephen then married her sister Katherine Churchill (1846-??). Stephen and Katherine had the following children: Mary A (1881-1950), Jessie Edith (1883-??) and Estelle (~1894-??). Stephen's daughter, Mary Truesdell (Truesdale) was my wife's great grandmother. She married Frederick Henry Lexow (1875-1931) at No. 5 College Street, Charleston, South Carolina on 14 February 1898. Frederick Lexow and Joseph Truesdell worked together and are listed as the patent holders for patent #1,066,683, issued on 8 July 1913 for an excavating apparatus.

In 1900 Stephen is listed as being a fisherman and two of his sons, George and John are listed as being employed as carpenters. His wife is listed as being a housekeeper. Stephen died at the age of 78 years on 17 October 1919 at 1:30 pm at Sullivan's Island, Charleston County, South Carolina. His occupation was listed as fisherman. The cause of death is listed as senility. The funeral was held at his residence at 20 1/2 Sullivan's Island and was attended by a large number of family and friends from the island and Charleston. He was buried at 3:30 pm in the old burial grounds on Sullivan's Island on 18 October 1919. Members of his family have been working hard to encourage the upkeep of the cemetery where he is buried.

Herman Gaier (1870-1936) "52 Ancestors"

Oh my! I think this is 5 weeks in a row for posting in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. So how long does it take to make this a habit?

This week I am writing about Herman Gaier (1870-1936), my 2nd great-grand uncle. His sister Magdalena Gaier (1852-1929) and her husband Joseph Reiss (1844-1924) were my great-great-grandparents.

Herman was the tenth child of Ferdinand (1809-1902) and Appolonia Siegel Gaier (1826-1880). Herman's siblings were Charles (1848-1921), Magdalena (1852-1929), Catherine Eva (1855-1932), Margaret Elizabeth (1858-1920), Ferdinand (1859-1944), John (1861-1939), Burkhard (1864-1864), George B (1865-1948), and Joseph (1868-1953). His father had been married previously to Eva Katherine Siegel (1821-1844) and had four children, Gertrude (1838-1911), Jacob (1841-1906), Caroline (1843-1907), and Valentine (1844-1915). That marriage took place on 10 May 1838. Eva and Appolonia Siegel were

Ferdinand (r) and Appolonia Siegel (l) Gaier

sisters, so Ferdinand married her sister Appolonia on 4 June 1846, after Eva died in 1844, shortly after Valentine was born. Herman's father, mother, and six older siblings (Gertrude, Jacob, Caroline, Valentine, Carl, and Magdalena) immigrated from Germany aboard the ship Carolus Magnus and arrived in the Port of New York on 13 January 1854. Their last name was listed as Geiger on the ships records. After arriving in the United States, the family made their way to Ohio and settled near Troy, in Miami County. In 1860 the family moved to Shelby County and are listed as living in McLean Township, Shelby County, Ohio during the 1860 US census. Ferdinand had already started farming and was listed as owning land valued at $1,500 with a personal value of $200 in 1860. Their family was also growing as they had added three children, Catherine, Elizabeth and Ferdinand to their family. By the 1870 census, the farm was valued at $2,000 and Ferdinand's personal value had increased to $685. Their family had also increased by another three children, John, George, and Zibidu (I have no idea who he is but it would have to be Joseph based on birth dates).

Herman was born on the family farm, three miles east of Ft. Loramie in Shelby County, Ohio, on 31 October 1870. Herman is first listed in the US census in 1880. He is 10 years old and is attending school. The family at that time consisted of his father Ferdinand (aged 70), mother Appolonia (aged 54), and the following children: Elizabeth (aged 22) keeping house, Ferdinand (aged 20) working on the farm, Catherine (aged 24) keeping house, John (aged 18) working on the farm, George (aged 14) working on the farm, Joseph (aged 13) attending school, and Philip Carity (aged 9 months) son of Catherine. Catherine is listed as a widow. Her husband, Francois Emil Carity, a French immigrant, had recently died on 18 April 1880, just 8 months after their son Philip was born.

