ASHTABULA COUNTY OHIO - BIO: LITTLER, Walter B. and Esta M. (CESSNA)

***********************************************************************
OHGENWEB NOTICE:  All distribution rights to this electronic data are
reserved by the submitter.  Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted
material will require the permission of the copyright owner.  The submitter
has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently
for free access.  

http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/
***********************************************************************
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Linda R. & Henry L. LIPPS, Kinsman, OH                
LRLBugsy@aol.com                    
Researching ancestors & descendants of                 
Daniel LIPPS/1792/Greenbriar Co., WV                    
<A Little Humor Here:  Checking to see who hung                 
by their necks and who hung by their tails!>        
February 28, 1999
************************************************************************

This sketch is extracted from History of Ashtabula County, Ohio, A History 
of the People of the County By the People of the County, 1985, Compiled and 
Published by Ashtabula County Genealogical Society:          

Walter B. and Esta M. (Cessna) LITTLER

     Walter Benson Littler was born 18 February, 1888, West Mansfield, Logan
Co., Ohio.  He was the eldest of five children of Albert Decatur and Florella
(Keller) Littler.
     On 23 February, 1910 he married Esta Maud Cessna at Mt. Victory, Hardin
Co., Ohio, she born 30 May, 1890.  Their children are:  Marion Ralph, b. 2
January, 1911, Walnut Grove, Logan Co., Ohio; Buryl Albert, b. 15 November,
1912, near Ridgeway in Logan Co., Ohio, d. 3 April, 1984, Santa Rosa, CA;
Mildred Grace (Redick) Dyke, b. 1 May, 1915, near Kenton, Hardin Co., Ohio;
Clara F. Nichols, b. 12 January, 1925, Colebrook Twp., Ashtabula Co., Ohio.
     Walter was employed as a farm hand until 1918.  In March, 1918, he moved
his family to Colebrook Twp., Ashtabula Co., Ohio, where his parents owned a
farm.  There were two reasons for moving:  1. Farm land in Hardin Co. didn't
change ownership often, and 2.  Hardin Co. land was $200 an acre.   Ashtabula
Co., farm land was $50 an acre.  Several families moved to Ashtabula and
Trumbull Counties.  For years, a Hardin-Union Co. reunion was held in the area
every summer.
     Walter rented Isabell Fee's farm 1/2 mile south of Albert's, and moved
there.  I well remember living there November 11,1918 and hearing the bells
ringing all around, celebrating the armistice of W.W.I.
     In the spring of 1919, Walter and family rented and moved to the Will
Anderson farm (now Gale Benton farm).  From there they shipped fluid milk to
the East Orwell milk plant.  It was here Walter survived a 13 week siege of
pneumonia after the demise of his parents in February 1920.  Esta also had a
serious bout with pneumonia ca. 1922.  Dr. L. A. Connell of Orwell brought
them both back to health.  There were no "wonder" antibiotics then.
     In May, 1920 the Walter Littler family moved to their new farm.  Their
main income was from fluid milk.  They first shipped to the East Orwell milk
plant which sent it to Pittsburgh by milk train.  Later, when Prior Bros.
started trucking milk direct from farms to Cleveland milk plants, they
switched to that market.  The price was better.
     Walter adapted practices he had learned on larger western Ohio farms to
his farm operations.  He and next door neighbor, George Dorson, worked
together a lot.  
     In 1922, Walter bought a new Deering grain binder and custom reaped grain
several years with horse power at $1.50 an acre.
     When the T.B. test decimated their dairy, they sold the remaining cows
and Walter worked away while they raised a new herd.
     Walter and Esta were members of Colebrook Methodist Church.  They were
early members of Farm Bureau.  They belonged to Colebrook Grange, Dairymen's
Co-operative Sales Assn., and Cleveland Milk Producers.  They were early
members of Federal Land Bank Assn. and Walter was an early director of same.
They were the "Honored Couple" at Colebrook Homecoming in 1970.  
     Walter and Esta farmed until May, 1946 when they sold the farm to Paul
and Gladys Popowich and moved to Colebrook Center.  Walter kept busy inproving
the house and property, as "custodial engineer" for Colebrook School, and
maintenance of Township road and cemeteries.  They also drove to California a
few times to visit their son, Buryl, and family.
     Esta passed away 21 December, 1976 at home.  Walter died 9 October, 1980
at home.  They are interred in Colebrook Township South Cemetery.
----M. Ralph Littler


==== Maggie_Ohio Mailing List ====