Virginia Louise Mihm

1921-2003

 

 

Virginia Mihm was born in Van Wert, Ohio on 14 May 1921, the daughter of Justice Elmer Mihm 1882-1947 and Ada Elisabeth Clouse 1888-1971. She grew up at 409 Shafer Street in Van Wert, Ohio, and graduated High School there on Friday, 2 June 1939. She was attending a dance in Defiance, Ohio one evening where she met her future husband Herbert Bernard Kohus Jr. 1917-2009. Herbert was a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and stationed in the CCC Camp in Defiance at the time. Mom told the story that while at the dance she tripped and fell. Herbert rushed over to help her up and that is how they met. Others tell that mom confessed later that she fell on purpose just to get his attention. They were married on 7 Jun 1939 five days after her graduation. Herbert and Virginia went to live in Cincinnati, Ohio after Herbert was discharged from the CCC on 11 Sep 1939. There they had their first child Rebecca Sue. After the birth of their second child Evelyn Elisabeth, it was 1943 and WWII was under way. Herbert answered the call as so many did then and joined the U S Army on 3 Dec 1943. He tried to join the marines but was turned down because their quota was met that month. Herbert shipped out to training in San Antonio, Texas as an Army Railroad Battalion and the family went to live in Van Wert, Ohio with Virginia's Parents. During that time Virginia aided the war effort by worked in a plant in Van Wert making seals for gun turrets. After Herbert was discharged from the Army on 8 Dec 1945 the family moved back to Cincinnati. They rented in several places around town and eventually bought their first home at 2622 Hackberry Street in Cincinnati on 23 May 1946. Virginia was pregnant at the time with their third child. In November 1947 they had their final child Michael Lee.  Herbert Kohus Jr. and family lived on the ground level of their 2 story house and Herbert's parents, Herbert B. Kohus Sr 1886-1969, Mabel Julia (Duncan) Kohus 1890-1970, and sister Adeline Kohus 1920-1997, rented the upper floor. The family lived there until 1953 when they sold that house and moved to a new house at 6055 Floyd Place in Mt. Repose, Clermont County, Ohio, about 25 miles east of Cincinnati. There they raised their family. Herbert worked at the Cincinnati Transit company, later to become the Queen City Metro most of his adult life until he retired in 1983. Virginia Louise (Mihm) Kohus died in her sleep at their home in Mt. Repose on 27 Feb 2003. Herbert died at the house of his daughter Evelyn Elizabeth (Kohus) Zimmer on 3 Jul 2009. They are both buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Milford, Clermont County, Ohio.

 

 

Photo - Virginia Louise Mihm about 1937

 

Mother and father  Ada Elisabeth (Clouse) Mihm 1888-1971, Justice Elmer Mihm 1882-1947, children

(L-R) Helen Mildred Mihm 1912-1988, Jessie Marcele Mihm 1918-1989, Virginia Louise Mihm 1921-2003, Gertrude Lona Mihm 1916-1998

 

(top left) Virginia Louise Mihm 1921-2003, Jessie Marcil Mihm 1918-1989, Ruth (Pollock) Mihm 1915- , Mary Lee Mihm 1927-  (bottom left), Gertrude Iona Mihm 1916-1998, Justice Elmer Mihm 1882-1947, Ada Elisabeth (Clouse) Mihm 1888-1971 Helen Mildred Mihm 1912-1988.

 

(L-R) Justice Mihm with 2 of his children Virginia & Mary, and wife Ada (Clouse) MIhm

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photograph is of Virginia Louise (Mihm) Kohus on the front porch of her newly built home at 6055 Floyd Place in Mt. Repose, Ohio, about 1953. Only a few of the houses on the small dead end street were built at that time. This is where I (Michael Kohus) grew up. The house was a just a short distance down the street from where Herbert's Parents moved to around the same time. Living close enough to walk to my grandparents house when I was young was a very rewarding experience. Virginia Kohus, my mother, worked a couple of jobs throughout the years but none that lasted very long. She worked for a while at the Gruen Watch Company and later the Cincinnati Playing Card Company. In the mid 1960's mom worked near home at a small store in Mt Repose called Peg & Ray's Delicatessen located at the end of the street where we lived and across SR-28. It was owned by Raymond Philhower 1924-2003 and his wife Peggy (Hargis) Philhower. That is where I met my future wife, Caroline Hargis, who was Peggy's niece. She worked in the store in evenings and weekends during her high school years. Virginia worked most of her life as a housewife and raised three children while. Herbert worked and supported the family as a mechanic at the Queen City Metro in Cincinnati. One by one their children left home. Rebecca Sue was married in 1957, Evelyn Elisabeth married in 1961, and I (Michael) was the last to leave for good when I joined the army in in 1967.

