A Little History:
Grover Hill, Ohio

A spry Bible reading grandmother. Carrie Elston of Rt. 1, Grover Hill, 91 years young has lived alone for the largest part of the last 30 years but has never been Lonely.

She has 172 living descendants and entertained 71 relatives attending the Elston annual "homecoming" the last Sunday in September at her residence.

Mrs. Elston says some of the family stops by about every day while others call her on the telephone.

She has lived her entire lifetime within about a two-mile radius of her present home and was born March 9, 1880 in Latty Township, Paulding County, daughter of Michael
and Elvina (Girod) Shinabery.

She married George Elston Oct. 9 1898 and the wedding ceremony was performed by Squire George Meeks, near where she now resides.

The newlyweds lived at two different places the first two years of their marriage and then purchased the present homestead consisting of 80 acres where Mrs Elston has lived the past 70 years. She has always lived on a farm.

There were 10 children born with two girls, Lucy and Rosie dying in infancy while Ray, was killed in a home accident in 1949 one mile east of Grover Hill while installing a pump.

Her husband passed away June 8, 1937. The other children are Mrs Flossie Struble of Rt. 4 Columbus Grove, Ernest Elston of Rt. 1 Addison Mich; Jesse Elston of Oakwood, Lewis Elston of Antwerp, Roy Elston of 1019 Fairfield Ave. Van Wert, Everett Elston living in Indiana, and Mrs.
Ruth Gudakunst of Rt. 1 Cloverdale.

Mrs Elston has 42 grandchildren, 99 great-grandchildren, 11 great- great grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, and 10 step great- grandchildren

She did have 100 great grandchildren until a four year old boy passed away last spring. She expects to reach the century mark again as far as great-grandchildren go.

A daughter-in-law has also passed away and a grandchild was killed during World War II by a tank explosion in the European Theatre of action. He was Otis Struble of Columbus Grove.

Mrs. Elston is alert and can give the name of every one of her descendants. She does her own housekeeping,laundering, cooking and dish washing and keeps things spic and span. Her large yard is also as neat as a pin and she admits to being a weed killer. She is out every morning killing those weeds and they are mighty hard to find. Flowers grow everywhere.

Grandma Elston can still thread a needle and this is the first summer she has not worked on a outfit, but plans to do so this winter.

She does not have a garden but just is canning some tomatoes.

Mrs, Elston was a charter member of the Roselms Christain Church which started with ?6 members years ago. She is the oldest member of the church and still attends the services
whenever possible. She was an active member of the churches Ladies aid organization.

She reads her bible everyday and goes to bed with her Testament, reading herself to sleep.

Mrs Elston has had good health most of her lifetime but here eyesight failed somewhat in the past few years.

The first time she ever was in a hospital was five years ago when she had a cataract removed at St. Rita's Hospital in Lima. She also spent four week in Van Wert County Hospital last winter.

She attended the Latty Township School one mile north of Grover Hill where she was a graduate of the eighth grade ( Can not read)She --- three fourths of a --- -- --- every day and --- became a teacher

Before farming became mechanized Mrs Elston and her late husband where proud of their work horses and at one time had as many as 20 horses A ----- ----the farming -- and there hasn't been a ------ -------- for years

Mrs Elston ---- ---- are --- --- garden for she will be ---- at her rural home next spring to take out after those weeds.

Those attending the family homecoming included Mr. and Mrs. Bud Struble of Columbus Grove, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Elston, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Elston and son, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Elston and sons, all of Addison Mich. Mr. and Mrs Lewis Elston of Antwerp; Mr. and Mrs. Roy Elston of Van Wert, Mrs. Rosella Elston, Lloyd Elston and family, Mr. and Mrs. Junior Kohn and Cindy, Mr. and Mrs. Roger McClure and family, and Mr. and Mrs. Noel Thomas, all of Grover Hill.

Also Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Gudakunst, Alan and Marlene, and Mr. and Mrs. Gary Gudakunst, Marchele and Jeff, all of Cloverdale, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Stoller and Family, and Mr. and Mrs. Pete Clemens and family of Paulding, Mr. and Mrs Richard Elston of Middle Point, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Treece and family also of Grover Hill, and Mr. and Mrs Jerry Balser and daughter of Antwerp.


Times Bulletin Staff Writer By Harold Cook
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