USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
“A.J.” Alvin Joseph Riley
“A.J.” Alvin Joseph Riley, age 77, of Norwalk, died Sunday, September 21, 2003 at his residence, after an extended illness.
He was born May 10, 1926 in Norwalk, Ohio. He was a member of St. Paul Catholic Church, Norwalk VFW, Bronson Conservation Club, Norwalk Elks, and enjoyed carpentry and building equipment.
He was founder of A.J. Riley Excavating (now A.J. Riley, Inc.) in Norwalk and served in the US Navy from 1946 until 1947.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Marguerite (Landoll) Riley of Norwalk; sons, Joseph (Denise) Riley of Wakeman, Jack Riley and Charles (Susanna) Riley, both of Norwalk; daughters, Cathleen (Michael) Cooksey of Norwalk, Geraldine (Dale) Anglin of Vermilion, and Elaine (Ned) Palmer of Lakewood; 12 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild; sisters, Sister Charlotte Rita, O.S.U. of Toledo and Helen Bister of Calif.; brothers, Donald Riley of FL, Raymond Riley and Howard Riley, both of Norwalk.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Bernard and Eleanor (Weichel) Riley; brothers, Leon, Paul, Frank and Fred Riley; sister in infancy, Olive.
Friends may call on Tuesday from 5 – 8 P.M. at the Evans & Groff Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk, Ohio. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday at 10:30 A.M. at St. Paul Catholic Church, 91 E. Main Street, Norwalk, Ohio.
Burial will follow at St. Paul Catholic Cemetery in Norwalk, Ohio.
Memorial contributions, if desired, may be sent to St. Paul Catholic Church.
Andrew Sura
Andrew Sura, age 81, of Norwalk, died Sunday, February 08, 2004 at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, after a brief illness.
He was born December 7, 1922 in Philipsburg, PA. He served in the Civil Conservation Corps from 1933 – 1942 and then entered the US Army during WWII from 1942 – 1946. He moved to Norwalk in 1969 and was a member of the West Hartland Methodist Church. He was also a member of Norwalk VFW Post 2743, American Legion, Eagles Aerie 711, and Moose Lodge 1248. He worked 36 years as a cable splicer for GTE Phone Company, retiring in 1986. He was an avid golfer.
He is survived by his sons, Michael A. Sura of Lyndhurst, OH, John M. Sura of LaPorte, IN and Robert D. Sura of Norwalk; sisters, Verna Betza of PA, Mary Saupp of PA, Ann Richards of PA and Susan Johnson of NY; brothers, George Sura of PA and Pete Sura of IN; three grandchildren and one great grandchild; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy E. Sura, 1988; brothers, Michael, Vasil, John and Joe Sura; sister, Dorothy Hughes.
Friends may call on Tuesday from 7 – 9 P.M. and Wednesday from 11:00 A.M. until time of services at 1:00 P.M. at the Evans & Groff Funeral Home (Benedict Chapel) 175 Benedict Avenue, Norwalk, Ohio. The Rev. Carl H. Fannin will officiate.
Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Norwalk, Ohio.
Memorial contributions, if desired, may be sent to Stein Hospice, 1200 Sycamore Line Road, Sandusky, Ohio 44870 or Huron County Kidney Center, 292 Benedict Avenue, Norwalk, Ohio 44857.
Frank Willard Olcott
Frank Willard Olcott, age 88, of Norwalk, died Thursday evening, February 5, 2004 at his home at Will-O-Brook Place in Norwalk. The Mobile Home Park which he developed.
He was born November 12, 1915 in West Hartland, Ohio to the late Benjamin and Myrtle (Mead) Olcott. He lived in the Norwalk area all of his life, and enjoyed spending winters in Palm Harbor, FL for 25 years. He was a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Norwalk, and served on the church counsel for many years. He served in the United States Army serving in WWII for five years. He retired from Columbia Gas in 1975 after serving for 30 years.