5 cent token for Loramie Bakery
(source: eBay)

Herman lived on the family farm until he was twenty-five years of age, when he moved to the village of Ft. Loramie and began his career as a furniture dealer. On 2 August 1898, he married Mary Louise Jardot (1869-1965). This may have been his second marriage as some say that he was first married to Magdellena Wise who may have died in 1897. I haven't found the records yet to support that marriage. This was the second marriage for his wife, Mary. She was previously married to Joseph Wolf (1869-1896) and had four children from that marriage; Anna Adelle (1889-1978), William J (1890-1907), Leo J (1893-1966), and Mathilda Catherine (1896-1989). Herman left the furniture dealership in 1898 and became the owner and operator of Loramie Bakery and also became a grocer. His children helped out in the bakery and grocery, learning the importance of being responsible business persons early on. The bakery was located at 36 West Main Street, in Ft. Loramie, the same address as Gaier's Chrysler Dealership is located today. Herman and Mary had their first of five children on May 1899 when Susan was born. These children were; Susan (1899-??), August J (1902-1978), Elmer (1906-??), Paul L (1908-1992), and Mary Ellen (1914-2002). Two of his sons, August and Elmer operated an automobile repair business and August Gaier also became the fire chief for Ft. Loramie. As a baker, Herman supplied many retailers in the area of Minster, New Bremen, Osgood, and Willowdell, as well as Ft. Loramie. He closed the bakery in 1929 and spent his time operating the grocery until a few months prior to his death.

Herman was very active in community affairs. He was a member of the village council for eight years and director of the community fire department for an extended period. Herman died on 5 April 1936, at the age of 65, due to carcinoma of the lungs. He is buried in St. Michaels Cemetery.

William Hall (1840-1922) "52 Ancestors"

We are now in the fourth week of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge which Amy Johnson Crow threw out to all of us at the beginning of the year. So, now I am 4 for 4. Only 48 more posts to go before the end of the year. With over 42,000 people in my database I should be able to complete this. But if you have been following my blog since it started, you know that I am easily distracted and am not very consistent in my writing.

William Hall, c. 1910

This week I decided to write about my wife's 3rd great-grand uncle, William Hall. Why did I choose him? Well I was looking through my photo folder and thought he looked interesting. William was born on 19 May 1840 in Aberdeen, Brown County, Ohio along the Ohio River. His parents were William Hall ( ~1810-1878) and Jane Ann Lee (~1813-~1856). He had the following siblings: Alexander William (1836-1911), Mary (~1838-??), Luther Leach (1842-1918), Francis (~1843-??), George (~1845-??), Lucy J (~1847-??), Anna E (~1850-1918), Rachel (~1852-??), and Martha (~1856-??). After his mother's death, his father remarried Rose Ellen Love Degman (~1822-1897) on 21 February 1857 in Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky, a town directly across the Ohio River from Aberdeen. This was Rose's second marriage also. She brought the following children to the family: Laura, James H, John P, and Sylvester Degman. From this second marriage they added a son Thomas Johnston Hall (1860-1917).

The Hall family is of Scotish origin, his grandfather being the family immigrant. His father was a boat builder, building flat and produce boats, which navigated the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Several members of the Hall family, including William, took part in the ship building business.

William Hall, Civil War

William served during the Civil War, along with his father and six brothers. William enlisted as a Private in Company H, Ohio 12th Infantry Regiment on 16 January 1862, at the age of 22. On 1 July 1864 he transferred into Company K, Ohio 23rd Infantry Regiment and was mustered out on 26 July 1865 in Cumberland, Maryland. Company K is known for several of its officers who later went on the become President of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley. As a member of the 12th Infantry he would have been in the following locations: in 1862 - Princeton (22 April - 1 May), Narrows of New River (4 May), Flat Top Mountain (20 May - 14 August), Wayne County (24-26 July), Washington (14-24 August), Pope's Campaign in Northern Virginia (24 August - 2 September), and Bull Run Bridge (27 August). They took part in the Maryland Campaign (6-22 September), which included the Battle of South Mountain Maryland (14 September), and Battle of Antietam (16-17 September), and then continued on the march to Clear Springs (8 October), Kanawha Valley, WV (14 October - 17 November), and to Fayette Court House where he was stationed for an extended time (4 December 1862 - 19 May 1863). While at Fayette Court House they took part in a minor skirmish at Blake's Farm (9 May) and repulsed McCausland's attack at Fayetteville (17-20 May). Company H then went on to pursue Morgan's forces on the Ohio River (17-26 July), the expedition from Charlestown to Lewisburg (3-13 November), action at Meadow Bluff (4 December) and back to Kanawha Valley (8-25 December) where they had several battles including Big Sewell Mountain and Meadow Bluff (11 December), Lewsiburg and Greenbriar River (12 December), and Meadow Bluff (14 December). In 1864 they took part in Crook's Raid on the Virginia and Tenessee Railroad (2-19 May), which included the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain (9 May) and New River Bridge (10 May). From 26 May until 1 July they participated in Hunter's Raid to Lynchburg, which included Diamond Hill (17 June), Lynchburg (17-18 June), and the retreat to Charleston (19 June - 1 July). They were then ordered back to Columbus, Ohio where the unit was transferred to 23rd Ohio Infantry. The losses experienced by the 12th Regiment included 3 officers and 93 enlisted killed in action and 2 officers and 77 enlisted lost to disease.

