Person:Robert Lollar (2)

THE LOLLARS and THE LAND Chapter 7

Robert Miller Lollar 1915-1997-Brother 

Katherine Lucile Lollar Rowland 1918- Sister

Harry and Ruby Lollar had two children, a boy and a girl. Both were born at the Home Place of the Lollar Farm on The Ridge, both were named for two grandparents. When their son was born on May 17, 1915, he was named Robert Miller Lollar, Robert for his father's father, Robert Bruce Lollar, who had died just three years before, and the middle name, Miller, his mother's maiden name. When their daughter was born on September 24, 1918, she was named Katherine Lucile Lollar, for her father's mother, Kittie Jameson Lollar, and her mother's mother, Lucy Evans Miller. When Katherine was five years old, Harry and Ruby and the children moved from the Home Place to a new house which had been built for them on Bruce's 33 acres. Since Kittie was now living at 407 East Main Street in Lebanon, ownership of the 33 acres had been acquired by Harry and Ruby. This new house (built in 1922), for which Harry had made detailed plans and kept exact records of details, had such innovative things as a Delco electric light system, a bathroom, and a dumbwaiter in the kitchen, as well as four large rooms on each of two floors and a full basement. The previous summer Doc McKinney, the hired man, had spent all of his time "tearing down the old house, hauling gravel, etc.," saving as much lumber and other material for the new house as possible. Both Robert and Katherine (the nickname Bob did not come until he was an adult, as a tiny girl Katherine was known as Sister) attended The Ridge School, not far up the road from the new house. In Robert's age group there were two other students: Rebecca Dunham (Kartalia) and Kenneth Revenaugh. Katherine was the only one in her age group. Both completed their lessons there in seven years, rather than the usual eight. In one-room schools such as The Ridge this was sometimes done, depending on circumstances such as the number of students in a class and the level of learning the student had reached. Both Robert and Katherine took college preparatory courses at Lebanon High School, were consistently on the Honor Roll, and placed high in regional and state scholarship contests. Both graduated cum laude, Robert in 1932, Katherine in 1935. After that their paths, understandably, diverged. Bob went to the University of Cincinnati, taking a Chemical Engineering course in the "co-op" program, which had six-week on-campus study sessions alternating with six-week off-campus work sessions. He earned a BChemE in 1937, MS in 1938 and Ph.D. in 1940. He was a member of Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, and Alpha Chi Sigma fraternities. In the meantime, Katherine went to Cincinnati to live at the YWCA and attend the Littleford-Nelson Business School and start to work at the W. S. Hukill Insurance Agency. In May of 1938 she met Elden Rowland, through his sister, Marjory, who worked at the same agency, and she became the first of the brother and sister pair to marry. Katherine Lucile Lollar and Elden Heart Rowland were married on May 13, 1939, in the Lebanon Presbyterian Church. Her parents loaned them their car for a wedding trip through the Pennsylvania mountains to Washington, D.C., Williamsburg, Virginia., and down the Atlantic Coast almost to Charleston, South Carolina, before returning to Ohio through the North Carolina and Tennessee mountains. Bob married Dorothy Williams on January 1, 1941, in her home city of Indianapolis, Indiana. At the time, she was a student at Indiana University, at Bloomington. In order to save time and space, biographies of both Bob and Katherine at later ages are made a part of this narrative. To complete the story of "The Lollars and The Land" let us now go back to the Lollar Farm on The Ridge after the first piece was taken by the Road Departments just before Harry (Bob and Katherine's father) died. After Harry's death, Attorney Meryl B. Gray prepared and recorded an Affidavit showing Extinguishment of Life Estate going back through all of the deeds and wills, thereby giving Bob and Katherine clear ownership of the remaining land. It was interesting to note that although right of way had been given for the interurban railroad which went along the road past the farm, title had not been transferred, thereby making the process of clearing title easier. Since the farm was farmed on shares with the tenants, Harry owned a half interest in stock, crops, etc., and on his death this interest was inherited by Ruby. Therefore, it was necessary for Bob and Katherine to purchase this material before they could enter into joint operation of the farm with the tenants. Harry had thoughtfully made provision for this by establishing savings accounts in each of their names in the savings and loan. Bob and Katherine continued to operate the farm with the tenants, making joint decisions. as needed, but with Katherine handling details of maintenance, the checkbook, and getting figures for income tax to her accountant in Sarasota. In 1982, Lebanon wanted to incorporate part some land on The Ridge in order to connect to an industrial park which they were developing south of the Lollar farm. Bob attended a meeting in Lebanon urging acceptance of this proposal by other landowners and it was accepted and a strip of strip of land along old Route 48 was annexed. They also asked, and were given, permission to run a water line across the south edge of property, thus enabling The Home Place to be the first on The Ridge to have public water and sewer. In the 1970s Bob and Katherine began to be approached by people wishing to develop land in large tracts, principally George Henkle Associates, who operated under a number of partnerships, such as Bunnell Hill Development, and later became Henkle-Schueler. The first piece sold to them was the detached 11 acres which had been cut off by the Road Department's purchase. That purchase agreement was signed on May 26, 1970. Tracts of varying sizes were sold over the next 20 years until the a last sale of 8.9798 acres was sold to them on May 25, 1990. At Katherine's suggestion, for sentimental reasons, the Home Place with adjoining 15.7870 acres was held out and eventually was sold on April 3, 1992, to Robert and Rosalie McClung, who had moved there as tenants in 1962. This ended 192 years of the Lollar family's ownership of two farms in Warren County. However, the land continues. David's Land, purchased in 1800 by the first David Lollar is now a growing community of attractive homes called Catalpa Ridge. The Home Place on The Ridge continues to be loved and cared for as a small farm and residence by the McClungs. The "Roosa Place" is now the center of Fujitech, a Japanese firm which makes escalators and elevators whose test tower is a landmark for miles around. Various other small industries and businesses front on Henkle Drive which opens up not only the Lollar farm but adjoining acreage for useful activities. It would be interesting to know just how many lives are blessed by these farmlands which have kept apace with the times. The Lollar family, too, has kept abreast with the times. Bob had two daughters, Janet and Kathy. Bob is gone now, and also Janet. The remaining six of us are scattered far and wide: Kathy, her two children, Kittie and James Punteney, Janet's two sons, Brian and Kevin Schwarz, and me. Kathy, who kept the name of Lollar for a number of years, but then married Don Divens in 2003, lives in Vancouver, Washington, but travels widely as a tour escort; Kittie is working at an International Girl Scout Center in India for three years; James has his own computer service in Connecticut; Brian is with a computer organization that writes programs to test metal stress in California; Kevin is living near Columbus, Ohio with his lovely Chinese bride, Hongfei, and has completed his doctorate on an archaeological dig in Guatemala. Hongfei and Kevin chose "Jessica" as her American name, and went to China and visited her parents in Xian on their honeymoon. As for me, Katherine Lollar Rowland, I spend most of my time at Otterbein Retirement Community near Lebanon and enjoy short visits back to my longtime home of Sarasota, Florida. Through it all , I cherish the almost two-hundred-year-long legacy of the story of The Lollars and The Land. The End - Katherine Lollar Rowland Lebanon, Ohio January, 2005

