Mona Marion Christian of Medina (1895-1973)

BIRTH MARRIAGE DEATH

17 October 1895, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA 07 August 1920, Medina, Medina, Ohio, USA 10 October 1973, Medina, Medina, Ohio, USA

Mona Marian Christian was born on 17 Oct 1895 to parents George Edward Christian and Frances Jane Dodge at 11 Gregg Street in Cleveland, Ohio.¹

Mona grew up at 11 Gregg St with 5 brothers, 1 sister, and her grandfather Rufus Dodge who moved in with the family in 1897 following his wife's death.²

In 1904 the family moved out of the city and headed south to the rural country of Medina County near the intersection of Old Weymouth and Remsen roads in Medina, Ohio where she lived with her parents, brother Howard, brother Fred & by 1910, his wife Valeska too. When her sister Ethel Lucille got married, she and her husband started out living next door with their 2 daughters.³

In 1917, at the age of 21, Mona tragically lost her father George after the local Gazette noted as him being of poor health for quite some time. He had been a sufferer of Bright's Disease, which was a term commonly used for kidney disease, but also included related problems more difficult to diagnose. He took a turn for the worse the year prior after falling from a tree.

Two years later, Mona, her mother, and the rest of her siblings relocated to 240 North Huntington Street in Medina, only a few blocks off the town square.

In 1920, Mona is splitting time at 2 locations. Mona is still in Medina at 240 North Huntington Street with her mother Frances⁴, but she was also living with brother Stanley working for a Buckeye Aluminum Company as a packer in Wooster, Ohio. This is most likely how she met Glenn Winkler, who was a laborer at the same Aluminum Works.⁵

On 7 Aug 1920, Glenford Leroy Winkler and Mona Marion Christian were married by Judge Omar Van Deusen in Medina, Ohio.⁶

On 25 Jan 1921, daughter Kathryn Lucille was born at Glenn's parents' home, 646 Nold Avenue, in Wooster, Ohio. Around the time of their second child Robert's birth in 1924, Glenn and Mona separate when Glenn up and leaves. He doesn't just leave Mona and his family, he leaves his parents and the town, and moves to South Bend, Indiana. Why he chose South Bend is not known, but this is where he lived for the next five years.

After Glenn left, Mona moved back to 240 North Huntington Street in Medina. Here she raised her children with help from her mother Frankie and brother Pete. Even though Glenn disappeared, she loved his parents dearly and would spend time with them on regular basis.

Glenn's time in South Bend, during the height of prohibition, involved frequent run-ins with the law and saw him become a familiar figure with the local police. His arrest record includes investigation, vagrancy^B and public intoxication on a number of occasions, but none of them equal the last charge that was the downward spiral of of Glenn Winkler's life.⁷

Long story short, Glenn and his accomplice knocked over a few stores and stashed the goods at Glenn's place where they were caught red-handed. Glenn was arrested, put on trial and imprisoned 2 years for his crimes.⁷ For a more detailed analysis of Glenn's life, health and criminal record, check out the page on Glenford Leroy Winkler.

After Glenn was released on 29 Aug 1931,¹⁰ family story is that he returned home to Ohio and attempted to make nice. Mona gave him another chance and he moved back in to spend time with Mona and get to know his children. It didn't last however, and most likely due to increasingly bizarre behavior, he got himself kicked out of the house.

If things weren't already bad for Glen, they undoubtedly continued to worsen. Glenn would have been suffering from significant pain with sudden dramatic psychotic episodes; delusions of grandeur, increasingly bad decisions, night terrors and complete mental breaks. Summer 1932, Glenn's family had him committed to Massillon General Hospital (State Hospital for the Insane). In Oct 1932, Glenn's problems were so bad that they were able find a medical diagnosis. Turns out syphilis was eating away at his brain and central nervous system. By this point, it was far too advanced for treatment

Glenn died the month following his diagnosis on 18 Nov 1932 in Perry, Stark, Ohio at Massillon General Hospital. He was buried on 19 Nov 1932 at Overton Church of God Cemetery in Chester Township, Wayne, Ohio.¹¹

Mona lived a full life filled with friends and family in Medina and visited Glenn's parents at their home in Wooster regularly. She spent the majority of her life at 240 North Huntington St. She died on 10 Oct 1973 at Medina Community Hospital in Medina, Ohio following a short illness at the age of 78 years old. The Medina Gazette newspaper states she was “A member of the Rebekah Lodge Aux. of the Odd Fellows and was the last survivor of a family of five brothers and one sister." Mona was buried on 12 Oct 1973 in Medina, Ohio at Spring Grove Cemetery,¹³ with her brother Howard “Pete” Christian and followed six months later by her son Robert¹⁴ (Section VI & VII; Row 10; 3 headstones facing north towards the high school).

