The History of Lewis County, Washington, Pt 10 of 10: PAGES 357 - 394 Submitted by: Wes , Feb. 2003 ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************************************** Source material: Nix, Alma and John Nix, Eds. "The History of Lewis County, WA". Chehalis, Lewis County Historical Society, 1985. The genealogies and stories of pioneers found on pages 63 to 394 of the history were scanned to Word, and saved as .txt files without Photos. Photo captions with names remain. The scanned page with photos is available from Wes upon request. We thank the Lewis County Historical Museum (lchs@lewiscountymuseum.org) for generously granting permission to post this file to the Digital Archives. Page numbers are at the bottom of each page. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pt 10 of 10: PAGES 357 - 394 BARBARA J. TAYLOR FAMILY Barbara Jane Taylor was less than five feet tall and spoke no English, but she carved a homestead from a timbered hillside just north of Forest and raised a family of eight by herself. (photo): L to R: Anna's daughter, Emma and Emma's daughter, Anna Taylor Hoke, Barbara J. Barbara and her husband, John, were immigrants from Bohemia. They first settled in Stillvine, Iowa where they operated a mercantile store. During this period they anglicized their name and John served as a Union soldier in the Civil War. In the early 1880's John decided to move the family to the Washington Territory, but first made a trip there by himself to find a business he could buy. He stayed with Bohemian friends at Napavine. Then, not having found a suitable business, he headed back toward his family wearing a money belt that contained $10,000. He was never seen again. Barbara and the children came west to search for him. They, too, stayed with Bohemian friends in Napavine and were able to trace John as far as Portland, Oregon, a seaport with an ugly history of shanghaiing and murder. Finally, nearly penniless, and convinced that further searching was futile, Barbara Taylor took out a homestead claim on a hillside above the Newaukum river about a mile north of Forest. With the help of friends and the older boys, she managed to build a house and outbuildings and to clear some land. The boys killed game for meat and those who (photo): Jobn Taylor, Louis Taylor, Antoine Taylor, Bat Duffany, Jobn Young, c. 1905. were old enough worked out for room and board. Whatever small amounts of monies earned went into the family fund. While most of the meager living came from the land, some things still had to be bought and Barbara, who weighed 90 pounds, would walk to Napavine and carry home a sack of flour or sugar on her back. In later years the financial burden was somewhat eased by a Civil War widow's pension. Although she received her citizenship papers, Barbara never spoke English and Bohemian was always used in the home. The eight Taylor children and the dates of their births were: Joseph W., October 27, 1864; Anna (Hoke), March 9,1867; John, October 11, 1869; Louis G., January 11, 1871; Antoine, May 10,1874; Regina (Phillips), September 7,1876; Wentzel, June 22, 1879; Charlie, February 5, 1882. The girls married and Anna Taylor Hoke lived most of her life in Seattle, while Regina Phillips was only 30 when she died in 1906 leaving a young family. Of the boys, only the eldest, Joe, went very far from home. He spent his life in Portland, Oregon. In 1900 Louis married Dorothy Jane (Dora) .Roney who had been born and raised in the Newaukum valley. They lived in Napavine for several years, but moved back to the Taylor homestead when Barbara decided to divide the land among her five sons living with or near her. To Louis and Dora she gave the original house and 80 acres. . . with the stipulation that she, John and Charlie live with them for life. To Antoine and his wife, Annie, she gave the back 80 acres, and Wentzel lived with them. John and Wentzel never married but lived with their brothers' families until they died. Barbara continued to live with Lou and Dora until she passed away at the age of 94. Charlie, a logger, remained a bachelor (also living with Lou's family) until he was 40 when he married Agnes Stueber. They had two children: Florence and Charlotte. Antoine sold his property in the 1940's and moved to a location on Logan Hill road. In the 1960's they moved to Centralia and were there until they died. Both were in their 90's. Lou continued to operate his farm until his death in 1951 at the age of 80. Dora then sold the farm and moved into Centralia where she resided until her death in 1961. Antoine and Annie were childless but Lou and Dora had three children: John Orval born February 1906; Floyd A. April 3, 1912 and Geneva, January 5,1914. Orval died a bachelor in 1964. Floyd married Donna Tisdale Forsberg in 1951. Their children were Michaelle and Thomas E. Floyd passed away in 1981. Geneva married Elmore Sargent in 1930. They had four children: Roger, Donna, Dianne and Janette. The Sargents moved to California in the 1930's and now reside in Sacramento. The house that now stands on the old Taylor farm was Barbara's second home. It was built around the turn of the century and cost almost $500. The original house was destroyed by fire. Now her descendants are widely scattered but for almost 70 years the homestead that the tiny Bohemian woman wrested from a wooded wilderness was heart and home for three generations of Taylors. By Donna Taylor ONE TAYLOR, NATIVE OF LEWIS COUNTY Travis Lloyd Buchanan Taylor, born April 13, 1982, Morton General Hospital, Lewis County, Washington. Residence, Cinebar, Washington. (photo): Amanda, 7/3/79, Travis, 4/13/82 You are the only member of your family to have been born in Lewis County. Your families, however, have lived in and around the county for 357 many years. Your maternal great-grandfather, Frank Leroy Bretthauer, owned and operated a jewelry store, across from what is now the old Safeway store, North Tower Avenue, Centralia, Washington. From this store, your grandfather, Lloyd Arnol Bretthauer, for whom you were named, sold one-inch square art gum erasers to secure the needed ten cents to go to the show. The depression of the nineteen thirties sent your great-grandfather elsewhere and Lloyd grew up in Thurston County, Washington from where he entered the United States Air Force in 1941 and served in the European Theatre during World War II. Returning to Thurston County, he married your grandmother, Sedate Evey Bretthauer, whose family in Thurston County, dated back to 1895. They lived south of Tumwater where your Uncle Bret, Aunt Llois, your Mother, Loraine, and Aunt Meri were born. As retirement neared, your grandfather purchased the farm in Cinebar, Washington where your mother Loraine married your father Donald Ray Taylor. They set up housekeeping in Thurston County where your sister Amanda Rae Taylor was born and then moved to Cinebar, where you were born, the only member of your family to have been born in Lewis County, Washington. Travis, wherever you go, whatever fame you acquire, you will always list your place of birth, Lewis County, Washington. Go for it. ANDREW TAUSCHER FAMILY In 1884 Leo Taucsher Sr. and his wife, Mary, left Munich, Germany. Traveling with them were forty members of their family. They stopped over in Bucavina, Austria where Mary gave birth to her first child, Lucy. They remained in Austria for about a year. The family arrived in New York in 1886 where some members of the family settled. Others went into Canada and south to Argentina. The remaining families started west. On arriving in Missouri, Mary gave birth to her first son, Leo, Jr. Some members stayed in Kansas and the rest continued west to Chehalis, which was then in Washington Territory. They arrived in Chehalis in 1887. Part of the family settled in Chehalis and others took up homesteads in the surrounding area. Leo Sr. and Mary settled on Logan Hill, about one-half mile from what is now the Logan Hill Grange. While their 8 children were growing up, the grange was the Logan Hill School. Leo Tauscher Sr. and family were members of Sacred Heart Catholic church, which was on St. Helens Avenue, and charter members of St. Joseph's church, which was renamed when it moved to 6th street in Chehalis, where it is still located. Many members of the family has attended St. Joseph's School, including many of Leo Sr.'s grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Leo Sr.'s sons, Leo Jr. and Andrew, took over the homestead of their uncle Steve Tauscher, when he died in 1909 on the North Fork of the Newaukum River. During World War I, Andrew was drafted and served at Camp Lewis and later Forks, Wa., in the Spruce Division, where they were logging spruce for the U.S. Army Air Force. In 1921, Andrew met and married Josie Stevens, who had just arrived from Rawlins, Wyo. to live with her sister and brother-in-law Myrtle and Ben Snyder, who lived 3 miles up the valley. Their farm was located a mile above the Agate School which was where the CentraliaAlpha Road crosses the North Fork Road. In 1922, Andrew and Josie built a new home on the north side of the North Fork which is still occupied by their daughter, Barbara and her husband Noel Cole. Andrew and Josie had three daughters; Helen Tauscher Emerson, who married John Emerson of the Logan Hill area and now live in Morton, and have four children, Michael, of Morton, who married Patricia Sparkman of Morton, and have 2 children, Amy and Angela; Patrick, of Morton who married Donna Walker of Morton, and has 2 children, Kraig and Erin; Teresa Knodel, who has two boys, John and Ryan and Kimberly Lipe, who married David Lipe of Seattle, and have two children, Nichole and Meredith; and Barbara Tauscher Cole, who married Noel Cole of St. Louis, Mo. and has four children, Steven, of Olympia; Gregory who married Mary Haver of Chehalis and has two children, Damon, 10 and Marrissa, 6, of Eugene, .Ore.; and Jeffrey of Suquamish, Wa., and Michele Mitchell who has one daughter, Samantha, and lives in Centralia; and Kathleen Hogan, who married Chet Hogan, and had children Judith Carroll, who married Jim Carroll of Hammond, Ind., and has 2 children, Jim, Jr. and Amanda and live in Green Bay, Wis., and Jim Martin who married Angel Waldrop of Chehalis, and has two children, Jennifer and Joseph, and now live in Auburn, Wa., and Carol Martin, deceased, and Daniel Martin, who married Sandra Bernard of Winlock and live in Chehalis. By Barbara Tauscher Cole LEON (LEO) TAUSCHER SR. FAMILY Leo Tauscher Sr. was discharged from the German Army in 1884 and arrived in Chehalis, Washington Territory in 1887. With Leo Sr. and his wife, Mary Brandel Tauscher, came their two children, Lucy born in Bucavina, Austria, and Leo Jr., born en route from Munich, Germany in Missouri. Several other members including halfsisters of Leo Sr., Grace Tauscher Bartel, and Mrs. Len Kuchner, and half-brothers Christ Tauscher and Ed Tauscher (formerly of Coal Creek area), also James Tauscher and many others were in their party. Several of the family had been in furniture building in Germany and Austria, and they soon went to work for the Doernbecker Furniture Co., which was located in the vicinity of the courthouse in Chehalis. After a few years the company moved to Oregon City, Oregon and that branch of the family resettled there. Leo Tauscher Sr. and his wife, Mary, had eight children - all raised on Logan Hill. They were: Lucy, who never married and worked for many years for the John Coffman family on Pennsylvania Avenue in Chehalis; Leo Jr., who married Louise Muller of the Forest area and had two daughters, Dorothy Tauscher Elmgren of Eureka, California, and Vera Tauscher Ciranny of Anaheim, California; Mary, who married Geroge Waring of Centralia and had three children, Donald Waring, deceased, Sybil Baxter of Chehalis and Robert Waring, deceased, formerly of Tacoma; Edward, who married late in life; Andrew, who married Josie Stevens of Rawlins, Wyoming and had three daughters, Helen Emerson of Morton, Barbara Cole of Chehalis, and Kathleen Hogan of Chehalis; Ann, who married Walter Laurence of the Agate area and had three children, Gerald of Olympia, Marjory Stevens of Port Orchard and lone of Palm Springs, California; Frances who married Joseph Kostick of the Coal Creek area and had four children, Pauline Boroughs, deceased, John Kostick, who married Mary Ann Stedham of Chehalis, and Joe Jr. of Coal Creek; and Rudolph, the youngest, who worked at the Chehalis Post Office for many years and had three daughters by wife Rhoda, Beatrice Adams in Oregon, Mary in Portland, and Marlene of Scott Lake. In the