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Tribune Chronicle / Jon Wysochanski Melvin Tolley, 78, of Mecca, holds his Navy yearbook and a copy of a publication printed aboard the USS Frontier, on which he served during his time in the Navy.

by Jon Wysochanski, Reporter–Tribune Chronicle

Editor’s note: This is the final installment of a weekly series published every Monday between Memorial Day and Veterans Day honoring local veterans.

MECCA — Some students might not know what the future holds, but Melvin Tolley knew exactly what he’d do when he graduated from Mecca Centralized High School in 1957: join the U.S. Navy.

Tolley, 78, served from 1958 to 1962 in the Navy as a shipfitter metalsmith second class and then spent two more years in the Navy Reserves and four years after that as an inactive reservist. While on active duty, Tolley went to sea and found the world was much bigger than his hometown of Mecca.

“I never heard anything other than Navy, Navy, Navy,” Tolley said. “My dad was in the Navy so I was going to join the Navy no matter what.”

But it almost didn’t happen. When Tolley went to Philadelphia for a military physical, he was told he had a heart murmur and couldn’t join. This came as quite a surprise to a young man who had vigorously played sports in high school.

So Tolley went to Youngstown, where a private physician signed off that there was no heart murmur and he returned to Philadelphia six months later to take another physical. From there, it was an extremely quick process.

“I never even got to call home,” he recalled. “They just said go downstairs and get on the bus. After I went in, I wasn’t home for a couple years.”

After basic training at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois, where Tolley spent his spare time singing in the Blue Jackets Choir, Tolley was sent to California. For several weeks, Tolley was in Imperial Beach, Calif., and then he was sent to Long Beach, where he boarded the USS Frontier.

The ship first went to Pearl Harbor and then to the Subic Bay in the Philippines, where Tolley found himself docked for three months and providing support to three Naval destroyers. That’s when the work began or repairing smokestacks, resupplying the destroyers and making whatever repairs were necessary on the ships.

“We worked 16 hours a day, six days a week,” he said.

During his time off, Tolley did get to go on land, where he saw at least one very large international fist fight between Canadian, Russian, English and American sailors involving thrown chairs and tables because someone made a bad remark about the Queen of England. Other than that, he said he mostly just performed his duties and followed orders.

One thing he admitted he should have done more was write home to his girlfriend, Wanda. Two years into his service, they would marry.

Wanda agreed more letters would have been nice, but the 7 cents postage was a lot of money at that time.

“I was mad at him most of his time at sea because he didn’t write,” she said.

When Tolley was discharged, he returned to Mecca with Wanda. The two spent their first married years in California, and he took a job in the construction industry. Eventually, he got a job at Packard Electric, where he worked in maintenance until his retirement in 1999.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience,” he said. “I was always told that as long as you keep your mouth shut and do what you’re told, then everything will be all right.”

Correspondent photo / John Patrick Gatta – Wanda Tolley takes notes while looking at a reprint of the 1874 Trumbull County Atlas and books published by the Trumbull County Genealogical Society in the Local History and Genealogy Center inside the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library in Warren. Tolley, of Mecca, is president of the Trumbull County Genealogical Society. 

by JOHN PATRICK GATTA–Correspondent

Warren Tribune Chronicle

MECCA — With a detective’s eye for detail, Wanda Tolley discovered a family history that goes back to the American Revolution.

The enthusiasm generated through this knowledge led to uncovering local ancestral connections as a member of the Trumbull County Genealogical Society, of which she is now president.

Researching families requires paying attention to familiar names and asking questions to reveal additional information.

“I have a T-shirt that says, ‘GENEALOGY: Where you confuse the dead, and irritate the living,'” Tolley said.

“Some people don’t like all the questions about family, and some families use the same first name a lot. And when it’s a popular last name, it’s hard to keep everyone straight. That’s why the T-shirt statement is so true. You are always appreciative of any help or information that someone can give you.”

In her teens, Tolley gained a fascination studying the line of descent of a person, family or group from an ancestor.

“We went to visit my great-grandfather, Sherman Shafer. We had visited him many times, but this time he started talking about when he was young. His father, William Jacob Shaffer, had been with (Brigadier General William Tecumseh) Sherman, on Sherman’s March to the Sea during the Civil War.”

She explained that the spelling of her pre-marriage surname can include one ‘f” or two. It changed during the war.

