She says she knew all of Casper and Mary's children personally except 
for the first couple, and except for Harvey who died young. Cousin 
Valerie on herself: "I was married from the garden in this home" - 
Shupe Ave., the same house where Gust was married - "and here took 
up married life. I was seriously ill in my senior year of high school 
which delayed my entrance to college by one year. I attended Hiram 
College in 1933-34 and then transferred to Baldwin-Wallace where I 
graduated. My vocation started as an assistant drama director at 
Baldwin-Wallace immediately following graduation. After two years 
I did a year of graduate work in theater at State University of 
Iowa. Then 17 years as a high school teacher of speech and English, 
where I also directed the plays, and forensics. An assignment as 
school librarian led to a graduate degree in library science and 
theater. I taught night classes in Speech at Kent State University 
and Cleveland State University. I retired in 1980 after 42 years 
in education as library/media coordinator for the Amherst Public
Schools. 
    "In 1948 I founded a community theater, Workshop Players, Inc. in
Amherst with some of my students. I have been a permanent member of
the board and am presently Theater Manager. I served on the Amherst
Public Library Board for 27 years, and was active in forming The
Amherst Historical Society. I have been honored by my high school,
college, and community for achievement in community service, and am
listed in several Who's Who publications." She really gets the red 
carpet treatment sometimes, like at this banquet she went to: "It was 
the annual banquet of a theater group that I organized 60 years ago. 
They picked me up in a white stretch limousine,  had a corsage,  many 
accolades.  I gave a short speech about how it was when we started. Of 
course, I forgot to mention some of the things that I planned to say, 
but it was an exciting evening."
    She has in fact received quite a list of citations, viz: the House
of Representatives of the State of Ohio commendation for being named
1989 Woman of Achievement by the YWCA; 1980 Appreciation for the Many
Years of Dedication to High School Theatre from the H. S. Drama Dept.;
Erie Shore Girl Scout Council Woman of Distinction award; Certificate
of Merit for Distinguished Service in Drama and School Library Science
from Dictionary of International Biography, 1968; 1986 Merit Award
from Baldwin-Wallace College; Annual Distinguished Alumni Gallery of
Success Achievement Award in 1987, from Marion L. Steele High School;
Notable Americans of the Bicentennial Era, 1976; Paul Harris
Fellowship from the Rotary Club; Lorain County Gallery of Honor;
Community Improvement Award from the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, one
in the mid-70's and again in 1987; Two Thousand Women of Achievement,
1969; Dictionary of International Biography, 1968; Notable Americans
of the Bicentennial Era 1976; Who's Who in Biographical Record of
School District Officials, 1976; Who's Who of American Women,
1975-1980; Who's Who in the Midwest, 1980; Who's Who in the World
1987. On this last one she says, "That one I thought was ridiculous. I
think they picked names from these others without examining
credentials." (From an e-mail of 9/23/2000.) More recently, she was
inducted into the Ohio Community Theater Association Hall of Fame on
Labor Day weekend, 2003 in Columbus; and on 9/19/03 was sent a
commendation from Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.
    Into her 90's now, she still leads a very active lifestyle. "I am 
just into so many things.  I think I once counted 11 areas of organizations, 
groups etc. that meet weekly or monthly.  Some are lunch or dinner 
meetings--- Several months ago my doctor -- not knowing about all of my 
activity suggested that I should think about assisted living.  He said 
'you could have your car, your cat--'  I told this to one of my friends 
and she said 'What's the matter do they need assistance?'" From her e-mail 
to me of 9/19/08. 
    There's an article in the Morning Journal from 10/11/1992 about
her, sent me by Peg Breitweg. She acted as schoolmarm in a project to
show kids what it was like to go to school in a one-room schoolhouse.
The kids did their writing lesson on slates with chalk. The project
grew out of a book co-authored by Valerie called "Amherst, Our
Community."
    There's another article about her in the Encore section of the
Chronicle-Telegram, 11/21/1997, when she retired from the Amherst
Workshop Players after heading it for 50 years. "Directing is a
24-hour-a-day job," she said. "I also did most of the costumes, and I
had a full-time job as a librarian." 
    Valerie admits to having a bit of a temper. It "was inherited 
from the Heussner side not the Dutes." E-mail, 5/6/2000. She also 
likes biographies. "I read  biographies regularly.  Each time that I 
read about what they included it triggers another memory that I had 
long put away as unimportant.  I am currently reading an auto- bio 
of Tom Brokaw and several things have been brought to mind.  Earlier 
in the summer I read the auto-bio of Jimmy Carter.  It is one of the 
best I have ever read.  I never thought he was much of a president, 
but his style of writing made me practically hear his voice as he 
related his boyhood."
   