He is survived by his wife of over 62 years, Virginia (Brooks) Olcott of Norwalk; sons and daughter-in-law, John Olcott of Orange Beach, AL and Wayne and Gretchen Olcott of Huron; daughter and son-in-law, Eunice and Michael Kessler of Huron; nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his grandson, Gregory Thorley; parents; brothers, Herald, Lewis and Harley; sisters, Hazel Woodworth, Marie Higgins and Arline McPherson.
Friends may call on Sunday from 2 – 6 P.M. at the Evans & Groff Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk, Ohio. The body will lie in state on Monday at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 243 Benedict Avenue, Norwalk, Ohio from 10:00 A.M. until time of service at 11:00 A.M. . The Rev. Fred Wiechers will officiate.
Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Norwalk.
Memorial contributions, if desired, may be sent to St. Peter Lutheran Church, Building Fund, 243 Benedict Avenue, Norwalk, OH 44857.
The Rev. Carlton A. Ott
The Rev. Carlton A. Ott, age 83, a retired priest for the Diocese of Toledo, died Friday evening, April 23, 2004 at Firelands Regional Medical Center Main Campus in Sandusky, OH.
He was born May 5, 1920 in Peru Township, Ohio. He attended St. Alphonsus Grade School and St. Paul High School in Norwalk. He graduated from St. Joseph College in IN, St. Meinrad Seminary and Mount St. Mary of the West, Notre Dame University, Catholic University, and Masters in Education at Toledo University.
He served the following parishes in the Toledo Diocese: St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis de Sales, Mercy Hospital in Toledo and it’s School of Nursing, Mary Manse College Extension at Mercy School of Nursing, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marblehead and the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky until retiring on July 5, 1995 at the age of 75.
He is survived by his family, Sister M. Virgin, SND of Toledo and Sister M. Carlton, PCPA of Portsmouth, Ruth Ott Ruffing of Cincinnati, Charles J. and Frieda Ott of Norwalk, Paul D. and Mary Ann Ott of Monroeville.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Amelia (Smith) Ott; Melvin and Mildred Ott, brother, Lawrence Ott Jr. and sister, Mary Ott in infancy.
Friends may call from 4 – 8 P.M. Monday at Evans & Groff Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk, OH. His body will be received at 4:00 P.M. Tuesday, with vespers following at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 802 Barclay Street, Marblehead, OH, where there will be visitation until 8:00 P.M.
The Most Rev. Bishop Leonard Blair of the Toledo Diocese will preside at 10:00 A.M. Wednesday at the funeral liturgy at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marblehead, OH.
Burial will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Marblehead, OH.
Memorial contributions, if desired, may be sent to Propagation of Faith or Priest Retirement Fund, P.O. Box 985, Toledo, OH 43697-0985
Annette Grantham Stall
Annette Grantham Stall, age 87, formerly of Norwalk, died Tuesday, April 20, 2004 in Melbourne, FL.
She was born August 21, 1916 in Jones County, Miss to the late Bryant M. and Beulah (Herrington) Grantham. She had lived in Norwalk from 1941 until 1979, and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church. She then moved to Deltona, FL and in 1998 to Melbourne, FL.
She enjoyed reading, cooking, volunteering at church, and taking care of her home and family.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Dr. H. Phillips Stall and Mary Sue Stall of West Melbourne, FL; granddaughters, Holly (Lawrence) Tanner of FL and Sara (Jamie) Stall-Ryan of CA; great-grandson, Jonathan Stall-Ryan; sisters, Otzieree Stewart of Hattlesburg, Miss, Jean Blakely of New Orleans, LA and Jeanelle Templeton of Johnson City, TN.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Homer Phillips Stall in 1977.
A memorial service will be held 10:30 A.M. Friday, April 30, 2004 at the First Presbyterian Church, 21 Firelands Blvd., Norwalk, OH. Burial will be held at Woodlawn Cemetery.
