Book Notes

8-21-2024 Aviation Subdivision Book Meeting

Book will be published in December.

Researchers in Attendance: Glenn O'Kray, David Katona (5th gen Esper, mom Lori Esper - area historian, has 8k names in DB private on Ancestry, Lori helped with Synphony home tours); Mike Katona (grew up on Bingham, now lives near Lindburg, home was in tour); Dolly Flinn (N. Silvery Lane); Bill Fader (York connection, in 1st Grade with Glenn); Judy Buck (Nona, got Springwells Park designated National Historic District - Ford Homes FHA); Debbie McBain (Rosevere, Cherry Hill-Telegraph, Dearborn Historical Guild, AAUW); Chris Merlo (prof writer, speech writer for Ford Dealers Meeting in Vegas, raised in Redford, parents Fordson grads, married at St. Alphonsus, only researching homes in original condition in Aviation Sub); Mary Bugeia (5th gen Dearbornite, Cherry Hill & Outer Drive, Kaiser-Dbn Treasurer owned home, was on Dbn School Board, City Commission, Dbn Symphony, did home tours, has HT books, histories of St. Al's & Littlefield Church, got histories from people living in homes); Bob Ziegler (Fenton, grew up in Dbn Hts, attended St. Alphonsus, is Thiesen family from Germany - 2 local unrelated Thiesen families, 7427 Bingham, childhood friends with Glenn & Bill); Renee Hamilton-Newman (Calhoun, attended St Al's 12 years- grad 1983, dyslexia & dyscalculia specialist, husband's family owns Eppinger fishing lures on Schaefer).

Sources: The Dearborn Historian. Online Date Reports (all the owners of a home with dates), City of Dearborn (FOIA requests for building permits and neighborhood records); My Heritage is better than Ancestry. FInd A Grave (by name, obituaries, family connections); PropertyRecords.com (pay $1, beware additional charges, can get them removed); Census Records; printing of Polk Directories ended in 2000; Dearborn Centennial Library -> Library Website --> Library --> Online Resources --> A-Z Database --> address; JUDY: before the move, there was an abstract for every home at the old Dbn City Hall. Mason has home abstracts at the Dbn Historical Museum.

Stories Shared: 250-word limit on home stories. Use template.

Debbie McBain learned that Robert Abraham, now 80 yo, on Oakman Blvd, owned One Potato Two, Palomar Bar, The Crow's Nest, and Stables Bar & Grill in Livonia.

David Katona: From 1800 to 1880s, St. Alohonsus' cemetery was at Schaefer and Warren (Schaefer ended at Warren). There are presently 300 graves in St. Alphonsus, although Ancestry lists 500- some are in other cemeteries in other cities named St Alphonsus. Sometimes only headstones were moved to new cemetery location. There may be graves under the street. Mostly Esper, Reuter, and Theisen in the graves. At first, the street names were, Rome, etc, one street with Noname was named noname spelled backward, Emanon.

Bob Ziegler: 7427 Bingham was owned by his uncle, a captain in the Dbn Fire Dept, cousins attended St. Alphonsus School. Niece Barb Theisen. Robert E Oakman named the streets.

Glenn was born May 1, 1942, at Oakwood and Morley at Dearborn Receiving Hospital, his roommate was Kenn Jess, the son-in-law of Stan Vihtelic. Glenn didn't look Irish, but Ken did. Were they switched at birth? They discovered they had the same birthdays and were born in the same hospital. The hospital was the home of Colonel Major Daly. The farm home was on Inkster Road. The story is in the Stories from the Sidewalk book. Glenn was in Cincinnati with Bill Fader in a confessional line where Glenn met his wife.

Kathy Pelly Montemurri is a Free Press writer who is researching St. Alphonsus Church and School. Kathy wrote books on the IHM nuns, Gesu Church, SS. Peter & Paul in Detroit.

The book will have one page with info on the Oakman legacy, St. Alphonsus church founding, and the Esper family home chronological history. Littlefield Church mended cultures. Captain Airman Morrow flew in a WW1 Airshow and was killed when his wing clipped a flagpole. He aimed the plane away from the crowd. His passenger survived. Captain Morrow had a farm in 1916.

Chris Merlo: Stories from the Sidewalk had 11 drafts, and is 381 pages. It had $25,000 in sales for the Guild. We had features in Hour Magazine, on Chuck Stokes, and Freep, and sold 750.

Glenn: The softcover book will be published in December by a publisher who published 3 of Glenn's books. It costs $6,000 for 200 books. The designer charges a fixed $2,000 per book. It costs $4,000 to print 200. It features 158 homes and will be 8.5 x 11 inches.

We'll sell for $35 per copy, but it won't cover the cost. We need sponsors. The Museum Guild is donating $5,000. Chris made a handout for St. Al's Mass Mob. We will print fliers to stuff in the 300 church bulletins at St. Als and also, Devine Child and Sacred Heart, and St. Maria Goretti, since St. Al's folk have moved to other parts of Dearborn. Dave Katona included it in The Arrow (summer alumni newsletter).

It was suggested that Ingram Sparks, an on-demand publisher, print 10 books for $177 ($18/bk).