This is a complete biography of Sebastian Walby’s life.
Note from Mary A. Walby: My genealogical research began in November 2009 and concentrated on the immediate descendants of Sebastian Walby, my paternal great grandfather. Early on, I discovered minutes for family reunions going as far back as 1929 loaded with lots of names. Also found was a list of Walbys and other relations in the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Jackson Township, Sandusky County, Ohio. These two primary sources expanded the family tree to include a population exceeding 7,000 persons by June 2010.
In this story, I have woven the few details we have with historical and geographical facts. Much appreciation is given to Robert Bischoff for several details about Anton Wallpe’s life – Sebastian’s father. Also used were the stories of other German settlers during the same time period – as their experiences will be quite similar. Some creative license was used here to bring Sebastian back to life for his descendents living in the 21st century. If you enjoyed this short biography, look for others to be added to the family tree and blog during 2010. For more information, send an email to marywalby@yahoo.com.
Family Ancestry. Family folklore says a Walby ancestor named di Waldi or di Waldebi was originally from Tuscany in northern Italy. As a member of the Roman army, he travelled across the Alps and settled somewhere in “Germanic Lands.”
I have been able to trace our line back three generations to Sebastian Walby (b 1841) from Urspringen, Germany and eight generations directly to Balthasar Wallpe (b 1665) from Bregenz, Austria. Beyond that, ancestry is more speculative. There is some genealogical data, consistent with the folklore, placing ancestors in Switzerland during the 1500s with the name Waelthi.
The surname Walby is an anglicized version of the German name Wallpe or Wollpe. Both Walby and Walbe were adopted by Sebastian’s family members when settling in the United States. (It was a common practice for first generation immigrants to “Americanize” both first names and surnames.)
Farther back in the family tree, one finds the Austrian version Walte. And, the Swiss name Waelthi has evolved to Walti with folks in Switzerland still bearing the name today. Pronounced “vahl-the,” all of these surnames originate from the Ancient Germanic word wald for “rule” or “ruler.” 1 The name designated our ancestor as a defender of the ruler.
The table below summarizes the evolution of Sebastian Walby’s family name through the centuries.
Birthplace and Parentage. Sebastian Walby was born on September 18, 1841 in the town of Urspringen, Germany (marked with red star). Urspringen is a small community in the Main-Spessart district of Lower Franconia (German: Unterfranken) in the Wurzburg region, in Bavaria (German: Bayern), Germany.2 
The closest major city is Frankfurt am Main aproximately 60 miles due west. Even by today’s standards, Urspringen is a very small town (less than 2,000 residents) in a predominantly rural setting. The area is noted for rich farmland and vineyards.
Sebastian Walby’s parents were Anton “Anthony” Wallpe and Anna Maria “Mary” Riedmann. The couple was married on November 26, 1833. Both came from established lines in Urspringen going back to the 17th century. In fact, the families had intermingled several times as far back as 1691. Very likely, both Anton and Anna Maria’s parents arranged the marriage when the two were children.
In most cultures, the betrothed couple is expected to spend much time together, learning about each other. In some historical countries (including Germany), the betrothal was essentially a trial, with marriage only being required in cases of conception of a child. In almost all cultures there is a loosening of restrictions against physical contact between partners, even in cultures which would normally otherwise have strong prohibitions against it. The betrothal period was also considered to be a preparatory time, in which the groom would build a house, start a business or otherwise prove his readiness to enter adult society. 3
Anton and Mary formally announced their betrothal in 1827. During the six years of engagement prior to the wedding, Anton would have completed either indentured service or an apprenticeship. He likely purchased a farm, or was awarded land as a “bride price.” And, in keeping with the day’s custom, Anton fathered two legitimate children before the Roman Catholic wedding ceremony. (Additionally, Anton adopted Anna Maria’s illegitimate son — born by her after an 1824 encounter with Theodor Werner, a disreputable chaplain at a local church.)
Sebastian was the fifth child of six as follows: Johann Evangelista Riedmann Wallpe (1824-1912); Martin Joseph Wallpe (1827-1890); Elizabeth Wallpe Pontius (1830-after 1880); John Michael Wallpe (1835-after 1867); Sebastian Wallpe (1841-1907); and Apollonia Wallpe LeJeune (1842-after 1910).
