Zeisberger Heckewelder award winners make Tuscarawas County a better place
DENNISON – The winners of this year’s Zeisberger Heckewelder awards come from a variety of fields but share a commitment to their community.
The Tuscarawas County Historical Society presents the awards annually to honor the Schoebrunn founders David Zeisberger and John Heckewelder. Curator Kim Jurkovic says this year’s five recipients have all made Tuscarawas County a better place to live.
“This year is a very different group of people who in different ways have made an impact and made a difference in the lives of a lot of other people,” she said. “That might be one of the things that is a similarity this year. Each one of them and the things they’ve done have impacted a lot of people.”
This year’s winners are the Friends of the Fort Laurens Foundation, Jack Ream, Scott Robinson, Jeff and Heidi Ross, and Mildred “Millie” Weston.
The Founders Day Banquet and Zeisberger Heckewelder Awards will be on Tuesday, May 13, at 6 p.m. at the Streetside Center, 415 Center St. in Dennison. The cost for the banquet is $30 per person. Reservations are required and are due by May 1. Reservations can be made by sending payment and a list of attendees to the Tuscarawas County Historical Society; P. O. Box 462; New Philadelphia, OH 44663.
Award winners
The Friends of Fort Laurens Foundation was founded in 1994 and has played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting the history of Fort Laurens. Fort Laurens is significant as the only Revolutionary War fort built in Ohio. Built in 1778, the fort was used as an outpost for the Continental Army, but was soon abandoned. As stated in the nomination, the Friends of Fort Laurens have worked “to revitalize the fort’s legacy and educate the public about its importance.” The Friends have conducted many fundraising campaigns, written grants, and reached out to the community to gain funding to rebuild the fort’s structure. The nomination for the Friends of Fort Laurens further states, “in addition to promoting the rebuilding of Fort Laurens, [the foundation] had been instrumental in bringing attention to the fort’s role in the larger narrative of the American Revolution. [It has] organized educational programs, reenactments, and special events that engage the public and foster a deeper understanding of the fort’s place in Ohio’s and the nation’s history. The foundation’s commitment to historical accuracy and interpretation has made Fort Laurens a valuable resource for students, historians, and history enthusiasts alike.” The Friends of Fort Laurens have been dedicated preservationists and advocates for this important Tuscarawas County site, a testament to the sacrifices of the American Revolution.
Jack Ream is a life-long resident of Tuscarawas County, who in 2003, “was inspired by God to reach out toward the housing-and-food-insecure citizens of New Philadelphia and Dover.” He founded the Dover-New Phila Food Pantry. Over the years the pantry has provided food to thousands of people facing difficulties and has also provided a unifying cause for local churches. Jack was also a principal organizer of Friends of the Homeless and the establishment of the homeless shelter. He has worked to gain grant money and private donations to help the hurting and impoverished. Jack’s nomination states, “Recognition of his long-time work is paramount and will serve as an example to the next generation what it means to love God, love their neighbor, and to see their home as a ‘light in the valley’—to quote from Brother Zeisberger himself.”
Scott Robinson has supported local history and heritage in Tuscarawas County for over 30 years, serving on the Board of the Dennison Depot Railroad Museum for 35 years and helping the Depot create a vision that included taking on a larger leadership role in the community with the Clay Capital Heritage Center, and in the 15 years the Depot operated Historic Schoenbrunn Village. Other large projects he encouraged in his role on the board include the purchase of a fleet of railroad cars for excursions and the new collections storage area. Scott served as President of the Board for three terms and served on the Friends of the Museum Committee that organized a fundraising ball every year that has raised over $100,000 for the museum. Along with serving on the Board, Scott has volunteered for over three decades with the Polar Express, and works as an advocate for the Depot in Columbus and even Washington, D.C. as needed. Scott serves the Tuscarawas County community in other ways as the Executive Director of the Tuscarawas County Community Foundation, previous service on the Tuscarawas County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Board. And as the executive director of the Tuscarawas County Chamber of Commerce.
Jeff and Heidi Ross have worked as volunteers in several activities to help others. For almost 15 years Jeff and Heidi participated in Ohio Hospice’s Culinary Capers. They started Ross’s Mountain BBQ and donated their food products to many charities and fundraisers. One organization that was special to them was Sports for Sound, a non-profit organization that raises money for low-income hearing impaired individuals in Tuscarawas and Carroll counties. Jeff and Heidi also volunteer their culinary services for Wounded Warrior events and Wounded Warrior fall hunting events. In October 2024 Jeff began efforts to do something to help the Hurricane Helene victims in Western North Carolina. Through an initial post on Facebook, word spread of the effort to help, and an umbrella of people and organizations came together to deliver aid. Multiple trips have been taken to the area with food. The initial effort to help feed the people in hurricane ravaged Western North Carolina snowballed into supplying heaters and campers as winter approached and many were still without homes. The nomination for Jeff and Heidi Ross states, “As we continue to hear about the continued fallout from the hurricane devastation in North Carolina, Jeff and Heidi continue to be a part of Tuscarawas County’s version of the ‘Berlin Airlift’, with no current end in sight.”
Mildred “Millie” Weston is someone devoted to Tuscarawas County through her profession, her church, and as a volunteer. In her professional career as a nurse, Millie has served as a mentor to those around her. She began her career as a private duty nurse for Union and Twin City Hospitals. She went on to work for Valley Manor nursing facility and then in quality improvement in the local hospitals. Millie ended her nursing career in 2007 as the director of nursing at New Dawn Health Care in Dover. A 50 year career in local healthcare certainly touched many lives in the community. Millie is an active member and volunteer at the Schoenbrunn Community Moravian Church, having roles as a Bible study leader, a member of the Women’s Fellowship and Board of Elders, and spending many years decorating the church for Advent and Christmas. Finally, Millie has been a long-time volunteer at Historic Schoenbrunn Village. If you have been to Schoenbrunn, and learned about candlemaking, Millie was your interpreter. She demonstrates the hand-dip method of making beeswax candles, creating enough to light the village for the Lantern Tours, Christmas Love Feast Service, and other village events. Millie also shares village history and makes paper Moravian stars for visitors. Along with making candles, volunteering at special events, and leading tours, Millie also works tirelessly behind the scenes to clean, decorate, and many other unseen jobs. Millie helps bring history to life. She is also just a caring and compassionate community member. Her nomination states, “Millie is the type of person that is the first to help, and the last to seek credit.”