Dash Between: Joan Park, 78, believed in her family, her Catholic faith and having fun - often with friends at bowling alleys

Joan Park visits the Hill of Crosses near the city of Siauliai, Lithuania.

Joan Park, mother of seven, got married in the rectory of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Amherst, Ohio, in 1953. It was a common practice in those days -- and for all I know, it might be the same today -- for interfaith weddings.

Her husband, James, a B.F. Goodrich lab technician, was as dedicated a Baptist and she was a Catholic. But he agreed to raise their kids in the Catholic faith.

Sure, there's more to Joan than being Catholic. She sold real estate, was named to the Lorain Women's Bowling Association's Hall of Fame and showed up at countless basketball and baseball games where her kids and grandkids were playing. You can read about that in her "Dash Between" in the Jan. 30 edition of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.

Among the 20 or so photos of her -- alone or with family or friends -- my favorite is the one of her standing among the many crosses and religious statues at the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania.

Dash Between: Millie Arthrell taught history long after retiring from the Oberlin schools

Millie Arthrell first taught professionally at the Oberlin School of Commerce, a business school, in 1932 when she was 19.

When she was 40, she finally got her chance to take college courses when Kent State University offered cadet teaching classes in Elyria, Ohio.

She taught elementary school students in the Oberlin schools for 20 years, retiring in the late 1970s.

But instead of taking her leave from teaching, she began a second career, giving entertaining and informative presentations on such topics as the Underground Railroad, Oregon Trail and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Millie also brought historic figures to life, including such famous folks as Teddy Roosevelt, Harriet Tubmand and Laura Ingalls Wilder and lesser known figures like abolitionist and women's rights advocate Lucy Stone, who lived in the 1800s.

Click here to read "The Dash Between" Jan. 6, 1913, when Millie was born Mildred E. Haulk on a farm in Pittsfield Township, Ohio, and Dec. 22, 2010, when the retired Oberlin teacher and historian died at age 97 in Tulsa, Okla. Her Dash was published in the Jan. 16, 2011, edition of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.

Patch Work, North Canton: Ralph E. Norman, professional engineer, chaired North Canton Republican Committee

The late Ralph E. Norman, 84, chaired the North Canton Republican Committee and North Canton Planning Commission. He was a past president of the Canton Regional Society of Engineers.

Click here to read his obit on the North Canton Patch.

Patch Work, Brecksville: Fred Holman, architect, past president of Brecksville Kiwanis

Fred H. Holman is the second Brecksville architect I've written about in the last couple of weeks for the newly launched Brecksville Patch.

Click here to read his obit and here to explore the Brecksville Patch.

Patch Work, Avon Lake: Coach John McCoy, Roy Lundberg and Robert Flaim

Once again, I'm behind the times in getting links to recent Patch.com obits posted on the ObitsOhio blog.

This time, it's the Avon Lake Patch. The obits are for:

• Roy Lundberg, welder, Avon Lake rescue squad member
• John McCoy, the winningest baseball coach in Avon Lake High history
• and Robert Flaim, Avon Lake Municipal Utilities retiree.

Patch Work, Solon: Thomas Billheimer, retired Conrail computer center supervisor

Thomas Billheimer's obit was posted on Solon Patch on Dec. 21, 2010, during a period when Northeast Ohio Patches were launching as fast as a rapid-fire machine gun.

As a result, I failed to mention Mr. B's obit on this web site. Click here to read the obit. Try this link to explore the Solon Patch.

Patch Work, Cuyahoga Falls and Stow: Retired U.S. District Court Judge Sam H. Bell

Retired U.S. District Court Judge Sam H. Bell's obituary ran on the Cuyahoga Falls Patch because his judicial career began with the Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court in 1968.

Because he resided in Silver Lake, which is something like a mile away from Stow, and because what used to be the Cuyahoga Falls court is now the Stow Municipal Court, the obit also was posted on the Stow Patch.

Dash Between: Charles Chapman, elementary school principal, church baritone soloist

Charles Chapman had served as principal and/or teacher at elementary schools in the Wadsworth, Medina and Brunswich school district.

Charles Chapman taught and/or served as principal at every elementary school in Wadsworth, as well as schools in Medina and Brunswick.

And the man could sing. Champan, a baritone, was often asked to sing solos at his home church and at weddings and funerals.

Click here to read his "Dash Between" from the Jan. 3, 2010, edition of the Medina County Gazette.

Dash Between: Elsie Danevich directed independent living program for people with disabilities

Elsie Danevich, second from the right, participated in demonstrations and marches to raise awareness of the needs of people with disabilities.

Elsie Danevich demonstrated an independent streak that made disabled individuals, who used the services of LEAP (Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential), as well as her coworkers think about possibilities rather than limitations.

The wheelchair-bound woman served as director of LEAP's independent living program for Lorain County since 1990.

Click here to read "The Dash Between" March 28, 1945, when she was born Elsie Jeffreys in Crafton, Pa., and Nov. 27, 2010, when she died at age 65. Her story was published in the Jan. 2, 2010, edition of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.