As part of the 23d Regiment, they moved to the Shenandoah Valley where they took part in the Battle of Winchester (24 July), Martinsburg (25 July), and Sheridan's Shenandoah Campaign (7 August - 28 November). That campaign consisted of Strasburg and Fisher's Hill (15 August), Summit Point (24 August), Halltown (26 August), Berryville (3 September), Battle of Opequan (19 September), Fisher's Hill (22 September), and Battle of Cedar Creek (19 October). They then were stationed at Kernstown until 20 December when they moved to Stephenson's Depot and then to Martinsburg, West Virginia on 29 December. On 1 January 1865 they relocated to Cumberland, Maryland where they stayed until they were mustered out on 26 July 1865.

William was commended by Col. Hayes for his meritorious action at the Battle of Cedar Creek where, under direct heavy artillery fire, twenty volunteers crossed an open road and recovered a battery of guns which were deserted and placed them in action resulting in a rout of the Confederate troops. This action was one of the factors in turning the tide of the battle.

William Hall with daughter Edith

Louisa Taylor

After the war William took up his occupation as a stationary engineer (steam engine/boiler operator) on the Ohio River. He stayed a bachelor for some time. Finally at the age of 55, on 16 December 1895, he married Louisa Taylor, aged 37, in Greensburg, Decatur County, Indiana. Louisa was born in Mt. Sterling, Bath County, Kentucky on 10 April 1858 and she died in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio on 29 April 1946. They had four children, Edgar Mansfield (1896-1964), Edith Lee (1898-2000), Willard Arthur (1900-1965), and Ruth Elizabeth (1901-1904). His sons, Edgar and Willard, served in World War I with Company E, 147th Infantry and both were injured in the Argonne Offensive.

William died at 8:35 p.m. on 12 December 1922, at the age of 82 years and 6 months. The cause of death was listed as general arteriosclerosis.

Glenn Reeder (1890-1965) "52 Ancestors"

Well, this is my third post in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge from Amy Johnson Crow. Can you believe that I made it three weeks in a row?

This week's post is on my wife's great grand uncle Glenn Reeder. Glenn is the grandson of Corydon Reeder (~1823-??), and son of Sylvester Perry Reeder (1855-1933) and Ella Millicent Faul (1860-1901). Ella was the daughter of Edward Faul who I wrote about previously. Glenn was the middle of five children. His siblings were Chester C (1887-1904), Leslie Edward (1888-1949), Mabel Eleanor (1893-1979), and Ethel S (1896-1926). Glenn was born on 20 March 1890 in Greenville, Washington County, Oregon. Glenn's family was living on a farm in Greenville during the 1900 census. The family owned the farm free of a mortgage. His mother Ella died on 1 February 1901 leaving Sylvester to care for the five children. Tragedy struck the family again on 12 February 1904 when his brother Chester died at the age of 17. Ella and Chester are both buried at Hillside Cemetery in Forest Grove, Washington County, Florida.

In 1910 Glenn's father, and sisters Mabel and Ethel were living in West Bertha, Multnomah County, Oregon. His father was retired and Mabel was working in an overall factory. Glenn and his brother Leslie were on the road as circular distributors and were listed as lodgers in the home of John F Turnpin in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon. Mr. Turnpin was the proprietor of a shooting gallery.

Glenn enlisted in the military on 28 April 1911. He was a member of the US Marine Corps, Company A, 37th Company, Marine Detachment, American Legation Guard. Between April and June of 1911 he was stationed at the Marine barracks on Mare Island, California. In July he was transferred to the 1st Brigade Marines and was transported to Manila, Philippines Islands via USAT Sherman arriving there in August. He was then sent to the detention camp at Canesse, Philippine Islands and later to Olongapo, Philippine Islands. By October he had been stationed in Peking, China where he was located for about 5 months. In March of 1914 he made several trips between China and the Philippines aboard USNA Abarenda and by the end of March he was back in the Marine barracks at the Naval Station in Cavite, Philippines. All members of this detachment were transferred to the Naval Yard, Mare Island, California aboard the USAT Thomas in April and arrived back in the states in May. Once Glenn arrived back in the US he was transferred to the Marine barracks at the Naval Yard in Puget Sound, Washington where he was assigned to the Western Recruiting Division until August 1914. In August he was reassigned to Puget Sound where he remained until he was discharged on 27 April 1915. He had an "Excellent" rating and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal. Glenn's veterans gravesite records lists him as a veteran of World War I, having served as a Sargent in the US Army. I don't have any Army records for Glenn, so I am wondering if he reenlisted in the Army after he was discharged from the Marines.

