Lydia Harmening Moll - First Defiance College Class Graduate and Entrepreneur

 A continuation of the John Frederick Harmening story, with the spotlight on his oldest and only surviving daughter, Lydia, who married William Moll.  After the death of Carl, her brother, and Amelia, her stepmother and aunt, Lydia took care of the large estate of her family.  Her obituary appeared in the Springfield Union, Springfield, Massachusetts, on January 4, 1960. She inherited the business acumen of her father and continued in positions of importance until her death at 92.

"MRS. MOLL DIES AT AGE OF 92 IN W. SPRINGFIELD

WAS VICE-PRESIDENT OF LOTUS CHINA AND GLASS, MOTHER OF PRESIDENT

Mrs. Lydia H. Moll, who in late life had added a career in retailing to her previous success as a homemaker, died in her home at 1339 Riverdale St., West Springfield, Saturday at the age of 92.

Known as 'Gram'

She was a vice-president of the Lotus China and Glass Co. of West Springfield and mother of Edward H. Moll, its president.

Mrs. Moll, who had been in good health until the day after Christmas, was known to everyone in the West side store as 'Gram.'  Even her own children used that term of endearment in addressing her.

The store was a major part of her life and she had participated wholeheartedly in the Christmas season.  Among other things, she had made more than 3000 bows that decorated holiday packages.

Mrs. Moll had been active in the company ever since its first store was started in Auburn.  She came to West Springfield when a Lotus store was opened in a former house and, with other members of her family, occupied an apartment in the rear.  She retained that apartment after the store moved about 10 years ago into a new building on the opposite side of Riverdale Street.

In First College Class

Mrs. Moll had been the only surviving member of the first class to be graduated from Defiance College in Ohio - in 1888.  There were only nine in the class.  Defiance College has been in the news nationally during President Eisenhower's administration because its president, Dr. Kevin McCann, served for a period as an assistant to the President.

Mrs. Moll has continued her interest in the college since her graduation and had been able to supply to its alumni publication the only remaining picture of the first class.

Mrs. Moll has found time for some travel and had been to Alaska, Cuba, and the West Indies, among other places.  Her prime interest had been the store and its problems and her son credited her attention with keeping him and others alert to opportunities.

She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, the Women's Relief Corps and the Methodist Church.

Married in Ohio

Mrs. Moll was married in Ohio to William E. Moll, who died in 1916.  They had nine children, five of whom are living.  She went to Worcester in 1942 from Toledo, Ohio, to live with her late daughter, Lydia, and was associated in the Lotus store in Auburn.  In 1953, she moved to West Springfield to assume her interest in the Riverdale operation.

Mrs. Moll was the daughter of the late Frederick and Anna Maria (Hecht) Harmening, born March 23, 1867, in Defiance.

Besides her son, Edward H. Moll, of Longmeadow, who is the former vice-president of the American Bosch Arma Corp., she leaves another son, Carl H. of St. Joseph, Mo.; three daughters, Esther, Elizabeth and Estella, all at home; six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

There will be visiting hours today from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Curran-Jones funeral home in West Springfield.  Services will be held Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Mansfield funeral home in Defiance.  Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Defiance.

In lieu of flowers, the family has stated any contributions to the building fund of Defiance College would be appreciated."

John Frederick Harmening - G.A.R., Bishop Post

 Johann Friedrick (John Frederick) Harmening was an immigrant from Lower Saxony, Germany in the mid-1850s. He married twice, fathered six children, and died at the young age of 43, having accomplished much more than many of us will.  Farmer, entrepeneur, timberman, land baron, school board member, county supervisor and inspector, postmaster - he was a busy man who contributed greatly in the development of Defiance County.

Born on November 1, 1838/1839, Frederick, as he was called, immigrated when he was in his teens. Some researchers stated that he was in Iowa after immigrating, and his pension card and Civil War records indicated that he enlisted for three months in Company K, 7th Illinois Infantry.  

This unit mustered in on April 25, 1861 and served in Altoona, Cairo, and Mound City, Illinois, and finally in St. Louis until July 25, 1861. On these merits, Frederick joined the G.A.R. in Defiance, Ohio.

However, his second wife, Amelia, did not apply for his pension until 1916 - reason unknown.