Arrangements by the Evans & Groff Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk, OH.
James C. “Jim” Ground
James C. “Jim” Ground, age 43, passed away unexpectedly Monday evening, May 31, 2004 at Fisher-Titus Medical Center in Norwalk.
He was born September 23, 1960 in Norwalk. He graduated from Edison High School in 1978, and attended the Evangel College in Springfield, MO. He worked for 22 years at Schlessman Seed in Milan. Jim was active in the Town and Country Theatre in Norwalk and shared his beautiful tenor voice with many. He had a passion for life and was very Godly minded, giving himself to others.
He was an active member of Bellevue Assembly of God, where he was worship leader and vocalist; board member, Sunday school teacher, directed musicals and dramas at the church. He enjoyed spending time with his beautiful family, attending Edison High School sporting events with his son and daughters, weight lifting, jogging and singing.
He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Jacky Lee Ground of Norwalk; son, Cameron James Ground; daughters, Bethany Starr Ground and Brittany Lee Ground; parents, James R. and Carolyn A. Ground, All Of Norwalk; brothers, Kim R. Ground and Michael N. Ground, both of Sandusky; sister, Elizabeth A. Spears of Kansas City, MO; father-in-law, Charles W. Graft of Cincinnati; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Charlene M. and Richard H. Mohr of Monroeville and Blanche L. Runion of Willard; nine nieces, four nephews and one great-nephew.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Rev. and Mrs. R.M. Ground; maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Wahl; brother-in-law, Jeffery A. Barrett.
Friends may call on Thursday from 2 – 4 and 6 – 9 P.M. at the Evans & Groff Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk. Also, Friday 10:00 A.M. until time of service at 11:00 A.M. at Bellevue Assembly of God, 770 Kilbourne Street, Bellevue. The Rev. John P. Ginty will officiate.
Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Norwalk.
Memorial contributions may be sent to a trust fund for his children at Key Bank.
Christine (Canterberry) Griffin
Christine (Canterberry) Griffin, age 74, of Collins, died Sunday, May 30, 2004 at home with her family in Collins.
She was born March 27, 1930 in Lawrence County, KY. She was a 1947 graduate of Berlin Heights High School, and was a member of the Norwalk Church of Christ. She enjoyed crossword puzzles, reading, flowers and gardening. She was an avid Cleveland Indians fan and enjoyed the company of others.
She is survived by her half-sister, Ethel Christian of Norwalk; step-sister, Clara Bryant of Huron; special niece and nephew, Lauressa and Dan Cooley of Collins, and other great-nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Victor C. Griffin on May 25, 2004; parents, James and Clara (Thompson) Canterberry; step-sisters, Delia, Minnie, and Etta; half-sister, Goldie; brother, June and three in infancy; step-brother, Andrew; half-brothers, Fred and John.
A memorial service will be held Saturday at 10:30 A.M. at the Evans & Groff Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk. Officiating will be T. Sean Sullivan of the Norwalk Church of Christ.
Private Interment will be held at a later date.
Memorial contributions, if desired, may be sent to Stein Hospice, 1200 Sycamore Line Road, Sandusky, Ohio 44870.
Genevieve F. Garner
Genevieve F. Garner, age 88, of Willard, died Friday morning, May 28, 2004 at Firelands Regional Medical Center’s South Campus in Sandusky.
She was born January 7, 1916 in Toledo to the late Charles and Zalia (Brooks) Webber. She enjoyed gardening and bird watching.
She is survived by her daughters and son-in-law, LaDonna Hampton, Janet Tjan, & Frances and Arthur Wallrabenstein; seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Archie L. Garner in 1973; brother, Charles Webber Jr. in 1979; and her parents, Charles and Zalia (Brooks) Webber.
Friends may call from 11:30 A.M. until time of service at 1:00 P.M. Tuesday from the Evans & Groff Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk. The Rev. Barton F. McKelvey of the Christian Alliance Church in Willard will officiate.
