Thomas Jefferson Callin, who featured in the earlier post,
Jeff the Shoemaker, and his wife Susan Egner Callin had five small children in their household at the end of the Civil War. They had also buried two young girls before that war - infant Alice in 1850 and 10-year-old Mary in 1861. After the war, in 1872, they had their last child, a daughter they named Minnie. So far, we've only really looked at the children of their daughter, Clara, in any great detail.
This week, we'll do a run down of the rest of their descendants. There are a number of them, but see if you don't notice a shocking fact by the end of this piece!
Martin L. Callin (1853 – 1889) would have been the oldest son, and after Mary's death when he was eight years old, he was the oldest child in the family. As we saw in
the earlier post, he died abruptly in a traffic accident in 1889. On 24 May 1890 the Perrysburg Journal reported that the Toledo and Ohio Central Railroad were handed a verdict rewarding Martin's family with $4,000 for his death.
His four children were still young, and his wife, Mary Elizabeth, soon remarried to Harry Carlisle, according to the
Callin Family History (CFH). I have found little to corroborate the details provided by the CFH account, but there is a Find-a-Grave memorial for a
Mary E. Carlisle (1854-1913) is linked to her son, who the site lists as "Genastion Callin". (It's supposed to be Gaston, but legion are the ways to misspell this poor man's name.)
1. Martin and Mary's eldest child was their only daughter,
Pearl Blanche Callin, born 16 February 1877, in Weller township. She married Robert L. Todd on 5 November 1899, according to the CFH; and we learn from subsequent Census records that he was a high school teacher, then later a superintendent of schools, and eventually a justice of the peace. They lived in Deshler village,
Bartlow township (1910), Bucyrus, Crawford county (1920), and the village of Put-in-Bay, Ottawa county (1930). They appear not to have had any children of their own.
Pearl died at age 74 in 1951 in Lakeside, also in Ottawa county, and while her obituary indicates that her husband (then 78) survived her, I have been unable to find any further records about him.
2.
Benjamin Franklin Callin - more commonly referred to as "Ben Frank" or simply Ben - was born 8 October 1878 in Weller township. He enlisted in the Ohio National Guard in 1899. By 1904 he was living in Toledo, and working as a travel agent for L.S. Baumgardner & Co. The CFH says he married Virginia Daisy White in June 1905. Their daughter, Virginia Lee Callin (1911-1999) married Hamer C Knepper (1910-1990) about 1935, and they had a son and a daughter. Ben and Daisy lived at 2228 Rosewood Ave. in Toledo at least until 1942, and probably until his death in 1951. Daisy followed in 1966, having spent the end of her days in the Long Term Care Facilities in Hamilton, Ohio.
3.
William Jefferson Callin was born in Tiro, Crawford county, 17 May 1885. His father's dry goods business was doing well, and the family had relocated to a larger city, where Martin served as postmaster. William would be four years old when his father was killed, and he was likely raised in his step-father's home. According to the CFH, he married Elizabeth Ziters in 1907, and they had two children: Joseph (b. 1909) and Virginia Alice (b. 1911).
This marriage would not last, though, and in 1916, Elizabeth remarried to a Carl D Lindsey, who appears to have adopted Joseph and Virginia, as they are listed in 1920 with his surname - not Callin. I can confirm that the Ohio birth index lists both children as being born with the name Callin, and both records show "Additional information" indicating that their mothers' maiden name was "Zeiters." I lost track of Joseph after that 1920 Census, though a Social Security Index for Joseph Lindsey matching his birth date indicates that he most likely died in 1983. Virginia married John H Davis around 1931, and they had two daughters.
As for William, he was married to another woman named Pleassia, according to his World War I draft registration card, and the 1920 Census, but after that, he stayed single, and went from living with Pearl and Robert Todd (1930) to renting a room on South Broadway in Shelby (1940), to listing his address as the County Home in Richland county (WWII draft registration). He died in 1949.
4. And finally,
Gaston N Callin was born 15 May 1888 in Dallas Township, Crawford county. Despite the radically different renderings of his name in some otherwise reputable records - he is "Gharton" on his World War I registration card and "Genastian" in the Ohio Births and Christenings database - I tend to think the CFH is right, though, and prefer "Gaston". Though his WWI registration says that he was married at the time, I have not been able to find any other record that would indicate who his wife was or how long they were married.
Gaston died at his home in Plattsburg, New York on a Tuesday night in November 1925. His body was returned to Ohio and taken to the home of his brother, William, then living at 79 West Smiley Ave. His obituary says nothing about a wife or children.
Clara A Callin (1856 – 1924) was Martin's next-eldest sibling, and the past several posts detailed her descendants, starting with
Clara and Her Soldier.
