WARREN GESSNER FAMILY

Warren Dale Gessner was born February 13, 1921, to Clarence P. and Gladys (Eis) Gessner in Flatrock Township. He is the grandson of Philip and Amelia (Drackert) Gessner and great-grandson of Micheal and Magdalena (Vesper) Gessner. He has one brother, Robert Lee Gessner who lives at Independence, Ohio, and a half sister, Cornie Lu Crossland, Defiance, Ohio, and a half brother Gary Eugene, RR #2, Holgate, Ohio, who were born of his father's second marriage to Lavina Agler.

Warren started to school at the Gessner School which is now used as the Flatrock Township House at the corner of Roads J and 16. He was transferred to the Florida Rural School in 1931 when the township schools were consolidated. He graduated in 1939 and was employed in the mill at the Henry County Farm Bureau until he was drafted into the United States Army in July, 1941. He was assigned to the medical corps and stationed at Camp Pickett, Virginia. He was later moved to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, and sent to Lawson General Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, for special schooling. He was awarded a diploma there naming him a surgical technician. On graduation day his unit at Ft. Bragg was called for overseas duty and complete with doctors and nurses from Duke University, sailed on the Queen Elizabeth for England where the 65th General Hospital was set up in Great Melvern, England. They handled casualties of the Eighth Air Force. He worked in the operating room as a surgical assistant and tells of the tense moments of "D Day" and of the unnerving "Buzz Bombs." In December, 1945, he returned to the United States aboard the air carrier - Lake Champlain and was discharged at Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. He arrived home on Christmas Day, 1945. The 65th General Hospital outfit holds a reunion every year which Warren attends. The 30th reunion will be held in North Carolina in 1977.

[Photo, p. 212] Children of Joseph Gessner. Front row, left to right: Griger Gessner, Eve Gesser, Micheal Gessner, Eva Gessner; second row, left to right: Mary Gessner Reily, John Gessner, Kate Gessner Munford, Casper Gessner.

[Photo, p. 213a] Farison-Gessner Wedding, April 11, 1943. Left to right: Betty Farison, Kathleen Farison Gessner, Warren Gessner, Dallas Fruth.

[Photo, p. 213b] Left to right: Scott Gessner as George Washington, Debra Gessner as Martha Washington, Doug Gessner as Uncle Sam. Taken in 1955.

[Photo, p. 213c] Douglas Gessner, Debra Kay Gessner Fahringer, Scott Gessner; standing: Kelly Gessner (1965).

On April 11, 1943, while on leave from Ft. Bragg, he married Kathleen Farison, daughter of W. E. and Eva Farison, Napoleon, Ohio. They were married by Rev. 0. Stockmeier at the Reformed Church, Flatrock Township. Warren returned to Ft. Bragg and Kathleen continued to work as cashier at the Home Saving and Loan Association, Napoleon, until his discharge. He returned to drive a gas route for the Henry County Farm Bureau and later to work as store manager for the Landmark Town and Country Store. The couple lived in Napoleon until 1949 when they moved to his Grandfather Eis's house in Flatrock Township, his birthplace.

Their first child, Douglas Micheal, was born November 16, 1948, in Napoleon; a second son, Warren Scott was born January 9, 1949; and their daughter, Debra Kay, was born January 2, 1950. A third son, Kelly Clare was born February 22, 1959, after they had moved to Florida, Ohio. Douglas attended school at the Florida Rural School and graduated there in 1965 in the last class to graduate from the high school there. At the age of seventeen, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served three years. He was stationed for some time in Okinawa and attained the rank of Sergeant. Upon discharge, he returned to Napoleon where he was employed at Gould, Inc., until 1973 when he enrolled in the School of Journalism at Kent State University where he is presently studying.

Scott attended Florida High School until 1966 when the school was consolidated with Napoleon Schools and he graduated from Napoleon in the Class of 1966. He was employed at Hahn's Clothing Store, Napoleon, for one year and then enrolled in Kent State University majoring in elementary education. He graduated with a B.S. degree in education in 1973 and has taught fourth and sixth grades in Gates School, Elyria, Ohio, since then.

Debra Kay attended Florida School ten years and graduated from Napoleon High School in 1967. She then attended the Northwestern School of Practical Nursing in Bowling Green, Ohio, and graduated from there as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She was employed at Defiance City Hospital until her marriage to Randall Eugene Fahringer of Napoleon on November 29, 1969. Their daughter, Heidi Kay was born January 18, 1971, and Debra continued part time nursing at Filling Home of Mercy until their second daughter, Tara Lynn, was born April 27, 1975. They live in Napoleon, Ohio, where Randy is employed by Walter's Collision Service.

Kelly Clare is a junior at Napoleon High School where he is taking a college preparatory course and is interested in athletics. He is a member of the football and baseball squads and sings in the high school choir.

The Gessners moved to Florida, Ohio, in 1958 when they purchased the former Jennie Lowry Brinkman property. Warren worked as store manager of the Landmark Town and Country Store until 1959 when he left to work at Johns-Manville Corp., Defiance, Ohio, where he is now employed.

He is a charter member of the Gerken-Hurd Post #654 of the American Legion, Florida. He is serving his second four-year term as Clerk of Flatrock Township following in the footsteps of his grandfather and great-grandfather Gessner who were Flatrock Township Trustees. Both he and Kathleen are members of the Florida Emergency Medical Unit and are certified emergency medical technicians. Kathleen serves as a trustee of the Henry County Emergency Medical Corporation. Warren is a member of the State Highway Auxiliary Patrol and at one time served as Marshal of the Village of Florida.

Submitted by Mrs. Warren Gessner

Warren Gessner Family History Addition, Volume 3, Page 61

In March, 1977, the Gessners purchased the old plank house, which hadhoused the Canal House Antiques, from Gale and Janet Frederick. They moved into the house in October, 1977 and began restoration of the house.

It is believed that the house was built just prior to, or during, the Civil War. It was built of solid plank with no hollow walls in the house. When State Route 24 was straightened, it was necessary to move the house from the lower end of the village of Florida to its present location on Canal Street, a distance equal to less than two blocks. Harmon Movers made the move and residents of the village have many tales to tell about that moving.

It was estimated that the house weighed seventy tons. It features an open oak stairway and the molded medallion ceilings popular in the Civil War era and still has much of the original plaster.

In April, 1978, the Gessners purchased the adjoining property from Robert Wallischeck. This property is the original Florida Town House built to house the city fathers, and used as both church and school house. The building has been re-decorated and the original jail uncovered.

The Gessner's daughter and son-in-law, Randy and Deb Fahringer, operate the Town House Carry Out and Antique Shop. The antiques are housed in the jail which is still adequate to confine the rowdiest of prisoners. Warren and Randy can testify to this fact. In the process of painting and rejuvenating the jail, three year old Tara shut the door and threw the latch imprisoning her father and grandfather. They lost no time in instructing Tara in the art of unhooking door latches.

Submitted by: Kathleen Gessner