Raleigh Shafer Mathias was the oldest of the five children who were born to Jesse and Sally Irene Mathias. [His siblings were Violet ("Dimple"), Harry, Morris, and Carrie.]
Although he was born in Illinois, most of his formative years were spent in or near Vincennes, Indiana, which is located right on the Indiana - Illinois state line.
After graduating from high school he attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he was a proud member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
Raleigh was considered to be a very handsome and well-built man, particularly in his younger years.
As veteran of World War One, Raleigh saw active duty in France and had many stories to tell of trench warfare, mustard gas attacks, and artillery fire. In his riper years he sometimes imitated the surreal image of an elderly Frenchman whom he had seen nonchalantly watering his garden with a watering can while the war raged on in the background.
He also brought back from the war a German Lugar (pistol) that, more than 80-years later, his daughter, Gerry, used to shoot a ground hog that invaded her garden in Akron, Ohio.
After the war, Raleigh moved to Akron and later took a job in the purchasing department of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.
On Christmas Eve 1919 he married Mildred Estelle Epperson in a double wedding ceremony in Akron at the home of the bride's brother, Beckner Epperson. The other couple was one of Mildred's other brothers, Carrick Epperson, and Carrick's bride, Grace.)
As newlyweds, Raleigh and Mildred couple took their wedding trip to Pittsburgh, PA -- which, evidently, was considered a honeymoon spot in those days -- and then settled into a new home that they had had built in anticipation of their marriage.
The house, which is still standing, is located at 213 Malacca Street in the Goodyear Heights section of Akron. It originally had white and green shingle siding. The house included a living room with fireplace and built-in book cases, dining room with bay window, kitchen, and, upstairs, three bedrooms and a bath (with a balcony for airing bedding).
The first of their three daughters, Henrietta ("Hank") (3/10/1921 - 3/13/2006) was born at home. A second daughter, Geraldine ("Gerry") was born the next year, and their third daughter, Doris, was born in 1927. A fetus that was miscarried sometime around 1925 is buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in the backyard, possibly, according to daughter Doris, near the garage.
During the 1930's the Mathias family spent their summers at a cottage on Lake Erie, in Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio -- together with Raleigh's brother-in-law, Carrick, his wife Grace, and that couple's three daughters, Edith, Marie, and Margie.
Raleigh was the grandfather of ten: Carol, Scott and Jeff Christie (Hank's children); Tom ("Chip"), Robin, Bill, and Julie Gentry (Gerry's children); and David, Bruce and Ann Helsel (Doris's children).
In his later years he and his wife ran a local cafe known as the Knoll Shop at 1854 Newton Street in Akron.
During their entire 57-year marriage (until Raleigh went into a nursing home) the couple lived in the house at 213 Malacca Street that they'd had built in 1919.
Raleigh died of complications associated with Alzheimer's Disease at the age of 81 in 1977. He is buried next to his wife, Mildred (1894 - 1985), in Akron.
Although he was born in Illinois, most of his formative years were spent in or near Vincennes, Indiana, which is located right on the Indiana - Illinois state line.
After graduating from high school he attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he was a proud member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
Raleigh was considered to be a very handsome and well-built man, particularly in his younger years.
As veteran of World War One, Raleigh saw active duty in France and had many stories to tell of trench warfare, mustard gas attacks, and artillery fire. In his riper years he sometimes imitated the surreal image of an elderly Frenchman whom he had seen nonchalantly watering his garden with a watering can while the war raged on in the background.
He also brought back from the war a German Lugar (pistol) that, more than 80-years later, his daughter, Gerry, used to shoot a ground hog that invaded her garden in Akron, Ohio.
After the war, Raleigh moved to Akron and later took a job in the purchasing department of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.
On Christmas Eve 1919 he married Mildred Estelle Epperson in a double wedding ceremony in Akron at the home of the bride's brother, Beckner Epperson. The other couple was one of Mildred's other brothers, Carrick Epperson, and Carrick's bride, Grace.)
As newlyweds, Raleigh and Mildred couple took their wedding trip to Pittsburgh, PA -- which, evidently, was considered a honeymoon spot in those days -- and then settled into a new home that they had had built in anticipation of their marriage.
The house, which is still standing, is located at 213 Malacca Street in the Goodyear Heights section of Akron. It originally had white and green shingle siding. The house included a living room with fireplace and built-in book cases, dining room with bay window, kitchen, and, upstairs, three bedrooms and a bath (with a balcony for airing bedding).
The first of their three daughters, Henrietta ("Hank") (3/10/1921 - 3/13/2006) was born at home. A second daughter, Geraldine ("Gerry") was born the next year, and their third daughter, Doris, was born in 1927. A fetus that was miscarried sometime around 1925 is buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in the backyard, possibly, according to daughter Doris, near the garage.
During the 1930's the Mathias family spent their summers at a cottage on Lake Erie, in Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio -- together with Raleigh's brother-in-law, Carrick, his wife Grace, and that couple's three daughters, Edith, Marie, and Margie.
Raleigh was the grandfather of ten: Carol, Scott and Jeff Christie (Hank's children); Tom ("Chip"), Robin, Bill, and Julie Gentry (Gerry's children); and David, Bruce and Ann Helsel (Doris's children).
In his later years he and his wife ran a local cafe known as the Knoll Shop at 1854 Newton Street in Akron.
During their entire 57-year marriage (until Raleigh went into a nursing home) the couple lived in the house at 213 Malacca Street that they'd had built in 1919.
Raleigh died of complications associated with Alzheimer's Disease at the age of 81 in 1977. He is buried next to his wife, Mildred (1894 - 1985), in Akron.
