charlesregenos

Charles Melvin Regenos

(1892 - 1956)

A Christian Renaissance Man

by

Janice Regenos Watkins

The first mention of the name Regennas was found on occasion of a court date in 1423 in the prefect of Waldenburg, Switzerland. In court that day Wernlin Regennass of Reigotswil was accused of slaying Kleinhans von Sumiswald at Waldenburg. Court records report that "Wernlin Regennass was damned in contumaciam" sic (contumacious meaning 'stubbornly disobedient').

In heraldry, the name Regenass is derived from "Raginas" meaning "the counselors". There exists a heraldry insignia of the figure of a wanderer with a staff going under three stars. Later in the 17th century there existed another escutcheon of a Bavaria genus of Regnas with the figure of two lightening bolts on a shield. In 1510 there was mentioned three Ragenahs (hs for double s) who campaigned at Milan as 'Reislaufer'. The name appears to have different forms for the same person.

Hans Jacob Regennas was born in Lampenberg, District of Waldenburg, Canton of Basel Switzerland in 1751. The first of five children of Hans and Verena Tschopp Regennas, he was the first of the family to migrate to America.

Hans Jacob married Barbel, or Barbara, Flubacher (b.1755), the daughter of Steffel Flubacher and Elsbeth Thommen of Bennweil, Switzerland. To this union was born five children, four of them in Switzerland and the last in America.

In July 1798, Hans the father applied for a passport for himself, his wife and four children. His application said that he was 'desirous to go to America, United States' to, reside. Those who witnessed this application testified that 'he is an honest citizen' and they wished 'him and his whole family that God's help may accompany them on their journey'. They were issued the passport in 1803. It would be interesting to know the reason for the extended waiting period before the passport was granted.

The fourth child of this union was Christian or Christopf. He was born in December 1793 in Bennwil, Switzerland. He died January 21, 1867 in Stark County, Ohio. In the 1820 Census of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Christian was living in Earl Township, Pennsylvania. By 1830, Christian had moved to Stark County, Ohio, and, in the 1860 census, it was noted that he owned land in Paris Township that was valued at $4,400.

In 1819, it was noted that "Christoph Regennass, a bachelor farmer outside New Holland, legitimate son of parents John Jacob Regennass and his wife Barbara, born Flubacher" applied for a marriage license. He was to marry "the single Elizabeth Merckle, daughter of Martin Merckle and his lawfully wedded wife, Anna, born Summy". It was at this time that Christoph changed the spelling of his name to Christopher Regenos. The young couple was married in the Moravian Church in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. One son was born in Pennsylvania in 1825 and a second son was born in Stark County, Ohio. It is believed that they moved to Ohio sometime between 1825 and 1827.

Elizabeth Merckle (Markley) Regenos was born in 1799 and died in 1883. To this union were born ten children. Jacob Regenos, the fifth child, was born on July 5, 1830 and became the father of Charles Melvin Regenos, our grandfather.

Jacob Regenos married Julia Ann Brown (1837 - 1911), on March 19, 1857 in Stark County, Ohio. She was the daughter of John and Anna Carr Brown. In 1868, Jacob and Julia moved to a farm in Seward Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. To this union were born Mary Catherine (1858 - 1935), Laura Ellen (1862 - 1939), Alice Elizabeth (1866 - 1943), William who died in infancy, Ira Elmer (1868 - 1937), CHARLES MELVIN (1872 - 1956), and Idella Jane (1877 - 1913(?)). Charles was the third generation of the family to live in the United States.

It was interesting to note that in the Warsaw, Indiana, TIMES newspaper of Tuesday, April 27, 1897, parts of the following were in his obituary.

Jacob Regenos . . . was married to Julia Ann Brown in March, 1857. To this union were born seven children: one passed over the river before him. He was converted in the state of Ohio. A short time after he came to Indiana he joined the United Brethren Church in Christ at Fairview. (Indiana) He remained a faithful member until death. His sickness was of short duration; yet he bore his sufferings with Christian fortitude. He died in the hope of a glorious immortality. He leaves three brothers, three sisters, the companion of his youth, two sons, four daughters and eleven grandchildren to mourn their loss. His funeral was preached by the Rev. J. T. Keesey of Burkett, and his body was buried in the beautiful cemetery near the church. A large congregation of friends and neighbors gathered to pay their last respects to one of their number. He will be missed by the community, by the church of which he was a member 29 years, by his bereaved wife and children, and by all who knew him. May the mantle of charity fall upon them.

Julia Anne Brown was born on November 1, 1837, in Stark County Ohio. Her obituary, taken from the Warsaw, Indiana, TIMES of December 21, 1911, reads in part as follows:

Julie Anne Brown . , . died in Palestine, Kosciusko County, Indiana December 5,1911, aged 74 years, 1 month and 4 days. She was married to Jacob Regenos in 1857. To this union were born seven children, one dying in infancy. Those who survive the loss of a good mother are... Charles Regenos of Claypool.