later years Leo Sr. sold the farm on Logan Hill and resettled on the North Fork near the Agate School. Upon his death, Edward Tauscher owned the farm and it is now owned by his nephew John Kostick and his wife, Mary Ann Stedham Kostick. Barbara Tauscher Cole RUTH TAYLOR Ruth Fletcher was born 1899 in Tualatin, Oregon, in a log cabin. She remembers coming by boat from Portland to Catlin, on to Centralia by train to her grandmother Rhuhamma Smith. She went to the Edison and Lincoln and high school at Rochester. Never getting through high school till age seventy-five. She then took college classes. She married Adam Taylor in 1916 and they were together fifty-six years. Adam was born in West Virginia, coming to Doty in 1907. He was a pole loader, a carpenter and jack-of-alltrades. (photo): Leon Tauscher Sr. Family 358 (photo): Adam and Ruth Taylor, 50 wedding anniversary (photo): Peggy Lee Hartwell, Gwendolyn Largen, Jack Taylor, Arlene Lopez. They built their home on Waunch Prairie in 1924, having the first basement and workable bathroom, a gas engine pumping the water into a thirty foot high tank, and the usual "party line" telephone. They first tried chicken ranching. Ruth raised 2,000 chicks per year, raised dalhias and gladioli and took 385 ribbons. She was president of Oakview PTA, leader of 4-H Chatter Box Club and took the 1946 agriculture census of USA. Before there was a welfare, Ruth met with Chas. Sticklin, Tina Bowers and others and was appointed as used clothes chairman about 1937, held over Centralia Police Station. Ruth worked at the USO for the service men, in the Masonic building, was treasurer of the Centralia Civic Club, and president of its Garden Club in 1931. At George Walker's home she made the motion that started Lewis County Garden Clubs. First elected president was N .B. Coffman, and Ruth Taylor was vice president. Division of the civic garden club, into North and South, occurred and Oakview Club was started. Ruth was medical chairman for the county, during the war; charter member of DO-SI-DO Dance Club; a 59 year member of Oakview grange, and a seven degree member of National. Starting its auxiliary in 1927, she served as first president; has been secretary and lecturer, and filled every office but master. With many hobbies; over 600 dolls and a thousand vases; Ruth loves traveling from the Arctic Circle to Mexico, Europe to Orient. As a florist for 35 years at "Exotic Gardens," she raised orchids, ferns, etc. In her later years, she has oil painted, having ten hung, and has sold some. She belongs to the Lewis County Art League. They had four children, Gwendolyn and Jack born at Doty, Arlene and Peggy Lee in Centralia. Peggy Lee went through the Centralia Schools, College on to Ellensburg. Has taught art for twenty-five years in California. Married Wayne Hartwell of Palo Verdes. Arlene married Tom Lopez, has four children: Jenera, clerk at Boeings; Tom and Ted (twins), steam fitters, commercial plumbers, carpenters; Richard, carpenter and jack-of-alltrades. Jack married Billie Milton. Their children are Jack Jr., business manager of SW Oregon for Weyco; Jennie is unemployment insurance coordinator for the state of Washington; Jimmie, administrator for WIDCO. Jack Sr., retired from U.S. Army as Sergeant Major and from Weyco as business manager. Gwendolyn married William Largen, raising ten children. (Her story will appear.) Her eldest son, William, is the grandfather of Chelsy Mendoza, Ruth's great-great-granddaughter, "five generations. " GWENDOLYN TAYLOR Born Oct. 5, 1918, Doty Washington, when 3 years old, my folks moved to Centralia. I went to Oakview grade school and Centralia High, and belonged to 4- H club and Oakview grange. After graduating in 1936, I worked at Woolworths. I married William Harrison Largen, born Dec. 2, 1917 in Halleyville, Oklahoma. He attended Centralia and Tenino schools, and was a lifeguard at Deep Lake at an early age, where he was called "Swift Water Bill." He worked at the Mutual Mill in Bucoda, in the woods and coal mines around Centralia. Bill has worked for my father in Centralia and for other Pole Yards, and cut poles for Johnny James. He worked on railroad bridges out of Chehalis. For others, he worked carpentry and fork-lifted hay. We owned a Grade A Dairy in Big Hannaford Valley. After selling, we moved to Bucoda. He worked two 8 hour shifts at Tono Coal and Hemphill O'Neil Mill, Chehalis, and at a chicken farm weekends. He worked in Alaska for Usibelli Coal, also at a gold mine near Fairbanks and in the woods near Juneau. Moving back to Centralia after getting hurt in the woods for Weyerhaueser, he worked for Centralia Parks Dept., Centralia School, Greenhill, and was maintenance supervisor at Royalcare. We lived in the Joseph Borst home for 5 years. After the Cohlmbus Day storm, he built a new garage where the old one had blown down. We built a Chalet in Rochester in 1968. Bill died in 1981. I have 10 children, 18 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter. William Harrison Largen, born Aug. 21, 1938, is a hunter, trapper, fisherman and a scaler for Weyerhaeuser, was married, and is divorced. He is a resident of Rainier. Grandchildren: William Harrison, 1960, Steven Michael, 1963, Kellie Lynn, 1964 married Guillermo Mendoza. They are the parents of my great-granddaughter Chelsy Tess, 1985. Robert Dell Largen, born March 10, 1940, is a carpenter for Harbor Mill Works, Cabinet Shop and Door Factory. He resides at Copalis Beach. His wife is Elaine Lucille Ferris. Grandchildren: Gloria Gale, and twins, Rodney Russell and Ronald Richard. Jacqueline Fae, born Sept. 28, 1942, is a clerk at the First Interstate Bank, Chehalis. She married Jerry Rondall Landers, born Aug. 21, 1941, who is assistant job manager of Volkswagon, and a resident of Tenino. Granddaughters: Debra Louise, 1963, and Brenda Darice, 1965. Michael Adam Largen, born Feb. 11, 1945, is a territory sales representative for N.C. Machinery. He married Jeanette Marie Hughes, born April 6, 1951. They live at Port Angeles. Grandchildren: Jason Patrick, 1969, Daniel Cory, 1971, and Tami Rene, 1973. Susan Largen, born April 17, 1946, a beautician, married Philip Martocci, Army E-8. Grandson: Marcello, 1981. Bonnie Gaye, born June 10, 1947, a beautician, married Wilbur Franklin Sheffield IV, Sr. chief in Navy. They live at Briar. Grandchildren: Karen Larissa, 1969, Wilbur Franklin, 1971, Denise Lynn, 1975 and Stephanie Pamela, 1980. Margaret Ellen, born March 30, 1950, has been a school teacher in Rochester for 12 years. She married Tim Frederick Ennes, born June 6, 1946. He owns B & R Tree Service in Olympia. Grandchildren: Molly Blair, 1981 and Aaron Tyler, 1984. Loretta Joan, born Oct. 29, 1952, has been a beautician. She is now a fiscal technician of payroll for the State Parks Dept. Married and divorced, she resides in Tumwater. Grandchild: Lisa Marie, 1975. Jeanne Marie, born May 10, 1955, lives at Rochester. She has worked for state and janitorial services. Rebecca Louise, born Jan. 6, 1959, was a state employee. She married Edward Floyd Blood, born Aug. 26,1954. He is a mechanic for Volkswagon. They reside in Olympia. Grandson: Tyson Edward, 1981, and Travis James, 1984. Besides farm work I cooked, baked, sewed, gardened, canned and filled 2 deep freezers when the children were at home. I tended grandchildren and others while mothers worked and went to school. Now I knit, crochet and do craft work. HARRY TAYLOR FAMILY Harry and Stella Taylor arrived in Vader in the spring of the year of 1913, driving out west from Oklahoma in a Saxon 6 car. One of the first things they were introduced to was smelt. Harry was directed to the Cowlitz river with orders to buy some. He thought two-bits worth would be enough and came home with a tub full! (photo): H.H. Taylor in front of his meat market, Vader, WA, 1915. Dad had a meat market in Vader, which was a thriving milltown in those days. He would ride horseback around the countryside buying beef cows, leading them back to town where they were slaughtered. I was born in Vader in 1915 joining my 3 year old sister, Geraldine. After a prolonged trip back to Oklahoma, during which time Mom went up in an airplane in 1918 on a flight over the Red 359 River, the family returned to Washington. I was 6 years old by that time so Dad decided it was time to settle down in one place. They chose Centralia. Most of my grade school years were spent at the Lincoln School- the present site of the Centralia College Theater. I attended high school in the lovely old three story brick building that was finally torn down after the earthquake in 1949. I graduated from high school in 1932 in a real "Depression Class." Times were so bad that our class didn't have class rings or pins. They were too frivolous. We had to have something useful and down to earth, so we had class sweaters. The depression continued and I went to Centralia Jr. College, which occupied the third floor of the high school building. My tuition was paid by Savings and Loan stock. One of the special things we did for entertainment on weekends was to drive to Tacoma to the Century Ballroom to watch the dancethons. During my junior college years, Centralia had a flood. The rains came with a vengeance and it rained and rained. The swollen Skookumchuck river broke over its banks and made its way down Pearl and Tower Avenue, up Main Street, and all over. I went over to a friend's house across town in a row boat, passing a flock of decoy ducks in front of Carter's Garage on the way. During this time my dad, Harry, worked as a meat cutter at several different markets and stores in Centralia. His first job was with Carstens on Tower Ave. In those early days there would be barrels of dill pickles and sauerkraut near the door to tempt the customer. I especially remember that Dad was pretty good at carving the white fat on a pig into roses and other fancy shapes. His meat cases really looked classy. He eventually tired of meat cutting, took his broker's exam and opened Pioneer Real Estate which still exists. My school years, my marriage to "Buster" Gutschow, our two children, Donald and Karen, and raising them to adulthood all took place in Centralia, a great little town in the lovely county of Lewis. By Doris Taylor Gutschow JUNIOR AND EVELYN TEETER We are both natives of Lewis County. Junior, the fourth child born to Clarence and Nettie Teeter, was born in a house on Sixth and Pearl Streets which is now part of Norquist's parking lot. His Grandma Teeter lived next door. His family moved up Little Hanaford when he was (photo): Junior and Evelyn Teeter about three and he lived his entire life on the valley, except when he was in the Army, as we bought a little farm in the same valley when we married. Junior went to school at Null's Crossing, attended Centralia High School, quitting to go to work with his dad getting out piling for the Union Pacific Railroad. They loaded the poles in the yard behind Rowland's. He was drafted in the army in 1942 and in 1944 was sent to Europe in time for "D" day. He was with the 219th Field Artillery Battalion, 35th Division and he liked reminiscing about the army and his buddies. He was in the army for 39 months and then worked with his dad again. Evelyn, the third child of Pete and Ethel Christensen, was born in PeEll when it was a booming mill town. Her family moved to Klaber when she was about 5 years old. The hop yards were really busy then, the whole family picking hops or working in the yard. They moved to Centralia in her junior year and graduated in 1941. She went to Centralia Business College and then to Seattle to find work. She joined the WAVES in May 1944 and was discharged in April 1946. Junior and Evelyn met at a Halloween Party at Oakview Grange Hall and got married in June 1947 at the same hall. They bought a little farm in Little Hanaford about three miles from where Junior was raised. Junior worked with dad for a while, with gypos, Agnew Lumber Company and then in May 1959 he went to work for Lewis County Roads where he worked for twenty-three years. He was a heavy equipment operator and the last three years was supervisor of District 1. He retired July 1982 because of illness. They have three children. Christine, who is married to Darryl Jones, has two children, Vicki and Heather; Brad, who is married to Stephanie Harwick, has two daughters, Stacie and Francie, and Keith, who is married to Sheila Johnson, and has three children, Alyson, Keith, and Jillian. FIVE TEITZEL BROTHERS Standing on the dock in the year 1888, at Hamburg, Germany two young Teitzel brothers bade their mother a tearful farewell