The Link: Stories Worth Reading
by Jill Siler
One of her favorite memories is "baking a birthday cake for dad, who at one point hurt himself quite badly when he fell out of a pear tree."
Sarah Jane Fair
Entering the tiny, neat as a pin apartment where Sara Jane lives, I noticed the beautifully embroidered tablecloth, covered with colorful flowers and looking like spring. On the wall are a few scenic paintings done by the family artist, and an enlarged bridal picture in the hall is autographed by her loved ones on the occasion of her 50th wedding anniversary. In the 1953 photo she is the luminous June bride all decked out in white lace, and the groom, a tall proud Duane Fair looking very pleased with himself. I sat down on the now “infamous” recliner, hoping I wouldn't succumb to its charms and fall into a deep sleep (as some others have done), and then Sara Jane seated across the little room on the nearer end of her sofa with her needle work close by, set off on a journey of the heart. That of course being a lifetime of her memories. As she points out who's who in the photos, she keeps close at hand, her face brightens, and her physical pain briefly subsides, as I look into the faces in the pictures of the old folks from her childhood, her own children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Sarah Jane Metzger was born Dec. 28, 1933, in Springfield, Ohio. She is the oldest of twelve children, her parents being Ora and Treva Metzger. Two of the twelve went home to Jesus at a young age and as the eldest she had a lot of responsibilities in the home. “From the age of five I hung clothes out on the line and carried babies on my hip.” She did much of the cooking and cleaning and on Saturday evening she would fill an old wash tub using a hand pump by the sink. Then by the warmth of the woodstove she would bathe all her younger siblings in the same water then dried all of them off with the same towel. Scrunching up her face she said that when they were done bathing it was her turn, and she had to use the same water and towel. She told me then and there she determined that her children would each have their own towel. She remembers the Saturday night lineup of shoes on the kitchen table to be polished before church on Sunday morning. One of her favorite memories is baking a birthday cake for her dad who at one point hurt himself quite badly when he fell out of a pear tree. The kids did their homework by the light of oil lamps and of course the old outhouse and chamber pot were part of the experience of living way back when.
Around the fifth or sixth grade the family moved to Whipple Road in Bronson. She attended the Trayer School at first and then transferred to what she describes as “just a house near the school”, in Bronson. Church was the hub of the wheel in the family and Sara Jane loved singing in a trio with her sisters Betty and Norma. She sang harmony and Erma Botsner playing the piano. She met Duane Fair in the ninth grade at Pleasant Hill Church. Their first date was to see a play at the Orland School. Duane was eight years older than she, and just the right age to be inducted into the Army. He was stationed in Germany and served as an assistant to the Chaplin.
Meanwhile Sara Jane had graduated in 1951 and was staying with her grandparents, Harry and Fanny Strome in the town of New Carlisle, Ohio where her granddad worked as a barber. She remembers her grandpa Strome washing his car every Saturday night so it would look good going to church the next day. Sara Jane stayed with grandma and grandpa while Duane was away. She did chores and helped with the housekeeping. She recalled, with that “salt of the earth “satisfaction in her voice, “All I've ever known is work, but it didn't hurt me.”
The good folks in New Carlisle had a bridal shower for Sara Jane and Duane came to get her after he was discharged from the service. They were married and moved back to Michigan. They lived on Booth Road, farming for forty years [1953-1993]. Along with having 7 children, she helped with the cows, kept a garden, canned enough to feed an army, sometimes staying up till 3 o'clock in the morning freezing and preserving the garden’s bounty. She'd get up and make breakfast, and while Duane ate his meal, she and one of the girls would go milk the cows. Somehow, she found time to can beans for her mother-in-law, Wava Fair. Sarah Jane has a competitive side also, always trying to outdo her dad by having the best garden. Imagine having to clean up eggs from 700 laying hens everyday, because Sara Jane knows what that is like.