In 1868 Mrs. Regenos, with her husband and children, moved to Kosciusko County. The same year she was united with the U.B. Church, remaining a faithful member until called to the church triumphant. Mother Regenos was a great sufferer for a number of years. She bore her suffering which sometimes was intense with Christian fortitude. After the death of her husband she lived the greater part of the time with her children. She leaves six children, 22 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren, one sister in Cleveland, Ohio, and a host of friends who mourn their loss.

The funeral sermon was preached at Fairview, and the body was laid to rest by the side of her husband, there to await the resurrection morn.

Charles Melvin Regenos, our grandfather, was born on July 14, 1872 in Seward Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. He was born on the farm of his father, Jacob Regenos, and lived and farmed for the remainder of his life in the same area. However, he had many interests other than making the living and caring for his family.

The following is taken from "A Standard History of Kosciusko County, Indiana. Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1919, Vol. II, pp. 485 - 486.

At the same time he has been prominent in local affairs and has served four years as justice of the peace, is now filling his fourth year as township assessor, and has also been nominated and elected by a large majority by the Democratic party as township trustee.

Mr. Regenos was born in Seward Township, son of Jacob and Julia A. (Brown) Regenos, both now deceased. His parents were born in Stark County, Ohio, grew up and married there, and in 1868 settled in Kosciusko County. Here they bought a farm of eighty acres in section 23 of Seward Township, and on that farm they made their home the rest of their lives. They were very active members of the Fairview United Brethren Church, and in politics the father was also a Democrat. They have six children: Mary, wife of James Miller; Laura, wife of William Schus, of Portland, Oregon; Alice, wife of John Kurtz; Ira, who lives at Niles, Michigan; Charles M.; and Della, deceased.

Charles M. Regenos grew up on the home farm, and in winter attended district school and in summer worked on the farm. At the age of twenty he started out for himself and in the fall of 1894 he married Rozella Clink, who has been his most capable wife and companion in home making. She was born in the same community and when they married their joint- possessions aggregated about $100 worth of household goods. They rented a farm and continued as renters for ten years before they were able to make their first purchase of land. This consisted of forty-acres, and after keeping it and improving it, they sold and bought the eighty acres were they now live. All their prosperity represents their joint struggles, self-denial and hard work of many years. Mr. Regenos is a practical farmer and stock raiser, and is one of the busiest men in the community. He and his wife are active members of the United Brethren Church and he has been prominent both in church and Sunday school work, serving as superintendent of the Sunday school. Mr. and Mrs. Regenos have two children. Golan V., a graduate of the high school who has spent two years in college; and Grayden W., a graduate of high school. Mr. Regenos is also rearing a daughter of his sister, Ethel Mortimore.

There were seven children in Charles Regenos' family. His youngest sister, Idella Jane Regenos Mortimore, died at the age of 33 (?) leaving four children. The youngest, Ethel Fern, was only a few years old at the time of her mother's death.. As Wilma, her older daughter so eloquently stated in her reply to me, "Grandpa and Grandma opened their hearts and home to my mother, their niece, when Grandpa's sister died. Mother was never officially adopted but was treated in all ways as a daughter. She was given some time to visit her father and stepmother, but she was much happier with her new home and family. Grandpa and Grandma wanted a daughter and Mother needed a good home. It was a good situation for them all." In later years, "Aunt" Ethel took loving and devoted care of Charlie and Rozella, her 'Mother and Daddy'.

When Charlie was five years old, he fell from the haymow on the family farm and broke his left hip. In 1877 medical science was not sophisticated in understanding that the growth platelets in that hip were forever stunted and would not grow. Charlie's leg was about six inches shorter for the remainder of his life. He walked with a limp and on his tiptoes using a cane. At one time he attempted to wear a built-up shoe, but he found this to be uncomfortable and inconvenient. He told his oldest grandson, John, that the 'Lord provided' and that in using the single furrow plow, he was the most comfortable. "You see, by putting the long leg on the unplowed ground and the short leg on the plowed ground, I can 'walk straight". Wilma remembers that the limp did not seem to bother him: "I thought he looked elegant when dressed in his good suit with his 'Sunday cane'.

Charles and Rozella were both high-school graduates, an uncommon feat in their day. The exact high school that they attended is not known. It may have been either the Burket or Palestine schools system because they lived near both. In fact, Rozella Clink grew up on a farm some five miles away near Mud Lake owned by her father John Clink.

Charlie and Rozella lived within a fifteen-mile radius of their childhood homes all their lives. The first forty acres that they rented before eventually being able to buy was but two miles from the eighty acres that they later bought. Their two sons were born on the forty-acre farm and moved with them to the next, Charlie finally bought the 160-acre farm that the grandchildren have keen memories of visiting.

