Luetta Christian’s Autograph Book

“When this you see, Remember me”
Written by Sue Cummings
It is amazing how much we can learn about the early residents of Randolph Township
and their neighbors from treasured paper items that have been saved through the years. I am
referring to items recently donated to the society by Betty Landis, granddaughter of Luetta
Christian Slogh and daughter of Lottie Slough Lightner. I report here some of the information
gleaned from these items that will be of interest to several of our members and other readers
who will recognize names of early relatives.
Louetta (05 June 1873 – 24 May 1937) was one of five children born to Samuel B. and
Talitha Heckman Christian. They lived on a farm on North Diamond Mill Road in Clay Twp., just
west of the Randolph Twp. line. They also owned a bring house on Talmadge Road in Salem
(Clayton).
Most interesting to me were the two small autograph albums belonging to Luetta when
she was a young girl. One of the albums had been presented to Luetta by her teacher, R. F.
Shultz, Union, OH as a reward for doing well in school in 1884-85. It contains only a few poems
and signatures including that of another teacher, G. W. Brumbaugh, dated Union, October 21,
1887.
Louetta’s other earlier autograph album has verses dated 1881-1888 and has signatures
of many more friends and relatives from states as far away as Kansas. Obviously, Luetta
preferred collecting remembrances in this book and took it with her to various family
gatherings, church functions and other community events. From the names included we can
learn who lived where and their relationship to Luetta.
Luetta’s mailing address was Centre, OH, the old name for the Phillipsburg post office.
Signatures that appear in this book include: from Centre, OH – S.B. Christian, Aunt Mary E.
Christian, Dr. W.J. Christian, brother; F.H. Christian, D.C. Christian, Mary Althea Christian,
sister; Emma F. and Harry Fisher, Samuel Fisher, Clara E. Fisher, Harvey Beery, David W.
Shellabarger and H.M. Pearson; from Union, OH – Lizzie Heckman, Uncle Samuel Heckman,
Fanny Heckman, A.F. Heckman and S.A. Heckman; Jennie Krug; from West Baltimore, OH
(Verona); Nettie M., Austin and Victor R. Peffly; from Clayton, OH: Alice Troxell, friend and
teacher. Other names also appear with no towns indicated.
Also donated was a letter sent to Lottie Sough, Louetta’s daughter, when she caught the
measles while a junior in high school. The letter makes fun of Lottie’s boasting that she would
not catch them and is signed Ecnerwal Yreeb which is Lawrence Beery spelled backwards!