Diefendorf Clan

The Diefendorf/Diefendorff family has been a hard one to trace. The first record of a Diefendorf/Diefendorff in Summit County, Ohio is Jeremiah, and yes, his surname is found  both as Diefendorf and Diefendorff.   

[1st Gen]   Jeremiah Diefendorff [1824-1859] married

                       Elizabeth Jeanette Reese [ ?-1870] they had 4 know children:
                                Menzo H [1847-1882]
                                Charles [1849-1870]
                                John J [1851-1930]
                                Dolly Ann [1854-1865]

     [2nd Gen]   John J Diefendorff  [1851-1930] married

                              Thomascinna Ravely [1850-1923] they had 2 known children
                                  Jerry Migha [1875-1932]
                                  Dora Elizabeth [1880-1980]

           [3rd Gen]   Jerry Migha Diefendorff [1875-1932] married

                                   Eva Mae Serfass [1875-1961] had 9 known children

                                          John Everett [1896-1969]
                                          Earl Russell [1902-1967]
                                          Ruth Violet [1904-1958]
                                          Gladys Irene [1906-1985]
                                          Geraldine Sadie [1908-2000]
                                          Dora Elizabeth [1911-1996]
                                          Clarence Alvin [1913-1945]
                                          Robert Arle [1918-1994]
                                          Clifford Forest [1921-2008]                                           

                [4th Gen]   John Everett Diefendorf  [1896-1969] married

                                        Mildred Marie Norris [1899-1983] had 11 children
                                             Betty Jane [1917-2002]
                                             Russell Henry [1919-1985]
                                             Anna Mae [1920-1966]
                                             Madeline Marie [1923-1999]
                                             June Louise
                                             John Emmit [1926-1926] 
                                             Ella Jean [1929-1997]
                                             Dorothy Jacqueline 
                                             Naomi Lee
                                             Kenneth Burl [1935-2006]

I will be posting more on each individual family unit with more information and documentation. This is just a "bare bones" outline of the Diefendorfs. From this you should be able to find your parent or grandparents.

Joseph Dailey & Elizabeth Corder

Joseph Dailey was my paternal Great Grandfather. Records (mainly Census records and a Death record) indicate that Joseph was born in, or around, Martinsburg, Berkeley County, Virginia in December 1825. I have reason to believe Joseph was the son of John Daily and Rebecca Booth of Virginia, but cannot prove it 100% at this time.

Important background: In 1863 the state of West Virginia was formed when 50 counties (including Berkeley) separated from Virginia. It makes it difficult to find out where a document might be. I have found on records the surname spelling of Dailey and Daily are interchangeable, and many times on the same document. And… I find the same problem no matter what state I’m researching.

Although Joseph was born in Virginia it seems he came to Ross County, Ohio by the 1840 census, as did his alleged parents John and Rebecca (Booth) Dailey or Daily. Joseph and his family originally settled in Ross County is Richmondale,

Joseph married Elizabeth Corder in Chillicothe on January 9, 1848. Elizatbeth’s surname is another mystery as to what the actual spelling. On their marriage record it's listed as Corder. On the birth records for their children it is written Corder, Cordy, Cordery, Cowdry, and Cordray. Joseph may have married a 2nd time to a Elizabeth Crathers; but I have not been able to confirm or deny this.

Joseph and Elizabeth had 9 known children:
       Thurman   [1847-?] married Nellie Piles
       John          [1852-1919]
       Lydia "Liddie" [1854-1946] married David Leach
       Darthulia        [1855-?] married Wesley Denny
       Jacob "Jake"  [1859-1914] married Molly Davis
       Elizabeth Rebecca "Libby" [1860-1932] married Peter H Flesher
       Aretha Mae    [1864-1938] married Joseph Mathias
       Charles           [1866-1920] married Philomena "Minnie" Mathias
       Anneta Jane "Nettie" [1871-1932] married Frank Hirn

Joseph Dailey died June 15, 1900 and is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Frankfort, Ross County, Ohio. There is also an Elizabeth Dailey buried with him at the same Cemetery. Several years ago I was able to track down the lady who had the burial records and she confirmed this information. She also stated that there was no gravestones for either Joseph or Elizabeth Dailey.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

The Wedding

Who: Martin John Dailey an Martha Ellen Renner

What: Their Wedding Day

When: June 22, 1946

Where: Immaculate Conception Catholic Church; Akron, Ohio

Why: Love

Their Studio Photograph

At The Church

Mom with her parents Charles and Nellie Hitchcock Renner

Mom and Dad on the left. Their Best Man & Maid on Honor on right

When Mom and Dad got married he was almost 15 years her senior. That is challenging enough, and I know this first hand.  On top of that add that as a new bride mom had to start her married life in the home of dad's mom, who was elderly. My mom didn't have a chance to put any of her personal touches to the home until Grandma died in 1959.

Although dad died in 1987 mom would have mixed emotions every year on their Anniversary. Today I don't think mom's concept of time would allow her to know it's her Anniversary. That may be a good thing.

Mom's brother & sister-in-law, Ernie & Myrtle Billings Renner were the Best Man and Maid of Honor. I really don't know why Aunt Myrtle's dress looks like a bridal gown. One of my unanswered questions. Another unanswered question is why there was no picture of my Grandma Minnie Dailey with either my Dad or my Dad & Mom. I know she was at the wedding. Strange!

I always thought my mom was "some kind of special" because she converted to Catholocism in order to marry my dad who was Roman Catholic. Back then both bride and groom had to be Catholic to marry in the Catholic Church, and for it to be recognized by the Church. After my dad passed away my mom started going back to her original religion, United Methodist.

I still have mom's wedding dress and veil. I'd like to do something with it but I'm not sure what as it's very fragile. I'm thinking of of making some kind of small keepsake for each of the kids and grandkids.

