Family Lifetimes

1937 Ohio River Flood

2012-01-23T15:00:00.000-05:00

This week will mark the 75th anniversary of one of the worse floods that Ripley, Ohio has ever endured. After the rainiest January on record, the Ohio River overflowed its banks sending destruction into the homes, businesses, and lives of the town's citizens.

The photos below were taken on Second Street near Market Street. My Becker great-grandparents, Louis and Amy, lived about a block away on this same street, as did my Haitz grandparents, George and Janet and their two year old daughter. I can only imagine what they must have gone through to escape the rising water with a toddler, not to mention the mess that they must have returned to when the water receded.

The 1937 flood in Ripley, Ohio

This is the same view today.

Alice Lee Edwards

2011-08-15T12:31:00.000-04:00

A very distant cousin, Alice Lee Edwards was a character actress who appeared on stage and television from the late 1930's to 1950. We share the ancestor, Johann Heinrich Linn, or Henry as he was known in America, and his wife, Elizabeth Stein.

Alice Lee was born in 1910 to parents, Alice Linn and Leander Allison Edwards in Ripley, Ohio. At the age of about five, the family moved to Hamilton, Ohio in Butler County where her mother was a teacher in the public schools.

Alice Lee became familiar with death all during her childhood. In 1917, her father died and she and her mother became a part of the household of Leon and Minnie Perkins in Hamilton. They are listed as cousins of Leon in the 1920 census. On December 16, 1925, Alice Lee suffered the death of her grandmother, Louisa Weiand Linn, then just a short time later, on January 14, 1926, her mother tragically died from liver problems that were a complication of influenza. At the young age of sixteen, Alice Lee returned to Ripley to live with her grandfather, Charles A. Linn where just one year later, she would once again encounter death upon the death of her grandfather.

Alice Lee enjoyed participating in plays and public speaking during her high school years in Ripley. Graduating from Ripley High School in 1927, she then attended Miami University, graduating from that institution in 1931. After being a student of drama under actress Madam Maria Ouspeskaya in New York City, Alice Lee became a teacher of that art in Buffalo, New York.

Her later years found Alice Lee in various plays and productions in Hollywood and Pasadena, California. She returned to the east coast where she performed on stage in New York City and other theaters in New England. In 1949, she was a member of the Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire. In 1950, she made an appearance on the Gabby Hayes television show.

Alice Lee's life, while tragic, must have been an exciting one with her career and travels. On January 26, 1955, exactly twenty-nine years after the death of her mother, Alice Lee met death for the final time. Her own death occurred in New York City where her body was cremated. There is a marker honoring her life in the Edwards' family plot in Maplewood Cemetery, Ripley, Ohio.

Tombstone Tuesday - Joseph and Henrietta Haitz

2011-02-08T14:09:00.000-05:00

Monday, February 14, will mark the fifty-first anniversary of my great-grandfather's death. Joseph Haitz died from heart disease in his home at 3:30 in the morning on Valentines Day. He was 82 years old. He was buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Ripley, Ohio.

Haitz Siblings

2011-01-26T17:45:00.000-05:00

As I have written before, my grandfather, George Haitz, was one of sixteen children. I found this picture of him as a baby with his older siblings. The little girls in the back are (left to right) Henrietta, Mary Louise, and Elizabeth. The oldest of the Haitz children, Margaret, is sitting with my grandfather in her lap.

The children in the front are (left to right) Frank, Joe Bill (Joseph William), Emma, and Bob (Robert). My grandfather was born in March of 1914 so this picture must have been taken during the summer of 1915 at the Haitz home on Stephenson Road in Ripley, Ohio.

Christmas Past

2010-12-16T15:59:00.000-05:00

With my father being in the military, I very seldom spent the Christmas holidays with my grandparents in Ripley, Ohio. My Christmases were spent quietly with my parents and brother in places like Hawaii, Alabama, South and North Carolina, Kentucky, and Zweibrucken, Germany. They were pleasant and fun holidays, but I often wonder what I missed by not having cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents around to share in the celebration of Christmas.

After her divorce, there were years that my grandmother, Janet, would travel to where ever we lived at the time to be with us over the holidays. Those years were special in that not only was it Christmas, but it was one more time during the year that I was able to spend with my grandmother, which was a rarity.

This picture was taken at Christmas 1958 before I became a military kid. That's me with my grandfather, George Haitz, and my cousin. I don't remember those first three Christmases that I spent in Ripley, but I know that the warmth and love that surrounded me is with me still.

May your Christmas be one spent surrounded by the love of family and our Lord, Jesus Christ! Merry Christmas!

The Linn Brothers

2010-11-22T20:28:00.000-05:00

Michael and Magdalena Linn had four sons, in addition to their two daughters, that lived to adulthood. Interestingly, three of those sons never married. All but Louis stayed in Ripley their entire lives and worked in the retail business dealing with either dry goods or clothing.

William F. Linn, also known as Wilhelm F., was born September 13, 1856. He married Ida Beyersdoerfer in 1897. They became the parents of two children, Michael Raymond and Elizabeth. W. F., as he was commonly known, died in Ripley in 1953.

Born Ludwig L. on November 1, 1858, Louis left Ripley at an early age. In 1880, he was living in Atchison, Kansas along with his cousin, Henry Linn. He then settled in Gunnison, Colorado. For reasons unknown, he returned to Ripley by 1910 where he stayed until his death in 1935.

Emil Linn was the twin of his sister, Emilie, or Amelia as she was called. The twins were born on the last day of January in 1861. Emil was a grocer. He, along with his younger brother, Walter, lived with their sister, Flora, until Flora's death. After her passing, they continued to live in the Montgomery house on Fifth Street until their deaths. Emil died in 1947.

The youngest Linn son was Walter. He was born April 30, 1863. Walter was a dry goods merchant in Ripley. He died September 17, 1954. Upon his death, his estate was valued at $220,005.78.

Flora Linn Montgomery

2010-11-03T13:22:00.000-04:00

My great great grandmother's name was Flora, and while I have never met anyone named Flora in my lifetime, it must have been a popular name back in the mid 1800's. I seem to have several Flora's scattered throughout the branches of my tree.

The youngest living child of Michael and Magdalena Linn, Flora was born in 1866 in Ripley, Ohio. At the age of twenty, she married William Albert Montgomery. They became the parents of four children, three of whom lived past infancy. Flora died in 1936 and is buried alongside Albert in Maplewood Cemetery in Ripley.

Michael and Magdalena Linn

2010-11-01T14:36:00.000-04:00

Michael and Magdalena (Hanauer) Linn were the grandparents of my great-grandmother, Amy Elouise Montgomery Becker. Michael was born September 29, 1825 in Schopp, Trippstadt, Germany. Magdalena's birth took place in Neiderbrunn, Weissenburg, Alsace, France in 1827.

In 1848, Michael left his homeland for America and six years later, in Stark County, Ohio, he and Magdalena married. They settled in Ripley, Ohio where they raised a family of six children, William F., Louis, Emil, Amelia, Flora, and Walter. Two other children, George and Karolina, died before age two.

Michael was a prominent businessman in Ripley. He owned a dry goods store on Main Street in which Magdalena worked along side him. In 1901, Magdalena died with Michael following in 1910. Both are buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Ripley.

Louis Lynn Becker's Birth Record

2010-09-10T15:01:00.002-04:00

Louis was the first child and only son of Nicholas and Anna (Beyersdoerfer) Becker. The line below Louis's record is that of his cousin, Errol Beyrsdoerfer, son of Anna's brother, Conrad.

William Gates - Revolutionary War Veteran

2010-07-04T16:21:00.000-04:00

Today is the Fourth of July and we are getting ready to celebrate with our children and grandchildren. We'll be grilling burgers, swimming, and, once it's dark, letting the kids have fun with sparklers.

On this day, I'd like to remember my ancestor, William Gates, who was a Revolutionary War veteran. He was born in Charles County, Maryland around 1755. He enlisted June 4, 1778 as a private in the 1st Regiment and was discharged April 5, 1779. He enlisted again as a Corporal May 9,1779 and was mustered out March 30, 1780. His name appears on the roll of Captain Joseph Marbury and Lieut. Samuel Hamilton in the 3rd Regiment from Charles County, MD. He was discharged March 30, 1783.

His military history is as follows:

1778, June 4- Entered the service under Captain Bruce, First Maryland Regiment, served nine months.

1780, March- Enlisted First Maryland Regiment under Captain Joseph, commanded by Col. William.

1780, Aug. 16- Fought in the battle in Camden, SC- General Gates defeat by Lord Cornwallis.

1781, Jan. 17- Fought in the battle of Cowpens, SC with Brig. General Daniel Morgan.

1781- Fought in the battle of Eutaw Springs (Sept 8) under Nathaniel Greene, and the Siege of Ninety Six, and the second battle of Camden under General Greene.

1783, winter- Procured from General Smallwood an honorable discharge from the Army.

William and his family later settled in Adams County, Ohio where he died in 1829.

Death Notice of Mrs. Henry Koewler

2010-06-30T15:57:00.003-04:00

I found this death announcement on the Chronicling America website. I believe it refers to Margaret Schwartz who was born September 1, 1839 in Schonau, Germany. She married Henry Koewler in Brown County, Ohio on March 5, 1859.

Thursday, March 26, 1903

The Daily Public Ledger

Maysville, Kentucky page 1

"Mrs. Henry Keowler (sic) died the past week at Ripley, aged 63."