as they embarked for America and New York Harbor and then by train to Puyallup, Washington Territory. Their brother-in-law, Ronimous Nix, well to do land owner and hop farmer, had recently married their older sister Minnie and sent them money for their passage. In all, five Teitzel brothers came to Western Washington, Louis who came with his sister Minnie in early 1880, Fred and Herman in 1888 and later Gustav, his wife Emma and three small children and last of all Karl, his wife Anna and their two children Carl and Louise. The boys' mother, Christina Sauerbier Teitzel, told them never, never would she let them go so far away except that their chances of owning property and making a success of their lives were so much better in America. Their parents, the Heinrich Teitzels, owned a grain mill but there was not land enough to go around for a large family of boys. Herman decided to settle in Puyallup but Fred hearing land was selling for $5.00 an acre in Lewis County and at least $100.00 an acre in Puyallup, decided to come to Chehalis area where he found a job on the Jud Bush hop farm just west of Chehalis. He married Birdella Annie Mundy and, having saved $1000.00, bought the Stone Mill place of 80 acres on the North Fork of the Newaukum River at Forest. Fred and his wife, Birdy, had four children Minnie, Stanley, Theodore (Ted) and Birdella. His wife died and a year or two later he married Inez Octavia Keene and with her had five children Dixie Rose, Violet Valley, Fred Henry, Keene Leo and James Lloyed. Fred Teitzel's original farm is still owned by members of his family and three of his sons Ted, Keene and Jim, as well as grandsons, still live in the Forest area. His hard work, careful planning and care can never be forgotten or appreciated enough by any of his descendants, as well as his mother's foresight in giving up her sons. Hardy, courageous, self reliant and honest men such as the five Teitzel brothers were the foundation of the North West. They settled, cleared land, farmed, raised families and helped develop this country into the greatest land in the world. How fortunate we, their many descendants, are to have had such ancestors as they were. By Fred Teitzel Family TEITZEL FAMILY There were originally five Teitzel brothers and one sister that came from Germany just before the turn of the century. They were Louis, Herman, Fred, Gustave, Karl, and their sister, Minna Mohl. Minna was the first to come to the United States. She married a prominent hop farmer names Ronomous Nix who lived in the Puyallup valley. Her brothers later followed her to this country, with four of them settling in Lewis county. Herman and his wife, Emma Shooker, stayed in the Puyallup valley. Louie Teitzel and his wife, Lena Hoerling, located in the little Hanaford valley. His children were: Lenard, Ila (Randall), Elsie (Hughes- Tingstrum) , Alma (Schuffenhauer), Clarence (Johnny), Carl Lou- (photo): The Teitzels and wives. Back row: Emma, Anna, Lena, Emma and Inez. Front row: Herman, Karl, Gustav, Fred. 360 (photo): The Teitzel Family - Louie and Lena, Herman and Emma, Anna and Karl, Emma and Gustav, Inez and Fred. is, William (Bill), Elda (Zahn), Lilly (Foster), Marie (Whitcomb), Leo, Minnie (Ritzschke). Karl Teitzel was a tailor and located in Chehalis with his wife, Anna Oppenhaupt. He later moved to PeEll and then to Port Townsend. His children were Henry, Fred, Anna (Simcoe), Louise (Staeger), Carl, Emma (Bumgarner), and William. Karl also had a trade as a glass Mower but never used this talent in this country. Fred Teitzel located in the North Fork area south of Chehalis. His children were Minnie (Hazen), Ted, Stanley, Birdella (Erickson). His first wife died and he married Inez Keene. Their children were Dixie (Alexander), Violet (Wagner), Fred, Keene, and James. Many of them still live in the local area. Gustave (who was my grandfather) was married to Emma Walkenfere; settled in the Big Hanaford Valley. He was a cobbler by trade but farmed for a living. Their children were Paul, Richard, Frieda, Herman, Lilly, Carl (my father) and Lee. Freida and Lilly both died at early ages. Herman also died in his early twenties leaving a wife, Rena, and a son, Duane. Duane is In the Squim area and runs an airplane service. From the Gus Teitzel family, Paul, the oldest, and wife, Edith Gross, had two living children; Art and wife Kathleen live in Renton, while RoseMary Anderson, the daughter, and her husband Bill live in Adna. Gus's second son, Richard, and his wife, Marie, are still both living and will be celebrating 64 years of marriage December 23,1985. They made their home in the Big Hanaford valley for more than 50 years. They had two children, Gene and Bob. Gene and second wife Jan live in California. Bob and his wife Grace reside in Tacoma. From Gene's first marriage to Kay Ross, there were six children, Dick, Ross, Robert (Ed), Mike, Kathy (Moore), and Lorna. Ed Teitzel has worked for the Centralia Police Force for many years so is often in the local news. Ross lives in Lacey but the other descendants live in the Lewis County area. Gene has four more children by the second marriage but they all reside in the California area. Bob and his wife, Grace, have three offspring; Robbin, Steve, and Teresa. Bob went from school teaching in Shelton to working for IBM Corp. in Tacoma for the last 30 years. Carl, my father, has spent all of his life in the Lewis County area, being a logger all of his life until retirement. He lived with my mother, Beulah Robertson, in Riffe for several years before the Mayfield Dam was built. We also lived in Pe Ell and the Big Hanaford valley. My sister, Lucille Clevenger, my father, and my husband and two sons all live on Logan Hill. Lucille, Kathy Moore, and myself are all employed by Interchecks Inc. Lee, the youngest of the Gus Teitzel family, moved to Reedsport, Oregon, with wife Hilda Rudolph. They and their three sons and their families still live out of state. The Teitzel family has many descendants still living in Lewis County. They have given to the community, good citizens and good friends. Our family has truly been a part of Lewis county history. By Jerry Schiminesky H.C. TEMPLE Henry Clay Temple, my grandfather, was one of the early settlers in Eastern Lewis County. A lumberman, he, with his wife, adult sons and daughters packed into the Davis Lake area in the mid 1880's. He located a homestead on the south side of David Lake where he lived until moving to Morton. He was appointed postmaster in Morton, April 23, 1906. He set aside a room in his home for the post office and he served until November 9,1908. He also suggested the name of Morton for the town. He and his son-in-law, Fredrick Broadbent, bought land and timber and started the Davis Creek Shingle Mill. The center of the town of Morton was destroyed by fire in 1924. Dr. Harry Feagles was the local doctor but he traveled for miles around doctoring the sick when they called, traveling by horse and buggy, until he replaced it with a Ford Roadster in 1924. My father, Gold Temple, was one of the sons and he married Edna Sexton on November 4, 1906, so my brother Tad, and I grew up in Morton. We attended high school there and I graduated in 1927. I drove and owned the school bus the last year of my high school. I married Violet Dunaway in 1928. We moved to Chehalis where I worked for the Palmer Lumber Company. From there we moved to Wenatchee in 1932 and I drove a gas truck until we bought and operated a service station in Chelan in 1933. In 1935 we moved to Randle where we helped my wife's parents operate their "Dunaway's Place" service station, store and cabins. In 1940 we purchased the business and ran it until we sold it in 1950. From there we moved to Chehalis where I built a home, and lived until 1958. Our next move would be to Roseburg, Oregon where I worked as a mill-wright in the U.S. Plywood until I retired in 1972. My wife, Violet, worked at Viletta's China Shop there as a gold decorator for seven years. After selling our home in Roseburg, we moved to Lake Mayfield in Mossyrock in 1973. Our three children, Lorraine, Keith and Charlotte were now grown and had married. All three attended Central Washington College of Education in Ellensburg and Lorraine and Charlotte graduated from there and became teachers. They also married teachers. Charlotte married Matthew Balint and they have three children: Suzanne, Thomas and Richard. Lorraine married Duane Abels and they have four children: Scott, Janet, Diane and Gary. Keith married Ruby Scott and they have two daughters: Sheri and Shana. Years have gone by now. The Great Depression and hobos with packs on their backs, walking streets and highways are just memories. We are now taking life easy and enjoying our children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. We are so proud of them. BENJAMIN TERK FAMILY My father, Ben Terk, a pioneer businessman in Centralia for 40 years, was simply passing through the area when he decided this was a booming community. At the time he had an interest in a business in Portland. He was so impressed with the potential here that he proceeded to sell his share to his partner and came to Centralia in 1913 where he started a furniture store in the 500 block of Tower Avenue called, appropriately enough, Terk's Furniture. He had to borrow money to do this as his share from the Portland venture did not net him enough capital. In 1918, he met and married Zetta Liebes who was visiting relatives in town. The following year he had purchased a building at 408 N. Tower and moved the furniture store to that location. Right after moving to the new building, the store flooded and most of the new merchandise, which was still crated, sustained a lot of damage. Since the building was right next to China Creek he decided it would be wise to raise the floor so subsequently a new floor was installed about 3 feet higher than the original and this floor still exists. 361 (photo): Ben and Zetta Terk Dad was short in stature being about 5 feet tall but he used to "wrestle" the furniture around with ease and of course, used a dolly for the appliances. During the depression years there were many beggars and dad said "he would never refuse a hungry man a meal" but he also did not want to give money to "winos." His solution was to send them across the street where some Bassetts had a restaurant and have them serve a meal and charge it to Dad. Dad remained in the furniture business on Tower Avenue until his death in 1953 at 70 years of age. Mother had died in 1945. Members of the family carried on the business until 1960. My folks built a home at 413 W. Center in 1924 where they reared their family. I had a sister Anne and a brother, Irving Cecil. All three of us went through Edison Grade School and graduated from Centralia High. We then all went on to University of Washington. Edison School had an orchestra in the early 1930's and Anne and I both played the violin in it. While I was in high school we had no cafeteria and most everyone walked home for lunch every day regardless of the weather. Thus, our family ate lunch together every day. Dad was a prolific reader and enjoyed mostly non-fiction and historical novels. I have a few of his books but most were lost. He deserves the credit for our turning out to be big readers. My parents have six grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren, all residing in western Washington. I was very active in high school in clubs and in sports and played on the tennis team all four years. We played various towns in the league. I also played basketball and field hockey but this was intramural. Girls played basketball with 3 zones. My senior year (1938) we were allowed to play 2 zones. It was considered too strenous to allow girls to run the full court! This, in spite of the fact that we played field hockey and ran up and down the entire playing field. We also had many proms and tolos and in helping to decorate for these dances I must have made tons of crepe paper flowers. Most of these dances were held in the old gym in the school and were very crowded. After leaving and going up to U.W. I did not return to Centralia to live for 15 years. When dad died in 1953, we, that is my husband Harold Dowd and small son Barton and I, returned and operated the store for several years. In 1958, another son, John Kelly, was born. After getting out of the business and a divorce, I returned to the teaching field as the District Elementary Librarian for the Centralia Schools. This job I held until retiring in 1981. In the meantime, I picked up a Master's Degree from UPS in 1965. Both