1916 Letter To Santa Claus From Vonda Shively Who Lived In Mercer County, Ohio

The Celina Democrat, Celina, Ohio, Friday, December 22, 1916, Page 1, Column 4:

                                                                                                           Coldwater, Ohio

Dear Santa Claus --I am a little girl 8 years old. I go to school most every day. I want for my Christmas a writing desk, a book satchel and a story book. I also have a little brother 23 months old. Bring him a little rocking chair and some nice toys. Bring us both candy and all kinds of nuts. As ever your little girl.

                                                                                   Vonda Arrahwanna Shively     

Vonda Arrahwanna Shively was born on 31-Oct-1908 in Mercer County, Ohio and died 9-Mar-1995 in Miami County, Ohio.  She was married to Arthur Russell Grunert who was born 4-Sep-1904 and died 29-Dec-1988.  Both are buried in the Miami Memorial Park Cemetery, Covington, Miami County, Ohio.  Vonda Shively was the daughter of Joseph Earl Shively and Maude Baker.  Joseph Shively was the son of Isaac Shively and Elmira A. Fitzwater. Isaac Shively was the subject of the Shively blog article written on September 12, 2015.

Located on the 1920 Salem Township, Auglaize County, Ohio census is the household of Joseph E. Shively age 34, wife Maud age 31, daughter Vonda age 11, son Ashley B. age 4 and son Paul L. age 3.  Listed on the 1910 Union Township, Mercer County, Ohio census is the household of Joseph Shively age 25, wife Maud age 21 and daughter Vonda age 1. 

The following newspaper obituary for the father of Vonda Shively Grunert was extracted from The Piqua Daily Call, Monday, August 10, 1970. Page 10, Columns 1-2:

Joseph E. Shively, Retired Hobart Mfg. Foreman, Dies

Joseph Earl Shively, 85, of 418 S. Wayne, died at 4:15 a.m. in Piqua Memorial Hospital where he had been patient two days after having been in failing health several years.

Born in Mercer County, March 13, 1885, he was a son of Isaac and Elmira Fitzwater Shively. He was married to the former Maude Baker on June 5, 1907 in Spencerville. They moved from Spencerville to Piqua in 1924.

Mr. Shively was a retired foreman at Hobart Manufacturing Co. and a member of the Evangelical United Methodist Church.

Surviving are his wife, Maude, a daughter, Mrs. Arthur Grunert (Vonda) of Piqua; two sons, Ashley B. Shively and Paul L. both of Piqua; six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren and five brothers, Roy Shively of Manton, Mich., George of Fife Lake, Mich., Ray of Modesto, Calif., Carl of Bakersfield, Calif., and Hamer of Eugene, Oregon.

He was preceded in death by three brothers and a sister.

Services will be conducted by the Rev. Carl Hahn at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Cron Funeral Home with burial in Mimia Memorial Park.

Friends may call Tuesday at the funeral home between 3 and 5 p.m. and 7 and 9 pm.