Caroline Koewler Lutz

Four days after Christmas, 1878, Anthony and Henrietta Koewler stood in St. Michael Catholic Church in Ripley, Ohio and witnessed the baptism of their three week old baby daughter, Caroline Catherine. Frederick Wucher and Catherine Gast served as her godparents. 

Caroline, or Carrie as she was called, was the eighth child of Anthony and Henrietta (Fischer) and spent her childhood in a house near Eagle Creek in Brown County, Ohio. When she was about 21 years old, she went to live with her brother, Henry, and his family in Evansville, Indiana. Not only did her brother live in that city, but both her paternal and maternal uncles, Thaddeus Koewler and Jacob Fischer, also lived in the city. In the 1900 census, Carrie can be found working in Evansville as a maid for the Christian Felker family. According to the August 13 issue of the Georgetown, Ohio News Democrat, she returned to Ripley. 

"Miss Callie [sic] Koewler, who has been making her home with her brother at Evansville, Ind., and returned here Friday, is reported to be seriously ill with typhoid fever at the home of her mother, near town."

After recovering from her illness, she returned to her brother's house. She met a German immigrant, Henry Lutz, who lived with his parents in Evansville. In October 1904, they obtained their license to marry and on December 26 of that year they were wed by Father L. W. Burkhardt in St. Boniface Catholic Church. Henry and Caroline made their home at 1222 West Michigan Street in Evansville.

The following summer, Caroline was expecting her first child. It is not known whether she had a difficult beginning to her pregnancy, but it is documented in the newspaper that in July she was hospitalized at St. Mary's Hospital in Evansville. On March 7, 1906, Walter John Lutz was born. Whether the pregnancy and subsequent childbirth brought about Caroline's organic heart disease or it was something she had previous to getting pregnant is not known, but it is apparent that giving birth weakened her to the point of exhaustion. On April 3rd, the Evansville Courier and Press reported that Caroline was seriously ill at her home on West Michigan Street. In addition, baby Walter never thrived and on April 5th, according to his death certificate, he died from marasmus and spasms which is a condition brought about from a lack of nutrition. The next day, Walter John Lutz was buried in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery while his mother   

"was unable, from her extreme weakness to even lift her hand to stroke the little one's dying brow and could not leave her bed to follow the baby's remains to the little grave in the cemetery." *

In fact, her condition was so serious that she died the very next day and was laid to rest next to Walter on April 10. Her death was reported in the Evansville newspaper and in the Ripley (Ohio) Bee.  

Ripley Bee, page 1, April 11, 1906

*  "Mother Follows Her Babe To The Grave", obituary, Evansville Courier and Press, 8 April 1906, page 13, Evansville, Indiana

Parents of Five; One Child Living

The Spiller Family
Peter, Mary Alma, Ernest, Barbara (Haitz)
circa 1901-1903

     Peter Paul Spiller married Barbara Bertha Haitz on April 8, 1891 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Ripley, Ohio. They were twenty-five years old; both having been born in 1865.  The witnesses for their marriage were Barbara's twin brother, Frank and Peter's younger sister, Magdalena. 

     Peter was the son of John and Elizabeth Spiller. Barbara was the daughter of Franziskus (Frank) Xavier Heitz/Haitz and Elizabeth Germann. In the first ten years of their marriage, Peter and Barbara would become the parents of five children, but tragically they would only see one of their children live to adulthood.

22 December 1903, Daily Public Ledger, Maysville, Kentucky; page 1

     Walter John Francis, their first son, was born January 8, 1892 in Ripley and was baptized by Father John B. Dickhaus of St. Michael Catholic Church on the same day. His godparents were John Spiller and Anna Elizabeth Heitz. On July 20, 1896 Walter died at the age of four years, 6 months, and 12 days from typhus. He was buried five days later in Maplewood Cemetery.

     The second child of Peter and Barbara was born August 21, 1893. Her name was Mary Alma and she was baptized a week after birth on August 27 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Ripley. Charles Spiller and Mary Haitz were her godparents. Mary Alma would live just a short ten years before she contracted typhoid fever and died on December 17, 1903. Her burial was December 19 and it is not known if Maplewood Cemetery is her final resting place as the church record did not contain that information. 

