A German Church with Connections to Sandusky

This watercolor painting of a church in Sohnstetten, Germany was created in 1864. It was donated to the historical collections of the Sandusky Library and Follett House Museum from the Lange estate, and is on display in the Follett House Museum. Norbert Lange’s great grandfather Carr (sometimes spelled Karr) was a pastor at this church. The church in Germany, built in 1856, still serves the community in the district of Heidenheim.

This is a portion of Norbert Lange's family tree:

The pastor of the church in Sohnstetten, Germany was the father of Norbert Lange’s paternal grandmother. Bertha Emilie Carr and Franz Robert Lange were married in Erie County, Ohio in 1852, according to Erie County Probate Court records. Both had been born in Germany.

Dr. Norbert Lange was a well respected professor of chemistry at the University of Michigan, Case School of Applied Science, and Western Reserve University. He authored the classic text Handbookof Chemistry. Dr. Lange and his wife Marion Cleaveland Lange were the benefactors of the Lange Trust, which provides for “The promotion of cultural and educational enterprises in the city of Sandusky, Ohio and the adjacent area within Erie County, Ohio.”

Nearly All of the Loeffler Family Died in the 1849 Cholera

St. Joseph's Cemetery, Sandusky

According to the book, Sandusky Then and Now, in the course of a few days, John Loeffler, his wife Catherine, and four children all died from cholera in the summer of 1849. The only member of the family to survive was the youngest child, Johannes/John Loeffler, Local residents took the young child in, and the younger John Loeffler lived in Sandusky until his death in 1928 at age 82. He never married, and he worked as a gardener, tending to gardens and lawns all over Sandusky.

The elder John Loeffler came from Rentheim, Baden, Germany to Sandusky in 1835. He married Catherine that same year. Eventually, he ran a tailoring business, in conjunction with a tavern and grocery store at the corner of Fulton and Market Streets. John Loeffler was the first in the family to die from cholera, on July 24, 1849. On July 26, Catherine, Frank and George died. The last child to die was Conrad, who passed away on July 28, 1849.

John Loeffler, the young child who survived the deadly epidemic, made a career as a caretaker of lawns and gardens, and was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Sandusky in 1928.

Though no stones have been located, St. Joseph’s Cemetery records list all six members of the Loeffler family as having been buried in Section B at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. A total of 357 persons died from cholera in 1849, and smaller epidemics took place in 1852 and 1854. While many have tombstones at Oakland Cemetery and St. Joseph’s Cemetery, most victims were laid to rest at the Cholera Cemetery on Harrison Street. An historical marker was placed at the Cholera Cemetery in 1966.

You can read more about the cholera epidemic in Sandusky in Hewson Peeke’s book, A Standard History of Erie County, Ohio (Lewis Pub. Co., 1916.)

The Martin Eldis Family

Martin Eldis (originally Itlis) was among the earliest of German born residents to settle in Sandusky. In 1828 he opened a bakery and provision store on Water Street, next to a hotel. The hotel had many different names through the years, including the Exchange Hotel, Hotel Wayne, the St. Lawrence, and much later the Porterhouse. His bakery was located on Lot 29, bounded to the north by Water Street and Wayne Street to the west.

Pictured below is the Hotel Wayne, which was at one time next door to the Eldis property. The structures that once were the Eldis bakery and this hotel no longer stand. Where they once stood is now a parking lot for Civista Bank.

In the fall of 1852, Martin Eldis died, leaving Mrs. Louise Eldis a widow with several children. According to the History of Erie County, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich, Mr. Eldis left his wife and children “an abundant share of earthly goods.” Louise carried on the bakery on Water Street for several years.

An article in the January 14, 2002 issue of the Sandusky Register stated that Mrs. Eldis received compensation for losses which occurred when the 103rd Regiment of the New York Volunteers occupied her building from November 1863 to May 1864 during the Civil War. Mrs. Eldis died on December 19, 1888. She was thought to be the oldest resident of Sandusky at the time of her death. 

Martin and Louise Eldis and their children are buried in Lot 8 of Block 9 at Oakland Cemetery. As you view the Eldis monument, you can read the names of their ten children on the panels of the tombstone. 

There are also individual stones for several members of the family.

