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History of Post 6768 (By Ron Seidel) In 1946, after World War II. Fred Miralia, a a world war Veteran who was gassed during World War I and was a member of the Bedford VFW Post, worked on getting a charter for a post to be started in Northfield. 39 World War II and (1) World War I veteran signed up and became charter members on April 28th 1946. It is only fitting that we remember the names of these origanal charter members as follows. Dennis H. Richardson Edward J. Riley Walter E. Scott Howard A. Walsh Stanley G. Dranek Lewyn H. Green Peter P. Lucas Jr. Lawrence D. Meddles Wesley W. Fisher Joseph L. Tiger Robert J. Krueger Fred C. Morrell Glenn E. Griffith Samuel H. Horsfall George H. Mellaliew George W. Balogh James R. Mathews Richard L. Bonath Floyd V. McRichie (WW I) John E. Collins Theodore J. Balint Ebbert R. Boley Robert E. Boley Donald P. Burns John Buss Steve F. Cigan Harold V. Cropper Francis J. Grady John J. Grady Benjamin W.Green Albert R. Griffith Joseph F. Horsfall Maurice E. Horsfall William H. Horsfall Joseph T. Karasek Roy E. King Melvin Klein George J. Miklos Narciso A. Milani Richard S. Proe We later added a considerable amount of WWI and WWII vterans in the early 50s, we added Korean War Veterans and then later Vietnam Veterans as well as some Persian War Veterans. Women Veterans were added to the VFW membership rules in later years. Howard Walsh was the first WW II Commander 1946-1947. Harvey King was the first Korean War Commander 1962-1963. Victor Zagosrski was the first Vietnam War Commander 1972-1973. Bill Rivers,Harvey King,Bert Westenfelder and now John Lawson all became summit County Council Commanders. The Ladies Auxiliary was Chartered on January 7th 1947. Lucille Grady was the first Auxiliary President 1947-1948. Irene Seidel was the first War Bride President 1955-1956. Chief Master Sergeant Eleanor B. Seidel U.S. Air Force Ret. was the first woman to join as a regular VFW member and Life Member. The Ladies Auxiliary have always been a main support of The VFW Post 6768. They held Fish Frys as far back as i can remember. The VFW Post met on the first and third Mondays of the month in The Northfield Center Town Hall. To raise money they held clambakes at Sopa's Farm on Twinsburg Rd. Later they held New Years Eve dances near The Mosonic Hall on Shepard Rd. Each year the Northfield Center Fire Department held a carnival in the park. The VFW members always had a booth there, in one instance,because Ron Seidel lived in the Halfway House next to the park, he was elected to take the money home for safe keeping at night. At least $300 in one night, needless to say he didn't sleep well that night with that huge sum of money in his possession. During the first year of the post in 1946, the world war I veteran's ranks in the Richie-Brinker American Legion Post was getting thinner and we participated in their parade and Memorial Day Services. This went on for a couple more years and Post 6768 took it over. Before that until after World War I the local Northfield School Bands, such as they were back then, participated in these events, along with The American Legion. And since 1946 the Northfield, Northfield-Macedonia and Nordonia School bands have always observed Memorial Day along with us. Since then we have continued to hold Memorial Day services and Parades. The American Legion once again joined (this past year 2003) the VFW in observing our Honored Dead. During the early years of the post, numerous military funerals were held and guards were posted in the funeral home at all the wakes. We had exellent rifle squads back then as we constanly practiced. We marched around Northfield Center, stopping at local "watering Holes" for refreshments. We also participated in VOD programs with the local schools. During that course in time, we always passed out food baskets to the needy at Christmas and sometimes Thanksgiving. Part two: Post Home About 5 years later in 1954 under the Commandership of Glenn Beers, we purchased the property where the post is located today. I'll never forget that day, Al Bennett, the local