     Barbara's third pregnancy resulted in fraternal twins, Emma Elizabeth and Carl George, who were born July 5, 1896.  Carl George would live only three hours before his death and the records from St. Michael Catholic Church state he had a private baptism. There is no information on his burial. His sister, Emma, was baptized at one week old on July 12 at St. Michael. Her godparents are not known as there is only a transcription available of the record which does not have them listed. Once again, Peter and Barbara would bury a child. At the age of four, Emma Elizabeth died from pneumonia on November 17, 1900. Her burial record is not available.

     The only child of Peter and Barbara who lived to adulthood was Ernest Xavier. He was born April 5, 1898. He would be only five when the last of his siblings were lost. 

     The above photograph of the family is labeled on the back as "The Spiller Family". Using birth and death dates and the fact that there are only two children in the photo, it is certain that the children are Mary Alma and Ernest Xavier. 

Anton Koewler

The News Democrat

Georgetown, Ohio

29 March 1900

 The death of Anthony (Anton) Koewler, my great-great grandfather, on 26 March 1900 was not unexpected. It came after receiving three gun shot wounds, including one in the chest, just over six months earlier.  His death left his wife, two sons, and six daughters to mourn him. 

  An argument over possession of a gun changed the lives of not only Anthony and his family, but, no doubt, the life of the young man who delivered the shots, William Sidwell. 

The News Democrat
Georgetown, Ohio
7 September 1899

  The newspaper article written at the time of the incident tells the story of what transpired in the melon patch on that Sunday afternoon. Anton is said to have had a reputation for being quarrelsome which really makes me wonder how he earned that description. We will never know what angry words were passed between the two parties to cause Anton to point his weapon at Sidwell which in turn enraged the 28 year old enough to retrieve his gun and actually fire three times. Were his actions those of a "peaceable young fellow" as the writer of the article claimed him to be? Was it regret that made him turned himself in for his crime?  Sidwell paid for his crime by serving four years in the penitentiary for killing Anthony Koewler. He can't be found in the 1910 or 1920 censuses, but is found living with his widowed mother on South Second Street in Ripley, Ohio in 1930. He was single and a farm laborer. Two years later, he was a resident of the County Home in Georgetown where he died at the age of 60 as a result of chronic nephritis. 

Henry Koewler's Obituary

Maplewood Cemetery, Ripley, Ohio

Henry Koewler was an older brother of my great-great grandfather, Anthony Koewler. His obituary was published in The Ripley (Ohio) Bee on March 28, 1906. It read

"Mr. Henry Koewler died last Wednesday evening at 6 o'clock at the home of his son John in the country, after an illness of several months duration. 

He was born in Schoenau, Germany, in 1832, and had he lived until May he would have been 74 years of age. The funeral was held Friday morning from St. Michael's Church, Rev. Father Theodosius officiating, burial in Maplewood.
His wife preceded him to the great beyond just three years ago, and the youngest son, Frank just two months ago. He leaves eight sons and one daughter to mourn the loss of a kind and indulgent father.

 Mr. Koewler came from Germany to Ripley in 1852. He obtained work here and later engaged in flatboating produce to New Orleans, making a number of trips. He afterwards went to Kentucky where he was engaged on the construction of the Kentucky Central Railroad. He again returned to Ripley where he formed a partnership with the late J. P. Helbling in the butcher business which lasted for over thirty years. He always maintained the confidence and respect of his fellow citizens as an upright and honorable business man. 

The later years of his life have been spent on a farm, but failing health prevented his taking any active part in that life.

The sympathy of the community is extended the relatives."  

Brickwall Busted! Nicholas Becker's Family Is Found!

There was a wall, a brick wall, sitting on my family tree behind the name of my great, great, great grandfather, Nicholas Becker. As recorded in his biographical sketch found on page 52 in the 1883 History of Brown County, Ohio, Nicholas was born about 1828 in Lorraine, France, and, with a portion of his family, came to this country about 1854, settling in Decatur County, Indiana. He later moved to Cincinnati and, in 1866 with his wife, Catherine Thill Becker, to Ripley. His parents and another portion of the family arrived in 1855. Apparently, the Becker family had more than several members, but their names were unknown to me...until Tuesday. 

