Grandma and Grandpa Haverland

Herman's parents were Henry and Elizabeth Haverland, shown here both in charcoal portraits and in a photo when Henry was sexton of St. Mary's Cemetery in St. Bernard, Ohio. They had 11 or 12 children, Mayme, Harry, Joe (died at the age of 14), Florence (Sr. Mary Francis, OSF), Bernard, George, Thecla, Catherine, Herman, William, Bernard Albert, and possibly Dick.

Henry had been born in Laxten, Germany. At the left he is seated in his Knights of St. John uniform with his three Knight sons standing behind him: Bill, Herman, and Al. At the right he poses just in front of Herman's home on Martin St. in St. Bernard.

Grandma Haverlands's mother was Bernadina Mescher, shown here at the left. Her father was Bernard Mescher. They had three children, Herman (only lived a week), Elizabeth, my Grandmother, and Joe, who never married.

Grandpa and Grandma Haverland in their home on Martin St. in St. Bernard. Grandpa was for many years the custodian for the school and convent at Our Lady of Angels High School. Grandma more than had her hands full with a dozen children and regular invasions of us grandchildren.

Grandma and Grandpa and their surviving children around 1954. Across the front: Helen (my mother), Grandpa, Grandma, Hilda. In the back: Pat (clowning around as usual), Betty, Sally, Len, Dutch (aka Junior), and Clarney.

Here are Grampa and Grandma with a few of what eventually grew to be a group of some 27 grandchildren.