Monday Madness--Little Mont Mettie Munger, Jr.

Apologies to all lovers of SNGF bloggers. Saturday Night I became involved with my Stark family genealogy, which was not on topic this weekend.

I was checking some of my cousin Kent's on-line notes and noticed that one of the younger members of my Mom's Stark Family generation, Mont Mettie Munger, Jr., a year older than my Mom, was put into a children's home following his own mother's death in 1927. I was stunned! His father was still alive, an older sister as well. Plus the entire Stark Family support system lived within the same small town of Avalon, Pennsylvania. What could have possibly prompted them to send this young fellow to a home?

Cousins--Junior and my Mother

Junior's 1930 census listing at the United Presbyterian Home click on image to view the report

At first I thought that this was one of those apocryphal family tales, but I checked the 1930 Pennsylvania census and there he was listed in the United Presbyterian Home in Butler, PA. He was only 11.

There is little more to the story....Mont, Jr. later changed his name to Robert. I have no idea what he did with his life, if he married or had children. I did locate a World War II registration and he served in the Army. There is also a death listing for him in Florida.

Cousins--Junior, my Mother, Wilma Munger (Junior's sister), Lois and Dorothy CooperSitting on the running board of Uncle Walter's car

Perhaps a relation will read this an contact me with more information. I hope so.

Mont Mettie Munger, Jr. changed his name to Robert M. Munger
Son of Mont Mettie Munger, Sr. and Lucy Wilma Stark
Born on April 06, 1920 in Avalon, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Died on June 27, 2007 at Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, Florida
Known to family as "Junior"

Treasure Chest Thursday--Hughes Mushball Medal

George Henry Hughes, my paternal grandfather, was employed as a draftsman at American Bridge Company, Ambridge, PA his entire life. Apparently, he was a mushball player and judging from this medal....a good one!

I have no idea how it came into my possession. One day I was looking through a jewelry box and there it was!!!

As Pop Pop would say, "How 'bout that!"

Additional Blogs on Flipside featuring George Henry Hughes:

George Henry Hughes at American Bridge Company

Service in World War I

Siberian Bag

Artist

Smile for the Camera, 18th Edition--Travel

The word prompt for the 18th Edition of Smile For The Camera is "Travel." Planes, trains and automobiles. Horses, mules, carts, and wagons. Bikes or on foot. Show us your family and how they traveled. This is going to be a good one, I feel it in my luggage. Admission is free with every photograph! Thank you to footnote MAVEN over at Shades of the Departed for hosting.

What a “buggy!” There are numerous notes throughout my maternal grandmother’s photo albums and notes that refer to a car as a “buggy” or "the machine." I know next to nothing about cars, so I can’t identify the make and model of this one, however the folks standing in front of it include my mother, her parents, her aunt and her grandmother.


This was an extensive family motor trip traveling from Avalon, Pennsylvania to Washington D.C. and Mt. Vernon; then into New York during August 1928. My mother was 6 ½ years old. From the photos and captions the itinerary for this trip covered Washington, DC., and Mt. Vernon, and then up the Hudson River through the Adirondack Mountains visiting West Point, Saratoga Springs, Glens Falls and the Ausable Chasm near Plattsburg. Then into the Finger Lake area—Ithaca and Watkins Glen, before returning to Avalon. The West Point portion of the Hudson River adventure was on the Old Storm King Highway.

The StarksCharles Edward, Wilhelmina, Frances, Martha Jean, Martha Marie

Stopping for lunch outside Mt. Vernon
Close-up of the "buggy"
The Starks at West Point, New YorkFrances, Walter, Martha Jean, Martha Marie and Wilhelmina

The car belonged to my mother’s Uncle Walter. Her father and my grandfather, Charles Edward Stark, never owned a car.

Travelers on this family holiday were:

My mother: Martha Jean Stark
Her father, my grandfather: Charles Edward Stark
Her mother, my grandmother: Martha Marie Frederick Stark
Her uncle, my granduncle: Alfred Walter Stark
Her aunt, my grandaunt: Frances Stark
Her grandmother,my great grandmother: Wilhelmina Catherine Schwarz Stark

Wordless Wednesday--My Grandmother!