That morning, an email arrived in my inbox from a cousin announcing the fact that The Ripley Bee and other Brown County newspapers were available online through the Digital Archives of the Union Township Library. After replying with a very grateful thanks, I forced myself to continue my morning chores because my parents had taught me that work should come before play. I'm not sure just how well those chores were completed that morning, but I was soon searching for family names that I knew would be in the Ripley papers. One of the very first was Nicholas Becker, Sr. and, with just a click, the brick wall came tumbling down!

Professor Nicholas Becker, as he was called in the newspaper, was a teacher of the German language in the schools of Ripley, Ohio during the latter half of the 1800's. He also owned a hat and cap store on Second Street in Ripley which his son, Nicholas, Jr. managed. Catherine Thill Becker, the wife of Nicholas, Sr, operated a millinery shop at the same address. 

On page 3 in the May 22, 1879 issue of The Ripley Bee there was a small article that was originally published in the Cincinnati Gazette the week before on May 15. It read

"Fatal Accident

At half-past 8 o'clock last night Mary Ann Becker who resides with a brother, living at No. 238 West Sixth street, while on a visit to her sister, a Mrs. Gross, who lives at No. 522 Elm street, fell down a flight of stairs and broke her neck, causing almost instantaneous death. It appears that she had started down the stairs, when her sister called her back and in turning, made a misstep, with the result above chronicled. Dr. Ratterman was called in but nothing could be done. Mrs. Becker was a native of France, and leaves one son. - Cin. Gazette. Mrs. Becker was the sister of Mr. N. Becker of this place."

One short little article about a very sad situation and I knew the names of Nicholas' two sisters and where they were living in 1879! After researching the census and city directories, I determined Mary Ann's sister, Mrs. Gross, was Rosa Becker Gross and with that discovery, I also found the brother, Victor and another sister Katherine. There is a much younger Nicholas Becker also living with the family in Cincinnati who is possibly the surviving son of Mary Ann mentioned in the newspaper article, but that will take more research to determine his relationship to the others.

As more and more newspapers, documents, and blogs appear online, I imagine numerous genealogy brick walls will start tumbling down. I have others that need blasting, but I am so happy to see the Becker one go. I can hardly wait to see what else I can find in the Ripley area newspapers!

Obituary of Franziskus Xavier Haitz

The death of Franziskus Xavier Haitz occurred on November 24, 1886.  His passing did not seem to give cause for a long and flattering obituary, but he was remembered in the Ripley, Ohio newspaper of the time, The Bee & Times. 

"Frank X Haitz, a German aged about 50 years, died at his home in this township, on Eagle Creek, Thursday, of heart trouble, and was buried in Maplewood Cemetery, from the Catholic Church, Saturday morning. He leaves a wife and several children."

"Untitled obituary for Frank Haitz," obituary, (Ripley, Ohio) Bee and Times, 1 December 1886, Frank Haitz, page 3, column 3.

Francizkus Xavier Heitz
Maplewood Cemetery
Ripley, Ohio

Franziskus is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Ripley. The epitaph on his headstone is written in German, his native language. 

Franziskus Xavier Heitz

Born 3 September 1824

Died 24 November 1886  

Here sleeps in this grave until on the last day when God calls you. The trumpet of mercy calls you. Out of your grave He calls you into the land where death is not to separate, where no one knows pain and sorrow.

Obituary of George Haitz, brother of Joseph

It's been a while since my last post and a lot of things have happened since.  I am happy to announce that my youngest son and daughter-in-law are expecting a little girl in early March. This will be a very special birth as their daughter, Caroline Grace, was born prematurely in the summer of 2013 and lived only a day.  While we still grieve for Caroline, our family has prayed for this baby for a long time and continue to pray for a healthy pregnancy and successful birth.  This little girl will be my eighth grandchild!

Also since my last post, this state experienced a record rainfall resulting in flooding that devastated parts of Columbia and the surrounding area. It was so nice to see people pulling together, providing clothes, food, water, and other supplies to those who needed them.  After eleven days of being under a boil advisory, all of Columbia now has clean water to drink.  It will be a long while until all the roads are fixed and a full recovery is made for those who lost belongings, houses, and businesses. 

