Paul J. Espenschied

Paul Jacob Espenschied, age 92, of York Township, New Philadelphia died Friday, November 11, 2011, in New Dawn Retirement Center at Dover following a period of declining health.A son of the late Jacob L. and Clara Schwartz Espenschied, Paul was born in the family home at York Township on May 13, 1919.He received his elementary education from Ankney School and was a 1937 graduate of the former Stone Creek High School.Paul married the former Audrey McIlvaine on August 31, 1940. The couple reared two children and shared in nearly 68 years of marriage prior to Audrey’s passing on June 12, 2008.As a couple, they shared many activities a few of which included membership in the Pleasant Valley Grange 1057, traveling and wintering in Florida from the mid 1980’s to the late 1990’s and sharing in church activities. As a life-long member and elder of Jerusalem Church at New Philadelphia, Paul was instrumental in the building of the current facility where he not only oversaw the project but put his given talent of woodworking to use by making many of the fixtures within the church.Paul was a hard worker and knew no other lifestyle. From the time he was a young man he worked alongside his father in his broom factory and in 1941 he took employment with the Westinghouse Corporation at Canton. Paul served as a machinist for the firm and was charged with the task of making naval gun barrels to fulfill the company’s naval contract. In 1946, Paul moved on from the Westinghouse Corporation and began his own business, Espenschied Poultry and Hatchery. For many years, Paul supplied the area restaurants and care facilities with eggs from his own farm and kept his routine delivery route until his retirement in 1994. In addition to his work as a poultry producer, Paul worked for York School and the New Philadelphia City Schools as a bus driver from 1948-1977.Additionally, Paul was also a founding member of York Township Fire Department and a driver for Union Hospital’s Meal on Wheels program. He enjoyed being around others and socializing as well as sharing time with his family. He will be greatly missed by his two children; a son, Bob (Janet) Espenschied; a daughter, Sue (John) Glazer both of New Philadelphia; a sister, Betty Shumaker; a sister-in-law, RoseAnn McIlvaine both of Dover; and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Iva and David Riggle of New Philadelphia. Completing the family are his grandchildren; Jill (Dan) Haugh, Jeff (Stephanie) Espenschied, Bill Glazer, David (Cindy) Glazer and Holly (Jason) Schafer; great-grandchildren, Allyssa and Hunter Haugh, Tom Espenschied, and Ashley and Brian Glazer and numerous nieces and nephews.In addition to his parents and wife, Paul was preceded in death by two sisters, Mary Mathias and Dorothy Stein.The family will receive friends on Monday, November 14, 2011 from 6:00 â?? 8:00 PM in the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory at New Philadelphia. An additional time of visitation will be held on Tuesday, November 15, 2011, from 10:00 â?? 11:00 AM in the Jerusalem Church at New Philadelphia. Rev. Frank Sapp, Jr. will lead a service celebrating Paul’s life in the church sanctuary on Tuesday at 11 AM. Burial alongside his wife will follow in the Jerusalem Church Cemetery.Immediately following the services the family would like to invite guests to join them for a luncheon in the church social hall.Those unable to attend services are encouraged to send the family personal condolences by signing the online guest registry located on the funeral home’s website.Memorial contributions in Paul’s name may be made to Jerusalem Church Memorial Fund, 1417 Stonecreek Road SW, New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663.LINN-HERT-GEIB330-343-5506WWW.G