Charlie and Rozella bought the farm from T. R. Tucker - John remembers this because the name was painted on the barn and remained there until it was repainted around 1934. They were the local undertakers in Claypool and owned the farm that abutted Grandpa's farm to the north. The Tucker family built a small house on the back of the property where they lived during the construction of the main house. This became known as the 'summer house'. Grandpa used it as a place to store tools, and because it had a fireplace it was used to boil water to make cracklings after butchering, and where the lard was rendered to make soap. It also had a back room that he converted into a 'smoke house' to cure the hams. The 'outhouse' was just beyond this building!

The buildings on the farm were only painted the one time because the cost of painting all of the structures was prohibitive. The painter was a man named Summy who lived on the Claypool Road and spent most of that summer painting all of the buildings except the granary. This was the building used to store the corn in an 'open air building'. On a visit in the fall of 2002, it appeared that the out buildings had not been painted since Grandpa's time, however the house now had aluminum siding on it. Charles and Roxella were proud of the farm and they attempted to keep the buildings and grounds in good condition. As Wilma wrote, 'with the pond in front of the buildings and the well kept lawn, it was a showplace on the "Claypool Road".

Charlie was known for his Hampshire hogs. These were the hogs that looked as if they were wearing tuxedos. His hogs won many blue ribbons at several county fairs.

John remembers spending summers on 'grandpa's farm' until he was about twelve years old. He was given various 'jobs' to do according to his size and capabilities at the time. He distinctly remembers picking up rocks after the field was plowed using a 'dump wagon' with a log bottom. The wagon was literally four wheels and axles with the log bottom made from unconnected tree limbs or trunks about three inches in diameter that could be pulled out and the rocks and stones could be dumped without touching them. They would toss the rocks and stones into the 'dump wagon' thereby clearing the field so the plowshares would not become dull. They took the load back to what grandpa called the gravel pit and dumped the rocks. Sometimes the rocks were left in the wagon and pulled along the lane to be used to fill in ruts and low spots. It was necessary to do your own 'road construction' in those days.

John has many fond memories from being on the farm. He was given the 'privilege' of riding a pregnant mare that grandpa owned. The horses were fed on green soybean hay, however they needed exercise after indulging in this feast because, as John told me, "the beans affected the horses as it does some people". In the summer months during harvest and threshing times, he would take water to the field for the men. This was one method that grandpa used to give the mare exercise because John's legs would 'stuck straight out'. He did not weigh enough or was not big enough to do any damage to the future mother but yet he was being helpful.

Yellow Creek Lake was a favorite place to get ice in the winter to be stored in the community icehouse for summer enjoyment. The lake was about three miles from the farm. Grandpa had a storm buggy with sides that they would hitch the horse to and have a delightful one and a half-hour jaunt to the lake to chip 25 pound blocks of ice to haul back to the house for the ice cream making. He remembers snitching a couple of small pieces of the ice to suck on the way home. In his email to me about this story, he said that he probably looked like an 'Amish man, but it was before he knew about the Amish'

It is important here to tell about the first car that Charlie owned because it was used in making the summer delight - ice cream. The first car purchased came after his own sons were in college. It was a Model T Ford that he later converted into a little truck to carry chicken feed to the granary. By jacking up one wheel and tying the ice cream crank to the wheel, it became an 'electric' ice cream maker! Even though the wheel moved at a rather slow pace, it nevertheless did the job of freezing the ice cream.

There was and is a natural pond at the bottom of the lane on the 'big' farm. In my eyes, this gave grandpa's house a certain elegant appearance. The conservation club would drag the bottom every few years using horses with scoops that would pull out the debris. The pond would then be stocked with fish. Sometimes it was not necessary to stock heavily because the birds would carry fish eggs on their feet and naturally stock the pond. There is a family of ducks residing on the pond at this writing.

The farmhouse was big in the eyes of the grandchildren. It was a two storied building with everyone using the back door as is the custom on a farm. The kitchen was the first room entered from the back porch. It contained a huge table that was always loaded with food. I can remember seeing on the table the bowl with mounds of grandma's mashed potatoes that always had 'real butter' sinking off the top and down the side. She also churned her own butter and 'cold-packed' some of the best meat to be eaten. John remembers that after he and Betty were married she would send a pound of this butter with the occasional jar of 'meat' to them while they were in college. John loved her famous 'black pudding' or more commonly called 'chocolate pudding'. It was always made with pure yellow cream.

Grandpa, although his primary source of income was hogs, also kept six to ten cows for milk and meat. The steers would be butchered and the milk and cream was used for butter and to 'slop' the hogs. The windmill ran water through the 'milk house' to keep the 'milk house' to keep the whole milk fresh. The milk for the family was stored in crocks while the 'old' milk was separated from the cream and the leftover milk fed to the hogs. From this cream, Grandma would churn to make butter. The churn paddles had holes in them to help agitate the cream and make it firm. She would taste it as necessary to see if more salt needed to be added. When it was firm, she would squeeze it through cheesecloth to drain any excess milk and then store it in the milk house.