Maplewood Cemetery
Ripley, Ohio

Today's obituary is for George Haitz, Sr. who was born in 1867.  He was the brother of Anna Serwna, who lived to be one hundred, and my great grandfather, Joseph Haitz. 

George was 85 years old when he died March 3, 1953 at the home of his son, Leon, who lived on Bradyville Pike near Ripley.  He was a widower and a retired farmer.  Two other sons survived him, George Russell and Nick both of whom lived in Ripley.

A requiem high mass was intoned by Father Gregory Sturm in St. Michael Catholic Church on Friday, March 6 with burial in Maplewood Cemetery.

Find A Grave Memorial 

"Requiem High Mass for George Haitz, Sr.," obituary, The Ripley (Ohio) Bee, 12 March 1953, page 6, column 5, George Haitz, death, 3 March 1953, Ripley, Ohio. 

Anna Haitz Serwna, a Haitz Family Centenarian

I saw on the Geneablogger's Facebook page that today is National Centenarian's Day, and it just so happens that the obituary information I recently entered into my Roots Magic software is that of Anna Haitz Serwna who lived to be just a month over 100 years old so this post is in her honor.  

Maplewood Cemetery
Ripley, Ohio

Anna was the sister of my great grandfather, Joseph Haitz.  She was the second of ten children of her parents, Francizkus Xavier (Frank) and Elizabeth (Germann) Haitz and the first to be born in Ohio.  Her older sister, Elizabeth, had been born several years earlier, 1859, in Boston, Massachusetts.   

Anna lived all but two years of her life in and near Ripley, Ohio.  Her marriage to Joseph Serwna was performed at St. Michael Catholic Church on October 24, 1891 by Father John B Dickham.  She and Joseph, a Huntington Township farmer, would eventually have a family with five children.  Joseph preceded her in death in 1959.

For her 100th birthday, September 9, 1963, just about one month shy of her death, she attended a party in her honor complete with family, festivities, and a birthday dinner.   

Her death occurred at 5:00 AM on October 13, 1963 in Norwood, Ohio at the home of her daughter, Anna Roebel with whom she lived.  In addition to Anna, she was survived by another daughter, Mrs. John Helbling (Mary) of Aberdeen and three sons, Joseph and Frank of Ripley, and Martin of Norwood.  She also left a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A requiem high mass took place in St. Michael Catholic Church on Tuesday, October 15 with the Reverend Father Paul Cornwell officiating.  Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery.

Death Takes Albert J "Jerry" Steele

From The Ripley Bee      

25 July 1996

Page 3, Column 1

Albert J. "Jerry" Steele was the only child of Albert Francis and Elizabeth (Haitz) Steele.  He was born in Ripley, Ohio on October 23, 1936.  He died July 20, 1996 at his home in Mansfield, Ohio where he lived with his wife, Wanda Sue (Reeves) Steele who survived him.

Jerry was an application engineer at Barnes Pumps in Mansfield.  He belonged to the Resurrection Parish in the same city and was a long time member of the Knights of Columbus.  He served in the Army Reserve.

Maplewood Cemetery
Ripley, Ohio

Mass of Christian Burial was held on Wednesday, July 24, 1996 at St. Michael Catholic Church in his hometown of Ripley, Ohio with Father William Kennedy officiating.  Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery, Ripley.  

Link to Find A Grave Memorial

The Death of Frank A Haitz

The death of Frank A Haitz was the first of the sixteen children of Joseph and Henrietta (Koewler) Haitz.  His father had died two years earlier on Valentine's Day, 1960.  

Frank, a 51 year old farmer, had been last seen late on the night of April 15, 1962.  His younger brother, Albert, found his body the next morning in a ravine between his house and the house of Henrietta with whom Frank had been living.  The coroner ruled the death as a result of a heart attack which occurred, it was believed, while Frank was walking through a field on his way home.  

A requiem high mass was intoned at St. Michael Catholic Church in Ripley, Ohio on Wednesday, April 18, 1962 by the Reverend Father Paul Cornwell.  Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery in Ripley.

The original obituary can be found in The Ripley Bee, 19 April 1962, page 1, column 2.

Find a Grave Memorial Page

Mary Louise Haitz's Birth Record

It's rather difficult to locate the birth records online for the children of Joe and Henrietta Haitz.  In fact, the birth record for my grandfather, George Henry, can't even be found in Georgetown, Ohio at the court house.  When I found a record for Mary Louise's birth on Family Search, I counted myself very lucky!

