Chloe Bertha Gingery Stuckman, Mother of Audry Gecowets

 

When Henry Gecowets, in probably his first or second year of teaching, first met his future wife, Chloe Bertha Gingery, as a young student, she was just recovering from the loss of her mother.  As the oldest child in her family, she likely already had even more to bear in caring day to day for her siblings and father.  

Born in 1898, Audrey was followed by Ava Morriss, a son, born 1900; and daughters, Sylvia Ila, born 1903; and Candace Ellen, born 1906.  The children lost their mother in a tragic accident in Hicksville.

"Mrs. George Stuckman, residing near Mark Center, was instantly killed by a Baltimore & Ohio local freight at Hicksville Friday morning when the buggy in which she, her husband, and an infant daughter, while crossing the track, was struck by the train.

The accident occurred at the north viaduct.  At this point, the main tracks are on an enbankment and a switch track runs down from the bank to the street grade, paralleling the main tracks through the town.  It was at this grade crossing the accident occurred.

The Stuckmans were on the way to the fairgrounds and were just crossing the tracks as the local freight backed down.  A box car concealed part of the train, but Stuckman saw the danger and attempted to turn around and get away.  A flat car in the rear of the caboose was concealed by the box car on the siding and it struck the buggy with great force, splintering it to kindling and throwing all of the occupants out.

Mrs. Stuckman was thrown upon the track and her body was cut in two by the wheels of the flat car.  Mr. Stuckman met with a few slight bruises, but the babe escaped without a scratch.  The fact that the caboose of the train could be seen above the box car and the flat car in the rear could not evidently led the driver to believe he had time to get out of the way.  The buggy was torn loose from the train and the horses ran away, but were caught.

Mrs. Stuckman was about 36 years of age and leaves behind her husband and the babe who were with her at the time of her death, four children who were in school when they learned of the sad affair."

Using the census as a guide, three children would have been in school and little Candace would have been the child involved in the accident.

George Stuckman sued the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and won a settlement in February 1912, for $2,000.

An obituary for Chloe Stuckman appeared in the Hicksville Tribune on September 21, 1911, page 1:

"STUCKMAN

Chloe Bertha, second daughter of Ava and Eliza Gingery, was born in Milford Township, Sept. 2, 1874, and departed this life at Hicksville, Sept. 15 1911, aged 37 years and 13 days.

She was united in marriage to George W. Stuckman, Feb. 20, 1896, and to this union were born 4 children, 3 daughters and one son, all of whom with their father survive herl  She was converted and united with the U. B. church at the age of 13 years and has lived a devoted Christian life ever since.  

She is the first of her father's family, also her own to be taken.  She was a devoted wife and other, an affectionate daughter, a kind and helpful neighbor and will be sadly missed by all.  She leaves to mourn her departure, a loving husband, four children, a father, mother, three sisters and 1 brother, and on husband's side, 6 brothers and 4 sisters, a host of relatives and friends.  Funeral was held from U.B. church at Six Corners, Sunday at 1 o'clock, Rev A. J. Smith, officiating  Interment at Six Corners Cemetery."

George Stuckman then married Clara Goller Dreher, a widow.  Audry Gecowets' father, George, died about a month before her son, Morris, in 1943.

"G. W. STUCKMAN TAKEN AT AGE 69

RITES OF FORMER MARK TOWNSHIP MAN TO BE SUNDAY IN NEY

Ney, March 4 - George W. Stuckman, 69, formerly of Mark township, died early last night in Ney.  He ha been ill with a cold for three weeks, but had been seriously ill only two days.

The body is being taken to the residence today from the Moats Funeral Home in Sherwoodl  Funeral will be Sunday at 1:30 from the residence and at 2:30 p.m. from the Ney Methodist Church, with Rev Walter Martin in charge.

Mr. Stuckman, a son of Isaac and Evaline (Rodgers) Stuckman, was born in Farmer Township, January 12, 1874.  For the major part of his life, he occupied a farm in Mark township near Mark Center before moving to Ney in 1930.  He had served on the Mark Township School Board.