Chickens were also kept for the eggs and meat. John was occasionally allowed to gather the eggs as one of his 'jobs'. I remember the old school bus chassis that grandpa bought for five dollars to put in the orchard behind the house. He had planned to make it into a chicken roast but never seemed to get the time to do that. Therefore, we kids would play in it on any visit to the farm. It was without doubt the most wonderful playhouse anyone ever had, even with the bird and chicken 'doodoo' that was always present.

When hogs or steers were butchered, the lard was rendered into soap. This meant that a huge iron pot was hung over the fire to 'cook' the fat and lye into soap. Grandma would cut it into bars and store it in the 'wash room' off the kitchen. The dryer was the clothesline that stood in the backyard of the house. The washing machine was a scrub board, however Grandma had one of the first hand wringers in the area. It was attached to a large galvanized tin tub. By rolling the clothes through the hand wringer, she was able to 'squeeze' more water from the material and therefore the clothes would dry more quickly. The clothes were hung outside in hot and cold weather - only rain delayed this Monday morning chore.

The woodwork in the interior of the house was painted a 'dull mustard' color. I still have one of my most prized possessions that belonged to Grandma. It is a small bushel-like basket painted that very color. I often played with this basket when I visited the farm. Grandma kept her darning or mending in it.

The house was one of the first homes in the area to have electric lights. The Tuckers had installed them and operated them by using a generator. The wiring was the old fashioned style using ceramic knobs nailed on the rafters with the insulated wire strung between the two components. Grandpa always feared that the mice might chew through the insulation in a hidden area and create a fire. He and grandma continued using the kerosene lamps and didn't have electric lights until the Rural Electrification Association came into the areas

John remembers that after a summer rain storm, he and grandpa would walk through the corn, wheat, alfalfa or soybean fields and pull up 'yellow crest', a bright yellow weed. It was a weed that was readily identified because it stood well above the crop and contaminated the grain when harvested. He also recalls his hatred for the job! He can still remember coming across a blue racer snake once in awhile which would 'scare me to death'! But grandpa would pick it up with the crook of his cane and tell John how " the Lord provided the snake to eat the field mice etc. so he could have a bigger crop".

When harvest time came, Charlie usually worked in the haymow forking and pushing the hay or straw into its place. He would wear a bandana around his nose and 'sweat like his son and grandson sweat'. Grandpa had hay fever and had a difficult time with his sneezing and wheezing. However, with the lame leg, he could walk around in the haymow easier than he could walk beside the wagon and pitch the hay or wheat stocks into the wagon.

The Model T Ford was a two-passenger seat car called a 'coupe'. This was later turned into a small truck as I have described above. He merely took out the 'rumble seat' like area at the back and built a box to make the truck. This 'remade' truck was also used to stuff the sausage after butchering. The sausage stuffer was much like the small meat grinder Grandma used in the house. By putting the chunks of meat in the top, turning the handle, the meat would grind through and be pushed into a casing made of the intestine of the pig. Believe me, the intestine had been thoroughly scraped, boiled, cleaned and turned inside out before it was used for the casing. The Regenos' farm was clean in all of its operations! Now how was the Model T Ford used? Much as the ice-cream freezer was used. The crank on the sausage grinder was attached to the wheel of the Ford 'truck' and lazily turned the crank. Innovative!

The second automobile purchased was a blue two-door 1927 Pontiac. John remembers that it had little flower holders on the columns between the front and back seat. The radiator cap had a thermometer in it, but it didn't have a trunk, only a spare-tire hanging on the back. The car was driven to church, to the store perhaps once a week, or if the occasion for a 'big' trip came about, it would be driven to Palestine or Warsaw. These 'big' trips were planned sometimes three or four days in advance because it was a matter of twelve miles or more. There was little spontaneous travel in those days even with gasoline at eight to twelve cents a gallon. After driving the Pontiac for thirteen or fourteen years, he sold it after moving to Claypool. It may have had 27,000 miles on it at the time. The next car that he owned was a 1938 Chevolet that he bought in 1940 or 1941, just before WWII. The new 'Chevy' had a trunk that Charlie thought 'was outstanding'.

He purchased one more car that Bonnie remembers. "It was a 1951 green Chevrolet, I'm not certain if it was new or used, but I remember it well. After Grandpa's death we kept it as our second car, and I was allowed to take it to Purdue for a week or two several times a year. It was really a treat to have a car on "campus".

Grandpa didn't hear too well and the car did not have an automatic transmission; it was a matter of using the throttle, clutch and gas pedal. Charlie would pull out the throttle and the car would roar like a 'freight train' before he would let in the clutch and back out of the garage or move forward. We always heard him coming.