The Children of Anton and Henrietta Koewler

2010-06-26T14:00:00.001-04:00

During my teaching days, I didn't always have time to do the actual recording of information, but having a love of research, I seemed to be able to accumulate piece after piece of paper on which was printed what I found in those moments of free time I managed to steal from household chores. As a result, I now have a monumental, but fun, task ahead of me sorting out all the people and families that I have stuffed in file folders. The past several weeks have found me going through, organizing, and analyzing all the information that I have collected on my Koewler family over the years.

As you know from my previous posts on this family, Anton and Henrietta (Fischer) Koewler were my great great grandparents. It is through their daughter, Henrietta Koewler Haitz, that I am descended. According to the 1900 census of Union Township, Ohio, the elder Henrietta gave birth to twelve children, of whom, only eight were living at that time.

Currently, I have found only the names of those eight, and realistically, I will probably never find the other four. They lived and died before statewide record keeping was required and county records might have been lost during the Brown County courthouse fire in the seventies. I guess I shouldn't say I will never find them, but the chances are slim.

Anyway, I would like to share the names and dates that I have for the known children of Anton and Henrietta.

1. Catherine was born in Germany on May 6, 1865. I don't know who or if she married. I have no death date for her.

2. Henry was born about 1867 in Ohio. He married twice and settled in Vanderburgh County, Indiana along with the family of Anton's brother, Thaddeus.

3. Joseph Jacob was born in Brown County, Ohio on January 16, 1872. He married Laura Gast and they settled in Henderson, Kentucky. He died December 20, 1935.

4. Mary, born about 1873 in Brown County, married a DeFosse. I have no death date for her yet.

5 and 6. Louise M. was born about 1877, and Caroline was born June 16, 1878, both in Ohio. I have no other information for these girls. There is a Caroline Koewler who married a Henry Lutz in Evansville, Indiana that is possibly this Caroline, but I have not found evidence enough to prove it.

7. Henrietta, my great grandmother, was born in Brown County on December 2, 1880. She married Joseph Haitz, and they lived in Ripley all their lives. She died on March 23, 1965.

8. The youngest child, Lena F. was born in Brown County on September 8, 1883. She married Louis Trapp and died September 21, 1946. I have also found her listed as Elana.

Albert and Elizabeth Steele

2010-06-11T17:56:00.000-04:00

When I was a child, Albert and Elizabeth Steele lived in Ripley, Ohio off of Governor Street. My Aunt Elizabeth was one of, my grandfather, George Haitz's sisters. Of all my Haitz great-aunts, I knew Elizabeth the best. Unfortunately, I did not know my Uncle Albert that well.

Their son was Albert Jerome Steele, or Jerry, as my mom and her sister called their cousin. Born October 23, 1936, he was about the same age as they were and they often played together.

This photograph must have been taken around 1940. The background looks a lot like the hill behind my great - grandparents' house on Stevenson Road so maybe that is where it was taken.

High School Reunion Time

2010-05-28T10:10:00.000-04:00

This weekend marks the annual Ripley High School alumni dinner and dance in Ripley, Ohio. Each year, my parents take the long road trip to attend the event along with several of my aunts and uncles. They all enjoy the opportunity to catch up with each other.

I'm not sure how long this annual event has taken place, but I do know it has been for a long while. Looking through my photographs the other day, I came across this one of my great-grandmother, Amy Montgomery Becker, and her classmates. Amy was a 1909 graduate, also of Ripley High School. This photo is of the 25th high school reunion which took place in 1934.

Amy is the seventh lady from the left. I do not know who the other women are, but the book, Ripley, Ohio - It's History and Families, lists eighteen graduates from that year. This may or may not be a complete list.

Class of 1909

Roy Kelsey

Clara Edith Liggett

Florence West

Frances A. Germann

Amy Montgomery

Sarah Kate Smith

Archie Criswell

Mattie Alleen Tweed

Mary Ross

Margaret Yearsley

Joseph Fichter

Mary Helen Frank

Lorena Berling

Lester McCormick

Katherine Hawk

Lola Kate Bradford

Elizabeth Letts

Wylie Spears

The Newest Member of the Family

2010-05-23T15:03:00.000-04:00

Several months ago, I promised myself that I would keep up with this blog, and I think I have kept my promise. However, you will notice that it has been a little while since my last posting. This time, I have the best excuse possible for being away from my computer, my research, and my blogging. Her name is Katherine Elizabeth and she is four days old today. Katherine was born Wednesday, May 19 at 10:33 AM, weighing 7 lbs. 12 oz. My daughter, son-in-law, and Katherine's two brothers, Logan and Will are enjoying the new addition to their family.

Her grandfather and I are very proud of our, now four, grandchildren. Here is a photo of our newest little angel. Isn't she beautiful?

Death of Anton Koewler

2010-05-15T11:42:00.000-04:00

I am going to let the newspaper articles tell the rest of the story. For all of this to have happened over money and watermelons is just shameful.

News Democrat - Georgetown, Ohio

March 29, 1900

"Anthony Koewler died at his home near town at 10 a. m., Monday, as the result of a shot fired by Wm. Sidwell on September 3, 1899. His body was paralyzed from the waist down and it is almost a miracle that he lingered so long. He was born in Germany 60 years ago, but has lived here many years. He leaves a wife, two boys and three girls, besides many friends, to mourn his demise. The funeral will take place from St. Michael's Church on Thursday morning at ten o'clock; interment in Maplewood. His family have the sympathy of all. Sidwell was re-arrested and taken to Georgetown and lodged in jail where he awaits the action of the grand jury."

Marietta Daily Leader - Marietta, Ohio

April 1, 1900

page 4

"Quarreled Over Melons

Ripley, O., March 31. - Anthony Koewler, a prominent farmer who was shot on the 3d of last September by Wm. Sidwell in a dispute over a crop of melons, was buried here on Thursday. Koewler's death was due to the effects of the wound. Sidwell was tried on the charge of shooting with intent to kill, but the jury disagreed. He has been rearrested and jailed, the charge now being murder in the second degree."

Daily Public Ledger - Maysville, Kentucky

15 February 1901

page 1

"At Ripley a verdict of manslaughter was returned against William Sidwell, charged with the killing of Anthony Koewler last September. Application for a new trial was made."

Daily Public Ledger - Maysville, Kentucky

28 February 1901

page 1

"William Sidwell, for the killing of Tony Koewler near Ripley over a year ago, has been denied a new trial, and was sentenced by Judge Markley to four and one-half years in the Ohio Penitentiary."

Anton Koewler's Story - Part 2

2010-05-12T16:51:00.000-04:00

Daily Public Ledger

Maysville, Kentucky

September 5, 1899

The canteloupe and watermelon crop in West Kentucky this season has been exceedingly large, the product of many patches being allowed to rot in the fields, as prices will not pay for hauling them to market.

This was the state of things that late summer of 1899. Anton Koewler had recently purchased the old James Stephenson farm just east of the town of Ripley. Early in the season, Anton rented a small patch of land on the bank of the Ohio River to Daniel Sidwell and his sons to raise watermelons. As the crop grew, Anton had concerns about the amount of money that would be realized from it, however, fearing the melons would be stolen during the night, Anton had lent the Sidwell boys his gun to protect themselves.

On Sunday, September 3, Anton decided he wanted his gun back and went to retrieve it from the Sidwells who were tending the watermelon patch. Angry words were spoken and William Sidwell resented Anton's demeanor. Anton turned and pointed his gun at Sidwell, "pulling it off". Sidwell ran to his house, returned with a revolver, and shot Anton three times. Two of the bullets did little harm, however, one entered his left breast and came to rest upon his spine.

Anton was taken home, and the Doctors Prine and Francis were called. Anton was soon partially paralyzed and, fearing the worst, the priest was summoned to administer the Holy Sacrament of the Church. Meanwhile, William Sidwell had started to town to turn himself in when he met Sheriff Miller to whom he surrendered. On Tuesday, September 4, he was released on $2000 bail. One week later, Anton's condition remained the same.

This story is taken from newspaper articles in the September 7 and 14, 1899 issues of Georgetown, Ohio's News Democrat. I want to sincerely thank Alison at the Union Township Public Library in Ripley, Ohio for taking the time to hunt for the articles in the unindexed newspaper microfilm. I am sure she had better and much more important things to do. If you are wondering why the story is not taken from the Ripley Bee, it is because that newspaper microfilm is not available for the year 1899. I am just so thankful that the library does have access to the News Democrat! You may have also noticed that the Hamilton, Ohio newspaper in which I first found my clue for this story named the shooter as William Tidwell, instead of Sidwell, so I am doubly glad that I was able to read it from a newspaper closer to the actual location.

I cannot imagine how the Koewler family felt that September day. I found it very interesting and sad that the article's author described Anton as having a reputation of being quarrelsome, yet standing well in the community. I can't help but wonder what sort of man he was that he would be thought of in this way.

In case you are wondering, Anton's injuries did turn out to be deadly and in my next posting you will be able to read his obituary and all about the fate of William Sidwell.

Uncovering the Death of Anton Koewler

2010-05-10T12:12:00.001-04:00

The death of my great - great grandfather, Anton Koewler, has driven me mad for years! His daughter was Henrietta, wife of Joseph Haitz. She and Joseph were the parents of sixteen children, the ninth being my grandfather, George Henry Haitz.

From census data, I knew Anton had immigrated from Germany to Ripley, Ohio sometime around 1866 with his wife, Henrietta Fischer, and their daughter, Catherine. Henry their second child was born in Ohio around 1867. Anton and Henrietta would go on to have 12 children, eight of whom I have at least some information.

Also from the census, I had an approximate birth year, 1840, for Anton, however, his death remained a mystery. When Anton was not found with his family in the 1900 census and Henrietta is listed as a widow, the first thing that obviously popped into my head was that Anton was dead. I entered his death into Reunion as "before June 1900" keeping in mind that the death date is nothing until proven.