 

 

Herbert Bernard Kohus and  Virginia Louise (Mihm) Kohus behind the house on Floyd Place where they lived in since 1953. (Photo Sept. 2002)

 

Herbert and Virginia enjoyed their retirement years. They traveled on vacations and saw the country, They enjoyed things like planting a vegetable garden and working around the yard. Herbert enjoyed physical work and was always digging, raking or whatever he could find around the yard. Maybe that accounts for his 92+ years of living. Virginia loved canning what they grew in their garden and often canned tomatoes, green beans or a very delicious recipe that I remember for sweet sour pickles. Though their pleasures were simple they enjoyed their relationship together beyond measure. Virginia, my mother, lived 81 years, 9 months, and 13 days. She was a very spiritual lady who carried her convictions to the end. Herbert, my father, died on 30 July 2009. They were the best parents anyone could have been blessed with. They are buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Milford, Clermont County, Ohio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the year 2000, while working on my family history, I wrote to my mother back in Ohio asking her what she could remember about her grandma and grandpa Mihm. (Thomas Fredrick Mihm 1852-1931 and Elsie Ann Dull 1853-1937) Mom wrote back but thought she didn’t have much to tell. What she said however, gave me a much more vivid picture of them than I could get form photographs and records. 

 

Letter from my mother, Virginia (Mihm) Kohus,1921-2003, dated, October 28, 2000. 

They were poor, very clean and my mom did not like my grandma, and I guess it rubbed off on us kids. Grandpa Mihm as I recall was a very gentle man as was my dad. They never showed any love or concern for us. Maybe that was the way things were, I don’t know. Grandma and my mom got into an argument over my sister Helen, (when grandma lived with us), my sister was pregnant and married, and my grandma said she was a bad girl. Well, that really got to my mom. Mom said you got a lot of room to talk. At that time I did not know about grandma’s birth circumstances. Mom only told me when I was married and older. Well, mom called Aunt Lucy, uncle Forest’s wife, and said I’m sending grandma to your house. Grandma asked my dad for her checks, state old age pension money. Dad unlocked his drawer and handed her the envelope. She accused my dad of stealing her checks. One was up against the envelope. Well, that made dad angry at his mom. My dad was as honest as the stars. Well now, picture this. Mom packed the cloths and the taxi came and my grandma went out with her thunder mug in one hand. I imagine my dad took her cloths out to the cab and she never came to our house again. I do not think grandma cared much for my dad as she did for Uncle Forest.  

 

Now when dad was seven he worked in a saw mill and got caught in the saw and was hurt really bad. The doctor wanted to amputate his leg but grandma said no. He had a limp and his hand was crippled with one or two fingers missing, forgot how many. I guess they needed the money and dad suffered all his life because of it. I do not know if they grandma and grandpa owned their home or not. I can remember down to the last tee what the inside of the house looked like, the furniture and the rooms. I never was in the second floor. When I was a baby, mom tells a story. They went to the house and laid me on the bed and grandma said, supper over dishes washed nothing left but a piece of squash. Mom said never mind, I gotta nurse Virginia. Now, mom liked grandpa Mihm. He thought mom was so smart because she drove a car, but would argue with mom over politics. He was a republican and mom was a democrat. I never heard my mom say anything against grandpa, only grandma. I think he was a farmer but I don’t know where or for who or for himself. That was never talked about and when I got to know them I guess he was too old to farm and the state sent them a check every month. 

So, what was there to like?? I do not remember any one of them saying a word to me, taking my hand or anything. I only remember sitting on the old couch while mom and dad was there, and me sneaking a look into the little red room that had 2 double beds in it with a big trunk at the end of the path through the room. I can’t say I did not like them, really I did not know them. Even when grandma lived with us she never was friendly as I can recall. One day I was down the street at my girlfriend’s house and Mrs. Felger said, Virginia, isn’t that your grandma walking down the sidewalk? And sure enough, it was, her with an apple and a knife just gumming away on the apple. I ran home and told my mom. Someone went and got her. I think she was just a cold woman. Maybe she was ashamed of her birth. In those days it was horrible not like today. I can imagine my dad was torn between his mom and his wife, I really don’t know. The work of grandma fell on my mom, I know that. I guess I just can remember how clean and in order the house and yard was. Then they had only those push mowers. According to the picture of my grandpa, he sure looked like any poor person. To this day, no one knows where in Rockford Cemetery they are buried. Don’t know why but my aunt Ollie never was in on the care of grandma. She did enjoy poor health; Ollie was the only girl my grandma and grandpa had. She married Perry Wiseman and they had one girl, Pauline. Pauline was a nurse that took her training at the general hospital in Cincinnati.

 

That is the story of my grandma and grandpa Mihm. Nothing to put in the genealogy folder that I can see. I would sum it up that they were poor, very honest people that taught one of their son’s, my dad, honesty and work, truthfully, just one great dad. For that I say thank you grandma and grandpa Mihm.

 

Love you, Mom