of my boys attended Edison too and graduated from Centralia High and Western Washington University. Both were avid skiers and we spent many winter weekends on the ski slopes of White Pass. They were also active in DeMolay work both with the local chapter and at the district and state level. Today, Barton lives in Tacoma and Kelly in Bellingham. I have recently built a home on Seminary Hill in the area where we used to hike as children. I enjoy gardening, reading, golf, oil painting, and hand crafts. My sister Anne died in 1968 and Irv lives in Yakima where he teaches Accounting at Yakima Valley College. By Alice Terk Dowd JACK THOMPSON THE YOUNG MAIL CARRIER I was born in Caldwell County, Missouri, February 19, 1895. I lived most of my 14 years in Oklahoma on a farm. Our main sport was riding horses and roping calves. When we were through with our farm work our friends came over to join us. We had many Indian friends, and would have a small rodeo whenever we got together. I learned how to handle horses at a very young age. I worked for the Wright Brothers - a big farm at one time. I had a pony that was very well trained to rope calves, and of course, I was very fond of her. But I was talked into selling my prize horse and coming West to the State of Washington - by brother Charlie, who was four years older than 1. He wanted me to come out here because our brother George was living here and kept asking Charlie to come out. He didn't want to come alone, and he really worked on me to have me come with him. So in June, after I was 14, I sold my pony for money to come West. It was quite an experience for two young kids to leave home and travel to a state so far away and so completely different from the open prairies we were used to. I remember always looking up the big trees for a bear! (photo): Jack Thompson, 1938 We arrived in Tacoma tired and weary, and I thought if I had the fare back to the farm I surely would have gone home. We boarded the train that took us to Morton. Or I should say almost into Morton - at that time the train went as far as Glenavon, and we walked on into Morton. We were lucky we had arrived that day! There was a picnic in Morton, and our cousin Ed Casto and his family were there to meet us. We went home with them to Bremer - and a nicer home no one could have had! I stayed with them until I was 18 when I went to Morton to drive team for a tie mill. I started to school in Bremer in September after arriving in June. I helped my cousin Ed on the farm and worked at odd jobs in the community for spending money. One day Ed was in Mar. ton and the Postmaster asked him about me. He had heard I was good with horses and could ride and care for them. There was an opening for a mail carrier from Morton to Alpha. Ed came home and told me about the job. School was almost out for that year so I went up to talk to Mr. Tower, the postmaster. Things sounded good until he asked my age and I said I was 15! "Oh!" he said and looked at me with a big grin. He said, "You should be 16 - Boy, take off your shoe." Which I did. He marked 16 on a piece of paper and handed it to me. "Put this in your shoe and if anyone asks you your age, tell them you are over 16!" So I did as he had told me, and I guess I was lucky as no one ever asked me my age while I carried the mail. The road at that time went past the Bergen place, and we forded the river near the John Little home and travelled around the Bald Mountain - more of a trail than a road at that time. There was a post office at Bremer. I stopped at that office and then went on to Alpha. I remember well one evening, as I was near the river, my horse seemed to get scared and started to run. We got to the river and across in time to escape the big cougar that was following us! We made a fast trip into Morton! The horses I used belonged to a Mr. Ulch up in Glenoma way. One night a stallion was put into the same barn where I put the horse I used, and some time in the night the stallion got loose and injured several of the horses - the one I was using was one of them. I seemed to be blamed for this, and I quit the job. I think had I been older I would have felt different and perhaps would have continued on with the mail job. It was quite a change from the wide open spaces to the mountains and huge trees, but I adjusted to the West and never went back to Oklahoma! ROBERT B. THOMPSON FAMILY Byrd H. Thompson came to Centralia from Michigan in 1905. In 1907 he and his father, William H. Thompson, purchased Lincoln Creek Lumber Co., a sawmill at Galvin. Byrd and his wife, Jessie, brought three sons with them from Michigan; Hale, Gordon and Robert. All three attended the University of Washington and participated on various U of W athletic teams. In 1925, Robert played in the Rose Bowl on the Husky football team, which lost to Alabama, 20-19. Hale went to Pennsylvania, where he became a lumber broker; Gordon to Japan as a banker for Natural City Bank of New York. He later worked as finance manager for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in Atlanta, Ga. Robert returned to Centralia in 1926 to help his father, who was suffering from ill health, to operate the sawmill. In the early 30's, with the timber in the Lincoln Creek Valley gone, Lincoln Creek Lumber Co. became a retail yard at Galvin. In 1939, Robert Thompson purchased Palmer Lumber Co. in Chehalis. During World War II he started Far 362 west Homes in Chehalis and in 1945 moved Lincoln Creek Lumber Co. to its present location on Harrison Ave. In 1929 he married a school teacher, Frances Knight. They had two children, Susan and Robert B. Susan attended Stevens College in Columbia, Missouri. She married Richard Boren in 1956 and then had three children; Susan, Robin and David. She died in 1980 in Vancouver, Washington. Robert B. attended the University of Washington, where he was on the swimming team for 4 years. In 1960 he married Centralia native and fellow University of Washington graduate, Vondean Stafford. They lived for the first three years of their marriage in Guatanamo Bay, Cuba, where Robert B. was Disbursing Officer for the U.S. Naval Station. The following two years were spent in Palo Alto, Calif., where Robert B. attended the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. In 1965, they returned to Centralia with two children, Elizabeth and Robert, Jr. A third child, Mary was born in 1969. Currently Elizabeth has graduated from the University of Washington and is studying in Sweden; Robert, Jr. is a junior at the University of Washington and Mary is attending Centralia High School. The three children have achieved modest fame for their performance on the Pe Ell Ski team. TIDLER I was born in the old log house on my grandfather Blankenship's farm at Riffe, Washington, on May 18, 1912. We lived in Morton, Washington at that time. (photo): Helen TidIer Soon, we moved to take care of grandfather's store. Coffee, the horse, came in one day and looked over the hat department. All were glad the floor didn't break through. My parents were Harmon Justice, son of W.J. Justice, and Rebecca Blankenship Justice, daughter of Thomas Blankenship, all of Riffe, Washington. Father came to Lewis County in 1903; Mother in 1893. We moved to Onalaska the fall of 1916. It was a tent town. My sister was six months old. We lived in a tent before houses were built. There was snow on the ground. We got water at the community well. I had two pets at Riffe. Big boys killed my guinea pigs, and someone walked off with my pet banty. We moved back to the hills across the river from Riffe; came out to civilization twice a year. I started to school at Lone Trail. The forest was our playground. We carried water from a creek about one-quarter mile to use. We walked one mile to school. The teacher boarded with us and taught me to read before I started to school. Mother took over from there. It opened a whole new world for me. We'd have heavy fog and Mother wouldn't let us out to play - afraid the horses would run over us. Those days I'd dream I was the only person in the whole world. I loved the isolation. On the farm I had a high swing and a teeter-totter of a sapling between two logs. We'd get it going and see how far we could jump. I had two cousins and a sister to play with by then. On the farm we had animal pets. All had names. I had a calf to pull my wagon. It ran away, jumped three ditches; that was the end of my wagon. We climbed on the barn sheds; played skin the cat on the ladder. My sister peeked through a crack in the chicken coop; a chicken pecked her in the eye. We dammed the creek, floated a board on it, and rode the board. The things a kid can't think to do! I helped carry water from the spring on wash days; watched the little ones if Mom was in the field; picked berried every fall for school clothes. I also picked fern and gathered moss. Mother and I worked all one day picking up potatoes for one sack of potatoes during the depression. We didn't go hungry. We grew and preserved most of our food. We had milk and butter. We had one sheet per bed. Washed, dried, then reused it. No automatic washer or drier. Scrub board! We washed and rewashed a burlap sack until soft and used it for a towel. Print flour-sack dresses and white sack undies were the style of the 1930's. By Helen TidIer GEORGIA DETERING TOPORKE Wildwood, Lewis County, Washington was my birthplace. My parents, Herman C. and Nellie (Rayton) Detering and sister Edna welcomed me into their midst in 1902. Dad was getting out shingle bolts to pay for the place; Mother cooked for the hired men. On my second birthday brother Fred arrived. As we grew up, it was great fun having birthdays on the same day. We still enjoy celebrating together. My early schooling was in three-month sessions at the Wildwood School which was quite near our house. There were few pupils. I liked my teachers and wanted to become a teacher. School terms were gradually extended until, when in the eighth grade, they were of eightmonth duration. Passing eighth grade State Examinations was required for high school entry. Although we usually went home for lunch, we did it hurriedly. Once, two of us went fishing in Cedar Creek. I'm sorry to say we couldn't hear Teacher's hand bell and were late getting to school. There was a pond in the corner of the schoolyard with a split-log raft. We used it like (photo): Martin and Georgia Toporke, 1958 standard playground equipment. Oh yes! Sometimes someone fell overboard. Boistfort High School was eight miles from home - no school buses then. There was a ninepassenger jitney for Curtis students so I stayed with the Henry S. Deterings during the week and went home on weekends. In season, I worked in the family garden, picked wild blackberries, and made clothes for the family. While I was attending school, Alice, the tenth Detering child was born. Then there were: Edna, Georgia, Fred, Ralph, Ruby, Howard, Hazel, Elma, Charles, and Alice - brothers and sisters of whom to be proud. Out of a Wilderness by Priscilla Tiller tells of Wildwood history before 1930 from the Detering viewpoint. Washington State Normal School at Ellensburg was chosen as the place to get my teacher's degree. All my teaching was in one-room schools. First, three years were spent near Ostrander, Washington; one year was at Caldwell, Montana with 26 pupils; and three years were at Ceres Hill near Chehalis. I earned a life certificate. In 1936 Martin Toporke and I were married. He was a meat cutter. We lived in Tacoma for five years. Our daughters, Lois and Ellen, were born in 1937 and 1939. We then moved to Lewis County. Our first home here was on Beaver Creek near Curtis; the second was on Curtis Hill Road in the Adna School District; and lastly, in 1945 we lived on State Highway 6 by the Bunker Road District garages. 