Then, along came, my Newspaper Archive subscription! I entered KOEWLER into the search engine and several prospects appeared. I looked at each, making notes, sometimes printing, when a small front page article in the September 5th issue of the Hamilton Daily Republican News caught my eye. Now Hamilton, Ohio is quite a distance from Ripley, but not wanting to miss anything, I clicked on the link. A small five sentence paragraph with the dateline "Ripley, O., Sept. 5" became a clue that would send me on the journey of discovering Anton's story.

The article was titled, "Farmer Shot While In His Melon Patch". It read,

"Tony Koewler, aged 62, a farmer, was shot while in a watermelon patch by William Tidwell. The two met and had hot words. The result of the wound can not yet be determined. He is apparently paralyzed. Tidwell gave himself up."

Could Tony be my Anton? The age/birth year calculation was pretty close and I had found him sometimes listed as Anthony. I immediately e-mailed the most helpful librarian at Union Township Public Library in Ripley to see if the town newspaper, the Ripley Bee, was available on microfilm for 1899. She quickly responded that unfortunately, it was not, but that she would check the News-Democrat, the paper for the nearby town of Georgetown. I couldn't wait to hear from her! You'll have to stay tuned for the rest of the story! It's an interesting one!

The Dedication of the Opening of the Bridge Over Red Oak Creek-Part Two

2010-05-05T12:00:00.002-04:00

On July 2, 1941, over 6,000 people were in attendance for the ceremony marking the opening of the bridge over Red Oak Creek and the Ripley portion of the road along the Ohio River that served routes 52, 62 and 68. This fact comes from another newspaper article out of the Portsmouth Times dated July 2, 1941.

Six thousand people! Think about how big of a crowd six thousand people would make! The opening of the bridge and the four miles of concrete pavement that was the Ripley section of the Cincinnati-Portsmouth road was a very important accomplishment for the small town of Ripley, Ohio. The dedication ceremony, planned by a committee headed by my great-grandfather, Louis Becker, was attended by such dignitaries as State Highway Director, Hal G. Sours, Arthur H. Peake, Division Highway Engineer, and other county and town officials. United States Representative, Jacob E. Davis of Ohio's 6th District and United States Senators from Ohio, Robert A. Taft and Harold H. Burton sent greetings by telegram.

A parade with the Ripley High School band, the Columbia System Band from Cincinnati, as well as floats by the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, American Legion Auxiliary, and Ripley Farmers and Sportsmen, was a highlight of the ceremony. Vehicles representing various years and modes of transportation were also in the parade. There was an ox-cart driven by L. P. Collier and a 1903 Reliable with solid tires driven by Emma Lang which was purported to be the oldest automobile in the state! Rounding out the list of parade vehicles was a fire truck from 1887 and a hearse once owned by Lou Grimm. What a parade that must have been for Ripley residents!

I can't count how many times I've traveled that section of Highway 52 and crossed over that bridge never knowing its history or the part my family played in it. The next time I have the chance to visit Ripley, I plan on taking a picture of the bridge over Red Oak Creek. It will make a very nice addition to the growing story of my family!

The Dedication of the Opening of the Bridge Over Red Oak Creek

2010-05-03T16:00:00.000-04:00

I love reading old newspapers so it should be no surprise that the web site Newspaper Archive is one of my favorite Internet haunts. I can spend many hours just searching for my ancestors and reading the articles that make my research come alive. It's also a great place to procrastinate when a dreary household chore is looming over my head!

On Saturday, a search for members of my Becker family led me to a story about the plans to dedicate the bridge over Red Oak Creek in Ripley, Ohio. The article was written for the Portsmouth Times (Portsmouth, Ohio) and published on May 18, 1941.

Red Oak Creek runs through the town of Ripley on its way to the Ohio River. My father told me that prior to 1941, the only bridge in Ripley to cross over the creek was an iron truss bridge on Third Street. Today, the bridge that allows traffic to cross over the creek is on Second Street on the east side of the town.

In May of 1941, Ripley's mayor, Vern Smith, appointed members of the village council to arrange for a dedication of the new bridge and the concreting of Second Street as well as Route 52 east of town. The council decided to hold the event on the earliest date that Hal G. Sours, State Highway Director, and other dignitaries, could be present. Mayor Smith appointed my great grandfather, Louis Lynn Becker, to act as chairman of the committee which was in charge of the affair.

In my next post I will describe the dedication that Lou Becker and his committee planned which was held July 2, 1941.

A Belated Happy Birthday

2010-04-21T12:11:00.000-04:00

Ninety-three years ago yesterday, Janet Linn Becker was born in Steubenville, Ohio. Next month, it will be twenty- five years ago that she left us. I still miss her and think about her often. Happy birthday, Grandma!

Henrietta, Frank, and George Haitz

2010-04-16T09:00:00.003-04:00

Right to left: Henrietta, Frank, and George

Henrietta was born June 16, 1910. She married Dick Owens in 1930 in Dayton, Ohio. Henrietta died July 2, 1995 in Warrensburg, Missouri. She is buried in Maysville, Kentucky. She was the sixth child to be born to Henrietta Koewler Haitz.

Frank was born October 25, 1911 and died April 16, 1962 in Ripley, Ohio. He was child number seven in the Haitz family.

My grandfather, George Henry, was born March 10, 1914 and died in September 1977. He is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Ripley. He was child number nine.

The Haitz Family House

2010-04-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

My great grandparent's house, when my grandfather and his brothers and sisters were young, was on Stevenson Road behind the farm. By the time I was a child, they no longer lived in that house, but had moved to a smaller one that was adjacent to the farm land on Highway 52. The year my father served in Vietnam and my mother, brother and I lived in Ripley, my grandfather refurbished the old house for him and his wife.

The house was a fairly big one, but it always made me wonder just how my great grandparents raised sixteen children in it! I'm not sure there is any house big enough for that! My grandfather did not change the basic structure of the building other than adding an extension that held a modern kitchen and den. The original part of the house had several rooms downstairs with a dark, cool walk-in pantry that held home- canned goods. The staircase led to several bedrooms and a bath upstairs. I wish I could have seen it before the remodeling.

Outside, a tree shaded creek ran in front of the house on its way to the Ohio River. Crawdads and small snakes hid under the water-smoothed rocks waiting for children to find them. Behind the house, cows roamed on the hill before heading to the barn to eat their evening meal of hay. The hill was where my grandfather hunted for squirrels and rabbits. It also provided the family Christmas tree.

The house is still standing today and the outside looks much as it did when my great-grandparents lived in it. The photograph shows part of the front of the house. I do not know who the women are or the child on the porch.

Haitz Family Farm

2010-04-10T17:30:00.001-04:00

My grandfather's parents, Joseph and Henrietta (Koewler) Haitz, lived on a farm just outside of Ripley, Ohio on Highway 52 as you head east towards Aberdeen.

My great grandfather's barn and main farm land was right there on the left side of Highway 52. One of the barns had his name, Joe Haitz, proudly painted in black on the front side facing the road. That barn sits there still, although when the farm left the family after my grandfather's death in 1977, the new owner painted over the name.

My grandfather ran the farm when he got older, in addition to working at Becker's. When I was young, he would take me to do the "farm chores" after dinner during the summers when we visited. There were cows, pigs, and chickens to feed and water which this military kid found fascinating. There aren't too many farm animals on an Army base!

The farm land also extended across the highway all the way down to the Ohio River. In was on that land that tobacco and hay were grown. My grandfather also planted watermelon on the bottom land. He said that it was the best place for melons to grow. Today, the high school is on that part of the land.

This photograph of my grandfather with the chickens was taken about 1915 or 16.

Bill Becker Fichter

2010-04-07T13:50:00.000-04:00

For the past month, each Sunday evening, my husband and I have been watching the HBO mini-series, The Pacific. It is a very interesting and well done show. Except for the invasion of Pearl Harbor, I did not have that much knowledge of WWII in the Pacific, but watching all the things that those brave men endured makes me respect them all the more. It has also made me think of ancestors that served in the military, one in particular, my grandmother's first cousin, Bill Becker Fichter.

Billy, as my grandmother always called him, was born in 1923 in either Ripley or Georgetown, Ohio. His mother was Edith Bekcer Fichter and his father was Nickolas Kramer Fichter. Bill began his service in the Navy in 1943 and was a Pharmacist's Mate, Second Class. I searched the Internet to see if I could discover the details of his service, but was not successful. I did learn that a pharmacist's mate would have administered medical aid, treatment, and service to naval personnel. They would have served on a hospital ship, naval ground hospital, or possibly in battled if accompanying a Marine unit. I will keep looking to see if I can find out exactly what Bill did in the war.

Bill lived to be 75 years old having died in 1998. He is buried in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.

St. Michael's Parochial School

2010-04-02T13:54:00.001-04:00

Next door to St. Michael's Catholic Church is the parochial school that educates children from preschool through grade 8. The school has been in existence since before 1864. Several different buildings and locations have been used for the school and the cornerstone for the present building, located at the corner of Fifth and Market Streets, was laid in 1923 during the time of Father Ambrose. *

Many of my ancestors attended St. Michael's Catholic School including my mother and her sister. At the time of their attendance, there was no preschool and classrooms consisted of the children in two grades - first and second, third and fourth, fifth and sixth, and seventh and eighth. The Sisters of Devine Providence taught my mother and were strict taskmasters. I have heard stories of how my left-handed mother was made to use her right hand to write and how rulers were rapped on knuckles. At recess, girls played on one side of the playground and boys on the other. Uniforms were worn by all, and my mother's ponytail was frowned upon.