You can read about the Eldis family and many other former Sandusky residents of German heritage in the book Sandusky Then and Now, available at the Sandusky Library in both the German language (Sandusky Einst und Jetzt) and its English translation.

Fred Kranz, Sandusky Businessman

Fred Kranz was born in Nassau, Germany in 1841; in 1848 he came to the United States with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Balthasar Kranz. The Kranz family settled in Perkins Township of Erie County, Ohio.  Fred was raised on the family farm, and at the age of fifteen he was trained in the tinner’s trade. 

In the 1860s, he worked for Flood, Geasen and Company, tinsmiths in Sandusky. By 1884, he was the senior partner in the company. The advertisement for F. Kranz below appeared in the 1884 edition of the R. L. Polk & Company’s Marine Directory of the Great Lakes.

A biographical sketch about Fred Kranz, which appeared in History of Erie County, Ohio, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich, stated that Mr. Kranz had an extensive and well-equipped establishment, and he specialized in lime kiln work. In 1894, he had the contract for Faultless Furman boilers. also that year he installed a heating system in the Edward Jarecki residence on Central Avenue. Before that, in 1884, he installed a heating system at Holy Angels Church. There were two supply coils, and one-half coils under each seat, in a system which was devised by Mr. Kranz. 

By 1896 Fred Kranz was the proprietor of the Sandusky Metal Works.

The advertisement from the 1896 Sandusky City Directory indicated by F. Kranz was a wholesale and retail dealer in plumbers’ supplies; gas and steam fitter; and also did tin, copper, and sheet iron work. he seemed to adapt his skills as the needs of his customers evolved through the years. 

On May 5, 1899, Fred Kranz died at his residence at the age of 55. He left behind a wife, the former Caroline Traub, and four children. An obituary which appeared in the Sandusky Star of May 6, 1899, read in part, “During his long residence in Sandusky Mr. Kranz had won the esteem and respect of all who knew him. His private life and business methods had made many friends who will learn of his death with sorrow.”  To read more about the Kranz family and other Sandusky residents of German origin, see the book Sandusky Then and Now,  housed with the genealogy books at the Sandusky Library.

The Other Kerber Grocery

Many people in Sandusky are familiar with Kerber Marine Grocery located on Tiffin Avenue, but not many people know there was another Kerber grocery business on the east side of town.

Albert Kerber was born in 1861 in Ehrenstten, Baden near the city of Freiburg. His parents were Anton Kerber and Cecelia Bauman. Anton Kerber’s brother Vincent Kerber immigrated to Sandusky in 1849 and ran several well-known businesses. He was a masonry contractor whose projects included the Water Works, Barker School, Standard Wheel Company, and several social halls. Later in life Vincent collaborated with his sons in a number of businesses including Consumer Ice Company and a grain and feed business on Water Street.

Records show Albert immigrated in 1880. He was listed in the 1880 census as living with his uncle Vincent on Ogontz Street. Albert then settled on Middle Bass Island and worked for the Golden Eagle Wine Cellars.

While on Middle Bass he met Augusta Kubach who was born in Sandusky in 1865. Augusta’s father John Kubach was born on the Steamer Albany during the family’s immigration to the United States. Albert and Augusta were married in July 1884.

Albert and Augusta moved to Sandusky in 1887. They built a store and residence at the corner of First and McEwen Streets in the east end, near Alberts’s uncle and cousins. The photo below was taken around 1891 and shows Albert and his brother-in-law Andrew Kubach in front of the store. One sign in the window advertises a steamer trip to Cleveland on Thursday June 25, 1891, for fifty cents. The other sign advertises Arbuckle’s Coffee.

Albert’s brother Lawrence (Lorenz) Kerber was born in 1862. In 1888 he founded Kerber Marine Grocery. Lawrence unfortunately died young at just the age of 30 in 1892.

Sometime around 1900 Albert expanded the grocery store to include a saloon. The picture below taken around 1905 shows the store and saloon. Standing in front of the store are Alberts’s sons, Millard and Carlisle and another brother-in-law, Clyde Kubach.

Like many businesses of the era, the saloon issued tokens. Shown below are the two sides of a 5-cent token.

