Vonderheide Wyoming Home

Home of August and Anna Vonderheide (1920-1925)
Village of Wyoming, Hamilton County, Ohio

I've always been fascinated by this house.  Research has shown that my great-grandfather, August Vonderheide, moved into it sometime in 1920.  It is the residence listed in the phone book as their home from 1920-25.  It makes sense that they would have wanted to move into a bigger home at this time because it coincides with the marriages and the starting of new families, all of whom initially lived there.

My grandmother and grandfather, Virginia Vonderheide and Roy Ryan, celebrate their wedding day there on September 1, 1921.  Virginia's brother, Val, also moved in with his wife, Clara Wheeler about that time. My mother, Virginia, and Val's daughter, Dolly, were born while living in that home.

I've always cherished my grandparent's wedding pictures. I recently upgraded my photo-editing software to Photoshop Elements 10 and decided to try my hand at layering these treasurers over the one picture I have of the home.  Here are the results:

Roy Ryan and Virginia Vonderheide Courting

Wedding Guests:  Top Row: Ray Ryan, Virginia VDH, Roy Ryan, August VDH, Anna VDH, Rose Gross Ryan, Clara, Emma Woermann, Victor Becker, Ed Woermann, Julius Gross, Henry and Joe VDH  Bottom Row: Florence Ryan, Josie Turner, Aunt Sophie, Ceal VDH, Emma Huff and Woermann Children

Wedding Day:  Virginia and Roy, September 7, 1921

Of course, their marriage led to the inevitable birth of my mother, Virginia, on July 17, 1922.  Here she is pictured on the porch with her father and grandparents.

Anna, Virginia (baby), Roy, August 

I'd love to show you what the house looks like in 2012.  The address of this home is 416 Springfield Pike, Wyoming, Ohio (a suburb of Cincinnati with many large, stately, restored homes). However, in the 1960s, this property was combined with a couple of others and torn down. Replacing it is a very sterile, uninteresting building that houses the Wyoming Board of Education.

Current home of the Wyoming Board of Education

I want to acknowledge my Vonderheide cousins who had a copy of the house in their collection and made it available to me.

Update:  A reader suggested that I combine pictures 2, 4 and 5.  What a great suggestion!  From right to left I now have my grandparents courting, getting married, and their first-born child, my mother.  Love it!

Virginia Vonderheide Ryan's 112th Birthday

On May 1, 1899 Virginia Elizabeth Vonderheide was born to August Vonderheide and Anna Moser.  My maternal grandmother was born in Covington, Kenton County, Kentucky.

I'm sure that family already knows that I have written extensively about her.  Additional posts can be found by searching on her name in the search box. Today I just wanted to include a couple of my favorite pictures.



Virginia and daughters Florence, Virginia and Evelyn

Happy birthday, Grandma.  Thinking about you.

The Baptismal Gown

One of our most cherished family traditions is a baptismal gown that grandma Ryan sewed for the use of her grandchildren. According to Aunt Evelyn, Grandma was shopping in downtown Cincinnati and saw a baptismal gown in a store window. It cost about $100 in 1949. She carefully looked at the gown and came home and made a similar three-piece ensemble, including a hat.

I was the first one to wear it, followed within weeks by Chuck McCafferty and Bill Hansen. I called Aunt Evelyn this morning to get the current "count". As of today, 88 babies have worn some or all of this outfit at the time of their baptism. Aunt Evelyn also added that Mary Clara is having her third child in August and that Rob and Lydia are expecting their second child in January 2011. So we will soon be up to 90 baptisms! I wonder how long the gown will be able to physically hold up.

Pictured is Lisa Marie Jones held by her mother, Dusty. I was also able to find a picture of Grandma holding Lisa. I'm sure as a first time grandmother that she could never have anticipated that this garment would now be worn by her great-great grandchildren. What a legacy!

Virginia Ryan at St. Margaret Hall

Virginia Vonderheide Ryan moved into St. Margaret Hall in Obryonville in 1973.  In October 1976 they published a newsletter where Grandma was featured as the Resident of the Month.  It held some interesting information that I'm sure we would have never known otherwise.  Here is what it said:

Many people have bad habits:  most people have good habits, but few people make habits!  It all started when she was eight years old.  her mother gave her a piece of material, a needle and some thread . . . and she's been sewing ever since.  She has designed and made everything from wedding dresses, band uniforms, school uniforms, altar cloths, priests' vestments and nun's habits.

Her name is:  VIRGINIA RYAN

Virginia was born in Covington, Kentucky to Mr. and Mrs. Vonderheide, who also had a son . . . but Virginia was definitely her Daddy's pet.  And she loved to ride.  When she wasn't riding her father's knee, she was riding her St. Bernard dog, Guy, or their horse.  She still loves to ride.