The photograph below is a picture of the dedication of the school. I would assume that it was taken sometime during 1923 - 1925 depending on how long it took for the building to be completed after the cornerstone was laid. The crowd of people illustrates how important the school was to the town of Ripley.

* Ripley, Ohio Its History and Families by the Sesquicentennial Historical Committee, 1962

St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church

2010-03-30T18:23:00.001-04:00

St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church is located on the corner of Fourth and Market Streets in Ripley. The house that my grandparents lived in, and where my mother was raised, is just a few houses up the hill from the church. St. Michael's was a very important fixture in the lives of my ancestors as many of them belonged to and participated in the church.

My great-grandparents, Joseph and Henrietta (Koewler) Haitz, were married in St. Michael's in 1902 as were my parents in 1955. My grandfather, George Henry Haitz, and his fifteen brothers and sisters were all baptized and confirmed there. It was also where my mother and her sister were baptized and confirmed. Shortly after I was born, it was my turn to receive the sacrament of baptism in that same church.

This picture was taken from the sidewalk in front of my grandparents's house on Fourth Street and shows the location of St. Michael's. I don't know when the photo was taken, other than during what looks like a terribly cold winter! I would venture to say that it was around 1945 as that was about the time my grandparents moved to that house from their house on Second Street. Maybe someone out there can help date the car which could help date the picture.

Basketball Girls

2010-03-22T17:36:00.000-04:00

Each March, my husband and I end up watching at least some of the men's college basketball tournament. My husband played basketball for his high school in Georgetown, Ohio so he is into it much more than I am, but even I get excited if a game is close or there is the threat of an upset. Our Gamecocks didn't make it to the "dance" this year so we crossed our fingers for the colleges in our state, even Clemson, and those from Ohio. As of today, Xavier is still in the running!

Back in the 1920's and 30's, there was no March Madness, but there was basketball! The sport, invented for men at a YMCA in 1891 became an option for women at Smith College in 1892. Ripley High School introduced basketball for girls in 1917. According to the school's 1926 yearbook, The Ripple, the sport promoted good character training and taught good sportsmanship. At least three of my female ancestors took advantage of the opportunity to play basketball at Ripley High School. In case you are wondering, they did not pass that gene on to me!

My grandfather's sisters, Elizabeth and Henrietta Haitz, must have been very talented players. The 1926 yearbook praises senior Elizabeth's "splendid work" while the next year's yearbook, heralds Henrietta's freshman debut as a guard as "none better, unless it was her own sister, Elizabeth". By 1930 when Henrietta was a senior in high school, her sister Emma, must have played on the team as well. The description of the girl's basketball team in that year's yearbook describes "Henry" Haitz as bringing "heart thrills and surprises by the wonderful guarding that she did" from the first game against Hamersville to the last with Sardinia. It goes on to say that she and her sister held Sardinia down to three field goals in the last game of the season and that the saying "where there's a basketball there's a Haitz" holds true. I do not own any of the later yearbooks, but I imagine they too go on to praise Emma as a talented basketball player.

The following pictures were taken from the 1927 and 1930 yearbooks. In the first one, Elizabeth is the second young girl from the left, not counting the woman who must have been the coach. Henrietta is not in the picture. The second photograph shows Henrietta in the middle of the front row. She is holding the basketball. I am not absolutely sure, but Emma is possibly the first girl to the far left on the front row.

Ripley High School 1927

Ripley High School 1930

The Written Word About Ripley's Underground Railroad

2010-03-18T12:00:00.001-04:00

Now, I don't know exactly how many people are out there reading this blog, but I am happy to say that one reader is a fellow Ripley enthusiast and author of two books about the Rankin family. Stephanie Reed contacted me after reading some of this blog to share her love of Ripley history. When she was a young girl, her family traveled through Ripley on their way to visit her Kentucky grandparents. Her curiosity of and fascination with the information on the Rankin House historical marker stayed with her as an adult and prompted her to write her stories of Lowry and Johnny Rankin. Being one who can never pass up a good book, especially one so close to my family history, I immediately ordered her two books, Across the Wide River and The Light Across the River.

I am now in the middle of her first one, Across the Wide River and find it a fascinating look at the history of Ripley and the Rankin family. Her descriptions of early Ripley with the hogs running in the streets, the steamboats on the river, and the town's layout have given me a glance into the early 1800's when my Gates and Guy families lived in the area. Stephanie's ability to capture the feelings and attitudes of pre-Civil War Ripley through her characters, most of whom are factual, paint a picture of what it must have been to experience that place during that time. While the book is labeled as teen fiction, I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn of Ripley and the Rankin family's part in the history of the Underground Railroad. I can't wait to read the second book which tells the story of Johnny Rankin and the escaping slave, Eliza, upon whose story Harriet Beecher Stowe based her book, Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Those of you who know me, know that up until this year, I was the teacher of third graders. While South Carolina third graders learn the state's history, I believe that children must also understand that the history of one state is influenced by the history of the country as a whole. Therefore, each spring, when we studied the antebellum period in South Carolina, I would read Doreen Rappaport's children's book, Freedom River. Freedom River tells a story of John Parker, another of Ripley's abolitionists. Parker, a freed slave, owned an iron foundry in town and worked with the Reverend Rankin, Thomas McCague, and others as they hid and helped slaves on their journey to freedom.

Rappaport's story is exciting and, after hearing it, I would often see my third graders playing the parts of John Parker and Master Shrofe at recess as they re-enacted the story of the daring rescue of the slave family and their baby. It was through that story that quite a few South Carolina children came to know the story of an ex-slave who rescued other slaves in a little town that they would have probably never even heard of if I hadn't been their teacher. It's a great book for children and, especially if you have ties to Ohio or Kentucky, the children in your life deserve to hear the story of John Parker.

There are, of course, other great books that deal with the subject of Ripley, her anti-slavery citizens, and the Underground Railroad. I will share some of those at a later date. Until then, I hope you take the time to find Stephanie Reed's and Doreen Rappaport's books. They will be well worth your time to read!

The House on the Hill

2010-03-16T14:53:00.000-04:00

One of the most noticeable things in Ripley, besides the Ohio River, is a house that sits on a hill behind the town. It can be seen from a great distance, and all children who live in the area are taught its significance to Ripley's history.

I don't know when I was first told the story of the Rankin House, but it seems that it has always been a part of my Ripley repertoire of knowledge. As a child I knew that slaves had crossed the Ohio River, headed toward a light in a window on the hill, where the Rankin family would hide them in their house, just one stop on their way north to freedom. As I progressed in school and learned of the Underground Railroad, the pieces came together and I understood the part that Ripley had played in our country's history.

Part of the Rankin House story includes the one hundred wooden steps that led from the town to what became known as Liberty Hill. When my mother was a young girl, my grandparents purchased a house on Fourth Street just up from St. Michael's Catholic Church. The backyard of the house led into woods and the bottom of those steps. My grandmother claimed that her great - grandfather, Joseph Montgomery, helped build the steps. I have never found any proof of that claim, and, in fact, the Montgomery's did not actually live in Ripley before the Civil War, but they did live in Brown County so maybe it is possible that my grandmother's story is true. I would like to think, anyway, that maybe part of my family was involved in the abolitionist effort.

If you are interested in the history of the Rankin House and Ripley's part in the Underground Railroad, there are many web sites that you can view. You will find links to a few of them at the bottom of this post. There are also books that have been written on the subject that deserve a spot of their own which will be my next posting.

Rankin House Links

Historic Ripley - The Ripley Bee

The Rankin House

Ripley's Underground Railroad

Becker's Department Store

2010-03-12T18:34:00.004-05:00

When my great-grandfather, Lou Becker, bought M. Linn Clothing in 1922, he changed the name to Becker's Department Store. The store was located on Main Street and sold men and women's clothing.

During Louis's life, he lived with his family on Second Street in the house next door to what had been the millinery shop. Each morning, before walking the short distance to the store, Lou would check his appearance in the mirror. He was a conscientious dresser and wanted to be sure that his clothing looked good and that his hat was straight. He managed Becker's Department Store until his death in 1943.

Lou Becker

Upon Lou's death, his son-in-law, my grandfather, George H. Haitz, became the owner of the store. During summer breaks from school, my mother and her sister worked there to earn spending money.

During my summer visits to Ripley, my grandmother, my mother, and I would sometimes stop in the store on our walks to town. We would walk down the Fourth Street hill, turn right onto Main, and walk on the sidewalk until we reached the steps of the store. Once in the building, the wooden floors would creak as I looked for my grandfather among the clothes and shoes. To the right was the women's section, the men's to the left.

The glass-fronted cases held articles of clothing which would have to be taken out for a customer to examine. Women's hosiery were in thin boxes for purchasing. In the back of the store, a dressing room was handy to try on skirts, pants, or whatever the customer was in the market for that day.

My grandfather dressed for work in the store.

My grandfather did not work alone in the store. The ladies he hired would make over me, exclaiming how much I had grown and, of course, as any child would, I loved it! One of the ladies was my most favorite great-aunt, Elizabeth Haitz Steele. She was my grandfather's sister and everyone called her Lib. Another of the ladies was Rose Frebis. As far as I know, she was of no relation to my family, but I loved seeing her on my visits to the store. Many years later, right before I married, my grandfather took me to see Rose. She was 83 years old and she still made over how much I had grown! I guess some things never change!