Childhood in Germany. The Wallpes had a long-standing reputation as top-notch bricklayers – going back more than 100 years. In fact, Sebastian’s uncle Nikolaus lived in town and laid the “timber framing” for homes in Urspringen. One can imagine Sebastian following his uncle around. You can just picture a young boy mixing mortar or handing up bricks as a wall rose. Likely, he watched his brother Martin Joseph grow from apprentice to an experienced mason.
Other details about Sebastian’s early life are sketchy. Chances are, Anton owned a farm just outside of Urspringen. Sebastian very possibly worked as a farmhand. In the mid 19th century, crops included barley and oats. Half of the year would have been caring for the fields; the remaining months, spent in school. 
Play time may have been spent fishing in the river or running through the cobbled streets of Urspringen. Harvest and religious festivals filled seasonal leisure time. Catholic (German: Katholisch) church was the center of life for this family – as it was also the focal point of the town’s landscape. To the right is the landscape as it would have appeared in 1856 after completion of the steeple on the local “Kirche.”
Leaving Urspringen. Anton and Anna Maria Wallpe came to America in 1852, along with four of their children. One older child had already emigrated to America; Martin Joseph left on his own in 1851. (He would have scouted the land opportunities in Ohio and sent letters back to his family.) Both parents were anxious to leave before John Michael’s birthday in 1853 and to avoid his obligatory military service at age 18. From these facts, it appears that Anton and Anna Maria made the decision to leave in 1850, and perhaps earlier.
In addition to avoiding military service, improved economic opportunities was another major reason for undertaking the long, hard journey to America: At this time, the growing population of the German states and the lack of new farm land made it difficult to find viable farms for the families many sons. America offered great promise of providing such opportunities.
Beginning the Trip4 By the middle of the 1800s, travel from Europe to America had become a well organized business. The increasing tide of emigration from Europe to the New World gave rise to a shipping industry geared to the passenger trade. Several companies maintained fleets of sailing ships which unloaded their cargo in a European port, then reloaded both goods and passengers bound for America. Ships sailed to various ports in North and South America, but by far the largest number landed in New York City, which became the hub of American immigration. The shipping companies competed for passengers through agents who traveled in likely areas to encourage emigration and to help interested parties.
Another source of help for the trip would be Anton and Anna Maria’s son who preceded them to America. He probably supplied information on how to prepare for their trip and how to avoid the pitfalls along the way. In addition, he may well have bought the tickets for their voyage. Tickets purchased by family were then delivered in Europe by a shipping agent.
When the day finally came for Anton and family to make their journey, they needed to: travel from their home in Urspringen some 520 miles to an ocean port; sail across the Atlantic; and, then travel several hundred miles inland to reach their new home. They sailed from La Havre, a major port on the coast of France. By the mid 1800s, railroads were spreading across both Europe and America, providing a relatively rapid and convenient means of transportation for our ancestors. So, it seems likely that Anton, Anna Maria and their four children Elizabeth, John Michael, Sebastian and Apollonia took advantage of the rail system for part of their journey. It is also likely they were assisted by a shipping agent in arranging their transportation.
After packing what they could carry with them, Anton and family probably boarded a train at Frankfurt au Main, some 60 miles from Urspringen. The railroad took them from Frankfurt to Paris, where they would continue their trip by boat down the Seine to the port of La Havre, about 100 miles. It was there that they boarded the sailing ship (or steamboat) for the long ocean voyage. Schedules were not exact, so they would spend a few days in Le Havre before boarding. This time would be spent purchasing supplies, food and other items for the voyage. In the 1850s the food was often the responsibility of passengers, while the shipping company only supplied water and cooking facilities.
The Ocean Voyage5 After a brief stay in La Havre, our ancestors boarded the ship for the trip to America. Generally, all but the wealthiest passengers traveled in steerage, the deck or decks between the cargo hold and the main deck. Accommodations in steerage were primitive, to say the least. The ship’s sides were lined with wooden bunks, about six feet long and two or three high, for sleeping. Each bunk would hold several adults, or more children. The space between bunks was crowded with baggage, supplies, cooking facilities and, less likely, tables. Toilet facilities, usually too few, were placed along the sides, between bunks. Generally, there were no special accommodations for female passengers. Everyone was mixed together.