Surviving are the wife, the former Clara Goller, three daughters - Mrs. Audra Gecowets, Mark Center; Mrs. Sylvia Lower and Mrs. Candace Miller of Fort Wayne, Indiana; a son, Ava, Garrett, Indiana, a stepson, Harold Dreher, Cleveland; a brother, Charles, Sherwood; two sisters, Mrs. Ida Berkley, Goshen, Indiana and Mrs. Lottie Whittle, Chicago and eight grandchildren, including four in the Army and two overseas."

George Stuckman at Six Corners Cemetery

Henry H. Gecowets - Dedicated Educator - (1894 -1985)

 

Henry Harrison Gecowets

A glance through some old Fairview High School yearbooks led us to the story of Mr. Henry Gecowets, a teacher in the Mark Center area for 42 years.  A student of several one-room schools in the area and a graduate of Mark Center High School himself, Mr Gecowets spent 40 years in some one-room schools and at the Mark Center High School teaching math and commercial subjects and then, after consolidation, he spent his last two years at Fairview High School.  That is quite a career and a record of distinction.  And to add to that, he never missed a day of school!  But what of his family and his other interests?  

Born on June 4, 1894, the son of George Andrew Gecowets, born in Poland when controlled by Russia, and Margaret J. Morris, born Germany, Henry was in Mark Township for his first breath.  He had two half brothers, George William Gecowets, born 1883, and George Orley from his father's previous marriage. He also had a full brother, Morris Andrew, born 1891, and then Henry was the youngest.  His father was a farmer in Mark Township.

As Mr. Gecowets told a Crescent-News reporter when asked about his family in 1960, 

"His mother, who was born on a farm near Arthur was the daughter of George and Anna W. Morris.  She was one of 11 children  His grandmother, Anna Morris, was a midwife and is said to have brought more children into the world than any doctor in the area. Anna was said to have been related to Benjamin Harrison and to be a descendant of Col. Crawford, who was burned at the stake by the Indians. 

Henry's grandfather, George Gecowets, came to America from Russian occupied Poland in the mid 1800's, so he spoke both Polish and Russian.  His father, Andrew, was born in 1859 in Defiance Twp... My Grandmother Gecowets, the former Christina Bowers, had come from Germany, Mr. Gecowets remarked."

 Henry was born in a log cabin, three-fourths of a mile west of the Mark Center School. When he was four, his family moved into District 8 in the township, the Porter School.  As the story goes, he came to school one day with an older brother so his mother could attend a funeral, but then he didn't want to leave.  He did so well that the teacher let him stay and he kept up with the first graders.

Henry Gecowets is in the back row, second from the end on the right, in 1909-1910

,  

Henry graduated from Mark Center High School when he was 16. At that time the building was on State Route 18 on the northwest corner of the intersection, diagonally across from the present school. By the time he was 18, he was certified to teach. Eventually, he would attend International Business College, Tri-State in Angola, Indiana, and graduate from Defiance College in 1940.  His high school graduation ceremonies were held in the Methodist Church, and their senior trip was an "excursion" to Defiance.

After he was certified to teach in 1912, he taught two years at the Mark Township District School #2 where his future wife, Audry Lee Stuckman, was one of his first students.  He also taught in District #9, Shady Corners, Spindler School, and again in the Mark Center School.  He reported that in his first two years of teaching he made $42.50 a month.  

Defiance County, Ohio Genealogy: Mark Center Eighth Grade, 1929 (defiancecountyohiogenealogy.blogspot.com)

On July 7, 1917, Henry H. Gecowets, 23, married Audry L. Stuckman, 18, his former student.  Before her marriage, Audry had attended the Fort Wayne Conservatory of Music and she gave private music lessons.  When Henry first met her in 1912, she had just endured the tragic loss of her mother, Chloe Gingery Stuckman.  A terrible accident occurred in 1911 and she was killed. (Next post)

He and Audry moved into the Gecowets home located on Farmer-Mark Road 2.5 miles north of Mark Center.  In an effort to support his family beyond teaching, Henry farmed, hauled gravel, worked on the railroad, baled straw and did any other job that would help sustain the family.  The Crescent- News reported in his interview that "at one time during the years of the depression, Henry Gecowets was the only wage earner in a family of 13 he and Audry managed."  In the 1930 census, he had his mother, Maggie, 75, and father, 70, living with the family, along with Susan Johnson, 81, a widowed aunt. Then, "Audry's parents and cousins were housed with the family in the large 12 room house."