When harvest time came, Charlie usually worked in the haymow forking and pushing the hay or straw into its place. He would wear a bandana around his nose and 'sweat like his son and grandson sweat'. Grandpa had hay fever and had a difficult time with his sneezing and wheezing. However, with the lame leg, he could walk around in the haymow easier than he could walk beside the wagon and pitch the hay or wheat stocks into the wagon.

The Model T Ford was a two-passenger seat car called a 'coupe'. This was later turned into a small truck as I have described above. He merely took out the 'rumble seat' like area at the back and built a box to make the truck. This 'remade' truck was also used to stuff the sausage after butchering. The sausage stuffer was much like the small meat grinder Grandma used in the house. By putting the chunks of meat in the top, turning the handle, the meat would grind through and be pushed into a casing made of the intestine of the pig. Believe me, the intestine had been thoroughly scraped, boiled, cleaned and turned inside out before it was used for the casing. The Regenos' farm was clean in all of its operations! Now how was the Model T Ford used? Much as the ice-cream freezer was used. The crank on the sausage grinder was attached to the wheel of the Ford 'truck' and lazily turned the crank. Innovative.

The second automobile purchased was a blue two-door 1927 Pontiac. John remembers that it had little flower holders on the columns between the front and back seat. The radiator cap had a thermometer in it, but it didn't have a trunk, only a spare-tire hanging on the back. The car was driven to church, to the store perhaps once a week, or if the occasion for a 'big' trip came about, it would be driven to Palestine or Warsaw. These 'big' trips were planned sometimes three or four days in advance because it was a matter of twelve miles or more. There was little spontaneous travel in those days even with gasoline at eight to twelve cents a gallon. After driving the Pontiac for thirteen or fourteen years, he sold it after moving to Claypool. It may have had 27,000 miles on it at the time. The next car that he owned was a 1938 Chevolet that he bought in 1940 or 1941, just before WWII. The new 'Chevy' had a trunk that Charlie thought 'was outstanding'.

He purchased one more car that Bonnie remembers. "It was a 1951 green Chevrolet, I'm not certain if it was new or used, but I remember it well. After Grandpa's death we kept it as our second car, and I was allowed to take it to Purdue for a week or two several times a year. It was really a treat to have a car on campus".

Grandpa didn't hear too well and the car did not have an automatic transmission; it was a matter of using the throttle, clutch and gas pedal. Charlie would pull out the throttle and the car would roar like a 'freight train' before he would let in the clutch and back out of the garage or move forward. We always heard him coming.

Cars and buggies going by the house were always observed to 'see who was out and about'. If it was a vehicle you recognized, you immediately waved and wondered what they were doing 'out' in the middle of a workday. It was not malicious intent at all, merely a gentle 'wondering'. It was most unusual for any conveyance to be on the road except people from the elevator in town or other farmers going to a different field.

John remembers the Bonebrakes lived across the road and west a bit from the farm. Their son was a bank robber and he would sometimes make a 'visit' at night to see his folks. There was not much said about this situation because the Bonebrakes were good neighbors.

Charlie loved animals. He acquired a collie puppy through the mail from a kennel in Ohio. The puppy came shipped in a crate for the one-day trip and he and John picked him up in Claypool at the train station. The puppy was about four months old and had the markings of a true "Lassie". Grandpa trained Ted to go down the lane and bring the cows up to be milked. Ted could chase pigeons out of the hog feed or chase the chickens out of the garden. One evening he chased a fox out of the chicken house. The lesson John learned from Grandpa was that "when a fox is in the neighborhood, one senses a faint smell of skunk. So whenever you smell the 'faint' odor of skunk, it is probably a fox."

All the grandchildren remember Grandpa's stories about Alcinus Castleman Regenos, a cousin of his. Alcinus (pronounced El-sinus and where his parents found this name is still a mystery today) had been married several times, but marriage did not 'take' with him. There were no children from any union, so he remained somewhat of 'a bachelor recluse'. Alcinus would 'arrive' many summers without warning asking to stay for three or four days. However, these 'days' would often extend into several weeks. He was a small man with a big beard that often needed attending. John remembers that he could eat 'lots'. He would work around the farm doing odd jobs that grandpa had perhaps put off for another less busy time and earned his keep in that fashion. One morning he would announce that he 'guessed he would go home', and he left. Grandma always saw that he had a new shirt and clean clothes and a bit of food for his trip. He had no transportation, only his feet. So he walked! His home was a small farm of sorts in Missouri and he walked home!

It seemed Alcinus did some rather peculiar things and pulled some stunts that really tickled Grandpa's funny bone. He would tell us these stories and put his hand over his mouth and chuckle about it. Grandpa really didn't want to make fin of him, but Alcinus was different! He made a proposition to Grandpa one time that if Grandpa would allow him to come and live with them, he would 'will' all his property in Missouri to them. Grandpa avoided an answer by changing the subject. Charlie loved to talk about Uncle Ira, the brother just older than he. Ira could alternately make Grandpa very angry or laugh heartily by the stunts he pulled.

