Chapter 15

 

A GREAT GENERATION

 

We can observe certain characteristics which seem to have been passed into the next generation. Mary Ellen and I had driven across Ohio to get a picture of the barn at Calais. I chose the day that has become a tradition for members of the TG family to share an evening meal. For over twenty years they have gathered on the second Tuesday of each month at a local restaurant in Heath, Ohio. The room where they meet has become known as the “Warner Room.”

 

We arrived tired, hungry and late for the meal. I filled a plate at the buffet and joined the group. When I went back for my drink, my first cousin, John, also know as “Claus,” had finished his first plate, had taken my plate and was eating my carefully selected food. I was left with no choice but to go for another plate. In my after the meal conversation with John about this kind of jokery, we realized how “Warner” this kind of behavior is.

 

I remembered that when I was very young we had driven to Ashley, Ohio, to visit my Uncle Roger. They were not home. My brother Dave was lowered through an unlocked basement window and we went inside. We ate some ice cream that was in the little refrigerator freezer and then put a dab of chocolate on every dish in their cupboard and left them in the sink.  Another time when they were not home, they had left dirty dishes in the sink. Mom and Dad washed, dried and put them away and then we left.

 

We have only this picture of Louisa Belle to illustrate her sense of humor. She could clown around and have a good time.   Aunt Ethel told this story about her brothers. While she was being fitted with the yellow organdy dress for RJ’s wedding her mother had said every time she wanted to try it on her, she was out with the boys who were helping her father with building a large barn. One time they called her mother to come see Ethel. What she saw was Ethel sitting up high on the peak of the barn (one of the boys was hidden behind her).   Juanita (Warner) Crawley, said MH could also be a joker. She experienced  many of his pranks. She wrote:       Once I wanted a watch for my       birthday. I showed Grandfather a

      birthday and showed grandpa the                  My Grandmother Louisa Belle Warner

      picture in the catalog. On my birthday,

      there was a package for me from him at the post office. My girlfriend went with me to get   

      it. When I opened the box, inside was the picture of the watch cut from the Sears-Roebuck  

     catalog.

 

     I would play cards – rummy – with Uncle Hubert and Grandfather. I learned I had to

     watch him. I thought I was winning, but my score was the lowest. It turned out that 

     Grandfather was subtracting my score instead of adding to it. Being around Grandfather,

     I could see how the twins got to be so ornery.

 

Some of the stories about the twins include changing places on dates, even fooling family by changing shirts and ties at reunions.  Once in a school debate RJ argued for both sides to cover for Roger, and the teacher did not believe that he had, until his mother confirmed the story.

 

Shortly after RB began teaching in Ashley, RJ and Esther stopped at the Ashley Post Office on the way to visit RB and Jesse. The rumor quickly spread that RB was with another woman.  RJ had to attend a board meeting in Ashley to squelch the rumor.

                                                                          

In later years when RJ and RB were both school superintendents attending various meetings around the state, one would often be mistaken for the other brother. They would carry on a conversation and never tell the person they were the twin of the person they thought they were talking with.  Both Juanita and Elvira called their Dad’s twin “Two Daddy.” They had a lot of fun from being twins.

 

Rodney J. Warner Family

 

Rodney Johnson graduated from Ohio State BS, 1924, and  MA, 1927. He taught in Worthington, was principal at East Linden, superintendent at Junction City, Fairborn, and Xenia City Schools where a Junior High Building is named in his honor. He was elected chairman of the City Superintendents and Principals Association, president of the Greene-Clark County Demeter Club of the National Grange, disaster chairman for the local Red Cross, was in charge of Food and Gas Ration Stamps Program during WWII.   He served terms as president of Tecumseh Council, Boy Scouts of America and the Xenia Rotary Club. He was a member of Xenia Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, American School Administrators, Mason, Eastern Star, and American Legion. He was a lay speaker in the Methodist Church and served as chairman of their food tent at the

Esther, Bob, Dave, Elvira & Rodney Warner       Green County Fair.