In 1969, my father received orders for Vietnam. It was his second tour and my mother decided we would spend that year in Ripley close to family. By then, Becker's Department Store had a new name, Lela's. My grandfather had sold the store to a lady some years earlier. With Becker's gone, my family's connection to the clothing industry, in this country anyway, came to a close, but for a little over one hundred years, the making and selling of men and women's apparel had put food on the tables and money in the pockets of those who counted on it for a living.

These advertisements were in a February 1943 issue of The Ripley Bee. They were some of the last ones that Louis would choose. He died later that same year in May.

The Clothing Industry - A Family Tradition

2010-03-09T12:28:00.000-05:00

It seems that most of my grandmother's family was involved in the clothing industry. Whether it be millinery work, tailoring, or selling, these career choices keep appearing in the stories of my ancestors. Another interesting fact is that it is through this line of work that my family lines intertwine and their names become a large part of Ripley's history.

As I have written before, the Thill family brought their hat making skills to this country from the Alsace region of France which helped them establish a foothold in the Cincinnati business world. As his mother's son, Nicholas Becker, Jr. continued the path and created a secure future for his son as Louis later followd in his father's footsteps.

My great-grandmother, Amy Montgomery Becker's maternal grandfather was a gentleman from Germany named Michael Linn. Upon his arrival in Ripley in 1855, Michael established the M. Linn General Store on Main Street selling clothing and other items. When Michael died in 1910, his son, William F. Linn, along with two of his brothers, continued running the store which at that point was called M. Linn and Co. Dry Goods.

After Amy and Louis's marriage in 1911, they lived in Stuebenville, Ohio where Louis was employed as a clothing salesman. They returned to Ripley in 1922, at which time, Louis purchased M. Linn Clothing Store presumably from William F. who had opened another store, Linn's Men and Boy's Clothing also on Main Street. Louis renamed his new store Becker's Department Store.

I'm not sure when Catherine's millinery shop on Second Street closed, but with Louis's purchase of M. Linn's Clothing, the family's tradition of work found in the clothing industry continued and these two families, the Linn's and the Becker's, would come to play an important part in the economy, and therefore the history, of Ripley, Ohio.

The advertisements for M. Linn & Co. were found in The Ripley Bee newspaper in 1911.

The facts about the establishment of M. Linn's and Becker's Department Store were found in my great-grandfather, Louis's obituary and the book, Ripley, Ohio - Its History and Families published and compiled by the Sesquicentennial Historical Committee for the 1962 celebration of Ripley's Sequicentennial.

Five Generations - Wenser/Young, Beyersdoerfer, Becker, Haitz

2010-03-06T12:00:00.001-05:00

There aren't too many families that can take a picture of five generations so I'm glad that someone took this one!

Seated left to right -

Elizabeth Wenser/Young Beyersdoerfer (1843 - 1937)
Janet Linn Becker Haitz (1917 - 1984)
Janet is holding her daughter, Gail Ann, born 1935

Standing -

Anna Beyersdoerfer Becker (1864 - 1950)
Louis Lynn Becker (1888 - 1943)

Ripley, Ohio

Postal Service - Yesterday and Today

2010-03-03T17:59:00.000-05:00

With all the talk in the news about the United States Postal Service cutting Saturday deliveries has started me thinking about mail delivery and the Postal Service in the past.

As you know, I only lived in Ripley until I was three years old which was when my father rejoined the Army and we moved. I lived there again during my seventh grade school year in 1969 - 70 while my dad was in Vietnam so most of my earlier memories of Ripley come from those vacation weeks spent with my grandparents.

The postal service is probably not high on anyone's list of favorite childhood memories, but, once again, it is the differences from one's normal life and routine which is what stands out and is remembered. I DO remember mail delivery in Ripley during the 1960's. Now I can't tell you the exact years this happened or the name of the mailman, but I can tell you it was a man who brought the letters and packages to my grandparents' house. You are probably thinking that this poor Army kid didn't have a mailman which is why she remembers it so fondly, but that is not it. What was so different is that the mailman in Ripley climbed that Fourth Street hill with his bag of mail TWO times each day! Once in the morning and then once again in the afternoon! And...he walked!

Now, I don't really remember if my mailman in wherever I happened to be living at the time actually walked or drove to deliver the mail, but I can tell you that it was delivered only once a day. Why Ripley had two deliveries is a mystery to me. Maybe they really enjoyed writing letters to people or maybe they ordered a lot of goodies through the mail. Maybe a lot of small towns during those days had two mail deliveries. I don't know, but it sure made an impression on me.

I own Carl Thompson's book, Historical Collections of Brown County, Ohio which is a great book with a lot of different kinds of information about the county in it. There is a section about the postal service in Ripley which I found interesting enough to share.

It seems that the Postal Service in Ripley goes back to 1816 when Alexander Campbell was the Postmaster. From 1887 to 1891, and then again from 1895 to 1899, a Mary Beyersdorfer was the Postmaster or, I guess today, we would call her the Postmistress. I don't know if she is related to my Beyersdoerfer's, but chances are she is in some way. The spelling is lacking that extra "e", but that doesn't really mean anything. I've seen it spelled both ways for the same person.

In the early days, the salary of the Postmaster depended on how many stamps they sold or canceled. In 1885, the salary of Ripley's Postmaster was $1,300. I imagine that was a lot of stamps that Henry Biehn, who the Postmaster at the time, sold and canceled!

With all our technology, stamps do not sell as well as they used to and UPS and FedEx deliver a lot of our packages. Letter writing is quickly becoming a lost art so maybe we don't really need the Saturday delivery. If it comes to that, I, for one, would probably miss going to the mailbox on Saturday for a while, but when I think about it, who needs all that junk mail anyway!

Inside the Hat Store

2010-03-01T13:52:00.003-05:00

Last week I posted a picture showing the outside of my ggg-grandmother's millinery shop. Today's picture is of the inside, as well as a family portrait. The photograph is not labeled so there was some investigative work to do before I could name the people. The "investigative team" was made up of my mom, her sister, and myself. We aren't professionals, but I think we hit the correct identifications. Having the twins in the picture was a huge help! My mother also recognized her grandfather, Louis, as a child which helped a lot, too!

There is no date on the photograph, but the twins, Edith and Ethel, standing in their plaid dresses, helps to give an approximate year when it was taken. Their birth year was 1890, and I think they look about three.

That's their brother, Louis, standing to the left. He must have been about five or six years old. His grandmother, Catherine Thill Becker, is seated next to him while her son, Nicholas, Jr. is standing behind her. I'm not absolutely sure, but it is logical that the lady next to Nicholas, Jr. is his wife, Anna Beyersdoerfer Becker. She and Nicholas were my great great grandparents and the parents of Louis and the twins.

The older gentleman sitting next to the twins is most likely Nicholas Becker, Sr., husband of Catherine. We do not know for sure who the lady standing in the right corner behind him is, but I have my guesses. I think she might be Anna's sister, Flora. In the 1900 census, Flora is listed as a milliner. She and Anna were very close right up to their deaths, having died only months apart.

The store seems quite small and crowded. In later years, it would become a living area for the Becker family once the store, at that location, was closed. Looking at all the cases and mirrors, I can just imagine the ladies of Ripley coming in to pick out the ribbons and other notions to adorn their hats.

I'd like to thank my cousin, Nick Renneker, and his sister, Patsy, for sending me the pictures of the hat store. We share Nicholas and Anna as their great, and my great-great, grandparents, yet only came to "find" one another last year through Ancestry.com. It truly pays to share your family history through genealogy sites such as Ancestry, Footnote, Genealogybank, etc. You never know who and what will come your way!

Grandma's Grocery Day

2010-02-26T10:33:00.000-05:00

Thursday is my grocery day. I do not like grocery day, therefore, through no fault of its own, Thursday becomes a dreaded day. Give me a Monday anytime and I'll trade you my Thursday for it. Why this poor attitude about grocery day? Well, it just takes too much time. Clipping those coupons, sorting those coupons, and retrieving those coupons from their categorized envelopes in my red accordion file as I go through the stores hunting deals is not only time consuming, but is also not my idea of fun. Sure, I get some satisfaction from saving money. Today I had about $15.00 worth of coupon satisfaction, but I do believe I would trade it all for the way my grandmother did her grocery shopping.

My grandmother, Janet Haitz, lived up the hill on Fourth Street in Ripley, Ohio. Being an Army brat, I only got to visit for a week or two in the summer. These visits which were spent in my grandparents's house, are probably the reason I really noticed her grocery shopping in the first place. When you think of it, what child really pays attention to that household task unless he or she is right there in the middle of it?

In the 1960's, there was no large multi-aisled, brightly lit grocery store in the small town of Ripley. There were, however, several small stores that my grandmother did business with. I remember there was Germann's and Ritchies. I might not be spelling those correctly so if you can correct me, please do! These stores did not have the variety of brands and foods that we know today, but we always seemed to have good meals!

I remember actually going into the stores with my grandmother only on occasion, but my one big grocery memory is of her picking up the telephone and calling to place her order! Now, don't I wish I could do that today! Earlier in the morning, perhaps over coffee, she would have written her daily list on a small piece of note paper. Her list was short, containing only the items she needed for that day's dinner and some items that, maybe, she was out of or running low on. My list, on the other hand, is long as I shop for the week which involves bags and bags of things to cart in the house once I return from my weekly trip. Another thought that comes to my mind is my grandmother's telephone call also kept her from my biggest grocery problem - impulse buying! She didn't have to worry about spending her money on that big bag of peanut M&M's which she didn't really want in the first place, but is on sale and a great bargain with that $1.00 off coupon. She would just tell the clerk on the other end of the phone line what was on her list, including cuts of meat! Then later that day, a young man, carrying a box, would come up the stone steps, knock at the kitchen door, and set that box of groceries on the table. I suppose she paid him, I don't remember that part, or maybe it was put on a tab, but all that was left of the grocery chore, was to put that food in the cabinet, which my grandmother called a press, or in the refrigerator. What takes hours for me to do, took her only a few minutes! And I thought we were the ones who were supposed to have the timesaving methods of completing our work!