Raleigh Shafer Mathias was the oldest of the five children who were born to Jesse and Sally Irene Mathias. [His siblings were Violet ("Dimple"), Harry, Morris, and Carrie.]
Although he was born in Illinois, most of his formative years were spent in or near Vincennes, Indiana, which is located right on the Indiana - Illinois state line.
After graduating from high school he attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he was a proud member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
Raleigh was considered to be a very handsome and well-built man, particularly in his younger years.
As veteran of World War One, Raleigh saw active duty in France and had many stories to tell of trench warfare, mustard gas attacks, and artillery fire. In his riper years he sometimes imitated the surreal image of an elderly Frenchman whom he had seen nonchalantly watering his garden with a watering can while the war raged on in the background.
He also brought back from the war a German Lugar (pistol) that, more than 80-years later, his daughter, Gerry, used to shoot a ground hog that invaded her garden in Akron, Ohio.
After the war, Raleigh moved to Akron and later took a job in the purchasing department of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.
On Christmas Eve 1919 he married Mildred Estelle Epperson in a double wedding ceremony in Akron at the home of the bride's brother, Beckner Epperson. The other couple was one of Mildred's other brothers, Carrick Epperson, and Carrick's bride, Grace.)
As newlyweds, Raleigh and Mildred couple took their wedding trip to Pittsburgh, PA -- which, evidently, was considered a honeymoon spot in those days -- and then settled into a new home that they had had built in anticipation of their marriage.
The house, which is still standing, is located at 213 Malacca Street in the Goodyear Heights section of Akron. It originally had white and green shingle siding. The house included a living room with fireplace and built-in book cases, dining room with bay window, kitchen, and, upstairs, three bedrooms and a bath (with a balcony for airing bedding).
The first of their three daughters, Henrietta ("Hank") (3/10/1921 - 3/13/2006) was born at home. A second daughter, Geraldine ("Gerry") was born the next year, and their third daughter, Doris, was born in 1927. A fetus that was miscarried sometime around 1925 is buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in the backyard, possibly, according to daughter Doris, near the garage.
During the 1930's the Mathias family spent their summers at a cottage on Lake Erie, in Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio -- together with Raleigh's brother-in-law, Carrick, his wife Grace, and that couple's three daughters, Edith, Marie, and Margie.
Raleigh was the grandfather of ten: Carol, Scott and Jeff Christie (Hank's children); Tom ("Chip"), Robin, Bill, and Julie Gentry (Gerry's children); and David, Bruce and Ann Helsel (Doris's children).
In his later years he and his wife ran a local cafe known as the Knoll Shop at 1854 Newton Street in Akron.
During their entire 57-year marriage (until Raleigh went into a nursing home) the couple lived in the house at 213 Malacca Street that they'd had built in 1919.
Raleigh died of complications associated with Alzheimer's Disease at the age of 81 in 1977. He is buried next to his wife, Mildred (1894 - 1985), in Akron.
Although he was born in Illinois, most of his formative years were spent in or near Vincennes, Indiana, which is located right on the Indiana - Illinois state line.
After graduating from high school he attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he was a proud member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
Raleigh was considered to be a very handsome and well-built man, particularly in his younger years.
As veteran of World War One, Raleigh saw active duty in France and had many stories to tell of trench warfare, mustard gas attacks, and artillery fire. In his riper years he sometimes imitated the surreal image of an elderly Frenchman whom he had seen nonchalantly watering his garden with a watering can while the war raged on in the background.
He also brought back from the war a German Lugar (pistol) that, more than 80-years later, his daughter, Gerry, used to shoot a ground hog that invaded her garden in Akron, Ohio.
After the war, Raleigh moved to Akron and later took a job in the purchasing department of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.
On Christmas Eve 1919 he married Mildred Estelle Epperson in a double wedding ceremony in Akron at the home of the bride's brother, Beckner Epperson. The other couple was one of Mildred's other brothers, Carrick Epperson, and Carrick's bride, Grace.)
As newlyweds, Raleigh and Mildred couple took their wedding trip to Pittsburgh, PA -- which, evidently, was considered a honeymoon spot in those days -- and then settled into a new home that they had had built in anticipation of their marriage.
The house, which is still standing, is located at 213 Malacca Street in the Goodyear Heights section of Akron. It originally had white and green shingle siding. The house included a living room with fireplace and built-in book cases, dining room with bay window, kitchen, and, upstairs, three bedrooms and a bath (with a balcony for airing bedding).
The first of their three daughters, Henrietta ("Hank") (3/10/1921 - 3/13/2006) was born at home. A second daughter, Geraldine ("Gerry") was born the next year, and their third daughter, Doris, was born in 1927. A fetus that was miscarried sometime around 1925 is buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in the backyard, possibly, according to daughter Doris, near the garage.
During the 1930's the Mathias family spent their summers at a cottage on Lake Erie, in Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio -- together with Raleigh's brother-in-law, Carrick, his wife Grace, and that couple's three daughters, Edith, Marie, and Margie.
Raleigh was the grandfather of ten: Carol, Scott and Jeff Christie (Hank's children); Tom ("Chip"), Robin, Bill, and Julie Gentry (Gerry's children); and David, Bruce and Ann Helsel (Doris's children).
In his later years he and his wife ran a local cafe known as the Knoll Shop at 1854 Newton Street in Akron.
During their entire 57-year marriage (until Raleigh went into a nursing home) the couple lived in the house at 213 Malacca Street that they'd had built in 1919.
Raleigh died of complications associated with Alzheimer's Disease at the age of 81 in 1977. He is buried next to his wife, Mildred (1894 - 1985), in Akron.
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