VOL. 7 NO. 5
Oct. 24, 2012 WWI and the Meaning of the War in History Veterans’ Day is Nov. 11, celebrated on Monday, Nov. 12 this year; celebrated in various ways and in various venues. Unfortunately, the reason Veteran’s Day was established has been forgotten over the years. Kent State University at Geauga thinks it important to remember the origins of Veterans’ Day. Early gestures to memorialize fallen World War I soldiers took place on Nov. 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., Nov. 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as “Armistice Day,” later renamed to include veterans from all the following wars as “Veterans’ Day.” There are no living WWI vets left in the United States and maybe three left worldwide. The last American WWI vet died in 2010. Our memories of the war are now shaped by history rather than personal, first-hand accounts. Also, why should we remember WWI? What is its legacy? European schools make their children visit WWI sites and adopt a soldier so they remember. It Continued on page 2
Leadership Geauga Page 7
Honoring Our Veterans of Foreign Wars
Cardinal Local Schools Page 8
By Nancy Huth As we turn our calendar page to a new month, we see again the yearly commemoration of Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11. Here in Middlefield, VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Post 9678 is located in the Old Town Hall just east of the Post Office on Route 87. VFW members can belong to an American Legion but not vice versa. The key word is “foreign.” VFW members have served our nation stationed abroad. The VFW traces its roots back to 1899 when veterans of the Spanish-American War founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service to our country. There was no medical care or pensions for them. In their misery they banded together and formed chapters in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Colorado. The movement gained momentum and by 1936 there were 200,000 members. The VFW was instrumental in forming the Veteran’s Administration, creating the GI bill, developing the national cemetery system, fighting for compensation for Vietnam Vets exposed to Agent Orange, and getting educational beneftis for active-duty service members. Jeff Gardner, present commander of Middlefield’s VFW, told us the Post here started in 1946 on Shedd Road and moved to the basement of the Town Hall in 1960. They now own the basement and meet there the third Monday of each month. There are approximately 78 members. Continued on page 2
“Out ‘N’ About” Pages 16-17
Hallowe’en Long Ago
PreSort Std U.S. Postage PAID Middlefield, OH 44062 Permit No. 77
Postal Customer Local / ECRWSS
By Jacquie Foote
OR CURRENT RESIDENT
Middlefield Post P.O. Box 626 Middlefield, OH 44062
Inside This Issue ...
Ah, Hallowe’en in Geauga. A time for children’s parties, a bit of trick or treating, and community organized celebrations. But what was it like in the early days in Geauga? Well, we must remember that Hallowe’en from the beginning was associated with the Catholic Church. The name itself began as “All Hallows Eve” which meant the evening before “All Hallows Day,” now called “All Saints Day”. All Saints Day, Nov. 1, celebrates all martyrs and saints and was officially established in the Catholic Church by Pope Gregory IV in 837 A.D. All Souls Day, on Nov. 2, is a day of prayer for the dead and was also carefully observed. When England moved from Catholicism to Protestantism, the All Souls Day church ceremonies were prohibited. However, people found ways to privately observe the day in honor of their dead loved ones. Some gathered around bonfires in fields or
cemeteries to pray together. Many others developed the practice of giving food and alms to the poor in the memory of their beloved dead. As early as the Elizabethan Age, poor people had the habit of going from house to house begging for these alms. Over time, these observances moved from the evening of All Saints Day to the evening before All Saints Day. When Geauga was being settled, you would find Hallowe’en observed only in the few Catholic homes in the area, mostly by prayers and visiting graves of deceased family members. However, the influx of Irish immigrants in the mid to late 1800s, due to the Potato Famine, brought Hallowe’en customs to the northern parts of our country. Here, as elsewhere, Hallowe’en became a “Mischief Night”, a time for noisy pranks and for throwing decaying vegetables at houses and flour on people. Costumes were not generally worn, but, we are told, some tried to look like ghosts, the better to scare others. Even so, the parties at this season were more the traditional Harvest celebrations and only vaguely related to All Hallows Eve. Hallowe’en as we know it, with its costumes, parties, and treats, is a phenomenon of the 21st century.
For official trick or treat times see page 23