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.

Who Remembers the Funnel Inn in Mark Center? Part 1

 The rumors relate that there were some wild times in The Funnel Inn (later called Paradise Palms) on the main drag in Mark Center, Ohio.  The tavern, opened from sometime in the 1950s until 1970, when it burnt down completely, had people visiting from all over the area, including Indiana. Numerous reports hit the papers of bartenders or waitresses serving minors 3.2 beer or mixed drinks.  Several times the building itself was crashed into by inebriated drivers just trying to get out of the parking lot.  And occasionally, fists flew and weapons were drawn.

In February and March of 1961, when the bar was owned by Kelly Hayes, burglars thought they could take advantage and relieve the business of some cash. Hayes, who lived across the street, had different ideas.  On February 20, 1961, Hayes closed down the bar around 1 a.m. and then went to the Vagabond on Rt. 24 to grab a bite to eat.  Upon returning home around 3 a.m., he spotted a car with two men driving by, and soon one of those men was busy breaking into the tavern.

"He (Hayes) grabbed his 12 gauge shotgun and the Luger pistol and ran into the street.  When he saw a man pass a front window and approach a cigarette machine on the northeast side of the inn, Hayes fired three shotgun loads through a window.  As the man ran toward the south side of the building, Hayes fired again through a door window and a fifth shotgun blast as the man broke a window on the south side and ran.  Hayes then fired at him with the Luger.  When the suspect's car sped away, Hayes pursued in his own auto."

Deputy Sheriff Doug Zeigler and his men found the burglers' abandoned car along route 24 with its blood stained handles.  As it turned out, Sites' wife took him to St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Wayne where Sites had to have his right eye removed via surgery.  He also had two shotgun pellets imbedded in his forehead and a third in the right shoulder.  Risley was the getaway car driver. They both spent some time in Mansfield Prison.

In July, 1961, the Funnel Inn was hit again, after Larry Wayne Fett tried to get into the inn around 3 a.m. in the morning.  A neighbor, Mr. Miller, nabbed him.

Fett pleaded his innocence, but a sack containing $45 in change was found in his pocket, probably from the cigarette and shuffle board machines which he had taken earlier and dumped in the bushes.

And then there was the time that someone took a pretty terrifying ride on the hood of a car at 110 mph.  In September, 1965, Deputy Norval L. Stairhime, Noel "Butch" Melia and Jerry Finn, posse members, were about to leave the Funnel Inn after checking on it when Clarence Powell, 23, ran up to them to report that a man had stolen a girl's purse.

"The man (Powell) then ran outside and jumped into the path of a car driven by James A. Harter, 23, Fort Wayne, attempting to flag it down, the deputy said.  The car struck Powell, hurling him onto the hood to which he clung as the vehicle pulled out of the lot at a high rate of speed, turning north onto Farmer-Mark Road.  The vehicle ran the State Route 18 stop sign at about 80 miles an hour and Powell was thrown onto the roof by the wind pressure, the officer said.

As the sheriff pursued the car north at speeds up to 110 miles an hour, Powell clung to the rain gutters, the force of the wind cutting both hands.  The car was stopped and Harter and a passenger, Mike Conroy, 23, also of Fort Wayne, were taken into custody."

The car was stopped a half mile south of Farmer by a deputy sheriff and two posse members. The purse which had been stolen from Connie Mason, 22, Garrett, Ind. was found along the highway, thrown from the car. Some of its contents were also discovered in the car. The driver was under the influence of alcohol and charged, of course, and Powell, had a bump on the forehead and injury and cuts to both hands.  

To be continued...

Record of Contagious Diseases - Mark Township 1896 - 1897

 The trustees of each township were in charge of reporting any contagious diseases directly to the Board of Health.  The information was to include the residence of the ill person, the disease and doctor who diagnosed it, the date reported and the outcome of the disease - discharged or died.

These entries were in the book of the David Gusler (trustee) family of Mark Township.

Edger Burd , son of Myron Burd, Mark Township, typhoid fever, reported September 18, 1896, Dr. George Rock, no discharge information.

Mrs. Delilah Rohn, Henry Rohn, Mark Township, typhoid fever, reported September 18, 1896, Dr. Geo. Rock, no discharge info.

Oliver Denning, son of Gill Denning, Mark Township, typhoid fever, reported September 18, 1896, Dr. George Rock, no discharge information

Elmer and Hattie Denning, children of Gill Denning, Mark Township, typhoid fever, reported Sept 20, 1896, Dr. J. L. Demuth.

