USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
Esther M. Smallwood
MIDDLEFIELD - Esther M. Smallwood, 87, of Middlefield, died early Monday morning, Dec. 2, 2002, at her home.
She was born July 13, 1915, in Middlefield, the daughter of John M. and Susan (Gura) Ratzenberger and had been a lifelong area resident.
She was a 1933 graduate of Huntsburg High School.
She married William C. Smallwood, one of the founders of the Smallwood Meat Packing Company, Jan. 19, 1935. He died on Aug. 19, 1971. She married Elmer W. Schinagle in 1980.
She worked nine years at Rexall Drug Store and three years at Geauga Hospital. After her husband, William, died, she served as president of Smallwood Enterprises.
She was an active volunteer with many agencies and organizations. She served 30 years as a Methodist Thrift Shop volunteer, nine years as 4-H Club leader and nine years as Sunday school teacher. She also donated her time to the American Red Cross and American Cancer Reach to Recovery program, and was a member of the Geauga County Senior Citizens Center board of trustees.
She served as president of Methodist Women, spent 12 years as chaplain to the Geauga Republican Women and represented the 11th District at the 1976 Republican presidential convention.
She served on the board of the Painesville District UMW, was a member and officer of the Mary Hope Circle, lectured the German class at Mesa Community College, and was a member of the Centerstage Players, a theater group.
She traveled across the United States, and visited Europe five times. She also has toured the Panama Canal, Thailand, Philippines and Hong Kong.
Survivors include a son, Phillip H. Smallwood of Middlefield; a daughter, Jean Curradi of Scottsdale, Ariz.; a stepson, Alan Schinagle; a stepdaughter, Patricia Kindred; four grandchildren, Christina Canfield, Jennifer Hanna, Shauna Mohler and Paul Welch; and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband; her second husband, in December 1988; and two brothers, John Ratzenberger and Ralph Ratzenberger.
Service is 11 a.m. Friday, at the Russell Golden Rule Funeral Service, 15670 W. High St., Middlefield. Burial will be at Middlefield Cemetery.
Calling hours are 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Stephen Y. Mann Jr.
MIDDLEFIELD - Stephen Y. Mann Jr., 82, of Middlefield, died Friday, Sept. 29, 2000, at UHHS Geauga Regional Hospital, Claridon Township.
Born Dec. 22, 1917, in Chicago, he was the son of Stephen Y. Mann Sr. and Sarah Helen Wood. He lived in this area for 47 years.
He married Edith Hanson on Nov. 7, 1941, in Medfield, Mass.
He was an employment counselor for the Skills Available Agency in Cleveland for five years.
He belonged to the Masonic Lodge in Massachusetts. He served five years as zoning inspector for Burton and was a director of the Burton Cemetery Board.
He was involved in many community activities.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Linda Cooke of Ayer, Mass., Stephanie Scheuring of South Euclid and Leesa Mann of Columbia, Md.; one son, Eric H. of University Heights; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and three brothers, Anthony of Tampa, Fla., John of Somerville, Mass. and Dudley of Atlanta.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Sarah Meisner.
Memorial service is 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Golden Rule Funeral Service, 15670 W. High St. (Route 87), Middlefield.
He will be cremated and burial will be at a later date.
Visitation is one hour before the service.
Joseph L. Baumgartner
MIDDLEFIELD - Joseph L. Baumgartner, 40, died Saturday, Nov. 30, 2002.
He was born Nov. 18, 1962, in Chardon, the son of David and Fannie Baumgartner.
A lifelong area resident, he was a machinist at Worthington Precision Die and Tool.
A graduate of Cardinal High School, he enjoyed collecting and working on cars. He also enjoyed being with family and enjoyed sports.
Survivors include his brother, David Baumgartner of Warren; a sister, Tammy Ricker of Middlefield; two nieces, Meagan and Jessica Ricker; and a nephew, Christopher Lawson.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Service is 1 p.m. Wednesday at Russell Funeral Service, 15670 W. High St., Middlefield, with the Rev. Ray Mullet officiating.
Burial is in Mapleview Cemetery.
Calling hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Emma M. Yenyo
MIDDLEFIELD - Emma Marie Yenyo, 76, died Sunday, March 30, 2003, at Briar Hill Health Care Residence in Middlefield.
She was born Oct. 19, 1926, in Cleveland, the daughter of John and Antonie (Kern) Rauch.
Mrs. Yenyo had been a resident of the area for seven years.
She retired from Westinghouse OSD in Euclid in 1994. Mrs. Yenyo graduated from Holy Trinity High School in Cleveland.
Survivors include five children, Lawrence Yenyo of Wickliffe, Julius Yenyo of Middlefield, Linda Pennoyer of Upper Marlboro, Md., Susan Durman of Huntsburg, and Clifford Yenyo of Middlefield; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and a brother, Louis Rauch.
Service is 8 p.m. Wednesday at Russell Golden Rule Funeral Home, 15670 W. High St., Middlefield, with the Rev. D. Ray Mullet of Burton officiating.
Burial will be in Middlefield Cemetery, Middlefield.
Calling hours are 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Thelma E. Caroselli
MIDDLEFIELD - Thelma E. Caroselli, 82, of Middlefield, died Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2002, at Kensington Care Center in Aurora.
She was born Dec. 8, 1919, in Cleveland, the daughter of Delbert and Minnie (Wycoff) Walkey.
Mrs. Caroselli had lived in the area for 30 years. She was married to William Caroselli.
She was retired and had been a clerk for several years at the Village Clothing Store in Middlefield.