 

 

Roger Barton Warner Family

 

RB graduated from OSU in1922 and a MA 1937. He  began teaching Vocational Agriculture at Ashley, Ohio. He was promoted to principal, superintendent of the Ashley Schools (later called Elm Valley) and he was selected as superintendent of the Delaware County Schools. He was chairman of the Ohio State advisory board for Vocational Agriculture for a two-year term.  He received an Honorary American Farmer Degree at the 43rd National FFA Convention in Kansas City. He was the Ohio representative at the meeting in Kansas in 1928 when the FFA was organized. He was recognized nationally for founding the very first junior fair. The 1972 Ohio State Junior Fair saluted R.B. Warner on his 50th anniversary of organizing the world’s first junior fair   held in Ashley, Ohio. He was a member of the Lion’s Club.

       Front: Harvey, Paul, Juanita            He was among the members inducted into the               

          Roger and Jesse Warner               Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame for his work as chairman in obtaining financing for Ashley Villa, a housing complex for the elderly.

 

Thurman Gilmore Warner Family

                     Seated from left: William, John, Richard, Donald, Tom, Gene

                   Standing: Nancy, Jane, Ruth, James, Joseph, Lenabelle, Joy May

Thurman Gilmore was a professional dairy farmer. Care of a herd of cows included the raising and storage of food, daily feeding, milking every morning and evening, breeding of new and productive stock, and maintenance of sanitation as required by law. He was a general farmer, with horses, hogs, chickens, and field crops. He operated a business, “The Warner Pony Farm” in his later years.  Joy May (Warner) Campbell wrote:

 

Dear Bob,

     Since I am the oldest twig on this branch I have called each sibling to ask for additions

     and approval. I am not sure just how you plan to include this info from the various  

     families, but at least preserve the thought..

    

     Our mother gave birth to 14 children; she and Dad reared 13 through high school age. 

     Needless to stay Mother never had to look for something to occupy her time! Many who                                     

     learn that I am the oldest assume I spent much time babysitting. Not so. Not so for my  

     sisters either. Our parents were full time supervisors. We were given various 

     responsibilities which did not burden us so that we had much opportunity to develop our 

     own interests. We do laugh about Tom asking Dad, "Now that I am going to go to first 

     grade, what are my jobs?"

 

     During family growing up years Mother was at home. Once that task was completed she   

     became active in local clubs, especially Grange. We remember her love for crafts, and

     for reading which was most often done after the youngest ones were in bed. She was able  

     to knit an article with simple stitches and read a book while doing so!

 

     Canning our garden produce was a big deal. Dad cut a 50 gallon metal drum in half. In

     one of the halves he place crushed wire to keep the jars off the bottom, filled it with

     water, built a fire under it which had to be tended to keep the water boiling during the  

     canning process. I do not recall canning time or the number of jars that would fit in the 

     barrel. Our younger family members do not remember this because the pressure canner 

     came into being. We also canned beef chunks which were good with noodles or for  

     making a super sandwich filling when ground and seasoned. That canning was replaced 

     when freezing meat came along. We also canned wheat kernels just as they came from

     the field which made an excellent breakfast dish. I recall in later year Uncle Hildred found 

     a place to buy the product and felt it worth the price to again enjoy real whole wheat.

 

     We are thankful for parents who taught us to love, to respect, to enjoy each other, and to 

     even tolerate when necessary. Family unity was important. Early in 1986 we no longer 

     could go home so we made arrangements with a Newark buffet restaurant to reserve a 

     meeting room for Warners on the second Tuesday of each month and We have 

     continued meeting there all these years. The group includes not only siblings and 

     spouses but often nieces and nephews and sometimes their children. At times cousins

     have joined us for an enjoyable evening. We consider this practice a living memorial to 

     our parents who taught us family is important. … Joy May (Warner) Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

 

James Hubert Family

 

James Hubert was a Vocational Agriculture teacher, County Extension Agent and Superintendent of the Beef Cattle and the 4-H Beef Cattle Show Departments at the Ohio State Fair.   Hubert was active in the Lima Kiwanis Club, Grange, and Masons. He was a member of the advisory board that recommended the site for the Lima Tank Plant, County Board, County Bond Sale Board, County Scrap Collection Board and the County Labor Board, and Beef

       Front row from left: Hubert, Helen, & MH.         Specialist at The Ohio State University.