Frederick A. Callin (1858 – 1920) was born and raised in Olivesburg, and in 1884 he married Priscilla Creveling (1864–1954). They lived in Mansfield, where Fred was a driver and laborer. When Priscilla died at 90 years of age, she had outlived all three of her children.
1.
Reid Adrian Callin (1887–1935) was a lifelong bachelor, and lived in his parents' home at 32 Henry St. He worked as a chauffeur, and later on as an auto mechanic.
2.
Russell Bernard Callin (1894–1950) married Dorothy Ladonna Yohn (1905–?) and they had one daughter, Betty June Callin (1926–2005). Betty married twice, first to Frank G Meininger (1910–1977) whom she married in 1945, when she was 19 years old, and divorced in 1967. According to their divorce records, they had one minor child after 17 years of marriage. Betty also married Pearley Lester Satterfield (1922–1978) in 1969 and moved to Pearisburg, Virginia, but also divorced him in 1975 and moved back to Mansfield.
3.
Madeline L Callin (1896–1942) married Howard George Clark (1888–1923) in February 1919. (I referred to this family briefly a few months ago in a post called
Those Darned Clarks.) Howard worked in the tire factory in Mansfield, and had enlisted as a corporal in the 325 Fire & Guard Co. of the Ohio Guard (as near as I could tell from the application for a military headstone).
Howard and Madeline had a son, Donald Clark (1920), who died as an infant. Their daughter, Margaret Naomi Clark (1923–2014) married Harold A. Teeter (1919–1951), and they had two daughters, still living. Their second son, Jack Clark (1924–2000), married Ruby Thelma McKinley (1919–2007), and they had a daughter and two sons who are still living.
Howard died awfully young, at 35; and Madeline at only 46. I don't have any information beyond the obituary for Madeline, which says she died "after an illness of two weeks."
George L Callin (1860 – 1917) married Catherine Bell Imhoff (1868–1941), and like his brother, Fred, worked as a driver in Mansfield. In 1900 he was a milk dealer, and in 1910, his occupation was listed as "teamster". George and Katie had five children, whom they raised at 26 Pleasant Avenue, just a mile and a half north of his brother's family on Henry street. After George died, Katie remarried to Harry Gettleman, and he moved in with the family on Pleasant Avenue.
1.
Perry G. Callin (1888–1899) - while there are records establishing Perry's birth that confirm this information from the CFH, I have not found any records of the boy's death outside of that book - but he is not listed in the 1900 Census with the rest of the children.
2. Named for his grandfather,
Thomas Jefferson Callin (1890–?) also seemed to prefer to use his middle name, going by "Jeffry" or "Jefferson". He remained single and living at home at least until after his mother's death in 1941, when her obituary mentions him as one of her survivors. After that, there are no more records to determine his fate; even his Social Security Application fails to include his death date. I can only assume that if he were still alive, Al Roker would have made sure we knew about it!
3.
Trell Thornton Callin (1892–1935) was born and raised in Mansfield, and was employed at the Empire Sheet and Tin Plate company. He married Myrtle Wiegand (1890 – 1936), probably in 1915 - but I have not been able to confirm that date. Trell died in 1935 "after an illness of several months", and Myrtle followed in 1936 "after a lingering illness." His obituary did not mention any children, but Myrtle's listed a daughter, "Mrs. William Vaughn." More information will be needed to determine her identity.
4. The records for
Leo Homer Callin (1893–1958) tell a confusing and tragic tale. He started out as another Callin working as a driver in Mansfield. In September of 1910, his horse became unmanageable, and Leo was thrown from his wagon into the street. After that, his occupation was listed as grocery clerk - not driver.
A few years later, in 1915, his engagement to Mildred M. Apgar was announced. In 1917, his draft card claims an exemption so he can support his wife and one child, and Mildred and Evelyn (1915-2002) appear with him in the 1920 Census in Mansfield. But, in 1925, there is a marriage record for Leo and a Mildred Hartman.
Judging from the City Directories database records I have found, it would appear that Mildred (Apger) Callin ran the Callin Beauty Shop at 11 E. 4th St, and lived there with Evelyn after parting from Leo. Mildred M. re-married someone named Smith around 1931, and Evelyn married Charles Swanger (or Swander) in 1936.
Leo divorced the second Mildred in 1937, after she apparently left him and moved to New York City. Leo's situation deteriorated after that. He was admitted to the hospital in 1939, and in 1940 the Census listed him in the "paupers infirmary" in Richland county. He died in 1958 in the Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital in Columbus.
5.
Ruth A Callin (1896–1987) stayed with her parents at 26 Pleasant Ave. until her mother's death in 1941. She worked as a candymaker during the 1920s, and married Virgil Rufus Ward (1895 – 1958) sometime in the 1940s.