“The story I heard is that Sherman, being a teacher, said you can only hear one ‘f’, so that was all he was going to use,” Tolley said.

DOING RESEARCH

Discussing how genealogy works, she said, “To do research, you start with yourself and go back in time. A generation chart is a way to help keep track of the generations, and a quick way to refer back to. The 5 Generation Ancestor Chart is the most popular. It has a place to put your name on the chart and work back to your parents, your great and your great-greats.

A Descendant Tree is an outline starting back as far as you can go, and bringing it down to present, listing all those you have found descending from that ancestor.

“The reference to a family tree would be putting the parents / grandparents, as the trunk of a tree, and the branches as their children, and just keep branching out with each generation.”

She added, “Working on your genealogy makes history more interesting, when you realize that your ancestors were a part of that history, and it makes you want to learn more about both to see what part your family played in it.”

Doing research uncovers more layers of her family’s history in ways that continue to surprise her. A 1959 graduate of Mecca High School, Tolley found out years later that she was related to a couple classmates.

“My family settled in the Champion, Bazetta, Bristolville and Mecca areas. So, those cemeteries have many family names. Walking through them brings back memories of the loved ones gone on or brings to mind the information you have learned about that person, even if you never had a chance to meet them.

“Growing up, you hear things about family members, but never know if they are true. When you start doing research, you sometimes find that they are, or not, but it can also lead you to an area. It’s a good hobby that will never end because there’s always another generation to go back to.”

Going beyond her connection to the Civil War, Tolley found an ancestor, Nicholas Clemmons, who was an indentured servant for George Washington.

“He is my fifth great-grandfather, and was his cook during the Revolutionary War. He came to Youngstown in his later years and is buried in Lake Park Cemetery,” she said.

Besides scouring historical documents, modern technology such as DNA testing can unlock new information on relatives.

“There is also a company that gives you the ability to find an app on your phone and see if there is anyone in the room or a group of people around you that you are related to. It was a fun thing that many of the attendees did at our Ohio Genealogy Conference last April. There were many surprises,” Tolley said.

PRESERVING HISTORY

As president of the Trumbull County Genealogical Society, she and its other members document local history. It has published numerous books, including “Trumbull County Marriage Records Index 100 Years 1800-1900,” two volumes, “Trumbull County Marriage Records Index 25 Years 1900-1925” and “Trumbull County Birth Records 1867-1908” as well as a deed index book, a bible records book and a death index book.

Those interested in the historical books created by the Genealogical Society can visit the Local History & Genealogy Center, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library.

“We have members from all over the United States, as many families settled in Ohio in their movement west. At one time, Trumbull County was all of the Connecticut Western Reserve and Warren was the county seat,” she said.

The group also undertook a hands-on project, cleaning and restoring Pioneer Cemetery on Mahoning Avenue in Warren.

“We got permission to go in and give it some tender loving care. The limbs were picked up, the stones washed and registered, with a photo of each stone and research done on some of those buried there. Several Boy Scouts earned their merit badges by taking on a project to enhance the cemetery,” Tolley said.

“It was the first registered cemetery in the Western Reserve, and there are about a dozen or more Revolutionary soldiers buried there. The Daughters of the American Revolution go on Memorial Day to place a flag at the cemetery.”

A book gathered all those buried there, while a separate book compiled all the veterans buried there. Both are available at the Genealogy Center.

Other than summer break, the Genealogical Society gets together once a month. Its next meeting takes place at 10:15 a.m. Aug. 8 in the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library.

Anyone can learn more about the group and assist in research.

There also will be a Genealogy Class on “Genealogy Basics” from 6 to 7 p.m. Aug. 9 in the Genealogy Center. To register, call 330-399-8807, Ext. 202.

“I encourage people to do some research into their families, even if a relative has already done some. There is always more to learn, and someone has to keep recording family information to keep the family up to date. The programs, ‘Finding Your Roots’, and ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ show how interesting it is to learn about your ancestors. There are many exciting things you can learn by doing the research.”

When asked about her family life, it discloses additional history of the area.

Her family moved to Mecca in 1950. Her deceased husband, Melvin, moved with his family from West Virginia to Mecca in the late 1940s.

