Person:Paul Ashton (1)

Daughter-in-law: Person: Vickie McCurry (1) Neighbor: Thomas Dewey Diss Person: Thomas Diss (1) Friend & Co-worker: Person: Marla Davis (1)

Notes from Granddaughter Rebekah

My grandfather was ill for the last years of his life, and suffered before he died. As he aged there were several times that he was on death's door - only to revive, improve, and live. His wife, my grandmother Violet, was a heroic, patient, loving and steadfast caregiver. Grandpa remained in his home, in the "Big House," in Venedocia until the afternoon of Saturday, April 13, 2002, when he was moved to Lincolnway Home in Van Wert to be made more comfortable. He died at 5:10 a.m. on Sunday, April 14, less than 24 hours after his arrival. Because he had had multiple opportunities to die at home, I will always believe that he chose not to, thinking that it would be easier on my grandmother that way. He was a considerate person to the end.

My parents, John and Ruby, lived across the street from my grandparents and assisted in my grandfather's care. It was a difficult time for the family and especially for Grandma. Her husband was becoming increasingly frail. Her only daughter, my mother, was battling Stage 4 lung cancer. And her beloved older sister and next door neighbor, Ruby Jones, had died at home in August of 2001 after a year of fighting stomach cancer. Despite the daily struggles, my grandparents were assisted in practical ways and supported emotionally and spiritually by their friends, family, church and community.

I arrived again in Venedocia on Friday, April 12. By now my Grandfather was bedfast, no longer eating, and unable to speak. I stayed in the twin bed next to him in the downstairs bedroom that night so that Grandma could rest in an upstairs bedroom. This would be his last night in his home. I did what I could to make him comfortable and to comfort him but an infection and a bedsore had developed and he was in pain and suffering. The next morning my mother and grandmother made the decision to have Grandpa moved to a nursing home. He was settled into a private room in the afternoon. Goodbyes were said and Grandma was taken home to eat and rest. I remained behind, staying by his bedside until about 8:00 p.m. before returning to my grandmother's home. In the quiet room with the waning sunlight streaming through his window, I read aloud from a prayer book then kissed my grandfather on his forehead and said goodbye. I was the last family member to see him alive.

Those years of ill health do not erase my memories of my grandfather as a kind, decent and honorable man. He was a good person - the kind of friend, relative, co-worker, neighbor - that anyone would want to have. He was a likeable man - an easy person to be with. He was content. He enjoyed a good joke and often had a funny story. He served his family, his church and his community. He was organized and kept his house, yard, garage, work bench and shed tidy. He had great tools and could fix anything. He worked hard, saved his money, was frugal and practical. He and my grandmother enjoyed a happy and compatible marriage. They were nice people to be around.

After my mother's death in 2009 I got serious about recording the family genealogy. Only then, piecing together the stories and photos that my grandmother and I had been working on for years, did I begin to understand the important roles that my grandparents played in their extended families and my esteem for them only increased. They are much loved still among their descendants, friends, and extended family and I am blessed to be their granddaughter.

1931 York Township High School Graduation photo

Siblings L-R: Pauline, Florence & Paul, 1913

Violet Reynolds & Paul Ashton, 1934

1935 wedding photo

Surviving children of Charles & Nellie Ashton in 1964

Mr. & Mrs. Paul V. Ashton & Family abt 1947

Extended Asthon family, c 1940

Friends & family, c 1933

Image:PVA - Athletic Letter 1930-1931.pdf

Male Ashton family members, abt 1944

Paul on his bike, Oct. 2001

Paul with brother, "Bob"

Ashton reunion, Venedocia, 1998

Paul with Violet & Ruby Pauline c 1939

Wedding announcement

Summer of '48. Paul, Violet, Ruby Pauline, Chuck & Sandra Kramer

Paul & Violet in back yard

Paul & Voilet, Ed & Gladys

Hat & Ted's 50th (Violet's great aunt)

Paul & Violet, Oct 1972

Paul with co-workers from Buckeye Pipeline, c 1937

1995 Yost Trailer Park. Paul, Violet, Wanda & Roy Reynolds, Vena (Mrs. Vernon) Kill

Dec 1988. Brothers-in-law Roy Reynolds and Paul Ashton

Venedocia, Aug 1991. Paul and Violet with son, Chuck, and daughter-in-law, Vickie

Florida, 12 Jun 1971. Paul & Violet at Chuck & Vickie's wedding

Florida, 1996. Chuck, Violet, Paul & Ruby

Venedocia, Aug 1991. Paul & Violet with their children, Chuck & Ruby, and son-in-law, John Medaugh

