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George Bertrand Weitzel was born April 11, 1890, the youngest
of four children of Jacob Louis Weitzel and Sophia Saling, both immigrants from the region of Europe known as Alsace-Lorraine.
Orphaned as a young boy, he was taken in by the kindness of a young Catholic priest, Fr. Francis M. Quatman, of Holy Angels
Church in Sidney, Ohio - whose own immigrant father had died when Francis was just age 2-1/2 years. Under Father Quatman's
mentorship and with his support, George went on to attend seminary and college, where his interest in electronics led him
to a career in the telephone business. George eventually owned a network of independent telephone companies in Ohio and held
several U.S. Patents. He was a generous philanthropist, owning an amusement park at Indian Lake with all proceeds going to
charity. George founded the American Society of Ephesus to restore religious sites in Turkey, including Mary's Home. He had
five sons and 30 grandchildren before he died on September 25, 1964.
This site is dedicated to the fascinating history
of this amazing man and his family.
For more family photographs of George B. Quatman, the Quatman priests, and our
fathers (Frank, Joe, Gus, George Jr. and Jack) click on Family Album
. Also, check out the Hot Links at the bottom of this page.
This site will be updated with links to a photo sharing
site, where we can share photos with one another.
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George B.
Quatman's Career
Early Business Ventures. A strong interest in electronics led George to start his career in the telephone
business with the Sidney (Ohio) Telephone Company where he began working at age 16 as a laborer. He later moved up to positions
of installer, lineman and repairman. When he married Gertrude Minnigan in January 1912, George had landed a job in Chicago
with Western Electric Company. On the side, he started a small business on the side, making and selling cough medicine known
as "PRUAVI". George purchased this business in June 1912 from Mr. C. R. Bleakney, manager of the Sidney Telephone Company.
The business was officially called "National Laboratory Sales Company" and George ran the business from his apartment located
at 1407 South Trumbill Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. George applied for a license under the Food and Drugs Act, serial no.
44734, investigated the ingredients, purchased bottles, printed letterhead, hired Mr. Cramer as a registered drug clerk to
mix the medicine, and ordered the drugs (acetate of morphia) from Parke Davis & Co. The label for Pruavi said that it was
a “scientific preparation for pulmonary diseases”, a new treatment for coughs, colds, croup, whooping cough, bronchitis, La
Grippe, soreness of throat and chest and complaints of the lungs leading up to consumption. The product was reportedly developed
by “a prominent Belgium physician after years of research.” A small bottle sold for 25 cents, larger size for 50 cents.
The formula was developed by a noted Belgian physician, Dr. Bulliet, who specialized in “lung and bronchial troubles”, even
successfully treating “consumption”. But the PRUAVI sales never took off and George later abandoned his first solo business
venture to focus on the telephone business.
After working for two years as equipment engineer and special circuit designer
with Western Electric in Chicago, he and his wife Gertrude returned to Sidney, Ohio where he worked for the Sidney Telephone
Company and in 1918 he was promoted to manager. In 1924, he organized the Ohio Telephone Service Co. and, then, in 1926,
he created the Telephone Service Co. of Ohio which was headquartered in Lima, Ohio and at one time owned over 100 telephone
exchanges. He educated himself in the electrical field as an engineer and later in life he received an honorary doctor of
engineering degree from Dayton University. He was an inventor and owned many side businesses from gas companies and construction
companies, to ice companies and even an interest in a soft drink beverage business. He was also active in civic affairs and
during World War II and the Korean War, he was executive director of civilian defense for Lima and Allen County. For many
years he served on the board of the Red Cross in Lima, the Lima Civic Music Association and St. Rita's Hospital. At the
time of his death, George B. Quatman was CEO of the Telephone Service Company of Ohio, which controlled approximately 125
telephone companies within the state of Ohio.
Among his business and civic accomplishments listed were: Founder and
owner of the Engineering and Construction Co., the Ohio Service Holding Corp. and the People’s Gas Co.; President of the Northwest
Civic Music Association; President of Lima’s chapter of the National Foundation; Vice President of the National Bank of Lima;
Executive Director of the Allen Civilian Defense Council; Director of the Ohio Independent Telephone Association; Life member
of the Fraternal Order of Police.
He is recognized as a leader in the telephone business and following his death, he
was admitted to the United States Independent Telephone Association’s (USITA) Hall of Fame on December 6, 1977 for his contributions
to promote independent telephone service. On his death on He died in Columbus, Ohio on September 25, 1964 at age 74. On September
25, 1964, the newspaper wrote, “Communications giant and Lima business and philanthropy leader, George Bertrand Quatman, 74,
died at 4:30 a.m. today in Grant Hospital, Columbus.” He died after surgery following a fatal aneurism - a rupture of a main
artery of the heart. The Solemn Requiem High Mass was offered at St. Charles Church in Lima, followed by burial at Graceland
Cemetery in Sidney, Ohio.
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The Inventions and U.S. Patents.
