Gainer171

Many of these items came from my Aunt Sophia’s house. Sophia Gainer was born in 1906 in Barberton Ohio She was part of a large family of 6 children with 2 boys and 4 girls. In 1904 John Zgainer and his wife Mary had come to the US from Slovenia on separate ships and after both moving to Barberton Ohio which had a Large Slovenian population. They met and married. The two boy were both in the service during WWII and both survived the War. Johnny after returning home was found to have Tuberculosis and died in a VA sanitarium. Sophia was the second born of the 6 children. In approximately 1918 John Zgainer shortened the family name to Gainer to Americanize the spelling. In 1921 John built his house at 171 19th st. Northwest in Barberton Ohio. It should be noted that the house was built with a hand pump in the back yard and an outhouse instead of indoor bathroom. Indoor water and plumbing were not installed until the 40’s. Of the 6 children Sophia was the only one to not move away over the years and thought it was her duty to take care of the parents as they aged. In addition, she worked for the Siberling Rubber company in Akron Ohio for 20 years as a secretary. All during the late 30’s and through the 40 Sophia still believed she would marry some days and began saving things in a variety of Hope Chests and closets in the house. However, despite being engaged at least twice she never found anyone who was “good enough”. After being in a bus accident in 1955 she lived on Disability and her social security until her mother died in 1963 and father died in 1964 it left Sophia alone in the home. When she died in 2000 at the age of 94 my wife and I were the ones who had to clean the house for sale and dispose of her property. She was a hoarder of the highest caliber. However, we say she was a neat hoarder. She would but items such as the toaster wrap them up in a brown paper bag, tie the with twine and neatly stack them in piles. No trash just new old things from the 30’s-50’s. The house itself was never changed since the 40’s. When we were tasked with the cleanout we found thing that most could only imagine. The living room still has the original 1921 sofa and chairs. The bottom of the sofa had the 1921 Sears catalog page which showed the set they bought with the price of $49. It still contained the console radio with brother Joey WWII picture on top. We had the furniture recovered and still have them in our formal living room along with the houses 1930’s telephone. It weighs about 5 pounds and still has it’s 4-digit phone number on the dial. Most of the cupboard had dozens of brand new pots, pans, kitchen utensils. All in their paper bags and never used. She also had something about numbers. She did not believe in banks and each month she would cash her disability and SSI checks and spend what she needed and would put the remainder back in the bank envelope and hide it in one of the piles. These envelopes usually contained 15 $5 bills of 4 $10 bill and 25 $1 bills. The house actually had 1940’s calendars hanging in one bedroom. The kitchen contained a Frigidaire refrigerator. On the back we found the price tag which showed it was purchased on December 2nd 1941. This was less than a week before Pearl Harbor. When we moved it we found a Hersey bar advertising the 1964 world fair. Not sure how the mice missed it. Our son ended up with it because it still was working and put it in his basement by his pool table. After approximately a 4 week clean out the house was sold to the city of Barberton who used it for several years as a fire training house until it was demolished in 2004. There is a new house now on the lot.