by Mike Roberts, Church Historian

Hanging in the Heritage Room is this copper likeness of our old Essex Street Church. The edifice served as our home for almost 70 years, until the move to Salem Acres. A recent find in our archives revealed that this work of hammered copper was executed by a church member, Mr. Rudolph Scheibert.

Scheibert, along with his wife Amy, donated the piece to the church on Easter Sunday, 1942. Scheibert was the head of the Industrial Arts Department at Washington School, a junior high school located on Hopple Street. He worked with students teaching the manual arts. In addition, he and a number of other teachers sponsored an arts show every year where students could display and sell their works.

During the peak of World War II in 1944 when toys were scarce, Scheibert developed patterns so children could make their own toys out of scrap wood and metal. He took these templates to the annual Christmas Toyland held at the Masonic Temple and distributed them to children and parents, so they could go home and make Christmas toys for their families.

The Scheiberts left this beautiful work of art to honor their church and it continues to do so 77 years after their gift of love.

June 2019.

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by Mike Roberts, Church Historian

The month of May brings us annually to Memorial Day where we honor those who have served the country in war and peace and particularly those who have given their lives in that service. That thought led to a search of our church records to discover what activities our religious group may have conducted in support of the war effort during World War II and how many of our members served in the Armed Services during that conflict.

Early in 1942, four members of the congregation were listed as serving in the military and, additionally, Reverend Ralph Boyd had resigned our church’s pulpit in July 1941 to begin training as a chaplain in the U.S. Army. By the end of 1943, the number of members in service had risen to ten. Those were: Lieutenant Richard G. White, Capt. Joe E. Sweets, Frank D. Elstun, George Bowman, Lt. Robert Buescher, Major Burnet Reed, Frances Constiner, William Mockbee, Ben Smith and Stanley C. Stall.

It is not possible to discover the stories of all these ten servicemen, but the tale of one is worth exploring as a tribute to all of our Universalists who served. That veteran would be Lieutenant Richard G. White.

Richard Grant White was the son of long-time members of our church, Richard and Ella White. He was a graduate of Withrow High School and was enrolled at the University of Cincinnati when World War II broke out. He had only months left to graduation, but enlisted in the Air Force in December 1941. His early enlistment could have been expected. His uncle, Horace H. White, was in charge of the bombardment post at Fort George Wright in Spokane, Washington, and another uncle, Colonel Walter White, was the commanding officer at Randolph Field, Texas.

The day after the completion of his training, Richard White married Marian Smith of Nashville, Michigan, at Turner Field in Albany, Georgia. The next day he deployed to England as a navigator on a Superfortress bomber.

Action came early. On one mission, White’s bomber took a direct hit leaving a huge hole in the fuselage of the plane. Despite the critical condition of the aircraft, the crew was able to get the plane back to safety in England. White was awarded an air medal for “exceptional meritorious service” on this flight. Unfortunately, the medal was awarded to White’s wife, living with her parents in Nashville, because Richard White was missing in action having been shot down over Germany on a subsequent flight.

For two months, White’s parents and wife agonized over his fate. Then word was received that he was a prisoner of war being held in the German POW Camp Stalag Luft III. Eventually, letters from White forwarded by the Red Cross reached his parents and wife. He said he was eating well and that his health was good but asked for warm clothes to be sent through the Red Cross as winter was coming.

What he did not tell his wife and parents was that he was placed in a camp with fellow British, Canadian and Australian soldiers and they were planning an escape by tunneling out of the camp. As he described after the war, his first tunnel assignment was to serve as a “stooge”, which was to alert the tunnelers that German guards were approaching. Later he became a “penguin”, which meant he was to carry the brightly colored unearthed sand to another part of the compound where it could be hidden. Shortly before the tunnel was completed, White was transfered to a different section of the camp which was exclusively for American prisoners. The escape from Stalag Luft III took place without White a few weeks later. Sadly, many of the escapees were recaptured and the Germans claimed they executed over 50 of the soldiers who tunneled out of the camp. The efforts of those prisoners at Stalag Luft III were later immortalized in the movie, “The Great Escape”.

Tunneling was also being conducted in the American camp, and White’s assignment there was to map the course of the tunnels. However, before the tunnels could be completed, the entire camp was closed and moved westward to evade the advancing Russian Army. Finally, on April 29, 1945, the prisoners were freed by troops from George Patton’s 16th Armored division.