real estate man, stood on the north property line and with his fat belly sticking out pointed from that spot to the north and stated "this is your property". Well all set to work clearing the trees in the rear of the property for at least 3 weekends and one day Bill Waite came screaming, "what are you doing to my property". You guessed it, our property was to the south of where the rel estate man told us it was. So for the rest of that summer we cleaned out our own property. Ron Seidel immediately started to draw plans based on Harry Beagan's Taverne in Northfield. In the spring of '55 we started to carry blocks back through the mud and started building. We continued the rest of the year under Chris Nielsen's commandership and my supervision. We installed a pot belly stove on the north end of our building. We held our first meeting in the winter after traipsing through the mud. After the meeting we were all standing around the stove and I had my suit on as I felt something hot, as I moved away,the back of my pants fell off as they got burn't from the heat. We obtained an old bar from someplace in Cleveland and went into an "Honor System" of purchasing beer. In 1957 I believe that was the year Bert Westenfelder heard they were going to tear down a hanger at Sky Haven Airport. Bert and a couple others volunteered to dismantle it piece by piece. Then under Bert's direction took it back to the picnic area and constructed our first pavillion. Then again, I believe that was the year the post borrowed money from The Northfield Bank and Bert and other members including myself set about building our present meeting hall. Sometime after that, we did some brickwork on the building. Around 1969-70 a new serving bar was built and I set out about putting in a new ceiling,lights and heating ducts with a roof top unit. I paneled the perimeter of the bar and we re-built the toilets in there first faze. I forgot when after that the new toilets and a basement area was added. Over the years and through the efforts of many commanders and post members, considerable work was done on the post home,parking lot and the pavillion area including water to the site and decent restroom facilities. Post Commanders 46- H. Walsh 47- J. Grady 48- T. Balint 49- D. Glosh 50- G. Mellaliew 51- F. Grady 52- A.W. Rivers Jr. 53- H. Rivers 54- G. Beers 55- Chris Nielson 56- Ron Seidel 57- H. Rivers 58- Chris Nielsen 59- G. Beers 60- B. Westenfelder 61- B. Westenfelder 62- H. King 63- V. Griffith 64- A. Mueller 65- R. Grimm 66- P. Wytsell 67- J. Votush 68- W. Lauver 69- K. McIntosh 70- R. Grimm 71- Wm. Lauver 72- V. Zagorski 73- Burt Pollock 74- Frank Perko Jr. 75- G. Mathies 76- R. Carroll 77- Wm. Parker 78- Wm. Taylor 79- D. Marchetti 80- V. Zagorski 81- H. King 82- Wm. Taylor 83- Wm. Taylor 84- Elmer Leeper 85- Elmer Leeper 86- Elmer Leeper 87- Elmer Leeper 88- Jim Roule 89- Jim Roule 90- Jim Roule 91- Jim Roule 92- Jerry O'Conner 93- Wills,Konegni,Riley 94- Randy Riley,Fred Busko 95- Fred. Busko,Casey Nowakowski, Lennie Noack Jr. 96- Lennie Noack Jr. 97- Lennie Noack Jr. 98- Lennie Noack Jr. 99- Lennie Noack Jr. 00- Nick Skory 01- John Lawson 02- John Lawson 03- Lennie Noack Jr. 04- Lennie NoackJr. 05- Rick Milligan 06- Rick Milligan 07- Rick Milligan 08- Rick Milligan 09- Ted Nestor Auxiliary Presidents 47- L. Grady 48- G. Johnson 49- R. Grady 50- V. Burns 51- D. Grady 52- L. Rivers 53- G. Hubbard 54- I. Hubbard 55- I. Seidel 56- W. Green 57- W. Green 58- Fran Doolan 59- Fran Doolan 60- E. Westenfelder 61- E. Westenfelder 62- Fran Doolan 63- V. Nielson 64- T. Persing 65- T. Persing 66- A. Persing 67- A. Persing 68- R. McIntosh 69- R. McIntosh 70- S. Grimm 71- B. Cabala 72- P. Horner 73- Jean Pollock 74- B. Perko 75- P. Posey 76- Connie Carroll 77- M. Darling 78- P. Horner 79- M. Darling 80- M. Darling 81- E. Mull 82- V. Clark 83- Fran Foster 84- V. Clark 85- Fran Foster 86- Carol Ferko 87- Carol Ferko 88- V. Ontako 89- D. Johnston 90- Rosemary Kasper 91- Rosemary Kasper 92- Elenor Hrezik 93- Rosemary Kasper 94- Rosemary Kasper 95- Jan Pollock 96- Rose Collins 97- Renell Noack 98- Renell Noack 99- Connie Carroll 00- Rosemary