F. R. and Ollie B. Billman's Home

This home is located just at the edge of town on Ohio Route 78.  The photo was taken in 1986.  To see more photos from Lewisville and Monroe County, click here to visit my Flickr album.

History of My Grandfather’s General Store

From the Monroe County Beacon newspaper
@1953
Title: "Century Old Store Changes Ownership"

"Billman's Store" in Lewisville, [OH], which has served that community under various ownerships for the past one hundred years, was recently purchased by George Radon, of near Woodsfield, from the more recent-years owner, F.R. Billman, and has taken charge.

The new proprietor has had considerable experience in the general merchandising field, having been employed with the Kroger and Bailey Companies in Cleveland for a number of years, and he plans to operate the widely-known general store on the self-serve basis and by courteous service and quality merchandise, he hopes to continue the tradition of this fine and ancient store.

A Mr. Packenburg owned and operated the store many years ago and later sold his business to Frank and Charles Oblinger, Clem Oblinger later purchasing Frank's share.

On August 18, 1907, Mr. Billman was employed by the Oblinger's and in 1910 bought a one-third interest, the store being known at that time as the Oblinger, (Marion) Robinson & Company.  Prior to purchasing an interest in the store, Mr. Billman worked in the oil fields for five years.  He is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. John H. Billman, of Lewisville.

In July, 1918, Mr. Robinson entered World War I, and Mr. Oblinger and Mr. Billman bought his interest in the store.  Mr. Oblinger died in December, 1920, and in January, 1921, Mr. Billman became sole owner.  Mr. Radon took possession June 1st.  He is a former Clevelander, coming here in 1943 and is a prosperous farmer in the Lewisville area.  Before coming to Monroe County he was Service Representative for Curtiss-Wright Corp. of Caldwell, New Jersey.  During World War II he served overseas as a Technical Representative.  His wife is the former Edith Faber, daughter of Amiel Faber and the late Mrs. Faber.  The Radon's have two sons: Robert, a student at The Ohio State University, Columbus; and Richard, at home.

Mrs. Billman, the retiring owner's wife, is the former O11ie B. Fisher daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Grant Fisher of Lewisville.  The Billman's have one daughter, Mrs. Frank (Grace) Stallings of Westerville, and one grandson, Robert Alan Stallings.

And with the passing of one era and the beginning of a new for the "Grand Old Store of Lewisville," the community's best wishes go to both the retiring and the new owner—F.R. Billman and George Radon&mdsh;for a long service that has been well done and a new that hopes to serve as in the past a modern setting.

[See my earlier blog post of December 31, 2013, "F. R. Billman's General Store."]

Stallings Family Tree

Grace L. Stallings write a 24-page outline of all the members of her extended family with dates of their births and deaths, the names of their spouses and when they were married, the names and dates of birth of their children, and so forth.  This image is only the first page.  To read the entire family tree, click here.

My Great Uncle, Fred M. Fisher

My grandmother, Ollie B. (Fisher) Billman's older brother (below).  After the war, he returned to Lewisville (Monroe County), Ohio, where he went back to work at the Monroe County Bank (now United Bank) in the county seat, Woodsfield, OH.  He would rise to become president of the bank.  Upon his death, we inherited his Chrysler with the push-button transmission in the dashboard.

(This photo was taken in 1918 while he was still stationed in France.)

The front (above) and back (below) of a military postcard mailed from France in 1919.

The Graf Waldersee (below), a German ocean liner commandeered from Germany at the end of World War I.

The Graf Waldersee was used by the United States to bring back troops from Europe after the war.  Fred Fisher was among the troops returning from France on the ship's final voyage in August 1919.

Shaving Cream — the Prequel

My Grandfather, F. R. Billman of Lewisville, OH, actually used this shaving mug (his initials are on the bottom), shaving soap, and lathering brush.

F. R. Billman’s General Store

My grandfather, Frank R. Billman, owned and operated this general store, located on the southeast corner of Malaga Street (Ohio 145) and Back Street in Lewisville (Monroe County), Ohio, for over thirty-two years.  He had worked in the store as a young man when it was owned by Charles Oblinger, who lived in the large house next door, and had bought it from Oblinger in January 1921.  My mother, Grace (Billman) Stallings, always said that Oblinger had had the storefront imported from Germany, but she never explained why or from where.  The photo below was taken in August 1950.  That's F. R. Billman himself standing on the sidewalk in front of his store.

This was one of two general stores in the small town serving not only residents but also farm families in the surrounding countryside.  The other general store, located two blocks to the north, was owned and operated by my grandfather's next-door neighbor and friend, Charles Feiock.  Billman retired at the age of 68 and sold the store to a newcomer from Florida, George Radon, on May 29, 1953.  He died just a few months later.

The store was not nearly as successful for Radon as it had been for my grandfather, the locals apparently not enamored with this outsider.  On September 7, 1956, the store burned down under mysterious circumstances.  My mother and most locals believed that the fire was a case of arson and that Radon had deliberately set fire to his own store in order to collect the insurance and move on.  Not long afterwards, Radon purchased a new, one-story brick supermarket on the outskirts of the county seat, Woodsfield, seven miles to the east.  Both my mother and my grandmother, Ollie Billman, often said that they were glad that "Dad" (as both called him) had not been alive to see the ruins of the store that was never rebuilt.  Here is what the location looks like today.  The location is the southeast corner of Malaga Street (Ohio Route 145) and Back Street.

Sixty-Year-Old Sunday School Diploma Found

Jane White, proprietor of Mudflats Bar & Grill in Galena, Ohio, found this Sunday school diploma in an upstairs room above the bar.  We have no idea how it got there as neither Carole nor I have ever been to Mudflats.  Our current guess is that someone bought the diploma, probably for the old wooden frame with its original glass, at the auction my brother held before we sold my mother’s house in Westerville, Ohio, in 2003.  The diploma was awarded to me in 1949 when I was five years old by the Lewisville (Ohio) Methodist Church.  I attended Sunday school there when we visited my grandparents who lived in Lewisville.  Initially, I thought the diploma had no special meaning for me, but after receiving it by mail from Ms. White I was surprised and pleased to discover that one of the signers was my grandfather, F. R. Billman (second signature) who was a deacon at the church  Now the challenge is finding an appropriate place to hang it.  A big “Thank you” to Ms. White for locating and contacting me and for so carefully packaging the wooden frame with its old pane of glass to ensure that it arrived undamaged.