The Anthony A. Shelt Family

Samuel Shelt

Mrs. Samuel Shelt

Shelt Ice Wagon, Merle Shelt - driving, Samuel - behind the mules, Will Shelt, Charles Graves, Charles Pruence

Anthony A. Shelt, born 1835, possibly Flatrock Twp., died 1872. Married Elizabeth Kryder, born 1836, died 1909, born near McClure, Ohio, Harrison Twp. Their children were: Sarah, John, Samuel, Clara, Wayne, and Mary. Two or three children died in infancy. 1. Samuel Shelt, born January 23, 1859, died June 15, 1957. He married Jennie Lyn Back, born September 9, 1886, died 1898. Their children were Merle, Imo, Eunice, Faye, Vernon and Elizabeth. 1. Merle, born October 22, 1888, died February 12, 1945. Married Mable Kohli. They had four children. 1. Mrs. Howard (Lois) Tonjes. Their children are Judy, Mrs. Clifford (Janet) Williams, Holgate, Ohio, James, Jayne, and Jerry, Napoleon, Ohio. 2. Mrs. George (Norma) Fisher, Napoleon, Ohio. They have six children: Stephen, Richard, Mary Jane, Brenda, Kevin, and one child deceased. 3. Mrs. John (Lavonne) Metzer, Archbold, Ohio. They have no children of their own, but raised one girl. 4. Mrs. Richard (Janeen) Blakely, Toledo, Ohio. They have five children: Michael, Thomas, Douglas, Billy, and John; 2. Imo, born March 5, 1890, died 1970 or 71. She married Herman Schultz for her first husband and had 3 girls and 1 boy: Hildegard, Emma, Jennie, and Robert (who is now deceased). Then Imo married Fred Gebers, Sr. and they had one daughter, Mrs. Paul (Frances) Degler. They have five children: Melvin, Napoleon, Ohio; Russel, Hamler, Ohio; Mrs. James (Norma Jean) Helmke, Defiance, Ohio; and Mrs. Mark (Emma Frances) Goller, Holgate, Ohio. 3. Eunice, born May 18, 1891, married Ben Awe. They had four children: Rev. Orville Awe, Decator, Indiana; Virginia Chatfield (a singing evangelist); Merideth, Phoenix, Arizona. Her husband was fire chief of Phoenix for years; Marilyn, Columbus, Ohio, never married; 4. Faye, born December 12, 1893, married Hugh Cameron, Wauseon, Ohio, and is now deceased. Their children were: Mrs. Wayne (Elene) Burton; Robert, Tucson, Ariz.; Bernard, Toledo, Ohio; Donald, Colorado Springs, Colo. 3 died when small; 5. Vernon, born January 3, 1895, married Gladys Grant, born July 3, 1900. They had five children: 1. Edward, married Edna Behnell. They had four children: Mrs. Thomas (Carolyn) Erdody, Napoleon, Ohio. They had two children, Todd and Eric. Richard and William of Detroit, Michigan, and Stephen, of Grosse Isle, Michigan. Then Edward and Edna were divorced and he married Shirley Meyer and they have one daughter, Suzanne. 2. Mrs. Charles (Clara Ellen) Betts, Okolona, Ohio. They have two children, Michael and a daughter Mrs. Joseph (Valorie) Austermiller, of Napoleon, Ohio. Clara Ellen has been deputy sheriff in the Henry County office for a number of years. 3. Mrs. Lynn (Doris Mae) Boyd, Napoleon, Ohio. They have two children Dennise and Bruce. 4. Lester Carl Shelt, married Connie Pope and to them was born five children: Robert, Greg, Tam, Tony, and Jeffrey. They are now divorced and the children are living in Florida. Lester married Elizabeth Woodby, and they reside in Napoleon, Ohio. 5. Mrs. Don (Lynette) Baden, Napoleon, Ohio. They have four children: Roger, Vicki, Dennis, and Brenda.

Vernon and Gladys Shelt

Samuel D. Shelt started the ice business in 1901, located on East Front Street, Napoleon, Ohio. At that time the ice was cut from the river and pulled up an incline to the ice house, and they packed it in sawdust to keep it through the summer months. Then in 1915 we added coal to the business. In 1920, with my father and brother Merle, we put in our own ice plant on W. Front Street. This we operated for 28 years, then sold it to Maher Brothers. Then I, Vernon Shelt, was a mail carrier for the City of Napoleon, Ohio, from 1940 to 1959, when I retired from U.S. Mails. After that I operated several gas stations in Napoleon, Ohio, at various times for about 10 years. I worked for Walker's Mortuary, driving ambulances all hours of the day or night and helping with anything there was to do. During the years I worked for Mr. Walker the fastest trip I ever made was taking a very sick man, with policeman Richard Rudolph, riding with us (who is now police chief of Napoleon). We drove to Kryle Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1 hour and 58 minutes, and it was 166 miles. We didn't have the roads that we have today.

Submitted by Vernon Shelt