Person:James Gribble (5)

Rescue of Richard Torgler

Joe Carlisle Sr told the following story many times to Rebekah Carlisle, his daughter-in-law, and most recently 11 Nov 2024, when I informed Joe and Jim's passing...

Background: Jim Gribble and Joe Carlisle shared the same great-grandparents, Charles R Rausch (1858-1921) and Emma Caroline Beitzel Rausch (1858-1942). Jim was raised by his maternal grandparents Fred "Stogie" Rausch and Laura Johnson Rausch after their only child, Jim's mother, Hazel Rausch Gribble, died shortly after the birth of Jim's sister. Jim was just a year older than Joe. Joe's parents, Helen Reymond Carlisle and James Cooper Carlisle, lived at what is now 2696 State Route 416 SE, New Philadelphia, close to unincorporated Goshen. At the time, it was "RD 4" but is also known as Goshen Valley Road and Route 16. Jim's grandparents lived on the property behind the Carlisle's, separated by a field of crops. Joe remembers Jim as a little boy walking through the field to visit him. Once when corn was planted in the field, Jim became lost and thereafter, the Carlisle's left their back porch light on for him. Jim's granddad, Stogie, was also a frequent visitor of Joe's grandparents. Jim was a year ahead of Joe in school. They attended Goshen School and Midvale High School and were in high school during World War II. Jim and Joe worked jobs together including at the local sewer pipe plant, and then for Jack Brown in construction (Jack's daughter, Nancy, was in Joe's class).

This event happened when Joe was 15 and Jim was 16, which was in 1943, not long after Jim got his driver's license and also had a car. Jim was driving down the road and saw Joe in the front yard. Usually when he visited he would pull into the driveway but this time he only pulled off the road. As they were talking they heard and saw a spooked horse pulling Conestoga wagon with a small child, Richard Torgler, approaching, and immediately sprang into action. Joe jumped on Jim's running board and Jim carefully drove his car up behind the wagon. Joe climbed onto the wagon and up to the bench seat where he wrapped one arm around the boy and grabbed the horse's reins which were looped around the wagon's brake, bringing the horse to a stop. Joe said it was fortunate that no car had approached from the opposite direction which he thought would have caused the horse to veer off the road, causing injury to the boy. The boy's father, Bill, arrived shortly afterwards, having been driven to the scene. He had left his son in the wagon when he stopped in Goshen for a drink. In anger, Bill struck the horse which incensed Joe who threatened Bill with harm if he continued as Joe believed the situation was the result of the father's negligence and not the fault of the horse.

Richard's brother, William "Bud" Torgler, was Joe's classmate at Goshen and Midvale.

Joe and Jim kept in touch until Jim's death and this adventure was frequently discussed during their conversations.

Obituary

James F. Gribble, age 97, of Coshocton, passed away on Monday, November 11, 2024. He was born on August 15, 1927, in Goshen, Ohio to the late Fred and Hazel (Rausch) Gribble.

Jim was a 1945 graduate of Midvale High School; he then joined the United States Army serving in Korea from 1946 to 1948. On July 21, 1947, he married Ellen (Passoni) Gribble. Together they celebrated 63 years of marriage before Ellen passed away in 2011. Jim worked for Universal Cyclops for many years before he retired.

He was a long-time member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, a member of the Knights of Columbus, American Legion, the Coshocton B.P.O.E #376 and the Tuscarawas VFW Post #7943.

Jim is survived by his two daughters, Mary Ellen Taylor and Pam Wheeler both of Coshocton. Four grandchildren, Jamie Wheeler, Rick (Toyia) Wheeler II, Matthew (Tricia) Taylor and Megan (Mike) Hemming; nine great-grandchildren, Alex, Austin, Gianna, Ayden, Jacob, Bella, Payton, Cami and Tatum; and one brother, Sim (Kathy) Gribble of Cedar City, Utah.

Along with his parents and wife, Jim is preceded in death by his two sons-in-law, Rick Wheeler and Larry Taylor and his two sisters, Shirley (Joe) Sullivan and Karen Price.

A funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 11:00 am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Thomas Gardner officiating. Given-Dawson-Paisley Funeral Home is serving the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Jim’s name to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 805 Main St., Coshocton, Ohio 43812.

An online memorial can be viewed at www.given-dawson-paisleyfh.com.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Online obituary.
2. ↑ Personal Knowledge.
3. ↑ Ellen Marie Passoni Gribble, in Find A Grave.
4.   Carlisle Sr, Joseph R - Recollections.