Well, grocery shopping has certainly changed! Although, maybe you can still order your groceries in Ripley. If so, please let me know and I might sell my house, pack my goods and move there just to take advantage of that seemingly wonderful convenience! If your grocery shopping memories are different from the way you shop today, leave me a comment! I'd love to hear your story!

Becker's Millinery Store

2010-02-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

In 1866, Nicholas Becker opened a millinery store on Second Street in Ripley, Ohio. He, his wife, Catherine, and son, Nicholas, Jr. had settled in the small town just two years earlier.

Catherine, whose maiden name was Thill, had come from a family of hat makers. Her father, Nicholas, and her brothers, George and Joseph, owned and operated hat stores in Cincinnati. In 1876, a men's hat and cap department was added to the Second Street store. Nicholas, Jr. conducted that aspect of the business along side his mother who still operated the millinery shop.

Located on Second Street, the store served as both business and home. Nicholas, Catherine, and their son's family all lived upstairs above the store. It must have been tight quarters as Nicholas, Jr. and his wife, Anna Beyersdoerfer, were the parents of three children, Louis, Edith, and Ethel.

I do not know the date of this photograph, but I am fairly sure that the older lady on the sidewalk is Catherine. I believe the man standing next to her is her son, Nicholas. The other ladies were possibly employees of the store and I do not know who the young men are. I am very curious as to who is looking out of the second story window. I would assume it is a family member or housekeeper. The 1900 census lists a housekeeper named Anna Fauth. Or maybe it is Anna Beyersdoerfer Becker. I will have to read up on techniques for dating photographs and then maybe I will have more of an educated guess.

Becker Twins

2010-02-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned the Becker twins, Edith and Ethel in several of my previous posts. They were the daughters of Nicholas and Anna (Beyersdoerfer) Becker. Louis was their older brother.

The twins were born November 19, 1890 in Ripley, Ohio. They attended St. Michael's Catholic School in Ripley. Can you find them in this class picture?
Hint: Being twins, they are dressed alike!

This picture is not dated, but the girls look to be about in the sixth or seventh grade which would make the date about 1902.

Brown County History in Pictures

2010-02-20T17:20:00.001-05:00

Greg Haitz, who happens to be a cousin of mine, and his wife, Lisa, wrote a wonderful book that beautifully illustrates Brown County, Ohio and its history using old photographs, Brown County (OH). The book, which was published in 2006 by Arcadia Publishing is one of the Images of America series.

The book covers all areas of the county and includes the citizens' impact and participation in the Underground Railroad. Other topics include the importance of tobacco and the Ohio River to the livelihood of the people calling the county home.

I love the book as it gives me a visual idea of the lives that my ancestors lived. While there is no actual mention of any of my family members, the photographs show me how they lived and what they saw during their every day lives. If you have family members that spent time in Brown County, Ohio, you will definitely want this book in your collection!

Michael Beyersdoerfer, Cigar Maker

2010-02-18T13:30:00.002-05:00

The History Of Brown County, Ohio

Michael Beyersdoerfer was a cigar maker. He is listed as such in the 1883 History of Brown County Ohio book published by Beers.

However, Michael wasn't always a maker of cigars. When he arrived in Levanna, Brown County, Ohio in 1852 from his native Germany, he was a blacksmith by trade. After a year in Levanna, he purchased some land and opened a vineyard. He must have seen some success in his endeavor as his name is listed as producing wine in the Vintage of 1858. Then tragedy struck. In the summer of 1865, while tending his grapes, Michael suffered sunstroke and was forced to end his career as a grape grower and wine producer. The following year, he established his cigar making business and enjoyed a good trade in Ripley.

The photograph shows Michael in front of his store which was probably located on Main Street. To his left is his son-in-law, Nicholas Becker. The young man to Michael's right is unknown.

Barbara Bauer Young Wenser

2010-02-16T14:56:00.005-05:00

Barbara Bauer was born about 1816 somewhere in Bavaria, Germany. She arrived in this country before 1843 which is the year her first daughter, Elizabeth, was born in Cincinnati.

Whether Barbara was married when she came to this country is still a mystery. I believe her husband's last name was Young. They had three daughters, Elizabeth, Anna M., and Mary. In 1850, he was not counted with the family in the census. I am assuming he was dead by that summer as Barbara and the girls could be found living in Ripley, Ohio in the household of Thomas and Anna Mariah Shafer. Their last name is recorded as Young. Next door was, who I believe to be Barbara's brother, Albert Bower, his wife, Elizabeth, and their son, Albert. I also believe that Anna Mariah Shafer was a Bauer/Bower by birth and this is possibly for whom Barbara named her second daughter.

By the 1860 census, Barbara's last name is Winzer and she has two additional children, Eva (8yrs. old) and William (6 yrs. old). There is no adult male living with the family and Elizabeth, Anna, and Mary are all listed as Winzer's. They are still located in Ripley, Ohio.

By 1870, Elizabeth had married Michael Beyersdoerfer. They and their children were living in Ripley. Barbara can be found in the same household along with another daughter, Minnie. Their last name is spelled Wensor in this census and Minnie appears to be 19 years old. It is possible that Minnie is the same daughter who was listed as Eva in the 1860 census. In addition to the Beyersdoerfer's and Wensor's, a sixteen year old boy, William Bauer, is also living in the house. He is apprenticed to Michael Beyersdoerfer as a cigar maker and I assume he is also related to Barbara in some way.

Barbara and Mena (Minnie) continue to live with Elizabeth and Michael through 1880 and that is the last record I can find about Barbara. Her gravestone in Ripley's Maplewood Cemetery shows her death was in 1898.

One can speculate about her husbands and name changes. There is a 35 year old George Young listed in the 1850 Hamilton County, Ohio mortality census as having died in August of 1849 from cholera. He was from Germany and his birth year makes him a possibility of having been Barbara's husband. Hopefully, one day I might be able to determine if he is connected or not. As for William Wenser, the only records of his existence are the notations on the death certificates of his daughters, Elizabeth, Mary, and Minnie as having been their father. I cannot explain why they do not name a Young as their father. I can find nothing else other than a listing in the IGI on www.familysearch.org that shows a William Wenser marrying a Barbara Bender in Cincinnati in 1850. The IGI source is named as Hamilton County, Ohio marriage records. Maybe Barbara Bender is my Barbara and her name was misunderstood. Again, maybe time will tell. Until then, I just keep on doing what I know to do - search, search, search.

Mary B. Thill

2010-02-02T17:21:00.003-05:00

I have been so busy just researching these Thill's. They were a prolific bunch! I've taken one child of Nicholas's to research at a time and have added quite a few cousins to my tree. As usual, there are some that tug at me for various reasons.

One such new cousin is Mary B. Thill. She was the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Strassel) Thill. I am hoping her middle initial "B" is for Barbara, her grandmother, but chances are, I'll never find out.

Mary, born January 28, 1871, was the first child of Joseph and Mary. The little I know about her, I have discovered from the census data. She is listed in each census year from 1880 until 1930, the exception being 1890 which was destroyed in a fire. In 1900, she can be found still living with her parents as she never married. When her father died sometime between 1900 and 1910, she continued living with Clara, her sister, Joseph, her brother and her mother. When Joseph married, she and Clara, along with their mother were still living in the family house on Loth Street, where they had been living since about Mary's birth.

Mary and Clara's mother died sometime after 1920. Mary and Clara must have sold the Loth Street house as they are found in the 1930 census living at 3229 Glendora Avenue. Also living in the house were owners, Edward and Henrietta Etterer. Mary made her living as a dressmaker while Clara worked as a bookkeeper in a gymnasium.

The last record I have about Mary is her death certificate. She died at the age of 62 from cirrhosis of the liver on June 9, 1933. Clara, her sister, was the informant.

As I got to know Mary through my research I found myself wondering what her life was like. I have no other resources that can help flesh out her day to day life. Was she happy? Did she enjoy life? Hopefully, through my research I will come across a living relative who might have knowledge or an artifact from Mary's life. It might sound far-fetched, but you just never know what will come your way through this hobby of genealogy.

The Thill's - Dealers of Hats

2010-01-20T16:36:00.008-05:00

I have been finding a lot of information about my newly discovered Thill family. In all my findings, which for now are mostly censuses, Nikolaus, my 4-greats-grandfather, and his sons are listed as dealers of hats. One indication of the influence the Thill family had on Cincinnati can be found in the Cincinnati City Directories. The page on the left is from 1878-79. The one on the right is from 1888 - 89.

The Thill occupation of dealing with hats did not come as a surprise to me as I had known all along that his daughter, Catharine Thill Becker, had been a milliner. My mother had told me how Catharine had a hat shop on Second Street in Ripley and thanks to a cousin in Texas, I even have some pictures of the shop and Catharine. I'll be posting them later.

The Thill Connection - At Last!

2010-01-19T15:51:00.005-05:00

For many years I have been trying to find proof that Catharine Thill Becker's parents were Nicholas and Mary (Matz) Thill. Catharine's death certificate said so, but I wanted something other than a death certificate. The problem with a death certificate is that who knows who gave the information and, maybe, just maybe, they really had no idea the names of parents or where they were born, or anything! A genealogist would never use a death certificate for proof of anything other than the actual death of a person so for years, I looked and looked with no luck.

