Obituary: Allan Neil Rolli

Allan Neil Rolli, age 59 of Dover, died Saturday, November 10, 2012, in Schoenbrunn Health Care Center at New Philadelphia following a brief illness.

A son of the late Neil R. and Marjorie J. (Norman) Rolli, Allan was born at Coshocton, Ohio on January 7, 1953.

He was a graduate of the former Indian Valley North High School. Following high school, Allan served his country for three years as a member of the United States Air Force where he was assigned as a Heating Systems Specialist and Furnace Operator. Upon his discharge, he spent a number of years as a truck driver and prior to his illness was employed by Mid Ohio Contracting, Inc.

Allan was a member of the Dover Eagles, Dover Moose and the New Philadelphia VFW. In his free time he enjoyed riding his Harley, hunting, fishing and spending time with friends.

Survivors include his children, Neil Allan Rolli and Maria Daniel Rolli; a sister, Susan Kirtley of Dover; his companion, Helen Lambros of Dover; three nieces, Stacy (fiancé, Dwyane) Laughlin, Blair Elizabeth (Sean) Lee, and Gina Rolli; a nephew, Jack Ross and several grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Allan was preceded in death by a brother, Val Kevin Rolli.

A graveside service led by Rev. Hugh B. Berry will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, November 15, 2012 in the East Avenue Cemetery at New Philadelphia where members of the Carl C. Stoller Post 1445 of the New Philadelphia VFW will render military honors. In keeping with Allan’s wishes, there will be no public visitation prior to services.

Memorial contributions in Allan’s name may be directed to Crossroads Hospice, 3743 Boettler Oaks Drive, Suite E, Green, Ohio 44685.

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Obituary – Marjorie J. Rolli

Marjorie J. Rolli- 86, of New Philadelphia, died Thursday, April 12, 2012 in Schoenbrunn Healthcare, at New Philadelphia following a lengthy illness. A daughter of the later Charles and Estella (Peters) Norman, Marjorie was born July 6, 1925 at Newcomerstown, OH. She graduated from Newcomerstown High School in 1943 and married Neil Rolli on June 1, 1952, at Coshocton, OH. They shared 34 years of marriage prior to Neil’s passing on January 22, 1987.
Along with Neil, Marjorie was the owner and operator of Rolli’s Tavern, at Goshen. In her younger years she was also employed as an operator at Bell Telephone and also at J.C. Penney and KMart. Marjorie was a member of Sharon Moravian Church. She enjoyed fishing and traveling to Wheeling Island to play slot machines. Marojorie most of all enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren. She is survived by her daughter, Susan Kirtley, of Dover and a son, Allan Rolli, of Dover. Her grandchildren are Neil Rolli, of Uhrichsville, Maria Rolli, of New Philadelphia and  Gina Rolli and Jack Ross, bot of Nevada; several great-grandchildren, a sister, Rosemary Ridgeway, of CA and two nieces, A son, Keven Rolli also preceded her in death along with her parents and two infant great-granddaughters and two nieces.
The family will receive friends on Monday, April 16, 2012 from 10-11 a.m. in the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home and Crematory at New Philadelphia. A funeral service will follow at 11 in the funeral home with Rev. Dennis Rohn officiating. Burial will follow in West Lawn Cemetery at Newcomerstown. Those wishing to do so may send the family a personal condolence and light a candle in remembrance of Marjorie by visiting the funeral home website. Contributions may be made in her memory to Crossroads Hospice, 3743 Boettler Oaks Dr., Suite E. Green, OH 44685. A complete obit appeared in the Times Reporter on April 14th, 2012. Photos of the family and tavern can be viewed on the website.

Stories from Bob Cookson

Bob Cookson recently shared a couple of stories from his younger days in Goshen. He is currently 70 years young and resides in Wilmington, North Carolina. He told about his days attending the Goshen School and these are his words:

I started first grade at the Goshen School and spent 8 years there. When I started, the “outhouses” were at the end of the driveway behind the school, next to the Leggett property. I remember inside plumbing coming to Goshen but I don’t remember what year. If you went in the left hand set of doors if you were facing the school, at the bottom of the basement steps on the left was the electrical panel and that is where the janitor had a switch to ring the bell for all events. In that same little area was the old hand pump for water. When the restrooms were installed, we also got an electric pump and water fountains. Up town! We even had a shower in the restrooms.
Originally as I recall there was a stage in the gym on the top floor on the left side facing the front of the school from the 416 side. I remember Hupp Music Store putting on a show there with a goup of students playing “Hawaiian Guiltars.” I think Harold Lute played in that performance. Last I heard Harold was still Mayor of Roswell. (He recently resigned that position after many years.) Also, our school plays were performed there. Later the stage came out and we used the gym.
During my 7th and 8th grades, the stage end of the gym was turned into a classroom. Mr. Bowers was the principal and taught 7th and 8th grade. When I first started school at Goshen, Stoggie Rausch was the janitor. Later on Mr. Brennan became the janitor. The only two cooks I remember were Silvia Johnson and Mrs. Hibbs. Basketball coaches I remember were Bill Anderson and Woody Richardson, who was also our mail carrier. Woody’s sons Billy and Eddie attended school there.
We had trouble with the milk vanishing from the cooler in the basement at one time. There were a group of rascals that figured out if you removed the coal cover on the coal cellar (in the back of the school) and slipped in you could enjoy a free milk. Don’t think the school ever figured it out but they did lock the cooler.
We used to always sit on the steps in front of the school and each of us would pick a brand of car and we would count how many went by. We were easily entertained.
At lunch during the summer there was always a softball game. Mr. Bowers would pitch for both sides and of course, he pitched according to the hitter’s ability. In the winter it was basketball.
Mr. Bowers bought one of the early ’55 Chevy V8’s and took a group of us for a ride at lunch time down to Helen Rolli’s tavern and back. V8Chevy was hot in those days! Each year at the end of basketball season, Mr. Bowers would put on a dinner for the school. We did pray before those meals and we did say the pledge each morning before class. I don’t remember anyone being seriously injured as a result. I remember when Lucille Reynolds got Polio and we all got our sugar cube.
I remember once when the flag rope broke, Mr. Bowers had Harold Lute climb the flag pole and put a new rope through the pulley at the top. Today they would probably sue you for even thinking such a thought.
Growing up in Goshen was a great life with great people.

Halloween Stories:

Bob says that he and Russ Hobart were “terrors” during Halloween when they were young. ” I think Tom Brokaw liked to chase us as much as we enjoyed soaping his windows,” Bob said.
He also told of the time he and Russ were “picking on” Waldon Leggett.
“Waldon came out the back door and Russ and I ran across his back yard toward Helen Rolli’s Hill. Almost at the end of Waldon’s yard, there is this dip in the ground and I leaped over it but didn’t make it. I’m falling, falling, falling so I threw my arms out and caught myself but I am in a well or something… Turns out it is was their septic tank. I smelled really good when I got out of there and hauled tail right to the old sulfer creek and tried my darndest to wash that mess off my pant legs. Of course, Russ could not wait to spread the word next day at school.”