Adeline Jones, daughter of Albert Jones, residence -Mark Center, typhoid pneumonia, reported Sept. 24, 1896, Dr. J. L. Demuth, discharged Sept 25, 1896

Frank Strattler, son of Stotler, Section 10, Mark Township, typhoid fever, reported Sept. 30, 1896, Dr. Geo. Rock, no discharge information given.

Poulter - John, Charley, Arthur, Wallace, Anna and Bernice, children of August Poulter, Section 26, Mark Township, diptheria, reported October 24, 1896, Dr. Geo. Rock.  It was requested of the Board of Health by Dr. Rock that on Oct.26, 1896, to quarantine to the premises, as he cannot make the people stay there in the house and keep others away.

Bernice Jones, daughter of Albert, Section 27, Mark Township, typhoid fever, reported on October 31, 1896, Dr. J. L. Demuth, no discharge information.

Mirrel Garver, father Chas. Garver, Mark Township, Section 15, typhoid fever, reported February 5, 1897,Dr. George Rock, no discharge information

Clinton Rickerd, son of P.P. Rickerd, Mark Township, Section 18, scarlet fever, reported May 15, 1897, Dr. J. Demuth, discharged May 30, 1897.

Ephram Stuckman, Kyle &Anderson's Addition, Lot 9, Mark Center, typhoid fever, reported August 19, 1897, Dr. Geo. Rock, discharged Sept. 11, 1897.

lMrs. E. Lovejoy, father Hill, Mark Center, Block 12, typhoid fever, reported August 21, 1897, discharged Sept. 11, 1897.

George Holton, father Nath. Holton, Mark Center, Block 3, Lot 1, typhoid fever, reported Aug. 30, 1897, Dr. Geo. Rock, died September 6, 1897, buried in Sherwood Cemetery on Sept. 7, 1897.

E. J. Pugh, son of W. H. Pugh, Mark Center, Block 11, Lot 5, typhoid fever, reported September 15, 1897, Dr. Geo. Rock, discharged September 27, 1897.

Adam Minsel - Bishop Post, G.A.R.

A native of Bavaria, John Adam Minsel, arrived in Defiance, Ohio, after his immigration around 1850. 

On June 13, 1860, he lived with the shoemaker, John Grass, and John's wife, Barbara and children, Frederick, Julia and Andrew.  Adam, 24, and possibly his mother, Catharine, 69, were boarders along with several apprentice shoemakers.  Although not shown on the census, it is probable that Adam was also a shoemaker.

On April 23, 1861, John enlisted for a three month term in Company D, 14th Ohio Infantry as a private. The company, led by Captain Sidney Sprague, went to Columbus in May and then on to West Virginia where their first real encounter occurred at Phillipi on June 3.  The company joined the Western Virginia campaign until July 22, 1861, when they were called back to Toledo and mustered out on August 13, 1861.   

After the war, he married Elizabeth A. Flickinger on August 28, 1862.  Elizabeth, also a native of Germany, and Adam were married by Rev. Adam Detzer, the Evangelical Lutheran minister.  The couple would go on to have fourteen children together.

By 1870, they resided in Defiance with Adam, 33, working as a shoemaker, claiming a real estate value of $2000 and a personal wealth of $500. Already five children had graced the family - Henry Peter - 5, August - 4, John Julius - 3, Eliza- 2, and Clara, 3 months.  Also in the household were George Hohenberger, 18, an apprentice to Adam, and Margret Rohlf, 19, a domestic servant.

The couple settled at 415 Wayne Street in Defiance by the time of the 1880 census.  Adam had won the election for county treasurer, while Elizabeth kept track of their ten children: H. P. (called Peter) - 15, August - 14, a bank boy, Julious - 13 (John Julius), Lizzie - 11, Clara - 10, Edward -9, Nettie - 7, Minie - 6, Oscar - 4, Henry - 2.  

Adam declared himself on the Veterans Census of 1890; however, he had lost his discharge papers, so not much information was given.  He did suffer some kind of disability of his left leg.

After his stint as county treasurer, he continued as a shoemaker into 1900, when he was 64.  He owned his own home at 214 Main Street, Defiance Ward 4. Only Clara, 30, and Anna, 17, were still at home.  Clara was single and a school teacher, while Anna was still in school.

On March 8, 1905, Elizabeth Minsel passed away.  She was well known in the community and her obituary appeared in many local papers.  This obituary was found in the Defiance Express, March 9, 1905, p. 10:

"DEATH OF MRS. MINSEL.  Funeral will be Held Saturday.

Mrs. Elizabeth Minsel, wife of Adam Minsel, died at her home on Main Street, Wednesday afternoon at 3:40 o'clock after an illness from a complication of diseases extending through many months.