Albert was active in the community and there were numerous listings in the Sandusky Register about hosting social events, sponsoring visiting musicians and travels to visit friends and relatives. One brief article in the Register noted “A young son of Albert Kerber, the Huron Ave and McEwen Street grocer, was struck by an automobile in Huron Ave, Thursday night but escaped serious injury.” The article implies there was a second grocery on Huron Ave, but no records were available.

Albert died on March 13, 1911. His obituary indicates funeral was conducted by Sandusky Lodge No. 669 International Order of Odd Fellows. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery.

The building at the corner of First and McEwen Streets stands today as shown below.

A German Edition of an American Periodical

The Sandusky Library has an issue of the German edition of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, dated October 22, 1881, in the historical files of the Archives Research Center.

The cover of this issue featured the 100 year anniversary of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. The German text was easy for local residents of German descent to read. The German-born population of Sandusky in the 1880s was about 25% of the total population, so German was a prominent second language in the city at that time.

The item was donated by Mrs. Louis Duennisch, who was both the daughter and wife of men who had been born in Germany.

Her father, Conrad Ebert, was born in 1824 in Bavaria, where he learned the trade of cabinetmaking. Mrs. Duennisch was the second wife of Louis Duennisch, who was born in Ostheim, Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach in 1847. He emigrated to the U.S. with his widowed mother in 1857. Louis Duennisch worked at the Sandusky Sash, Door & Blind Company, where he eventually became foreman of the shop. He continued at that firm as well as its successors, for over thirty five years. At the time of his retirement, the business was known as George R. Butler and Company. Mr. and Mrs. Duennisch traveled extensively, both in the United States and abroad; the library has a photograph album of their travels from 1895 to the early twentieth century. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to learn more about the former residents and businesses of Sandusky and Erie County, Ohio.

Photographs of the Children of Andrew and Louise Biemiller

Andrew and Louisa Biemiller, both natives of Germany, had a son and two daughters born in Sandusky. Mr. Biemiller worked in the fish business, as well as being the original owner of the Sandusky Opera House, built in 1877. Originally called the Biemiller Opera House, ultimately it became known as the Sandusky Theatre and was the location for hundreds of performances of operas, musicals, vaudeville acts and plays, as well as motion pictures. 

John Biemiller

John Biemiller was born about 1857. He married Anna Graves in 1879, but died in the following year. He was the father of Andrew Frederick Biemiller, and the grandfather of politician Andrew John Biemiller.

Barbara Biemiller

Miss Barbara Biemiller was born around 1862. She married Otto H. Ilg on April 24, 1884. After her husband died, she married August H. Klotz. Barbara outlived both her husbands. She passed away on June 23, 1930.

Cora Biemiller

Cora Biemiller was the youngest child of the family, born in Sandusky, Ohio on April 8, 1872. Cora never married. When she died on January 31, 1952, her obituary (found in the 1952 Obituary Notebook), stated that she was the last member of one of  the city’s older families. Her funeral services were held at the Biemiller residence at 312 East Adams Street, with the  Rev. Hunsdon Cary, Jr., of Grace Episcopal Church, officiating. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery.

The patriarch of the family, Andrew Biemiller died in Sandusky in 1882. He was buried in the family lot at Oakland Cemetery.

Andrew’s widow Louisa married Robert McChesney, in 1885. Mr. and Mrs. McChesney resided in New York State.

Louisa Biemiller

After her death in 1908, she was buried next to her first husband in Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

Daniel Kunz, German Immigrant and Business Owner

Daniel Kunz (sometimes spelled Kuntz) was born in Bavaria, Germany in 1845 to Mr. and Mrs. Philip Kunz. He emigrated to the United States as a youngster. In 1866, he married Christine Gilcher, the daughter of Peter Gilcher, a pioneer settler of Sandusky also of German descent. By 1867, he was working as a barber in Sandusky on Water Street (between Columbus Ave. and Jackson St), where he also operated a bath house. 

Lime kilns were prominent along the Sandusky waterfront in the 19th century

In 1878 Daniel Kunz began a new business venture when he built lime kilns at the foot of Hancock Street. A steam barge was named for him in 1888, built in Sandusky by Savord and Ratti. By 1890 Mr. Kunz had several business ventures underway. He was president of the Lake Erie Coal and Transit Company, president of the Point Marblehead Lime Company, and he was a partner in Kunz and Johnson, stone dealers. 