Now, imagine our ancestors joining the 300 or so passengers and starting their voyage to America. After finally leaving port they would crowd the main deck for a last glimpse of Europe as they set off on their new adventure. Soon, ocean waves bring on an initial bout of seasickness. Ahead lay a month or more on the high seas. Passengers were allowed up on deck, but only in good weather, otherwise they were confined to the crowded conditions of steerage. Even in the best conditions this would be a difficult trip and often seasickness and lack of sanitary conditions made the trip a horrible experience.
The Final Leg6 Before 1855, ships docked at company wharfs along the Hudson and passengers disembarked without formal processing. Thus, there was no quarantine preventing disease, and family members were allowed to greet arrivals immediately upon docking. The new immigrants were not processed by government officials and there are no official records of entry. Passenger Lists may or may not have been kept by the shipping line. Also, various immigrant organizations were not yet available to assist passengers in locating accommodations, transportation and other needs. For these reasons, finding a record of the Wallpe arrival in America has been very difficult. According to notes in the Michael Bischoff Family Tree, the family “Disembarked on June 5, 1852 just south of New York City, New York due to storm.”7 The name of the ship is unknown.
Certainly, our ancestors must have welcomed the chance to stand on solid ground after weeks aboard a crowded sailing ship. Were they met by their son? It seems plausible. I can imagine Martin Joseph traveling to New York City to meet the ship. He would have arranged for temporary lodging while the family rested from their trip; they would surely need some time before they could continue their journey. And, he would have booked transportation for the remainder of the journey.
The final stages of Anton and Anna Maria’s journey would take them up the Hudson River by steamboat to Albany, where they would transfer to train for the trip to Western New York. In 1852 a steamer took less than a day to travel from New York to Albany and the train ride would take another day to reach Buffalo. The growing system of tracks, which soon became the New York Central Railroad, deposited new immigrants on the shores of Lake Erie. The Wallpes then would have boarded another steamship for a day’s travel to either Cleveland or Toledo, Ohio. The final miles by cart or wagon would take our ancestors to Washington Township, in Sandusky County, Ohio. Finally, the family arrived in their new home during late June 1852.
Life in America8 Anton, Anna Maria and family arrive at the Port of New York on June 5, 1852, and then made their way to northwest Ohio. They probably arrived in Washington Township near the end of June, and quickly settled into a new life in America. They were certainly helped by friends from Urspringen who preceded them, especially their older son, Martin Joseph. The area was home to a strong and growing immigrant community centered on the Roman Catholic Church in Fremont, a community that would welcome the newcomers and helped them through the first months after arrival. (The first Catholic Church of Fremont, Ohio was Saint Ann Catholic Church. However, by 1857 language began to be a barrier for the German parishioners. Father Louis Molon founded Saint Joseph parish on December 8, 1857.9)
Anton got right down to business after arriving in Ohio: locating a farm on which to settle and getting on with the farming. The purchase of land suggests that the family was moderately well off. Anton probably brought money with him from Germany, and it is also possible that his older son provided additional resources. Joseph was an experienced German mason and likely had savings.
By the 1860 U.S. census, almost exactly eight years after arrival, Anton owned a sizable tract in Washington Township, Sandusky County. The value of his real estate was recorded as $12,000 – significantly greater than the average homesteader. Living with Anton and Anna Maria in 1860 are three children: Joseph, a mason; Sebastian, a farmhand; and, Apollonia, at school. (By 1860, according to the Bischoff Family Tree, Sebastian’s sister Elisabeth, had married N. Pontius and relocated to Cook County, Chicago, Illinois.)
Civil War Service. Conspicuously absent on the 1860 U.S. Census is their son John Michael Wallpe (aka Michael Walby). So, where did he go? The 1857 Minnesota State Census finds Michael working as a mason in St. Paul, Minnesota. Two years later on July 22, 1859, Michael Walby enlists in the Regular Union Army at Fort Ripley. He is assigned to the U.S. Cavalry, 2nd Regiment, Company K. After serving barely four months, Michael deserts on October 2, 1859. There is no other historical record of Michael (Wallpe) Walby after the date of his desertion. (But, presumably, Michael is still alive in 1867 when Anton includes him in his last will and testament.)