Mrs. Caroselli enjoyed needlework, bowling, golfing, bingo and the Daisy Dancers of Middlefield, and was active at Middlefield Senior Center.
Survivors include two sons, Richard Caroselli of Brighton, Colo., and Donald Caroselli of Port Richey, Fla.; one daughter, Sandra Lanciotti from Aurora; one stepsister, Cynthia Fennell of Euclid; 11 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; one brother, Delbert Walkey; and one sister, Betty Flannagan.
Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Russell Golden Rule Funeral Service, 15670 W. High St., Middlefield, with the Rev. D. Ray Mullet, pastor, of Burton, officiating.
Burial will be in Western Reserve Memorial Gardens in Chesterland.
Calling hour will be from 10 a.m. until the time of the service Saturday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to VNA of Cleveland Hospice, 2500 E. 22nd St., Cleveland, 44115.
Stella L. Kuszynski
MIDDLEFIELD - Stella L. Kuszynski, 82, a lifelong resident of Middlefield, Ohio, died Sunday morning, May 25, 2003 at UHHS Geauga Regional Hospital in Claridon Twp., Ohio. Stella was born on January 24, 1921 in Millersburg, Ohio, the daughter of Charles and Daisy Bucklew, and was married on July 1, 1950 to Edward Kuszynski.
Mrs. Kuszynski retired from the mixing department at Chardon Rubber in 1981 where she worked for 32 years. She enjoyed birds, flower gardening and going to flea markets and yard sales. She was a graduate of Millersburg High School class of 1939, and attended Maple View Mennonite Church in Burton, OH.
She was preceded in death by her husband in May of 1995, a sister, Eva Mackey and a brother, Archie Bucklew.
Survivors include a son, Richard (Ada) Druhot of Middlefield and a daughter, Janice M. Kuszynski of Middlefield; 2 grandchildren, Debbie (Gary) Yoder of Middlefield and Sherry (Bob) Kopp of Hilliard, Ohio; 2 great grandchildren, Kailee and Justin Yoder; and 2 sisters, Lena Roth and Darlene Kravcisin, both of N. Bloomfield, Ohio.
Friends may visit on Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. at the Russell Golden Rule Funeral Service, 15670 West High St. (Rt. 87), Middlefield, Ohio. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, May 29, at 11:00 a.m. at the Maple View Mennonite Church, 14890 Burton-Windsor Rd., Burton, Ohio with Pastor D. Ray Mullet officiating.
Hugh R. Gibson
CHARDON TOWNSHIP - Memorial services for Hugh R. Gibson, 79, of Chardon Township, were held at St. Hubert’s Episcopal Church, 8870 Baldwin Road, Kirtland Hills. Mr. Gibson died Oct. 7, 1999, at Lake East Hospital in Painesville. Born Nov. 21, 1919, in Cleveland, he was a graduate of Cleveland Heights High School and attended Brown University. He left college to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps where he served as a 1st lieutenant piloting B-24 Liberator bombers in the Pacific Theater in General Kenny’s 5th Army Air Force. He was stationed in New Guinea, the Philippines and Iheya Shima, Okinawa. He often overflew Japan and landed in China. He was in the air over Japan on Aug. 6, 1945, and saw the flash of the atomic explosion over Hiroshima, which brought World War II to a close. He was awarded five Bronze Stars and the Air Combat Medal. After the war, he completed his college studies, graduating from Western Reserve University. He was a leader in the automobile industry in greater Cleveland, nationally and internationally. The slogan, "Shake Hands with Hugh Gibson, " is well-known in Northeast Ohio to this day. He held many leadership positions in the automotive industry, including the Cleveland Automobile Dealers Association, the National Ford Dealer Council and the Ford Dealer Advertising Fund. He served as president of the 25, 000-member National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) in 1973 and the International Association of Motor Traders and Retailers (IOMTR) in 1976. He was awarded the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award in 1974 and testified at the White House before President Nixon during the 1973 oil crisis. He was a 45-year member and president of the Rotary Club of Cleveland and a president of the Rowfant Club. He served on the boards of the Salvation Army, the Cleveland Society for the Blind, Bluecoats, Inc., the Cleveland Automobile Club, the 50 Club, and the corporate board of the Holden Arboretum. He also served as elder, treasurer and vestryman, respectively, of Fairmount Presbyterian Church, Calvary Presbyterian Church and St. Hubert’s Episcopal Church. He was an avid traveler, visiting six continents beginning with a continental bicycle tour of Europe in 1936. He was an avid gardener, fly fisherman and enjoyed collecting rare books and sailing. He was a member of the Union Club, Kirtland Country Club, Rowfant Club and the Castalia Trout Club. Mr. Gibson began his automotive career as a truck salesman at Birkett Williams Ford in Cleveland and in 1957 purchased his own dealership, Central Chevrolet. In 1962, he returned to his roots and purchased Birkett Williams Ford. The dealership was greatly enlarged under his leadership and excelled as a national example in parts and service merchandising. Survivors are his wife of 57 years, Shirley (Williams); brother, John G. of Cleveland Heights; daughters, Linda Paine and Martha Rogers, both of Kirtland Hills; son, Birkett Gibson of Concord Township; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. His sister, Mary Gibson Jones, is deceased. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to The Cleveland Rotary Foundation, 3813 Euclid Ave., Cleveland 44115, The Holden Arboretum, 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland 44094, or St. Hubert’s Episcopal Church, 8870 Baldwin Road, Kirtland Hills 44060.