In 1900 he purchased property that had been occupied by the National House hotel at the northwest corner of Market and Wayne Streets. He had the hotel razed, and built a multi-story brick building. At the street level was commercial property with large glass windows that would be home to the Cohn's department store for many years. On the upper floors were apartments that could be reached by either stairs or an elevator. Each apartment was modern, with hot and hot running water, steam heat, and a gas range in each kitchen. The Kunz block can be seen below on the 1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, across from the Lea block, which is still there today.

Mr. Kunz was president of the Home Savings and Loan Company of Sandusky in 1903. After his wife died, he moved to Toledo, Ohio, to make his home with his daughter. 

In April, 1935 the Sandusky Masonic Bulletin, edited by Dr. C.H. Merz, announced that Mr. Kunz had recently celebrated his 90th birthday. At the time of his death in 1938, he was the oldest living member of Perseverance Lodge, 329, F. & A.M. He had been prominent on Masonic circles for several years. Mr. Kunz was survived by a son, three daughters, and several grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Graveside funeral services were conducted by Rev. Donald Wonders, and burial was at Oakland Cemetery.

Do You Remember Wholf Hardware?

 

From 1950 until 1995, the Wholf Hardware store was in business in the 600 block of Hancock Street. Alton “Bud” Wholf began the business. William Poeschl, Sr., a German immigrant, took over the business from Mr. Wholf in 1963. In an article in the Sandusky Register of March 25, 1984, Mr. Poeschl said that he did not change the name of the store because people would have a hard time pronouncing Poeschl, which sounded like “Po-Shell.” The major part of the store’s sales was basic hardware, like bolts, nuts, fasteners, hinges, and hand tools. Plumbing supplies were also popular with local customers. 

In 1984 about 300 customers visited the business each day. If you needed to, you could purchase just one nail or bolt at the store. If you had a problem at your house, you could go to Wholf Hardware, and the staff would help you determine just what you needed to make the necessary repair. Eventually Mr. Poeschl’s son and grandson helped run the business. Business began to decline at Wholf Hardware as larger retail stores began to carry more hardware products. At the end of April, 1995, members of the Poeschl family thanked local customers for their many years of patronage, as they announced the closing of the Wholf Hardware store in a letter to the editor of the Sandusky Register.  

In a two-page article in the July 5, 1992 issue of the Sandusky Register, Virginia Steinemann and Helen Hansen wrote about the history of the section of Sandusky around Hancock and Monroe Streets, which had been the location of several homes and businesses owned by people of German descent.

The paint stirrer pictured below is now in the collections of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.

 

A Baptism at Emmanuel Church

 

Albert Joseph Scheid was born on February 8, 1881, to Karl (later Charles) Scheid and Christine Rupprecht Scheid, and was baptized in the Emmanuel German Evangelical Church on November 20, 1881. His baptismal sponsors were Joseph Fiedler and Josephine Scheid. Albert’s ornate baptismal certificate was published by Schaefer & Koradi of Philadelphia, a company which specialized in German-American publications. Albert Scheid worked as a machinist in Sandusky. He passed away in 1939, and he was buried in Calvary Cemetery.

Rev. J.G. Ensslin (sometimes spelled Enzslin) officiated at the baptismal service.

The Emmanuel Church, at the northeast corner of Columbus Avenue and Adams Street, was founded in 1844, and was the first German church in Sandusky.

Microfilmed copies of records from Emmanuel Church, now known as Emmanuel United Church of Christ are available at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. Records range from 1844 through 1954, and include baptisms, marriages, deaths, and minutes from church meetings. Thew original records copied on the microfilm are in German, but an English translation is also included.

"All Aboard For Peters’ Restaurant"

 

From about 1873 to 1890, George Peters operated a restaurant and billiard parlor in the 600 block of Water Street in downtown Sandusky, Ohio (probably where the empty lot on the 100 block of East Water Street is today). He stated in an advertisement in the 1888 Sandusky City Directory that “meals were served to order at all hours of the day or night.”  Wine and beer were served in the saloon, and there was a private parlor for ladies. Women were allowed to patronize the business, but they weren't allowed to work there! 

The Sandusky city ordinances of the time prohibited women from working in a business that served alcohol unless they were the wife or daughter of the owner.

