Frederick D. Ordway

Frederick D. Ordway was the third child and second son of Lemuel and Elizabeth (Delph) Ordway.  To me, he was my "Grandpa Butch," but others knew him as "Fritz."  I have never been able to find what the D. middle initial stands for, but my guess is Delph.

Fritz was born on 16 March 1902 in Malinta, Ohio.  On 10 June 1922, he married Dorothy Elizabeth Doty of Monroe, Michigan.  One of my mother's cousins told me that Fritz was working with his brother, Phil, as a salesman for the silo company and they were in Monroe on business when Fritz met Dorothy. 


The undated newspaper clipping announcing their marriage license reads
"Those who took out marriage licenses here Friday were: ...Frederick D. Ordway, 21, salesman, Malenta, Ohio, and Dorothy Doty, 22, Azalia, Michigan."
and their marriage news account reads
"Doty-Ordway
A quiet wedding took place at the Evangelical Parsonage, Saturday, June 10, at 1:30, when Miss Dorothy Doty, daughter of Mrs. Alice Doty, of Raisinville, was united in marriage to Frederick Ordway, of Malinta, Ohio.
Rev. G. H. Kellerman performed the ceremony.
The bride wore a tan canton crepe dress with hat to match, and corsage of bridal roses.  The attendants were Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lohr, of Azalia.  The young couple left Detroit, by boat, for Buffalo, Niagra, and other eastern points.
Mr. and Mrs. Ordway have the best wishes of their many friends for a long and happy married life."

I have their marriage remembrance book which lists their wedding gifts - interesting, compared to today's choices ...
~silver knives, forks, teaspoons and dessert spoons from Uncle Lew & Aunt Ada Newcomer
~silver pickle fork - Alta Besier
~silver spoon - Mr. and Mrs. S. L. Wright
~china sugar & creamer - The Opferman family
~check for $25 - Guy and Elsie
~check for $20 - Mother
~check for $10 - Father and Mother Ordway
~linen tablecloth - Aunt Mary Smothers
~linen scarf - Mrs. Delong
~6 china plates - Blanche and Nettie
~2 pictures - George and Constance
~candlesticks - Belle & Clarence R.

Photos in a locket owned by my grandmother - Fritz and Dorothy

In the 1930 census taken on April 2nd, Fritz and wife Dorothy and their only child, Donna, were living in Malinta.  Fritz was 28, Dorothy, 30, and Donna, 4 1/2.  Donna was born in Michigan, as Dorothy had gone home to her mother's house to have her baby.  Fritz's occupation is Retail Merchant.

I don't know the partnership arrangement, but I know that the Delph brothers (Fritz's uncles) had a general store in Malinta at one point.  Eventually, Fritz took it over or at least a partnership in it.

In this undated clipping from the Northwest Signal, I assume, a burglary attempt at the grocery was mentioned:

"Backward Glance - 50 Years Ago - D.E. Rusling, a 26 year old Toledo man, was captured by Ernest Tobias, Malinta blacksmith, and Fritz Ordway after Tobias heard breaking glass at 3 a.m. and saw a prowler at the door of Ordway's grocery across the street.  Tobias summoned Ordway by phone and the two Malinta businessmen caught Rusling without a fight when he attempted to dodge between two buildings."

Grandpa Butch in his younger days - note the boater hat and the vehicle behind him.

Fritz's wife, Dorothy, died of a heart attack at the age of 47 on 3 May 1946.

I don't yet have a specific date, but after 1947, he married again to Nina Lawson Hensley and moved to Toledo where he worked as a meat cutter.



Grandpa Butch and Grandma Nina

Fritz died on November 12, 1972 and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Toledo, whereas his first wife and my grandmother, Dorothy, is buried in Monroe, Michigan and his second wife, Nina, is buried near her first husband in Virginia.