The American Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865 – with the demand for Union soldiers at a peak during 1863. Sebastian Walby was 21 years of age in 1863 and could have volunteered for war, but apparently he did not do so. Neither did his brother, Joseph Walbe. (There is no record of a Wallpe, Walby or Walbe enlisted in the infantry from Sandusky County.) So, how did the two remaining Walby brothers avoid military service?
The Civil War began with volunteers and the use of state militias. But, very quickly, more troops were needed than those that enlisted. In the North, where the supply of men was greater, the draft was delayed a little longer [than the South], but by March 1863, it was necessary to institute the “draft.” The Northern conscription system was as maligned as that of the South. The law said a man who was drafted could stay out of the army by doing one of two things. He could pay the government three hundred dollars. Or he could pay another man to serve in his place. If a drafted man could not do either thing, then he must join the army or be shot as a deserter. The ages of conscriptees was set at 20 to 45.
By 1863, America’s northern states and southern states had been fighting a bitter civil war for two years. Both sides felt the pressure of the costly struggle. The South was beginning to suffer from a lack of supplies and men for its armies. The North was beginning to suffer from a lack of fighting spirit.
Many Americans in northern states did not support the war policies of Union President Abraham Lincoln. Some said openly that they did not care who won the war. They just wanted to be left alone. Coal miners in Pennsylvania protested against a law drafting men into the Union army. They rioted and attacked officials who tried to take them. Soldiers were sent to Pennsylvania to put down the riots. Farmers in Ohio also protested. They refused to be drafted. They attacked soldiers who were sent to arrest them.10
It’s not known whether Sebastian and Joseph avoided conscription by “luck-of-the-draw,” or paid for exemption from service. Maybe their father, Anton, refused to let the young men leave the farm. Or, Sebastian may have sympathized with the objectors who had rioted. Ultimately, when the Civil War ended in April 1865, Sebastian was 23 years old and very involved on the Riley farm, and Joseph was already married with a young daughter.
Wife and In-laws. While living in Riley Township on his parents’ farm, Sebastian met his wife, Mary Regina “Jane” Meyer. She was the daughter of Jacob Meyer and Mary Jane (Ziegler) Meyer, who were born in Alsace, Germany. In 1896, the Meyer family is noted in The Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio with the following:
Jacob Meyer came with his wife to American in 1838 and located in Seneca county, Ohio. In 1849 with money he had saved during a period of ten years in this country, he bought a farm of 80 acres in Riley township. In 1889 they removed to Fremont, Sandusky country, and are now living there retired after a life of diligence and self-denying industry, both at seventy five years of age…They had a family of five children…[daughter] Jane married Sebastian Wallby, and they live in Millersville, Ohio.11
Front Row from left to right: Aloysius “Ollie”, George Thomas, Peter Michael, Sebastian, Rudolph “Rudy”, Mary Regina “Mary Jane”. Back Row: Romance, Edward Ambrose, Joseph, Louis, Andrew, Frank Anthony, Josephine, Matelda, Elizabeth Anna, Rosa Cecilia.
Family Life and Ties. On May 11, 1868, at age 27, Sebastian Walby married Maria Regina “Mary Jane” Meyer in Riley Township, Sandusky County in Ohio. Mary Jane was Sebastian’s contemporary – being just nine years younger. She birthed children from age 19 to age 46. Sixteen children were born to this marriage, two of which died as unnamed infants. The remaining fourteen reached adulthood and eventually, split off into three groups – becoming the Ohio, Michigan and Canadian Walbys.
Ohio Walbys. Their very first child, Josephine Mary Walby (b 1869) arrived when Sebastian and his wife were just newlyweds living on his mother’s farm in Riley Township. As the eldest daughter, Josephine took her responsibility for her siblings very seriously. It wasn’t until age 26 that she married a local farmer, Hubert Miller and began her own family. She raised her six children in Jackson Township within sight of her childhood home. Josephine died at age 78 in 1948 in her home near Helena, Ohio.
