As I contemplate the first snowfall (and perhaps one of the biggest) of

the winter season, I am looking toward 2005 and the opportunity to

serve the historical society as president. First, I would like to

welcome the other newly elected officers and board members and to thank those who are stepping down or moving into other jobs. Paul Dewey has done a fine job for the past three years and deserves special

recognition for guiding our organization through a very successful

bicentennial year in 2004. He will continue to be active as a board

member in 2005, filling out the unexpired term of Byron W. Copp who

sadly passed away in November. Many of you knew Byron as your Clayton mail carrier, or perhaps as your insurance agent or as a local auction buff. He was a lifetime charter member of our historical society and served on the board since our founding in 1998. His efforts on behalf

of the society will be sorely missed. JoeAnne (Knoop) Conners, member

and previous resident of the township who now lives in Dayton, has

been elected to the board seat vacated by Hobert Robbins. We wish

Hobert the best and hope he will be able to take a more active role

again in the future. Bob Hine continues in his second year on the

board and must be thanked for all his work in organizing the all-class

Randolph High School reunion last June. Karl Schroeder and Loren

Butterbaugh will replace each other in the roles of vice president and

board member, respectively. We are hoping that one of our younger

members, Kay Dawson, will enjoy recording minutes of our meetings while Caroline Bergman becomes the corresponding secretary. Finally, Sue Cummings will combine the duties of treasurer with the processing of

memberships plus many other unheralded tasks!  We want to make our society the best it can be. Our efforts can succeed if you, our members, take a more active role in the society. An old saying goes “many hands make for light work.” Please volunteer to serve or chair one of our standing committees or offer assistance in other tasks such as filing materials in the archives room, serving as hosts in the history room, writing articles about your family for the newsletter, clipping obituaries and items about the historical society from local papers, suggesting speakers for programs or phoning members to remind them of upcoming events. Everyone’s help is needed.

The Family Tree Randolph Times, Vol. 7, Issue 1 January 2005

Excerpts taken from “Oren Family Stories” by Rev. Ira A. Oren, Ruth E. Oren and Virginia E. (Oren) Groves

Who has not stopped at the intersection of Old Salem Rd. and Union Rd.

and enjoyed looking at the old white frame Happy Corner Church of the

Brethren (originally the Lower Stillwater Church) on the SW corner or

the modern church complex built in 1979 on the NW corner? Our eyes also would stray off the road to a brick house on the opposite side of the

road which for many years had a sign hanging from the porch saying

“Happy Corner - Oren House.” Did you ever wonder about the story behind this sign?
 

A recent family history donated by James and Betty Oren provides the

Oren family tree and, through personal recollections of relatives and

friends, helps clarify the impact the Oren Family had on the development

of Happy Corner Church. Only the highlights of some of the stories will

be given here. Much more information along with photos can be studied

in the society’s genealogy archives.

 
The Oren family can trace their ancestors to England, Ireland and even Russia. Later generations settled in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana and Clinton and Highland Counties in Ohio. Our interest will focus on Alva Warren Oren born to Quaker parents Ira and Mary Ann Oren in Indiana. After attending the public schools and completing 3 years of Normal School, Alva and the rest of his family moved to Carrol Co. TN where he taught school and engaged in the sawmill and shingle business.  Alva united with the Church of the Brethren in the New Hope Church in Carrol Co. and was called to the ministry. In 1899 he married Alma May Mummert, whose parents were Aaron and Minnie Mummert of Phillipsburg, OH. After spending some years in Tennessee, Alva and Alma moved to Trotwood ca. 1904. By 1906 they owned a small house just east of Happy Corner School. Alva and Alma had five boys: John David, Ira Aaron, Samuel Byron, Jesse Myron and Harold Alva. The older boys went to Happy Corner School, the younger ones to Clayton and all but Harold (Parker Co-op) graduated from Randolph. From 1906 to 1941, Alva took an active part in the free ministry program of Happy Corner Church.

When the subdistrict schools were consolidated in 1921, Alva bought the old Happy Corner School building and remodeled it into a “big brick house.” John David Oren, described by Rev. Ivan Gascho of Happy Corner Church as a pillar of the community, came into possession of the house in 1937. He and his first wife Naomi cared for 33 local “foster” children until she passed away. Later, after the children were grown, he married Kathryn Conklin and they lived in the house until John’s death. Oren family members had lived in this house for all but 4 years between 1923 and 1987. In September 1987, Kathryn Oren donated the Oren House at 7038 Union Rd. to Happy Corner Church according to the wishes of her late husband. In later years the house was used as a church parsonage.