Jeremiah Solomon Gordon (1880 - 1942)

 
Jeremiah Solomon Gordon was born on February 18, 1880 in Ryot (Oak Shade or Six Roads), West St. Clair Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, the son of Lorenzo Madden and Margaret (Adams) Gordon. Jerry was the seventh of eleven children.

Jerry had the honor of being named after both of his grandfathers--Jeremiah Gordon and Solomon Adams. His paternal grandfather, Jeremiah Gordon, died when Jerry was 1 year old.

 
Sadly, on February 1, 1893 Jerry's baby brother Daniel died at the age of 3. It is thought that the family returned to Ryot after Daniel's death.

In 1896 Jerry moved with his parents and many of his brothers and sisters to Streetsboro, Portage County, Ohio.

On October 11, 1900 Jerry married Ella Mae Leasure in Portage County. Ella Mae was born on October 9, 1880 in Aurora, Portage County, the daughter of John and Emma (Miele?) Leasure.

Jerry and Ella Mae were the parents of a large brood of eleven children. They were: Sibyll (Gordon) Strang, Harold S. "Skeets" Gordon, Margaret "Peg" (Gordon) France, Kenneth S. Gordon, Ruth E. Gordon, Lorenzo M. "Bud" Gordon, Alice M. (Gordon) Zutavers-Gusler, Charles W. Gordon, Clara K. (Gordon) KIstler/Kisler, Mary L. (Gordon) Denning-Clow, and Donald K. "Sam" Gordon.

Jerry was employed as a buttermaker for a dairy creamery. 

Jerry and his family moved a number of times throughout Ohio. In 1910 they lived in Hudson Township, Summit County, and in 1920 they resided in Loudonville, Hanover, Ashland County. Around 1924 they moved again, this time permanently, to Wooster, Wayne County.

In the years 1932-3, Jerry witnessed the early deaths of two of his children. On May 26, 1932 Harold was electrocuted working on a telephone while in the employ of the Central Ohio Light and Power Company. He was 29 and newly married. On April 10, 1933, their daugher Ruth died at their home at the age of 25.

Jerry used his expertise in dairy and opened Jerry's Cream Market in Wooster, which he operated until his death at age 62 on May 17, 1942. His death ended a marriage of 41 years.

Their sons Bud, Charles, and Sam served in the miliary, Bud and Sam seeing action during World War II. Their son Kenneth may also had served in the military.

In July 1963 Ella Mae died at Bay View Hospital, Bay Village, Wayne County at the advanced age of 82. At the time of her death, they had 30 grandchildren.

Jerry and Ella Mae are buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Orrville, Wayne County, OH