Delbert Dean Callin (1863 – 1934) married Mary E Coleman (1872 – 1962) in 1892, and they had three children in the following decade. In 1910, they lived in Shelby village, where Dell worked as a blacksmith. The couple separated, probably around 1915 or so; in 1919, the Ashland city directory shows Dell rooming at 200 W Walnut, while Mary and the children are each listed at 419 Arthur. Around 1920, the siblings had relocated to Akron, Ohio, where the brothers worked as clerks for the Day Drug Co and Ruby worked as a stenographer for the Akron City Club. By 1924, Mary had moved with the children to Akron.
Dell died of unknown causes in Ashland in 1934, having worked as a laborer, doing odd jobs to support himself. Mary lived out her days in Akron, and died at home in March 1962.
1.
Ruby M Callin (1892 – 1984) remained single and likely remained with her mother, Mary, died in 1962. She began working as a bookkeeper for the electric company in Shelby in 1910, and seems to have supported herself with clerical work most of her life. In 1955, the Salem News of Salem, Ohio, listed her as executive housekeeper on the staff of the city hospital; but at some point she seems to have followed her brother to New Mexico, where she died in 1984 at the age of 91.
2.
Martin Sylvester Callin (1894 – 1976) enlisted (or was drafted) in the Army in May 1918, and was honorably discharged in January 1919 as a Private. In June 1928, Martin married Irene Vandepolder (1904 – 1931) the widow of Douglas Mills Cranmer (1905 – 1925), and took in her son, Douglas J Cranmer (1924 – 2001). Martin and Irene had a daughter, Vivian Ruth Callin (1926 – 2009), who married at least twice and had children - but I don't have enough information about her husbands or children to guarantee the privacy of anyone still living.
Irene died when Vivian and Douglas were still very small (5 and 7 years old, respectively), and it seems Martin moved to Akron; in 1940, he and Vivian were living in the same household as Mary and Ruby. There is very little to say whether he married again, but like his sister, he died in New Mexico.
 |
| Paul Callin is listed among the dead on page two |
3.
Paul Olin Callin (1902 – 1930) grew up in Ashland, and was there at least until 1921, when he was listed in the city directory, working as a druggist clerk. He then moved to Akron, but during the latter half of the 1920s, his life took a mysterious turn.
He seems to have married, as the 1930 Census reports his marital status as "divorced" - but by then, he is also listed as an inmate in the state penitentiary. It is not clear whether he was married for long or whether there were any children from the marriage.
I have not been able to discover why he was in prison, but a mere few days after that census was taken in April 1930, Paul was killed in a terrible fire at the penitentiary that claimed a total of 317 people.
Minnie A. Callin (1872 – 1954) married Wilson C Urich
(1860 – 1962) in 1890. (The CFH lists only his surname, and misspells it as "Ulrich.") Wilson was a farmer, and retired from farming in 1937; he made the newspapers in 1960 for Centennial, and died at the age of 102.
1.
Vera B Urich (1890 – 1971) married Edwin Pollock (1883 – 1952) in February 1911, and they remained in Richland county throughout their lives. Edwin was a delivery driver and drayman. They had no children of their own.
2.
Christina Agnes Urich (1903 – 1998) was a flower girl at her sister's wedding, and grew up to marry Lester Dale Reynolds (1900 - 1988), who served 24 years as a teacher and administrator in the Richland County School System and the Shelby Public Schools. He later became affiliated with the First National Bank of Shelby from which he retired as cashier in Dec. of 1965 after 23 yrs.of service. Christina was a teacher in the Richland County School System and also the Shelby Public Schools. Later she became affiliated with the former Shelby Mutual Insurance Co. from which she retired in 1965. She died of a heart attack at the age of 94.
The couple had two daughters, one of whom is still living. The eldest, JoAnn Reynolds (1924-2001), married Laurence Leroy Faulkner (1924 – 2002), and they had a son and a daughter.
So, did you notice the Very Shocking Fact? For all of the people descended from Jeff and Susan Callin, 23 people in two generations, there is not one remaining descendant with the surname Callin! To me, this emphasizes the importance of paying attention to the women in the family.
This group also shows several examples of people who lived and died in a variety of circumstances without having children at all. While documenting that sort of thing is one of the main goals of a family history, I think it is worth pointing out that not everyone decides to have children - and that there is nothing wrong with that. Whether their stories were tragic and their end sudden, or whether they had happy, quiet fulfilling lives, everyone deserves to be remembered and celebrated for what they were.
It's even more important that
we remember them, though, since they didn't leave anyone else behind to do it for us.