Kasper 01- Jan Puleo 02- Zelma Watson 03- Zelma Watson 04- Renell Noack 05- Renell Noack 06- Renell Noack 08- PattyTrentanelli 09- Renell Noack Part Four MEMBERSHIP The post started with 40 members and rapidly grew after it's inception with returning WW II Veterans. This was augmented by at least 7 or 8 WW I Veterans. I can't remember all their names, but some were: A.W.Rivers Sr.,Harry Grimm Sr.,Rueben Mathews, Walter McCray, Leroy Johnson (WW I & WW II), Floyd V. McRitchie. (Charter member). After 1950 we were honored to have many Korean War Veterans join our post with Vietnam Veterans from 60's-70's. Persian Gulf Veterans followed in the 90's including one female Captain (G. Mathies) from the Army Medical Corps. Then as mentioned before, Eleanore B. Seidel who served during WW II, Korea and Vietnam joined our post. In 1988 we had 125 Life members. In 2003 we have 71 annual dues paying members along with 153 Life members. IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE AND DON'T BELONG, JOIN THOSE THAT DO... We old folks sorely need someone(s) to take our place and keep the VFW rolling!! It has been my pleasure to serve this post for close to 55 years. Ron Seidel. Life Members as of 1988 ( Includes deceased ) Wm. Mural C. Nielsen J. Shields R. Kovacs H. Huffman J. Johnston E. Luttrell Jr. J. Hodder J. Ferguson R. Lanham P. Lawton E. Nichols D. Balogh D. Bennet F. Grady F. Tomko R. Clark R. Carroll R. Quarate N. Decker G. Kulow J. Poleski J. Bishop D. Miller C. McCartney H. Brown C. Ausperk G. Mathies J. Peskovic D. Wells J. McLaughlin W. Darling J. Neiman Wm. Edwards H. Carroll J. Kukla D. Posey J. Cork A. Black D. Srodek R. McFall R. Miller R. Stefancin J. Roule S. Senesak J. Duniver C. Wright E. Seidel W. Seidel R. Huhn H. Lloyd V. Camerieri R. Brunnet Jr. F. Mehey A. Smith A. Holecek R. Stoneking H. King M. Sawyers E. Pratt R. Tesmer G. Tesmer C. Prenslow T. Maciak R.Newell A. Jordan E. Neubert R. Roth J. Shepard A. Brodzinski E. Sharp D. Marchetti R. Zabukovic S. Dranek J. Grzelak F. Perko C. Uber F. Wesley B. Fifer W. Ballis D. Srodek J. Banta R. Gilder M. Queen J. Votush J. Collins R. Iacaboni G. Rhyne D. Duffield V. Zagorski F. Gale R. Seidel J. Male R. Jones R. Merrill G. Balogh A. Rivers A. Popovich L. Kuderna B. Carpenter A. Nicol B. Irwin H. Syme C. Riser E. Bredesen E. Radney L. Lewis L. Waterhouse H. Zakrasek L. Cabala Wm. Rickels Wm. Pratt M. Wright Wm. Nero R. Kulow A. Sullivan E. Leeper Jr. W. Wohnhas G. Podgorski H. Grimm III J. Goodnight W. Roberts Life Members As Of 2003 ( Includes deceased ) L. Antolik D. Boswell F. Carrolla A. Corey N. Decker N. Geryak B. Harber J. Hodder C. Casper R. Kulesa H. Lloyd B. May R. Mihalenko R. Monroe C. Nielsen R. Paradise Z. Balogh R. Bredesen T. Casavecchia J. Cork G.Kolb R. DiFiore R. Gilder C. Harris R. Hubbard H. King R. Kulow T. Logan R. McFall N. Milani W. Mural L. Noack F. Perko G. Banta R. Brunnett R. Clark J. Csuti K. Dovich S. Dranek G. Goodnight J. Harte B. Irwin R. Lanham T. Maciak P. McNally C. Miller D. Murton C. Nowakowski J. Pleskoyic G. Beyea F. Busko T. Collin F. DeBliss F. Dudak C. Greczek R. Harris R. Janiga R. Kovacs S. Laspisa D. Marchetti D. Medlock J. Misciagna J. Nalepa E. O'Brien A. Black L. Cabala D. Collise H. DeFabbo G. Dudo H. Grimm III J. Harte J. Jones L. Kuderna J. Lawson G. Mathies F. Mehay R. Mitscell C. Narewski T. Ontko J. Popovich A. Blasko R. Carpenter J. Collise F. DePaulo K. Dudo R. Grobe R. Hartman E. Kainec G. Kuebler P. Lawton V. Mathis S. Merker G. Molnar T. Nestor L. Ozmun D. Posey P. Bonk H. Carroll R. Cook F. Eder J. Grzelak R. Haun N. Kapr J. Kukla L. Lewis P. Matteson R. Merrill E. Pratt R. Propsi W. Roberts S. Sensesak C. Sovel F. Uyek V. Williams V. Zagorski R. Quirarte D. Rositano E. Sharp D. Srodek R. Vajda A. Williamson H. Zakrajsek K. Radney J. Roule R. Sharpless B. Stalnaker J. Vojtush D. Wirth M. Zana G. Rhyne J. Ryan J. Shields R. Stefancin R. Walters W. Wohnhas R. Zindash W. Rickels J. Scalaro F. Sipos H. Stoneking F. Washumick M. Wright J. Zingale H. Rivers E. Seidel N. Skory F. Tomko T. Weitzel R. Zabukovec A. Roach R. Seidel A. Smith A. Trende J. Wick |