George B. Quatman was an inventor and he is credited with inventing or designing many innovations in the telephone
industry including intercity toll dial service, the first cordless switchboard for use in Ohio, and the first circuit in Ohio
for voice-space communications through the Telestar satellite. He was an inventor all his life and is said to have gotten
up during the night often to write down his latest thoughts for inventions. George B. Quatman held numerous U.S. patents
on telecommunications equipment. A search of the U.S. Patent Office turned up six patents issued to George B. Quatman over
a 30-year period from 1926 to 1958. Some of the later patents deal with telephones but there are several earlier patents
that are even more interesting. Here they, from earliest to latest:
1. The Waffle Iron (with removable tray). On
June 25, 1926, when George was only 36 years old, he applied for his first patent. On September 6, 1927 he was issued Patent
No. 1,641,455 for a Waffle Iron. The drawings show a standard hinged waffle iron but with a unique feature. Dropped into
the lower tray of the iron was a perforated metal plate, made of aluminum, with handles on each side, so that it slipped over
the raised pieces of the iron. After pouring the batter into the iron and closing the device, the tray could then be lifted
out when the waffle was cooked, so that the waffle could be removed easily, intact. In the patent application, George wrote,
"It is the principal object of my invention to provide for waffle irons, and chiefly those of the electric type, an apertured
plate insertible between the iron and the lid to support the waffle while it is being baked and later to raise it above the
impression elements or projections on the bottom of the iron so that it may be removed intact. At present, after the waffle
is baked, it is necessary to insert a knife below the plane of the tops of the impression elements on the bottom of the iron
to get the waffle, which results in the waffle being broken during its removal from the iron. My device, which practically
comprises an apertured metal disc upon which the waffle rests, is elevated by the lid to raise the waffle above the plane
of the tops of the impression elements on the bottom of the iron so that a knife can be inserted below the waffle when it
is above these elements to remove it intact."
We do not know how many of these "improved" waffle irons were sold, but
his son George W. Quatman, Jr. recalls seeing these waffle irons around the house in Sidney, Ohio as a young boy.
2.
An Insulated and Air Conditioned Building. On February 10, 1941, when he was 44 years old, George applied for a patent for
an insulated, double-walled building. Patent No. 2,333,556 was granted on November 2, 1943. The drawings show a building
with double-wall construction on the exterior, a cored floor slab, electrical wiring diagrams, and several vents and louvers
in the roof and exterior walls. George described the problem of air conditioned buildings where interior walls tend to "sweat
or become damp on account of the condensation of moisture thereon as a result of a differential in temperature between the
air outside and the air inside of the room." This condition has an adverse effect on delicate equipment inside the building,
such as telephone exchanges. The objective of the invention was an insulated building designed to equalize the temperature
of the interior surfaces and the air brought into contact with them.
3. A Refrigerated Food Locker Room. Carrying
on the theme of insulated rooms, on December 22, 1943, a month after being granted his patent on the insulated building design,
George applied for a patent on an insulated food locker, with multiple row of doors for storing refrigerated foods, meats,
fruits, vegetables, etc. U.S. Patent No. 2,375,688 was granted on the design on May 8, 1945. The design was intended to cure
the present situation where a customer wanting to gain access to refrigerated foods in a cold locker "must withstand the very
cold temperature at which the room is maintained . . . and the cold is so intense that the customer can remain but a very
short time within the room." The invention permitted customers to access the storage compartment from an unrefrigerated room,
"thereby contributing to the comfort of customers, reducing the area necessary for refrigeration and eliminating the difficulty
heretofore experienced in cleaning refrigerating coils ordinarily employed for refrigerating food lockers."
4. Toll
Switching System. We have all seen pictures of phone operators plugging cords into a panel of sockets to connect the phone
call. George Quatman changed that when he invented the cordless switchboard, a major breakthrough for the telephone industry.
The first of his telephone-related patents was applied for on June 22, 1953 and issued five years later, on June 17, 1958
as U.S. Patent No. 2,839,612 for toll switching at a centralized switchboard. The patent has 9 pages of complicated circuitry
drawings but can be summarized by this statement, "an improved cordless dial toll switchboard".
5. Paystation Line
Equipment. The second of the telephone-related patents was applied for on February 16, 1955 and issued on May 20, 1958 as
U.S. Patent No. 2,835,738. This invention involves a complex circuitry diagram which improves paystation circuits, i.e. for
"pay phones". George explained that the growth of pay phone stations and nationwide toll dialing made confinement of paystations
to a particular circuit more difficult. His invention provided all of the necessary automatic paystation service functions
to each paystation. One new feature (that we have all benefited from) is, "the provision of means in the paystation line equipment
for refunding coins deposited in the paystation to the calling party on calls to a specially designated local number such
as Information." Another feature was, "allowing a paystation subscriber to call a toll operator without depositing a coin."
6.
Digit Absorbing Selector Circuit. The last of George's telephone-related patents was applied for on April 24, 1956 and issued
on November 4, 1958. U.S. Patent No. 2,859,281 is an invention that relates to switching equipment for automatic telephone
systems. All of the royalties from this patent were assigned and donated to restoration of St. John's Basilica in Ephesus,
Turkey.