    In another article of 8/4/2000 entitled "She's compiling history
of Workshop Players", it says she "acted, directed, costumed, or
attended all of the 180 plays" since founding it in 1948, until her
retirement. This article was written just after the release of Volume
I of her book, "The 50-Year Picture History of Workshop Players Inc."
She was born "in the house in Amherst where she lives today. Her
mother, an Amherst teacher, encouraged her at a young age to get up in
front of people." She and her husband Henry performed in an operetta
called "Pickles" at Central High School in Amherst. "She remembered
how Henry got in trouble for going with some other boys to the old
spring and ripped his velvet pants that were a part of his costume.
    "'I still have the 'Pickles' script upstairs. It brings back
memories' she said.
    "There are other high school memories of her husband as the two
dated for two years and attended the junior-senior prom together. As a
sentimental reminder, she kept the handkerchief she carried that
night." Over 50 years later they met again, and then, "telling no one
of their plan to marry, they flew to Hawaii five years ago to exchange
marriage vows -- more than 60 years since that high school prom." She
carried that same handkerchief at her wedding. 
    She kept up with the theater while attending Baldwin-Wallace
College, and "recalled being the smallest person on campus and was
always asked to play the part of a maid or a young child." Dorothy
Shobe "recalled her as a real taskmaster who always expected the best
from each performer.
    "'Working with Valerie as a director was really a pleasure. She
could pull out the abilities you have to build a character and this
made you more comfortable on stage, so you weren't just a character in
a play but an actual person,' said Shobe."
    "Now, Gerstenberger is in the process of trying to contact 900
people who acted, directed or did technical work in the plays to
inform them of her book. So far she's found about 300...."
    "For her devotion to historical preservation and the library, the
board named a room the Valerie Jenkins Local History Room in her honor
at her retirement." She was also curator of the Quigley Museum for
years.
    Valerie has the Baldwin-Wallace document that's supposed to allow
the Dute descendants free tuition there. "Uncle Gust had it but he
never gave it to my mother." His son Bill gave it to her many years
after her degree. (E-mail, 2/12/02.)
    Her uncle "was mayor in Amherst and a business man for many
years.... when I was in high school I remember several raids on
bootleggers that my uncle pursued. Prohibition was in full swing. For
a teen ager, those were exciting times.
    "Also, I can't remember if I ever made clear why an uncle and aunt
were so important in my life. My father died suddenly when I was 16
months old. My mother had to get an education so she could teach.
Since she and her sister owned the house I live in, she moved in and
we never moved out." E-mail, 10/20/2002. And, "My uncle was Clarence
Earl Cooper. He and my aunt met when they both worked at Flat Rock
Orphanage. My aunt was a little boys' matron, my uncle was an engineer
and probably did other work around the home." 10/24/02. 
    She met Helen Keller at about the age of 7. It didn't make much of 
an impression on her. "I think my mother took me because I was hearing 
impaired after having been seriously ill with the 1918 flu plus German 
measles at the same time.  I wasn't expected to live. I still have 
almost zero hearing in my right  ear  My best memory of that evening 
is that I had a white fur piece and muff to match.  Someone stole my 
fur piece..Helen Keller was just another adult." 
    Like my father, she has asthma, which she says is a Dute family
failing. 
    Every now and then she has a brush with a tornado. From 9/15/08: 
"Yesterday we had a mini tornado go through our county.  I guess it 
was the tail end of Hurricane Ike.  Anyway I watched as part of a 
small tree blew across the lawn.  I walked away from the window for 
a very short time.  When I looked back part of a very large locust 
tree came within  a foot of touching the house as it lay on the 
ground.  Another part of it fell and took a portion of my magnolia down."  
And from 3/21/07: "About the tornado.  The scariest part of it was that I 
was listening to television and they were telling where it hit at about 
7:15.  It was then about 7:40 and the tornado had passed over us around 
7:00.  The fortunate thing is that it didn't touch down until 7:15 about 
8 miles east of me. No one was hurt.
    "I was relating to Barbara that about 1989 when I was at Linwood a 
tornado did touch down in my neighborhood.  I only lost one tree and that 
was out by the street not near the house.  It did a lot of damage in the 
neighborhood south of me. I was lucky to be in Vermilion for that one. 
About 5 years before that a mini tornado touched at Linwood.  It took out 
90 of the huge trees that we had in the grove.  Several cottages were 
damaged.  My cottage was blocked by debris for several days.  For that 
storm I was in Amherst.  Some of my friends joked that if they heard about 
a strong wind or tornado headed our way they were going to find out where 
I was and promptly visit.  They thought I was charmed.  Well, I hope."

Valerie and her husband Henry Gerstenberger in 1999 (not to be confused with the Henry Gerstenberger who was my dad's best friend once upon a time)

Valerie from the Spring 2005 Baldwin-Wallace College Heritage Society newsletter

    Valerie seems to be related to herself. Her grandparents Aurelia
Heussner and John Anton Dute were second cousins:
    Heinrich Dute
        George 
            Casper
                John Anton Dute m. Aurelia Heussner
                    Ethel Elizabeth Dute
                        (Ethel) Valerie Eppley
        Anna Martha Dute m. Joh. Heinr. Hasenpflug
            Elizabeth Hasenpflug m. Adam Heussner
                Aurelia Heussner m. John Anton Dute
                    Ethel Elizabeth Dute
                        (Ethel) Valerie Eppley  
    "Did I ever tell you that my maiden name was once spelled Epplin and 
Epple before coming to America?" "Epple" would have been pronounced like 
"Eppla" in German, but like "Eppley" by Americans. "Epplin" might be the 
feminine form. "My mother made remarks when I was younger that I paid 
little attention to.  She intimated that there was some Jewish in the 
Eppleys. She didn't go into detail because at the time Jews were looked 
down on around here. I guess she didn't want me to get a complex about it." 
Valerie, 10/5/04. From the same e-mail: "I knew that my grandmother was 
Baptist but my mother and her sister attended the Congregational Church 
which my grandmother also did and where I go now and was baptized. I always 
thought they attended the Congregational Church because the one Baptist 
Church in Amherst burned down and the other disbanded for lack of memberships."
    On one of her maternal lines: "Did I ever relate the story about my 
grandmother? She and her siblings came to America in 1853 with the last name 
of Merthe.  My grandmother was 3.  The customs officer ask for the father's 
name.  He pronounced it in German.  This went on several times.  The customs 
officer finally said, 'Spell it.'  My great grandfather spelled with a German 
accent.  the customs officer said 'Martin?'  Gr. grandfather so pleased thinking 
that was the way you pronounced Merthe in English, he replied. 'Yah'  So that 
branch of the Merthe  has forever been Martin."