363 Our girls graduated from Adna. Lois spent one year at Washington State in Pullman before marrying Eugene Cole. Their four children: Gary, Gloria, Tod, and Diane were born while he was in the Navy. Lois later worked as ward secretary in Yakima Memorial Hospital. She is now Mrs. Arthur Blagg. Ellen was a bank teller in Chehalis. She married Donald Cole. They and their two children, Cherly and Lori, live in the Tacoma area. Ellen is employed in the loan department of a bank. My husband died in 1959. I then occupied my time with live-in work for the sick and feeble; one year cooking for a small group of Centralia College boys; and for a few years, daytime baby sitting. My children, grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, Jeremy, bring me much pleasure. I am a member of the Chehalis Presbyterian Church and the Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington. I am interested in historical records. BUD AND EILEEN TOWNSEND'S FAMILY Bud (Francis Abbott Townsend) and I (Eileen Marie Hilpert) took our vows at Immanuel Lutheran church on Oct. 16, 1951 on my parents 33rd wedding anniversary. Bud was a logger and I was a teacher when the Centralia Daily Chronicle published the story about our wedding. It stated two pioneer families were united in marriage. The reason for this was that Bud's grandparents had come to Centralia in 1879 when there were only 13 houses. My grandfather had settled in the late 1850's on what is now the Lewis- Thurston County line. My father, Otto Hilpert, lived on the farm all of his life. He married Milly Dortzbach and they passed the farm on to me, their only child. (photo): Front row: Isaac and Marinda Harjo. Middle row: Bud Townsend, Eileen Townsend, Albert Townsend, Martha Harjo. Back row: Bill Townsend, John Harjo, Gary Grauman, and Betty Lou Grauman. Bud was born in Centralia. During the depression, Bud's parents (Francis Gilbert Townsend who had married Gertie Howe) decided to move on a farm in Cinebar. Bud was 7 years old and ready to start third grade at the 2-room Cinebar schoolhouse; the same year I started in the oneroom Gibson School on the Bucoda Road. Bud's mother died while he was still in high school. His father passed away before we were married, so their little 3-room house became our home for the first 4 years of our married life. Martha was born in 1953 and I stayed home from teaching. In 1954 I signed a contract to teach a private kindergarten in Centralia. All went well until April 7th, the day Bill was born - that closed kindergarten for the year! By 1955 both of my parents had passed away and Bud was raising cattle instead of logging. He moved the cattle back to Centralia the very day Albert was born. The house was larger and we also had room to take in our foster daughter, Anna Rae Wertz. That was the second year I stayed out. of teaching and the following year I signed a contract to teach for the Centralia School District again, and have ever since. In 1958 our youngest daughter, Betty Lou, was born and she married Gary Grauman on our 25th wedding anniversary. She and Gary have built a home on the Cinebar place and have a son, Craig. Martha, our oldest daughter, received her teaching degree at Bellingham where she met John Harjo. They were married later in Centralia and now have Marinda, Isaac and Alisa. They built their home on top of the hill on the back of the Centralia farm. Ann, our foster daughter, is married and has 2 children, Michael and Michele. Our two boys are still single. Bill is a mining engineer for Texas Utilities and lives in Mt. Vernon, Texas. Albert is an attorney and is employed as a Senior Contract Administrator in Lynwood, Washington. In 1982 Bud sold all of the livestock but continues to make hay and drives between the two farms. We also had a new house built - after all I had lived most of my life in the one where I was born. By Eileen Marie Hilpert Townsend TRAMM Henry W.A. Tramm was born August 23, 1857 at Hochndorf, Holstein, Germany, coming to America in July 1874 to Grand Island, Nebraska, where his parents and other members of the family settled. He came to Adna in the late 1890's. He and Bertha Wenzel were married December 16, 1899. They built their home on the Bunker Creek Road and the house is still standing. They were foster parents of Helen and Fred Wenger. In 1908, H. Leslie (Weck) was born, and 1909 Leland P. was born. Another son, Willia W. was born in 1915. Henry was a member of the Chehalis Elks, and he and Bertha were active members of the Adna Grange. He served on the Adna School Board for many years and was a charter member of the Lewis Pacific Dairymen's Ass'n. Later years he continued to farm with his sons Leslie and Leland and then moved to Chehalis. They celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1949. Henry passed away February 23,1950. Bertha was born Sept. 21,1871 and passed away November 16, 1953. H. Leslie attended and graduated from Adna in 1927. He then attended Washington State and later helped his father on the farm. Later he and brother Leland were partners on the farm. Leslie married Meta Hall in 1939 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Two daughters were born to them. Meta passed away when Elouise and Jo Ann were small. November 1, 1947 Leslie married Pansy C. Galloway at the Hoquiam Methodist Church. In 1950 a son, Gary Alan was born. The children all graduated from the Adna School. Elouise attended Centralia College one year. Jo Ann attended Ellensburg college one year and then went to Emmanuel Lutheran Hospital and completed a nursing course. She is presently at the Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle and lives in Renton. Elouise married Donald Maahs of Kelso and they have three children; Ronald, Robert, and daughter Renee. Gary married Elaine Schindler of Marysville and they have one son, Matthew Alan. Leslie lived his entire life in the home where he was born and passed away very suddenly August 13,1981. By Pansy Tramm TRODAHL MEMORIES "Forest," once marked in bold letters on Washington State maps is seldom lettered on recent charts. The white and green sign once posted by the side of the road to mark the area has been removed. The need for home sites, roads, and tillage soil has pushed down the tall green trees in each direction. A passer-by would not be aware of the Forest community, but to the Bob Trodahl family, "Forest," will always be home. Bob bought the Forest Store and adjacent residence April, 1947. He moved his wife, Kay, sons, Chris and John, into the house. The family home was now at Forest. Two sons, James and Bill and four daughters, Mary, Kattie, Anne, and Pat completed the Trodahl clan. James died in infancy and is buried at St. Francis Mission Cemetery. The sons and daughters graduated from St. Hospeph's School and W.F. West High School in Chehalis, WA. They went on to college to pursue individual careers. However, the indelible impressions of their growing up years were nurtured in the Forest community. The tall trees in the front yard of the family home still echo the tales told by Clarence Roberts concerning the early settlement of the Forest area. Mr. Roberts, as a young boy, helped plant the trees. The Forest School has long since been closed, the teacher's cottage moved, and the merrygo, round dismantled, but the memory of visits with Dorothy Fahrer while she taught at the school and the stories Miss Fahrer told makes the school come alive with restless kids in old fashioned desks or learning to subtract at the thick black chalk boards. The merry-go-round even turns. The mystic of the bolted and shuttered buildings on Caroline Gruener's acres across the road has passed but the secret path to the cherry tree behind the buildings can still be found. The birds fly above it now to feast on the red ripe cherries. The "salmon hole," a good run through the fields, still flows with the river. The rope swing, rotted and shaggy, hangs high above the water. The diving board is gone. The flow of the water has redesigned the banks but, in memory, one can still see the community youngsters on a summer night or afternoon catching eels, learning to swim, water-fighting, or even drinking a cup of warm milk if a cow came down to quench her thirst. Picking strawberries and working in the hay fields - those were the days of learning to work to sweat and to ache. You made seasonal friends and enemies. You dreamed of ways to spend your money, but they were only dreams. You knew you would save some for the Fair and use the rest for school clothes. The covered bridge down the North Fork road has been replaced by a concrete structure. Fences guard the once open acres. The hop fields remind you of an industry of the past, yet the memory of stories told by Frank and Grover Markland lets you see again the dark bridge, the cattle ranges, and the busy workers in the fields. A gold colored trophy, white, red, and blue ribbons and a Project book are reminders of the effort, fun and accomplishment of 4-H membership. The direction of leaders, Jo Vetterand, Tom Dobyns, and the encouragement of County Extension Agent Dean Johnson helped members enjoy success and accept disappointment. 364 The Forest Grange, at one time a center of fun and excitement in the community, is more quiet now but the memory of the Grange dinner, programs, dances, Christmas parties and picnics enforces a sense of belonging. The daily parade of horse, kids and dogs up and down the roads is rarely seen now. The constant din of the busy log trucks is seldom heard. Hobos no longer rap on the back door and ask for something to eat. The "long and two short" rings of the party telephone line has been replaced by one ring on a one-line electronic phone. Bob and Kay still live in the home. The sons and daughters live near and far, but Forest will always be home for the family. TROTH FAMILY Ancestors of the Troth family came from England in 1700 (William and Elizabeth Field), settling in Burlington County, New Jersey for three generations; Paul Troth (son of William); Isaac (son of Paul); William (son of Isaac), married Elizabeth Phillips, moved to Highland County, Ohio in 1807. Their son, Nathan (m. Else Mason) moved to Owen County, Indiana in 1848. William H. (eldest of 10 children (m. Jane Wiley, (parents from Ireland and Scotland) raised 13 sons on a farm in Vandalia, Indiana. One of the youngest, Grover Roy (m. Evelyne Rush) opened a jewelry store in Centralia in 1910. Uncles, Clayton (m. Sarah Criss) and Amos (bachelor) preceded them to Centralia in the late 1880's; buried in Mt. View and Pioneer Cemeteries, respectively. Harry, bachelor brother of Grover operated a confectionary store in Centralia (1920's-30's); buried in Pioneer Cemetery. Grover operated the jewelry store until 1948 when he retired; passed away in 1964. Evelyne, taught piano for many years; following Grover's death married Arthur Green of Hood River, Oregon. Grover and Evelyne buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Centralia. (photo): Grover and Evelyn (Rush) Troth - 1955. Children of Grover Troth and Evelyne Rush, Jane Louise and William Dewain, graduated from Centralia High School and Centralia Junior College. Following graduation from Central Washington State College in Ellensburg (1941), Jane taught music in Renton and Seattle schools; married W. Howard Jones (1945 to 1962), born in Salina, Kansas, raised in Centralia. Three daughters were raised in Eugene, Oregon where Howard was in insurance business and a cellist. Jane was Elementary Music Consultant covering 32 elementary schools for 13 years after which she became Professor of Music at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, teaching music in the teacher education program for 13 years, retiring in 1985. Daughter #1, Donna Louise (m. Erol Onat, 1971-1985); CWU grad, teaches music in Lake Washington School District (since 1969) and plays oboe in Seattle Philharmonic and Bellevue Symphony. Daughter #2, Evelyn Diane (m. David Paul Williams, 1970) is president of Annuities West, Inc., Seattle; he is a prominent attorney in Kirkland; they reside in Lake Forest Park. Daughter #3, Kathleen Jane is Principal Clarinetist in the Puerto Rico Symphony in San Juan and Professor of Clarinet at Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music. "Bill" Troth ("De" during his early years) flew PBY's in the Aleutians during WW II; married Faye Stiles, a teacher from Sedro Woolley (1945-1966); 4 daughters. Bill co-owned and operated Capital Wholesale Electric in Salem, Oregon, retired in 1980; second wife, Edna has 3 children by previous marriage. Bill is active in the Salem Planning Commission, Elks, Eagles, Shriners. Daughter, Avette Louise Gaiser operates Avette Designs in Salem; has one daughter, Angela Lynne; husband, John, killed in auto accident. Terry Lee (m. Nabil Selbak) was head of Counseling Center for American School in Abudhabi, United Arab Emerites; 2 sons, Nadim and Zane. Husband in electrical contracting business, Arabel, in Abudhabi. Delight Suzanne (unmarried), manager of Riverside Motel in Dallas, Oregon. Suzanne Marie (m. Anthony Schmidt), IRA specialist for Marion County School Credit Union, Salem. Tony, computer specialist for SAIF. By Jane Troth Jones TURULA In 1903, a group of Finnish people came to Winlock from Carbonado, Washington. In the group were Elias and Otelia Turula with their four children, Arvie, Edward, Hilda and Jean. The land they