Donald Allen Ogle, 1922-2013, Mary Ellen Finn Ogle, 1922-2005

The eldest of nine children, Donald Ogle was born in Fostoria, Ohio on June 12, 1922. His parents were Rolla and Nellie Ogle. He had two older siblings from his father's previous marriage, Evelyn and James Ogle, who were fourteen and 12 years older, respectively. Around 1927 the family moved to Lima, Ohio. In Lima, they lived in a house at 1089 North Jefferson Street, where his mother continued to live until her death in 1983. The property has since been sold and the buildings no longer stand.

The house had been a hub for aunts and uncles, cousins and friends to get together for many Sunday dinners and holidays. There were a couple of fields on the property that were planted for vegetables, grapes, and a rhubarb patch behind the house. A couple of apple trees and a large mulberry tree were regularly climbed by children.

Mary Ellen Finn grew up on North Union Street in Lima a short distance away and on the other side of the B&O railroad tracks. Hers was a large family as well, second oldest of eight children. Her father, Paul Finn worked for the B&O railroad as a switchman. Mary's mother Theresa, nee Hogan died in 1946 when some of her children were still very young. By that time Mary was twenty four years old and raising her own son, but she and her sisters helped raise their little siblings. Paul and Theresa's children were Edward, born in 1921, Mary, 1922, Pauline (Polly), 1926, Carolyn Rose, 1928, Patrick, 1934, Theresa (Sis), 1936, Paul Joseph, 1937 (who died very young), and Leah, who was born in 1940.

Don attended high school at Lima Senior High School and graduated in 1940. Mary graduated from St. Gerard High School in the same year. They were married April 18, 1942. On November 5, 1942 Mary gave birth to their first child, son Donald Allen Ogle. They were living at 625-1/2 North Main Street in Apartment 3 and Don was working at Lima Cord Sole and Heel Company where his father worked. Soon after, Don was sent to the Philippines to fight for the US army in World War II, and in 1945 Mary and son were living at her father's home at 1015 North Union St. Donald Allen Ogle Junior became ill with an unspecified cancer and died on February 18, 1945 at St. Rita's hospital in Lima. It wasn't until 1951 that they had another child, and then they expanded their family with another seven children.

In 1949 Donald Ogle took out a building permit to construct an additional house at 1089 North Jefferson. It was a small block house on the left of the long drive before the old family house. In 1950, according to the census, they resided at 430 Calumet Avenue, presumably while working on the little house. They were living in the house at 1089 North Jefferson in 1953, then they moved to Los Angeles, California for a short time. After their return to Lima they built a house at 308 Smead Avenue, where they lived until fall of 1970.

In 1970, the family moved to Columbus, Ohio where Don had taken a job to be an owner-operator of a gas station in the Clintonville neighborhood. They lived on Brighton Road in Clintonville until Don's death in 2013. The house remained in the family for a few more years after his death.