Charlie's favorite word for his grandchildren was to call them 'Pet'. Grandma and he loved all six of us equally. I asked John if, when he was naughty, if Grandpa scolded him. John said that he was given a couple of strokes with Grandpa's cane on his rear but nothing that was excessive. When any of us would be there for a meal or even cookies and a glass of milk he always asked if we 'had washed our patties'. He insisted on cleanliness because that was next 'to Godliness'. He would often take his pocketknife and clean our fingernails and his own and later peel an apple to share with us. This always made the apple taste so much better.

He and grandma were baptized and long time members of the Fairview United Brethren Church (now known as the United Methodist Church) located about three miles from the farm. It was really a small rural church located in the countryside but he loved it. He served as Sunday school Superintendent for many years, served on the Board of Trustees, and sat in the "Amen" corner every Sunday.

In the one room church, the 'Amen' corner was in the front and to the side of the pulpit. Grandpa was a faithful member of this group of men. When John visited he always sat with Grandpa while Grandma would sit with her sister Elsie in the main body of the congregation. Grandpa usually sat with his cane between his legs, place both his hands on the top, and often slightly bow his head with his eyes closed as he listened to the sermon. When the preacher said something that Grandpa really appreciated, agreed with or felt was 'right on', he would loudly utter the word "AMEN'. This often scared John because he didn't know when to expect it. He was obviously not listening as keenly to the sermon as was Grandpa.

There were two large adult Sunday school classes, the Ladies and the Men's plus the children would be in the basement of the church. Never did the men and women meet together. I have never known the reason for this. Later, after Grandpa and Grandma retired from the farm and moved into Claypool, Grandpa taught the Young Adult Sunday school class (ages 18 to 25) for many years. He often would have 50+ people in attendance. They loved him as a teacher. When he felt that they needed a different teacher, they 'boycotted him' to continue. He worked diligently on his Sunday lesson spending many hours in prayer and reflection. He was a very loving man, but very strict in his beliefs and faith. Charlie often revised the 'chore time', as Wilma relates, in order to take his family to Winona Lake for special church services or revival meetings. He could relate stories of Billy Sunday, a famous preacher who lived in Winona Lake at that time.

Charlie held several political offices in the county running on the Democratic ticket. He was a staunch Democrat therefore politics were not discussed between Charlie and his sons. He was a Township Trustee for one term and during this time he instigated the building of the Steward Central School. He felt very strongly that a more centrally located school was the best for the 'pupils' (his term). The school was built but, as Wilma relates, it was in use for possibly six years because her mother went to grade school there. It was then closed and the 'pupils' were taken to Burket and the 'new' building was used to store school buses. It is rumored that the 'new' building became known as 'Regenos' Folly' even thought it was never discussed among those in the family.

In spite of this one outstanding foible, Charlie relished serving the public in spite of his dislike for the politics involved. He felt that he had the interest and should give his time to serve others. Wilma relates: "he thought he lost some friends by having that office and doing his duty as he saw it."Christmas was always a time of celebration in the Regenos' household, however there were few gifts. If there were gifts, they were usually homemade things that were needed and perhaps a piece of fruit. Wilma remembers hearing her mother tell about wishing for a special toy one Christmas. Instead she received some fabric for a new outfit and a piece of fruit. I remember my father stating that one time he received a flashlight as his Christmas gift.

Bonnie relates that "Christmas was a contrast at their home. At our house and at my Grandpa and Grandma Howard's home there was always a big Christmas tree and lots of presents. Grandma and Grandpa Regenos did not have lots of decorations. They would drape a string of colored lights across the front window and the children each received a silver dollar. In later years and as we grew older it became five dollars. The dinner was always bountiful with several kinds of meat and desserts. They knew I liked corn and would serve it often when I was there."

Around 1930, Charlie developed gallbladder trouble and had gallbladder surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital in Indianapolis. He was quite ill and his recovery was very slow. John states that "he was about four or five years old and I remember very vividly going to Indianapolis to visit him in the hospital. He had a big bandage on his side but he was very glad to see me. I, in turn, was very confused and perplexed! I remember our Dad telling me not to rock the bed and yet Grandpa wanted to hug me! This was my first visit to a hospital and (I remember) the wonderment that such a trip gave me as a child."