At one point, during a summer storm, lightning struck the house and barn and the house caught on fire. “I was so irritated at Duane because even after I yelled at him that the house was on fire, he just kept on milking!” The fire department came and put out the fire but sometime later the barn started to burn and the fire department had to return. The barn was pretty-well destroyed, and the Fairs lost a bull in the blaze. “Someone made sandwiches for the firemen, and my neighbor lady took the girls, Dixie and Karen, who were little at the time. The Pastor from Pleasant Hill came over to help and everybody really pitched in. The sad thing is, we lost a bull in the fire. It was quite the night. We built a new barn with three stalls and a milking parlor. Seems like we were still being tested.”
Sara Janes grandfather was H.M. Metzger. He and his wife ministered two different times at Pleasant Hill Church. There were lots of revivals back then. Marshall and Wava Fair, Duane’s mom and dad, lived on Snow Prairie Rd. in the stately old mansion previously owned by Governor Luce. Sara Jane and Duane moved into the Luce Mansion when Wava and Marshall were gone.
Sarah Jane's claim to fame are her pies, especially her peach pies, which were a hit at the “Town Square” restaurant in Howe, now called “The Gathering Place”. She was swamped at the holidays' and for twelve years she baked bread and up to ten or twelve pies a day. Her pies were a big hit at church functions as well.
Somewhere along their journey through life she and Duane started to attend Bethel Gilead Church. When Duane passed away in 2017 Pastor Jim, friends, family and her church family were there to help and support her. “I miss him like everything,” she said. They were married almost 61 years and Duane was 91-years young when he passed. A sweet memory is the song that was sung at Duane’s funeral, “He touched Me,” which was a favorite of her dad as well. Duane and Sara Jane had seven children: Dixie, Karen, Kevin, Marsha, Diane, Becky, and Curtis. Sadly, her daughter Becky passed away in 2016 and then Diane in 2020.
I asked Sara Jane if she was happy all those years. Her response was an emphatic “Yes!” She misses the garden. She misses the hard work. Most of all she misses Duane.
Entering the tiny, neat as a pin apartment where Sara Jane lives, I noticed the beautifully embroidered tablecloth, covered with colorful flowers and looking like spring. On the wall are a few scenic paintings done by the family artist, and an enlarged bridal picture in the hall is autographed by her loved ones on the occasion of her 50th wedding anniversary. In the 1953 photo she is the luminous June bride all decked out in white lace, and the groom, a tall proud Duane Fair looking very pleased with himself. I sat down on the now “infamous” recliner, hoping I wouldn't succumb to its charms and fall into a deep sleep (as some others have done), and then Sara Jane seated across the little room on the nearer end of her sofa with her needle work close by, set off on a journey of the heart. That of course being a lifetime of her memories. As she points out who's who in the photos, she keeps close at hand, her face brightens, and her physical pain briefly subsides, as I look into the faces in the pictures of the old folks from her childhood, her own children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Sarah Jane Metzger was born Dec. 28, 1933, in Springfield, Ohio. She is the oldest of twelve children, her parents being Ora and Treva Metzger. Two of the twelve went home to Jesus at a young age and as the eldest she had a lot of responsibilities in the home. “From the age of five I hung clothes out on the line and carried babies on my hip.” She did much of the cooking and cleaning and on Saturday evening she would fill an old wash tub using a hand pump by the sink. Then by the warmth of the woodstove she would bathe all her younger siblings in the same water then dried all of them off with the same towel. Scrunching up her face she said that when they were done bathing it was her turn, and she had to use the same water and towel. She told me then and there she determined that her children would each have their own towel. She remembers the Saturday night lineup of shoes on the kitchen table to be polished before church on Sunday morning. One of her favorite memories is baking a birthday cake for her dad who at one point hurt himself quite badly when he fell out of a pear tree. The kids did their homework by the light of oil lamps and of course the old outhouse and chamber pot were part of the experience of living way back when.
