WILSON (BILL) O. KENNEDY, 67, of Goshen died on August 20, 1998 in his residence. He was the son of the late John O. and Mary E. Wilson Kennedy, of Goshen. He was retired from his work of many years in the retail paint business. Bill was an Army veteran of the Korean Conflict and graduated from Midvale High School. He and his wife BETTY I. VITT KENNEDY, had two children; Michael O. (Brenda) Kennedy, of Florida and Sue Ann (Steve) Burgess, of Dover. The Kennedy’s were married on January 3, 1953 and were members of Sacred Heart Church, in New Philadelphia. Betty passed away at the age of 69, on February 20, 2003, in Park Village Health Care Center, in Dover following an extended illness. She was a homemaker and also worked at Daniel’s Dress Shop for several years. The couple are buried in Calvary Cemetery, at New Philadelphia.
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Thanks everyone for all the posts on the Goshen Website. Some of my earliest memories are going to visit Mom and Dad Schaar (Lawrence and Kate) as my mother called them. She was Catherine Hansen, who around 1929, became a foster child of Lawrence and Kate. My mother attended Goshen School in the 1930’s. She eventually ended up marrying Sidney Schaar, a nephew to Lawrence.
My great, great Grandfather Joseph Schlafley settled in Goshen, in the 1840’s. He married Barbara Schweitzer who grew up just down from Goshen going towards the York area. They raised many children in the Goshen area. One of them, Roseanna ended up marrying my Great Grandfather Rudolph Schaar.
Joseph Schlafley’s older brother Moritz, followed him to Goshen many years later but didn’t have the good fortune that Joseph had. Moritz is buried in the Goshen Cemetery near the far fence.
Rudolph came to this country from Switzerland, in 1857. He settled in the New Philadlephia area and at the outbreak of the Civil War, joined the 107th OVI, a German speaking regimen for the most part. There is evidence that he was jilted during the war. The Seargent in his company was a Schlafley from the Goshen area. He came back from the war and met Roseanna. They raised four sons, Joseph, John, Lawrence and Walter Schaar and a stepson Henry Romig III from an earlier relationship Roseanna had. They spent part of their later years in Goshen and part in New Philadelphia. Rosey’s house stood for many years at the end of Schaar Lane near the entrance to the Lawrence Schaar place.
Rudy, as he went by, helped run the Schaar and Schlafley Coal and Ice Company, of Goshen and was later known as Schaar Coal. There are many entries in early Goshen noted in the county papers of Rudy having plenty of coal to sell.
Another Great Grandfather, Edward Wilson came to Goshen from England, in the 1880’s. He was also a coal miner. His daughter Elizabeth married my grandfather Walter and lived in the Goshen area for awhile. Their first child was stillborn and a boy. He is buried near the entrance to the Goshen Hill Cemetery with a simple painted stone that reads Schaar boy. Walter left the area soon after and went to work for the railroad and later settled in Dover. For many years a large reunion was held on Goshen Hill called the Schlafely, Moore, Schweitzer Reunion. I have several photos of those gatherings and hope to post a few soon.
Approximately 40 years ago, the Goshen Little League thrived and was an exciting part of the Goshen Community. Ron Ebert coached the team for a few years and then Daniel D. Carlisle took the reigns. During this time the Midvale Lions sponsored the teams of Goshen, Roswell, Barnhill and Midvale which made up the league. After a few years, Goshen became part of the county league and New Philadelphia donated uniforms to Goshen’s team. Games were played on a ballfied owned by Huck and Ellen Wilson. The property is currently Fox’s Horse Farm. The Wilson’s bought wire fencing and Warner and Swasey made poles to create the backstop.
The community enjoyed taking part of the baseball team. Elsie Starcher was treasurer and ran the concession stand with the held of volunteers. The team had many players during this time and won several tournaments. A Pony League Team (ages 13-17) in Goshen was also dominate the sport for many years.
After Dan Carlisle moved on to coach several other area teams, others stepped in to fill the role of coach. Some them were Louie Krocker, Ed Leggett and Ed Krocker. Following each season, a banquet was held at the Chicken Manor, at Strasburg.
John R. “Huck” and Ellen Wilson opened Wilson’s Service at Goshen, in 1946. They not only pumped gasoline but sold groceries and snack items. Ellen took care of the store while Huck worked at the Goshen Sewer Pipe. In 1970, St. Rt. 416 was re-routed and the house was moved down the road and a new store built. There are apartments and Fox’s Horse Farm in that location currently. Huck died in 1972 but Ellen kept the house and store. In 1976, she decided to sell the property. The couple were known for rewarding the local kids who received three A’s on their report cards. The kids would get a candy bar for their efforts. Huck’s sister was Mary Wilson Kennedy who also lived in Goshen on what is now David Rd. She was married to John Kennedy. The house is no longer standing. Huck was also one of Goshen’s honary mayors.
Before Little League was organized in Goshen, Huck coached a team in Goshen called the “Goshen Mighty Mites.” Some of the players on the team include Junior and Frank Davis, Ronnie Harmon, Bill Anderson and Eddie Krocker. Krocker remembered that time very well. “Huck formed and coached the team, provided the ballfield, drove us to games in his pickup truck and bought us all pop after the game,” Krocker noted. ” Mostly we played teams in Wainwright and on the Southside. The farthest we ever went was to Stillwater.”
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 currently resides in Clearwater, Florida and Sue, in Dover. Bill’s parents 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. Their children besides Mary, were John R. “Huck” Wilson, Woodrow “Woody” Wilson and Margaret Jackson. Bill passed away on August 20, 1998 and Betty on February 20, 2003.