When Virginia was five, the Vonderheide's purchased a home and shoe store in Elmwood.  One of her classmates all through St. Aloysious School was a certain Roy Ryan . . . but it took an "old maid" Sodality President to make the young couple realize they were meant for each other.  They have 44 wonderful years together.

Life in the Ryan home was a picnic!  Just about every Sunday, weather permitting, they would pile children, food and drinks in the car, and away they'd go.  They lived in a huge house in Wyoming with three girls and a boy:  Jim, Virginia, Evelyn and Florence (who died and left 6 children).  When the grandchildren came, they even would charter a bus for a family outing.

The Ryans were avid card players, and belonged to several clubs, but most of their efforts were geared to children and ultimately, 25 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren (the record here at St. Margaret Hall). 

Their downstairs playroom was fully equipped to cook for and serve at least 35 people, which happened at least every holiday, and sometimes between.  Then Virginia would back 100 rolls not to mention the other goodies.  She had one certain basket, and when the grandchildren saw that, they would squeal with delight, for it always held pecan rolls . . . 10 dozen!!!!

Christmas was especially outstanding.  There was great excitement when erecting the crib set (hand made by Roy) on the front lawn.  The figures were 6 ft. in kneeling position.

After 25 years in Wyoming and when all the children were married, the family moved to Amberley Village for another 25 years, but the family rituals continued.

Virginia came to St. Margaret Hall three years ago.  She still makes all her own clothes, not to mention wedding dresses for her grandchildren, Purcell band uniforms, vestments and nuns' habits.  She also does all the mending for the residents on the third floor.  If her hand is not holding a needle, it is holding a rosary or a telephone, for she keeps in close touch with her God, her family and her friends, many of whom are nuns.

Virginia is just about the busiest resident at St. Margaret Hall and just about the most giving.  That's why she is just about the happiest and also just about the nicest!!!!

Pictured here are Virginia, Evelyn and Florence showing off the three different styles of bridesmaids dresses Grandma made for the three girls' weddings.

Virginia Ryan - Celebrating the Holidays

Virginia Ryan was a matriarch -- and I mean that in the best sense of the word.  In the eulogy I prepared for my mother's Celebration of Life, I wrote the following:

You were born a Ryan.  Remember how we would joke about coming from a long line of strong women?  Your mother shaped our family identity and participation in family life was not an option.  My childhood is filled with the memories of large family dinners on each of the holidays, visions of a beautifully set table with Grandma’s crystal and china, and the cousins singing as we did the dishes.  How many hours we could spend watching old movies which recorded the ever-increasing size of our families as we scurried about on the front lawn collecting Easter eggs.  Who can forget the aroma of the freshly baked pecan rolls or the trip to Clifty Falls?

I know that it is not unusual, if a choice has to be made, for husbands to defer to their wives and spend the larger part of the holiday with the wife's family.  However, in this family, it didn't make any difference if the wife was a Ryan or the husband was.  You just knew where you were going to spend the holiday.  No questions asked.  I used to wonder about this as a child, but there was no place else I'd rather be.  Where else could all of us spend the holidays with cousins of the same age -- we came in "cohorts".

Every Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years (until that became too much) and Easter was spent at Grandma and Grandpa's.  I often think that not everyone would be so welcoming to families that arrive with 4 - 8 children.  If I had to pull something like that off, I'd shudder.

Until Great-Grandpa Vonderheide died in 1959, he had the prize position at the head of the table.  Grandpa inherited it after that.  All of us share common memories:

• red or black cows made with vanilla ice cream and either red "pop" or root beer
• butter cookies made with a cookie press that had little sprinkles on them
• presents for each of us grouped by family
• a group picture of each family to give testament to our ever-expanding family sizes
• the bottom drawer of the buffet that held toys -- but whatever you did, you were not to touch the dining room table
• sneaking into Grandpa's workshop in the basement which was off-limits
• singing as we did the dishes and cleaned everything up
• believing that Grandma had "eyes in the back of her head" and that she'd catch you for sure.
• knowing you "belonged" and were loved

I was able to dig up one picture of a typical family dinner.  See who you recognize.  I noticed right away that my mother was pregnant. 

Easter was another special occasion.  My brother, Dan, told me on the phone last night that he remembers the annual Easter egg hunt.  As one of the younger ones, he remembers being "coached" by his older cousins on finding the eggs.  We all knew that after we found two eggs, it was up to us to assist the younger ones.  We all remember the family movies of us coming into the house in family groups and parading around wearing our Easter best.

I was happy to find a picture in my photo album that was labeled "Dan".  Notice the age of the cars in the background.  You can click on the picture to enlarge it.

Nothing would give me more pleasure than my dear siblings and cousins adding some of their remembrances in the comments box.  They will then become a part of "our" record.

We had an unmatched childhood -- one that has served me my entire life.