The house, located a few miles north of Mark Center on the Farmer-Mark Road, was originally owned by Audry's parents, the Stuckman family.  In 1960, parts of the house were 100 years old, so by now that would be 160 years old.  Many rooms were added over the years.  When Henry and Audry lived there, it had 80 acres around it which had some cold natural springs and some possibilities for oil wells.

Henry and Audry had three sons. In 1918, Morris Junior Gecowets was born. He attended the Defiance College and then enlisted in the Army on November 13, 1941. He served as a radio technician with the Flying Fortress, "Banshee," during the war.  On April 16, 1943, he was gunned down over Bremen, Germany on his last flying mission.  On April 25, the family received the telegram reporting him Missing in Action.  It took until June 3, 1943, for the Red Cross to verify his death through the German government, and that telegram for the family ended all hope of rescue.

The American Air Museum website provided this information:  Gecowets was an orginal member of the crew - Tech Sgt, Waist Gunner and Radio Operator Gunner.  On 17 April 1943, he was the leading officer of the 367th low squadron on a mission to Bremen in a B-17 Banshee II.

Fighters attacked the plane.  Left with one engine, they headed back toward land.  Another fighter raked the plane and killed five crewmen in the back of the plane  The remainder of the crew bailed out in the Frisian Islands and were captured to be Prisoners of War.

A second son, Max Emery Gecowets, was born on May 14, 1921. Max, an outstanding basketball player, also graduated from Mark Center High School in 1939.  The Ohio State basketball team welcomed him and he played there while he graduated in 1946.  Max entered the service at the end of the war when the U.S. was exchanging German prisoners for Americans.  Again, from the Crescent-News, " ..one of the fellows he brought back was Wilson Elliott, Detroit, who was on the Banshee when it was shot down over Bremen.  He had been seriously injured and taken prisoner.  About four of the crew had thus escaped death." Max went on to coach basketball at Defiance High School. He passed away in 1996.

Lee Laird, youngest son of Henry and Audry was born in 1939, and also graduated from Mark Center High School.  His father reported that he was musical like his mother and he worked at the Ohio Art Company. Lee died in 2002.

The Gecowets were very active in community affairs, founders of the Grange and organizers of the Mark Center Homecoming. Their lives touched innumerable  students and adults in the area.  

"HENRY HARRISON GECOWETS

Mark Center - Henry Harrison Gecowets, 91, Mark Center, died at Hicksville Memorial Hospital at 10:15 a.m. Monday where he was admitted Sunday.

He had been a resident at the Fountain Care Nursing Center for the past 15 months.  

He was born June 4 1894 in Mark Township in Defiance County, the son of George (Andy) and Maggie (Morris) Gecowets  He graduated from Mark Township High School in 1910, attended International Business College in Fort Wayne, Tri-State College in Angola, Indiana and graduated from Defiance College.

He was a school teacher at Mark Center for 40 years and a teacher at Fairview High School for 2 years.  He also coached basketball at Mark Center and attended the Mark Center United Methodist Church, was a member of the Defiance County Grange, the National Grange Seventh Degree and held various offices in the Grange organization  He was a member of the Ohio Retired Teachers Association and served as clerk of Mark Township.  

In 1917, he married Audrey Stuckman in Defiance and she survives.  Also surviving are two sons, Max of Fort Wayne and Lee of Sherwood, and six grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by a son, Morris and three brothers..."

Visitation at Brown Funeral Home, funeral services at Mark Center United Methodist Church and burial at Six Corners Cemetery.