             Back: Shirley, Dorothy & Myron                   He was well known as a judge at                 

                                                                                     many county fairs in Ohio and 

surrounding states. He was the advisor for building a number of automated cattle feed lots around the country and operated one with his brother Roger. (See feed lot picture page 95)

Shirley and Dorothy share some of Hubert's favorite one liners that he used when they were growing up.

    1. There is always room for improvement! (He always said this on a straight A report  

     card.) 2. Live so you don't have any regrets. 3. Smartest thing he ever did, he'd say,

     was to marry Helen Louise Borst. 4. His favorite question was “do you think you'll

     ever amount to anything?” 5. He always urged that in everything use moderation.

     6. He always would rather make money than spend it and one of his goals was to have 

     a million dollars all at once!

 

     Probably the most out of character thing he did was buying a 1955 red & yellow

     Mercury without any input from anyone. (Mom always chose the color - because

     he was color blind).  That is why he always wore black pants, shoes, sox and a white

     shirt. Then the first year that Mercury came out with a push button gear shift mounted

     on the dash, he bought a silver and black one on which the gears kept sticking. Again,

     no input from anyone! He is the only person I have ever known, that killed three 

     deer without ever firing a shot.  He did it with cars and nobody was ever hurt.

                                                                                                Cousins Shirley and Dorothy

 

Dorothy (Warner) Stoyer provided a description of what the Warner wives did with their time. She wrote about her mother:

   

     She always had a "project" to do. She kept an immaculate home, was a great cook &

     baker, made all our clothes when we were young, was a Brownie and Girl Scout

     leader, was a 4-H Club leader of the Lima Peppy Peppers Club, taught Sunday school

     at Trinity Methodist Church in Lima, canned bushels of green beans, wax beans,

     tomatoes - either whole or juice, beets, lima beans, corn, cherries, peaches, quinces,

     kraut, pork, beef, several kinds of jelly, pickles, apple butter, peach butter, Swiss chard

     and grape juice. We always had big gardens until the folks couldn't care for it.

     No one ever left our house hungry.

     Mother also knitted sox and gloves for the Red Cross to go to soldiers during the war

     and crocheted edging and doilies of all sizes to give as gifts. Her New Year's project

     was to start and finish a pair of pillowcases for good luck, usually crocheted on the

     hem or embroidered over a lovely pattern she had stamped on the fabric.

 

     Mom’s way of teaching was to do it right along with you. Sewing, cleaning and

     cooking were often done together so we would learn the "proper" way. . She also had

     unbelievable patience. From my mom, I learned to always help those around you. From 

     Dad we learned to do everything in moderation and even with a perfect report card he

     would always remind us that there was “always room for improvement!”…  D Stoyer

 

Hildred Harvey Warner Family

 

HH was a member of the swine judging `team’ which took first place in the national collegiate contest, and a member of the general livestock judging team which was second at Kansas City and third in the national contest. He graduated from OSU 1932. He began teaching career Vocational Agriculture and Industrial Arts. The first basketball team he coached took fourth place in state tournament. He taught in Liberty Center and Arlington High Schools.    He worked as a meat salesman for Armour & Co. and served as Mayor of Arlington, Ohio, 1850-1951.

                                                                    Hildred Harvey Warner Family

Mildred remembers there                  Front row from left: Linda, Rheumilla, Hildred

were many “night callers”              Back row: Duane, Deanna, & Mildred

during the time he was

mayor when state police would pick up traffic violators who needed to appear before an official before getting back on the road.