An interesting aside told by Bonnie was her remembering her mother; relating how this experience affected her life. She states, "this experience led him to discourage my mother from her one-time ambition to go into nursing"

Pictures:Christian Regenos (1793 - 1867), Elizabeth Marley Regenos (1799 - 1883), Julia Ann Brown Regenos wife of Jacob Regenos (1837 - 1911), Charles M. Regenos (1872 - 1956) & Rozella Clink Regenos (1874 - 1947)

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In June 1929, Ethel Fern married Boyd Howard. Both were only eighteen years old and had no real employment. Because Charlie was getting more lame and the gall bladder surgery had taken a toll on his health, he needed help on the farm. Ethel and Boyd lived with them and Boyd became Charlie's 'right-handman'. Together they lived in companionship and harmony until Charles and Rozella 'retired' to Claypool about 1936 to live in the little White house at the corner of Section and Church Streets. This is the house that the younger grandchildren remember best.

Claypool is a small town of perhaps 350 souls about three miles from the farm but this was 'town' to them. They settled in and became active in the United Brethren Church that was next door to their home. Grandpa would drive or walk the two blocks to the Post Office to collect the mail, often stopping at Bloom's store for a visit or treat if a grandchild happen to be along. These were happy days for them.

The house had two bedrooms, an indoor bath, kitchen, formal living room and the 'living room' where the dining room table and buffet sat. It was in the 'living room', commonly called the family room today, that Charlie and Rozella really lived and where I have fond memories of seeing them sitting and watching out the window for us to arrive for a visit. There was a large window that faced the front of the house and street where two rocking chairs sat with a small table between them. On the table would be the local paper, any magazines, the mail, possibly some mending, and the family Bible. The central heater of the little house was in this room with the dining room table scooted to one side. With the kitchen stove and the heater, they were very cozy in the winter- time. Grandma would hang a huge comforter over the second bedroom entrance to contain the heat in their living area. However, my favorite room in the house was the 'sun-room' on the north side of the house. This room was built to enclose the door that led to the basement and had windows on three sides.

The sun- room contained the stereoscope and the box of pictures that would slip in the holder so we could see a picture in '3-D'! What a marvelous 'big-people toy' to be able to use at Grandpa's house. As I remember, there was a metal couch or daybed on the porch that we would sit on and look at these pictures. This is the place grandma kept the basket I played with on visits. Grandma also had a grand collection of buttons and marbles that grandkids could handle and marvel over.

As on the farm, a garden was a must to have in the back yard. The garden was smaller, but grandpa always planted 'sweet corn', tomatoes, radishes, and little green onions. He also gained a rhubarb and strawberry patch at one side of the garden. The shortcake that grandma made that was topped with those strawberries and a little milk made a mighty fine meal (or dessert).

It was in this time frame that John was in high school and working at Dunlap Drugstore in Nappanee, Indiana. He remembers sending grandma a necklace made from walnut shells that he bought at the drugstore. He is not certain if she liked it, but she seemed to always wear it when he was around.

Charlie became the custodian of the church. He unlocked the doors before church services, mowed the lawn that adjoined his own, and generally cleaned. Bonnie and I are not certain that grandpa was actually custodian, but in Bonnie's words, "I am sure that he was in charge!" Bonnie remembers visiting them and going with grandpa to the church to 'help' him with the work.

Charlie often made trips to the farm to help with some of the work. Wilma remembers that "he would clean the fence rows, or weed the garden, or pick some of the vegetables and fruits. He would also come for the big activities butchering, haying, making apple butter, curing meats, and thrashing. He was still a farmer, although retired!" She also remembers cracking nuts with him using a hammer and a small metal anvil to get to the meat.

Charles and Rozella Regenos were married on December 24, 1894. The big happening in 1944 was a 'renewal' of their wedding vows in the church in Claypool. This was a bittersweet time for the family. John, the oldest grandson, was in Germany involved in the famous 'Battle of the Bulge' and the news was not encouraging. In her correspondence, Wilma states that "Grandma had had a dream or premonition about John the night before and felt that he was in danger". She further states that "Mother said that Grandma did have premonitions or feelings about the future" on several occasions and that Grandma did not want to have the ceremony 'especially after her dream'. Grandma's dream was prophetic because John was captured by the German's on Christmas Eve.

On the other hand, the family had this momentous occasion to celebrate. On December 24, 1944 Charles and Rozella said their vows a second time. The two oldest granddaughters acted as flower girls, the youngest granddaughter carried their rings on a pillow, and their older son served as minister. The small church was packed with friends because these were two stalwart and loved people of the church family and community. The reception was held in the church basement with the daughter and one daughter-in-law, Edith, serving as the hostesses.

In Grandma's thank-you letter to Ethel written the day after the celebration that Wilma fortunately continues to keep, she relates that she and Grandpa "thought we would rather not have it, but it was fine after all. If Graydon's (family) and John could have been here, we could have felt better. But let it be as it may. We must go on and do the best we can. Trusting the Lord and obeying him in all things". She mentions "the fine Granddaughters dressed in their gold colored dresses carrying those lovely flowers and Bonnie with her nice little suit on carrying Grandmother's wedding ring." She closes the thank you by saying: ";...for making it so pleasant for us on our Golden Wedding anniversary. We think it was all very nice. It meant a whole lot to us for you all to pay such respect to us."