And if a woman did happen to work in a saloon, young men (under 21) were not allowed to engage in conversation with her, to help preserve "order" in the community. Rules were different in those days.

George Peters was a native of Germany. During the Civil War he served as a private in Company B of the 145^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In the early part of the twentieth century, he moved to Norwalk, Ohio. After his death in 1909, he was laid to rest in Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

The Vincent Kerber Family

Vincent Kerber came from Germany to the United States in 1849. For a number of years he worked as a building contractor in Sandusky. Later he worked with his sons in the ice business, as well as a flour and feed business. Pictured below is V. Kerber & Sons feed and flour store, located at 619 Water Street around 1890. Some of the brands they carried were Pillbury’s Best and Gold Dust Flour. Vincent’s sons Edward and John Kerber continued in the ice business for several years.

Vincent Kerber and Constantina (Eckert) Kerber had a large family of four sons and two daughters. Mrs. Kerber died in Germany in 1889. After Constantina died, he married again, during a trip to his homeland in Baden, Germany. Vincent Kerber died in September 1898.

Peeke’s A Standard History of Erie County, Ohio contains biographies of John and Edward Kerber. Vincent Kerber’s obituary is found in the September 18, 1898 issue of the Sandusky Daily Register. The article says that he was “one of the best known and most highly respected of Sandusky’s residents.” It continues “his works, in and about the city, bear silent testimony of his skill and the thoroughness with which he did whatever he undertook.”

At St. Mary’s Cemetery, an angel adorns the monument in memory of Louise Kerber and Pauline Kerber Heiberger, the two daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Kerber.

Mr. and Mrs. John Hauser

John Hauser was born on December 4, 1826 in Wuerttemberg, Germany. He emigrated to the United States in 1847. In 1855 he married Margaret Schmidt, a native of Bosenbach, Germany; though Margaret was not yet age eighteen, her mother gave written permission for the couple to be married. Below is a portrait of Margaret Schmidt Hauser in her later years.

Henry Hauser, their first child, died in infancy.  The Hausers had five more children, three sons and two daughters. 

John Hauser was a painter by occupation. He worked as a master painter for the Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark Railway (later merged with the Baltimore and Ohio) and the Mad River Railway, which became a part of the Big Four. During the Civil War, he served with Company B of the 145^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. When he wasn’t working, several hobbies kept him busy: he was quite fond of music and drama, and he was associated with German theatricals in Sandusky for several years. Additionally, he was an avid hunter and an enthusiastic botanist. He also was known as an expert in the repair of stringed instruments. 

On February 23, 1900, John Hauser passed away at the age of 73. Funeral services were held at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Emma Wirth, on Market Street. Burial was at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery. Mrs. Margaret Hauser died on December 22, 1901 in Sandusky. She was survived by five children. An obituary in the December 23, 1901 issue of the Sandusky Register stated about Mrs. Hauser, “The deceased was a highly respected citizen of this city and her death came as a shock to all who knew her.” 

Two of the grandchildren of John and Margaret Hauser were well known in academic circles. Dr. Norbert Lange was a chemistry professor at Western Reserve University, who is known for writing the classic text Handbook of Chemistry (now in its 17th edition). Dr. Lange and his wife were the benefactors for The Norbert A. and Marion Cleaveland Lange Trust of Sandusky Library, which has provided cultural and educational programs for Erie County residents for over twenty-five years. 

Norbert Lange’s cousin, Dr. Elmer H. Wirth, was a professor at the University of Illinois from 1922 through 1947, serving as Head of the Department of Pharmacognosy for several years. He was the author of seven books and more than 300 articles on pharmacy.

The Graefe Family’s Many Contributions to Sandusky

 Dr. Philip Graefe was born in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1823. He came to Sandusky in 1848, before moving briefly to Orange, New Jersey for a year or two. After returning to Sandusky, Dr.Graefe practiced medicine here until his death in 1884. Hewson Peeke wrote about him in his 1916 book, A Standard History of Erie County, Ohio: “His skill and promptness in meeting and combating the various ills to which mankind is subject, and his devotion to his patients, gained him the good will of the people, and a place of note among the more popular and successful physicians of this section of the state.” Besides being a well respected physician in Sandusky, Dr. Graefe also was associated with both the Third National Bank and Citizens Banking Company.

