USA > Ohio > Portage County > Portage heritage; a history of Portage County, Ohio; its towns and townships and the men and women who have developed them; its life, institutions and biographies, facts and lore > Part 77
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Dr. Yahner was married to Margaret Ruhl of Cleveland in 1939. They have two children-Victoria, born Sept. 17, 1940; and Thomas, born May 8, 1946.
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He became owner of the Professional Building, Kent, in 1941, and in 1944 was one of the organizers of the Colonial Machine Co. of which he is present treasurer and director.
Dr. Yahner is a member of the Council of St. Patrick's church; Kent Council Knights of Columbus; Akron Assembly, fourth degree, Knights of Columbus. He was vice president, Kent Rotary Club, 1957-58, member American Dental Society; Great Lakes Society of Oral Surgeons; and Cleveland Society of Oral Surgeons. He entered the practice of Oral Surgery in 1953.
Charles A. Young
Charles A. Young was born April 6, 1907 in Wabash, Indiana, where his parents then lived. He is the son of Oliver H. and Mary J. (Woodard) Young.
He attended the public schools in Kent, graduating from Roosevelt High School in 1925. Later he attended Western Reserve School of Pharmacy, Cleveland, received the degree of Pharmaceutical Chemist in 1928. While still a student he was licensed as Assistant Pharmacist but in 1929 passed the State Board examination and became a Pharmacist. After employment in and owner- ship of various drug firms he returned to Kent and formed a connection with the Thompson Drug Store and since 1938 he has owned the controlling interest in the firm, now Thompson's, Inc. He has served as its president, treasurer and general manager.
On October 7, 1930, Mr. Young was married to Tullis A. McCreight, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. G. C. McCreight of Willard, Ohio. They have three children-Kathleen M., now Mrs. Jon Lilley of Ridgefield, N. J .; Thomas Wade, now as- sociated with his father; and Charles A., Jr., student in Kent State University school.
During World War II, Mr. Young volunteered for duty in the armed forces and served 28 months in the U. S. Navy, with 20 months of this time spent over-seas as Assistant Supply Officer at the Submarine Base at Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
Mr. Young is a member and past president of the Kent Kiwanis Club; member and past president Kent Chamber of Commerce; member Summit County Pharmaceutical Assn .; member and past president Ohio State Pharmaceutical Assn .; member Twin Lakes Country Club; and has been active in various civic movements. He was also elected for two terms as member of the Kent School Board.
Howard Young
Howard Young was born in Lake township, Stark County, March 27, 1888. He was the son of William H. and Mollie (Mitzel) Young.
He attended local schools and at the age of twelve came with his parents to a farm at Earlville. There he attended Streetsboro schools, and DePeyster in Kent. When the family moved to Brimfield he attended classes there, graduating from the high school in 1907. He then went to teaching, serving three years at the Breakneck school and another year in Brimfield.
Mr. Young then went into the employe of H. C. Longcoy, followed by work for the McShaffrey Co. in construction of the Akron Waterworks pipe line. He then went to the W. H. Hunt & Son Construction Co.
In 1914 he started a bicycle and lawn mower repair shop on East Main St., Kent, in which location he operated 14 years. He then purchased the old C. B. Kent home on East
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Main St. and incorporated the business with the Firestone Co. as a sales and service station, said to be the first of its kind in the country, but known as Young's Tire Service, Inc. He continued there until 1942.
On May 31, 1911, Mr. Young was married to La Verne Moon, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Kehner) Moon of Brimfield, who was born Jan. 3, 1890. Five children were born to them. They are Earl H., Pauline, now Sister Jean Baptiste, Humility of Mary; Irene C., now Mrs. T. C. Bowen of Kansas City, Kans .; Agnes, now Mrs. Jack Taylor; and Mary, now Mrs. R. J. Stueber, of Kent. Previous to her marriage Mrs. Young taught school in Brim- field.
Mr. Young is a member of the F.O.E. and both are members of St. Patrick's Church.
Margaret R. Zevalkink
Zevalkink, Margaret Reinicke, outstanding Portage County citizen, was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, August 30, 1895, a daughter of the late Rev. Joseph and Katherine (Forler) Reinicke. Her early years were spent in Chillicothe and Marion, Ohio, after which she moved to Wooster, Ohio, where she graduated from Wooster High School and Wooster College, receiving a Ph.B. degree. Following her graduation she taught German, English and drama in Shelby, Bellaire, and Alliance. In 1925 she was married to Dr. Richard B. Zevalkink, a physician and surgeon. Of this marriage two children were born, Richard Joseph and Kay Forler.
