Mary Jane Dingman was born on December 14, 1908 (110 years ago today), to Wallace Betts Dingman and Grace Green Morley Dingman. She was born at the family’s home in Conneaut, Ashtabula County, Ohio.
She grew up to be a teacher, wife, and mother, then a teacher again, business manager, and finally a caregiver. Her husband was Walfrid Herbert Huskonen, who grew up on a farm across the road from her Dingman grandparents’ farm in Williamsfield, Ohio. Mary went to school in Conneaut and Walfrid in Williamsfield, but they saw each other over the growing-up years. They decided to get married as young adults living in the Cleveland area. At the time, Mary was an elementary teacher in Bedford, Ohio, and Walfrid was employed as a patternmaker by Lake City Malleable Foundry Company in Cleveland.
Mary and Wally went on to be parents, raising three children in Andover, Ohio. For many years, she was a stay-at-home mom while he became an entrepreneur, owning and operating Andover Pattern Co. in Andover.
Remembering her today has prompted me to start to gather together what I have on file for Mom. I plan to assemble it into a multiple-part life story about a strong and loving woman—my mother.
Watch this space for installments in the coming days.
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