Ray Jennings

Ray Jennings, son of Edward and Myrta (Gidley) Jennings was born May 18, 1893, near McClure. He had a brother Cloyce and sisters Helen and Ruth.

At a recent celebration of his birthday, with 32 members of the immediate family, he wondered how the family got so large. We told him it all started with him and Grandma. This is how it happened.

He married Geneva Whitehead on November 18, 1914. She was the daughter of George and Alma (Dirlam) Whitehead, and had a twin sister Genevieve. The first child born to them was Irene, and when she was six months old they moved from Richfield to Damascus Township. They began farming about 50 acres and enlarged it to over 100 acres. Mr. Jennings still resides there, following the death of his wife in December, 1967.

Irene has 3 sisters and a brother. They are Zelma, Esther, Marvin, and Doris Jean. Irene married the "boy down the road," Donald Smith and they still live next door. They are the parents of two: Thomas Ray, died in 1962 at the age of 21; Barbara married Patrick Parsons from Liberty Center, and after a tour of duty with the Army, they settled near her parents on another Smith farm. They have three children, Lori Lynn, Lisa Lee, and Steven Thomas.

Zelma married Eldon Johnson, from Floyd Johnson's family of boys. Eldon served in the Army, and they have been blessed with sons, Victor, Ray, Roger, and Dennis. Victor married his high school "steady," Delores Strite, and they live near Victor's parents, north of McClure. They, too, had a son, Todd. But then the chain was broken and Beth was born. Then another son, Chris.

Ray completed his education at Bowling Green State University, moved to Oregon and teaches high school in the Oregon State School System, at Portland.

Roger served his country in the Coast Guard, married a classmate, Mary Ann Kistner, and they are the parents of daughter, Jennifer.

Dennis is at home after finishing high school at Napoleon.

[Photo, p. 273] Andrew Johnson Family. Back row: Maud, Wayne, Maizie; middle row: Floyd, Bernard, Esma, Olive, Frank, Albert; front row: Victor, Lottie, Andrew, Ida, Oscar, Jewel.

Esther married Harold Wittenburg, who was one of the first employees of  the new Campbell Soup plant in Napoleon. They had two sons, Jerry, at home, and Steve, Columbus. Harold died in November, 1972.

Marvin married Aleyanne Roberts. He served with the Navy. They adopted three children: Ramona, Ronald, and Scott. Ronald married Joanne Schellhardt from New Jersey, and after their graduation from Defiance College, they returned to live in Whippany, New Jersey. Marvin and Ann live on the former Ernest Blue farm in Harrison Township.

Doris Jean married Weldon (Bud) Fuhrhop and they had two daughters, Sandra and Susan. They lived in Leipsic, Ohio, until 1969 when they moved to West Des Moines, Iowa. Bud died in March, 1975.

Submitted by the Jennings Family