Sue Rolli Kirtley Family

  Sue Rolli Kirtley resided in Goshen from 1959 to 1976.  She lived with her parents Marge and Neil and brothers Kevin and Allan.  Neil passed away in January of 1987 and Kevin in December of 2004.  They had all resided along old Rt. 4 which is currently State Route 416 across from Rolli’s Tavern which was owned and operated by her parents.  They also owned a gas station at one time.
    Kirtley now lives in Dover and has two daughters Stacy Michelle and Blair Elizabeth, sons-in-law Dwyane and Sean and one granddaughter, Johanna Jane. Sue is currently working at Lauren Manufacturing, in New Philadelphia.  Kirtley says she always felt there was something fun to do in the Goshen community.
    “I played on the girls softball team for 5-6 years,” she noted. “I can remember Jim Scott, from Strasburg, was a coach at one point as well as Ed McPherson, of Tuscarawas. Jo Ann Davis (Guy), Bubbles (Catherine) McWilliams, Arleen and Leann (Liedke) McWilliams, Susie Kennedy (Burgess), Cheryl McPherson, Candy and Vicki Casebeer, Cindy (Krocker Davis) and Teri (Krocker Stein) were teammates as best I can remember. I think also Peggy Hobart, Debbie Shroyer and Susie Goss (Sherer) may have played at one time as well.”
    Kirtley also loved sled riding and ice skating and enjoyed watching the baseball teams during the summer.  The softball team played on the field once owned by Huck and Ellen Wilson and where the little league games were held.
    In her spare time these days, Kirtley likes to spend time with her brother.
    “Allan and I are very close,” she said.  “We enjoy riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, attending drag racing events together, or just going for a ride.”
    Kirtley remembers a lot of her family’s history as well as that of the community and is anxious to share it. Here is that history in her words:
    “Mom and Dad moved to Goshen in 1954 and built what is now Gary Mangon’s house. There, they operated a Sinclair gas station.”, she explained.  “My Grandma Helen Rolli, operated a general store next door in the house that Jimmy Carlisle did live in. I don’t know if he still lives there or not.  Also, my Grandma Helen operated a rootbeer stand on the property where Gary Garabrandt’s mobile home is located. The root beer stand had the first “drive in” movie in the area. The movies would be shown on the side of the store and later she got a big movie screen. My Grandma Rolli purchased the tavern from a lady named Mary Johnson and operated it for many years until she had a stroke and died in 1967. The tavern was left to my dad, Neil Rolli and it was operated by him and my mom, Marge and George “Pappy” Szita. Pappy was my Grandma Rolli’s companion for many years. He had a sister, Agnes and a brother Louis. They lived in a house beside Kennedy’s.
    I think the rebuilding of Route 4 into S.R. 416 happened in 1974-75. (In a later e-mail, Kirtley notes that on the back of a photo of the newly built tavern it says the plumbing was completed in 1973!) The new road caused several people to have to relocate their homes/businesses. Mom and Dad couldn’t have the tavern moved because it was such a large building, so they built a new tavern that is currently some type of “gaming” place. The old tavern was torn down because the new roads’ center line would basically go straight down through the middle of the building. I can remember the road crew hauled fill dirt off of mom and dad’s hill, behind our house, to make the base for the new road.
     I can remember that Ralph Simmers moved (Bill and Betty) Kennedy’s house down over the hill to its current location. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson’s house was bought by Mom and Dad and also moved by Ralph Simmers and was eventually located right across the road from the new tavern.  After some remodeling of the Anderson house, mom and dad sold the cement block house to Gary Mangon and we moved into the Anderson house. Agnes and Louis Szita’s house was also moved down the lane by the Welshenbaugh and Reynolds families. Also the gas station and store operated by Huck and Ellen Wilson was moved down the road.  Actually, their house was moved and a new gas station and store were built and is now where Fox’s Horse Farm is located.
    My dad raced stock cars for several years, say from 1954 until somewhere around 1959 or 1960. We always had a crowd of men in our garage. I can remember John Lieser, Jerry Coletti and Bob Condo. Ironically, Bob Condo is my neighbor now.  I have several pictures of my dad and his stock car and these guys.”
    Kirtley added that she has many photos of the community as well as some Goshen School “class photos” and would like to add those to the website in the near future.  Marge Rolli is now living at the Schoenbrunn Healthcare Center, in New Philadelphia.

Steve and Sue (Kennedy) Burgess

Wilson “Bill” and Betty Kennedy moved into their house along State Route 416, in 1955. The house was moved around 1970 from the current Goshen Valley Rd. when the new 416 was built. Bill and Betty had two children, Mike and Sue.
Mike and Sue’s grandparents were Jack and Mary Kennedy, who lived in Goshen since 1939, next to the Goshen Community Church of the Nazarene. The house has since been razed. Mary’s maiden name was Wilson and her parents also lived in Goshen. Their children, besides Mary, were John “Huck” Wilson, Woodrow “Woody” Wilson and Margaret Jackson.

Sue lived in Goshen from 1958 to 1982. She now resides in Dover, Ohio after marrying Steve Burgess, on August 21, 1982. They have two children, Stephanie Ann Burgess Stevenson and Shane Phillip Burgess. Stephanie is married to Josh Stevenson and Sue and Steve are now the proud grandparents of Cy Stevenson, who was born June 24, 2011. They also have a dog named Sammie and enjoy gardening. Sue has fond memories of living in the small, close-knit community.
“I loved to visit my grandparents,” said Burgess. “And running over to see Cindy (Davis) and Teri (Stein) Krocker, Dene Krocker (Badertscher) and Sue Rolli (Kirtley)”

Burgess adds that she doesn’t remember much about her Goshen home being moved except that Ralph Slimmers was the person who moved the house.
“I remember Mom saying that, ” she said, noting she isn’t certain about the spelling of his last name. “And we had to climb a big step ladder to get into the house!”