I haven't been able to find Glenn in the 1920 census but in 1930 Glenn is living on Pleasant View Avenue in Sycamore Precinct, Multnomah County, Oregon. His occupation is listed as a timber feller for a logging company. In 1935 he was living in Milwaukee, Clackamas County, Oregon and in 1940 he was living at Headquarters Camp Road #2, Elocham Election Precinct, Wahkiakum County, Washington. He was working as a timber feller for C. H. P. Company and had an annual income of $1500 a year. In 1942, when Glenn Registered for the WW II draft, he was back in Milwaukie, Clackamas County, Oregon with his brother Leslie. He was working for Jeff Woodward from West Kelso, Washington. Glenn was listed as being 5' 11" tall, weighing 175 pounds, with gray eyes, brown hair and a light complexion.

Glenn never married. He died on 13 May 1965, at the age of 75, near where he was born in Washington County, Oregon. He is buried in the Willamette National Cemetery, Section F, Site 3679, in Portland, Oregon.

Charles Joseph Meyer (1867-1914) "52 Ancestors"

Hey again! This is post number 2 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. See, I can be consistent.

This post is on my great grandfather Charles Joseph Meyer. Charles went by his middle name Joseph because his father was also Charles Joseph Meyer. His father went by Charles. Hopefully this will not be too confusing.

Joseph Meyer was born on 28 September 1867 in Minster, Auglaize County, Ohio. His parents were Charles (1840-1904) and Mary Katherine Wehrman Meyer (1847-1916). Charles and Mary were married on 16 October 1866 in Auglaize County and had 9 children with Joseph being the oldest. Their children were Joseph, Herman (1869-1869), Henry (1870-1904), Mary Catherine (1872-1879), Augustine (1875-1879), Bernard (1877-1957), Anton (1880-1942), Mary Bernadine (1882-1911), and an infant (born & died 24 February 1884). As you can see, several of Joseph's siblings died early on. Herman was about 3 months old when he died. Mary Catherine was almost 7 years old and died just 2 weeks before her brother Augustine who was 4 years old.

In 1870, Joseph is living with his parents between Ft. Loramie and Egypt. He is 2 years old, his father is a farmer and his mother is keeping house. There is another person living in this house that I haven't been able to figure out so far. She is listed as Little Magdaleen, age 15, and is a servant girl. There is no last name listed for her in the census which makes it even more difficult to figure out who she is.

In the 1880 census Joseph is listed with his siblings Henry (age 9), Bernard (age 3) and Anton (age 5 months). Joseph and Henry are attending school near Egypt, Ohio, and their father is still farming. Joseph worked on the family farm until he was 19 years old at which time he began learning the carpentry trade. At about 21 he decided to go to Cincinnati to find work but returned home about a year later and continued his training in carpentry.

On 1 May 1894, Joseph married Rosa Bruns in Auglaize County. The couple settled on South Ohio Street in Minster where he set up his profession and became a well respected carpenter in the village. In 1900 the family consisted of Joseph, his wife Rosa, and their sons Herman and Charles (twins) and daughter Emma. By 1910, Joseph and Rosa had had 8 children, 7 of whom were still living. They were Herman (1896-1966), Charles (1896-1914), Emma Katherine (1898-1953), Elisabeth Estella Elinore "Stella" (1900-1984), Loretta Bernadina (1903-1991), Hilda Ann (1905-1905), Alfred Clarence (1906-1973), and Raymond Anthony (1909-1988). Two more children were born over the next four years. They were Joseph (1912-1914) and Edward Bernard (1914-1977), making a total of 10 children.

The year 1914 was not a good year for the family. First, in January, their son Charles died at age 17 years 5 months. Next, their son Joseph passed in April at the age of 2 years. Then Joseph, the subject of this story, died in September, less than 2 months before his last son, Edward was born in November of 1914.

