My Nana

Submitted by GFSNance@aol.com

My Nana was named Lulu Vey Fowler, born October 5, 1888, in Ottawa Lake, Lenawee County, Michigan, to John Allan and Harriet Emma Cable Fowler. She was the youngest, I think, of all the children: John Allen Jr., William, Samuel, James Otto, Bertha, Rose and Nana. She was the only one born in Michigan; the others were born in Springfield Township in Lucas County, Ohio, about a half mile from where I live, on Albon Road. Nana attended a little one room school house just a little south of her house south of Salisbury Road. Now that school house is redone into someone's house. Her homestead now belongs to the Grams family who has a farm market and orchard. 

When I went to get my nana's school records I noticed that there were subjects she took that are not taken now. Her exam grade average was way over 3.8. She was one of 5 girls who graduated from Holland High School in 1906. 

While Nana was in high school, her father, John, owned a cement block making company in Holland, Ohio. In 1910 they moved to Waterville, Ohio, where her father had platted the northern section of the town. (Note: I have a plat map that he made of this section of Waterville done on canvas and signed by Mr. Disher the mayor of Waterville in 1906.) They lived on John Street north of US route 24 or the Anthony Wayne Trail that goes all the way to Ft. Wayne, Indiana. On the corner of John Street and Farnsworth is a big cement block building that Grandpa built that became the station house for the old Electric railroad that was called the "Pumpkin Vine" railroad. My Nana was the first ticket seller for the railroad and her brother Samuel had a little grocery store in the same building. Nana also ran a little lunch stand when she was not selling tickets. This information was given to me by my mother, Eleanor, and her cousin Gladys Fowler O'Reilly.

Nana met Grandpa Louis and they had a very romantic meeting and were married in 1910.