In the early summer of 1946, Charlie and Rozella along with Aunt Ethel and Uncle Boyd came to visit my family who were then living in MacCracken, Kansas. This was farther west than the grandparents had ever traveled. They had a desire to see the Rocky Mountains and so we took an extended trip with them to Colorado Springs. I can remember the awe that Grandpa seemed to feel looking up at Pikes Peak. He felt the majesty of God's handiwork. We also visited the Cliff Dwellers near the foot of The Peak where he and grandma wore Native headdresses. He truly looked like a 'Chief. This was the last time I was ever to see grandma on this earth.

On December 1, 1947 Rozella died. This was difficult for Charles to endure. The two of them had been life-long friends and loving companions and now there was just the one. He knew that she was with her Heavenly Father and that someday he would join her. His religious faith and daily reading of the Bible was his sustenance. The next September his older son, G. V., died.

Charles stayed two months in New Orleans with his son Graydon and family in early 1949. Wilma has several letters that he wrote to her mother that relate what he was doing, the weather, his concerns for his children and grandchildren, neighbors and business. Even in his advancing years, he displayed his love and concern for others.

Charles stayed in the little white house in Claypool for several years after Rozella' s death. He learned to cook and as Bonnie relates "he managed to become a pretty good cook ... even attempting a few pies!" During the winter months he would spend time in Warsaw with Ethel and Boyd. As he aged he finally moved to a little house on Fort Wayne Street in Warsaw.

It was in 1951 that John was graduating from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry and attempting to establish his office in Cincinnati, Ohio. He went to Charlie seeking a loan for the down payment on equipment. In his words: "I asked Grandpa if he could loan me $4,000 for such a down payment. He said that he and grandma always hoped that if John ever needed any help that they would do all they could to help him, so I indeed could borrow the money at our agreed on terms of 4% annually. When I went over to pick up his check, he said, 'John, in 1937, Momma and I were milking the cows one evening and we heard on the radio about the terrible flood in Cincinnati. So we made the decision to take our tax money that we had been saving and send down there for their relief. Now we didn't know where we would get the tax money when the time came to pay the taxes, but God provided as he always does. So John, please be careful where you live and start your practice to keep on high ground. That way you won't be wasting this money." I must add this note to the above. If John's office would have been flooded, we all needed to look for an ark.

It was Christmas 1950 that my mother and I took the reliable Greyhound bus from York, Nebraska to Warsaw to spend the holiday with grandpa. John and Betty arrived by car from Cincinnati and we found that grandpa had no 'Christmas Cheer' in the house. On Christmas Eve we set out to fmd a small Christmas tree and decorations. They were meager, but the spirit was there and grandpa seemed very pleased. Naturally our Christmas Dinner was taken in Aunt Ethel's dining room with the table laden with delicious food.

Charlie spent the winter months a few blocks away from the little house on Fort Wayne Street with Ethel. Even though he was alone during the daylight hours, Bonnie would frequently come home from high school for lunch. In her words: "I would sometimes come home for a quick lunch, just long enough for the bus to make a tour around Winona Lake and back, at the most fifteen minutes. On those days Grandpa would have some soup or a sandwich ready for me. It was a nice break in the day for both of us."

Grandpa's health deteriorated gradually and it was finally determined that he had cancer of the bone. In late November he was moved into a nursing home a few miles east of Warsaw where he lived the last month of his life. On December 25, 1956, at the age of 87 years, Charles Melvin Regenos' life on this earth ended.

I am certain that he and his Rozella are together in God's Heaven watching over the grandchildren of whom they were so proud. They delighted in our antics, our achievements, and our love for them. In the correspondence that I received from those grandchildren, each had a closing comment that I am printing verbatim:

Wilma Howard Smith: Grandpa was devoted to his family and his God. He loved both and shared his loves with them.
Bonnie Howard Hardesty: As I have grown older I realize how much Grandpa Regenos and my Grandma Howard influenced my life and my values. They both represented wonderful examples of what a good Christian, a good citizen and a good grandparent should be.

John Regenos: I consider my grandfather to be one of the most sincere, honest, morally disciplined, loving and humble persons I have ever known. 1 have often stated that my spiritual 'father-image' on this earth was my grandfather. I believe him to be the most Christ-like, 'everyday' man in my life and I have sought to measure up to the standard of Christian life that he lived. He loved to talk, to tell stories and to have a good laugh. I am richer because I knew and loved him.

Janice Regenos Watkins: My greatest regret is the fact I was not able to spend more time with my grandparents when I was of an age to better understand and appreciate them. My grandparents took me at face value and loved me in spite of my shortcomings. They represented the fundamental goodness of a man and woman by the examples that they set for me in their Christ centered home. I have fond memories of them in spite of the distances that separated us.