Mrs. Minsel was born Elizabeth Flickinger in Bavaria, German Empire, in 1841.  In 1847, with her parents, she came to this country.  Ten years later they came to Richland Township, in this county, where August 28, 1862, she was married to Mr. Minsel.

To this marriage the following children were born: Peter, residing in Toledo; August, the druggist of this city; Julius and Mrs. Elizabeth Gock, living in Milwaukee; Mrs. Clara Walters of this city, and Mrs. Nettie Wand of Buffalo, N.Y.; Mrs. Minnie Gaunt of Defiance; Oscar and Henry of San Francisco and Anna who lives in Toledo.

The funeral will be held at the residence Saturday morning at 10 o'clock.  Rev. R. E. M. Engers of the Zion English Lutheran church, will officiate at the service. The Women's Relief Corps will attend the funeral in a body."

In time, Adam lived with his daughter, Clara, and her husband, Carl Walters, who had no children.  The 1910 census revealed the family at the same house at 214 East Main, with Carl Walters now named as head of household.  Carl, 40, worked as a tailor, and Clara, 39, was not employed. His father-in-law, Adam Minsel, 74 and widowed, had his own income.  The fourth person who inhabited this place was Clara Gock, niece, age 10, born in Wisconsin - the daughter of Julius.

John Adam Minsel died the next year on January 6, 1911.  The Defiance Democrat reported on January 14, 1911, on page 3:

"JOHN ADAM MINSEL

John Adam Minsel, one of the pioneer residents of Defiance, died Friday morning at3:45 at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Karl A. Walter, 214 East Main street, after an illness following a paralytic stroke.

Mr. Minsel was born March 24, 1836 in Bavaria, Germany, and at the time of his death was aged 74 years, 9 months and 12 days.  When he was fourteen years of age, he came to the United States and to Defiance, where he has since resided.  He followed his trade, which was that of a shoemaker, and for about twenty five years, conducted the leading boot and shoe store in the city, in the building in which the DeKay billiard room is located, which building he erected.

He has been prominent politically, and has held the office of the county treasurer, and several minor offices, always discharging his duties in a commendable manner.

Mr. Minsel serv(ed) during the War of the Rebellion and was a member of the 14th O.V.I.

August 28th he was married to Miss Elizabeth Flickinger, who preceded him in death about six years.

Nine children survive Mr. Minsel. They are H.P. Minsel, of Defiance; Julius Minsel and Mrs. Eliza Gock of Milwaukee, Mrs. Clara Walter of Defiance, Oscar and Henry Minsel of San Francisco, Miss Anna Minsel of Toledo, and Mrs. Nettie Minsel of Buffalo.  There are ten grandchildren.

The funeral will be held Sunday afternoon at 1:30 at the residence of Mrs. Walter and at 2:00 at the St. John's Lutheran Church.  Rev. F. A. Kiess will officiate.  Interment will be at Riverside."

(This is part of a series on Civil War veterans of Defiance County who were part of the G.A.R., Bishop Post, that headquartered in the city.  Formed in 1879, the post was named after a local man, Captain William Bishop, Company D, 100th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Army who died as a result of wounds received in battle.  The veterans' photos are part of a composite photo of members that has survived.  If you have other information or corrections to add to the soldiers' stories, please add to the comments!)

Eighteenth Century Colonial Occupations

 

Almoner - giver of charity                            Crowner - coroner

Ananuensis - secretary or stenographer        Docker - stevedore

Bluestocking - female writer                        Dowser - water finder

Boniface - innkeeper                                    Fletcher - bow and arrow maker

Burgomaster - mayor                                    Fuller - cloth cleaner, finisher

Chandler - candlemaker                                Hatcheler - flax comber or carder

Chiffonier - ragpicker                                    Hooper - hoopmaker for casks

Colporteur - book peddler                              Hostler or Ostler - horse groomer

Cordwainer - shoemaker                                Leech - physician

Costermonger - fruit and vegetable peddler

Manciple - steward                                        Shrieve - sheriff

Mintmaster - local currency issuer                   Snobscat - shoe repairer

Peregrinator - intinerant wanderer                    Sortor - tailor

Peruker - Wigmaker                                        Stuffgownsman -junior barrister

Pettifogger - Irreputable lawyer                        Tide Waiter - customs inspector

Pumbum - worker plumber                              Tipstaff - policeman

Rattlewatch - town watchman                           Vulcan - blacksmith

Scrutineer - election judge                                Webster - loom operator

Wharfinger - Wharf owner                                  Whitewing - streetsweeper

(Old Farmer's Almanac, reprinted Dec. 1986)