“Newspapers - Newspapers - Newspapers” ©

By Linda Jean Limes Ellis – 1587 Edgefield Road, Lyndhurst, Ohio44124

In the world of real estate,“location - location - location” is crucial for a successful purchase. Likewise, the use of “newspapers- newspapers - newspapers” leads to success in ancestry research.

Beloved early memories of my grandfather, Winfield Scott Limes who died on May 16, 1959 when I was eleven years old,have never left me. Through the years I acquired photographs of him and my grandmother along with their obituaries, certified birth, death and marriage records, but it was not until I recently read about “Scott” Limes’ life in several ElyriaChronicle-Telegram newspaper stories that I learned of his loyalty to the Lathers Unions in Ohio, and his devotion to his family.

During the 1950’s a number of “The Labor Scene” columns appeared in theElyria, OhioChronicle-Telegram. Thanks to NewspaperArchive.com, I learned my grandfather’s name appeared in many of them. Until his death, he continued to be active in the affairs of Local 171 of the Wood Wire and Metal Lathers Union. The Chapter spanned LorainCounty and Sandusky regions. He served as it’s vice-president for 17 years. All of this and more I learned from reading the newspaper accounts of his life.

On July 25, 1956, page 23, the Chronicle-Telegram ran a full-length feature story on my grandfather, complete with large photograph that showsa left profile of himseated at a desk -his left hand holding a telephone receiver up to his ear- with pen in right hand. The caption read: “Still active in his union, W. Scott Limes, 81 of 1234 9th St., Lorain, at work assigning lathers to jobs over a large area. Business agent of AFL-Wood, Wire and Metal Lathers, Local 171, Limes was a founder of the international union and its first president of the first local, No. 1., in Columbus.”

I have a couple of early photographs of him dressed in his Local 171 baseball uniform. In one, he stands poised to deliver a fast pitch, and in the other his gloved hand is outstretched waiting to catch a just hit ball. The newspaper account included a mention of him playing second base for this team in 1906. Another “I didn’t know that” fact.

The local reporter interviewing grandfather for his life story had a “way with words” and his “take” on what made “Scott” Limes “tick” touched my heart and tickled my funny bone at the same time! He was quite complimentary in his description of grandfather’s physique. “His large, lank frame finds easy chairs uneasy for long-spell sitting.” I recall my grandfather being “bigger-boned” than my dad, but this account clarified my recollections of him. I suppose by today’s ideals of who would be “lean and lank” grandfather might not qualify, but that was 1956 and the standards were more kindly to men of his age.

The importance of grandfather’s family was not forgotten. His wife (who was deceased), names of their four sons, mention of 9 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren were included.

The final paragraph quotes my grandfather as saying, “Fishing – I don’t think a man can get too much of that.” Fishing was one of the common bonds my dad had with his father. That tradition was passed down to me and my dad as I was his “fishing buddy” by age four.

Reading this newspaper interview of my grandfather brought this part of my life together for me. I was too young to understand when the article was printed, but I am most thankful now that it was microfilmed and preserved.