Little did Abe and Sarah Schear from Russia think as they set sail out of Bremen on the Maine on September 15, 1903, that they would eventually in 1911 settle on Samuel Street in Dayton, Ohio’s east end and bring up a family of two girls and six boys who would become stellar athletes at Stivers High School. Their oldest boy, Herb, started what would become a tradition followed by his five younger brothers Harry, Max, Hyman, Gene and Bert – all playing center position on the Stivers football teams from 1923 through 1937. The two girls (proud sisters) Rose ‘25 and Tillie) were also there at Stivers, cheering them on.
Playing three years as center on the National Championship football team, by his senior year Herb was All-City and chosen as all-scholastic center on the team. In four years, that football team suffered only one loss. Herb also played guard on an undefeated (until the regionals) basketball team under the retiring dual coach, Harry Wilhelm. Those were indeed the golden years in athletics at Stivers!
After graduation, Herbert Orby Schear joined two other Stivers Hall of Famers, Harry Fenner and Joe Cox, on the Ohio State Buckeye football team, earning three letters. He also won an OSU sweater and numerals for playing basketball his freshman year, and even went out for baseball. He played until his graduation in 1929 when he returned to Dayton, earning his law degree at the University of Dayton Law School. He took over as president of Liberal Markets in 1935 upon the death of his father Abe.
Herbert Schear married Blanche Office and had two daughters, Francine and Andrea; all are now deceased. He was a well-known Dayton retailer, civic leader, and financial executive, and was active at Beth Abraham Synagogue. Several grandchildren, great grandchildren, cousins, and many nieces and nephews survive; some still live in the Dayton area.