After the death of her husband in 1927, she entered into a life of diversified activity as a means of bringing up and educating her children. In doing this she was an imper- sonator at radio station WHBC in Canton, Ohio, N.Y.A. promotor, tutorer, government employee in Portage County, teacher of handicapped children, book reviewer and free lance reader. For twenty-five years she has been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, acting as Chaplain for five years. She is also a member of First Church of Christ Scientist, Kent, A.A.U.W. (of which she was chairman of Creative Arts, which group has received regional recognition), and Civil Defense.
She is dedicated to the Republican Party, having served as President of the Portage County Republican Women and in Kent is at present on the Executive Board. In January of 1951, tragedy again entered her life in the death of her son Richard "Joe." She was greatly honored to be narrator for The Kent Story during Kent's Sesquicentennial.
At present she maintains a home for older paying guests in Kent, where she has resided for the past 18 years. Among the residents of this home is her mother, Mrs. Joseph Reinicke, who is ninety years of age.
FREEDOM
Franklyne Lucille Dudley
Franklyne Lucille Dudley was born in Freedom Township June 16, 1903, daughter of the late Frank and Harriet (Moore) Dudley. She attended local district school No. 6 in Freedom and graduated from both Freedom and Garrettsville high schools. She then at-
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tended Hiram College, from which she graduated.
She then took post graduate work in chemistry at Kent State University, Western Reserve University and Chicago University. After this she was employed at Lakeside Hospital in Cleveland as bacteriologist and later was medical technician at the Youngstown Hospital Association. She also did clinical and research in a private laboratory for Dr. W. H. Bunn, heart specialist in Youngstown.
Miss Dudley is a member of the Freedom Congrega- tional church, Ravenna Grange No. 32 (seventh degree), Portage County Garden Club, Portage County Republican Women's club, and the board of directors, American Red Cross, Ravenna chapter. She has been very active in the af- fairs of the Portage County Historical Society, being vice president and trustee and assistant editor of the current history.
Plimmon H. Dudley
Plimmon H. Dudley was born in Freedom Township, Portage County, May 21, 1843, the second son of Charles Ashmond and Sarah Leet Dudley. He was reared on a farm, Limeridge Road, attended the district school of Freedom and later graduated from The Western Reserve Electic Institute in Hiram, 1865, with the degrees of Civil Engineer and Doctor of Philosophy.
He became a surveyor of Portage County and as such, erected the Meridian Monument and Meridian Stone on the court house grounds at Ravenna. As civil engineer he was em- ployed by the City of Akron for a term of service and was also civil engineer for the old Valley Railroad, now a part of The B. and O. System. He was later employed for many years by the New York Central Railroad as consulting engineer with offices in New York City.
On December 12, 1871 he married Miss Lucy Bronson of Peninsula, also a graduate of Hiram College, with the degree of bachelor and master of science, and until her death in May, 1920, they lived in a railroad car.
In the yard of The Great Central Railway, there once stood one of the most curious railroad cars in the country. Externally it was of such ordinary appearance that the un- informed person would hardly give it a second glance, how- ever this car had at one time or other been over nearly every railroad from Maine to California and Mexico.
It was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Plimmon H. Dudley. It was Mr. Dudley's private office, workshop and library. It carried his instruments, inventions, books and paraphenalia. It was Mrs. Dudley's parlor, dining room and kitchen. It contained her grand piano, her sewing machine and general cooking utensils. One end of it looked like a draughtsman's office, the other resembled for all the world, a cozy little New York flat.
Every person who rides to-day, comfortably and safely on railroad trains has a direct interest in this once constantly moving home of the Dudley's. From it emanated some of the most radical improvements that have been made in railroad history.
In this car Mr. Dudley developed The Empire State Express, which at one time was capable of running at the rate of 70 miles an hour.
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As consulting engineer for The New York Central Railway, he was referred to as the judge of knotty problems in railroading. He was the unbiased arbiter of disputes for practically all the various railroad systems of the United States.
He invented the "Dynagraph" a machine to detect the irregularities in tracks, including the spotting of low joints at which points a bit of paint was mechanically thrown onto the rail, marking it for correction by track men. Part of the invention looks like a cylinder printing press, cams, cogs, wheels, chain, belts and indicators reached down under the car and connected it with the axles, the wheels and even the track itself. When the car moved these contrivances indicate and telegraph the conditions of the road bed up through the floor of the car, to the printing cylinder where little glass fountain pens wrote an exact ac- count of it all on long rolls of paper.