settled, south of town, had to be cleared of stumps to prepare for farming. Neighbors were congenial, sharing saunas, farm machinery, horses, building skills and above all, humor. They were industrious and active in the community, being members of the Finnish Church and Brotherhood Lodge. The business ventures included the Mercantile Store, Grange, Co-Op and Hatchery. The family enjoyed music. Elias, who had been a band musician, proceeded to teach band instruments to the young. With that the Veness Brass Band was formed, playing a reasonable "Stars and Stripes" for the Fourth of July parade. Four more children were born in Winlock, Sadie, Irene, Elmer and Helen. All but Arvie left Winlock for various fields of endeavor. Arvie worked in the local bank for forty-five years, while still living on the original farm. One of his sons and three grandchildren still live in Winlock. Growing up in the outdoors, playing on the Olequa River which ran through the farm, swimming in Orne's swimming hole, and baseball playing and watching were great summer pastimes. One can be happy to have lived in the Veness district in the town of Winlock. WALTER H. TWISS, SEATTLE My sister Dorothy and I were born at Kennicott's hospital in Chehalis. We spent our first few years on the family farm at Knox, one mile west of Onalaska. When I was 8, our parents moved to Claquato to live with mother's parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Hazzard. Here, we children went to the two room Claquato school across the Chehalis River. When grandfather Hazzard died in 1920, we moved into Chehalis at 6th and Market Streets. In the meantime my sister died at the age of 10 years. I went to the Cascade School and the High School and then to the Centralia Junior College, as it was then known, for two years. Then there followed more work at the University of Washington. After finishing school, I taught at Shelton, worked at Boeing Plant 2 and finally worked in a title insurance company. After that I went to Denver and studied library work. Became a Science librarian in the Denver library, after three years transferred to the Seattle Public Library, main downtown branch where I worked until I retired. . Some of my happy memories are of the years spent at Claquato at my grandfather's farm where part of the cemetery now is. My sister and I went to the two room school across the Chehalis River. Each grade consisted of one row of seats. Some schoolmates were Shirley Wallace, Ernest Waller, Luella Pittman, and Bud Nacht. We kids used to stuff grasshoppers down the spout of the old pump and swing on a rope tied to the limb of a large maple tree out over the river. Another time I enjoyed was going with father up to the farm and cutting the winter's wood. We had a Vaughn drag saw, and a two-wheel cart made from buggy wheels with which to move the saw around over the uneven ground. Each day we would see the C.C. and C. railroad logging train go by with a long load of logs on their way to Chehalis. And how slowly the train crept along, the road bed being so uneven they were afraid the train might be derailed. The friendly engineer would always toot the whistle. Another interesting time was when the road to Onalaska was straightened and a new bridge built over the river just East of old 99 at Klause's Corner. My father George L. Twiss came out from Kansas in 1870 with his parents, Charles P. Twiss and Effie L. Twiss and brother Walter and sister Lizzie, later a school teacher. Father and Minnie M. Hazzard of Claquato were married in 1908 at her home. They moved to our farm on the south fork of the Newaukum. Mother's family came out from Indiana in 1882. My grandfather and grandmother Twiss came from Kansas after being on the edge of the Civil War in which grandfather took part. He was born in New Hampshire and the old ancestral home still stands in the village of Dunbarton. By Walter H. Twiss IRENE WOOSTER UNTERWEGNER I am Irene Wooster Unterwegner, born Jan. 29,1895 near St. Crois Falls, Wis. on my father's birthday. My parents, Justus Perry Wooster and Flornece Towers Wooster, farmed 40 acres. My father was born in Penn. and went to Wis. at the (photo): Irene Wooster Unterwegner, age 90 365 age of 4. My mother, born in Tower Hill, N.B. Canada, and went to Wis. at age 13, where she later met and married my father. I had two older brothers, Walter (deceased) and Allen. In Nov. of 1901 our family came to Napavine where mother's sister owned the hotel. On New Year's day of 1902 we moved to a forty-acre farm about three miles from Forest which they had bought. I attended the Knox school for about two years, then my father was seriously injured by a horse. He sold the farm and we moved to Napavine where my mother cooked at Summervilles Coop House. In 1904, we moved to Chehalis where mother and a friend had a restaurant at Market and National, where there is now a parking lot. I entered the fourth grade at the old East Side school which occupied the whole block where the Lewis Federal Savings is. The first four grades were downstairs. The high school was in the upper four rooms. From the fifth grade on I went to the West Side school, which burned down in 1909 or 1910. My father had bought six acres on what in now twentieth street, which at that time was just a country lane. About 1912 or '13, my mother and I operated a little art shop on Market Street about where Children's Apparel is. During the war years, I worked at the Carnation Milk plant. I joined the Rebecca Lodge when I was eighteen and worked my way through the offices and at age twenty-one was Noble Grand. The youngest they had ever had. I was also SecretaryTreasurer of the insurance lodge of the Brotherhoos of American Yeomen. While I was Noble Grand, we instituted a lodge at Randle. Not many cars in those days, some went on a flatbed truck with folding chairs on the back. It took from eight in the morning until nine that night to get there - after pushing the truck out of the many mud holes that we encountered. In Nov. of 1919, I married John Unterwegner and we farmed, at first twenty acres, and later increased to eighty. We raised Jersey cows, chickens and strawberries. I also raised turkeys. In 1940, we bought the place between Doty and Pe Ell. John worked in the woods and later hauled logs to the mill. In 1944 the house burned down and, as it was war years, we had a hard time getting material to rebuild. There was no electricity here at that time. I operated a small commercial greenhouse here for about twenty-three years. We were the parents of two boys and two girls. The first girl died in 1933, the second is handicapped. The boys, Ronald of Alaska and Neil of Enumclaw. John passed away in Jan. of 1964. I still live here and maintain my home and garden at the age of 90. URQUHART My father was James A. Urquhart, the son of William M. and Anna Manning Urquhart. My mother, Sara, the daughter of the Reverend David Owen and Alice Ghormley of Portland, Oregon. My Urquhart grandparents built and lived in a large house on Pennsylvania Avenue. The house was set well back from the street; no expense had been spared on its construction and it was a masterpiece of turrets, cupolas, and balconies - not to mention a basement and an attic that came into its own on Halloween! My father, after two years at the University of Washington, returned to Chehalis and began work as a clerk in the Coffman Dobson Bank. He had served his apprenticeship as an errand boy several years earlier. My mother had graduated from Whitworth College which, at that time, was located in Tacoma. After completing her work and getting a teacher's certificate, she accepted a job in Chehalis High School teaching German and Latin. In addition to being a very pretty girl, she had a lovely voice and soon was a member of the choir at the Presbyterian Church. My father (I am guessing) fell in love as soon as he saw and heard "the angel in the choir." Their marriage took place in 1909. I was born in 1910, followed by my brother, James, in 1911. Late in August of 1916, my father was killed in an automobile accident. I suspect that things began to fall apart for my grandfather at that time. He had sired five children, two daughters and three sons (one of whom died in infancy), but his favorite was my father. He had retired from his position as a vice-president of the bank some years earlier and looked forward to a comfortable life watching his son mature and prosper. Fate intended otherwise and he rapidly became an embittered and melancholy man, and that is the man that I remember. Some years later my mother married again to John Emmett Murray, a handsome young attorney, who had come west from Ohio and decided to practice law in Chehalis. The Murrays had one son, Robert, who now lives in Vancouver, Washington. I was married to Lt. Walter A. Jensen in 1935 and two years later our daughter, Sara Ann, was born. With the advent of World War II, things began to go a wry and shortly after the end of the war I was divorced. Sally and I moved to California in 1949 and I have lived here since then. For the last twenty years, I have owned a small bookstore, and Sara, after a divorce and the death of her second husband, has been working in the store as buyer and manager. By Katherine U. Jensen VANDER STOEP In September of 1950 James A. Vander Stoep and wife, Margaret Sue (Suzi Hayne) arrived in Chehalis to make their home. They were both 25 years old and Jim had just finished his three-year law school at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Suzie had taught school there while Jim attended law school. Both graduated from Washington State University in Pullman; Jim in 1947 with a B.A., interrupted with three years service in the Navy as a Lieutenant; and Suzi in 1946 with a B.A. and in 1947 with a B.Ed. Looking at small towns in the Willamette, Chehalis and Skagit River Valleys, they chose Chehalis as their home because of its schools, business activity, and its proximity to the ocean and metropolitan areas and its courthouse. Jim had passed both Oregon and Washington State bar exams and was offered a job in the office of Hull and Armstrong, a pioneer law firm. On August 4, 1951 their first daughter, Ann, was born. She is now married to Dr. Stephen Hunt and they are parents of two girls, Brook and Jane. Ann is an epidemiologist, graduating from Stanford in human biology and from the University of Oklahoma with a Masters in epidemiology. April 28, 1953 Johanna, their second daughter, was born. She graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham with a Masters from Seattle University in school administration. She taught in Auburn before becoming a Vice Principal at the Middle School on Bainbridge Island. May 20, 1957 James Andrew Vander Stoep, Jr. was born. He graduated from Western Washington University and at 23 was elected as the 20th District State Representative. He is now serving his third term and is still the youngest member of the legislature. Jim's parents, Marian Kahl and Dick H Vander Stoep, lived in Lynden, a Dutch community, from the time Jim was four years old. Jim's father was a banker and his mother a teacher. Jim was born May 14,1925 in Inwood, Iowa. Suzi's parents lived in Seattle when she was born on April 17, 1925. Her parents, Effie McVicar and George Roy Hayne, moved to Aberdeen, when she was one and to Longview when she was 17. Her father was a grocer. In his legal profession, Jim was President of the Lewis County Bar Association, Justice of the Peace, served on the Washington State Bar Board of Governors and a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Jim's volunteer jobs included organizer of the Boys Little League Program, Rotary Club President, Elder in Westminster Presbyterian Church, Chairman of the Board of Lewis Federal Savings and Loan Association, Red Cross worker, March of Dimes Chairman, Lewis County Republican Chairman, Swim Pool Drive Chairman and the Board of Youth Orchestra. Suzi's volunteer jobs included thirty years of Girl Scout work, with twenty years as a leader; President of United Presbyterian Women, Seattle Orthopedic Guild President, AAUW, Helen Doane Gallery Board and the St. Helens Club. Vander Stoep residence is 727 SW 16th St. in Chehalis. DR. CORNELIA VAN PROOYEN In 1955 Cornelia Mary Van Prooyen became an associate doctor with the medical practice of Dr. George M. Lovelace and Dr. Paul W. Sweet in the city of Centralia, Washington. She was Lewis County's first woman doctor. She was born February 9, 1925 near Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Arie and Cornelia Van Prooyen. She has one brother, Peter, and two sisters, Adriana and Elisabeth. Her parents were immigrants from the Netherlands. In 1939 the family moved from California to Vancouver, Washington. She later chose locating in Centralia because of the nearness to her parents. Her mother and father were very knowledgeable and intelligent people, but were only educated through the sixth grade, like many others of their era. They always wanted and encouraged more for their children. Cornelia attended Washington State University 1943-1947; Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. 