CHARLES C. CHURCH, Galion, OH
Charles C. Church was born in Ceylon, Erie County, Ohio, December 21, 1857. His father was Charles Church, a lumberman of that place. The young man attended school until he was 16 years of age, acquiring a good common school education. After leaving school he worked with his father in the lumber business for about four years, when he learned telegraphy and for two years worked at that business on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern at Ceylon. In April of 1880 he went to work in the shops of the Atlantic & Great Western, and a year afterward was promoted to fireman. He fired two years on freight and one year on passenger, when his exceptional ability won him promotion to engineer. For the past 15 years he has been running on through freight, and occasionally doing passenger service. He has never been hurt in a wreck and his engine has never taken a human life. His ability as an engineer is rated among the best and he has been highly complimented on his judgment and efficiency by the officials.

He was married on Christmas Day, 1878 to Miss Nettie Grenolds, daughter of Thomas M. Grenolds, a stone mason of Vermillion, OH. They have had three children: Carrie Imogene died at the age of six years; Viola May, a charming young lady of 17, educated in Galion High School, is an accomplished pianist and an entertaining social favorite; Charles C., aged 12, is attending school.

Mr. Church is a member of B of LE Division No. 16; he is the oldest member of B of LF No. 107, and also belongs to Galion Lodge, No. 215, IOOF. Mr. and Mrs. Church are highly esteemed by a large circle of admiring acquaintances, who find their society a source of pleasure.

Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.

From the October, 1915 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Cincinnati Division Engineer C.C. Church, running engine #99 with fireman William Kiehl, was listed as being in the Order of the Red Spot for September, 1915. The Order was an honor bestowed on engine crews who operated efficiently with few engine failures.

From the March, 1923 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Charles C. Church, former engineer, now crossing watchman at Wadsworth, Ohio, was born in Ceylon, Erie County, Ohio, on December 21, 1857, and at the age of 18 years took up the study of telegraphy, and was later employed by the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company at Ceylon as a telegraph operator for several years.

He later entered the service of the A&GW Railroad Company, now the Erie Railroad, accepting a position in the office of the general superintendent in Cleveland. On April 13, 1880, he came to Galion and accepted a position in the Galion Shop. During the fall of that year he was transferred to fireman. He was promoted to engineer January 4, 1884, and continued in that service until August 29, 1921, when as a result of an injury he was compelled to give up engine service.

Mr. Church has been a member of the B of LF since 1883, and of the B of LE since 1884. His ability as an engineer was rated among the highest, and he has served the company long and faithfully. Since he has been unable perform service as an engineer he has been employed as a crossing watchman at Wadsworth.
(A photo accompanied this article)

From the April, 1926 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Reminiscences of a Veteran Engineer
To the Editor of the ERIE RAILROAD MAGAZINE:
In the February issue I was interested in a letter written by Mr. Palmer, an old A. & G. W. engineer on the third and fourth division over fifty years ago. He mentions he believes William Wright and Ed. Bolt are still living. William Wright died about two months ago. He would have been 83 years old this coming August. Ed. Bolt is still living and was 82 years old last October. Bolt was firing for Jay Wimple (Wemple) in September, 1868, when nitro glycerine exploded in the second car back of the engine, demolishing the engine and a part of the train and seriously injuring Wimple and Bolt.

Mr. Palmer says he left the road in '74 and as there are several engineers living that were on the road at that time he may be able to remember John Dice. He went to work for the A. & G. W. in 1868 and is now retired; he will be 84 years old next August and could handle one of our battleships today.

John Haley started in his rail work as call boy at Galion in April, 1869, and will be 71 years old next April. He is now running 3 and 4, both limited trains. He has surely found the fountain of perpetual youth, as he looks as young as he did forty years ago.

William Walker is also living and will be 74 years old next month. He is running a switch engine in Dayton yard. He just recently lost his wife. Isaac Huffmus (Huffman), now 76 years old, is running a switch engine in Marion yard.

James Dunham is also living. He is relieved from service. He started on the A. & G. W. at Galion in July, 1868, and is in his 78th year.

L.M. Tracy is also living at Kent. As Mr. Palmer mentions Joe Dando, he will probably remember him firing for A.W. Ball when they pulled the first through passenger train over the road in 1864. The engine was named the "James McHenry." Dando, in 1883, made the run from Dayton to Galion, 105 miles, in 99 minutes; he was pulling Tony Pastor's theatrical troupe. In 1885 he made the run from Galion to Dayton in 89 minutes. Now I will just mention a few of the old A. & G. W. engineers, as he probably will remember some of them:

J.C. Bull, L.F. Kingsbury, Samuel Myers, George Dusenbury (Dusenburg), Jack Pinkney, Abner Bryan, Andy McClelland, Charles Idell (Iredell), George Felsinger, M.V. Green, A.W. Ball, F. Kidder, M.A. Rickser (Ricksecker).
�Charles C. Church, Wadsworth, O.

From the August, 1930 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine (Wadsworth News):
C.C. Church, former engineer, and Mrs. Church, recently visited relatives at East Orange, N.J.

From the January, 1939 issue of Erie Magazine:
Retired engineer John J. Daze of 472 Windsor Street, Marion, OH, was given a farewell dinner last month on relinquishing his 39-year job as secretary and treasurer of Div. 16 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers to make his future home with his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Ivans in Chicago. The dinner also marked the 81st birthday of Mr. Daze, C.C. Church and James Murphy, three of the oldest men on the division, and the 74th birthday of George Hackadorn and George Kiehl, retired engineers.

From the December, 1941 issue of Erie Magazine:
Erie Veterans President Benjamin J. Markwell presented 50 year veterans buttons to Veterans Prosper D. Gregg, Marion, and Clinton Shauck, Galion, at the annual dinner of the Marion Chapter, Hotel Harding, on Oct. 17 (1941). Veterans who were entitled to this honor but who were not present were G.E. Shoemaker and J.C. Mason, Marion, John Burns, Ashland, and Charles C. Church, Wadsworth. All are retired except for Veteran Mason who is a freight conductor on the Kent Division. Veterans Gregg and Shauck expressed their appreciation for the 50-year veterans buttons and related some of their early railroad experiences. Short talks were also made by President Markwell, John J. Heavey, Past President of Huntington, and Herman A. Daake, Safety Supervisor of Cleveland.

Local guests were Harold V. Bordwell, Superintendent and Mrs. Bordwell, Trainmaster F.J. Mulligan and Mrs. Mulligan, General Yardmaster J.J. O'Connor and Mrs. O'Connor.

After the dinner their were four dance numbers by pupils of Miss Jayne Melby, whistling numbers by Jackie Campbell and readings by Miss Ruth Wise.

The bridge prizes went to Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Murtaugh and the euchre awards were won by Miss Locile Conarty and C.J. Doyle. Toastmaster was F.A. Roberts, chief of the Engineering Corps. Veteran Leo A. Keller, chairman of the Marion Chapter, had charge of the arrangements.

From the September, 1944 issue of Erie Magazine:
C.C. Church, Sr., retired Kent Division engineer, who died July 5 (1944). He had been a fireman and engineer on the Erie for 48 years. Shown with him is his grandson, Robert Mikolashek. His son, C.C. Church, Jr., is district Road Foreman of Engines and Fuel Supervisor, Western District.


Retired engineer Charles Curtis Church of RFD #6, Akron, OH, died July 5, 1944 at age 87. According to the death certificate available online at FamilySearch.org, he was born December 21, 1858 in Ceylon, OH. He was widowed. Informant was Mary Mikolashek at the same address. Burial was at Galion, OH on July 8, 1944.