The first-born son, Frank Anthony Walby (b 1871), became “one of Millersville’s most prominent citizens.” He was a well known farmer, employed during the Ohio oil boom in the vicinity’s fields. Frank married Rose Ann Nieset – the daughter of a landowner adjoining Sebastian’s property. Prior to his marriage, Frank assisted his father on the farm, later moving to town where he did mason and carpentry work. The couple had 10 offspring, and they lived in Jackson Township surrounded by Nieset and Walby properties their entire lives. Frank died of a stroke and cerebral hemorrhage at age 65 in 1936.
Sebastian’s third child, Elizabeth Anna Walby (b 1872), was born crippled and suffered from seizures – most likely caused by cerebral palsy. She never married and was supported by multiple family members. At the age of 47, Elizabeth was admitted to the Ohio Hospital for Epileptics along the Ohio / West Virginia border in the town of Gallipolis, Ohio. She was in the facility for 11 years before dying during one of her epileptic attacks at age 59 in 1931.
As a young man, Andrew Jacob Walby (b 1874) tried his hand as an oil well pumper along with his cousins Lawrence and Joseph Nieset. At age 27, Andrew married another Nieset daughter, Catherine Barbara. He, too, eventually became a notable farmer in Jackson Township and went on to father seven. Andrew died in age 67 in 1941 of a brief illness following a paralytic stroke.
Rosa Cecilia Walby (b 1876) had a unique birthday – she was born on Independence Day, July 4th on the country’s centennial. Rosie met George Peter Miller, a fifth-generation American farmer. Rosa bore him four children on their farm in Washington Township. Three grew to adulthood and stayed near their mother in Sandusky County, Ohio. Rosa died at age 67 in 1944 at her home near Helena, Ohio.
Edward Ambrose Walby (b 1883) married Clara Rose Nieset – a niece of the two Nieset sisters married to his older brothers. An enterprising young man, Edward was the sole proprietor of the “E.A. Walby Cream and Egg Station” – a wholesaler of “produce, groceries and tobaccos” to communities neighboring Millersville, Ohio. The couple had three children. Edward was the organist in St Mary’s Catholic Church in Millersville, a member of the St Mary’s Holy Name Society and of the Gibsonburg Knights of Columbus. Edward died in his home at age 61 in 1944.
Canadian Walbys. With a loan from Sebastian, Joseph William Walby (b 1879) and Louis Philbert Walby (b 1880) emigrated to Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada. They both purchased land in this newly-opened territory and pioneered farming. These Canadian Walbys proved to have great tenacity by continuing to farm land that offered poor wheat harvests from the frozen tundra. Coincidentally, these two brothers married two sisters. Joseph Walby wedded Catharine “Katie” Vossen and produced eight children. Louis Walby and Josephine Mary Vossen produced three daughters. Both families have remained in Canada. Joseph died in 1957 at age 78 on the farm that he had staked out in the early 1900s. His brother, Louis, had preceded him in death at age 75 during 1955.
Michigan Walbys. Romance “Roman” Nicholas Walby (b 1885) was a “jack-of-all-trades.” As a young man, he was a farm laborer and a master brick layer, who saved his money and became proprietor of a “café, saloon and pool room” serving the oil boomers and horse racing gamblers in Helena. Roman was a member of St Mary’s Church in Millersville and belonged to the Knights of Columbus lodge. Later, Roman relocated to Detroit, Michigan and became a building contractor – putting up catalog homes on the city’s eastside. Roman never married, but built a house for his brother Rudy on Elgin Street and roomed with him until his death. Roman died suddenly of a heart attack at the young age of 54 in 1939.
Matelda Regina Walby (b 1888) met Ligouri Benedict Logsdon in Jackson Township where he had settled as a Farm Laborer. They married and had 12 children. The family relocated to Detroit, Michigan where Liguori began work as an Inspector with a “motor car company” in Detroit, Michigan. Matelda died at the young age of 50 in 1938. Death followed a stroke suffered one week previously. Her youngest two daughters were raised by Sister Marcella Logsdon in a convent outside Monroe, Michigan.
