AN UNFINISHED PROJECT

In February, a friend and I spent a half day at the Ohio Genealogical Society outside Bellville. The OGS has past issues of the Bellville Star on microfilm. I began researching back issues of the Bellville Star, starting in 1941 in hopes that I would learn more information about my grandparents as well as my father and his siblings. Unfortunately, I have not been able to resume that research project as I have been inundated with work at the office since that time. I did, however, find some interesting information and thought that I would share with you some of that information.

1. During World War II, Marion (Lucas) Snyder was a member of the Navy Mothers Club. Her son Robert Lucas Snyder was in the Navy. I noted from various articles about the meetings of the Navy Mothers Club that Larry Hoffman’s mother, Mrs. C.W. Hoffman, was also in the same Navy Mother’s Club. I believe that Larry’s older brother, Warren Hoffman, was in the Navy in World War II.

2. Ora Otis (Pete) Snyder, Jr. , one of the sons of Marion and Ora Snyder, was a freshman at Bellville High School in 1942-43. While I knew that Uncle Pete played sports in high school, I did not realize what a great athlete he was. He earned varsity letters in both football and basketball in his freshman year. The basketball team won second place that year in the Richland County tournament, losing to Union. The article about that game noted that Pete Snyder was limping because of a bad ankle but nevertheless played.

3. As you might expect, I found numerous articles dealing with how World War II was impacting Bellville. Blackout tests were held in Bellville as part of air raid defense preparations. The Snyder Funeral Home in Bellville received the blackout warning notices and, in turn, transmitted them to the Bellville Mayor and Fire Chief. After the blackout orders were received, it was noted that a steady two minute blast of the village siren followed, which was heard for miles out into the county. Thereafter, Air Wardens followed up and reminded people to turn off all the lights. After the blackout tests were over, someone from the funeral home, usually one of the kids, would be sent up to the cemetery to advise city officials that the blackout test was over.

4. The Bellville Junior and Senior High Schools presented the operetta, “Rio Rio” in late March of 1943. Ora (Pete) Snyder was noted as having a leading part in this production and Gifta (Bowers) Snyder was noted as being one of the student directors of the production.

5. Every issue of the Bellville Star during World War II included a column entitled “News Items Concerning Bellville Service Men.” The December 3, 1942 issue of the Bellville Star included the following note: “Robert Snyder, who has been stationed at Great Lakes Naval Training School in Illinois, spent a sixty hour leave with his parents during the weekend. Other guests in the home of Mr. and Mrs. O.O. Snyder on Saturday evening included Mr. and Mrs. Richard Snyder, Stanley Parrott, Misses Betty Snyder, Dorothy Clever and Mary Shortes, all of Lexington.”

6. An advertisement from Stoodt’s Grocery indicated that a quart of peanut butter was 42 cents, a bottle of catsup was 15 cents, two boxes of Wheaties were 23 cents and 3 cakes of Lifebuoy soap were 21 cents.

7. One article that caught my eye was a letter in the August 5, 1943 edition of the Bellville Star written by two Bellville boys, Leo Fry and Charles Peters, who were stationed at Camp Carson, an Army training camp outside of Colorado Springs. This caught my eye because I believe that Dave Snyder was also stationed at that camp at one point during World War II and got his introduction to Colorado there. The letter read as follows:

“We want to write a few lines to the people of Bellville. Due to the fact that we can’t write a letter to each one, we address this letter to all. We are just fine out here in Colorado and we hope everyone back in Bellville is the same.

The Army is treating us fine. We have very good jobs. We get three square meals a day and plenty of hard work.

We certainly do miss the little city of Bellville and would like to see everyone. Our life is much different from that when we were home. We certainly enjoy reading our Star paper to the boys in the kitchen. When we start comparing our little town with some of the boys’ other home towns, we usually get a loaf of bread or a dishrag, or maybe even a broom, thrown at us, as everyone sticks for their own home town.

Cooking is a very interesting life. On maneuvers, it is a very hard job. Camp Carson is a very nice camp. It is located 7 miles south of Colorado Springs, Colorado at the foot of the Cheyenne Mountains, near Pikes Peak. The altitude of our camp is 7.000 feet. The climate is wonderful. The state of Colorado is the most beautiful state I ever saw. We have visited some very beautiful and interesting places, such as the Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, The Great Royal Gorge and the worlds’ highest bridge. It is a state of beautiful scenery.

When we were camping on maneuvers at Lake George, Colorado, we saw numerous wild animals. Some of the boys from our division caught three young wildcats. One boy from our company caught a young eagle. It was a very pretty bird.

There is nothing more to say, so we will say so long, hoping to see you soon. ”