Crescent-News, November 5, 1985

Henry and Audry were buried with his parents at Six Corners Cemetery, Hicksville

Additional information available:

Defiance Crescent-News, "Henry Gecowets, Mark Center Teacher 42 Years, to Retire, April 21, 1960, pp. 1, 2.

Defiance Crescent-News, "Plan Open House July 2" (55th wedding anniversary, photo), June 23, 1972, p. 10.

Defiance Crescent-News, "Enlisting as U.S. Flying Cadets" (Morris J. Gecowets and Don Weidenhamer, photo), March 28, 1941, p. 1.

Defiance Crescent-News, "Morris J. Gecowets"(obituary) June 12, 1950, p. 8.

The George W. and Jane R. Balser Family - Sherwood, Ohio

 This photo arrived from a kind gentleman in Michigan who found it at an antique show.  Wouldn't it be nice if we could find a descendant of this family to treasure it?

George and Jane Rosella (Bassett) Balser were residents of Delaware Township, Defiance County, Ohio.  In this photo, they are shown with six children, five girls - Ethel, Mary Etta, Audrey, Hazel and J. Carrie.  The baby may be their only son, Elmer, born in 1901 and died in 1902, which helps date the photo to circa 1901.

J

Jane and George are buried in the Sherwood Cemetery.

If you are a descendant interested in this photo, please email defiancegenealogy2002@yahoo.com and state your connection to the family.

This photo has found a home with a great grandson of the Balsers.

Asa Hagert, Congressional Medal of Honor Winner - The Rest of the Story

 Asa Hagert (Asel Hagerty) is the only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient buried in Defiance County.  The Civil War hero's tombstone stands proudly in Riverside Cemetery.

Asa was born in New York on June 30, 1849, and by 1864, he had enlisted in the 61st New York Infantry, Company A.  

In August, 1864, when he enlisted at the age of 22 in Watertown, NY, the 61st was fighting in Virginia.  His medal was awarded for an incident at the Battle of Sailor's Creek, Virginia, when he captured the flag of a  Confederate regiment on April 6, 1865. It was a grand morale booster for the Union troops.  Just three days later, Lee surrendered at Appomatox.  

Asa mustered out with his unit on July 14, 1865 in Alexandria, Virginia.

Asa received his award on May 10, 1865. 

"The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Private Asel Hagerty, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 6 April 1865, while serving with Company A, 61st New York Infantry, in action at Deatonsville (Sailor's Creek), Virginia, for capture of flag".

The medal is awarded for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty."

In 1997, thanks to the work of the local Veterans' Office, a new stone listing his accomplishments was placed at the grave with a memorial ceremony.

The Battle of Sailor's Creek

Asa Hagert was in Defiance, Ohio, at least by 1878, when he married Mary Brown of Brunersburg, the daughter of Dr. Wesley and Eliza (Doll) Brown.  The marriage occurred on February 10th, solemnized by Rev. Slagle.

Their residence was found in the Federal Census of 1900 on Ayersville Avenue.  Asa was 50, owned his home free and clear, and listed his occupation as landlord.  Mary, born in September, 1855, was 44, and the couple had no children.  Living with them was Mary's sister, Minerva Brown, 53 and single.

By 1910, they had moved to 211 Jackson Street in Defiance.  Asa W. Hagert, 60, and Mary L.,54, rented their home and took in two boarders: Alva C. Brown, 50, divorced, and Joseph W. LaFreve, 50 and divorced. Only Joseph worked outside the home as a machinist.

The true patriotism of Asa Hagert was revealed again in 1917, when he went to sign up for service in World War I at the age of 70.  The Defiance Crescent News reported on his action on March 31, 1917:

"MARTIAL SPIRIT BURNS STRONG IN THIS VETERAN

More than half a century ago, Asa W. Hagert laid down the rifle he had taken up for the defense of his country, an returned to the peaceful pursuits of business.

Today with the country getting under arms, the same martial spirit rages in Hagert, and the same loyalty that prompted him to answer the call to the colors in the '60s burns undimmed in his body.  The only change that has been made is that the frame is not so tall, the hair has turned from black to gray and time has seared his face with wrinkles.