 

HH returned to teaching at Elmwood High School in 1958 and retired in July 1969. He was a member and clerk of the Arlington School Board, 1948 -1969. During that time he pursued his masters degree and graduated in the same ceremony as his son, Duane, who received his bachelor’s and master’s in Engineering Physics. They had made a made a bet as to who would get their MA degree first and HH bought dinner because the diplomas were handed out in alphabetical order. HH was an active member of the Gideon Bible Society. HH encouraged his Grandniece Cheri Warner Brent to paint by commissioning her to paint several farm scenes for him.

Linda (Warner) Bischof  titled this creative artwork as, Dad’s Pride and Joy.   Uncle Hildred was a true Ohio Stater! His son Duane was on the varsity football team for four years.

            HH carved OHIO STATE into his hedge in Arlington, Ohio

 

Rheumilla attended Wittenberg College and taught school. She had a musical ability and played the piano for her church. She was active in the band parents organization and was chairman of the building committee when an addition was added to the Arlington Methodist church.

 

Shirley Ethel (Warner) and Eskham Hayes Family

Shirley Ethel attended Urbana College. She was the caretaker of her mother and then of Roger’s three children when his wife Jesse died and later her father.   She was dating Eskham when RB was dating Marie. They alternated weekends as to who would stay with the kids. Ethel wrote, “I belong to the Roofers Union since it covered everything.” She was a U S Census taker, substitute at a school cafeteria and a judge for the election board and 4-H advisor. Her time was spent cooking, cleaning, sewing, crocheting, knitting, counting cross-stitches, and being a mother and wife.   The Eskham Hayes Family                                                                                                       Eskham and Ethel seated holding                 Eskham Jr. and Shirley. Standing              .                                                       Maxine left and Mary Lou right

 

Eskham did many odd jobs, as a boy. He made a good impression on the owner of a grocery/general store who employed him to work in his store. He worked for five years for $5.00 a week. During the summer he opened the store at 7 a.m. and closed at 9:30 p.m. He left this job to earn $3.00 a day working for the railroad, laying the new tracks through Woodstock. During his last years in high school he unloaded coal and grain cars. This was done by hand with a shovel.

 

In the summer of 1931-1932 he dug post holes, as many as a hundred a day, on farms that had been forced into foreclosure. He operated the local drugstore for $8.00 a week.  Later he worked a couple of factory jobs. He was hired by Nestles in Sunbury, as an electrician’s helper. He bought several books and soon became an electrician and refrigeration expert. Eskham’s knowledge soon led to successful self-employment. He established the Hayes Electrical and Refrigeration Company with enough work for sons, sons-in-law, and grandsons.

 

The children of Mordecai Harvey and Louisa Belle were often encouraged with “you can do better” which is not exactly the positive reinforcement approach of a later day.  There were rules.  Break the rules–expect the punishment. They were taught how to be self-reliant and self-disciplined. They were expected to measure up; there was a standard.

 

Mordecai Harvey (Harv) Warner

 

MH lived at 72 Webb Street, in Delaware until Catherine died in 1953.  He lived with Ethel for a while after that. Maxine (Hayes) Stimmel remembers her Grandpa:

 

     The morning I was born my Dad stayed home from work and sent my grandfather

      to get the midwife who was to stay with Mom. I decided to make my entry before

     the doctor got there, but not before Grandpa was brought back to the house without  

     Dad's car. In Grandpas hurry he ran the stop sign at St.Rt. 61 and hit a car. When

      the doctor got to the house he stopped to see how bad Grandpa was hurt as he    

     was covered with blood from the nasty cut on his nose. This began MY life with

     "my Grandpa" as he always told me I not only cut off my sister Mary Lou's nose

     but his too. I really think that was the beginning of the special bond that we had.