About a year and a half ago, I stumbled on a website that had a family tree which included a Josephine Thill Kleiman. Josephine's parents were Nicholas and Barbara (Matz) Thill. They even lived in Cincinnati. Very excited, I emailed the owner of the page asking about his Josephine. I mean, how much closer could you get? Sure, the mother's name was Barbara, not Mary, but I really felt as if I had found a vital clue. A return email was very nice, but did not have any information that tied my Catharine to his Josephine. I still had to find proof.

Then, lo and behold, I found the Hamilton County Probate Cour t web site that I wrote about in a previous post. I quickly read how the wills were organized and made my way to the T's...and there he was! A Nicholas Thill was right there in the index! Back on the Wills main page, I entered the Volume and Page Number in the boxes, hit my Enter key, and in a few seconds, there was the will, all four pages, in very small cursive writing.

Thank goodness for a zoom button because I would not have been able to read the screen without it! I scanned through the first page which was legal probate information and made my way to the second page where the word "Will" was written. The first name I noticed was a daughter Mary Ann Miller who received the majority of Nicholas's property including real estate and furniture. Further down the page was the name of his son, George, and then I read Josephine Kleimann's name. I made a mental note to contact the aforementioned fellow as I was sure he would want to see this will.

Next came a son, Joseph, then a son, Nicholas. At this point, my fingers were crossed, and I was saying a little prayer when there she appeared! Catharine Becker, nee Thill! Her father had requested that a promissory note for the $1400 that was owed to him by her, be destroyed. I found her! After all those years, she had been hiding on a piece of paper in a courthouse.

I had the proof I needed to connect Catharine not only to her father, Nicholas, but also to siblings. True, I still don't know her mother's rightful name, although with the information in the will, I was able to locate the family in the 1860 census, where her mother is listed as Barbara. I'm not sure why Mary is on the death certificate. Maybe Barbara went by the name of Mary or maybe Catharine's son thought his grandmother's name was Mary. I don't know, but I intend to try and find out. As for her last name being Matz, Nicholas's will also mentions a Nicholas Matz as receiving money so maybe there is a connection there. I don't know yet, but with my finding this one will, I now have so much more to research and discover.

Marriage Record of Nicholas Becker and Catherine Thill

2010-01-15T18:13:00.004-05:00

Some days you just get lucky! Hamilton County, Ohio put a lot of records on their probate court web site. There are wills, births, marriages, deaths, and other goodies to explore. I haven't had time to really dig yet, but I did find the marriage record for Nicholas Becker and Catharine Thill. They were married in Cincinnati at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on September 16, 1860.

Louis and Janet Becker

2010-01-13T17:18:00.003-05:00

This picture of Louis Becker with his daughter, Janet, was probably taken about 1920. Janet was born in 1917 and, I think she looks to be about three years old. In the 1920 census, Lou, Amy, and Janet are listed as living in Toronto, Ohio which is about five miles or so north of Steubenville on the Ohio River.

Amy, Edith, and Ethel Becker

2009-11-18T17:24:00.006-05:00

I love this picture! It looks like it should be in some long ago women's fashion magazine. I'm not sure when the picture was taken, but I believe it was probably sometime between 1910 and 1920. Amy Montgomery Becker, the beauty on the far left, was 18 in 1910 and the twins, Edith and Ethel Becker, were about 19 that same year. In 1920, they would have all been almost thirty, and I think they look younger than that. Does anyone else have an opinion?

I wish I knew the occasion which called for the girl's finery. I'm sure it was something special and how I wish someone had written on the back of the picture to let me know. Maybe someone out there in cyberspace knows more about this and will contact me. Wouldn't that be something!

In the meantime, be sure you label your pictures so future generations don't sit and wonder what is happening or why you recorded the moment for posterity!

Emma M. Koewler Zimmer

2009-09-13T15:59:00.003-04:00

I never met Emma Koewler Zimmer. She was only a name in the database of my genealogy program, RootsMagic. I don't remember entering her there although looking back, I can see that my knowledge of her came from a found 1930 census record in which a family with the last name of Koewler was recorded as living in Union Township in Brown County, Ohio.

Any record of a Koewler in Brown County, or anywhere for that matter, arouses my interest because there are so few of them and the name seems quite scarce. I happened to find Emma again in the obituary section of August 13th edition of The Ripley Bee. She and I are second cousins twice removed, which in the grand scheme of the things, is really nothing. But all in all, she is a member of my family. We have two ancestors in common - Henricus Koewler and his wife Marie Anna Fichter. Henricus and Marie were my three greats grandparents while they were Emma's great-grandparents.

Neither of us ever met Henricus or Marie. They had been born in Schonau, Germany which is somewhere in Bavaria. He in 1806 and she is 1808. That's it; that's all I know about them. I have no idea if they even came to America although at least six of their nine known children did, one of which was my great great grandfather, Anton or Anthony, who came around 1866 and settled in Ripley.

Anyway, this morning, as I read a small town newspaper, Emma Koewler Zimmer reminded me that a family is a huge entity. Through her obituary, I learned a tiny bit about her, and she led me to think about people and how, sometimes, connections are there even though we have no idea they exist. Because we share a few of the same genes, Emma M. Koewler Zimmer is a member of my family; distant to be sure, but a member none the less. I'm glad I found her.

From The Ripley Bee, August 13, 2009, page A6, Column 1 -

Emma M. Zimmer, 95, of Dayton, formerly of Ripley, died August 9,
2009.
She was a member of the Altar Rosary Society, the Free Spirits Club,
and the Charles Latrum Senior Center.
Mrs. Zimmer was the daughter of the
late Anna and John Koewler. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert F.
Zimmer; two sons, Donald and Michael Zimmer; three sisters-in-law, Marcella Bent
and Doris Zimmer, both of Dayton, and Garnet Zimmer of Bellbrook; one
brother-in-law and spouse, Elmer and Edris Zimmer.
She is survived by
numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and many
friends.
Visitation will be held 9 - 11 am Friday, Aug. 14 at Immaculate
Conception Church, 2300 Smithville Rd. in Dayton. Mass of the Christian burial
will be 11 am Friday, Aug. 14, at the church. Interment will be in Calvary
Cemetery. The Tobias Funeral Home - Belmont Chapel serving the family.
If
desired, memorials may be made to Immaculate Conception Church.
Online
condolences may be made at www.tobiasfuneralhome.com

Henrietta Koewler Haitz

2009-08-17T14:53:00.005-04:00

In a previous post, I introduced you to the very large Haitz family of Ripley, Ohio. Today, I want to concentrate on my great-grandmother, Henrietta, the mother of those sixteen children.

Henrietta Koewler was born in Ripley, Ohio on December 2, 1880 to immigrant parents, Anton (Anthony) and Henrietta (Fischer) Koewler. She was the seventh of eight children in the family. At the age of twenty-one, she married Joseph Haitz and lived on the farm where she would raise her family. On the twenty-third of March 1965, Henrietta, a widow, died in her home from a heart attack. She is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Ripley.

Sadly, that is about the extent of what I know about Henrietta. Although I was born in Brown County, I did not live there after the age of three as my father was in the military which took us to various posts out of the Ohio area. Even though I am sure I saw her before age three, the only memories of my great-grandmother come from the few times I went with my grandfather, George Henry Haitz, to her house while on summer vacations during the two years preceding her death.

I remember those warm summer evenings, sitting on her porch steps while she, sitting in a porch swing, talked to my grandfather. Unfortunately, as a result of where I sat in relation to the swing, her face is not in my memories. When I think of my great-grandmother, only her legs come to mind which is why, if I live to see great-grandchildren, I will make sure they sit on my lap and not at my feet!

While I may not have many memories of her, I am sure that with having sixteen children and living on a farm without our modern conveniences, Henrietta's life was not an easy one. I often wonder how she managed those necessary everyday tasks such as laundry, cooking, and keeping a house clean while raising her children and, probably, helping with farm chores. Her life and dreams must have been put on a "back burner" as there was no time to pursue any personal goals. Her goals, most likely, would have been to live each day the best she could and make sure her family was fed, clothed, and well. I wish I was able to sit with her on that porch swing today, listening as she shared stories about her life. I have no doubt that she could teach all of us more than just a few lessons about priorities, life, and family!

Two Beyersdoerfer Sisters

2009-08-05T18:43:00.009-04:00

Anna and Flora Beyersdoerfer were daughters of Michael and Elizabeth (Wenser/Young) Beyersdoerfer. They also had a brother, Conrad, and a sister, Ida.

Anna, six years older than Flora, was born September 26, 1864. Flora's birthday was February 20, 1870. Both girls were born in Ripley, Ohio and spent their entire lives in the small town.

In 1883, Anna married Nicholas Becker. They made their home on Second Street and would become the parents of three children, Louis, and twins, Ethel, and Edith. The children's Aunt Flora would remain single, living with her parents. In 1900, the census reported that Flora worked as a milliner most likely with Anna's mother-in-law, Catherine Thill Becker.

Anna and Flora died in 1950, only a little more than two months apart. Anna in February and Flora in May. Both are buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Ripley.

Photo courtesy of Nick Renneker.

A Trip to Find the Past

2009-07-27T17:02:00.004-04:00

On our way home from Washington DC this past weekend, we decided to take a side trip to Charles County, Maryland. Not only were we able to escape the hectic I-95 "raceway" and enjoy a more relaxed ride, the trip would allow the opportunity to see the landscape my fifth great-grandfather, William Gates, might have seen.