Hagert offered himself as a recruit at the local recruiting station yesterday afternoon.  He is nearing his 70th milestone of life, but he would like to again wear the uniform of the Nation's army and serve the country as he did in one other crisis.

'I would go just as quickly today as I did in 1862,' said Hagert. 'The young men of today do not seem to have the courage and the fiery patriotic spirit that we had in the '60s. I do not regret the years that I spent on the battlefields in the service of the greatest country in the world, and I would not hesitate to go again.'

Hagert went out in 1862 with Troop A of the Black Horse cavalry, New York state.  The command went through some of the hardest fighting of the great civil conflict.  Hagert participated in the battles of Cold Harbor, Antietam, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge."

So we find that when Asa went in 1864, he was reenlisting into an infantry unit.  The Black Horse cavalry was also known as the First Regiment Mounted Rifles.  Two years after this patriotic statement made to the newspaper, Asa passed away, March 30, 1919.

His wife, Mary, lived on into 1931. Her obituary appeared in the Crescent-News on May 12, 1931:

"DEATH TAKES MARY HAGERT.  

75-Year-Old Woman's Rites to be Thursday at Home in Perry Street.

Mrs. Mary L. Hagert, 75, widow of Asa W. Hagart, died at midnight at her home, 1030 Perry street, after a week's illness due to pneumonia.

The funeral will be held Thursday at 3 p.m. at her home with Dr. F. M. Swinehart, pastor of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal church officiating.  Burial will be made in Riverside cemetery.

Mrs. Hagert was born Sept. 17, 1855, in Brunersburg, a daughter of the late Dr. Wesley and Eliza Doll Brown.  On Aug. 6, 1878, she came to Defiance with her parents and continued to make her home there the remainder of her life.  She and Mr. Hagert were married here Feb.10, 1887, by Rev. B.W. Slagle.  Mr. Hagert passed away March 30, 1919.

When 15 years old, Mrs. Hagert became a member of the Methodist church here and held her membership until her death.  She leaves a brother, Alvah C. Brown, who lived with her."

Riverside Cemetery

 

Margaret Jane Moore Waltenberger, George I. Grover, and Francis A. C. Parker

 From  Early Pioneers of Northwest Ohio, a collection of obituaries from the early 1900s, found in all the Defiance Public Library collections.

"Margaret Jane Moore Waltenberger

Margaret Jane Moore was born near Dublin, Ireland, June 6, 1840.  When about 9 years old, she came to America, the family settling first in Medina county, Ohio, but not long after coming to Defiance county, and locating a couple miles south of Hicksville.

On June 1, 1862, she was married to J. J. Waltenberger, who died in May, 1902.  To them were born three sons, Frank, Cyrus and John, and one daughter, Mrs. Clara Gorrell.

About 14 years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Waltenberger came to Hicksville to live.  They both united with the Presbyterian church shortly after.  When the husband died, Mrs. Waltenberger went to reside with her daughter, Mrs. Gorrell, six miles southwest of Hicksville, where after several years of patient suffering, she fell asleep April 5, 1909, aged 68 years, 9 months and 29 days.

A few years before she had transferred her church membership to North Scipio M. E. church.  She lived a consistent Christian life, and longed for the time to come when she might go to be with her Lord.  She leaves her four children, eight grandchildren, five brothers and three sisters. The brothers and sisters are Elliott, Henry, Thomas, John and Frank Moore, Mrs. Mary Lybarger, Mrs. Kate Hoffmeister and Miss Sarah Moore.  Mrs. Waltenberger was loved by allwho knew her and will be greatly missed by her many loved ones.

The funeral was held at the M.E. church, Hicksville, Thursday, April 8, conducted by Rev. D. F. Helms.  Burial at Forest Home."

George Isaac Gruver   (Grover)

"George Isaac, son of John L., Sr. and Harriet L. Gruver, was born in Greenfield township, Huron county, Ohio, May 3, 1882, and the same year moved with his parents to Hicksville township, Defiance county, Ohio, where he has since made his home.  After attending the local school he began work on he farm.  As a young man, he was industrious and enterprising and early showed considerable business ability.  Up until the time of his sickness, he was a strong, ambitious boy and one of his great desires was to be a soldier.