Tombstone Tuesday--William Williams and Trumbull Cemetery or Old Cemetery, Lebanon, New London County, Connecticut

Flipside again welcomes Paul E. Sanderson and his extraordinary collection of photos taken during a walk through Trumbull Cemetery in Lebanon, New London County, Connecticut.

A month or so ago, Paul decided that he would like to visit the tombstones of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence. His journey has begun as William Williams, a signer, is buried in this cemetery. Paul has divided the tombstone into parts so the viewer can better inspect the lengthy biography carved on the stone.

Although many of these old headstones are weathered and covered with lichen, those that can be viewed, have exceptional angels of death and information carved on them.

Thanks Paul.

More Information:

1. William Williams on Find-A-Grave.

2. Old Cemetery/Trumbull Cemetery on Find-A-Grave.

3. William Williams biography.

4. William Williams signer of the Declaration of Independence.

5. Standing Stones has more details and photographs taken in Trumbull Cemetery. Of special interest is the information on the various carvers of the tombstones found within the cemetery.

6. The William Williams House on Lebanon Green. Privately owned.

Stories in Stone--Michael Motz of Loudonville, Ohio

Loudonville, a village in Ashland County, Ohio has retained it's small town charm. Walking along the main and side streets I saw many of the original late 19th and early 20th century buildings. They have not been modernized. My disappointment came when I only found one brick storefront that had the original owner's name in stone at the top. That shop would be the Motz building which is located at 255 Main Street and is the office of the Loudonville Times, the Mohican Area Shopper and The Ashland Times Gazette.

Michael Motz, son of Philip Jacob Motz and Barbara Young, was born on November 6, 1845 in Knox County, Ohio. He married Magdalena Ullman, daughter of John Ullman and Catherine Derrenburger Ullman on May 19, 1867 in Holmes County, Ohio. Magdalena, known as Lana, was born on January 16, 1844 in Washington Township, Holmes County, Ohio.

On the 1880 Ohio Federal Census, the Motz family was living on Main Street in New Lexington, Perry County, Ohio and Michael was employed as a baker. A female servant is listed as living in the home. By the 1900 Ohio census, the Michael had relocated his family to Loudonville Village, Hanover Township in Ashland County, Ohio and he was a grocer. Michael ran his grocery store on Main Street until his death in 1927 at which time his youngest child, Josephine Laura Motz became the proprietor.

Michael Motz died at age eighty-one, on March 7, 1927 in Loudonville, Ashland County, Ohio and was buried in the Loudonville Cemetery just down the street from his grocery store. In his honor all the merchants in town closed their stores for one hour during his funeral service. Magdalena contined to live in Loudonville until her death on September 11, 1935 at age ninety-one. She is buried next to her husband in Loudonville Cemetery.

Children of Michael and Magdalena Ullman Motz:

1. Charles Edward Motz--born on January 10, 1868 in Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio and died on May 13, 1868 in New Lexington, Perry County, Ohio.

2. Clara Catherine Motz--born on March 20, 1869 in New Lexington, Perry County, Ohio and died on June 17, 1940 in Loudonville, Ashland County, Ohio. Clara was a teacher in the Loudonville Public School system and never married. She is buried in the Loudonville Cemetery.

3. James Arthur Motz--born on February 11, 1874 in Newe Lexington, Perry County, Ohio and died on July 7, 1874 in New Lexington, Perry County, Ohio.

4. Ella Louise Motz--born on August 12, 1875 in New Lexington, Perry County, Ohio and died on June 18, 1880 in New Lexington, Perry County, Ohio.

5. Albert William Motz--born on April 16, 1880 in New Lexington, Perry County, Ohio and died on July 9, 1963 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. On May 19, 1909 he married Rachel Letitia Kelly at Galion, Crawford County, Ohio. She was born on April 23, 1889 in Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio and died on May 29, 1966 in Seal Beach, Orange County, California. They had three daughters: Martha Jane Motz, Ruth Lucile Motz and Elinor Lile Motz.

6. Josephine Laura Motz--born July 11, 1882 in New Lexington, Perry County, Ohio and died November 29, 1969 in Loundonville, Ashland County, Ohio. She married Harry LeRoy Redd in Ashland County, Ohio on July 10, 1948. Both Josephine and Harry are buried in the Loudonville Cemetery. In 1971 a bequeath from the estate of Josephine Motz Redd was made to the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Loudonville in the amount of $5000 which was designated as The Josephine Motz Redd Memorial Scholarship of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Loudonville, Ohio. The scholarship is to be used for students of archeology assigned to archaelogical digs in Palestine.