William lived in Port Tobacco, Maryland during the late 1700's. During his time, it was a bustling seaport and future county seat, but is now a mere ghost of a town. The early tobacco farmers were unaware that continuous planting would ruin the soil so they just moved their rows of tobacco up the side of the hills. The erosion from the exposed ground caused silt to fill the river ceasing the traffic of large ships which carried the cargo in and out of the harbor. Another of the town's downfalls was the railroad's choice of track location. By the 1890's, the nearby town of LaPlata was prospering simply because it had the fortune of sitting on the railroad line. It would take several decades, but eventually LaPlata would become the new county seat, leaving Port Tobacco with little to count on.

The area is beautiful with its rolling hills and many trees. While the loss of economical growth kept Port Tobacco from growing, it is an advantage from a family historian's point of view. The lack of businesses, neighborhoods, and new streets afforded a greater ability to imagine what the past was like than if McDonald's, banks, and grocery stores were crowding the scenery.

The day we visited, there were three people sitting at a picnic table in the shade of a large tree washing off pieces of pottery, glass, and metal. They are volunteers with the Port Tobacco Archaeological Project and are hard at work finding bits and pieces of the past. They were so helpful to us, and I would like to thank them for explaining Port Tobacco's history and giving us a tour of the courthouse. The project keeps a very interesting blog, the address of which is http://porttobacco.blogspot.com/ . I encourage you to take a look at it, and I'm sure you'll find something of interest.

William is my first found Revolutionary War ancestor and is the man responsible for many of my Ohio connections. I'll tell more of his story in future postings.

A Fateful Trip on the Magnolia

2009-07-16T15:58:00.004-04:00

The small town of Ripley, Ohio is located about fifty miles east of Cincinnati, and in 1868, one option for travel between the two cities was by steamer on the Ohio River. One such steamer, the Magnolia, was a popular mail line packet that regularly traveled between Maysville, Kentucky and Cincinnati.

My great-great-great grandmother, Catherine Thill, came to this country in 1848 from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. She was twelve years old. Her family settled in Cincinnati where, in 1860, she married Nicholas Becker. By 1864, Nicholas, Catherine and their young son, Nicholas, Jr. moved to Ripley where they spent the remainder of their lives.

On Wednesday, March 18, 1868, Catherine and Nicholas, Jr., having spent time in Cincinnati, were returning to Ripley aboard the steamer Magnolia. They were just two of the 145 passengers and crew on board that day. As the Magnolia passed by the small Kentucky village of California, a horrible explosion occurred. Many were burned, drowned, or otherwise injured.

Luckily, Catherine and Nicholas, Jr. were not injured. They and the other unharmed passengers were taken by rescuers in skiffs to California. Between eighty and ninety people lost their lives in the terrible accident, including several citizens of Ripley.

An account of this incident can be found on Riverboat Dave's Paddlewheel Site. His account is taken from an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer, however, the date on the site is incorrect. In March of 1868, the 17th was a Tuesday, not a Thursday. A list of passengers and crew are also on the site, however, there is no mention of Catherine Becker or her son, Nicholas. A Mrs. Baker, of Ripley, is mentioned. I believe this to be a misspelling of Becker.

My information about this story can be found in the book Historical Collections of Brown County, Ohio compiled by Carl N. Thompson, copyright 1969. Mr. Thompson's story of the Magnolia accident was obtained from the Martin Family History, published in the Ripley Bee in 1928. It includes Catherine Becker and states

"Mrs. Becker, who is now about 91 years of age (1928) had her eight year old son with her, now a well known citizen of Ripley."

Amy Montgomery Becker

2009-07-13T16:00:00.003-04:00

Amy Elouise Montgomery was born on 17 September ,1891 in her parent's house at 207 North Fourth Street in Ripley, Ohio. She was William Albert and Flora Linn Montgomery's second child. Amy's older brother, Hodson Linn, was three years older. After her marriage to Louis Lynn Becker in 1911, she and her husband lived in Stuebenville, Ohio where he was employed at a clothing store. Six years later, their daughter, Janet Linn was born.

When Janet was five years old, the family returned to live in Ripley. There, she was a member of the Ripley Centenary Church and the Danbery Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star of which she served as an officer. She also belonged to the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Not wanting to be called Grandma or Grandmother, Amy was known as Dee Dee by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Widowed at age 52, she was a very independent woman and often took her two granddaughters to Cincinnati for shopping and lunch. In the summer, she would travel to Jacksonville, Florida by train to visit an old friend.

Amy lived just a few houses down from her daughter, Janet Haitz, on Fourth Street in Ripley. During the day, she would visit with her daughter and return to her home in the evening. According to the February 4, 1966 issue of Hillsboro, Ohio's newspaper, Press Gazette, Cincinnati had received nine inches of snow on the first day of February, its worst snowfall in fifty years. The areas surrounding the city, including Ripley, fared no better. With the weather so cold and snowy, Amy stayed overnight at Janet's house during this time. In the early morning hours of February 3, Amy died in her sleep having suffered a heart attack. Funeral services were conducted on Saturday, February 5 with burial in Maplewood Cemetery in Ripley.

The Haitz Family

2009-07-10T13:25:00.008-04:00

In today's world, Joe and Henrietta Haitz would have been the stars of a reality show on cable television. In their day, they were not stars. They were the very busy parents of sixteen, facing the ups and downs of farm life and managing to do so without all of our modern conveniences, in ways that few of us today can even imagine.

Joseph Haitz and Henrietta Koewler were married on October 27, 1902 in Ripley, Ohio where they had both been born and raised. The wedding took place at St. Michael's Catholic Church which stood, and still stands, on the corner of Fourth and Market Streets.

About eight months later, Henrietta and Joe were expecting their first child. Margaret J. made her appearance on February 18, 1904. Her siblings would follow in rapid succession. They were as follows : Robert (1905), Mary Louise (1906), Elizabeth H. (1907), Joseph William (1909), Henrietta (1910), Frank A. (1911), Emma J. (1912), George Henry (1914), Jack Irenas (1915), James Rudolph (1916), Albert Louis (1918), Catherine (1920), Rita (1921), Virginia Ann (1923), and Ruth (1924).

The family was believed to be the largest family in Brown County and their photograph was published several times in the local newspaper, The Ripley Bee. At the time of Joe's death in 1960, he and Henrietta had been married for 57 years. They had 43 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.

Lou Becker

2009-07-07T14:56:00.008-04:00

Louis Lynn Becker was born in Ripley, Ohio on May 18, 1888. He was the first child and only son of Nicholas and Anna (Beyersdoerfer) Becker.

While his childhood was spent in Ripley, Lou moved to Stuebenville, Ohio in 1910, where, according to his 1917 World War I draft registration card, he worked as a salesman for Hub Clothing Store. On January 25, 1911, he married Amy Elouise Montgomery of Ripley. According to the marriage announcement in The Ripley Bee, printed on January 25, the couple were married in Cincinnati by the Rev. Gervais Roughton.

After a wedding trip, Amy and Louis returned to Stuebenville to begin their married life. It was in Stuebenville that their only daughter, Janet Linn Becker, was born in 1917. In 1922, the family returned to live in Ripley where Lou purchased the Linn Clothing Company, changing its name to Becker's Department Store.

Louis did not enjoy good health as he grew older. He had problems with his heart, and in June of 1943, he contracted pneumonia. Louis died on June 29 at 6:30 PM at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Ripley.

Janet Linn Becker

2009-07-01T17:41:00.004-04:00

Janet Linn Becker was born April 21, 1917 in Steubenville, Ohio which is in Jefferson County. Her parents, Louis and Amy (Montgomery) Becker were originally from Ripley, Ohio, but were living in Steubenville due to Louis's job as a salesman. The family would return to live in Ripley by the time Janet was 12 years old.

George Henry Haitz

2009-06-27T14:54:00.004-04:00

George Henry Haitz was born March 10, 1914 in Ripley, Brown County, Ohio. He was the ninth child and fourth son of Joseph and Henrietta (Koewler) Haitz. His childhood was spent on the family farm.

Ripley, Ohio

2009-06-24T14:17:00.015-04:00

Ripley is located in Brown County, Ohio along the Ohio River about fifty miles east of Cincinnati. It was started around 1812 by Colonel James Poage. At the time, it was called Staunton from a Virginia town by the same name. It was changed to Ripley to honor General Eleazer Ripley who was an officer in the war of 1812.

Ripley was an important station on the Underground Railroad. It was here that escaping slaves would cross the Ohio River in search of freedom. Once across the river, the destination would be the Freedom Stairs leading to Reverend John Rankin's house high on the hill overlooking Ripley. It was the stories of Ripley and the narrow escapes of the slaves that inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe to write the story of Eliza in her book Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Many members of my family settled in this small town as early as the mid-1800's. The Haitz's owned a farm just outside the town. The Becker's and the Linn's were store owners selling men's clothing. Michael Beyersdoerfer owned a vineyard just outside of Ripley and is listed in the Vintage of 1858 as producing wine there.

A Family With Deep Roots in Ohio

2009-06-23T17:09:00.014-04:00

As I start this blog, I guess it's best to start with the basics - the who and the where. As time goes by, the details will emerge. This blog will focus on my maternal line - a diverse group of families. Represented in this line are Germans, Scotch - Irish, English, and French. Some first settled in the colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania and went on to fight for freedon from the English crown. Others made the difficult decision to cross an ocean in the mid-1800's in hope of making a new life in this country. Today, their descendents can be found all across the United States, but the roots are deep in the soil of southwestern Ohio.

This blog will include stories, photographs, and vital statistics of the following families and those connected to them.

Bauer
Becker
Beyersdoerfer

Gates
Germann
Guy
Haitz
Koewler
Linn
Montgomery
Thill

I am looking forward to sharing this family with you. They are an interesting group of people!
Until later!