Frederick was in Defiance by June 20, 1866, when he married his first wife, Johanna Barbara Hecht.  Johanna, (born on April 5, 1844), gave birth to two children: Lydia Marie in 1867, and William F. in 1869.  The family appeared in the 1870 census, living in Defiance Township.  Frederic, 30, Anna, 26, Lydia, 3, and William, 1, along with Lucy Frichie, 11, domestic servant, lived on a farm. Frederick had real estate worth $5400 and a personal wealth of $500 - a goodly sum for the year.  Before this time, he had platted the town of Mark Center on the north side, preparing for the railroad and its benefits.  He also served as a township supervisor and in 1871 or before, he began his search for timber to produce railroad ties.

"TIMBER WANTED. - F. Harmening will buy 100,000 feet of squared timber, delivered on the R.R. track.  He will also buy standing timber, if convenient to the road - the timber to be of white or burr oak.  He can also give employment, for the winter, to twenty good choppers."  Defiance Democrat, October 28, 1871.

Sadly, on September 27, 1871, his wife, Anna, passed away at the age of 27, probably in childbirth. A new son, Henry, born in 1871, died on October 24,1871.  

From the Defiance Democrat, September 30, 1871:

"On Wednesday, September 27, Mrs. Anna, wife of Frederick Harmening, (died) in her 28th year."  She was buried in Old Riverside Cemetery.

Frederick was left with two small children, but several years later, he married Amelia (Emelia) Hecht, Johanna's (Anna) sister just before Amelia turned 20.  Amelia, born December 1,1853, in Pennsylvania, and Frederick were married on November 18, 1873, in Defiance. Frederick continued to acquire land and build his timber business.

"BIG PURCHASE - This week Fred. Harmening and W. D. Hill purchased one hundred sixty acres of land at Mark Center, on the B & O Road.  A town has for some time been located there and considerable business is done at that point.  It will make a good station."  Defiance Democrat, December 24, 1874.

Many real estate transfers appeared in Frederick 

Harmening's name - 192 acres in

Tiffin Township, more in Mark Township and all through the county. He also owned at least 400 acres in Paulding County in 1880.  He travelled to Chicago in 1882 to the stock sales where he purchased five Kentucky bred Durham cows for about a thousand dollars, the newspaper claiming he was giving much attention to raising these cows and was very successful. He also owned some store rooms on Clinton

Street.  After Amelia's death in 1937, the rooms were sold for the 

Meek Pastry Shop.

"At present about the only thing sold in the Defiance market is railroad ties.  J. F. Harmening has been purchasing largely this season, and the money he has disbursed has materially benefitted many farmers.  During the past month, nearly 40,000 were received at this station."  Tiffin Weekly Tribune, August 24, 1876.

"THE TIE BUSINESS- J. F. Harmening advertises for 100,000 railroad ties, half to be oak and half of soft wood, such as elm, black ash, beech and soft maple.  The use of soft wood for railroad ties is a new thing in this section.  Those purchased by Mr. Harmening are to be treated by the patent process of the American Wood Preserving Company, which has located in this town.  Soft wood prepared by this Company will last as long and even longer than the best oak ties.  The market for soft wood will soon become very important in this place,and will add much to the development and consequent wealth of Defiance and Paulding counties. 

Defiance Democrat, January 17, 1878.

The Harmening family lived near the now extinct town of Ashwood on a farm west of Defiance.  In 1879, Frederick was appointed postmaster there.  The 1880 census indicated that they lived on Warren Road, (a street off of Holgate Avenue) - Fred J. Harmening, 40; Amelia, 26; Lydia, 13, William, 11 (the children of her sister, Anna); Carl, 6 and Anna, 3 months. Her mother, Eva Hecht, 65, a widow, also lived with them.  Tragedy would soon strike, however, when baby Anna died in 1881.  Later, he would lease the Ashwood farm out and move into a house on Holgate Avenue in Defiance City.

"HARMENING - On Tuesday, August 2d, 1881, Anna S. E. Harmening, infant daughter of Frederick and Amelia Harmening, aged 1 year, 5 months and 8 days."

Defiance Democrat, August 11, 1881. 

Previously, a daughter, Ida Margaret, born in 1876, died in 1877.

In the meantime, his family grew with the addition of Fred H. on March 5, 1882.

Sadly, Frederick would not live to see his children grow to adulthood.  He died suddenly on October 29, 1883.  

John Frederick Harmening was buried in Old Riverside Cemetery.

Next...the story of Amelia after his death.