Vermilion High School Class

ONE THING ALWAYS LEADS TO ANOTHER: It began as I slept one night. I dreamed of an afternoon I first met a girl named Judy Owen. I dont believe the family had lived in town too long when my friends and I met her along with, perhaps, her younger sister Nancy playing on the big lawn in front of South Street School. Judys family lived on Decatur Street... close to what was then the high school. Slowly waking from my sleep, another family came to mind. They lived very near the Owens on the same street: the Ollis family brothers Darrell, Ron and their sister Anita. Anita later married Vermilionite Warren Mehnert, a fact that brought me to thinking about Warrens mother (Olive) Jeanette. Jeanettes first husband was a fellow named Kent Lindsley. He was the manager of the A&P Store when it was in the Fischer building on the southeast corner of Liberty and Division (now Main) Street. Mr. Lindsley who died rather young at 37 grew up in Brownhelm. The reason I mention that is because Mrs. Mehnert also came of age there. Her maiden name was French. This led me to recall that she was late Vermilionite Mary Smiths sister. Mary was married to Sterling Smith. They kept a tidy home at the very west end of South Street. They had an extremely large garden (almost a farm) and were actively involved in raising nut trees (Ohio Nut Growers Association). And this thought led me to think about Sterlings brother, who was a very well-known Vermilion personality named Warren. Warren was what one might term to be a real entrepreneur. Many folks knew him as Smitty. When automobiles began to replace the horse and electric interurban as primary modes of transportation Smitty kept a gasoline and tire shop on Liberty Avenue just west of the river bridge. Also, along the river below the store, he operated a boat livery business and lived with his wife Emily in an apartment above that operation. Today the entire area, including Smittys old gas and tire shop, is the site of Don Parsons Inc. Marina. But back to Smitty for a moment. Warrens wifes ...Read More