Mary Louise was the third born for Joe and Henrietta and her birth date was 29 August 1906.  Like her siblings, she was born at home in Ripley, Ohio.

Ohio. County Births, 1841 - 2003. Online digital images. Family Search. https://www.familysearch.org : 2015.
Click on the photograph to enlarge it.
 

If you look carefully, you can see another entry for a Haitz baby on the second line.  This Albert L Haitz was the son of Joseph's brother, George, and his wife, Josephine.

A Headstone for Frank A Haitz

Honorably discharged veterans of the United States military are entitled to a government gravestone marker with no charge to the family.  An application must be completed and approved for each veteran and the family must pay the cost to have it placed if burial is in a private cemetery.  

Frank Haitz

Frank A Haitz served in the United States Navy during World War II.  Upon his death in 1962, his sister, Elizabeth Haitz Steele, requested a headstone for Frank's final resting place in Maplewood Cemetery, Ripley, Ohio.  

I do not have a personal photograph of Frank's headstone, however, there is a picture of it on his Find A Grave memorial page.  Click here to visit his memorial.  

I bet you can guess what is going to be added to my To-Do list for our next visit to Ripley!

"U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963." Database. Ancestry.com. http://www.ancestry.com : 2015.  

The Many Moves of Frank Clark and His Family

Frank Bernard and Ella Myrtle (Nower) Clark

Frank  Bernard and Ella Myrtle (Nower) Clark were my great grandparents.  Their daughter, Juanita Ruth, was my father's mother.  

As I recently looked back at the census data for Frank and Myrtle, the thing that stands out most is the fact that they moved a lot!  Each census in which they are found as a family indicates a different location for them.  

Frank and his wife, Ella Myrtle were married in Georgetown, Ohio by a Presbyterian minister, Reverend W. W. Montgomery October 2, 1907.  A marriage announcement found in the Maysville, Kentucky newspaper, Daily Public Ledger, dated October 3, 1907 states that Frank's residence was Hebron, Illinois, but that he had been visiting Dover, Kentucky for some months.  Dover was where Ella Myrtle lived. (page 1, column 2)

The 1910 United States Federal Census is the first census that the Frank Clark family is found listed.  Frank B and Ella M, as they are recorded, were living at 1115 East 8th Street in Kansas City, Missouri.  Frank's occupation was reported as a painter / contractor.  Their first child, Richard C was 2 years old at the time.  His birth place is recorded as Illinois.  From that, it can be assumed that the family left Kentucky and Ohio shortly after the marriage and lived in Illinois, possibly Hebron, for a period of time. The Kansas City dwelling in which they lived was also occupied by two other families so it is possible that it was an apartment building.  Looking on Google Maps, there is an East 8th Street, but it is impossible to know whether that is the same street where Frank, Ella, and Richard lived because street names and numbers often change due to construction or other reasons.

Frank was working for the steam railroad as a carpenter in 1920.  In this census, the family was living in a rented house at 1326 Sixth Street in Dayton, Kentucky which is located in Campbell County across the river from Cincinnati, Ohio.  Frank was forty-three years old and Myrtle, as she is listed, was thirty-five. The family had grown and eleven year old Richard now had three sisters and a brother.  Juanita was nine years old and Ernest was six.  They, along with Richard, attended school.  The two little girls, Evelyn and Francis, were four years, eight months old and two years, two months old, respectively.  Juanita had been born in Indiana while the three youngest were born in Kentucky.  It is not known if the family actually lived in Indiana when my grandmother was born or if they were just visiting, although that doesn't seem likely.  However, there were brothers of Frank who, at that time, lived in Indiana.  