As the car moved, one could watch the fountain pens write down the undulations of rolling of each track, how much the car swayed from side to side, how much grade up or down there is, whether one rail is higher or lower than the other (even by a hundredth of an inch), the number of revolutions of the wheels, the speed of the train every ten seconds and the distance travelled.
The Dudley home was attached to an engine and dragged over the road. The machinery in the car operated itself. At the end of a trip, a long roll of manilla paper was handed to the general manager, a correct and absolute record of the road bed.
He also invented the process of manufacturing a steel rail to eliminate the "give" of the light iron rail. He worked on the theory: Increase the size or the rail and the speed of the train will be increased.
He was the inventor of the "Strematograph" a vest pocket instrument for measuring the stress of rails under a passing train. He believed in high rails of exceptional hardness and durability which earned for him in railroad circles the name of "Hard Dudley."
He and his wife travelled all over Europe and Asia in his investigation of railroad problems. Both spoke German and French fluently so could make themselves understood in most any country they travelled in. Mrs. Dudley was an accomplished musician, an artist, an authoress and naturalist writing such books as "Letters to Ruth," "A Writer's Inkhorn," and a treatise on "Wildflowers."
Their car, which bore the name, "P. H. Dudley" was once side tracked at Washington, D. C. during the railroad congress, and was the scene of many conferences, on one oc- casion five nationalities of Europe and Asia being represented. Delegates from Russia and Japan have shaken hands over Mrs. Dudley's hospitable board and the Russian delegate politely wrote in her Guest Book, that in this little railroad car was surely the "Temple of Peace."
Another story is told about the time some relatives came to the car in New York to visit, bringing with them a small five year old daughter, who in the lull of conversation got into Mrs. Dudley's wardrobe and began playing with some shoes she found there. When the shoes were taken away from the child, quite a storm of tears resulted. Mrs. Dudley spoke up quietly saying, "Please, no tears, there has never been a tear shed in this car for forty years, and we don't want the record broken."
Mr. Dudley was the author of several books, mostly on scientific subjects pertaining to rails and railroading. He has been written up in George Ile's, "Inventors at Work" along with Alexander Graham Bell, Dr. Carl Welsbach, Thomas Alva Edison and Sir Henry Bessemer.
His boyhood chum was James A. Garfield and even up to the time of President Gar- field's death, they maintained an intimate and pleasant friendship. A great many of the books in Mr. Dudley's library were gifts from President Garfield and bore his autograph.
Mr. Dudley lived at the Commodore Hotel in New York for several years after Mrs. Dudley's death and it is related that the hat check girl there said she never had to give Mr. Dudley a check for his hat, she always knew it. Apparently it was the same one he had worn for years.
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While both Mr. and Mrs. Dudley had been entertained by practically all the crowned heads of Europe, accorded the keys to various countries, and were, according to the standards of early days, people of considerable means, Mrs. Dudley's hand satchel, as she called it, was home made out of a piece of black sateen which she carried all over the world with her, and on a visit back to the old homestead in Freedom one time, the four Dudley brothers, Charles of Des Moines, Iowa, a Judge; Plimmon H. of New York; William, of Hiram, a realtor; and Frank, of Freedom, a farmer, were comparing the price of suits each one wore. The Judge had on an imported English tweed which cost $80.00 which was considerable in those days, but the well-to-do brother from New York City said his cost $16.95, he had purchased it from Montgomery-Wards, and he thought he looked especially nice in it.
Today his private car, his inventions, his books and manuscripts are all housed in the Smithsonian Institute at Washington, D. C. and so the son of Portage County's pioneer families became in his own rights, a pioneer of railroading.
GARRETTSVILLE
Georgia Lee Alford
Georgia Lee Robinson was born in Freedom Township, being the daughter of Timothy Miles and Alice Augusta (Whitney) Robinson. She was the youngest of three daughters born in the family, the other two passing away in early life.
She received her early education in the Freedom district schools and graduated from Garrettsville High School. She then taught a district school for one year after which she at- tended the University of Chicago. Later, she studied at Kent State University. Her teaching profession continued in War- ren and Garrettsville schools, covering in all a period of fifty years service.
On March 21, 1919, she was married to William V. Al- ford. Mr. Alford was an engineer and their wedding trip carried them to Peru, South America where they rode mule back over the Andes at a 14,000 foot elevation. They lived six months on the Amazon side of the mountains. Mr. Al- ford's work was in construction projects and it carried him to many distant countries. During a five year period follow- ing their marriage they lived in Shanghai, China, and Tokio, Japan. Mr. Alford passed away Aug. 2, 1935.