“Our fathers, Raymond Shafer and Otho Tolley, were both involved in starting the volunteer fire department in Mecca, and my father, Raymond, was fire chief for several years before he passed away. Our mothers, Judy Shafer and Ivy Tolley, were two of the original fire auxiliaries,” Tolley said.

She and Melvin have three children: John of Bazetta and Matthew and Pamela, who live out of state.

by Bob Coupland, Reporter

Warren Tribune Chronicle

MECCA — Wanting to have a historical society like neighboring communities do, residents in Mecca started one this year.

Dan Gladd, president of the new Mecca Historical Society, said the idea of the township having a historical society has been discussed for the past couple years.

“Many of us are from local families who have been in the township for generations. We feel it is important to preserve the local history for future generations,” he said.

Gladd said Mecca is the only township in Trumbull County that is divided by Mosquito Lake, so the society has historical information from residents who lived on the west side or the east side of the body of water.

Among the first things society members plan to do is to meet with the older residents and record their histories and knowledge of the township.

Gladd said he attended a veterans program at Maplewood High School and remembers the stories and information shared by local residents.

“The veterans and other residents have so much to share on Mecca’s history. They can tell you what happened from World War II,” Gladd said.

Gladd said he’s learned local history he previously didn’t know, including that the property he lives on was once a cheese factory.

While the society has been meeting for a few months, they have discussed plans for the future.

Gladd said one goal is to have display cases at the fire department moved to the township hall to display historical society items.

“Right now, we are in the early stages. We are discussing ideas,” he said.

Resident Wanda Tolley, who is president of the Trumbull County Genealogical Society, said she was excited to have the Mecca Historical Society established.

She said there have been seven people who have met at recent meetings.

Tolley said with the exception of Vernon, most other neighboring communities have historical societies.

“I love history and working on family genealogies. There are so many unique things about Mecca,” Tolley said.

She said she agrees with members that interviews with older township residents need to be done to record the stories and information of the township and the families who lived there.

“So many people are still living here that have so much history to share. Our goal is to get it recorded,” Tolley said.

Tolley said she would like to have guest speakers attend future meetings and also hold fundraisers in the fall.

Mecca fire Chief Tom Domes, vice president of the society, said members of his family as well as relatives of Gladd worked to establish the department in the late 1950s.

“There is a group of us who have talked for a while about getting a historical society established. I grew up in Mecca. There is a lot of history here, including when Mosquito Lake was put in,” he said.

The society meets 6 p.m. the third Thursday of month in the township trustee meeting room.

by The Seeing Eye
Community News

HISTORICAL SOCIETY PLANS CAR SHOW: The Mecca Township Historical Society will host a Memorial Day car show 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at Maplewood High School, 2414 Greenville Road NE. Registration information is on the historical society’s Facebook page. The event will include a food truck, Mecca Fire Department fill a boot, and Mosquito Lake Chase 5K and one-mile fun run.

Bob Coupland, reporter

Warren Tribune Chronicle

MECCA — A newly formed historical group is hoping to expand and become like other societies throughout Trumbull County.

The Mecca Historical Society is in its first year and members want to increase membership and plan more community events.

President Dan Gladd said the society hosted a car show and basket raffle at Maplewood High School, which allowed the members to showcase historical items the society has compiled since it launched.

Gladd said the society uses the township hall for showcasing items and plans to discuss future events. The society meets every other month at 6 p.m. on the third Thursday.

“We are showcasing items that let people see the basic account of the township’s history. Mosquito Lake is a big part of Mecca’s history and part of the display,” Gladd said.

Gladd said Mecca is the only township in Trumbull County that is divided by Mosquito Lake, so the society has historical information from residents who lived on the west side or the east side of the lake.

In addition to books and documents, there also are family pictures, Maplewood High School yearbooks and artifacts.

Tami Morrison, who serves as the society’s secretary / treasurer, said the goal is to get the historical society’s name out to the public.

“We want to preserve Mecca’s history and have items here for the next generation. We want to preserve our history around the township’s founding, the schools and the lake. It is important to maintain that history and not have it lost,” Morrison said.

Morrison said membership is $10 annually, but the public is welcome to attend any meeting or event.

“Right now we are getting our feet off the ground and getting displays together and gathering what we can,” she said.

Morrison said there are two lifetime honorary members — Tom Kachur, who wrote a book about Mecca, and Mary Letwen.