Sometime between 1920 and 1930, the family moved a distance of, according to Google Maps, 3.3 miles from Dayton to Covington, Kentucky.  They were renting a house for $40.00 a month at 108 West 4th Street, and they owned a radio.  Another daughter, Irma E, had joined the family and was nine years old.  She, Evelyn, and Francis attended school.  At seventeen, Ernest did not have an occupation recorded, but did not attend school either.  Juanita was nineteen and out of school by this census date.  Richard is not listed with the family and would have been old enough to be on his own at about twenty-one years old.  In the column for Occupation, the word NONE is written for Frank.  Apparently, there was a listing for those who were unemployed at the beginning of the Depression, although I have no knowledge of what it might contain, but it is noted on the census that Frank is on Line Number 11 for the unemployed.  I will have to look into this listing to see what information is on it.  It is in the 1930 census that the question was asked whether a person was a veteran.  Frank is recorded as being a veteran of the Spanish War.  It is very possible that he was receiving a large enough pension from that war which allowed him to support the family during his unemployment.  In 1920, he did apply for such a pension, but I have not obtained those papers as of yet.

Even though there was no census taken in 1935, it is possible to determine where the Clark family lived during at least part of that year.  A question on the 1940 census asks where each person was living on April 1, 1935.  A unique feature of this particular census is that it also indicates the person who gave the information to the enumerator and in this case, it was Myrtle.  Myrtle reported that on April 1, 1935, she and Frank lived in Dover, Kentucky.  I know that the family was in Dover by 1932 as that was the year my grandmother, Juanita, married my grandfather, William Wayson and, according to their marriage record, both of them resided in Dover, however, I do not know how many years Frank, Myrtle, and the  younger children stayed there.

Five years later, in 1940, Frank and Myrtle are empty nesters. They are living by themselves back in Dayton, Kentucky at 816 Second Street.  They are still renters and they paid their landlord $19.00 a month  to live in the house.  Frank was sixty-four and Myrtle was fifty-five.  She told the enumerator that she had completed three years of high school, but she must not have known the highest grade completed for Frank as the space allocated for him is blank.  He was a painter once again and owned his own business.  In 1939, he worked a total of twenty weeks and earned $240.  It is noted that he also had additional income other than a salary which I assume is a military pension, but that has not been proven yet.

The 1940 census is the latest census that has been made public so my census research for Frank and Myrtle ends there, but I know that Dayton, Kentucky was not their last residence.  In 1957, the year of my birth, they lived in the small town of Ripley, Ohio.  Frank was in his early eighties and Myrtle was about seventy-two.  This would be the last place they would reside together.  In 1960, Frank died and the next year, Ella Myrtle made her final move to the Grant Rest Home in Georgetown, Ohio where, in December 1962, she followed Frank in death. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Census Links and Citations (actual Images for 1910 - 1930 require an Ancestry.com subscription)

1910 United States Federal Census  - "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2YD-KWT : accessed 20 July 2015), Frank B Clark, Kansas City Ward 8, Jackson, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 93, sheet 5A, family 144, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,374,799.

1920 United States Federal Census - "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH2T-T2Z : accessed 20 July 2015), Frank B Clark, Dayton Ward 1, Campbell, Kentucky, United States; citing sheet 12B, family 265, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,820,564.

1930 United States Federal Census - "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMXK-1ZK : accessed 20 July 2015), Frank B Clark, Covington, Kenton, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0006, sheet 7B, family 146, line 65, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 761; FHL microfilm 2,340,496.

1940 United States Federal Census - "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7RH-6NW : accessed 20 July 2015), F B Clark, Ward 2, Dayton, Magisterial District 3, Campbell, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 19-49, sheet 5B, family 90, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 1290.


© 2015, copyright Lynn Ann Wayson Koehler. All rights reserved 

From the Pages...Baseball in Ripley, Ohio

With tonight's All Star baseball game being played in Cincinnati, I am reminded of my grandfather, George Haitz, who loved baseball.  He was a loyal Cincinnati Reds fan, and he would often have both the radio and television tuned to the Cincinnati Reds game during the season.  

My grandfather spent his entire life in Ripley, Ohio and it's no wonder he was a baseball fan.  The small town has a rich baseball history that certainly fed his love of the sport.  He contributed to the history as during the 1940's, he played and was a coach for the small town team.

In the late 1800's, the small towns, on both sides of the Ohio River, near Ripley had amateur baseball teams. They competed with each other and the newspapers contained stories of the rivalries, games, and players.  This From the Pages... post centers on the Ripley teams.  Since I do not have access to the archived Ripley Bee here in South Carolina, the articles are from the Maysville newspapers, The Daily Public Ledger and The Public Ledger, which can be found on the website, Chronicling America.