The oldest son of Dr. Philip Graefe and his wife, the former Dorothea Kranz,  also was a physician.

Dr. William Graefe was born in 1851 in Orange, New Jersey. He graduated from Cleveland Medical College in 1870, and then studied in some of the leading hospitals in Europe for three years. He worked as a physician and surgeon in Sandusky for more than forty years, and also served for twelve years on the Board of Education for Sandusky Schools. Dr. William Graefe died on December 27, 1923. In an editorial on the front page of the December 29, 1923 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal read in part, “In the death of Dr. William Graefe, Sandusky has lost a ‘builder.’ Not only was Dr. Graefe of high standing in his profession but he was deeply interested in civic affairs and in the city’s welfare.”

Another son of Dr. and Mrs. Philip Graefe, Dr. Charles Graefe, also worked as a physician and surgeon in Sandusky for many years. He was born in 1859, and was educated at Oberlin College, the University of Wooster, and the Western Reserve College at Cleveland. He spent three years studying at hospitals in Europe. Dr. Charles Graefe also served on the Board of Education for several years. He passed away on March 9, 1929.

A third son, Henry Graefe, was prominent as a banker in Sandusky, having been affiliated with the Citizens Banking Company since it was founded in 1884. After his death in 1919, the Sandusky Chamber of Commerce adopted resolutions which conveyed the high esteem with which the banker was held. The son of Henry Graefe the banker, Dr. Henry Graefe followed in the family tradition in the medical field, and also served as an officer of the Citizens Banking Company. Helen Hansen wrote in her book, At Home in Early Sandusky, that the ladies of the Graefe family generously gave their time to public service, working with a variety of community service organizations. Visit the Sandusky Library to read more about the Graefe family and other pioneer families of Sandusky and Erie County, Ohio.

August Guenther, Wholesale Dealer in Fine Whiskies

According to History of Erie County, Ohio, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich (Mason and Co., 1889), August Guenther was born in Westphalia, Prussia in 1848 to Mr. and Mrs. John Guenther. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1869, first settling in Texas. Soon after arriving in Sandusky, Ohio in 1872, August Guenther became involved in the making of wine and grape brandy. The jug pictured above advertised "fine whiskies" made by Mr. Guenther as well. Below is a letterhead from his business, as seen on an online auction site.

During some of his time in business, August Guenther was in a partnership with his son Bruno. For several years his business partner was John J. Molter, former Sandusky Mayor. The company eventually went out of business due to the enactment of Prohibition laws.

In 1873 August Guenther married Sophia Kolbe. They had a family of three sons. Dr. Theodore Guenther became of physician with a practice in Brooklyn, New York. Son August E. Guenther was a professor of physiology at both the University of Michigan and the University of Nebraska. Sadly, Bruno Guenther died in 1910, after he suffered serious complications following a scratch from a copper wire. The elder August Guenther died on December 19, 1932, and he was buried in the family lot at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

Otto Schimansky, Member of the Grand Army of the Republic

In 1890 Otto Schimansky (sometimes spelled Shimansky) was the General Manager of the D. J. Brown Manufacturing Co., a company which manufactured hoops for barrels.

He was born in Germany, and settled in Oak Harbor, Ohio. He served in the Third Ohio Cavalry during the Civil War. In 1884, the Schimansky family moved to Sandusky. Otto held several patents, including a patent for cutting hoops, planing hoops, and pointing hoops.

Otto Schimansky and his wife Elizabeth were married for fifty-seven years. They were the parents of Dr. C. A. Schimansky and O. K. Schimansky, former publisher of the Cleveland Leader and Times. Otto was a member of the McMeens Post of the G.A.R. (serving as Inspector General), the Perseverance Lodge, and the First Congregational Church. 

When he died in November of 1928,  his sons received a condolence telegraph from General G. M. Saltzgaber, past commander-in-chief of the G.A.R. It began with “My heart was filled with grief on learning of the death of your noble father. He served with me during the great Civil War in the Third Ohio Veteran Volunteer Cavalry. Under the great Lincoln he was one of those fine young Americans who endured suffering and gave his great strength to recement our glorious union…”

Otto Schimansky and his wife and sons are buried in the family plot in Oakland Cemetery.

Here is a photograph of the 24th Reunion of the Third Ohio Cavalry held at Cedar Point: