Scholarship winners benefit from family of early settlers
Front row, reft to right: Abby Glass, Audrey Bonham, Kelsey Brax, Katherine Corbitt, back row left to right: Peter Kahnert, Jacob Faile
A family, which included several teachers, and who descended from early settlers of Bay Village, continues to support the education of its youth in the form of scholarships.
Each spring, the Bay Village Women's Club Foundation chooses from among Bay High School applicants to award scholarships to graduating seniors to a college of their choice. The group raises funds to support the scholarships along with money contributed from the Hassler Charitable Trusts.
The six 2010 scholarship winners were introduced at the Honors for Scholars' Luncheon held at the Cleveland Yachting Club on May 13. They were each awarded $2,000.00.
The recipients were Audrey Bonham, daughter of Riley and Deborah Bonham, who will attend Ohio University to major in Aviation Flight; Kelsey Brax, daughter of Russ and Debbie Brax, who will attend The Ohio State University to major in Biomedical Engineering; Katherine Corbitt, daughter of Jeff and Peggy Corbitt, who will attend John Carroll University to major in Education and Biology; Jacob Faile, son of John and Toby Faile, who will attend Miami University to major in Business and Political Science; Abigail Glass, daughter of Sherry Kennedy, who will attend John Carroll University to major in Biology; and Peter Kahnert, son of Mullarkey and Christine Kahnert, who will attend The Ohio State University to major in Political Science, Economics, ahd International Relations.
The scholarship program began in 1936 when only females were eligible and the first recipient, June Erwin, was given $105. However, June was required to pay back one-half of the funds. In 1944 the rules were changed and payback was no longer required. In 1978 gender was no longer specified.
The history of the Hassler family in Bay Village began when Charles and Bebette Hassler migrated in 1854 from Bavaria to what was then Dover Township. They bought a homestead (28838 Lake Road) which is where two of their children, J. Robert and Matilda, were born. After Babette's death, Charles moved his family to other farms in Cleveland.
In 1914 J. Robert brought his family, including 3 daughters and a son, back to Bay Village where they purchased the property at 379 Bassett Road. The existing cottage was moved to the back of the property and a larger family home was built nearer the road. Two of their children, Robert Jr. and Laura, maintained the home throughout their lives. Laura and two of her sisters were schoolteachers and Robert was a city councilman in the 1920s.
Laura survived Robert and lived to over 100 years of age. A current member of the women's club remembers Laura in her latter years. "She was a little woman, about 5'2" tall, who was outspoken and demanding. Her mind remained sharp to the end. Though Laura chose the Bay Village Women's Club Foundation to distribute the scholarship money, and she herself was a member, she did not become an active, involved member of the group. She did love young people and talked about them all the time." Now she and her brother's legacy lives on in helping Bay Village students' education where the two lived all their lives.
Mary Kay McLean is a member of the Bay Village Women's Club.