Happy Father's Day Daddy

This year it's 28 yrs since Dad went to his heavenly home, and not a year goes by that I don't miss popping in on Father's Day with some goofy gift. If I bought him useful stuff, like clothes or tools, he'd throw a fit claiming there was nothing wrong with the clothes or tools he had. Soooo... I got him goofy stuff. He didn't seem to mind those gifts.

My dad as a boy making his First Holy Communion

My dad in his younger days returning from the hunt.

My dad when he was in the Army Air Corps, WWII

Grandma Minnie

I'd like to tell you some things about by Grandma Minnie (Philomena Margaret Mathias Dailey). Dad was the last of grandma's children to get married, and when he and Mom got married they moved in to grandma's house to take care of her. I grew up with grandma in the house, she died March 17, 1959 when I was 12, but I have to say I know very little of her.

Grandma Minnie in our kitchen in the 1950's

a. Grandma didn't say much unless it was important, but she had an expression for every occasion.

b. I don't ever remember Grandma talking about her side of the family other than her sister Lizzie and her brother Joseph.

c. I remember a friend of Grandma's, that I called Aunt Kate, would come and visit her every once in a while and they always had a good time.

It wasn't until I started researching the Mathias family that I found out most of my information. For example:

Grandma was born in 25 November 1874 and her mother Margaret Schuees Mathias died when she was a few months old.

Grandma was raised by her grandfather Joseph Mathias, her dad John Mathias' dad. So there's the question of why she didn't live with him. My dad later told me these two things.

Well, I discovered Grandma's mother did die in March 1875 when grandma was 4 months old. Her dad John did, in fact, remarry to a Mary Kelller who by chance, had a daughter from a previous marriage by the name of Kate Keller. This second marriage took place in May 1875. Kate was about the same age as grandma and her name, at the time I knew her, was Mrs Kate Bockwitz.

A photo of Aunt Kate Bockwitz on the left, and Grandma Minnie of the right.

I still haven't resolved why grandma lived with her grandfather Joseph. It wasn't unusual at that time for a widower to have family raise small children, However, her dad remarried right after his first wife Margaret's death so I'm at a loss for a reason. Maybe it had something to do with the Roman Catholic faith at that time. Maybe grandma's step-mom Mary Keller Mathias was a Protestant and her dad John married her anyway, outside the church. It must have been something, because when grandma's grandfather died all of his children, except grandma's dad, were given a 5th share of the estate. Grandma and her younger, minor siblings shared their father's 5th of the estate.

It just goes to show that for every question answered, three new questions arise needing answers.

My Dailey Family Unit

Remember my post a couple of days ago about the Daily-Mathias outing around 1924? Well, today I’m bringing you My Family Unit in the photo. My dad is #90, Martin Dailey. My family unit, being Charles & Minnie Mathias Dailey, is on the far right side of the panoramic photo. I cropped this area for reference.

All of the people shown, except for one child #19 and one man #92, are my family unit.

Row 1: #20 Margaret Dailey, daughter of Charles & Minnie Mathias Dailey

            #21 Ruby Dailey Crispin, daughter of Herb & Vera Gaugler Dailey

Row 2:

#55 Philomena “Minnie” Mathias Dailey, wife of Charles Dailey deceased at the time the                photo was taken.

#56 Anna Josephine Tompkins Dailey, wife of Charles R “Dick” Dailey

#57 Vera Gaugler Dailey, wife of Herbert Dailey

#58 Virginia Dailey Bohm, daughter of Herbert & Vera Gaugler Dailey

#59 Herbert Dailey, son of Charles & Minnie Mathias Dailey

Row 3:

#90 Martin John Dailey, my dad, and son of Charles & Minnie Mathias Dailey

#91 Charles R “Dick” Dailey, son of Charles & Minnie Mathias Dailey

#93 Ernest Dailey, son of Charles & Minnie Mathias Dailey

#94 Albert Dailey, son of Charles & Minnie Mathias Dailey

#19 is listed as Lyle Dailey, son of Jacob & Mary “Molly” Davis Dailey. Jacob was deceased          when this photo was taken, and was my grandfather’s brother.

#92 is unknown but listed as a friend of Ernest Dailey.

The Dailey-Mathias Clan

I would like to take you back to about 1924 in Chillicothe, Ohio. The Dailey and Mathias clans got together for a family outing, and it was held at the then Smith Junior High School on Arch Street. The turnout for these outings was huge! Why? Remember… my grandfather’ Charles Dailey, had married my grandmother, Minnie Mathias. Charles’ sister; Aretha Mae Dailey, had married Minnie’s brother, Joseph Dailey. 

Left side of the photo

Right side of the photo

A photographer was on hand to take a panoramic photo of everyone. I have one of these long photos which belonged to Grandma Minnie. At a later time someone made two photocopies of the picture and gave everyone a number. A list was compiled that tried to identify every number with a name. There were quite a few people who were not identified at that time. The information was supplied by:

          (1)  Elizabeth H. Flesher Gilmore #18 on the photo.  [Granddaughter of Rebecca                            Elizabeth Dailey and Peter Henry Flesher] 

          (2)  Ruby A. Dailey Crispin #21 on the photo.  [Granddaughter of Charles Dailey and                      Minnie Mathias Dailey. 

I think this is awesome; because when the photo was taken the two informants were just children. 

Then, in the late 1980’s, four more people sat down and tried to fill in the missing names. These four were my mom, Martha Renner Dailey; myself, Marlene Dailey Diefendorf; and two cousins Martha Mathias Bowman and Frances Davis Ulry. Quite a few name were filled in but there are still some unidentified people… but there’s always hope that some day, some one, could fill in more blanks.