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The Green Thumb (Believe It Or Not!).
Whatever
it was that he used in that greenhouse on Shawnee Road in Lima, Ohio, George had a way with plants. On February 14, 1940,
George B. Quatman wrote to Robert Ripley of Ripley's "Believe It or Not, Inc." of New York, N.Y. that Ripley had published
a picture of a geranium that was seven feet tall. That was nothing! George wrote to Ripley, sent him photographs of his
own unbelievable plants, stating, "I am enclosing herewith picture of a geranium which I have raised on my back porch that
is nine feet tall and is always in bloom. I have another geranium seventeen feet tall but it never blooms. I am also enclosing
herewith a picture of an ordinary Poinsettia purchased at the ten cent store two years ago this last Christmas. I also have
it planted on my back porch and it has grown to a height of eighteen feet with branches growing up from it almost covering
the back porch. It bloomed at Christmas and now has twelve blooms." The letter and photographs so impressed Ripley that he
published a drawing of George B. Quatman and his geranium in newspapers nationwide on March 31, 1940 with the caption, "A
Geranium 17 Feet Tall, Raised by G. B. Quatman, Lima, Ohio".
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Origins
of the "Quatman" Family Name
Four Brothers Named "Quade". What a fascinating story it is to tell how our family name
became "Quatman". The story runs from Germany to Ireland, from New York to Ohio, and from immigrant farmers to cobblers to
singing waiters and, eventually, to three priests and an orphan boy. But the story begins six hundred years ago in the far
northern region of Germany, bordering on the cold North Sea in the town of Essen. The name "Quatman" has been traced to four
brothers who lived in northwest Germany in the early 1400's in Essen which was at the time located in the former duchy of
Oldenburg, a separate state in northern Germany. The original name began as "Quade", and later had several variations, including
"ton Quade" or "de Quade", meaning "of Quade" or "from Quade". (Beiträge zur Geschichte des Hofes Quatmann in Elsten, Franz
Ostendorf, 1951, page 4, Zum Namen and page 17, Der Name Quadman). The earliest written reference to the family name is January
18, 1217, Bernhardus of Elsten. (See Franz Ostendorf, Page 8, 1217 Januar 18).
Over time "ton Quade" became "Quadmann"
deriving from "Quade" + "man" (which meant simply "man"). The earliest recorded use of Quadmann dates to 1594. Early spellings
of the name had a double "n" or double "t". Some immigrants to the United States dropped what were seen as odd spellings in
an attempt to blend in; in other instances immigration clerks simply misspelled the name on papers that established the family's
legal name in the new country. In either case, our family dropped an "n" sometime after immigrating to America, though there
are still Quatmann families who use the double "n" even today.
The Quatmanns from Germany. All Quatmans in Germany
today are said to trace their roots to the town of Elsten in the upper northwest part of Germany, a small village between
the towns of Cloppenburg and Essen. The closest major cities are Oldenburg (about 30 miles north), Bremen (about 40 miles
north-east) and Hamburg (another 80 miles or so to the north-east). This area is only 20-30 miles south of Helgoland Bay
and the North Sea. Many Germans immigrated from this region starting in the 1830's and settled in Ohio, founding German towns
such as New Bremen, Ohio and Berlin, Ohio. The town of Oldenburg, Indiana was founded by immigrants from Oldenburg, Germany.
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The Quatmans Settle in Cincinnati from Germany.
For
several hundred years, the nation now known as Germany was divided into small states - like Oldenburg. These states fought
with each other constantly, and the people suffered greatly. Between 1820 and 1900 about five million Germans came to America.
Rumors circulated in Germany describing America as "Lauleckerland", which loosely means the "Land of Milk and Honey", where
anyone could live free of any worries. The German immigrants came by steamship across the Atlantic ocean to port cities on
the east coast of the United States. In 1831, steamboat service was inaugurated on the Ohio River, leading many German immigrants
to settle in Ohio, particularly around Cincinnati. Cincinnati was considered the ‘hub’ of the German migration to Ohio.
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The
Three Quatman Priests.
This web site has a separate page devoted to the lives of the "Fathers Quatman" (See tabs
to the upper left). Three priests played an important part in our family history, and they became known as "The Fathers Quatman":
Fr. Francis M. Quatman, Fr. Augustin M. Quatman and Fr. Joseph M. Quatman. All three were all born in Ohio between 1844 and
1850. Their parents, Bernard Heinrich (“Henry”) Quatman (1809 - 1853) and Maria Elizabeth Meier-Quatman (1810 - 1888) were
both born in the Oldenburg region of Germany and immigrated to the United States sometime before 1844, settling in Cincinnati,
Ohio like so many other German immigrants. Henry was a cobbler (shoemaker), born March 5, 1809 in Elsten, Germany; his wife
"Elizabeth" was born September 7, 1810 in Damme, Germany. Henry and Elizabeth spoke German and taught their native language
to their three sons, Joe, Gus and Frank. The three sons were all born in Cincinnati, Ohio: Joseph M. (“Joe”) (born November
13, 1844), Augustin M. (“Gus”) (born January 31, 1847) and the youngest, Francis M. (“Frank”)(born December 10, 1850). Henry
died on August 31, 1853 at the young age of 44, leaving behind his 42-year old wife and three young sons Joe (age 8), Gus
(age 6) and Frank (just 2-1/2 when he lost his father). After her husband died, Elizabeth supported the family by taking
in washing for others, slaving over the wash tub to support her three boys. She was able to send all three boys to private
schools and they attended St. Joseph's grade school, St. Francis Xavier preparatory college and, eventually, Mount St. Mary's
Seminary of the West in Cincinnati. Elizabeth and her children lived on Hopkins Street in Cincinnati, Ohio on the first block
off of Central Avenue (at Hopkins and John Streets). The block became very famous due to the number of Catholic priests and
nuns that came from the block, including Archbishop Henry Moeller. Elizabeth Quatman, the mother of the three priests, outlived
her husband by 35 years and never re-married. She died on May 22, 1888, at age 77. She is buried beside her husband and
three sons at Old St. Joseph Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, located at 3819 West Eighth Street (at West 8th and Price Hill).
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GEORGE
BERTRAND (WEITZEL) QUATMAN (1890 - 1964)
Lineage of the George B. Quatman Family.
Our 3rd Great Grandparents:
Patrick
Duffy (17** - 18**) (County Mayo, Ire.)
Mary Kelly (1786 - 1874) (County Mayo, Ire.)
Five children: (all born County
Mayo, Ire.)
a. William Duffy (1820 - 18**)
b. Michael Duffy (1824 - 1900)
c. Hannorah Anna (Nora) Duffy
(1827 - 1905)
d. John Duffy (1830 - 19**)
e. James Duffy (1836 - 19**)
Our 2nd Great Grandparents:
John
Minnigan (1818 - 1858) (County Mayo, Ire.)
Hannorah Anna Duffy (1827 - 1905) (County Mayo, Ire.)
a. Michael
Minnigan (1844 - 19**) (Ire.)
b. Anna Minnigan (1845 - 19**) (Ire.)
c. Joseph Minnigan (1855 - 19**)
(N.Y.)
d. Philip W. Minnigan (1858 - 1935) (N.Y.)
Frederick Ziegler (18** - 19**) (Alsace)
(Unknown)
Wagner (18** - 19**)
a. Anna Katherine (Nan) Ziegler (1858 - 1945) (Ohio)
b. Joseph Ziegler (18** - 19**) (Ohio)
Our Great grandparents:
Phillip W. Minnigan (1858 - 1935) (Lewiston, NY)
Anna K. Ziegler (1861 - 1945) (Springfield,
OH)
a. Francis "Franz" Minnigan (1885 - 1968)
b. Martha Minnigan (1889 - 1896)
c. Hazel
Minnigan (1889 - 19**)
d. Gertrude Norah Minnigan (1890 - 1930)
e. Glenna Minnigan (1891 - 19**)
Jacob
Louis Weitzel (1855 - 1900) (Alsace)
Sophia Saling (1865 - 1891) (Alsace)
a. Caroline Weitzel (1886 - 1918)
b.
Mary Magdaline Weitzel (1887 - 1983)
c. Rose Alma Weitzel (1889 - 1938)
d. George Bertrand Weitzel (1890 - 1964)
Our
Grandparents:
George B. (Weitzel) Quatman (1890 - 1964) (Sidney, OH)
Gertrude Norah Minnigan (1890 - 1930) (Dayton,
OH)
a. Frank T. Quatman (born November 26, 1912, died June 28, 1973 in Lima, OH)
b. Augustus P. Quatman (born April
13, 1915; died April 17, 1957 in Phoenix, AZ)
c. Joseph B. Quatman (born August 12, 1916)
d. George W. Quatman,
Jr. (born February 6, 1918)
e. John I. "Jack" Quatman (born 1922, died April 7, 1995 in Portland, OR)
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George
B. Quatman's Life.
George, George B. Quatman was born April 11, 1890 and died September 25, 1964. He was the only
son of immigrant parents from Alsace in France. He was orphaned at a young age, his mother died when he was just 17 months
old. His father could not care for him and his three sisters and so they were placed in orphanages in Cincinnati. At age 4-1/2,
George was taken in by Fr. Francis M. Quatman of Holy Angels Church in Sidney, Ohio, who raised him and helped with his eduction.
It is from this priest that our family gets its name "Quatman". George brought himself up from nothing and became a business
success through his inventive mind, his entrepreneurial drive and his dedication to his employees and his business. In a
1943 letter, he wrote, "I educated myself in the electrical field as an engineer and have had a varied career . . . I have
a very large group of telephone companies with 129 offices in Ohio and operate a chain of Ice Companies in Toledo, Canton,
Youngstown, Springfield and Massilon, Ohio with numerous other business interests." But it was not just his business success
that made George a great man, but his charitable efforts both locally and internationally.
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Ephesus
Works and the Visions of George B. Quatman.
In 1891, a small stone building believed to have been the house where Mary
lived was discovered in a remote spot near the top of a wooded mountain overlooking the Aegean Sea, about two and a half miles
south of the ruins of Ephesus, Turkey. The Greek Orthodox inhabitants of the area called it the "House of the Virgin" (Meryem
Ana Evi) and preserved an oral tradition that it was where Mary had lived and died. For over a century, thousands have made
an annual pilgrimage to it on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption. In 1951, Pope Pius XII granted permission for pilgrim
priests to celebrate the Votive Mass of the Virgin at this site in Ephesus throughout the year, and also elevated the Tomb
of St. John and the Church of St. Mary to the status of "holy places". In 1961, Pope John XXIII made all the preceding privileges
permanent, thus establishing the site as a significant place for the Christian faith. Two Popes have visited the house, Pope
Paul VI in 1967 and Pope John Paul II in 1979. George B. Quatman and his son, Hon. Joseph B. Quatman, accompanied Pope Paul
VI on his 1967 visit.
There are reported to have been many miraculous cures and favors granted to pilgrims at Ephesus.
It is reported that Mary appeared at the site in 1902, and again in an apparition in 1959 as Fr. Bernard F. Deutsch was saying
a Mass in the home, when Mary appeared to Mrs. Elizabeth Fraser, wife of a U.S. Army Colonel from Colshester, Vermont. Many
devoted persons have contributed to the restoration of this religious shrine, but none more than George B. Quatman and his
charitable foundation, the American Society of Ephesus.
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The
American Society of Ephesus.
George B. Quatman was the President and founder of the American Society of Ephesus.
He was the first practical organizer of Ephesus reconstruction on a large scale. The Society was founded in Lima, Ohio for
the purpose of restoring and preserving important burial places and tombs of Saints, to render financial assistance to houses
of worship, especially those where God by miracles and apparitions has demonstrated in a special way His power and His love
for men; to assist financially in building, enlarging and restoring places of worship or places of great historical, religious
and archaeological value. The first objective was the restoring of the great Basilica of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist
with his tomb at Ephesus (Selcuk) in Turkey. The next aim was the restoring of the Marian Basilica at Ephesus, where nearly
200 bishops held the Third Ecumenical Council in 431 A.D. for 26 days. The Council proclaimed the dogma of the Divine Maternity
of the Blessed Virgin as Theotokos (Bearer, or Mother of God), a doctrine that is fundamental for the whole Christian religion
(and even the Muslim faith).
According to historical accounts, when the Christians were driven from Jerusalem, St.
John came to Ephesus together with the Blessed Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene and a large group of Christians with them.
There are indications in the Bible that St. John (and therefore Mary with him) may have left Jerusalem because of the great
persecution led by Saul in 35 A.D., when St. Stephen was martyred. (Acts 8:1, 11:19). St. John's absence from Jerusalem apparently
lasted for 15 years until 50 A.D. (Galatians 1:18-19, 2:9, Acts 12:1-4) and it is believed that he settled in Ephesus and
did not move from there except when forced to go into exile on the nearby island of Patmos. It is believed that St. John
took care of Mary at the direction of Jesus on the Cross, who said to St. John and to Mary, "Woman, behold thy son" and immediately
looking down on St. John followed, "Behold, thy mother." (John 19:25-26). This belief is further reinforced by the revelations
of the 19th Century German nun and mystic Anna Catherina Emmerick (1774-1824), a stigmatist whose visions in 1821-22 around
the Feast of the Assumption supported Ephesus as the place of Mary's home.
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House
of the Virgin (Meryem Ana Evi).
Mary's home is a small stone house outside of Ephesus, Turkey where many Christians
believe that the Blessed Virgin spent her last days on earth. On November 30, 1979, Pope John Paul II visited Meryem Ana and
celebrated Mass there. The House of Mother Mary is on top of Bulbul Dag (the Mount of the Nightingale), seven kilometers
from the ancient city of Ephesus. It has been reconstructed on the foundations unearthed in 1891 by the Lazarist Fathers who
followed the detailed description given by German mystic Anna Catherina Emmerick.
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The
Visions of George B. Quatman.
George Quatman had several religious visions during his later years which are reported
in several publications. Here are the three reported visions that he experienced:
1. Vision of Rev. Francis M. Quatman.
During his second of three trips to Ephesus, Turkey, George B. Quatman and his second, wife Lucille, had a stop over in Rome,
Italy. They wandered into a small church on a side street in the center of Rome known as “The Church of St. Andrea delle
Fratte”. Located over a side altar was an almost life sized portrait of the Blessed Mother. His son Joseph B. Quatman wrote
in an August 26, 1992 memo that, “As they knelt in prayer, my father suddenly saw superimposed upon the picture a vision of
Father Francis Quatman. Surrounding the picture floated cherub-like angels. Lucille, who was kneeling beside him, did not
see the vision. Upon his return, my father told this story many times.” Joe Quatman later made the connection between the
vision and Rev. Francis M. Quatman during a visit to Holy Angels Church in Sidney for its centennial celebration. He wrote
that, “This church was constructed when Father Francis Quatman was the pastor. Work on this church commenced in 1891 which
coincidentally was the same year in which Mother Mary’s home in Ephesus, Turkey was first discovered. Among the contents
in the cornerstone were found notes of Father Francis Quatman stating that he, in company of his brother, Father Joseph Quatman,
had visited Ephesus. This fact was unbeknown to my late father.” The brochure given to attendees at the centennial celebration
explained that churches most often take the name of a saint, but that, “It was long ago decided that the angels, in whom all
persons believe, would most acceptably serve as a guardian of the members of this church, and under their protecting wings
this congregation has in this sense placed itself; hence the name . . . “The Church of the Holy Angels”. As if to keep watch
over their charge, there appears at each of the circular windows of the transept two Cherubim, who seem to look smilingly
down in encouragement upon the worshipers.” There are also cherubs under the columns on the east and west sides of the church
and, of course, statues of angels in several parts of the church and in the choir loft. Joe made the connection after reading
this statement why cherub-like angels accompanied his father’s vision of Rev. Francis Quatman.
2. Vision of the Sacred
Heart. Joe Quatman also wrote that on a trip to Ephesus with his father in 1956, the two stopped at the same church in Rome
where George B. Quatman had seen the vision of Father Quatman (the Church of St. Andrea delle Fratte). Joe wrote that, “We
entered the church in the early morning just as Mass was starting. There were few people present. We knelt in about the
fourth pew back from the altar. I very much admired the picture that hung over the altar and it was difficult to take my
eyes from it. During the elevation of the chalice, my father nudged me strongly and said quite clearly, “There is the Sacred
Heart.” I did not understand what he was saying thinking he was pointing to another picture and I said, “where?” and he said,
“Right in the center of the Blessed Mother’s picture.” I, of course, focused my eyes on it but could see nothing, but as I
had a small instamatic camera with me, I immediately took a picture. Upon developing the film, I found nothing other than
a picture of the Blessed Mother. He was quite determined that he had seen this vision and, of course, I made no attempt to
dissuade him.” As with the cherubs in the stained glass windows at Holy Angels Church in Sidney, Ohio, there is also a stained
glass window of the Sacred Heart just north of the stained glass window of Rev. F.M. Quatman.
3. The Apparition of
The Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1954, George B. Quatman and his wife, Lucille, made a trip for the Marian Year to Europe to honor
the Blessed Virgin. Desiring to do something of substance to honor her, George B. Quatman heard of the ruins of St. John's
tomb and other religious sites in Ephesus. George prayed for one year for inspiration and guidance. The following year,
in 1955, they went to Jerusalem and from there 700 miles northwest to Ephesus to investigate. Their investigation was disappointing
as they found the tomb of St. John amid the ruins of the great Citadel, in a very disgraceful condition. Donkeys and goats
were roaming over this ground. It has been reported that, "It was a momentous journey and, on arrival, a thoroughly disheartening
one. The ruins the Quatmans had heard about were ruins with a vengeance - not soaring reminders like those of Rome or Athens
but 'more like three square miles of marble garbage dump.' What upset Mr. Quatman most of all was the fact that the Basilica
of St. John was completely leveled and in a disgraceful plight due to the rock hovels of the squatters, and similar disgraceful
conditions. Stunned and angry, he turned instinctively to his wife with the proposal that they get in touch with somebody
in authority at once to do something." [From Apparitions on Our Lady's Mountain, Immaculata, August 1977, p. 27.]
What
happened that evening, at dusk, approximately 7:45 p.m. was a true miracle. The account of the apparition is set out the book,
A Short History of St. John in Ephesus, The American Society of Ephesus (1960), as follows, "While there [in Ephesus], as
though in answer to their prayers, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to them in the sky over Ephesus, symbolizing her wish
that the work be carried on with these projects in the following order: First, restoration of the tomb of St. John; secondly,
restoration of the Church of Mary; and, thirdly, of her home at Panaya Kapulu, placing herself - humble as she is always -
last in the program. From that day on, 'The American Society of Ephesus' was created, and this work is energetically progressing."
[Apparitions on Our Lady's Mountain, Immaculata, August 1977, p. 27.]
Another description of the apparition is set
out in House of Our Lady, published by the American Society of Ephesus in 1991, as follows, "That evening [in 1955], looking
out from his hotel balcony in the nearby port city of Izmir, he unexpectedly saw a vision of the Virgin Mary, much larger
than life, hovering over a distant hillside in the direction of Ephesus. She moved three times and each time the figure stopped,
he received a mental image of the three sacred shrines of Ephesus that he had just visited, namely, Mary's home, The Double
Church of St. Mary, and finally, the Basilica of St. John. These images were accompanied by the strong impression that he
was charged with providing for their care."
In yet another account, it is stated, "That evening around 7:45, just
at dusk, our Lady appeared in the heavens over the valley of Ephesus and showed him a vision first of the hilltop laid out
in rows of lighted walks and gardens around St. John's Basilica, then of her own restored Cathedral, and finally of her home
in the adjacent mountains." [Apparitions on Our Lady's Mountain, Immaculata, August 1977, p. 27.] According to a 1977 article
in Immaculata magazine, George B. Quatman said nothing about the vision when he explained his plans for restoring the shrines
to Archbishop Descuffi of nearby Smyrna, nor while he formed the Society of Ephesus. It is reported that Pope Pius XII spoke
in 1956 to Judge Joseph B. Quatman about the apparition, although he had never been previously told about it by anyone. A
meeting was called with the Archbishop of Smyrna and leading citizens of Izmir, both Christian and Muslim and an agreement
was struck by them to form a Committee headed by the Archbishop. The Committee served as a sub-committee of the American
Society of Ephesus, consisting of Turkish citizens who could carry out agreements with the governmental authorities to further
the Society's work.
Work was discontinued in 1964 due to the death of George B. Quatman and unsettled conditions
in the Turkish government. In 1973, the Society was again given permission by the Turkish government to resume the excavations.
Today, thousands of pilgrims flock to the remote church atop a hill overlooking the ruins of Ephesus, believing that the structure
is the House of the Virgin Mary, where she spent the last years of her life in the company of St. John.
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Indian Lake and The Fatima Monument.
George B. Quatman
was founder and owner of the San Juan Ballroom and Resort at Indian Lake in Russell’s Point, Ohio, which was an amusement
park, hotel and concert hall. The area has an interesting history as a resort community dating to the early 1900s. In the
early 1920s, local businessman Pappy Wilgus saw an opportunity he couldn’t resist. Mr. Wilgus and his son, French, built the
Sandy Beach Amusement Park at Russell’s Point which opened in 1924. The highlight of the park was the fabulous Minnewawa Dance
Hall, billed as the best and largest in Ohio, featuring two bandstands and room for hundreds of couples. The park also offered
all of the favorite amusement rides including a roller coaster, merry-go-round, Ferris wheel along with a penny arcade, fun
house, boat excursions and food concessions. The 1950s were a successful decade for both Sandy Beach Amusement Park and the
new state park, as well as local business people who provided services to tourists. In 1957, George B. Quatman purchased the
west side of the amusement park. No alcohol or rock and roll was permitted in the renovated Stardust Ballroom, Old Vienna
Gardens and Plaza Hotel, now known collectively as the San Juan Amusement Park. Under the George Quatman's leadership, new
rules were enforced, including a strict dress code requiring ladies to wear skirts or dresses and the men in conservative
trousers, buttoned collars and ties.
Late in the 1930’s the Old Vienna Gardens night club had opened at Indian Lake,
named after the house beer brand that the management served. The club was famous for its evening floor shows, featuring a
live orchestra, chorus girls and occasional nude dancers. After World War II, the club moved to the Showboat hotel and eventually
closed in the 1950’s. The club was an irritation to George B. Quatman who felt that it was immoral and led to rowdiness at
the Lake. George explained in a letter written just prior to his death the purpose of buying and improving the existing park
at Russell’s Point, Ohio. He wanted to clean up the nude dancing club, run Mr. Wilgus. As to the Old Vienna Gardens and
Wilgus’ lewd dancing shows George wrote, “I had many debates with the man trying to correct this evil operation . . . I heard
him make a speech in which he said, ‘I will be back next year with more nude shows than ever.’ I said to him, “That was a
horrible challenge you made to God. He may or may not let you come back next year, but if he does it will be for the purpose
of permitting you to mend your ways to do good for young people instead of evil, and if you don’t, you won’t live long. You
will not leave not a dime of this filthy money to your family, and this place will go down in rot.” Wilgus came back; reopened
his place in the same filthy way and died shortly thereafter. The entire park was sold at roughly six cents on the dollar
of its original cost to pay creditors.
George Quatman installed an attraction of life sized statutes of the Last Supper,
which was popular with park visitors. He installed the Merry Go Round, Tilt-A-Whirl, Jet Aerial, the Wild Mouse and Oarco.
The memories of time he and his sisters spent in orphanages as children must have left a lasting impression on George B.
Quatman. When he was older and a successful business man, he sponsored an annual Children’s Picnic at the amusement park at
Indian Lake (which he owned). He enjoyed seeing the children spend the day on the rides and at the picnic. George was never
in the amusement park business for personal profit and he donated the profits to orphans and convents and other charitable
causes. He wrote in September 1964, just before his death at age 74, that, “San Juan Park is a clean park today, not a policeman
required to maintain order, where it used to require eight. We have so instilled decency into the hearts of all the young
people that go there and the rowdies stay across the street and would not set a foot in the park.” The park continued to
flourish until his death in 1964.
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The Statue of Mary at
Indian Lake.