“I have wanted to have an historical society for years,” said society trustee Wanda Tolley. “We are blessed because we have young members involved. For too long, we were one of two townships that did not have a historical society.”

Tolley said with the exception of Vernon, most other townships have historical societies that are not only active in their communities, but participate in other events, such as the Trumbull County Fair.

Among the first things society members plan to do is meet with the older residents and record their histories and knowledge of the township.

Gladd said many residents are from families who have been in the township for generations.

Gladd said his father, Thomas Gladd, was a former trustee and Tolley’s father was a former fire chief for Mecca, so they have information on the township.

“We are now keeping the history going,” Gladd said.

For information, visit meccatownshiphistoricalsociety.com.

ERIE DEARIE...Mecca...06-12-25...Cathy Galbincea Brunstetter, far right, and her brother Dan Galbincea, both of Mecca, talk about the history of the "Erie Dearie" fishing lure, created by their father Dan Galbincea, during a meeting in Mecca Township Hall about pursuing a historic marker to commemorate the invention of the lure...by R. Michael Semple

by Bob Coupland–Reporter
Warren Tribune Chronicle

MECCA — Township trustees want a historical marker placed in the township to recognize the Erie Dearie fishing lure, which was invented and manufactured by the local Galbincea family.

Trustees met Thursday with representatives of the Trumbull County Planning Commission, Trumbull County Historical Society, Mosquito Lake State Park and Trumbull County Tourism Bureau to discuss what steps are needed to get the designation.

Trustee Greg Chopko said the marker could be located near the boat launch ramp at Mosquito Lake.

Also attending via speaker phone was Port Clinton’s mayor and safety service director.

Mecca resident Cathy Galbincea Brunstetter said her father Dan Galbincea II manufactured the fishing lure in Mecca.

“My family feels so honored for the trustees to honor my father for all the hard work he did all these years,” she said.

Chopko said the fishing lure helped put Port Clinton on the map, which became known as the “Walleye Capital of the World” with all the people who fished there for walleye.

He said people would fish for walleye using the Erie Dearie fishing lure.

Chopko said for anyone who fished the Erie Dearie fishing lure was well known and well used.

Trustee Dan Galbincia said his father was able to create a lure that was ideal for hunting walleye and other fish for the way it would spin, sink and retrieve. He said the lure became a staple among anglers who admired it for its effectiveness and simplicity,

“Many people have said it was easy to use. My dad was a hell of a promoter,” Galbincia said.

Galbincia Brunstetter said the name Erie Dearie came because her dad always wanted to fish at Lake Erie and her mom Helen running the Causeway Sports Shop and taking care of five children and she would be frustrated and say to him “Just go up to Erie, Dearie.”

Resident Ed Chopko said the Erie Dearie “was always the lure to use when fishing back in the day. I am sure it is still used a lot today.”

LOCAL FISHING SHOP

Galbincia Brunstetter said her parents had a fishing shop by Mosquito Lake in the 1950s and her dad invented a fishing lure which was sold years ago for 89 cents and today is $5.50.

Dan Galbinica said his father would go to Port Clinton and Lake Erie to fish and would sell the lure out of his car.

He said his father, who died in June 1996, has a marker dedicated to him and the Erie Dearie fishing lure in Port Clinton.

After the family sold their business 15 years ago, the lure was still being manufactured out of state. The family made more than 30 different lures, which were patented.

Galbincia said his father was honored when he was inducted into the Ohio Sportsmen’s Hall of Fame in 1984.

Port Clinton Mayor Michael Snider said in honor of the fishing lure there is a Erie Dearie Park in Port Clinton and every Memorial Day weekend there is Walleye Festival held which is among the largest annual festivals in Ohio.

He said a 20-foot fiberglass walleye is lowered on New Year’s Eve in Port Clinton with this being the 30th year to do that walleye drop that draws people from around the world.

Trumbull County Planning Commission Director Julie Green said her office will work with Mecca officials on steps to get a marker with the deadline May 2026.

Meghan Reed, director of the Trumbull County Historical Society, said the process to get a marker takes two to three years.

“The state is looking for areas where they have not done markers in the past. This is worth an application,” Reed said.

Beth Carmichael of the Trumbull Tourism Bureau said first-hand accounts about the Erie Dearie are important. She said possibly a display can be set up at a nature center at Mosquito Lake State Park to help publicize the fishing lure.