     Grandpa and I were always very close even as a small child, I would go out to the

     barn with him as he took care of the sheep, and when I grew older I was the only

     one who was excited to go with him to hive the bees. He always helped me find and

     put on the "Bee Garb." I would always get stung several times and Grandpa would

     always quickly take the stinger out and THEN he would do the grossest thing!

 

     He would put his mouth on the sting and put tobacco juice on it! I mean on MY ARM

     HE PUT THAT DISGUSTING TOBACCO JUICE!!! Then I would swell up a lot and 

     wheeze for the next several days, but the next time it was time to hive the bees I was

     right beside Grandpa to do it again. The great reward of hiving bees was after we got

     the honey gathered and the wax put in the boxes and the hives put back together again,       

     Grandpa and I would go in the house and Mom would have a meal ready and the 

     only thing I would eat was her wonderful warm homemade biscuits with butter and

     fresh comb honey on it. What a wonderful mouth-watering meal!

 

     I remember the day my Uncle Roger came and he and Mom told Grandpa that they 

     needed to take his car keys away from him so he would not drive. I was about nine

     years old I think; I just remember how sad I was for the three of them as they were

     all upset. I went out to the side yard and sat on the cistern and cried for all of them. 

 

After that I called my grandpa a lot and we would have long talks. Those long wonderful conversations on the phone taught me so much. One conversation that really stands out to me was one Halloween when he lived on Webb Street in Delaware. He had had his outhouse turned over by the local kids on the Eastside, and so had his next door neighbor, but that man was in the outhouse with the door down. I remember just how ­upset Grandpa was about this happening, but the next day the boys did come back and turn the houses back over. The neighbor was rescued shortly after.      Years later shortly before Jack and I got married we were driving around Delaware and I asked Jack to take me to Webb Street so I could see my grandpas home again. Jack was an Eastside kid and he told me about turning over the outhouses and the man who bragged "no one would turn his over as he was going to sit in it." Boy would Grandpa have been upset with me if he knew I married one of one

  Grandpa, Mary Lou, Maxine        of those boys!

    

     Catherine died. Then as he lived with us I grew even closer to him and I took care of

     him and spent time with him and watching him write in his beautiful penmanship that

     he was so proud of. He used to tell me about teaching and walking miles to school and

     of how life was so different while I was growing up.

 

     He was loved by my brother and sisters, but they did not have the special bond with

     him that I did, they did not spend as much time with him, nor did they care that

     whenever Roger, Rodney, or Thurman would take Grandpa to "the hills" he always 

     brought me back glass dogs from the glass factory that he stopped at on the way home.

     I still treasure them to this day.

    

I know that Grandpa had all of the other grand-children, but, HE, Mordecai Harvey Warner was MY GRANDPA and the rest of the grand- children’s Grandpa. I was able to be his nurse as he wanted me to give him his insulin shot every day, and I was the one to tell him, no, he could not have any more candy. I would fix him special meals, cook rhubarb without sugar and even empty his spittoon UGH!

   

     I was even the only one he would get up at 5 am on Saturday morning to fix breakfast 

     for him. I would storm out of bed and be so very mad and he would just smile at me.

     Then he would thank me after I got his cereal ready and tell me maybe I should go back

     to bed and get some rest. 

 

     When I think of my Grandpa, I think of an old man who use to bounce me on his

     knee, hold my hand when we were outside and kept me safe and then -- I held his 

     hand, steadied him as he walked and I loved to sing hymns to him and tried to

     make him happy. He was MY GRANDPA and I loved him so very much. I am so 

     blessed to have had him in my life. …  Maxine (Hayes) Stimmel

 

Mordecai Harvey Warner September 9, 1871- March 25, 1956   Father Teacher Farmer Builder Horse Breeder Sheep Breeder Bee Keeper Organizer                                       Grandfather

    

As I near the finish of this part of this book it is with the feeling that there is much more to be written about the contributions of my aunts and uncles and my parents. As I leave our story I encourage future generations to add their story to this five-century family history.

 

 

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