The concept and creation of the Oak & Ember Luxury Lounge was inspired by my grandfather, Pop Giesken, and his spirit fills the lounge with warmth and hospitality. It's one of the many unique things that makes the Oak & Ember a special place to visit. During his life, Pop owned businesses where people could go and sit down for a great meal or relax and talk over a good drink. As you will see below, he genuinely loved people and made everyone feel welcomed, comfortable, and appreciated. Pop also understood the importance of having fun and enjoying life each and every day. Here's his story...

Pop History

Pop Giesken, aka Lawrence, and his wife Mom, aka Sophia, both were born in 1902. Pop was born in Greensburg township, just outside of Glandorf, Ohio on June 21st and Mom was born on October 2nd. Pop was one of those "Hey fellow, have we met?" kind of guy. I don't know how to explain it any other way. He often said he never met a stranger, and I believe it's true because by the time they would part, they couldn't be called stranger any longer. One time Pop had to attend a liquors dealer meeting in Columbus. While they were in the hotel going up the elevator two floors to the meeting room, Pop had introduced himself to five other people on the elevator, learned where they were from, and told them a little about himself and Glandorf. That's why they said he never knew a stranger!

Everybody knew Pop, and I believe if you go back to Glandorf or Ottawa today, you will still find a lot of people that remember him. Pop was in business most of his life, first at Mom's Cafe in Ottawa, and later at Pop's Tavern in Glandorf. Most of those years he also fronted a brass band called "Pop's Booster Band" people would follow the band on weekends, going from church social to church social.

Pop was born on a farm in Greensburg township. (that's what he would say) just west of Glandorf, to Frank and Elizabeth Giesken, who'd died in 1931. Frank was a very successful farmer, and also invested in several businesses. He was a part owner of the Fischer Lumber Yard in Glandorf as well as the Fischer Funeral Home. He was also a County Commissioner and prominent in the administration of Greensburg Township. Elizabeth was known for loving to entertain, and by this, I mean BIG parties! We still have newspaper clippings about parties that they gave in Greensburg, the food she prepared, and the dancing. They would invite someone with a fiddle and dance in the barn until the wee hours.

While Pop grew up on a farm and he tried it when he was young, he apparently wasn't good at it or suited to it. Maybe it was too solitary a life for him. He probably needed more people around him. Pop and Mom first had a farm near commerce Grove where his children were born. Pop supplemented his income by driving truck. His son Bob, must have gotten truck driving honestly! They moved to a farm behind the creek in Glandorf and then they moved to Main Street in Glandorf.

Pop used to be the Putnam County Dog Catcher. He had a neat Plymouth coop with a huge trunk in which he could put several dogs. Back then, the dog catcher had to use his own car. Pop mostly caught the dogs and then brought them to the pound, but many times he would have to use the rifle he carried to eliminate vicious dogs. When someone in the county lost sheep, calves or chickens and couldn't catch the dog, it was up to the county to get rid of them. 

All of his life, Pop was an avid Hunter. He prided himself on being a very good shot and always tried to shoot the critter in the head. He didn't want any buckshot in the meat. Pop would hunt squirrels with a rifle because it's harder to keep the buckshot out of the meat on a small animal. 

Pop's booster band was built around the Alstetter family who were required to play instruments from the time they were old enough to hold one. There were 5 members of the Alstetter family, all good horn players. Then there was a trombone player from Barnum and Bailey's circus band. The tuba player had played with the US Marine band. It was a great honor to play with these guys and everyone had a lot of fun! 

Pop was also a part-time horse trader when they were still used for farming. He had a large garden which were actually three different plots. He could have had one of the farmers in the area bring in the tractor and make quick work of the plowing. But he preferred to borrow somebody's horse and plow the garden himself, mostly to show he could still do it. As it got harder and harder to find a good horse to borrow, he used the only one available that was owned by a young bachelor who used to curse a lot! Pop would try to stop or giddy up the horse and it would not listen unless he swore at it! It's been said that the air turned blue before he finished plowing the gardens! The kids were kept in the house but some snuck out to hide any watch Pop, try to plow! 

Pop always wanted to be involved in the kids buying major assets like a house or a car. He helped his son Ken buy a '53 Ford two-tone green two-door V8 that ran well but you could see the pavement underneath going by as he drove down the road! 

Pop and Mom were a very different kinds of people. It's fair to say they had a stormy relationship, but they also had a lot of good times together! One of the things that most bothered Mom about Pop was his generosity! He was known as an easy touch. Anybody down on his luck would find his way to Glandorf to see Pop! They would tell him their story, and if he had it, Pop would "lend" them $10 or $20. Sometimes he got money back and sometimes he didn't. Many of those Mom knew about and when she would see them driving through town, she would ask one of her children how much he had given them and wonder what the family could have done with the money he loaned. The other side of the coin is, when Pop died, it was the largest attendance at his funeral that anyone had ever seen. I'd ask my sisters who somebody was and they would say, "Don't know, probably someone he loaned money to". 

Pop's and Mom's businesses were joint ventures between the two of them. Mom was always the chief cook at Mom's Cafe, and the local crowd was very appreciative of her wares. Mom spent many hours behind the bar as well, though in later years her legs weren't permitted due to her excessive weight. Pop would always close up at 1:00 a.m. and open the bar up at 6:00 a.m., made coffee and was sure to be there through the morning hours when deliveries were made, and always paid them on the spot. He would always take off on Wednesdays afternoon making the rounds at other bars in the county to have some fun and do a little marketing. In the afternoon, there usually were a few people in one of these bars, so he would buy the house a drink courtesy of Pop Giesken's Tavern, and then go to the next bar and do the same thing. Many times he got in trouble with Mom for doing too much marketing! 

Mom and Pop did a lot of stuff together. Mom always followed Pop's band wherever they were playing. Once, they drove to Seattle for a convention when there were no interstate highways. They went to Florida once, probably because Ruth and Jill live there. And they always danced at weddings! They were fun people together and people from all over loved them. They raised six good kids, adored their grandchildren, some 41 of them at one time.

Both Mom and Pop had many favorites sayings, Pop would always say everything was copasetic which means everything is okay!

Pop passed away on December 28, 1967 and Mom passed shortly after on April 27, 1968, one day before her son Bob's 40th birthday.