FATHER:

George Edward Christian, 22 Nov 1858 - 07 Feb 1917

MOTHER:

Frances Jane Dodge, 29 Jun 1862 - 09 Jul 1943

SPOUSE:

Glenford Leroy Winkler, 17 Jul 1898 - 18 Nov 1932

CHILDREN:

1. Kathryn Lucille Winkler, 25 Jan 1921 – 18 Mar 2008
2. Robert Ellsworth Winkler, 03 May 1924 – 25 Apr 1974

Footnotes

^B Vagrancy statutes were used by police, until declared unconstitutional in the 1970's, to charge persons who were suspected of criminal activity, but whose actions had not gone far enough to constitute a criminal attempt.

Sources

¹ Christian, "Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003"; "Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003," index and images, FamilySearch ( https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VRSZ-5ZL : accessed 07 Feb 2014), Christian, 1895.

² 1900 United States Federal Census about Mona Christian; Year: 1900; Census Place: Cleveland Ward 42, Cuyahoga, Ohio; Roll: 1260; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 0209; FHL microfilm: 1241260.

³ 1910 United States Federal Census about Mona M Christian; Year: 1910; Census Place: Medina, Medina, Ohio; Roll: T624_1205; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 0138; FHL microfilm: 1375218.

⁴ 1920 United States Federal Census about Mona M Christian; Year: 1920; Census Place: Medina, Medina, Ohio; Roll: T625_1417; Page: 32A; Enumeration District: 75; Image: 340.

⁵ 1920 United States Federal Census about Mona Christian; Year: 1920; Census Place: Wooster Ward 2, Wayne, Ohio; Roll: T625_1448; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 225; Image: 786.

⁶ Mona Christian, "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994"; "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZXL-JXN : accessed 08 Feb 2014), Glen L. Winkler and Mona Christian, 07 Aug 1920; citing Medina, Ohio, United States, reference 427; FHL microfilm 423825.

⁷ Arrest of Glenn Winkler; The South Bend Tribune Newspaper; South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana ; Sunday, 15 April 1928; Ligonier Store Robbery Solved.

⁸ Noble County Old Jail Records about Glenn Winkler; Noble County, Indiana; Admitted: 15 Apr 1928; Release/Transfer: 23 May 1928.

⁹ Trial Transcript of State of Indiana vs. Everett Slabaugh & Glenn Winkler; No.: 3013; 16 May 1928.

¹⁰ Department of Correction-Prison North 1897-1966 about Glenn Winkler; Indiana State Archives; Institution Records; (http://www.indianadigitalarchives.org/ViewRecord.aspx?RID=8DAAE47084F5A642D03377E036F43713); Visited: 7 Feb 2014; Ref#: DOC024417; Name: Glenn Winkler; Prisoner No: 12582; Prisoner Summary Sheet.

¹¹ Wayne County, Ohio Burial Records about Glenn Winkler; Wooster Branch of Wayne County Public Library; Wayne County, Ohio; Chester Township; Overton Church Of God Cemetery; pg. 104.

¹² 1930 United States Federal Census about Mona M Winkler; Year: 1930; Census Place: Medina, Medina, Ohio; Roll: 1848; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 0014; Image: 686.0; FHL microfilm: 2341582.

¹³ Obituary of Mona Winkler; Medina Gazette Newspaper; Medina, Medina County, Ohio; Wednesday, 10 October 1973; Mrs. Mona Winkler; Page 3.

¹⁴ Obituary of Robert Winkler; Medina Gazette Newspaper; Medina, Medina County, Ohio; Wednesday, 26 April 1974; Robert Winkler; Page 3.