By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The stern faces of Wood County’s past county commissioners have long gazed upon current business on the fifth floor of the county office building. The black and white images of the county’s early leaders line the walls – with their sour faces depicting the serious nature of their positions.
Missing from those faces has been Abraham Nelson Longbrake, who served as Wood County commissioner from 1911 to 1915.
But the hole in the line of portraits will soon be filled, thanks to some local genealogical sleuths and a local artist.
The mystery came to light when a descendant of Longbrake noticed that his picture was missing. Marilyn Flick, a member of the Wood County Genealogical Society, happens to be a third cousin once removed from the former county commissioner.
“I saw his name on the wall, but there was no picture of him,” Flick said.
So the search was on.
Flick had a photo of Longbrake on her computer, said Jim Instone, a member of the genealogical society. “But it was in very bad shape,” he said of the newspaper clipping.
The old photo would not have withstood enlarging to fit with the other portraits hanging on the fifth floor.
But one day while researching at the Wood County District Public Library, Instone discovered an answer to their dilemma.
“I noticed a young fellow doing a portrait from a picture,” Instone said.
Instone asked library staff to introduce him to the artist – who happened to be Daniel Mauk, a BGSU grad, art teacher and portrait artist.
Mauk agreed to draw a larger portrait from the small newspaper clipping.
“It’s just amazing, the resemblance,” Instone said about the new portrait suitable to join the other commissioners on the wall. “I knew right then it was just what we wanted.”
So Instone and fellow genealogical society members, Millie Broka and Harold Brown, recently presented the new portrait to the current county commissioners.
“This is for inclusion on your wall of fame,” Instone said to them.
Though Longbrake apparently wasn’t much for photos, the genealogical society members were able to dig up some information on the former commissioner. He was a farmer, carpenter, and landowner in the Milton Center area. A Democrat, he served on the school board and was a trustee for the United Brethren Church of Custar.
Flick said she is pleased that her ancestor will soon have a place of honor on the wall of commissioner portraits. She recalled coming across Longbrake’s photo years ago.
“It was years ago, before I got interested in genealogy,” she said. “His eyes and high cheekbones reminded me of my brother.”
And soon, his somber face will join the other portraits of men who left their farm fields or other businesses to help govern Wood County a century or so ago.
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