Gladys Flagg

My parents were Mary A. O'Hearn Leahy, born 1863, died 1918, age 55 years, and John Leahy Jr., born 1860, died 1895, age 35 years.

Both parents were born in Washington Township, Henry County, where they lived their entire lives. They were married in St. Patrick's Church, Providence Township. They had six children, three boys and three girls, ranging in age from an unborn son, (who arrived three months after my father's sudden death) to eleven years of age, as follows: Bert, Birthday, 1884; Claire, Birthday, 1886; Gladys, Birthday, 1892; Marie, Birthday, 1894; Edward, Birthday, 1895; Donald, Birthday, 1896.

Both my parents were teachers; also their brothers and sisters taught. After my father's death, my mother returned to teaching, as she had six young children to support and her only income was from a sandy farm. She continued to teach until the older children were working and helping to support the family.

In all she taught nineteen years in one room schools, and the last one was the Bell School, Damascus Township. It was necessary for her to cross the Maumee River at Texas by ferry boat. It was operated by Dave Hardy, father of Russell Hardy. The Maumee River was a much more perilous stream in those days.

My mother was quite an exceptional person. She was intelligent, determined, and self sufficient; and she knew she was capable of rearing and educating her children without help financially or otherwise. She saw to it that all six children graduated from Liberty Center High School.

We walked during good weather to school. It was four and a half miles each way, and as we went along, other school friends would join us and by the time we reached school, we had a group of fifteen or more.

All my brothers and sisters taught school and all attended college, but the only one completing college was Dr. Ned, who graduated from the University of Michigan.

Bert, who was a farmer, was Postmaster at Liberty Center. Claire was a successful teacher in Liberty Center School. Marie was a primary teacher in Deshler School. Donald left his teaching job in the middle of the term when he decided teaching was not his calling and joined the Navy.

After three years of teaching in country school and four years in primary grades in Hamler, Ohio, I married Carl Flagg and lived at Liberty Center. We had one child, Dorothy, who is now Mrs. Milton Sharpe, Liberty Center, Ohio. She is quite well known in Henry County and surrounding counties as she has been the Child Welfare and Social Service Worker in the Henry County Department of Welfare for over seventeen years.

Both Milton and Dorothy graduated from Liberty Center High School and attended college. Milton was manager of the Fremont Kraut Factory in Liberty Center, until it burned, and he is now engaged in farming their farm outside of Liberty Center, where they live. They had two children, Barry and Pam, both of whom graduated from Liberty Center High School. Barry was completing college at the time of his sudden death in 1966.

Their daughter, Pamela, received a degree in education from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. She is married to Phillip Tanner, who has his Master's and a Specialist in Education Degree from Bowling Green University. They have two girls, Lynn, eleven years, and Marcia, seven years.

Pamela is a kindergarten teacher and Phillip in school administration, both in Toledo Schools.

Perhaps one of the most unusual and interesting things was how children amused themselves in those days as money was scarce and transportation was mostly by foot for boys and girls.

Farm kids had chores to do after coming from school such as gathering eggs, feeding chickens, feeding the livestock, and milking cows, and during the summer working in the fields.

Our farm home was quite a gathering place for all of the neighbors' children as my mother made all of the children welcome as she thought this would keep her children at home, which it did. I remember all of the boys would pool their nickels anddimes (and send to Sears & Roebuck even then) for playground equipment. When they were in high school, they even made a tennis court, but no girls were allowed to play. My brothers and their friends thought recreation for girls was to sew, bake delicious pastry, cook wholesome meals, do the laundry, and if they had time left, sew, read, and play the piano.

The whole family attended by horse and buggy St. Patrick's Church. We had Mass one Sunday a month and the Priest came from Holgate by Clover Leaf Railroad to the station at Grand Rapids. He would ride his bicycle from the station to the Church. St. Patrick's, built in 1845, is the oldest church in the Toledo Diocese. In 1845, Napoleon did not have a Catholic church and many people would come by boat to St. Patrick's.

My maternal grandparents were Edward O'Hearn, birthday, 1820, and died 1870. Catherine Quigley, birthday, 1838, and died 1921. (After Grandfather O'Hearn's death she married Man Mannick.) Both were born in Henry County. Grandma's father, S. Quigley, operated a trading post at Grand Rapids, Ohio, and she remembers well the Indians who came to the post. Grandma attended the Ursuline Convent in Toledo, and was well educated. I remember her telling of how she had cried in her sleep at the convent because the corn husk bed was so hard and the Nuns sent word to her parents so they sent a feather bed by canal boat.

My paternal grandparents were John Leahy Sr., birthday, 1830, and he died in 1904. Mary Harnett Leahy, birthday 1843, and she died in 1891. Grandpa Leahy was born in Ireland and came to Ohio when he was 14 years old.

"Little Ireland" was the name given to a part of Washington Township, north of the Maumee River and extending to Lucas County line. The following families lived in this section: The Connollys, Doughertys, McNernys, Conways, Donovans, Leahys, O'Hearns, Hartnetts, and Donnolleys. Many of their ancestors came from Ireland.

I entered the field of Social Service and Welfare, April 15, 1934, at the time of the great depression. I remained in the Henry County Department of Welfare, Napoleon, until I retired October 31, 1974, after aperiod of over forty years.

This work has been most rewarding and I find I receive much satisfaction in thinking of what I was able to accomplish during this time.

It gives me pleasure and satisfaction, now that I am retired, to think of the many people I met in all walks of life during these forty years — so many different county officials, doctors, attorneys, and most of all, my clients.

I made many friends and I feel Henry County has been very kind to me.

Submitted by Gladys Flagg