Meet Rochelle Haas…

Tags

Akron, Archivist’s Attic, Artful Living and Learning Program, Brady, Canton, Canton City Schools, Ceder, Clarendon, Columbus, Early Childhood School Psychology, Elementary, Flannery, Haas, Johnnie’s Pastries, Kent State University, Lincoln High School, Margaret Shipley Child Health Clinic, Mckinley Museum, Mottice, Myers Industries, North Canton, ohio, Pat, Peter, Plain Local Schools, Planetarium, Ramsayer Research Library, Rochelle, Roller Monthly, school psychologist, Souers, Stark County Educational Service Center, Stark County history, Waynesburg/Sandy Valley, WHBC

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What is your name and where are you from? 

     My name is Rochelle Haas and I was born and raised in Canton, and have lived in        North Canton with my husband Tom since we were married. Our daughter Flannery Haas and son-in-law Pat Brady live in Columbus and are expecting a baby girl (our first grandchild) in February!

Where did you attend school?

     I attended Clarendon and Cedar Elementary Schools and Souers Junior High, and graduated in 1976 from Lincoln High School. Upon graduation I attended and worked at KSU Stark Campus, eventually transferring to the KSU Main Campus. I graduated in 1981 with a B.A. in English. I went back to graduate school at KSU and received a Master’s in Education and an Educational Specialist’s Degree in Early Childhood School Psychology in 1989.

Work experience/military service/etc?

     My very first job was as a clerk at Johnnie’s Pastries in 1976. I was employed as a copywriter and salesperson at WHBC from 1981-1983. I also worked as an account representative and technical writer in the in-house advertising department of Myers Industries in Akron. After receiving my graduate degree in school psychology, I was employed as a school psychologist for Canton City Schools, Plain Local Schools, and the Stark County Educational Service Center, eventually retiring.

When did you start volunteering here?

     I began volunteering in the McKinley Research Library in June of 2016, following the lead of my husband. Having grown up in Canton and with fond memories of field trips to the McKinley Museum and Planetarium, I was very interested in Stark County history. As a volunteer, I’ve researched, written and recorded blog posts for the Archivist’s Attic on a variety of subjects. I’ve helped to document donations to the library. I’m currently documenting articles from a former local publication called The Roller Monthly dating back to 1898! It is truly fascinating to catch a glimpse of how dynamic our community was, and to note the things that have evolved over the course of time. I really enjoy the camaraderie, interaction, and passion of all of the staff and volunteers. Every day at the Library is an adventure, with everyone bringing their curiosity and inquisitiveness to the table in their quest for historic information.  I’ve even learned that my great-great-great grandfather, Peter Mottice, was an important figure in the early development of Waynesburg/Sandy Valley and was a member of the first grand jury convened in Stark County.

When you are not volunteering, what are some of your hobbies or commitments?

     I am also involved in a number of activities to support education, early childhood, and the arts. I currently serve on the Advisory Board for the Artful Living and Learning Program, which provides arts immersion instruction to nearly a thousand preschoolers in Stark County. I previously served on the Margaret Shipley Child Health Clinic and the KSU Stark Alumni Boards. Other interests include travel, writing, oil painting, photography, hiking, reading, and music. Also, I am a very social person and especially enjoy spending time with family and friends.

Favorite things about being a volunteer?

     To me, volunteering is a way to stay engaged with my community.

What values and/or lessons would you pass along to someone?

     I believe that knowing and understanding our history is an essential part of being an informed citizen. The perspective of knowing where we’ve been helps to guide us going forward and gives me a sense of pride in our community’s diversity and vibrancy.

We want to thank Rochelle for letting us interview her and allowing us to share her story on our social media. Our team at the McKinley Presidential Library loves being able to share stories of our volunteers with people outside of the museum and we want you to be apart of that too! 

If you would like information on how to become a volunteer, be sure to private message our page or call the museum at: (330) 455-7043

 

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Star Struck… Sub-Title: Archives of Answers…

Tags

Canton, Fred Astaire, Mckinley Museum, Ramsayer Research Library, War Bonds, WWII

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Star Struck… Sub-Title: Archives of Answers…

It was an amazing weekend! The Zoar Reenactment was well attended and a very satisfying event!

In my mind, I pick up the phone to call my mom to tell her all about it! In my mind, I drive home to tell my mom all about it! Then I realize that mom died over seven years ago, and I can’t tell her all the details of the magnificent weekend we all had.  Many of us as humans have had this experience.  Some people have told me these feelings never go away.  Many of us want to ask our relatives, who have passed on, intimate details about the objects and the photographs they left behind but that is not possible.  We can only go on the information we are left with.

Almost all of us have photo albums at home hidden away, and full of treasured photographs of family, friends and pets long lost.  Some of the albums are the type with the sticky pages and the clear plastic covering your photographs.  The type you’ve been meaning to take the photographs out and put them in another container that is safer for its preservation.  And as well you should! Other albums are more like a scrapbook with the photographs pasted on the soft black construction paper type pages.  This is the type of album I picked up at home last week just to look through and reminisce.

As I flipped each page over to look at the images of my family I noticed someone had written on the edge of one of the photographs deep into the album.  One of the markings said movie stars, and the other markings were dots that marked the people in the photographs.  There were five photographs in all.

In one of them I identified one of the buildings in the photograph as the Stern & Mann’s building on North Cleveland & Second Street NW.

When I showed the photographs first to my wife Alyson who is a classic movie buff, she immediately pointed out Fred Astaire.  I said “What!?!” Fred Astaire is in my Grandpa Rice’s photo album? Why?

One of our researchers who is getting proficient with keyword searches found the article in The Canton Repository on September 13, 1942.

Exactly seventy-five years ago today Hugh Herbert, Ilona Massey and Fred Astaire visited Canton, Ohio in 1942 to help sell war bonds to raise funds for The War.

The next photograph I was able to identify was Hotel Onesto on Second Street NW.

Hotel Onesto Main Entrance 1942

The star trio was set to arrive in Canton, Ohio at 12:30 pm.  They will be met at the corporation limits by a committee organizing this event.  Any persons purchasing $10,000 or more in war bonds may help escort the trio into the city.  The stars are on a mission working for the United State Treasury Department in an effort to raise one billion for The War.  Upon the group’s arrival they will be taken to Hotel Onesto for a reception sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.  They will then be taken on a tour of the city making stops at all of the major theaters.  At 2:30 pm the group will attend a rally in Public Square at Market Avenue and Tuscarawas Street.

This photograph was taken in the 1960’s, but it gives you a good idea where the event took place.

More Later…