As a young man in his twenties, Peter Walby (b 1889) lived with his brother Roman. Both made a living as general farm laborers. Later, Peter rejoins Roman in Rudy’s Detroit home and gets a job as a Die Maker for an auto factory in Detroit, Michigan. Ultimately, he becomes a proprietor of the Walby Paint and Wallpaper Store on Main Street in Royal Oak, Michigan (active through 1996). Peter wed Adelaide Stringle, but had no children. He died at age 87 in 1976.
George Thomas Walby (b 1891) married a seamstress named Agnes Barbara Stempl in Windsor, Essex County, Ontario, Canada. The couple settled in Detroit, Michigan and produced four children. George managed a hardware store on Connor Avenue east of Van Dyke. In 1940, George ran for U.S. Representative as a Republican in the 14th District, but was defeated in the primary election. Ultimately, he was a successful local politician in St Clair Shores, Michigan. He died at age 83 in 1974.
Aloysius “Ollie” Leander Walby (b 1894) married Rose Mary Molyet and fathered eight children. He became a hardware dealer and later, owned his own paint store on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Ollie lived in a Detroit home built by his brother Roman on Montlieu Street and stayed only two blocks away from his other brother Rudy. Ollie died at age 69 in 1966.
Rudolph “Rudy” Anthony Walby (b 1896), the youngest of Sebastian’s children, grew up on the family farm in Millersville, Ohio and relocated to Detroit, Michigan after his mother died in 1935. Rudy married Eva Marie Herman and had a family of seven children. Rudy opened a successful hardware store on Van Dyke Avenue that also featured gasoline pumps “out-front” and Ford car parts (before dealerships existed). Rudy died at age 69 in 1965 following a lengthy illness.
Farming in Riley Township. For the young Sebastian Walby, the years immediately following the Civil War brought significant changes within the immigrant family. On August 7, 1867, Anton Wallpe died in Riley Township near Fremont, Ohio at age 67. 
His considerable land tract was divided amongst family members. TheTownship / County Map from 1874 for Riley Township, shows “S. Walby” owning two parcels of land in Section 29 and 30 (see Figure 6). Presumably, these were inherited from his father, Anton Wallpe upon his death in 1867.
The 1870 census shows Sebastian as “farmer” and landowner with wife (Jane), daughter (Josephine) and mother (Mary). The two adjoining properties labeled “J. Lejeune” were willed by his father in 1867 to Sebastian’s sister, Apollonia Walby and her husband Jacob Lejeune. By this time, Martin Joseph had already moved to the northside of Fremont and had become a stone mason for the town.
Pioneer in Jackson Township. The Township / County Map from 1898 for Riley Township implies Sebastian Walby sold his land in Section 29 before moving to Jackson Township near the village of Millersville, Ohio. Presumably, this was done shortly after his mother’s death in 1881. His sister (Appollonia) and brother-in-law Jacob LeJeune picked up Sebastian’s parcel in Section 30 and expanded their farm. 
The Township / County Map from 1898 for Jackson Township shows “S. Walby” owning 80 acres in section 5, another 80 acres in Section 4 and an additional 58 1/2 acres in Section 9 along the Greensburg Road outside the town of Millersville, Ohio (see Figure 7). Presumably, these 3 parcels were purchased, in part, with funds from selling his father’s farm in Riley Township after the 1881 death of his mother. The 1900 census shows Sebastian as “farmer” and landowner with wife (Mary J) and 11 children. Note that the farmhouse, as shown in the only surviving family photo, very likely faced Greensburg Road in Section 9. This would have placed the home just east of downtown Millersville and in walking distance to St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church.
Importance of Education. Like most German immigrants, Sebastian placed a high value on education. All of the children attended local elementary schools in either Fremont or Millersville – depending on the location of the family home at the time. It appears that Sebastian also paid tuition for his boys to receive both a high school education and the equivalent of an Associate’s degree at an imminent Catholic college. The U.S. Census records for 1910 show Sebastian’s two sons George and Aloysius attending the Pontifical College of Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. This boarding school was a seminary initially focused on educating priests to work with the large population of German immigrants. Later, even though the emphasis remained theological, the college provided secular degrees in Liberal Arts. Although none of the 14 became nuns or priests, this schooling entrenched the Walbys in church commitment and service.