When the militia was organized in Hicksville, he was one of the first to enlist and was always a steady, conscientious member until his health failed him and he was honorably discharged on December 3, 1908.  At this time a very severe trouble manifested itself in the form of a tubercular disease of the back and right thigh bone. Since then he was a great sufferer and underwent a number of severe operations.  The disease is rarely curable but his condition had so far improved during the winter that here was some hope of a favorable result.  But these hopes were not to be realized.

He died at his home on March 16, 1911, after a long and lingering illness, at the age of 28years, 10 months, and 13 days.  He leaves to mourn their loss, a father, mother, two sisters, five brothers and a host of friends. One sister preceded him to the better world.  He was always very patient in his four years of suffering, a kind and obedient son, a loving brothers, and kind to his fellow men.  Only those who constantly attended him can appreciate how patient and hopeful George has been.  Funeral services were conducted at his home Monday at one o'clock p.m. by Rev. Dunnigan of Cecil.  Interment at Forest Home."

Francis A. C. Parker

"Francis A. C. Parker, was born in Preble county, December 22, 1831. When only a few years old, he, with his parents moved to Allen county, Ind.

He was twice married, first to Jane Arney  to whom two children were born.  His second marriage was to Elvina Madden in 1864, to which union eight children were born, three of these preceded him in death.

 

He, with his family, came to Hicksville twenty-one years ago where he continued to reside until last Saturday evening when death took him at the age of 74 years, 11 months and 25 days.

He enlisted as a soldier in the civil war in company H 91st Indiana infantry in 1863 and served until the close of the war.  He became a member of the Hicksville United Brethern church in 1889 under the pastoral labors of Rev. A. E. Goff, which relationships continued until death.  There remain as near relatives of the deceased, his wife, seven children, one brother, one sister, sixteen grandchildren and one great grandchild.  The names of the surviving children are: Mrs. Sam Comparette, Mrs. Bruce Crowl, Bert Parker, Mrs. Merton Greenwalt, Miss Harriet Parker, John Parker, and Mrs. Scott Filberry.

His funeral service was conducted in the U.B. church by the pastor, Rev. J. F. Miller, Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock."

                                                          

Franklin Lloyd - Civil War Soldier in Farmer Cemetery

 

Franklin Lloyd was a Vermont native, born on January 17, 1844, to David Lloyd and Emily Phillips.  He was in Ohio with his family by the 1860 census of Centre Township, Williams County.  David, a farmer, with real estate worth $1000, was enumerated with his wife, Emily, and children Mary, 19; Frank, 15; Alice 3; and Emma, 1.  The youngest two children were born in Ohio.  Martin Lloyd, the grandfather, born Massachusetts, 79, also resided there.

A very young Frank Lloyd enlisted in the 86th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company E when it reorganized at Camp Cleveland on July 17, 1863, for six months service.  The company traveled to Zanesville, Ohio and then on to Eagle Point to intercept John Hunt Morgan.  There they skirmished for four days, capturing his command.  Morgan was on a mission to raid Indiana and Ohio and had taken thousands of prisoners along the way.  At the interception, he lost much of his regiment, but he escaped.

Company E then moved into Kentucky, around the Cumberland Gap, where they garrisoned until January, 1864, before moving back to Cleveland. Thirty-one men of the company were lost to disease. Frank was discharged on February 10, 1864.

According to Defiance County Marriage Records, Frank married Mary Bell Wolford on January 27, 1872. The couple settled in Centre Township, Williams County.  The 1880 census named Frank Lloyd, 35, a farmer, with a checkmark on maimed, crippled or bedridden.  Perhaps this indicated a war injury, but not enough to keep him from his farm work.  Mary was 24 in this census, and the couple had two children: Clara B., 7, and William H.,3.  Later, in 1883, son Martin M., was born.

