Arising From the Ashes

After year's of talk and thinking, I broke down and purchased an Ancestry.com account last night to beginning building the family-tree so that I can figure out where my history goes.
Already found a couple of very-cool things.

• I'm third-generation from Sweden as John I Anderson, or Dad's Mom's dad, made the trip from Sweden to the United States when he was very young.
• My third great grandfather Rev. Isaac Leedy was a Private during the Civil War with the Fostoria Seneca Company.

It has been very interesting to begin diving into the first part of the search and now I'm getting to the hard part where I have to begin digging for particular people. But it is going to be fun!

Ohio Fallen Soldiers Memorial

“Never surrender opportunity for security.” -- Branch Rickey

The fourth of July.

What a special day in the United States. It is the day that we honor our country's marvelous heritage and celebrate her birthday.

But, I woke this morning with a heavy heart.

A heavy heart for those that are across the seas protecting the freedom of not only fellow Americans but also citizens of other countries.

I had to make a trip to Sunbury, Ohio, this morning and the recently dedicated Ohio Fallen Soldiers Memorial to honor my fallen friend former Staff Sergant Shamus Goare. The only thing falling faster than the rain on this muggy morning, were the tears running down my face.

Sadie Lynn appeared to understand the situation as she curled up on the passenger seat of the Blazer and rested her head on my arm on the center compartment. She wasn't her normal “excited” self, but the mood was somber as we made our way to the monument to honor my friend.

I had misread the Delaware Gazette reporting of the event and found that only about a quarter of the crosses were completed. The site was dedicated only a few days ago to much deserved fanfare. I felt incomplete as Shamus' cross wasn't completed yet. I had been building myself up to “be strong” when I saw his name on that cross, but then when it wasn't there the feeling was hard to explain. There was some relief, but yet this sense of unfinished business.

I will be returning soon to finish my fourth of July travel.

If you go: The memorial was only dedicated last Saturday and is not yet completed. There are currently about 15 crosses up honoring the first 15 Ohioans to fall, and flags represent the remaining heroes. If you continue into Sunbury, you'll find a wonderful town square. But that is a write-up for another time.




How to get there: Located about ½ mile east of the intersection of U.S. 36 and State Route 3 just west of the village of Sunbury, Ohio.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Sorry about the lack of new posts. This has been an amazingly busy January and I have decided that I wanted to hold off on The Ohio County Project until I was able to commit the time and energy that it deserves.

I’m hoping to get the places I’ve visited updated through out February and start some new travels in early March.

Have a wonderful day!

Toby

Out & About: Where's Waldo?

Another cross-posting, that may be of interest to Ohio travelers.

Where's Waldo?

A question asked in Central Ohio long before the man in the funny red-and-white hat emerged on the scene. And that's no bologna.

Well actually, it is a lot of bologna, since bologna is the reason that thousands visit this village of 332 people located just off U.S. 23 at state route 98, 11 miles north of Delaware, each year.

G&R Tavern is the "home" to Waldo's bologna heritage. G&R Tavern was recently featured on the Food Network's "Roker on the Road" and its lore has only continued to expand. Ordering a bologna sandwich will get you a thick hunk of the fried meat with sweet pickles, onion and mustard on a bun. Add it to your favorite deep-fried entree and you have a great meal for a reasonable price. Be sure to hit the ATM before heading to G&R, as it's cash only for out-of-town folks.

Continue reading: "Out & About: Where's Waldo?"

This article was orginally published in Ohio Wesleyan University's Connect2 OWU, a weekly e-magazine from the Office of Public Relations.

Where Were You 20 Years Ago?

Please take a moment with me to remember the lives of the seven astronauts that lost their lives 20 years ago when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded over the coast of Florida. This is a story that I wrote for work this week, that I wanted to share here as well. I apologize for the non-baseball post, but - occasionally - things go beyond baseball and this is one of those instances.

My grandfather has Pearl Harbor.

My dad has JFK.

I have the Space Shuttle Challenger.

They are the memories that stay with you forever, those "where were you when" moments that every generation – unfortunately – experiences. Twenty years ago Saturday, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after take-off killing all seven crewmembers.

Continue reading "Where Were You Twenty Years Ago".

This article was originally published in Connect2 OWU, a publication by the Ohio Wesleyan University Office of Public Relations.

Don't Be a Scrooge

I'm still working on posts, but this time of year can play havoc with schedules. But the key is to remember the reason for the season - and to not get caught being the scrooge!

Happy Holidays