In 1910, Herbert Whitley, his wife Sarah, and their infant twin daughters lived on Second Street in Ripley. Herbert was a clothing merchant and the manager of the Ripley baseball team.  At that time, playing baseball on a Sunday was illegal in Ohio.  Evidently, Herbert didn't agree with the law!  An earlier fine did not deter him from trying again which then resulted in his arrest.

Daily Public Ledger, 5 May 1910 , Maysville, Kentucky

Daily Public Ledger, 25 June 1910, Maysville, Kentucky

By the next year, the law prohibiting Sunday ball games was off the books and the national pastime was once again enjoyed on Sunday by the citizens of the area.

Daily Public Ledger, 11 May 1911, Maysville, Kentucky

Talk of forming a league began in 1912.  There was the Blue Grass League in Kentucky, however, the President of the Cincinnati Reds and the National Baseball Commission, August Garry Herrmann,  was ruling against new teams joining.

Daily Public Ledger, 23 February 1912, Maysville, Kentucky

There were some spectators who did not want to pay admission to the ball game.  Just how big was that tree and did their names get published?  I might have to put to look that up the next time I am in Ripley on my To-Do list !

The Public Ledger,  3 August 1916,  Maysville, Kentucky

The 1920 baseball season season started out with an opening game against Maysville.  The Ripley uniforms were "dandy"!

The Public Ledger,  25 March 1920,  Maysville, Kentucky

Unfortunately for Ripley, Maysville won that opening game.  This article lists some of the players for both teams.

The Public Ledger,  12 April 1920,  Maysville, Kentucky

The rivalry with Maysville that year was evident. 

The Public Ledger,  23 July 1920,  Maysville, Kentucky

Louis Frebis, a Ripley boy, left his home team to play for Zanesville in 1921.

The Public Ledger,  2 March 1921,  Maysville, Kentucky

We will end our look at Ripley baseball with an article from the end of the 1921 season with the team looking forward to 1922 with a new field leased from Fred Hauke and $10 shares in the association being sold.  Baseball was an important part of Ripley history!

The Public Ledger,  28 September 1921,  Maysville, Kentucky

   

Marriage Banns for Albert Haitz and Mary Louise White

While I have had good luck in finding marriage license and certificate records online for my Haitz family members, my luck ran out with Albert and his bride, Mary Louise White.  If I want to have a copy of their record, it looks like I will need to go to the Brown County Probate Court to get one so that task has been added to my To-Do list.

My search for some record of their 1940 marriage, however, was not entirely in vain.  I found a notice of the third reading of the marriage banns in a Portsmouth newspaper on the website, Newspapers.com.  

The Third Reading of the Marriage Banns for
Albert Haitz and Mary Louise White.

Marriage banns are published three times before a marriage in a Catholic Church, and some other Christian churches, not only to announce the forthcoming wedding ceremony, but to allow time for  anyone to come forward with objections to the marriage.  The banns for Albert and Mary Louise's marriage were read for the third and final time in Saint Michael Catholic Church in Ripley, Ohio on Sunday, February 4.  The wedding took place the next day, February 5.

"Couple To Wed," Portsmouth (Ohio) Daily Times, 4 February 1940, marriages banns were read for the third time at St. Michael Church for Albert Louis Haitz and Mary Louise White; digital images, Newspapers.com (http://www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 June 2015); citing the original.

Marriage of Joe William Haitz and Hestel Faye Swearingen

This is another of my grandfather's siblings who was married by Father Anthony Hoch who the subject of my previous post.  

1936 Marriage License and Certificate for
Joe William Haitz and Hestel Faye Swearingen

Joe William, or Joe Bill as everyone called him, married Hestel Faye Swearingen on Saturday, August 29, 1936.  He was 27 years old and a farmer.  She was 25 and her occupation is listed as housekeeper.  She most likely helped her mother at home.  

Her parents were Homer Swearingen and Bertha Sheeler was her mother.  They lived in Decatur, Ohio where they were farmers.  

Ohio, County Marriages, 1789 - 2013, page 169, Brown County, Joe William Haitz and Hestel Faye Swearingen, 29 August 1936; digital images, Family Search, Ohio, County Marriages, 1789 - 2013 (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 June 2015); records found in county courthouses.