Frank lost his discharge papers as reported in the 1890 veterans' census, so no information other than his name, was included on the census.  By 1900, Frank and Mary Bell, now married 28 years, were located in Farmer, Defiance County. Frank, 55, now described himself as a landlord, and he owned his farm free of mortgage.  Mary was 43. Son, Martin, the youngest, lived with Thomas and Henrietta Richardson, as a servant/farm laborer, while the other son, William H. worked as a farm laborer for George S. and Cora Richardson in the Farmer, Ohio area. Daughter, Clara, had married Irvin Graham; they would divorce in 1906, having two children.  

Defiance Weekly Express, January 26, 1906, p. 9 - "A divorce has been granted Irvin H. Graham from Clara B. Graham and the care and custody of their children, although defendant may visit them on certain specified occasions.The grounds forgranting the separation are gross neglect of duty."

Frank died on January 17, 1900.  His wife, Mary Bell, lived until August, 1949.

By that time, she had settled in Edgerton, Ohio.  In the 1930 census, Mary, then 72, lived in Edgerton with sons, William,52, a carpenter, and Martin M., 47, an independent well driller, both single.  In 1933, William died, followed by Martin in 1940. 

 Clara lived until 1951, having remarried to Jacob Bangard.  

Defiance Crescent-News, July 21, 1951, p. 3 - "Clara B. Bangard.  Edgerton, July 21 - Mrs. Clara B. Bangard, 77, widow of Jacob Bangard, died Friday evening at the Meagley sanitarium in Hicksville, where she had been a patient for seven weeks. She had been in failing health fifteen months.

Surviving are a son, Walter Graham, rt. 2, Hicksville, and a daughter, Mrs. Viola Cosper, Butler, Ind.  There are two grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Mrs. Bangard was born in Defiance county Oct.13,1873. With her first husband, Irvin Graham, she lived in Farmer Tp.

The body, now at Krill funeral home in Edgerton, will be taken to the residence in Edgerton this afternoon.  Monday, the body will be returned to the funeral home for services at 2:30 p.m. in charge of Rev. Ralph C. Tucker, Methodist pastor.  Burial will take place at Maple Grove cemetery."

The Frank Lloyd family, except Clara, are all buried in Farmer Cemetery.

Who Remembers the Funnel Inn in Mark Center, Ohio? Part 2

 

The Defiance Crescent

November 4, 1968, p. 13

On the right, Deputy Sheriff 

Tom Mick points to a hole in the

wall caused by a shot fired by

Kelly Hayes, owner of the 

Funnel Inn.

It was in the wee hours of a Sunday morning when Robert A. Heffley and another patron, William Temple, argued over the ownership of a quarter which had fallen on the floor as they attempted to pay for some beer.  Eventually Heffley allegedly knocked the other patron down and owner, Kelly Hayes attempted to stop the fight.  In the struggle, Hayes was stabbed.

"He (Hayes) then went from the rear dance floor to the kitchen area in the front of the building and picked up a gun. Returning to the scene of the fight, Hayes ordered Heffley to put down the knife and allegedly shot when the Indiana youth refused to drop it," the Crescent reported.

Hayes and Heffley, 19, were both taken to Parkview Hospital, Heffley having received a bullet wound in the upper right arm. 

And then, in September, 1969, James Gamble, 31, had his

throat cut, allegedly by an unknown assailant about midnight

at the Paradise Palms (aka Funnel Inn).  Gamble was attacked

by a man wielding what appeared to be a straight razor.  After

being cut, Gamble allegedly assaulted Trebor Vaughn,

 Paulding, with a beer bottle. Both men ended up in the 

hospital.

By this time, the Funnel Inn was under the ownership of the Northwest Tavern Company and Ralph Harvey was managing the tavern.  The name change to Paradise Palms came with the new ownership.

And then an era closed at the end of January, 1970, when the tavern building and all its contents were decimated by a fire; the loss was estimated at $15,000.

An employee had closed the tavern at midnight on a Monday night and the fire was discovered at 2:10 a.m. by a neighbor, Mrs. Wonderly, who thought she saw flames through the bar's windows.  She called her son, Forrest, who called the Hicksville fire department.  The thought was that the fire started in the kitchen.