source: Guest Columnist Carol Greaves for the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum, 01 November 2001
I’m sure many stories could be told of our little town; many memories, many people coming and going from generations. I, myself, have heard stories and have had experience. My family settled in this small village many years ago, perhaps as early as 1810. They were the Kalzenmeyers, which later was changed to Cotsmire.
Remaining from the first homestead is a little barn off the main road (Monnett-New Winchester Road). My great-great-great-grandfather died on that homestead one bad winter up the lane where they had lived. They couldn’t get him out to a cemetery, so he was buried in an unmarked grave along the lane. Spring came and he was never found.
My great-grandfather, Elzy Grey Cotsmire, had built a few of the homes in New Winchester that still stand today. He had married my great-grandmother, Ida Mae Johns, and now both rest in Sixteen Cemetery.
New Winchester was where people worked hard and were proud of who they were and proud of their homes. I remember one time when I was about 7 or so, Ouny Gardner had the store on the corner, which also was a gas station. My mom gave my sister and me a dollar. That was a lot of money for us. Candy was one cent. With that dollar we could get 100 pieces of candy. Ouny didn’t like for us to take our time picking out candy. So she would chase us off with a broom.
There are a lot of memories here for a lot of people — my great-grandparents and my grandparents, mother, myself and my son. Five generations have lived here and two generations before my great-grandpa. Seven generations of Cotsmires in this small village. I live in a home where my great-grandpa was born 119 years ago. My home means a lot to me.
Today we still have many who live here, but the town just isn’t the same. Our elders did take care of this village. Now younger families who have settled here just don’t take the same pride in their homes.
New Winchester is close to Galion and Bucyrus. Our main road is very busy these days. Traffic tends to not see signs of 35 mph, even posted signs of “please drive slowly,”
I wrote this little story in memory of my grandmother, who was also the last of the Cotsmires, Helen Irene Brady, who also is in Sixteen Cemetery along with her brothers, sisters, daughter, one grandchild, one great-grandchild and her parents. So, when you go through these little towns, there could be so much more than just a small village.
