In the year 1975 Clarence was sitting in the living room of his daughter, Oleta
Jones, in her home in Lima, Ohio. As he talked she wrote as he reminiscenced of the good
old days. The following is what she wrote.
"You know your Grandpa and Grandma Brant lived in a log cabin near Kalida until
five years before your mother and I were married. They built a new home in the same spot.
Mom and I started dating the same year they built the house, that January 1, 1903. We met
at a Protractin Meeting, at the Ottawa River Church. I was going with Verdi Reiger (later
married John Anderson). I went a year with her, went with a Guffy girl too, what was her
name? can't think right now. I was going to High School, first class they had at
Vaughsville, had nine in the class. There names were, let me see, there was Ethel Fruchey,
Myrtle Reiger, Kate Roberts, Walter Woods, Mary Hughes, David Seitz and an Evans,
Preacher's daughter, can't think of the other. Dang just can't remember, can't think of it to
save my life. The High School, you know was above Howard Clevenger's store in
Vaughsville. there was a stairs to the side, it was owned by Frank Roberts, just one room. I
finished on March 1st, Mom and I were married that year.
David Seitz introduce us, he dated Blanche Jones at the time. We took a horse and
buggy to Ottawa River to meet your Mother, Stella Dacken and she came together. I took
her home three straight nights. Your Mother was going with Dallas Hoffman at the time,
Grandpa and Grandma Brant had a fit and said he was wild and she quit him then and
went with me.
We married December 9, 1903, at the Christian Church in Columbus Grove. There
was only the Preacher's wife there. Grandma Brant had a supper for us, Aunt Ida came and
helped her cook it. We drove up and Grandpa came out and met us, he congratulated us.
He put the horse and buggy in the barn. We went to the house, but Grandma said little,
wasn't to happy. We didn't think anyone else knew, but when we finished supper, a whole
gang came in, shotguns and all. Bill and Stella Dacken had told everyone. I had already
bought candy and cigars, so I passed them out. We stayed only three months. Sold logs
and cut them with Grandpa Brant, took them to sell at Kalida. It was sure cold, twenty
degrees below zero. Our room was so cold we froze, dang nearly froze, just like outdoors.
I got 2000 dollars from Jim Teegarden (step-father) at twenty-one years old. Got a
horse at seventeen and a carriage at eighteen. This is what I dated your Mother in, was sure
nice when we got married.
Last of February Grandpa Brant, Jim and I went to a real estate man and we
bought a farm at Columbus Grove. Moved in March and went to housekeeping. Grandpa
put his name on a note for us. We sure had fun there, we owned it for two years. Otha and
Harold were born there. Then sold it to a Guffy boy, brother of the girl I dated. We moved
then to Union County Ohio, on May 9th, land was cheap there. bought it in the spring.
Emmet and Clara moved there later, James was born 1908, ate to many sweet apples, and
died August of 1911. He is buried in Price Cemetery on the road from LaRue to
Richmond. he was two years, nine months, and twenty-one days.
Virg was born in 1910; you were born in December 1915 and we moved in March
by train to farm house (now Renners). Took the train to Lima, your Mother and you kids
went by interurban to the house. Cost fifty dollars to bring the furniture, sent the stock by
train, two cows. We loaded the rest of the things on wagons. Emmet and Art Dunlap lived
in Union County too, they helped us move by horse and wagon.
Harry and Marie Mayberry lived in Union County, Effie Mayberry, Uncle Charlie
Clark, Uncle Will Myers, Grandpa and Grandma Myers also, lived in Union County. Land
was only hundred dollars an acre there. We moved to the Renner farm, then Emmet and
Art came back later. we moved to the Heidlebaugh farm in 1918 by horse and wagon.
Cyclone hit and tore down barn, brand new one, no place for anything there. Ruth was
born on the home farm Betty, Peg and Kenneth and Bob. Lived there until 1934. We
moved to the house back the lane owned by Lloyd Heidlebaugh, moved later to Nicholas
place, Mother's home place down by Kalida. Left there and moved to Defiance in 1943,
lived near Chet and Otha. I worked at the dairy for Chet. Ruth and Blake helped us move
our furniture, remember you girls moved and lived in the Carpenter apartments next to the
church, boys were in the service. We then moved by Harold's on Nicholas, lived a short
time there and dang if they didn't sell it. We moved by the dairy in the Miller House, from
there we moved to the country, May Capras house in 1950, Worked to December of that
year and had to quit, I got unemployment then. Moved back to Elida that was May 1965,
lived here about ten years and thats about it."
Dad did not hesitate on the dates one minute, OH! for the wonderful age of ninety-
three. Leta Jones.