Richard White, like millions of American soldiers, returned to the normalcy of civilian post-war life. He reenrolled at the University of Cincinnati to complete his degree work and then matriculated to Ohio State University where he completed a Master’s Degree in social work. He went on to work in a number of mental health agencies and organizations, mostly in New Jersey. He spent the last 21 years of his career as the Executive Director of a mental health agency in Camden, New Jersey.

He did not forget his roots in Universalism, joining the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hills, New Jersey, where he and his wife were active members for over 40 years. He and his wife were the parents of four children. Richard White died in 2010 at the age of 92. His funeral was held at his Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hills.

May the memory of Richard White serve as a tribute to all the members of our church, past and present, who have served their country through military service.

Richard G. White military grave marker

May 2019.

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Modern photo of house in Hyde Park where Miss Georgia Green lived in the 1920s-1960s.

by Mike Roberts, Church Historian

If one were to casually read through our church archives from the late 1930’s to the late 1960’s, one name would appear prominently and with great frequency. That person would be Miss Georgia Green. During her 30+ year affiliation with our church, she served in many different capacities. She was a corresponding secretary for the church and her name is signed at the bottom of many communications with other church organizations, with our own regional and national offices, with businesses and neighborhood groups. She also served as church treasurer for a number of years and also was very active on many committees and in the church’s service groups. Hardly a month would pass without her name appearing in church records.

Georgia Green came to Cincinnati from Muncie, Indiana, with her mother in the 1920’s and they took up residence in Hyde Park. Miss Green’s mother passed away in 1936 but before she died, she bought a new house for her daughter at 3430 Stettinius, also in Hyde Park. A reporter for the Enquirer, Louise Hurst, described the house as “cluttered” but a beehive of activity. Stacks of correspondence were piled on a desk, the phone rang constantly and programs and paperwork from her many volunteer activities were prevalent throughout the house. Miss Green lived in the house until the last few months of her life.

Miss Green had become well-established and active in the community by the 1930’s when she was past age 50. She was an executive with the Owens Bottle Company. This company had revolutionized the glass industry with the invention of bottle making machines that replaced hand blown glass bottles.

Georgia Green used her career success to enter other fields of endeavor. She was the founder of the Cincinnati Business and Professional Women’s Club serving it for many years as an officer and representative at national meetings.

She was also very active with the Cincinnati Symphony. She stated that she never missed a Friday afternoon concert and was a season ticket holder for many years. She was a member of the Symphony Club and served as its auditor.

However, Miss Green’s greatest gift to the city was founding and operating the Craft Shop at the Drake Home and Hospital. Drake served as a residence for the handicapped and the Craft Shop featured handicrafts made by the residents. These were offered for sale at Shillito’s and helped the patients both by earning money and giving some purpose to their days at the home. Miss Green hosted a party each month where the residents were offered entertainment and refreshments. Included at each of these parties were 44 dozen donuts. Sometimes she would recruit First Universalist Church members to assist. For example, the church soloist, William Mockbee, would sing patriotic songs at the parties. She also enlisted County Sheriff Dan Tehan and Karline Brown of the local library to provide a full-length movie for these soirees. In 1962, Miss Green was honored by the Drake for hosting the 200th consecutive party for its residents. It was stated that she had not missed any of those 200 parties.

She was not only recognized locally but in 1944 was awarded a “Good American” certificate from the ABC radio network. She was interviewed on one of their nightly national broadcasts when she received the award.

When asked where she got her organizational skills for volunteer work, she stated that much of it came from her work for the Clara Barton Guild of her church. She stated that “We recognize good where we find it.”

Miss Green suffered two broken arms in a fall at the church in 1964. While it caused her to miss a Drake party for the first time in almost 20 years, she coordinated the effort from her home. However, in the late 1960’s, her health began to fail and she was forced to move to an extended care center in Mason. She passed away in 1970 at the age of 90 years. She is buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery in Tobasco.

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Our congregation’s location in 1969

by Mike Roberts, Church Historian

Where were we as a church in 1969? An examination of church documents gives us glimpses into our church and its membership fifty years ago. During the year 1969, the church was located at Salem Acres and the minister was Karl Bach.

On January 6th, members participated in the 3rd annual Community Christmas Tree Burning Ceremony. “The Other Wiseman” was read and was followed by a burning of Christmas trees at the old Anderson Elementary School.

On January 7th, a special program was offered at church by the Couples Club. A guest speaker from the Cincinnati Telephone Company, engineer Harold A. Stephens, introduced guests to the wonders of a recently developed scientific device called the laser beam.

