Why my past is my present...

Please click on the newspaper article to read it. This came from the Lima Citizen.

So why does Delphos occupy so much of my time? Half my family came from Van Wert and half from Lima. I was raised in between in Delphos. I lived there at the end of an era and so I am just taking my place in history. I am descendent from the early pioneers in that area just a township or so to the west of Delphos and south of Van Wert. They claimed land, farmed it, lived on it, and were buried in it. They arrived in America in the 1600s and were in Van Wert County in the very early 1800s. If you read the article you'll see where my great grandmother was born in a log cabin just north of Mercer. My grandmother was too. I have a picture of my great grandmother and her husband sitting in front of the log cabin my grandmother was born in. If you note it says she moved close to Greenbrier Church in Willshire Township with my great grandfather Richard Medaugh (Norman Richard Medaugh). Understandable, Richards grandfather (Ephraim Medaugh), father (John Medaugh), and uncle (Andrew Medaugh) owned most of the land around there and even donated some for the church to be built on. The United Church of the Brethern. It's still standing and last I saw still being used. A lot of my relatives are buried in the church cemetery beside the church (Greenbrier Cemetery). My great great great grandfather is buried there along with my great great grandfather. My great grandfather is buried in Ohio City along with my great grandmother that I am seen here with. From here on out for the sake of simplicity g=great, gg=great great, ggg=great great great.

I had wondered about the United Church of the Brethern for a long time but hadn't really found out that much on them. I became interested again when I saw the newspaper article from the Delphos Herald in the Spring of 2006. It talked about the The Church of the United Brethern in Christ getting it's start in Marbletown. I wondered what the difference was between the 2 churches. Turns out that The Church of the United Brethern in Christ merged with the Methodists. The United Church of the Brethern has remained. Anyway, I like reading Mary M. Grothause's articles in the Herald.

Before my grandmother passed she had told me an interesting story about the United Church of the Brethren in Willshire Township. Back then it was called the Greenbrier Church. My she told me that all the family went to that church. Makes sense. My gg grandfather's house is still standing right down the road maybe a quarter of a mile away. His father and brother lived close by also along with their families. So you'd think it was one big happy family. Not so my grandmother says. Some how some kind of a disagreement started and finally split the church. If you go out there you will see directly across the street from the United Church of the Brethren there is a second church or what is left of it. It is no longer being used except by a farmer. But sure as be, just like she said. The church split in half and built a second church. Must have been a lot of bad blood to cause that. Now to go a step further. Seems my gg grandfather ( John Medaugh) and my gg uncle (Andrew Medaugh) were at the center of things. This must have been after my ggg grandfather (Ephraim Medaugh) had passed because I don't think he would have put up with it. So the war was on. John's side stayed on at The Greenbrier Church and Andrews side left and went across the street. I have only one indication how long it went on for. Seems the Good Lord called John first which left Andrew as chief decision maker. That's the way things were done in those days. So, Andrew decided that he wasn't letting John get away without a fight. He'd have the last say. So, he ordered up John's headstone. It was huge. Back then to have such a headstone of such size and eccentricity was an abomination in front of God and still is I was taught. But Andrew was the head of the family now and there was really no one to challenge him so up went the tombstone. It must be 15' or so and very ornate. One of the biggest I have ever seen. The family was furious and John was probably rolling over in his grave. But while I was at the graveyard I noticed something rather odd. I noticed a second headstone that looked exactly like John's. Right down to the last detail. Seems that Andrew didn't have the last say. Looks like the family did. There on the headstone was Andrews name. They couldn't very well get rid of John's headstone but they could equal the playing field. Now it was put to rest. The other church is being used by a farmer for storage or something. I had pulled off the side of the road near it to walk across the street to the cemetery. He came out with some kind of an attitude and wanted my car moved which was his right. So maybe everything is forgiven and forgotten or maybe it still exists in the old church. Who knows. I can only guess. Those that could tell us never will.

The John Medaugh Family

This is John Medaugh (my gg grandfather) and his wife Emily Carter (my gg grandmother). Directly behind John standing is Norman Richard Medaugh (my g grandfather).