Presidents Letter – May 2012  

                                               

         Yea, The Town Hall is finished. Give a big Thank You to Dave Derr for his endless pursuit in getting it finished.

         Things are happening at LHS. I am still waiting on the township to inform me that the cemetery records are ready for scanning. However, we have our first list of Notable Persons. I am having a bit of trouble locating the gravesites of those interned after 1989.

The Town Hall is finally complete and looks great. Our next adventure is a bit of landscaping. Many of the homes including the one directly behind the town hall (replaced by the Lutheran Church) had hollyhocks planted around the house and outbuildings. The hollyhock has a migration history that follows man throughout the ages. Hollyhocks are found in historic Japanese and Chinese art. The Crusaders brought hollyhock seeds to England. For a short period of time the hollyhock was only for the wealthy. The gardeners and common folk collected the prolific seeds and soon the hollyhock was among many cottage gardens. Barns, walls and fences were great places to plant the tall hollyhocks. Hollyhocks commonly screened outhouses. Ladies would ask to see the hollyhocks in the same way that some women today ask to go to the powder room. Native Americans carried hollyhocks seeds along the trail of tears. Hollyhocks look best when planted against a background such as a grey wall, tall fence, etc. They are very drought resistant and need very little care. I think that they would do well on either side of the Town Hall entrance. What do you think about planting hollyhocks at the Town Hall?

property of Irma Meyer. This log home was on the farm of Jacob Snyder on Holcomb Road, Prairie Depot, OH. Left to right in the photo are: Virgil Falk, Uncle Deloy Snyder, William Snyder (standing beside) “PaPa Samuel Snyder on the right. 

            Attached I have included the current list of Troy Township Cemetery Notable Persons. I know some of you have suggested persons that I do not have on the list. Please write them down and bring your list to our next meeting.

I have also included a list of Civil War Soldiers. I used the list of military persons from the American Legion. I would like to have the birth and death dates of each individual but as yet have not been able to find all of them. I am hoping that the information that I receive from the township will help me fill in any gaps in information. I believe all persons on the Civil War list meet our criterion and should be included as Notable Persons.

Helen Rolfes was born in 1910 and died in 1991. I think of the tremendous changes this person saw in her lifetime. She retired in 1981 after 50 years of teaching which means she would have begun in 1931. She taught through WWII, Vietnam, hippies, rap singers and the beginning of the computer age. Speaking from experience, the human body can only handle so much stress, then horrible things start happening. I am thinking that Eastwood Schools must have been a wonderful environment to teach. Community, administrative and student respect and support make a teaching career so much more enjoyable. I did not know Helen Rolfes but would like to have known her. Each time I read her obituary or see her picture I keep thinking Wow!  Wow! Wow!

Next Meeting; Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 6:30 in the Luckey Library—hope to see you there   Over and Out……..Sally

 

 

Helen Florentine Rolfes – Troy Township Cemetery Notable Person

         Her date of birth was November 1, 1910 in the family farmhouse on Devil’s Hole Road in Pemberville, Ohio. She lived on this farm for most of her life. May 24, 1991 was her date of death. Her parents were Lewis Henry Rolfes (1866 – 1934), Katherine Poggemeyer Rolfes (1874 – 1951). The Rolfes Family immigrated to this country from Osnabruck, Germany in 1836. Her mother’s family emigrated from the nearby area of Hoyel, Germany in 1892.

Helen had one brother, Milton and five sisters, Leona, Frances, Irene, Nelda and Kathryn. She started school at the English one room schoolhouse on the corner of Bradner Road and Devil’s Hole Road. During the elementary school years she was accelerated one grade because of being an outstanding student. She attended high school in Woodville, Ohio where she was in the first graduating class in the new building, of which she was very proud.

In June 1930 she graduated from the University of Toledo when the university had just relocated to the University Hall on Bancroft Street. She received her Bachelor of Education and Master of Arts degree from this university.

Helen’s professional teaching career spanned 50 years in one school district Troy-Luckey, Pemberville and Eastwood High School. During these fifty years Helen totally devoted her life to all school affairs of the students and their families. She was on the Board of Trustees 1962 – 1990 and the original planning committee to establish the Pemberville Public Library. Helen volunteered thousands of hours at the Lutheran Old Folks’ Home and Orphanage on Seaman St. In Oregon, Ohio.  Helen was a member of Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church on Bradner Road where she was baptized, confirmed and buried. As well as her professional life, Helen’s church activities were a large part of her life.

There was a retirement party for Helen at Eastwood High School in 1981. Over 400 people attended: At this time a scholarship was established in her honor at Eastwood High School. Over $2000.00 was given by various people. Much more money has been given since. One student each year receives a scholarship in her name. Also at this time she received the Governor’s Proclamation for being an Outstanding Teacher in the State of Ohio. Helen taught in the Eastwood school district for over 50 years.