By:Caroline Longardner
The Society of Mayflower Descendants of the State of Ohio – the Toledo Colony met on Sat. Nov. 13 for the Annual Compact Day meeting and Luncheon at OhioLiving Swan Creek Retirement Center in Toledo, Ohio. Fellowship was at 11:30 and the traditional Thanksgiving meal was at 12 and the speaker spoke at 1:15p.m.
Peter Wilhelm presented an interesting program: “The Great Black Swamp of Northwestern Ohio”. The program was very informative as Paulding Co. is the only county completely in what is called the “Black Swamp” Crane Twp. is considered the flattest twp. in Paulding Co. The glacier caused ridges (US Rt. 30 and US Rt. 2) which became “beaches” of sand and gravel over time. The native Americans eventually stayed close to these areas because of the rivers that came out of them and the wildlife that they produced. His slide program covered several eras of the Swamp.
The Lt. Governor, Susan Fisher of the Toledo Colony opened a short business meeting, welcoming all guests and asking for introductions and for those members present to state from which Mayflower Pilgrim they were descended. Members were thanked for their past help and reminded of the Annual meeting for which we are the hosts on May 13 and 14 in 2022. Volunteers were asked to stay after the meeting.
Attending from Paulding Co. (Antwerp, Ohio) was Caroline Wells Longardner, who is a direct descendant of George Soule. Her mother was Kathryn Irene Soule. George Soule, the Mayflower Pilgrim was her 9th great-grandfather. Caroline’s three children in the Antwerp area are: Melanie (Verberkmoes), Nick and Julius Longardner.
Caroline’s guest from Defiance was Alexander Fodor whose family history has been researched extensively by his brother James Fodor.