In the past 24 years Mrs. Alford has been busy teaching in the Garrettsville schools and in re-organizing the Garrettsville library. She retired in 1953.
She is a member of the Garrettsville United Church; Daughters of the American Revolu- tion (Warren Chapter); Eastern Star; Twentieth Century and Garden Club of Garrettsville.
George A. Deitle
George Albert Deitle was born November 5, 1891, in Meyersdale, Penna., son of Her- man and Minnie (Sperry) Deitle. He attended Greenville township schools and summer normal at Meyersdale and Somerset, Penna., graduating in June, 1911. He then followed
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school teaching and farming in Somerset County for eight years.
He recalls that in teaching, he walked over seven miles to work and his salary was $40.00 per month. He taught all classes, having from 50 to 70 pupils. One famliy of 22, had 10 to 12 children in school at one time. Sometimes school doors were opened at 7 a.m. so that pupils could have special assistance.
On October 5, 1913, Mr. Deitle was married to Clara Belle Dewitt. To them three children were born. They are George Albert, now associated in business with him at Gar- rettsville; Annabelle, now Mrs. Robert Ortopan; and Ardeth Glendora, now Mrs. Alexander Gurnik of Barberton.
For three years he was salesman for the Barre Marble Works of Barre, Vt. and was also employed by the Goodyear Rubber Co. as foreman for eight years.
He came to Garrettsville in 1946 and established an automobile business, obtaining the Buick agency in 1948. He built the present building in 1949.
Mr. Deitle belongs to the Garden club, Eagles and Masonic orders. While living in Akron he served as precinct committeeman there. He belongs to the Garrettsville Metho- dist church.
George A. Deitle, Jr.
George Albert Deitle, Jr., was born June 18, 1915, in Akron, Ohio, son of George Albert and Clara Belle (Dewitt) Deitle.
His early education was received in the Akron schools and he graduated from East High School there in June, 1934. For two years he then worked for the B. F. Goodrich Co., then went to General Tire as truck tire builder, remaining there until he entered the army in December, 1941. He served in Africa as instructor in the French Army in Algiers for 18 months. Previously he was in school in Los Angeles nine months as an electrician. In August, 1944, he was in a convoy accident and was in a hospital at Oran, Africa, for three months, after which he was transferred to the Crile Hospital until his discharge in January, 1946.
In October, 1946, he moved to Garrettsville and started a used car and repair garage. In July, 1948, this became the Buick agency, moving to its present location in 1949.
On May 24, 1951 he married Mabel E. Wilcox. The couple has one daughter, Shirley, now Mrs. Donald K. Whitney.
Mr. Deitle is a member of the local American Legion post, and of the Masonic lodge, the Automobile Association of Portage County, and the Methodist church.
He is a musician, having studied for several years and taught trumpet in Akron while employed in the rubber shops.
H. B. Elwell, Jr., M.D.
Dr. H. B. Elwell was born in Pittsburgh, Penna., on January 21, 1917. He attended Bethany College, Bethany, West Va., graduating in 1939. He then attended Jefferson
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Medical College in Philadelphia. Here he received his degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1943.
After interning at Delaware Hospital in Wilmington, Del., he spent two years in the army as Captain in the Medical Corps. Half of his army career was in England.
Since July of 1946 Dr. Elwell has been in general prac- tice in Garrettsville. He is married to the former La Veda B. Creech of Falls City, Nebraska. There are three children- Ellen Jane, Joyce Anne and Richard Bert.
Dr. Elwell is a member of the American Medical As- sociation; Ohio State Medical Association; the American Academy of General Practice; and the Portage County Med- ical Society, of which he is past president and past secre- tary.
Clarence B. Hamlin
Clarence Bishop Hamlin was born on a farm in Trumbull Township, Ashtabula County, January 13, 1878. He was the son of Dwight and Ianthia (Libbey) Hamlin, de- scendents of old settlers in Cuyahoga County. He was educated in the rural district school, and worked on the farm until he reached the age of 18 when the family moved to Bedford where he also worked on the farm.
On October 5, 1900 Mr. Hamlin married Ella M. Culver, daughter of Madison and Florence (Fitch) Culver of Bed- ford. To them three children were born-Ruth May (de- ceased); Lawrence Culver and Esthere Evadna, now Mrs. George Schoenberger. Mrs. Hamlin died in 1935.