2006 Katherine Rowland. All rights reserved

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Katherine Rowland. www.katherinelollarrowland.com
   THE LOLLARS and THE LAND; Chapter 7, 5 Jun 2006.
2. ↑ Katherine Rowland. www.katherinelollarrowland.com.
3. ↑ ROBERT MILLER LOLLAR, Ph.D. Died in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 11, 1997. He was 82 years old. Born May 17, 1915 , near Lebanon, in Warren County, Ohio, on a farm which had been in his family over a hundred years. His parents were Harry David Lollar and Ruby Miller Lollar. He attended schools in Warren County, graduating from Lebanon High School in 1932. Immediately thereafter he went to the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a BChemE in 1937, MS in 1938 and Ph.D. in 1940. He was a member of Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, and Alpha Chi Sigma fraternities. From 1941 to 1958 he was Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Tanners Council of America Research Laboratory on the University of Cincinnati campus. In 1945 he received the Alsop Award. In 1959 he joined the Armour Leather Company as Technical Director. In 1975 he returned to the Tanners Council Laboratory at the University of Cincinnati as Technical Director. In 1977 he presented the John Arthur Wilson Memorial Lecture at the American Leather Chemists Association. In 1981 «i»Leather Manufacturer«/i», monthly publication of the shoe trades industry, designated him "Man of the Year," the first time that honor was ever given. In 1986 he retired from the position of Technical Director at the Leather Research Laboratory but continued as Professor Emeritus at the University until his death. In 1994 he received the Fred O'Flaherty Service Award of the American Chemists Association. He was listed in «i»Who's Who in the World«/i». He was a life-long Presbyterian, most recently an active member of the Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church, serving as a deacon, an elder, superintendent of the Sunday School and on many other boards. Survivors include: daughters Janet Ruth Schneider of Munroe Falls, Ohio, and Katherine Louise Lollar of Vancouver, Washington; also grandsons Brian Schwarz of Jamestown, California, Kevin Schwarz of Carbondale, Illinois, and James Punteney III of Pullman, Washington; also granddaughter Katherine Punteney of Spokane, Washington; also sister Katherine L. Rowland of Sarasota, FL. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Williams Lollar. Memorial service will be held at the Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church at 1:00 pm on Monday, November 17. Memorial donations may be made to the Benevolence Endowment Fund of the Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian Church, 5950 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45213. Vorhis Funeral Home, Norwood, is in charge of arrangements. In 2001, The American Leather Chemists Association and the Foundation of the Leather Research Laboratory of the University of Cincinnati established the Dr. Robert M. Lollar Prize Paper Award to honor his memory, an international award given posthumously.