Church Life. Sebastian Walby was a devout Catholic and a parishioner for most of his adult life at St. Mary’s Catholic Church (German: Katholisch Kirche) in Millersville, Ohio within the Diocese of Toledo. 
A fire destroyed the old church, as Sebastian knew it, in 1920. But two photos have survived. Notice the similarity of architecture between the Millersville, Ohio church and the steeple in Urspringen, Germany.
Sebastian was a major contributor to the expansion and upkeep of the church facilities. Jeffrey Smith, a local historian, summarizes the history as:
The church was built in 1859, at a cost of $1,800. At the time, it was 36 feet by 50 feet, but it was enlarged to a length of 95 feet in 1882. That cost $5,000, showing that inflation is nothing new. Bishop Gilmour of Cleveland rededicated it on May 6, 1884. The original building was torn down to build the present church, so the pictures are from before 1920.12
Very likely, Sebastian committed significant dollars to the 1882 expansion. It’s also very possible that he and his sons helped lay the stone for the addition. Notice that the facade is limestone cut from a local quarry in Gibsonburg, Ohio — less than 10 miles away.
Sebastian’s wife, Mary Jane, was a well-respected participant in the church. According to her obituary, she was “an active member of St Mary’s church and of the Altar Society of the parish. She was widely known among a large circle of relatives and friends in the Millersville parish and neighboring communities.” 13
Special Talents. The German pioneers were a competitive bunch. 
Sebastian Walby was no less so. In December 1903, a small article in the Sandusky Evening Star highlights his special talent at age 62:
S Walby of Millersville claims to be the record breaker for making large sausages. While butchering at his home the other day, he made one measuring sixty feet. 14
The photo at left shows a meat grinder and sausage stuffer from the early 1900s. Sebastian likely used something similar.
In a 2010 interview, Philip Joseph Walby recalled stories of another unique talent. Like most farmers, Sebastian made his own beer. But, more uniquely, he also ran a still. He produced whiskey from fermented grains grown on his farm including barley along with corn, wheat, oats and/or rye (depending on his annual crop). Sebastian’s production was considered “bootleg booze” because he and his sons sold the liquor directly to folks in Millersville and Gibsonburg without paying the state tax.
Sebastian’s Death and Burial. Average life expectancy for American males living in 1904 was just over fifty – 54.6 years. 15 Sebastian Walby died at home in Millersville, Ohio on March 9, 1907 at the age of 65 years, 6 months and 11 days (per his headstone). So, he lived a full life by the day’s standard. 
An obituary in the Fremont Daily Messenger on March 11, 1907 provides additional insight to circumstances of Sebastian’s death:
Sebastian Walbe, an aged and respected resident of Millersville died very suddenly Saturday night. Mr. Sebastian Walbe has been complaining for several weeks and often said that he thought he would not live very long. About ten-thirty Saturday night he became very ill and before medical aid could be summoned he was dead.16
An article in the tri-state newspaper Indiana Weekly Messenger provides more personal details surrounding his last moments:
Sebastian Walby, a wealthy pioneer, awoke and began to tell his wife of a dream that his two sons [Joseph and Louis] in the west [Saskatchewan, Canada] were coming home. As he proceeded he was stricken with heart disease and expired. He was the father of
16 children.17
His funeral mass was held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Millersville, Ohio. Date of burial is recorded as March 13, 1907 by the Ochs Funeral Home of Fremont, Ohio. Sebastian’s remains are in the Walby family plot within St. Mary’s Cemetery in Jackson Township, Sandusky County, Ohio. The cemetery lies in Section 9 south of CR41 just east of the town of Millersville, Ohio.
Sebastian Walby’s last will and testament essentially left his estate to his wife and 14 living children – the exception being no benefits distributed to sons Joseph and Louis. (Sebastian had loaned both young men advances on their inheritance for homesteading in Canada during 1904.) Typical of the times, Mary Jane was Executrix and retained the use of his estate for the remainder of her natural life.