On March 30th, a drive for new membership was begun. The beliefs of our church were spelled out in the following declaration presented in the order of service. “Universalists believe in immortality in the greater majority, some do not; but, all agree that the best way to prepare for any future life after death including the memory of man is to live an exemplary life here and now! Universalists reject all doctrines of the Trinity, of ‘original sin’ and of salvation through the vicarious suffering and death of Jesus. The similarity of opinion among Universalists is the knowledge that sooner or later, reasonable minds working on the same materials as this earth, are likely to arrive at similar conclusions. Universalists believe that the great ideals of life and their fulfillment will ultimately be realized by all men of all religious faiths, even though every faith must reflect its own cultural patterns.”

In May, planning for the opening of the Salem Acres swimming pool began. It was noted that the cost of running the pool for the summer season ran between $400 to $500. It was motioned and passed that a $1.00 fee for adults and 25 cents for children be charged for pool use to defray the cost of operation.

On September 11th, a congregational meeting was held to discuss the dire financial situation of the church. Average costs for operating the church were $405 per week. Average collections for Sunday services were $135 and money accrued from investments averaged $105. That left a deficit of $165 per week.

At the September Board of Trustees meeting, Reverend Karl Bach offered his resignation as he felt there was no way the church could afford to pay the salary of a minister and remain solvent. It was agreed that he could remain with the church up to three months while he sought another church to serve.

The youth of the church held a drive to collect clothes for the Cherokee Indian Mission School in Bunch, Oklahoma.

In December, the Service Circle continued its work with the Men’s Ward of Longview Hospital. Small parties were held at the hospital once a month throughout the year and a Christmas party was conducted by the ladies for the men patients. Gifts were collected from the church and baskets distributed at the Christmas party. Among the gifts donated for the baskets were fruit, candy, cigarettes, handkerchiefs and cash.

Also in December, the Clara Barton Guild passed around a petition seeking signatures of support for a resolution to be raised at next summer’s General Assembly concerning women’s rights.

This commitment to women’s rights was significant in the history of the Universalist Church. The year 1969 marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Women’s Centenary Aid Association. At the 1869 biennial convention of the Universalist Church, this organization was initiated, making it the first women’s national church organization in the United States. It was begun to raise funds for church activities but quickly evolved into a group providing financial support to liberal colleges and eventually to funding its own missionary program. It later became the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation.

Posted for March 2019.

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by Mike Roberts, Church Historian

As you enter our sanctuary on Sundays or on other occasions, you certainly notice the brightly colored quilt that decorates the right wall. You may also have noted the date in the lower right-hand corner, 1885.

Quilt donated by Florence Angus

A plaque to the right of the quilt identifies the quilt as a gift from Mrs. Florence Case Angus and that it was donated in December 1985, the month that marked the opening of our present Heritage Church building.

An article written by Debbie Wiatt for the Hyde Park Living magazine dated November 1985 tells more of the story of Mrs. Angus and her gift to us.

“They just don’t make things the way they used to… and if you want proof, just talk to Florence Angus. Covering a table in the living room of her Hyde Park home is an exquisite quilt that was made in 1885—100 years ago— and it is still in mint condition!

“One first notices the intricate detail and brilliant colors. The entire quilt is made from pieces of silk and velvet of varying shapes and sizes, carefully bound together with stitching so perfect that the backing is almost as attractive as the front. Each piece is either needlepointed or hand-painted with a unique design that obviously had some special meaning. For instance, there are two women’s names, a pair of scissors, several hand-held fans, various animals, and other interesting designs lovingly attached and painted into the quilt.

“The quilt was made by Mrs. Ichabod Blakeslee with the help of her nine-year old granddaughter, Claudia Berdan (Mrs. Angus’ father’s cousin) in 1885 in the southern Minnesota town of Chatfield. Through the years the quilt changed hands and eventually found its way to Mrs. Angus’ living room. As magnificent as it is, she hates to keep the quilt to herself and would like someday to display it so that everyone can enjoy its beauty. Unfortunately, she heard about the recent quilt show at the Cincinnati Art Museum too late to enter. You can be sure, though, that Mrs. Angus will jump at the opportunity to show off this lovely heirloom. Be sure to look for it!”

Mrs. Ichabod Blakeslee (Louisa) unfortunately passed away just two years after completing the quilt. Her granddaughter, Claudia Berdan, reached adulthood and became a school teacher in Chatfield. She married Charles Seymour and they eventually moved to Great Falls, Montana. At age 64, Claudia was widowed and was working in Great Falls as a dressmaker. She died at age 88 in Great Falls in 1964.

