Lemuel Ordway's Brother, Bert

Lemuel’s brother, Albert Orvinn Ordway , known as Bert, was born May 23, 1874 in Monroe Township, Henry County, Ohio.  Bert was a farmer who married Vern Nettie Babcock 19/20 December 1896. 

In 1900, Bert and Nettie were renting a farm in Monroe Township with their two young sons, Johny, 3, born March 1897, and Perry, 1, born March 1899. 

Young Perry died on November 24, 1909 and is buried in Hoy Cemetery.

"Our darling one hath gone before, To greet us on the blissful shore"

By 1910, Bert, 33, and Nettie, 32, had six children, five living, and they were still renting a farm in Monroe Township.  John, 13, was a laborer on the home farm.  Chester, 9, Anna, 4. and twins Edward and Beatrice, 4 months, finished the family. 

The family moved to Turkeyfoot Street in Malinta by 1920, although Bert was still farming.  John, 22, was a laborer in the beet fields, while Chester, 18, also labored on the home farm.  Anna was 14, while the twins were 10.

Beatrice Ordway died on August 31, 1927, at about 17 years old.  I do not know the cause at present.

The family moved to Summit Street in Malinta before 1930.  John was still single at 33 and living at home, working as a machinist in a garage.  Edward, 20, was also at home and single, working as a laborer on bridge construction.  The other children were gone, but living with them was Clarence, 9, a grandson.  A birth record found on http://www.familysearch.org/ shows that Anna Ordway gave birth to a son, Clarence, on March 7, 1921. No father is listed on the record.  Anna would have been about 16.

Albert Ordway died a rather violent death.  From the January 23, 1942,  Deshler Flag newspaper, we find:

“MALINTA MAN SUCCUMBS TO FATAL POISON

Albert Ordway Mistakes Black Leaf 40 for Peruna

A tablespoon of Black Leaf 40, taken by mistake, was fatal to Albert O. Ordway, 66, Malinta, retired farmer,who died Friday.

Mr. Ordway had been in the habit of taking Peruna, and went to his medicine cabinet Friday morning to get a dose of it.  Previously, however, he had gone to a hatchery to get some Black Leaf 40 for use in his poultry house, and this had been given to him in a Peruna bottle with no other label on it.

The contents of the two bottles appeared identical when held to the light, Dr. B. D. Johnson, county coroner, said after investigating the death, which he certified as accidental.  When he had taken it, Mr. Ordway turned to his wife and asked, “what was in that bottle?”  When he discovered what he had taken, he attempted to disgorge it, but was unable to do so.  He died before a physician could aid him.

The Malinta man is survived by his wife, Nettie, two sons, John and Edward, both of Malinta; a daughter, Mrs. Anna Hill, of Napoleon; and five grandchildren.

Rev. Metzker of Custar officiated at funeral services, held Monday afternoon in the United Brethern church in Malinta.  Burial was in the church cemetery.”

Bert and Nettie Babcock Ordway had six children.  John (1897 – 1970, WW I veteran, did not marry), Perry (1899 – 1909), Chester (1901 – 1937, died in an automobile accident), Anna (1905 – 1997, married Harvey Hill in 1926), Edward (1909 – 1959, one of the twins, did not marry) and Beatrice (1909 – 1927, the other twin) who married Martin Bockelman in February 1927 and then died by September 1927. 

Chester, Chester, and Chester Ordway

My great-grandfather, Lemuel Ordway, had eight siblings – four sisters and four brothers.  Two of Lem’s brothers, younger by three years, were twins : Chester and Sylvester.  Born October 1, 1880, both of the brothers had short lives.  Sylvester died before he was two of “brain fever.”  Brain fever would probably have been meningitis or encephalitis, in modern terms.  Sylvester is buried in Hoy Cemetery. 

Chester survived into young adulthood, but died in a most mysterious way.

Three different newspapers described the incident. 

First the Democrat Northwest,  November 1, 1900 –

“BLED TO DEATH

From Bursting a Blood Vessel While Scuffling

A sad accident occurred in Malinta on Monday, by which a young man lost his life.  Early in the morning two young men, Chester Ordway, the 21 year old son of Richard Ordway, and Ollie Taylor got into a friendly tussle, and while scuffling, Ordway was thrown to the ground, Taylor falling on him.  In the fall, Ordway sustained a rupture of a blood vessel in the lungs and bled to death in a few minutes after the accident.  No blame attaches to Taylor, as it was purely accidental, but the sad event cast a gloom over the entire community.  We understand the unfortunate young man was subject to hemorrhages, as on several occasions before his life was despaired of from hemorrhages.

The funeral services were held in the Church of Christ, of which he was a member, yesterday morning at 10 o’clock, Rev. Cline, the pastor, conducting them.”

The Henry County Signal, Thursday, November 1, 1900, reported:

“Chester Ordway died Monday at Malinta from hemorrhage, aged about 20 years.  He had been wrestling with a companion and burst a blood vessel and died almost immediately after being taken to his home.  The funeral was held Wednesday from the Disciple church conducted by Rev. Cline.  The funeral was one of the most largely attended of any held in that vicinity.”

Finally,  the Deshler Flag, November 2, 1900, gave a short notice:

“Killed at Malinta

Two Boys Engaged in a Scuffle – Ruptured a Blood Vessel

Chester Ordway, aged about 17, of Malinta, while scuffling with a young man named Taylor, Monday forenoon, ruptured a blood vessel and bled to death in a few moments.”

Taken all together, I think we all can visualize what happened on October 29, 1900.  The truth is that Chester was 20 years old, but the mystery of the hemorrhaging that seemed to be a factor in his life before this, to the point that he might have been close to death previously is interesting.  I’m sure Lem, at 23, was devastated at this loss of his closest younger brother.  Chester was buried with his father, Richard, in Hoy Cemetery.

Lemuel’s older brother, Albert or “Bert”  named a son after his deceased brother, Chester.  This Chester Ordway was born January 29, 1901, about three months after the mortal incident described above.  Unfortunately, Bert’s son, Chester, died tragically in an automobile accident on August 29, 1937.  His wife, Cora, died in the same accident, leaving four young children parentless.

The third Chester Ordway was the first son of the Chester Ordway who died in the automobile accident in 1937.  Named after his father and born in 1922, this last Chester lived to age 69, married and had a family of four children, one, Melvin, who sacrificed his life in battle in World War II.

I don’t know if the name, Chester, was carried on after that- maybe you do?
Would love to have a picture of all of these Chesters!