Venedocia, Aug 1991. Paul, Violet & their children, Chuck & Ruby

1963. Paul, Violet, Chuck & Ruby

Paul at work at Buckeye Pipeline

12 Oct 1935 marriage license

Death certificate

Death certificate, back page

Paul with Savidge family relatives

Family gathering

Paul's funeral program

Paul's funeral program

Paul's funeral program

Paul's funeral card

Paul and Violet, Lima, 1986

Paul, Lima, 1986

1992

1999

Aug 1992

1999. In-laws, neighbors and friends, Ruby Jones (RJ) and Paul Ashton

Jan 1999. Celebrating Ruby's birthday

Family, circa 1956

Twins Paul and Pauline

Twins Pauline and Paul, 1983

Twins Pauline and Paul

1998. 63rd anniversary

Aug 1999. Following Florence Ashton's burial

Siblings Bob, Pauline and Paul c. 1985

Reynolds brothers and brothers-in-law, August 8, 1995

Paul and Violet's first trailer

1. ↑ York Township High School Diploma
   21 May 1931.

   Paul V. Ashton has satisfactorily completed the Course of Study prescribed by the Board of Education, and by Intellectual Attainments and Correct Deportment, is hereby declared a Graduate of the York Township First Grade High School and is entitled to received this DIPLOMA Given at Tokio [Jonestown], Ohio, this twenty-first day of May, A.D., 1931. Signed by D. R. Bendure, County Superintendent; J. A. Hickman,Superintendent; C. D. Pilkington, Principal; Russell O. Evans, President Board of Education; Mino...[unreadable] Davies, Clerk.

2. ↑ Ashton, Charles, in Allen, Indiana, United States. 1920 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication T625).
3. ↑ Van Wert, Ohio, United States. 1930 U.S. Census Population Schedule
   1 B.

   Online census doesn't show family unit. Paul's name misspelled [Paule]. Paule Ashton, b. abt 1913, Indiana, 17, single, residing in Jennings Township, Van Wert County, Ohio; parents b. in Ohio.

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index: Death Master File, database. (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service).
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Paul V. Ashton, in Find A Grave.
6. ↑ Ashton, Charles, in Van Wert, Ohio, United States. 1940 U.S. Census Population Schedule.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6} Ashton, Violet Reynolds. Ashton, Violet Reynolds - Recollections.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Rebekah
   1 Jan 2014.

   Looked at photos of Buckeye Pipeline crew in old photo album. VLA remembered names of 2 co-workers: Person: Everett Miller (3) & Person: David Wisher (1).

9. ↑ PVA's Military, in Ashton, Violet Reynolds. Ashton, Violet Reynolds - Recollections
   13 Nov 2010.

   Paul received a deferral for military service because he was working for Buckeye & was involved with the storage & transportation of crude oil. He helped to fill railroad cars with crude oil. This was considered to be a vital job & helped towards the war effort.

10.   PVA's Buckeye Pipeline Work, in Ashton, Violet Reynolds. Ashton, Violet Reynolds - Recollections
    13 Nov 2010.

    Paul worked on the crew that went out into the field to lay new pipe or to maintain & repair buried pipelines for Buckeye Pipeline. The work was all outside and was hard, manual work. One project was at Cygnet, Wood County, Ohio, and involved laying pipeline under a river bottom. Paul & a co-worker dove underwater to lay the pipe instead of the crew doing its regular damming - a very time-consuming project. Working underwater - without any breathing devices - saved the crew a great deal of time. Paul & the other man was rewarded by a day off. Typically the crew road in the back of a truck to and from work sites - in all kinds of weather - and it could be very cold. Violet recalled one time when the buckles to Paul's boots were frozen and he had to come inside and warm up before his boots could be removed.

11. ↑ ^11.0 11.1 Ashton, Violet Reynolds - Collection.

    VLA wrote in her address book that her husband, Paul, died of "heart complications."
    VLA recorded dates and notes in her "little black book" including notes on his retirement, social security payments, pensions, etc.

12. ↑ Ashton, Paul & Violet Reynolds - Marriage Certificate
    12 Oct 1935.

    Per marriage license, Paul Ashton was a resident of Venedocia, Ohio.

13. ↑ Ashton, Paul V - Certificate of Death.
14.   Diploma is in the collection of Paul V. Ashton's granddaughter, Rebekah (Medaugh) Carlisle. Diploma is too large to scan on the home computer.