On Thursday, 17 September 1914, Joseph returned home from his carpentry work and complained of not feeling well. He went to his room and forced himself to lay down. He was not able to leave that room alive again. At 7:15 pm on Tuesday, 22 September, Joseph died of acute polymyosistis (muscle infection) with chronic nephritis (kidney disease) as a contributor to his death. Joseph's funeral was held at 8:30 am, Friday, 25 September, at  St. Augustines Church in Minster. His burial followed in the church cemetery.

After his death, his wife Rosa continued living in the home at 164 South Ohio Street in Minster until her death. Their son Herman lived at home and helped care for the children and his mother until his marriage in 1931. Rosa died in 1951 at the age of 74. She was seated in a chair on the front porch of her home and died of a sudden heart attack. She is also buried in St. Augustines Cemetery, in Minster.

Raymond Bernard Westerheide (1894-1981) "52 Ancestors"

As we start the new year everyone is making (and breaking) their New Year's resolutions. With all of the social media (Facebook, G+, and others) there are plenty of ideas for resolutions. There are a couple that I have seen that I hope to be able to follow through with during the year - we all know how that will work, don't we. The first is a blessing jar where I will keep track of at least one good thing that happened to me or that I am thankful for each day. So far I have been good at that one - two days in a row. The second one is the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge from Amy Johnson Crow. Basically, the goal is to post a story to my blog at least once per week during the year. Remember back in February when I tried to post once per day and I managed to get 10 posts in that month. Let's see how long this one lasts.

This post is about my great-grandfather Raymond Bernard Westerheide. I am not exactly sure what day Ray was born on. His birth record states 12 December 1894 in Minster, Auglaize County, Ohio. However, many of his other records, including WW I and WW II draft registration, death certificate, Social Security Death Index, and obituary, state that he was born 4 December 1894 or 1895 and may have been born in Egypt, Auglaize County, Ohio. Both communities are in Jackson Township and are only a few miles apart and, based on his mother's obituary, the family farm was located two miles west of Minster near Egypt. His birth record lists his name as B. R. Westerheide. His parents were John Henry ("Henry") (1863-1948) and Catherine Bornhorst Westerheide (1858-1931). His mother had been married previously to William Severin (1852-1886). Catherine Bornhorst lived most of her life in the Egypt community except for a brief time when she lived in Belloit, Kansas with her first husband and four children; Emma Catherine (1877-1935), Anne (1878-died young), Franz Joseph (1880-1931), and Bernard. They moved to Kansas in October 1885 and in January 1886 William Severin died, leaving her to care for the young children. Once the family was able to dispose of their affairs in Kansas they moved back to Ohio to be near their relatives. It is believed that Henry Westerheide had also been with the family in Kansas, possibly employed as a farm hand. Henry and Catherine married on 16 February 1887 and had nine children during their marriage. Their children were Dr. Edward Frances (1887-1955), Julius Henry (1889-1963), Mary (1891-1949), George (1893-1926), Raymond Bernard (1894-1981), Pauline C (1896-1977), Joseph Ignatius (1897-1976), Anthony Frederick (1899-1963), and Henry A (1902-1985).

Ray's father, Henry, was a well known farmer and was active in local politics. He had served three terms as a township trustee and 24 years as a member of the local board of education. Ray's mother, Catherine, was a devoted member of St. Joseph's Catholic church and was well liked in the community. Henry and Catherine were both born to German immigrants who settled in Auglaize County in the mid part of the 1800s.

Ray left the farm early on in his life. By the time he registered for the WW I draft in 1917, he was living at 44 1/2 Pulaski in Dayton, Ohio. He had married Laura Ann Stueve (1897-1988) on 17 April 1917 at Holy Trinity Church in Dayton. He was employed at Domestic Engineering Co., as an inspector. Domestic Engineering Company was started just a year earlier in February 1916 by Charles Kettering. This was one of the companies that became Delco-Light which was eventually bought out by General Motors in 1920 and was moved to Detroit in 1925. The Domestic Engineering Company specialized in bringing electricity to the farm and rural communities.

In 1920, Ray, his wife Laura, daughter Norma, son Vernon, and brother-in-law August Stueve were living at 317 Nassau Street, in Dayton, Ohio. They were renting the home. Ray was working for Delco-Light as an assembler. By early 1921 the family had returned to the Minster area. The family was living at 122 South Frankfort Street in 1930. This house was a newer home, built in 1924, and they were renting it for $15/month. Ray was employed as a grocery store manager for the Kroger store in Minster. The store was located on the corner of Fourth Street and Frankfort and later became Farno's Market. It was one of the earliest Kroger stores. The family was growing and they had six children; Norma (1917-2011), Vernon (1918-2004), Emerita (1921-2010), Rosabel (1921-1996), Lucille (1924-1994), and Leroy. One child, Ohmer Francis, born on 14 November 1922 had died on 15 November 1923, at the age of 1. Their last child, Mary Jeanette was born in 1933 and died in 2007.