His Wife’s Death and Burial. Maria Regina “Mary Jane” Walby survived a full 28 years after the death of her husband. She died on December 7, 1935 at the age of 85. Details of her death were recounted in an obituary run in the Fremont Messenger:
Aged resident of Riley Township died Saturday. Mrs. Mary Walby, 85, native of Riley Township, and pioneer resident of Sandusky county, passed away Saturday morning at one o’clock at the 
home of her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Miller of near-Millersville. Death was due to old age and complications.18
On Monday, December 9, 1935 she was buried in the St. Mary’s cemetery next to her husband. The tall family monument (see photo at left) was presumably erected by Sebastian around 1900. The footstone for Sebastian is on left and another for his wife Mary Jane is on the right. A bronze plaque listing Sebastian’s 14 known children was added in 2003 by contributions from the Sebastian Walby Family Reunion attendees.
References
1 “Walte” from http://www.behindthename.com and http://www.Wikipedia.org
2 “Urspringen” from http://www.Wikipedia.org
3 “Engagement” from http://www.wikipedia.org
4 “Zehlers: Their Journey to America, Beginning the Trip” from http://zahlerweb.info/am/zehler1.htm
5 “Zehlers: Their Journey to America, The Ocean Voyage” from http://zahlerweb.info/am/zehler1.htm
6 “Zehlers: Their Journey to America, The Final Leg” from http://zahlerweb.info/am/zehler1.htm
7 Anton Wallpe, Bischoff Web Site from
http://www.myheritage.com/site-family-tree-71766392/bischoff
8 “Zehlers: Their Journey to America, Life in America” from http://zahlerweb.info/am/zehler1.htm
9 “St Joseph Catholic Church, Fremont, Ohio,” Bowling Green University, Center for Archival Collections
from http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/cac/ms/page45951.html
10 “As the Civil War Goes, So Does Opposition” from http://www.manythings.org/voa/history/108.html
11 Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio, – containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families; J. H. Beers; 1896, page768, 769 from http://www.archive.org/stream/commemorativebio00jhbeers#page/n5/mode/2up
12 “Catholic Architecture and History of Toledo, Ohio,” Article by Jeffrey Smith from
http://catholictoledo.blogspot.com/2008/04/st-mary-millersville.html
13 “Aged Resident of Riley Township died Saturday,” Fremont Messenger, December7,1935.
14 “Around About,” Sandusky Evening Star, December 1903.
15 “Fertility and Mortality in the United States” by Michael Haines at
http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/haines.demography
16 “SebastianWalbe,” Fremont Daily Messenger, March11, 1907.
17 “Tri-State News in Brief,” Indiana Weekly Messenger, March 1907.
18 “Aged Resident of Riley Township died Saturday,” Fremont Messenger, December7,1935.
Figures and Illustrations
Figure 1 – Variations of the Walby family name created by Mary A. Walby
Figure 2 – Map of Germany in 2010 from www.Wikipedia.org
Figure 3 – Urspringen Landscape in 1856 from http://www.urspringen.de/
Figure 4 – City of Fremont, Ohio in 1874 from the Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio by J.H. Beers and Company, 1896 at http://www.archive.org/stream/commemorativebio00jhbeers#page/n5/mode/2up
Figure 5 – Sebastian Walby’s wife and 14 children in 1904 Millersville, Ohio courtesy of Emilie Pollauf
Figure 6 – Township / County Map from 1874 for Riley Township, Sandusky County, Ohio, USA from
Figure 7 – Township / County Map from 1898 for Jackson Township, Sandusky County, Ohio, USA from
Figure 8 – Exterior of St. Mary’s Church in Millersville, Ohio
from http://catholictoledo.blogspot.com/2008/04/st-mary-millersville.html
Figure 9 – Interior of St. Mary’s Church in Millersville, Ohio from http://catholictoledo.blogspot.com/2008/04/st-mary-millersville.html
Figure 10 – Grinder and Sausage Stuffer from http://www.yeasting.com/pages/zimage001_png.htm
Figure 11 – Headstone at St Mary’s Cemetery, Sandusky County, Ohio at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohio/cemetery_misc/ohio/sandusky/sm_nz.htm
Figure 12 – Walby Family plot within St. Mary’s Cemetery courtesy of Carolyn Reinbolt at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohio/cemetery_misc/ohio/sandusky/sm_nz.htm
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