Virginia Vonderheide Ryan - II

Raising Children

Virginia Ryan loved being a mother.  She had four children in very short order:  Virginia, Evelyn, Florence and Jim.  All four children were born in five years.  As children, Grandma had a desk in a little alcove off of the living room (I have it now), and this family portrait was on it.

Pictured from left to right:  
Florence, Virginia, Jim, Evelyn, Roy and Virginia

Virginia was protective of her family.  Aunt Evelyn told me that when they were growing up, St. James School was located just on the other side of the fence in their backyard.  Grandpa had installed a gate making it easy to get to school.  When Jim was in the 8th Grade, the school relocated to a new facility on Springfield Pike.  "Poor" Jim had to walk to Springfield Pike for school as he was in the first 8th Grade Class to graduate from the new school.  Grandma did not like this one bit.

 You can bet that Grandma sewed all of the girl's dresses and probably made their hats.

 



I recently called Uncle Jim because I realized that he "came of age" during World War II and I knew he had been in the Navy. He told me that he was going to be drafted when he turned 18 in July 1945. Not wanting to be in the Army, he made the decision to enlist in the Navy in June. He attended basic training and then was scheduled to go to Hawaii following a week's leave at home. Meanwhile, the war ended and his orders were changed. I will tell his story in another post.

Jim never saw a day of combat, but that does not mean he was exempt from the "horror" of war. He was assigned to the "cleanup" crew assigned to the Pacific. Need I say more. His mother was understandably very distressed at the thought of her only son going off to war. They lucked out.

Note the picture on the desk!

As I type this, I realize that today is the 16th Anniversary of my mother's death.  I dedicate the page to her memory and the sense of family that she instilled in me.

Roy Ryan - Part I

My Grandfather, Roy Ryan

Roy Ryan holding me (Kathleen)

 I was able to write all about the Ryan family during April, except for Grandpa. It wasn't from a lack of materials -- conversely, I think it was from too much material. Where do you start writing about someone you loved so much?

Grandpa was born on April 10, 1900. He was the 7th of nine children of James Hugh and Mary Rose. It was the beginning of a new century -- full of promise for the Ryan family. He was my Godfather, following a sort of family tradition of making grandparents the Godparents of the first-borns. My Godmother was my grandmother, Norine Jones. I was the "first" grandchild, beating my cousin, Chuck McCafferty by 18 days.

Roy is a role model to me in so many ways. His father died of pneumonia when he was only 13 years old. In the days before any kind of Social Security, he was forced to drop out of school to help support his mother and two younger siblings. Last Saturday, I had the privilege of meeting my Aunt Evelyn, Uncle Charlie, Uncle Jim and Aunt Carol for breakfast. My husband Bill, cousin Evelyn and I got to hear some of the stories.

With little education, young Roy tried to make money in any way that he could. He had many odd jobs. Uncle Charlie recalled many stories that Grandpa had shared with him when they were working together on projects. Charlie said that there was a business in Elmwood Place where Grandpa was able to work with a variety of tools. Charlie said that Grandpa was a great "duplicator." He apparently could analyze how almost anything worked and make copies of it. This led to his eventual employment as a "machinist."

Aunt Evelyn recalled the difficult times of the Great Depression. Grandpa was unemployed. He supported his family by accepting any odd jobs he could get. At the time, many homes were heated with coal. She recalled that Grandpa could earn 25 cents for moving a TON of coal! Grandma put her sewing skills to work and was paid for clothing she made, including suits. (Interestingly, I remember asking my mother about how the family survived the Depression and she didn't feel like the family suffered. She made the comment that Great-Grandpa had a shoe store, and that shoes are a necessity regardless of the economy. She felt that they were in a much better position than many other families).

Aunt Evelyn said that due to Grandpa's ability to fix almost anything, they weren't the recipients of "new" toys. She said that he would see all kinds of toys thrown out in the trash and that he would bring them home and fix them up.

When first married, Grandma and Grandpa lived with her parents, as did Grandma's brother Val, and his wife, Clara. They lived in a big, beautiful home on Springfield Pike in Wyoming that was torn down and is the current site of the Wyoming Board of Education. The arrangement continued until Clara gave birth to Dolly and Virginia (Grandma) gave birth to my mother. Aunt Evelyn said that Roy wasn't really too excited about the prospect of moving out because his mother-in-law, Anna, was a fantastic cook.

The young family lived in Elmwood Place. The 1923 City Directory lists their address as 158 W. 73rd St. Roy's occupation is listed as a "machinist." About 1925, the family purchased the family home located at 415 Worthington in Wyoming. Aunt Evelyn said that they purchased the home for $7000 in 1925.

When I first started writing about Roy Ryan, I commented that I suffered from "too much" material. I put together a photoshow that includes some of my favorite photos of Grandpa. You can view it (and I hope you do) by clicking on this link.