During the period after Prohibition, Ray was using his store as a front for illegal alcohol manufacturing and distribution. He would drive his grocery truck to the C. D. Kenny Co., wholesale grocery firm in Dayton to pick up large loads of sugar which were used in the making of alcohol. John W. Dye, the branch manager of C. D. Kenny, Co., would hide the sales to make it appear to be small sales to grocers. Whenever a truck would show up at the loading docks a company truck would pull up along side it to hide it from view while the sugar was loaded. Ray would then transport the sugar to a large illicit still. The still was moved through Darke, Shelby and Mercer counties to avoid detection and the alcohol was then transported to Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati for sale. The still was operated by Ray Westerheide of Minster; Carl Knoebel and William Yenney of Covington; Alfred and Ralph Jutte of Ft. Recovery; and Clarence Green of Muncie, Indiana. Federal liquor agents began cracking down on the group in early 1936. Initially the charges were related to defrauding the government of $175,000 in taxes through the operation of the still. The agents had been watching the operation at the C. D. Kenny Company from a house across the street and had captured Harold Stover, a young man who had been mixing the alcohol, who plead guilty and testified against Carl Knoebel and Ray Westerheide.

Ray was arrested by liquor agents at the end of September 1936. Agents blocked Route 54 two miles southeast of Urbana and stopped Ray when he tried to go around them in the ditch. He had 50 gallons of alcohol in the vehicle at the time and police confiscated his automobile. Newspapers listed him as the leader and last of a ring that had been distributing alcohol from Chicago throughout Ohio for at least the last two or three years. Several other persons were also captured and held awaiting the grand jury in the Preble County jail.

Ray was again arrested in 1938 after a major raid where nearly 500 gallons of illicit liquor was seized. The raid was made at a cottage in St. Marys Township near Villa Nova at 10:30 pm during the week. Agents confiscated a car along with 345 gallons of alcohol and 114 gallons of liquor. The liquor was produced by cutting the alcohol with water and then preparing it in small quantities for distribution. The car that was confiscated contained 35 five-gallon cans of alcohol and belonged to Wilfred Moorman who was a driver for Ray. Federal tax labels were fastened on the cans. Moorman escaped during the raid by running out the back door of the cottage and walked nine miles to Celina. He surrendered to agents a two days later. Stiff penalties were given to each man. Ray was fined $750 plus costs and sentenced to three months in jail. Wilfred Moorman was fined $100 and also sentenced to three months. The jail sentences were suspended when Ray immediately paid the fines, a total of $863.13 in cash. This ended a two and one half year investigation where agents had tried unsuccessfully several times to trap Ray but on each previous occasion he had been able to elude the agents by moving the still to a new location.

By 1935 the family were renting a home at 104 South Frankfort Street in Minster. In 1940 the family consisted of Ray, his wife Laura, daughters Lucille and Mary Jean and their son Leroy. Ray was now employed as a dry cleaner running Home Service Cleaning in a garage at the back of the property. Later he moved the business into a building on Fourth Street in Minster next to Wagner's original grocery store. In 1942, when Ray signed up for the WW II draft, he was working at Monarch Machine Tool in Sidney, Ohio. He continued to run the dry cleaning business on the weekends and evenings with hired help until it became busy enough for him to work full time.

In the late 1930s, Ray managed the Minster City Baseball Team for a time. One of his claims to fame was that his hands and wrists were so big that he could hit fly balls in practice to the outfield using a fungo bat and swinging it with only one hand.

Another interesting story associated with the family took place in May of 1938. The story was reported as follows:

"And when she got there the clothes line was bare ..." Recalling the old rhyme of Mother Hubbard and her cupboard was an incident that occurred here. Because it rained after she placed them on the line, Mrs. Ray Westerheide permitted her clothes to hang out all night. When she prepared to take them down shortly after daylight, however, she found that her entire week's family washing had been stolen.

Ray and Laura moved to a home that he built on Lake Loramie in the early 1950s and lived there until his death. Ray died on 14 May 1981 at the age of 86. He had 43 grandchildren and 84 great grandchildren at the time of his death. His wife survived him and eventually died on 14 July 1988. Ray and Laura are both buried in St. Augustine Cemetery in Minster, Ohio.