Paul Bair, 92, passed away Sunday, Aug. 20, 2001.

He is survived by his son, Richard (Connie); granddaughter, Jennie of Akron; and son Jack of Atlanta.  Paul came to Akron in 1923 from Martinsville, Ill.  He worked for Motor Cargo Trucking as the general manager of Orr Service and Supply in Akron and Warren, Triple O in Lodi, and Industrial Oil And Chemical Co. in Cleveland.  Paul is best remembered for the United Unclaimed Freight stores he and his partner, Bill Roath, owned at Beaver and Arlington  streets.  Everyone who knew Paul could count on a beg smile and a friendly manner.  He was a hard and willing worker, and a good businessman.  He was proud of his sons, and adored his granddaughter Jennie.  Paul loved to travel and especially enjoyed homemade ice cream. 

There will be no service or visiting hours.  Graveside services will be held at the families' convenience.

Contributed by L. K. Ortman

Ohio Columbus Barber

February 4th, 1920 at his home in Akron, Ohio Columbus Barber, known world wide as the “Match King,” passed away at the advanced age of seventy nine, after only a few days sickness, a victim of Flu.

Born in Middlebury, Ohio, now a part of Akron, April 20, 1841, he attended the public schools of Akron, up to the age of fifteen. George Barber, his father, who came of an old Connecticut family settled and married in Middlebury, and started in 1847 to make the old fashioned splint matches by hand. His first factory was an old barn, and the son, Ohio, at the age of fifteen having completed his schooling, started out to peddle matches for his father. At twenty the son was taken in as partner in the business and on becoming of age he was given complete charge of it.  He soon revolutionized the match business, invented his own automatic machinery, manufactured his own chemicals, established a large factory for making strawboard for their boxes, and in a few years The Barber Match Company be came one of the largest in America.

In 1881 he took the lead in consolidating some thirty seven different Match Companies into one company, The Diamond Match Company, of which he was chairman of the Board of- Directors at the time of his death; having previously given up the more active position of President which he held for many years.

To attempt to enumerate all of the different enterprises with which he was actively engaged, or which he started, would be beyond the limits of this sketch.

In 1891 Mr. Barber founded the town of Barberton, eight miles from Akron, now a city of over 15,000 in habitants and in this place he erected new manufacturing plants and moved The Diamond Match Company’s main plant to it.

It was near here that, although nearly seventy years of age, in order to prove that farming could be done on a profit making basis, he bought up nine farms representing some 8000 acres, now known all over the United States in agricultural circles, as the Anna Dean farms, Mr. Barber having named this large plantation after his only daughter. Upon his death it was found that he had willed this farm to The Western Reserve University to be used as a foundation for an Agricultural School.

Mr. Barber was married twice, the first time to Miss Laura Brown on October 10, 1866, they had one daughter, Anna Dean Barber, who married Dr. Arthur Dean Bevan of Chicago. Mr. Barber’s second wife whom he married in December, 1915, was Miss Mary F. Orr. She and Mrs. Bevan survive Mr. Barber.

Submitted by L. K. Ortman

BASHELA

Charles, 60 years, Conley, O.; died May 3, Graveside services and interment 10 a. m., Monday at Conley . Friends may call at the chapel Sunday evening. (Billow)

Akron Beacon Journal, Saturday, May 5, 1945 - Submitted by C. Anthony

Sergt. Glenn D., 19 years of 1488 Hampton rd., passed away April 8 in
Germany. Survived by parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter B. Brooks; two brothers,
Harold E. 8 1/2 and Staff Sergt. Kenneth W. in Pacific area; sister,
Florence at home. Rev. H. D. Rose will conduct memorial services at 3:30 p.
m. Sunday at Goodyear Heights, U. P. church. For further information call
the Adams funeral home.

Akron Beacon Journal, Saturday, May 5, 1945 - Submitted by C. Anthony

BITTAKER

David Edwin, age 65; 132 N. Adolph av., died May 4. Survived by wife,
Estella; son, Harold L.; daughters, Betty, Akron, Mrs. Bruce Martin,
Cuyahoga Falls; two grandchildren; brothers, Samuel of Canton, Thomas and Ernest of Massillon, John of Clinton; sisters, Mrs. Anna Frase of Barberton, Mrs. Catherine Baughman of Los Angeles, Cal. Friends may call at the Long funeral home where services will be held Monday, 1:30 p. m. Interment Greenlawn Memorial Park. (Don R. Long)

Akron Beacon Journal, Saturday, May 5, 1945 - Submitted by C. Anthony