1947-1951; and Minneapolis General Hospital 1951-195J internship medical residency. She graduated one of eight women in a class of 104. She served as chairperson of the Beautification Committee jointly for Centralia and Chehalis Chambers of Commerce, and was instrumental in the formation of the Lewis County Historical Society. There had been two previous unsuccessful attempts to organize and Dr. Van Prooyen acknowledges the many contributions made specifically by Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Cory to make the committee's work a reality. Today she is actively practicing her thirtieth year as a Centralia physician. VAN WOERT FAMILY Six Van Woert brothers came from Holland in the 1600's and settled in the Hudson River Valley of New York State. William VanWoert, one of the descendants, was born on June 15, 1831. He married Elnora Ferris who was born October 12,1839. On April 1, 1869, William and Elnora VanWoert set sail on the steamer, "Arizona", from 366 New York bound for San Francisco, by way of "The Horn", the southernmost tip of South America. They purchased a tract of land in Butte County, California, near the small town of Chico. Two sons were born: John Henry on April 29, 1870 and William, Jr. on April 12, 1873. In 1883, the family moved to Washington Territory and took a homestead at Silver Creek. In 1900, John Henry married Edna Herrington, daughter of Lafayette and Jane Herrington. Lafayette Herrington was born in 1841. On October 12, 1861, he enlisted in the Union Army in the 27th Regiment of the Illinois Infantry Vo1unteers. (His name was properly "Harrington", but the Army misspelled it "Herrington", so he always used that spelling.) After the war, he married a young widow, Jane Knight Farner. Jane was the youngest of the twelve children of Jacob Knight (1803-1887). She was born June 22,1846. On April 11, 1861, she married Cyrus Farner. He enlisted in the Union Army, was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga, and died in the Andersonville Confederate prison in Georgia. They had a daughter, Caroline. Lafayette Herrington and Jane Knight Farner were married August 10, 1865. They had five children: Molly, Mark, Frank, Peter and Edna. Molly died in Illinois. In 1889, they left DeSoto, Illinois, by train and arrived in Winlock, Washington Territory, shortly before Washington was granted statehood. Their old friend from DeSoto, Tom Swofford, had already homesteaded in the Swofford Valley, and the Herringtons were joining him. The journey from Winlock to the Swofford Valley was on foot, following alongside the Cowlitz River. They waded across the Cowlitz near its confluence with the Tilton River. The winter of 1889-1890, the Herringtons stayed with another family in their one-room log cabin with dirt floor. The Indians brought them venison and fish. The next spring they settled on their homestead and Lafayette built a log cabin and began clearing land. They took to raise a three-year- old girl, Hessie Huckabee, whose mother had died and father had been murdered. She lived with them until young womanhood when she married Lafayette's nephew, Charlie Harrington who had come out from Illinois to live with them. They had two daughters, Fay and Frances. Mark Herrington died of tuberculosis while in his teens. Frank married Lydia McKay from Toronto, Canada. Peter married Lottie Smith and they had two sons: Theodore, who drowned age 2, and Robert. Edna Herrington married John Henry Van Woert in 1900. They had five children: Frances, Fay, Ted, Lillian and Almeda. VASSMER- WAGNER June 30,1915, Carl J. Vassmer married Ellen C. Callear in Yelm, Washington. He was employed by the Union Pacific Railroad and was the first operator of the signal tower at Blakeslee Junction, with 32 switch levers and handling 35 trains daily. The Vassmers returned from their honeymoon at the Worlds Fair in San Francisco to stay at the Centralia Hotel until they found a house to rent. In 1917 they bought a home on Reynolds A venue where they resided until their deaths in 1972 and 1984, respectively. They lived in Portland, Oregon for one year, in 1928- 1929, when Mr. Vassmer was "bumped" in his work. Missing Centralia, he quit the railroad, moved back to their home in Centralia, and became a successful poultryman until he retired in 1956. The Vassmers had one daughter, Bernice, who was married March 26, 1946 to Leonard C. Wagner, son of Mrs. Fannie Wagner. They have lived in Centralia, with the exception of 3 years in Olympia and 5 years in Vancouver, Washington. They returned in 1956 to build a home next door to the Vassmers. When Mr. Vassmer retired, his son-in-law continued in the broiler business, retiring in 1980. The Wagners have two daughters, Mrs. Paul (Barbara) Larson, Kelso, and Mrs. Steven (Mary Ellen) Willemsen of Lynnwood. Two grandchildren, Richard and Jennifer Larson, Kelso. By Bernice Wagner JOYCE VENEMON I, Joyce (Markstrom) Venemon, was born 20 March 1923 at Miles City, Montana, the youngest of seven children born to Blanche Callahan and J. Victor Markstrom. We arrived in Chehalis in the spring of 1924. (photo): Joyce and Robert Venemon and Family My mother, grandmother Sally Callahan, and six small children joined my uncle JO. Callahan, following the separation and divorce of our parents. Uncle "Cal" was employed as a gardener at the Boys' School (later known as Green Hill) and two years later built a home for Grandma and Mother on the corner of 11th St. and Williams Ave. Mother found employment at the St. Helen Hotel and Grandma cared for the children until her death in 1929. That year I started to school at Cascade Elementary and graduated from Chehalis High School in 1941. I held a number of jobs, notably at local theaters, Puget Power, Boeing Aircraft, Sturdy Photo, and Kraft Foods. In 1948 I met my husband to be, Robert Venemon, a placement and parole office at Green Hill. My mother was employed at Green Hill in the hospital and introduced us. We were married on 26 November, 1949 at the Chehalis Methodist Church. For the next six years our home was on the campus of the institution. Our daughter Chrisanne was born 4 July, 1951 and our son Joel on 15 August, 1953. In May of 1956 we left the school. Bob's tenure brought about many changes and successful programs which benefited the students. We stayed in Chehalis since Bob found employment and we bought our first home. Lori, our second daughter, was born Oct. 3, 1958. Our children attended Chehalis schools and went on to college. Chris teaches high school in Tacoma after eight years in Chehalis. Joel attended Evergreen State College two years and then worked locally before moving to Tacoma to accept a position with a metal firm. Lori is a nurse in Hackensack, N.J., where her husband, Jeffrey Phillips, recently graduated from dental school. In 1975 the city government changed from a commission form to that of council-city manager. With less responsibility at home, I was encouraged by my family to file for District #1 on that body. I have held that position for ten years and felt honored when the council chose me to serve as mayor in 1981. I have enjoyed serving my community and the city council is a most rewarding job. I am now serving on the Lewis County Health board, am chairman of the Twin City Transit Board, and am active in the Methodist Church, where I was a choir member for many years. My interest in history has drawn me into genealogy research, which is my most rewarding hobby. Chehalis is a wonderful town in which to raise a family. My mother thought this true and I am happy she brought her brood here long ago. I expect to spend the rest of my life here after I retire. By Joyce (Markstrom) Venemon ROBERT I. VENEMON Little did I know, as a little boy, during my yearly visits to Grandma, Mary E. Boynton, Chehalis, and Aunt Jessie (Howard) Moobery, Forest, that this would many years later be my permanent home. As a child I could not get over the size of the giant fir trees; I was accustomed to the apple orchards of Tieton (Yakima) County. I graduated from Tieton High School and spent 5 years at Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon. I could not find employment in 1939 and decided that learning to fly, as a flying cadet in Uncle Sam's Air Corps, would be profitable. World War II caught me, and I remained in the Air Corps until 1949. The most memorable experience was the position of assistant to the air attache in Rio De Janeiro. I entered the graduate school in social work at the University of Washington in 1946, and in 1948 was tapped for the chief placement representative at the Washington State Training School, here in Chehalis. During my eight and one-half years at Green Hill School, I went through the departments, to superintendent. I feel that we made real inroads into the rehabilitation program: We changed the name of the school to Green Hill School through legislation introduced by Rep. Arthur S. Cory and Senator V.R. Lee. We revitalized the agricultural and dairy programs, making the school self supporting. Through innovative work programs, the youngsters gained valuable work experiences and a feeling of worth and accomplishment that is so important in the process of rehabilitation. We found that through the professional assistance of Washington State College and our local extension service we could be the best for little capital outlay. In 1957 I left Green Hill and went on the road "selling" for five years. To stay closer to home, I successfully ran for Lewis County auditor in 1962 and held this position for four and one-half terms. In 1980 I ran and succeeded in being elected county commissioner. I retired January 1,1985. The highlight of my life was meeting Joyce Markstrom in 1948. I couldn't miss her; she lived at the entrance to Green Hill School, and her mother, Blanche Markstrom, was a wonderful cook. Yes, we were married in 1949. We have 367 three children: Chrisanne, a teacher; Joel Robert, a buyer for a metal company; and Lori, a nurse. I belong to many civic and fraternal organizations including: the United Methodist Church, Chehalis, the American Legion, the 40-8, the Centralia-Chehalis Elks, the Masons, Shrine, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, the Newaukum Grange, Toastmasters, Cancer Society, Red Cross, and S.W. Washington Fair Association. My favorite avocation comes at Christmas time when I don the Santa suit. I have played this role for over 30 years - I have a beautiful suit made by the Chehalis American Legion Auxiliary. I have worked through the Chehalis Chamber of Commerce. The money raised has been used to support cancer research. In conclusion, I love this area and if I had it all to do over again, I couldn't go wrong in retracing the same path. I do hope that I have at least partly repaid this great county for the bounties it has given to me and my family. CONRAD VETTER Conrad Vetter met Josephine Guggenbickler at a Firemen's Ball in Pe Ell, WA. Not too long afterward they were married, June 28,1947, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Frances, WA. They made their first home in an apartment ($50/month) in Chehalis. Two years later they built their own house on the Middle Fork Road from lumber felled and sawed in their own sawmill. There was barely enough space to pull your car off the road, all else was brush, trees, and stumps, which they cleared off first. Stumps had to be dynamited out. Conrad worked for Willapa Lumber Mills at Raymond and later for Joe Ford Logging in Chehalis. In 1950 he went to work for the Washington State Highway Department as an engineer. He was transferred to Long Beach in 1958 and his wife and family of four moved there. The children attended school at Ilwaco. While there they did surveying and planning for the approaches to the Astoria Bridge over the Columbia River. Before the bridge was built one had to take a ferry to cross the river. Two years later he returned to the Chehalis office, where he worked on the roads being built around the new Mayfield Lake and Riffe Lake. The Mossyrock Bridge was the longest