In 1906 he came to Portage County, purchasing the Ben French farm which he worked until 1947 when he moved to Garrettsville. Since then he has engaged in the insurance business as agent for the Grange Insurance Co., covering all of Portage County.
In March, 1937 he was married to Grace Eschbaugh of Nelson.
Mr. Hamlin served as trustee and member of the Nelson Board of Education for several years. He is a member of the Selective Service Board of Portage County, serving since 1942. He was formerly master of the Nelson Grange and Portage County Deputy of Grange. He belongs to the Rotary Club and the United Church.
Charles E. Mallory
Charles E. Mallory was born in Mentor, Ohio, Nov. 23, 1878, the son of Charles H. and Vinnie (Shattuck) Mallory. Following his training as a funeral director in Buffalo, N. Y., he came to Garrettsville in 1905 to perform those duties for a local furniture and funeral establishment. In 1910 Mr. Mallory and a partner purchased the business and in 1915 he took it over for himself.
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Mr. Mallory was married Sept. 30, 1909, to the former Gertrude L. Streator who shared with him throughout his lifetime the responsibility and sacrifices necessary in the suc- cess of the business. Always progressive and genial, he was able to build the business to a position of esteem throughout surrounding communities and among the profession. Al- though his duties did not permit recreation, Mr. Mallory had a rare hobby of compiling records for Park Cemetery for which he will be remembered.
He was active in the community and a member of Port- age Lodge, I.O.O.F .; Garrettsville Lodge, No. 246, F.&A.M .; and Silver Creek Chapter, No. 144 R.A.M .; as well as the Methodist church.
Mr. Mallory was joined by his two sons, Philip J. and Roger S. in the management of the funeral and furniture business. He passed away suddenly, April 9, 1946, but his ideals of service guide his family in continuing the business to which he was devoted.
Philip J. Mallory
Philip J. Mallory was born in Garrettsville, Ohio, April 5, 1911, the son of Charles E. and Gertrude (Streator) Mallory. He graduated from Garrettsville High School in 1929, attended Ohio State University and graduated from the Cincinnati College of Embalming in 1931.
After receiving his license as Funeral Director and Embalmer in 1932, Mr. Mallory became associated with his father in the management of the Mallory Funeral Home. He was married to the former Dorothy Jeanne Roth on Feb. 18, 1933.
Following the death of his father in 1946, Mr. Mallory continued operation of the funeral home. In 1949 he erected a new funeral home on a tract of ten acres on the outskirts of the village. The entire area has been landscaped and in- cludes a private lake. Known as the Mallory Memorial Home, this new home embodies many unusual features as conceived by Mr. Mallory throughout his training and service. It is well known to the public and profession and has received na- tional recognition in professional publications as "a study in modern mortuary planning."
Mr. Mallory is a member of Portage Lodge, I.O.O.F., K. of P., Rotary Club and the Methodist church. He is also Past Master of Garrettsville Lodge, No. 246, F.&A.M., and Past High Priest of Silver Creek Chapter, R.A.M.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl L. Meloy
Carl Lybia Meloy was born in Brimfield, Ohio, March 4, 1886. He was the son of Chas. and Pamelia Underwood Meloy. His grandfather, Lybia Underwood, was one of Brim- field's earliest settlers.
Carl Meloy received his education in the Brimfield public schools, graduating from high school in 1903, after which he completed a course in animal husbandry at Ohio State University.
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He was married March 4, 1908, to Belle Klingensmith Fenstermaker. To them were born six children. They are Mrs. Verna Louise Rand, Garrettsville; the late Herbert Charles Meloy; Mrs. Mildred Geraldine Kells of Pompano Beach, Fla .; Mrs. Margaret Elizabeth Evans of Akron; Donald Carl Mel- oy of Indianapolis, Ind .; and Ed- win Lee Meloy of Garrettsville.
After leaving school Mr. Meloy became herdsman of several large dairy farms, including those of Cleveland City Farm and the Van Sweringen Farms. In 1924 he made his home in Garrettsville where he set up an insurance agency, which, despite ill health, he still works with the aid of Mrs. Meloy and his son, Edwin.
Always a lover of music, Carl Meloy was an active member of the Brimfield, Windham, and O. S.U. bands, the latter containing but 26 members at the time.
Mr. and Mrs. Carl L. Meloy
He has long been interested in politics and public and community affairs. He has been an active member of the local vil- lage council for eight years. He has been a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge for 46 years, is an honorary member and past president of the Garrettsville Kiwanis club and be- longs to the Universalist church.
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