Burial will follow at Stueben Cemetery in Willard.
Memorial contributions, if desired, may be sent to American Diabetes Association, 3178 N. Republic Blvd., Suite 4, Toledo, Ohio 43615.
Mary Elizabeth (Brown) Schaffer
Mary Elizabeth (Brown) Schaffer, age 72, of Norwalk, died Tuesday morning, September 7, 2004 at Twilight Gardens Home in Norwalk.
She was born January 11, 1932 in Monroeville, OH, and was a graduate of Monroeville High School and active in drama. She worked for many years at Christie Lane School in Norwalk as a teacher’s assistant. She loved to play cards and make baby blankets, also enjoying her children and grandchildren.
Mrs. Schaffer was a member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Peru Township, where she was active with the St. John Neumann Study Club and taught religious classes for numerous years. She was also active with the Ladies of St. Alphonsus and Ala-Teen.
She is survived by her husband, Bernard Walter Schaffer of Norwalk; sons and daughters-in-law, Christopher and Jean Schaffer of Claremore, OK , Robin and Alisa Schaffer of Norwalk, and Jeffrey and Elaine Schaffer of Norwalk; daughters and sons-in-law, Cynthia and Mark Lee of Monroeville, Maria and Paul Temple II of Norwalk, and Bernadette and Russell Wikel of Norwalk; 18 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren; sisters and brothers-in-law, Lucille and Gurdon Bores of Monroeville, Alice and Thomas Bookmyer of Clyde, and Barbara and James Spettle of Norwalk.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Anthony and Amanda (Leiber) Brown; brother, Irvin Brown.
Friends may call from 5 – 8 P.M. Thursday and 12 - 1 P.M. Friday at the Evans & Groff Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:00 P.M. Friday at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, 1360 Settlement Road, Norwalk, OH. The Rev. Kenneth Lill and Deacon George Stepanic will officiate.
Burial will follow at St. Alphonsus Cemetery.
Memorial contributions, if desired, may be sent to St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Kitchen & Hall Fund, 1360 Settlement Road, Norwalk, OH 44857
Zachary Bryant Clements
Zachary Bryant Clements, two month old baby, of Norwalk died Friday, October 8, 2004 at Akron Children’s Hospital.
He was born July 29, 2004 at Akron General Hospital. He is survived by his mother, Karen A. Clements of Norwalk; maternal grandparents, Laura Murray of Norwalk and Ken Clements of Lodi; great-grandparents, Linda and Brian Murray of Waterville and George and Mabel Clements of Huron; several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Friends may call on Monday from 1 – 2 P.M. at the Evans & Groff Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk. A graveside funeral will be held at 2:30 P.M. at Woodlawn Cemetery in Norwalk.
Memorial contributions, if desired, may be sent to the family.
Janis "Jan" Marie (Nestor) Bixby
Janis "Jan" Marie (Nestor) Bixby, age 74, of Norwalk, died Tuesday evening, September 28, 2004 at Fisher-Titus Medical Center in Norwalk.
She was born August 10, 1930 in Norwalk. She lived in Norwalk and Milan all of her life. She was a 1948 graduate of St. Paul High School, and was member of St. Anthony Catholic Church in Milan. She and her husband where charter members since 1965 of “Vacational Trav’lers”, a camping organization. She was a bus driver for 18 years for the Berlin-Milan Schools and retired in September of 1990.
She is survived by her husband of 56 years, George A. Bixby of Norwalk; Children, Michael of Monroeville, Shari (Richard) Parker of Milan, and Scott (Jeri) Bixby of Norwalk; four grandchildren and four step-grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren and four step great-grandchildren; sisters, Phyllis (Fred) Wilcox of Norwalk and Shirley (Miles) Howard of Homosassa, FL; brother, Charles (Becki) Nestor of Bellevue; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence P. and Helen L. (Babcock) Nestor; daughter-in-law, Cleo Bixby in 2002.