Around the fifth or sixth grade the family moved to Whipple Road in Bronson. She attended the Trayer School at first and then transferred to what she describes as “just a house near the school”, in Bronson. Church was the hub of the wheel in the family and Sara Jane loved singing in a trio with her sisters Betty and Norma. She sang harmony and Erma Botsner playing the piano. She met Duane Fair in the ninth grade at Pleasant Hill Church. Their first date was to see a play at the Orland School. Duane was eight years older than she, and just the right age to be inducted into the Army. He was stationed in Germany and served as an assistant to the Chaplin.
Meanwhile Sara Jane had graduated in 1951 and was staying with her grandparents, Harry and Fanny Strome in the town of New Carlisle, Ohio where her granddad worked as a barber. She remembers her grandpa Strome washing his car every Saturday night so it would look good going to church the next day. Sara Jane stayed with grandma and grandpa while Duane was away. She did chores and helped with the housekeeping. She recalled, with that “salt of the earth “satisfaction in her voice, “All I've ever known is work, but it didn't hurt me.”
The good folks in New Carlisle had a bridal shower for Sara Jane and Duane came to get her after he was discharged from the service. They were married and moved back to Michigan. They lived on Booth Road, farming for forty years [1953-1993]. Along with having 7 children, she helped with the cows, kept a garden, canned enough to feed an army, sometimes staying up till 3 o'clock in the morning freezing and preserving the garden’s bounty. She'd get up and make breakfast, and while Duane ate his meal, she and one of the girls would go milk the cows. Somehow, she found time to can beans for her mother-in-law, Wava Fair. Sarah Jane has a competitive side also, always trying to outdo her dad by having the best garden. Imagine having to clean up eggs from 700 laying hens everyday, because Sara Jane knows what that is like.
At one point, during a summer storm, lightning struck the house and barn and the house caught on fire. “I was so irritated at Duane because even after I yelled at him that the house was on fire, he just kept on milking!” The fire department came and put out the fire but sometime later the barn started to burn and the fire department had to return. The barn was pretty-well destroyed, and the Fairs lost a bull in the blaze. “Someone made sandwiches for the firemen, and my neighbor lady took the girls, Dixie and Karen, who were little at the time. The Pastor from Pleasant Hill came over to help and everybody really pitched in. The sad thing is, we lost a bull in the fire. It was quite the night. We built a new barn with three stalls and a milking parlor. Seems like we were still being tested.”
Sara Janes grandfather was H.M. Metzger. He and his wife ministered two different times at Pleasant Hill Church. There were lots of revivals back then. Marshall and Wava Fair, Duane’s mom and dad, lived on Snow Prairie Rd. in the stately old mansion previously owned by Governor Luce. Sara Jane and Duane moved into the Luce Mansion when Wava and Marshall were gone.
Sarah Jane's claim to fame are her pies, especially her peach pies, which were a hit at the “Town Square” restaurant in Howe, now called “The Gathering Place”. She was swamped at the holidays' and for twelve years she baked bread and up to ten or twelve pies a day. Her pies were a big hit at church functions as well.
Somewhere along their journey through life she and Duane started to attend Bethel Gilead Church. When Duane passed away in 2017 Pastor Jim, friends, family and her church family were there to help and support her. “I miss him like everything,” she said. They were married almost 61 years and Duane was 91-years young when he passed. A sweet memory is the song that was sung at Duane’s funeral, “He touched Me,” which was a favorite of her dad as well. Duane and Sara Jane had seven children: Dixie, Karen, Kevin, Marsha, Diane, Becky, and Curtis. Sadly, her daughter Becky passed away in 2016 and then Diane in 2020.
I asked Sara Jane if she was happy all those years. Her response was an emphatic “Yes!” She misses the garden. She misses the hard work. Most of all she misses Duane.
Sarah Jane was the oldest child of Ora and Treva. At the time of the photo, younger siblings included Betty, Norma, Albert, Sue, Darrel, Judy and Clara May, (click on photo to view a larger image).