TCHS announces 2025 Zeisberger Heckewelder recipients
The Tuscarawas County Historical Society has announced the recipients of the 2025 Zeisberger Heckewelder Medals: the Friends of 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 held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, at the Streetside Center, 415 Center St., Dennison. The cost for the banquet is $30 per person. Reservations are required and are due by May 1. To reserve a spot, send payment and a list of attendees to the Tuscarawas County Historical Society, P.O. Box 462, New Philadelphia, OH 44663.
Friends of Fort Laurens Foundation
Founded in 1994, the Friends of Fort Laurens Foundation has played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting the history of Fort Laurens, the only Revolutionary War fort built in Ohio. Constructed in 1778 as an outpost for the Continental Army, the fort was soon abandoned.
According to the nomination, the Friends of Fort Laurens have worked “to revitalize the fort’s legacy and educate the public about its importance.” The group has led fundraising campaigns, written grants, and engaged the community to secure funding to rebuild the fort’s structure. In addition to reconstruction efforts, the foundation has organized educational programs, reenactments, and special events that engage the public and promote the fort’s role in the American Revolution. The foundation’s commitment to historical accuracy and interpretation has made Fort Laurens a valuable resource for students, historians and history enthusiasts.
Jack Ream
A lifelong Tuscarawas County resident, Ream was inspired in 2003 “by God to reach out toward the housing- and food-insecure citizens of New Philadelphia and Dover.” He founded the Dover-New Philadelphia Food Pantry, which has served thousands of people facing hardships, and brought together local churches around a common mission.
Ream also played a key role in founding Friends of the Homeless and establishing a homeless shelter. He has worked to secure grant funding and private donations to assist those in need. His nomination notes, “Recognition of his longtime 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
Robinson has supported local history and heritage in Tuscarawas County for more than 30 years, including 35 years on the board of the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum. He helped the Depot develop a broader vision that included leadership in the Clay Capital Heritage Center and, for 15 years, the operation of Historic Schoenbrunn Village.
As board president for three terms, Robinson supported initiatives such as the acquisition of a fleet of railroad cars for excursions and the creation of a new collections storage area. He also served on the Friends of the Museum Committee, which organized a fundraising ball that has raised more than $100,000. Robinson has volunteered for more than three decades with the Polar Express and has advocated for the Depot at both the state and national level.
In addition to his historical work, Robinson is executive director of the Tuscarawas County Community Foundation and has previously served on the Tuscarawas County Convention and Visitors Bureau board. He also serves as executive director of the Tuscarawas County Chamber of Commerce.
Jeff and Heidi Ross
The Rosses have volunteered in numerous charitable efforts. For nearly 15 years, they participated in Ohio Hospice’s Culinary Capers, and they created Ross’s Mountain BBQ, donating food to many local charities. One cause particularly close to them is Sports for Sound, a nonprofit supporting low-income individuals with hearing impairments in Tuscarawas and Carroll counties.
The Rosses also support Wounded Warrior events, including fall hunting gatherings. In October 2024, Jeff Ross began an initiative to help Hurricane Helene victims in western North Carolina. What started with a Facebook post quickly grew into a widespread relief effort. The Rosses organized multiple trips to deliver food, heaters, and even campers to displaced families. Their nomination calls this ongoing effort “Tuscarawas County’s version of the ‘Berlin Airlift.’”
Mildred “Millie” Weston
Weston has devoted her life to Tuscarawas County through her nursing career, church service and volunteerism. Over a 50-year career, she worked as a private-duty nurse, at Valley Manor, and in hospital quality improvement. She retired in 2007 as director of nursing at New Dawn Health Care in Dover.
Weston is active at Schoenbrunn Community Moravian Church, where she leads Bible study, participates in the Women’s Fellowship and Board of Elders, and decorates the church for Advent and Christmas. She is also a longtime volunteer at Historic Schoenbrunn Village, where she demonstrates traditional candlemaking, produces candles for lantern tours and events, and teaches village history to visitors. In addition, she crafts paper Moravian stars and helps with behind-the-scenes tasks such as cleaning and decorating.
Her nomination reads: “Millie is the type of person that is the first to help, and the last to seek credit.”