As to our benefactor, Mrs. Florence Case Angus passed away on March 9, 1998 at the age of 97. It states in her obituary from the Cincinnati Enquirer that she worked as a medical technologist at Children’s Hospital and was a member of the group that developed the Sabin oral polio vaccine.

These closeup pictures of the quilt help to reveal the intricacies of the designs. Take the opportunity to examine the quilt swatch by swatch to see the detail of this marvelous example of homemade art.

The picture below of Florence Angus holding the quilt appeared in the November 1985 issue of Hyde Park Living. Our thanks go to the publisher (www.livingmagazines.com) for permission to use the photograph.

Florence Angus holding the 1885 quilt

Article “The Quilt” date: February 2019.

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Rev. Ayers, 1934

by Mike Roberts, Church Historian.

A few of the ministers that have served our church eventually found their way to serving Universalism on a larger stage. In 1902, Samuel Ayres was ministering in the small upstate New York village of Victor when he received the call to serve in Cincinnati. He had been ordained into the Universalist Church ministry in 1898 and the Victor church was his first assignment.

Ayres was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on July 23, 1870 to Samuel J. and Sarah Ayres. His father was born in New York and worked as a delivery clerk in New York City. Ayres mother was born in England. By 1880 the family had moved to and was living in New York City.

By comparison to his predecessors, Samuel Ayres stay in Cincinnati was lengthy serving from 1902 to 1909. During that time, the church was still settling into its new building and was redefining its role in a suburban neighborhood. One of Ayres first duties was to oversee and host the 70th session of the Miami Association of Universalists which was held at the Essex Place church.

A sampling of Ayres’ sermon titles during his stay include, “Gospel Conversations: Jesus and the Woman of Samaria” and “The Divine Indifference.” One newspaper notice states that one Sunday, Ayres delivered an 11 a.m. sermon on “The Place of Jesus in Religion” and later that day at 8 p.m. delivered a sermon on “The Personal Element in Religious Experience.”

In one of his first sermons delivered to the congregation, Ayres stated that “Life is difficult and mysterious to many. All classes in their several ways have endeavored to solve the problem of right living. Man has dug down into the earth and gone to the depth of the sea and taken forces of the great physical world, yet in this art of all arts, he is still the creature of his own passions. Life for him today is beset with difficulties. It may be said that he who has gained the victory in the science of life is always and everywhere the master of those difficulties which seek to pull him down. Happiness in the social world depends largely on living our own life in our class and in our means. We should seek to be ourselves, not shadows or imitators of others and use our own talents in our own way, so developing a personality that has some initiative.”

After six years in the pulpit, Ayres left Cincinnati for a calling in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He also had a lengthy stay there not leaving until 1919. It was then that Ayres took on the role for which he is most remembered. He accepted the job as superintendent of the Universalist Church Japanese Mission and moved with his wife Minnie to Japan. He and his wife ran the mission there for 6 years leaving in 1925. The mission in Japan had been established to offer refuge for orphans and to teach the Universalist Christian doctrine to whoever in the population was interested. Mrs. Ayres said that in light of their belief in world-wide universalism, the focus of the mission was more on service and social relations with the Japanese. Ayres wrote a monthly letter published in the Christian Leader and frequently spoke of all the entertaining and lecturing they did in Japan in an attempt to establish relationships with the local population.

The Universalist Church in Tokyo was called the Central Church. Later a house for female orphans was opened called the Blackmer House. In 1923, the Yokahama earthquake struck the mission hard, destroying the church and badly damaging the Blackmer House. The earthquake was measured at 7.9 on the Richter Scale and left an estimated 140,000 people dead. The Ayres helped rebuild and then left the mission and returned to the United States in 1925.

Upon their return to the U.S., Minnie and Samuel Ayres were active in promoting the Japan mission through speaking engagements and tours. In 1928, they visited Cincinnati to promote the mission and renew old acquaintances.

Sadly, the Central Church and Blackmer House were destroyed by American bombing at the end of World War II. Little physical evidence of the Universalist presence remained after 1945 but a small group of Japanese Universalists was still worshiping there after the war.

Minnie Ayres was also very active in the Universalist youth movements serving in several national capacities. She also played a regular role in the annual national conventions. By 1930, Samuel had returned to the pulpit in Lewiston, Maine. In 1934-5, he substituted for a pastor on leave in Worcester, Massachusetts and in 1940, the Ayres were living in Southover, New York on Long Island. The Ayres had two children, Gilbert B. and Charlotte. Samuel died in 1955.

November, 2018.

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