Stan’s Ramblings

THE GENESIS HOUSE

By: Stan Jordan

The Genesis House is the first house north of Town Hall and it has a lot of history. I will tell you what I remember about it.

It has been remodeled a number of times from when I first remember it. Back in 1930 and a little later, a man lived there alone, his name was Frank Fleck. There is a picture of him in Mr. Ehrhart’s book on page 52 in the A.F.D. picture in the back row, next to right end. 

By 1948 Mr. Fleck must have passed away because Mr. & Mrs. Waldo Witt lived there. They also owned the little house across the street on the corner. 

That is where Pauline and I lived when our son, Gale, was born in 1950.

Later on we moved to Wilcox Street and some time Earl Peters and Marilyn moved in there and are still there, but back across the street, some how, at that time, it was called Waldo’s Hill. Waldo lived to be almost 98, he passed away March of 1997. His wife Edna passed, in December of 1998, she was 95.

There has been a number of activities there, like having quarters to let. 

In the last few years, a couple of endeavors of a coffee house. Now it is called The Genesis House.  A friendly, hometown atmosphere, owned and operated by Tim and Cindy Yenser.

At one time that place was operated under the name of Agora. It has been remodeled a number of times and I understand it is a bed and breakfast establishment also.

See ya!

YOU win some and
lose some

By: Stan Jordan

I have hinted in some articles before, that I hate winter, and now we are having the coldest one that we have had for years.

I hate winter and it is getting even with me. The last weekend of January we had a little bit of everything: rain, snow, sleet and a lot of wind. I stayed in the house for two days talking to myself. It wasn’t fit to be out. I hate winter! 

It is 12 degree here at 10:30 a.m. but the strong wind makes it feel like 40 below and this is supposed to be one of the better days.

Well, this is now Friday a.m., the first of February. It is plenty cold and we had about 3 inches of new snow, but looks like we’ll get a little sunshine now.

I stayed home Wednesday and Thursday, it was very cold, below zero for over 24 hours and miserable all day. I hate winter. I even had some water line trouble and had the Battershell boys out to take care of it. The did a good job, cold, windy, snow and all.

See ya! 

Please read this

By: Stan Jordan

For many years I have been asking if anyone had a picture of the old cheese factory here in Antwerp and I never heard from anyone. 

Walter Lang had found an old story and picture of said cheese factory that was ran in the Van Wert Times Bulletin way back in 1950 and posted it on a Paulding County Facebook page. Louis Schoenike started the factory back in 1935.

This picture is of very poor quality and we will not be able to run it, I didn’t even recognize it at first. If you would like to see it you are welcome to stop  at the West Bend News and take a look.

The story is about The Borden Cheese Company of Van Wert taking over the Antwerp operation. The Antwerp plant began operation in the late 1930’s and was listed in Mr. Ehrhart’s book of 1941 when Mr. “Mox” Pollock was the boss of the operation. There was five more boys who worked there: Eddie Hudson, Sam Grimes, Kenneth Comer, Bob Stumphy and Leo Matzen at this time.

I thank Mr. Lang for this story.

See ya!

Those new blue headlights

By: Stan Jordan

I have written on this subject before, but I feel like doing another column.

These lights are so bright that they just about blind an approaching car, and if that guy doesn’t use his dimmers, you are blinded. Then if it happens to be a dark rainy night, it is even worse. It’s harder to see and you must drive by using the white line.

I wish the people in Washington on the transportation safety board would out law those lights. The older lights, like we used to have, are still plenty strong and you can see far enough. Of course, some people over drive them. We always have people in a hurry. 

If you don’t think I am right on this subject, just ask your grandparents what they think of those blue lights.

See ya! 

St. Valentine’s Day Exposed

By: Stan Jordan

There is a number of ideas, levels, facts, reasons, outlook, and just plain goings on, on this holiday with a reason.

It is a day that you can give flowers to a loved one or just any person, the reason is the season.

It is a day that leans toward amore, love and good will, anniversaries, etc.

It is a time when a young man’s mind turns to more serious thoughts. Like if he wants to make a good impression on this girl’s father, buy a good box of chocolate and present it to her father. That will get him a barrel of points. Then with the other hand you have flowers for the girl. 

Now this is a time for the girl to make a good impression on her suitor. That is for her and her mother to have the boy over for Sunday dinner. Ok, this has a lot of good will and courses to land the young man.

The young man can sort of find out if her father like to fish, baseball, football or sports at all. This will get him in good with her father. You see, that is the reason for this St. Valentine’s Day.

Women and their mothers have finagled a lot of promises and down right shenanigans for their own good on this day. Lots of moon struck boys get blind sided this way. I have heard of a little coercion in some cases.

If her mother means business, the fresh chicken for that Sunday meal comes out, never frozen chicken, there is a great difference here and it will pay off. Let’s go whole hog here. Her and her mother have landed this boy and he wanted to be landed.

See ya!