Friends may call on from 2 – 4 and 7 – 9 P.M. Friday with a wake service at 7:30 P.M. in the Evans & Groff Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 A.M. Saturday at St. Anthony Catholic Church, 130 S. Main Street, Milan, OH. The Rev. Frank Speier will officiate. Burial will follow at St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery in Milan, OH.
Memorial contributions, if desired, may be sent to Scleroderma Foundation, 12 Kent Way, Suite 101, Byfield, MA 01922.
Joseph Carl Schaffer
Joseph Carl Schaffer, age 80, of Norwalk, died Tuesday evening, February 7, 2006 at his residence, after a lengthy illness.
He was born August 14, 1925 in Norwalk, and was a farmer all of his life on the family’s century farm. He attended Monroeville High School and was a member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. His church and family were the center of his life, and in his younger years he attended to ringing the church bells each day, dug graves by hand and mowed lawns at the church cemetery. He worked for many years at Certainteed Corp. in Milan, retiring in 1992. He enjoyed being with family and working the land with his hands, and playing cards.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary Ann (Grimesey) Schaffer of Norwalk; children and their spouses, Patrick and Pamela Schaffer of Norwalk, Kevin and Ann Schaffer of Norwalk, Mary Jo and James Brown of Milan, Timothy and Sheila Schaffer of Norwalk, and Victoria Schaffer of Toledo; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild; sisters, Sister Mary Lenarda, SND of Toledo and Sister Francis Marie of Illinois; brothers and sisters-in-law, Leonard Schaffer, Alex and Betty Schaffer, Bernard Schaffer, and John and Doris Schaffer, all of Norwalk; sister-in-law, Dorothy Schaffer; and brother-in-law, Chester Wasiniak; numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his son, Gerald Schaffer; parents, Leonard and Frances (Hohler) Schaffer; brothers, Rev. Arnold Schaffer, Peter Schaffer, and Fred Schaffer; sisters, Ophelia Storme and Margaret Wasiniak.
Friends may call on Friday from 5 - 9 P.M. at the Evans Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday at 10:00 A.M. at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Settlement Road, Norwalk. The Rev. Kenneth J. Lill will officiate. Burial will follow at the St. Alphonsus Cemetery.
Memorial contributions, if desired, may be sent to Stein Hospice, 1200 Sycamore Line Road, Sandusky, Ohio 44870 or. St. John Neumann Prayer Center, Settlement Road, Norwalk, Ohio 44857.
Rita M. (Rupp) Strader, age 76, of Berlin Heights, died Monday morning, May 1, 2006 at the Stein Hospice Care Center in Sandusky.
She was born October 4, 1929 in Norwalk and was a member of St. Paul Catholic Church. She worked at the former West Baking Company for many years, and enjoyed playing cards, reading and crossword puzzles.
She is survived by her daughters, Kathleen Smith of Elyria, Shirley Strader of Parma Heights and Lynn Knowland of Portland, OR; sons, Robert Strader of Norwalk, Larry Strader of Wakeman and Thomas Strader of Norwalk; Sister, Pat Westerhold of Norwalk, Bill Rupp of Norwalk, Jim Rupp of Sandusky and Tom Rupp of Mason, OH; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert G. Strader in 2005; daughters, Mary Louise Strader and Sandra Lee Strader; son, Stewart Lee Strader; brothers, Vince “Fr. Elmer”, Richard, Winfred and John Rupp; sister, Ruth Rupp; parents, John and Lucy Rupp.
Friends may call on Thursday from 11:00 am until 12:30 pm at the Evans Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk. A Mass will follow at 1:00 pm at St. Paul Catholic Church, 91 E. Main Street, Norwalk. The Rev. Frank Kehres, pastor of the church, will officiate. Burial will follow at Berlinville Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Stein Hospice, 1200 Sycamore Line Road, Sandusky, OH 44870.