George B. Quatman's devotion to the Virgin Mary was a driving force in his later years, including his
erecting the nearly twenty-foot statue of Mary (Our Lady of Fatima Monument) overlooking Indian Lake in Russell's Point, Ohio
in the summer of 1964. The shrine is dedicated to St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church and is maintained by the American
Society of Ephesus. Our Lady of Fatima Shrine was erected at Russell’s Point, Ohio and dedicated on August 30, 1964. The
statue overlooks Indian Lake from the newly named location of St. Marys Point. George B. Quatman was responsible for the
construction of the statue. The cost of the construction of the shrine came from the operation of San Juan Amusement Park,
owned by Quatman. The park was named after St. John, the protector of Mary since George wanted the park to be a place where
women felt comfortable and protected, in contrast to the rough-housing, beer drinking and nude dance shows that had taken
place on the property under the prior ownership.
George once wrote of his purpose in erecting the statue of Our Lady
that, “The entire objective was to convert you to prayer, heading Her plea to pray for the conversion of atheist Russia and
avoid another destructive world wide war.” He located the statue just to the north of the former Old Vienna Gardens, a beer
and dance hall, which had nude dancing. He was committed to changing the atmosphere in the park and improving the morals.
With the regard to the old beer and dance hall, he once wrote, “I have made the statement, ‘In one year I will show you people
on their knees praying just outside the door of this putrid hall where kids drank, swore and had a rough house in general.”
George was proud of the impact that the statue had on the conduct at Indian Lake. He wrote that there were “ a number of
instances where passengers on private yachts tell me that no profanity is used on their yacht, all drinking stops, and no
dirty stories are told while they are in the sight of the statue.” George Quatman died on September 25, 1964, just a few weeks
after the formal dedication of the statue.
To see a photograph and more history of the statue (known locally as " Our Lady of the Lake
", click on the blue letters.
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Why Was His Middle Name "Bertrand"?
Jacob and Sophia
Weitzel named their only son "George Bertrand Weitzel". Many have wondered where the name "Bertrand" came from, as it is such
an unusual middle name. Why that may be true in Ohio, it was not true in France in the 1800's and the name "Bertrand" is quite
famous in the Alsace region as the name of people, places and things. So it is no surprise that the honored name of "Bertrand"
was chosen for George Weitzel. As for persons named "Bertrand" research shows that the name is a common French name and is
used as a first name, a middle name or a last name. One of the more infamous uses of the name is Dr. Jean-Bertrand Aristide,
the former priest and former President of Haiti. In the Alsace region, there was a family of Bertrands who lived in the 17th
Century in the Bas Rhin and Moselle areas of Alsace.
In 1874, Joseph Bertrand founded the Bertrand Distillerie in
the village of Autour of Uberach, France near Strasbourg in the Alsace region. The name "Bertrand" is associated with the
finest brandy in France. Jacob Louis Weitzel worked in a distillery in Ohio for a short time as a "malster" so perhaps he
knew Joseph Bertrand of Alsace before he immigrated to America. The company is located at Artisanal distilling Bertrand
, 3, Street of the Leclerc Marshal - LP 21, 67 350 Uberach, France. There are also several French wineries with the name "Bertrand",
including Bertrand Michel et Marcelle, located at Charentay, France. Another in Charentay is Bertrand Jean Pierre. The winery
called Bertrand-Berge (Domaine) is located on Avenue du Roussillon in Paziols, France. The Bertrand Lavigne winery is located
near Strausborg.
If you take a vacation to the Alsace region, you will want to locate a bed-and-breakfast or a country
home by contacting Bertrand Vacances in Paris. This agency specializes in seasonal rental homes, including rural lodgings
located at the countryside, the sea or the mountain, available for rent by the weekend, week or entire season. There are
also several towns in France named "Bertrand", the most famous of which is Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, whose name comes from
the bishop who built his cathedral there. Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges is located at the feet of the picturesque Pyrenees,
the remains of a Roman settlement built in 72 B.C. by Pompei on his return from Spain. Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges is charming,
built on an isolated little hill, with its steep and narrow medieval streets dominated by the impressive cathedral that sits
on top. Saint Marie Cathedral presents a beautiful setting with its belltower, its cloister opening on the mountains and a
gate showing the Wisemen’s adoration. The village is located in the south of France and has just 248 residents. Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges
is cited as "Un des plus beaux villages de France" and as a must see site in guidebooks of the region.
Other towns
with the name "Bertrand" include La Chapelle Bertrand in the Poitou-Charentes region in the western edge of France, a tiny
town of just 418 persons. An even smaller village is called L'Etange Bertrand, located in the northwest corner of France
in the Basse-Normandie region, a town of 282 residents. A fourth town bearing the "Bertrand" name is Boissise-la-Bertrand,
located in the Ile-de-France region in the north central part of the country. It has 895 residents and is an architectural
gem, with castles and beautiful buildings and gardens located by the Edges of the Seine. A fifth town is Mont Bertrand, a
village located in Basse-Normandie on northern border of France with 204 residents. Yet another French town is located in
the Caribbean, known as Anse-Bertrand, a village of 4,809 residents located on the island of Grande Terre in the French region
of La Guadalupe.
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