Sources:

-Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, Loudonville, Ohio Weekly Bulletin

-Clara Motz Ohio Death Certificate, Ashland County, Number 35205

-Michael Motz Ohio Death Certificate, Ashland County, Number 13225

-Magdalena Ullman Motz Ohio Death Certificate, Ashland County, Number 52184

-1880 Ohio Census, New Lexington, Perry County

-1990 Ohio Census, Loudonville Village, Hanover Township, Ashland County, ED 3, Sheet 3B

-1910 Ohio Census, Loudonville Village, Hanover Township, Ashland County, ED 4, Sheet 4B

-1920 Ohio Census, Loudonville Village, Hanover Township, Ashland County, ED 4, Sheet 20A

-1930 Ohio Census, Loudonville Village, Hanover Township, Ashland County, ED 3-6, Sheet 14B

-Franks-Kaylor/Koehler-Leininger Genealogy

-The Mansfield News, Mansfield, Ohio

-Mansfield News Journal, Mansfield, Ohio

-Ancestry.com

-Rootsweb

-Find-A-Grave, Motz and Redd, Loudonville Cemetery, Loudonville, Ohio

"Scene" From the Road--Amish County Day Trip

Yesterday my brother, Ken, and I took our annual trip south into the Ohio Amish heartland-- the counties of Wayne, Homes and Ashland. We have made this pilgrimmage for at least five autumns now and each time there is always something new to see and photograph. This year was no different. We DO go to the same place for our meal--The Barn Restaurant in Smithville, Ohio and the same place to shop--The Pine Tree Barn outside Wooster, Ohio. And we do continue down Shreve Road ending up in Nashville, Ohio and continue on to Loudonville. That was pretty much the trip yesterday.

However this year we went south on Ohio Route 301, through the small village of Spencer. Ken knew of an Amish school on Black River School Road. We found it easily and Miss Snap Happy leaned out the car window and captured it on the Sony memory stick. As we were leaving a young Amish man was walking out of his nearby house to see what we were up to.

We continued on down Route 301 passing through several additional Amish areas. Being respectful of their privacy, I contained my urge to photograph Amish buggies, houses, farms, people, etc. The one above was shot out the front window of the car.

We made a stop at Wooster College in Wooster, Ohio and walked around the campus for about an hour. It was sunny, but freezing. Our mother, Martha Stark Hughes was a Wooster grad and my oldest son attended for one year before transferring to Ohio State.

Somewhere between Wooster and lunch, we stopped at Ramseyer Farms pumpkin patch. What in the world do they do with all those left over pumpkins? After all, the day of our trip was Halloween and there weren't too many folks in the parking lot.

Following lunch and shopping we headed south. I persuaded Ken to pull over in Nashville, Ohio so I could take a shot of him standing in front of the sign.....what tourists!

The final destination on our middle Ohio tour was Loudonville. I have waxed eloquent about this stop in my previous blog--SNGF--Halloween, however, I guess a little background wouldn't hurt here. Several years back, when Ken and I took this same trip, we happened upon the little village of Loudonville--gateway to Mohican State Park. We were fascinated by the Halloween parade of young folks. They were walking up and down the main street in costumes and all the merchants were sitting outside their stores passing out candy to the trick or treaters. Ken and I vowed that someday we would be a part of that parade.

This year we planned the trip for Halloween hoping to catch the festivities in Loudonville. We made it just in time, although the M.O. had changed a bit. Instead of a parade, the children were all dressed and met in the parking lot of one of the local banks for a costume contest. Everyone won a prize and I would guess that the merchants all donated the goodies inside the prize bags.

Free donuts and apple cider were offered to everyone in attendance. It was a glorious ending to our perfect day.

Returning to the Cleveland area, we traveled part of the way on the Old Lincoln Highway, Route 30. Ken and I have a fascination with it. One summer we traveled on another section of the old highway in southern Ohio and on into Pennsylvania.

"Scene" along the way home was the village of Funk, Ohio. Ken actually had to turn around and drive back so I could get a photo of the road sign and an old school house that was along side the road.

We never tire of this autumn trip and already have planned 2010.