THAT'S HER!!!!! THAT'S 'PETE', the N&W engine inspector I have told you about several times!

YOU FOUND THEM!!!! Pete and Lydia are my paternal great grand parents.

Only a few of the kids lived past their mid 20's. I know where they're all buried in the South Webster, Ohio cemetery.

I almost jumped out of my chair when I read that, Tom!!!! As a matter of fact....I DID jump out of my chair!!!

So....what is the truth about Great Uncle John? I'm dying to know!!

HIGHEST regards! Mark

Great Mark!

I will post a little of what I found on John so it will kind of linked to your watch. If you would like I can email you all the stuff I found. Lydia & John's father was Frederick.

The following is on Lydia's brother;
John H.Mittendorf was born February of 1859 in Ohio

1870 census Webster, Scioto, Ohio
Frederick Mittendorf born about 1829 in Hanover Germany
Forantina Mittendorf born about 1831 in Hanover Germany
Henry Mittendorf born about 1855 in Ohio
John H. Mittendorf born about 1859 in Ohio
Harman Mittendorf born about 1862 in Ohio
Ellen Mittendorf born about 1865 in Ohio
Edward Mittendorf born about 1868 in Ohio

1880 census Webster, Scioto
John F. born about 1828 in Hanover Germany Dry goods merchant
Florentine born about 1830 in Hanover
John H. born about 1859 in Ohio Telegraph Operator
Harman H. born about 1864 in Ohio Laborer
Catharine E. born about 1866 in Ohio
Hannah Lydia born about 1871 in Ohio

1900 Census Porter, Scioto Ohio
John H. born Feb. 1859 in Ohio both parents from Germany Telegraph Operator
Alice (wife) born June 1865 in Ohio father from Germany, mother from England

1910 census Porter Scioto Ohio
John H. Book Keeper Flour Mill
Alice

1920 census Porter Scioto Ohio
John clerk Railroad
Alice

I haven't been able to find anything past 1920 on him, at by then he was 60 & a clerk for the railroad so perhaps he did not become an attorney.

Tom

True. Something got messed up in the story translation, didn't it?

That said, though, the only railroad that would have required a telegrapher in that area would be the Baltimore and Ohio S. W., which makes sense. ALL my folks on that side of the family were N&W/B&O railroad men. It also makes sense he would settle in Porter township, or more specifically South Webster. That's the first name of my maternal grandparents....Wheeler. His full name was Porter Wheeler, and the town of Wheelersburg was named for him, or actually due to the presence of the mill.

Porter Wheeler ran a flour mill on the Little Scioto river called 'Wheeler's Mill'. He must have clerked for Porter during a layoff from the railroad, as the next time he shows up, he's just a railroad clerk and no longer listed as a telegrapher...unless they just took him off the key as he was nearing retirement! It all ties together!

My Dad's siter, Alice, was named for his wife.

John being a telegrapher/clerk would also make sense regarding the watch condition....and my theory about vest carry and case polish on the watch.

It also changes the story of them immigrating from Germany. His parents did, but John, Lydia et al were born in Ohio!

Tom, I just can not thank you enough. This has been wonderful! Yes, please send to my email as well. I'm going to print it off and keep it with the watch!

HIGHEST regards! Mark

Mark

One other thing & then I will email you the records (later today). I did also find where a John H. from Ohio served two years in teh Army Signal Corp. at the end of WWI, he was discharged in 1919 so if it is your John it wouldn't show up on the census records.

I will send that info along to you too in case it is him, I thought with him being a telegraph operator it would make sense for him to have been in the Signal Corp.

Tom

Yes sir, it sure does! Once again, my heart felt thanks, Tom! This is exciting! I actually have some solid family history to share with my daughters now!

With his return from the Signal Corps in 1919, it appears that the B&O must not have had a clerical opening for him , considering the 1920 census entry. As you pointed out, he would have been 61 at the time of that census, and considering the time period, pretty 'long in the tooth' for that day and age....and railroad hiring practice of that period.

It's also a fact that the N&W and B&OSW shared the same depot at Sciotoville, Ohio, so it wouldn't be stretch to conclude when he didn't have employment with the B&O in the 20's, he was picked up by the N&W as he was already a fixture in that depot. The N&W was always family oriented in our area.

Also, based on the census records, they apparently had no children. THAT'S how Lydia got the watch, and it was passed down through the Cross family.

So, considering his John C. Dueber Special dates to 1890, it's a safe assumption (considering, according to family tradition it was the ONLY watch he ever owned), this was the railroad watch he used on his job as telegrapher. According to his a newspaper article when his father, Fredrick, passed away in 1903 at the age of 71 or so, the article listed John as a resident of Sciotoville at that time, so he had left the telegrapher position in South Webster and was working out of Sciotoville.

Neat!

HIGH regards! Mark

Your welcome Mark, glad I could play a part in this.

Tom

Hi, Tom. Getting ready to post your envaluable work on my humble site, www.orologi-da-tasca.me.uk, I'm going to offer you now a couple of "mission impossible":
1) most impossible, a mrs Beula, surname not known, of Akron O. who got a nice little Omega sold by J.P.Hale in 1904
2) really impossible: a mr. John Davidson who, on July 8th, 1883 scribbled his name inside the bezel of this superb Wheeler you can see on url http://www.orologi-da-tasca.me...er-argento-1876.html
This PW is really nice, I deem, and its in a 4 oz silver case. BTW the PW is so nice that I could suspect that has been "rejuvenated" a bit ...
Warmest regards!
Mario

Mario

You believe in tough ones don't you. On Beula, does it give a complete date or just the year?

Tom

I believe in you, Tom ... What's the matter finding a Beula (not Beulah) in or around Akron,O, in 1905 (sorry,I gave you the date of the movement by mistake) ? No, I haven't anything else, not the day (with a birthday or marriage date it would be sooo easy, isn't it ?).
To me both are impossible missions, Tom !
Have a nice day
Warmest regards
Mario

Well Mario

The closest I can find on Beula if she did live inside the city of Akron in the year 1900 would be;

Beula Tillett, she would have been 21 in 1905, she lived in Akron in the year 1900 with her father Jno F. Tillet who was a life insurance agent, her mother was Ella & she had a sister Grace & Hazel. Beula was born in July 1884, her & her sister Grace both worked at a Rubber Company.

There were two others living in Akron at 1900 but one listed her name as Beulah born 1875 & the other had the right spelling but was born in 1899 so she was a small child in 1905.

Now I have no idea of this is the one that owned your watch, just the only one listed for 1900 that lived in Akron.

Your John Davidson just doesn't have enough to select from 100's by that name living during that time.

Tom

Tom, that Beula do fits the picture : the PW is an Omega Private Label, a nice watch, not excessively costly, but not quite a dollar watch. It stays well with the daugther of an insurance brocker, not a J.P. Morgan, but not a blue collar as well. Beula Tillett could be an excellent choice for that PW.

As far as big John (to go about with 4 oz. of silver in your watch you're like to be not five foot nothing ...) one thing is clear, rather low schooling degree, but that is not a clue. Ok, John, we will never find you out.

Thanks a lot, Tom
Warmest regards