arch bridge then in the United States. Several men lost their lives during these constructions. Conrad and Josephine belonged to St. Joseph Church, Swiss Society, Grange, and he to Knights of Columbus. They had six children: Marilyn (b. 11-13-48), Jeanette (b. 8-10-50), Marjorie (b. 10-17-55), James (b. 6-10-57), baby girl stillborn, Rose Marie (b. 3-19-66), and Robert (11-29-68). All were born in Chehalis. The children enjoyed a great variety of activities, both indoor and outdoor. Conrad Vetter remembers working at Onalaska Mill during the depression. He was paid $3.40 a day (10 hours) at Carlisle Lumber Company. He helped build the tall smoke stack for the mill, which one can still see standing today. As a child, Conrad barely survived a diphtheria epidemic. Conrad remembers many stories of his grandfather Gregory Vetter. He walked long distances even to Chehalis, walked barefoot a lot, and sold fruit trees throughout the state. Old acquaintances told of men smelling something burning in the blacksmith shop. They discovered that Gregory was standing on hot coals, not realizing it, due to the toughness of his soles. Conrad's father, Frank Vetter, came to Chehalis from Frances, WA in 1924 with his family. Frank and Josephine (Kroll) Vetter had three boys: Conrad (b. 1-6-10), Edwin (b. 1-4-11), and Herbert (b. 8-10-13). Frank worked as County Road Supervisor a number of years and later as Fire Warden. He had a small farm where he raised different kinds of berries and peaches to sell at Forest, WA. Josephine came to Pe Ell from Nebraska at about age 9. By Josephine Vetter VIMONT FAMILY The Vimont family came to Chehalis in 1907 after hard times in Missouri. Charles Jefferson Vimont and his wife, Mary Ines, with five daughters and two sons were provided food and lodging by friends and the Odd Fellows Lodge until C.J. found work as a superintendent building an enlargement of National Avenue. (photo): Mayor, Louis A. Vimont Another son, Billie, was born in 1908. Mary Ines died in 1909 and Charles had to move to construct the turn-around at Seaside, Oregon. The older children eventually established homes in other towns. One son, Louis Alexander Vimont, then fourteen years old, remained as an apprentice printer with Elmer McBroom, owner of the local newspaper. Under Mr. McBroom's guidance, Louis learned much about people, business, thrift, and politics. He also loved baseball, tennis and fishing. In 1916 Louis A. married Anna Leota Yeager, daughter of Francis M. and Amelia Yeager of Centralia. In 1919 following service as a printer in the United States Navy, Louis with Leota opened Vimont Printing which prospered throughout their lifetime. Both took time to actively participate in social, fraternal, civic and church activities. Their closest friends shared biweekly outings and parties as the Just-A-Mere Club which was founded by newly wed couples of Chehalis in 1917. Louis's good judgement and integrity led to positions as vice-president of Lewis County Savings and Loan, lay leader of the Methodist Church, city councilman, mayor of Chehalis 1936-1948, president of Lewis County Republican Committee and other positions of leadership. Their only child, born in 1931, was Louis Elmer Vimont. He enjoyed scouting, tennis and music as a youth. He now sings with Centralia Methodist Church Choir and the Two Town Tuners barber shop singers. Louis E. attended Centralia College, and W.S.U. He served three years with the Army Engineers then returned to W.S.U., where he met and married Jenneth Lee Temby. In 1957 they moved to Chehalis with their first child, Louis Kevin Vimont. Louis Elmer joined his father in the print shop and expanded the stationary sales department. Louis A. and Leota enjoyed the company of their grandson, but sadly, Louis A. Vimont died in 1962 before the birth of two granddaughters, Valerie and Carin. Leota lived until 1969 and spent many happy hours with her grandchildren. Louis E. and Jenneth operated Vimont Stationery until they sold it in 1969. After a year at Eastern Washington State College, Louis became a real estate agent with several Lewis County brokers. He opened his own real estate office in Rochester. In 1978 he took a position as an auditor with the Department of Licensing, Real Estate Division. He is now senior auditor in the Olympia office. In 1973 Jenneth and Louis were divorced. She moved to Olympia to work with the state. Their children are Louis Kevin Vimont who manages a store in White Pass and Valerie who lives in Olympia. She has one daughter, Carin, a sophomore at W.S.U. and a member of Alpha Omicron Phi sorority. In 1978 Louis E. Vimont married Marian Teresa (Swalwell) McKee and moved to Lincoln Creek Valley to live with her and three of her five sons. In 1979 Marian returned to college, graduated from Centralia College with highest honors. In 1983 she graduated from the Evergreen State College with a BA in psychology, and is presently attending graduate school in Tacoma. Louis and Marian enjoy fellowship at Centralia Methodist Church. They enjoy visiting historic towns in Washington and Oregon, collecting antiques, and attending cultural events. Louis and Marian still reside at Lincoln Creek Valley and look forward to the many visits from their children and grandchildren. VOSPER FAMILY John Vosper was born at Cobourg, Ontario January 30,1856 to George Vosper (1817-1889) and Philippa George (1827-1899), natives of Cornwall, England. John was raised at Exeter, Ontario and migrated to this country in 1881 eventually settling at Pipestone, Minnesota where he met Ella "Nell" Sullivan. They were married December 1, 1885 at Flandreau, South Dakota. She was born March 1, 1862 near Shullsburg, Wisconsin to John Sullivan (18291890) who was of Irish and Swiss stock and Mary Harrington (1841-1882) whose parents came from Cork County, Ireland. He followed carpentry and operated a hotel. A son John Edward was born at Pipestone June 1, 1887. Son William George was born at Port Huron, Michigan October 26, 1888. In 1890 John Vosper went west and located at Centralia. He sent for his family and they came in the fall. Daughter Clara Irene was born at Centralia December 8, 1890. In 1891 the family moved to Oakville where the last child, Ella Minerva, was born April 2, 1893. 368 (photo): Left to Right: Clara Irene Vosper Weatherby, John Edward Vosper, Ella Sullivan Vosper, Ella Minerva Vosper, William George Vosper, John Vosper. John Vosper spent the rest of his career as a carpenter in the Oakville area and served briefly on the town council. He died at Oakville November 17,1925 and was buried in the Oakville Cemetery. "Nell" who was a seamstress, died July 19, 1942 at Oakville and was buried beside her husband. William and Ella never married. "Willie" was a carpenter and cemetery sexton, was in the army during World War I, was a good swimmer and boxer and liked children. He died August 3, 1978 at Elma. Ella was a clerk, cook, and homemaker. She had a lively personality and loved company. She died at Centralia December 30, 1981 and was buried with her brother and parents. Clara taught school most of her career, serving in several communities. She married Robert Lawrence Weatherby June 4, 1943 at Seattle. He was born in 1906 at Tacoma to Raymond Weatherby and Edith Neyhart. He worked at various occupations but most enjoyed gardening. He died June 30,1965 at Seattle. In 1985 Clara is active and living in Oakville where she enjoys gardening and music. "Johnny" Vosper married twice, first to Laura Ellen Rutledge December 24, 1912 at Littlerock. They had two children: Nellie Belle born November 23, 1914 at Centralia and Bill Edward born February 29,1916 at Chehalis. See VOSPER-CORNWELL FAMILY. Johnny and Laura divorced in 1920. He secondly married Esther Clara Ross October 29, 1946 at Kelso. Their son, James Michael, was born March 29, 1947 at Centralia. They lived near Oakville. Johnny was a carpenter, logger, and trapper and had been a good baseball player and boxer. He died February 11, 1971 at Olympia and was buried at Oakville. Esther later moved to Centralia - see ESTHER DIRK. Jim Vosper holds a Ph.D. in History of Education from the University of Nebraska. He lives in Centralia and teaches history and genealogy for Centralia College. He also works for the Weyerhaeuser Mima Nursery. He served on the Lewis County Historical Society Board of Directors 1979-1984. By Jim Vosper VOSPER-CORNWELL FAMILY Nellie Belle Vosper was born November 23, 1914 at Centralia to John Edward Vosper and Laura Ellen Rutledge. See VOSPER FAMILY for his background. Her brother Bill Edward Vosper was born February 29,1916 in Chehalis. Nellie and Bill's mother was born May 29, 1893 at Littlerock to Marion Francis Rutledge (18631894) and Emma Belle Smith Rutledge Dodge (1868-1940). The Rutledge family were pioneers in Thurston County and among the earliest settlers of the Littlerock area. Marion's parents were Thomas E. Rutledge (1831-1909) and Louisa M. Shotwell (1839-1877). His wife was the daughter of William Smith (18361871) and Louisa M. Miles (1835-1927) who was later married to Aaron Webster, the founder of Bucoda. Marion's widow later married T. Ives Dodge, a Thurston County Commissioner. Nellie and Bill were raised in Centralia and Tumwater, but mostly Tacoma where their mother located after she and John Vosper divorced. Laura subsequently remarried but remained devoted to her own siblings and was always willing to help ailing family members. She died at Centralia April 9, 1984 at age 90 and was buried in the Rutledge lot in Olympia. On October 23,1939 Nellie married to Orlyn Sheldon "Ed" Cornwell at Lewiston, Idaho. He was born November 12, 1907 at Colville to William Johnson Cornwell (1864-1930) and Pearl Imogene Fitzsimmons (1870-1948). He owned and operated a dry cleaning business in Seattle until 1951 when the family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. A daughter, Janet Marie Cornwell, was born in Seattle July 26, 1943. She married Edward George Wagley April 29, 1967 at Las Vegas. See WAGLEY FAMILY. After moving to Nevada Ed Cornwell engaged in a beverage distributing business. Nellie, who had been a cosmetology instructor at Moler Beauty School, worked for a major beauty supply store in Las Vegas for over 25 years. In this connection she became acquainted with a number of entertainment personalities. Ed Cornwell died October 25, 1978 at Las Vegas and was buried at Logandale, Nevada. In 1981 his daughter's family moved to Oakville and then Toledo and finally settled at Chehalis in 1984. Nellie returned to the place of her birth to live in 1983. Nellie is active in volunteer work at Centralia General Hospital. Bill Vosper is an airplane mechanic and spent 31 years in the Air Force. He married Beverly Virginia Day Kneeland in December, 1938. She was born February 5, 1916 to Frank Johnston Day and Gertrude Theresa Walkling Day Kneeland. Bill and Bev have two children. A daughter, Pamela Dianne, was born July 2,1948 at Mesa, Arizona and married Charles A. Schumacher in 1976. They live in St. Louis, Missouri. A son, Bruce Edward, was born January 11, 1951 in Germany. He is stationed with the Air Force in England and he and his wife Rhea have a daughter Melanie Lorraine born February 8, 1982 in North Carolina. Bill and Bev reside at Mariposa, California. By Jim Vosper WAGLEY FAMILY Janet Marie Cornwell was born July 26, 1943 in Seattle, the only child of Orlyn Sheldon "Ed" Cornwell (1907-1978) and Nellie Belle Vosper. Her father was born at Colville and was the son of William Johnson Cornwell (1864-1930) and Pearl Imogene Fitzsimmons (18701948) who were both natives of Illinois. Janet's mother was born at Centralia in 1914 and was the daughter of John Edward Vosper (1887-1971) and Laura Ellen Rutledge (1893-1984). The Cornwells lived in Seattle where Ed owned a dry cleaning business and Nellie worked as a cosmetologist. In 1951 the family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where Janet grew to maturity. She was quite active in school functions, 369 entertainment, and was a fine swimmer. She attended Rancho High School in Las Vegas. She worked for the largest floral shop in Las Vegas and made floral arrangements for stars. She was an emcee on a television show and did commercials for two other network affiliates. She also managed a drapery workroom and worked in interior decorating. She married Edward George Wagley April 29, 1967 in Las Vegas. Ed and Janet had been high school sweethearts. He had served in the U.S. Navy and had been engaged in police work before undertaking a career in plumbing and carpentry. Ed was born November 17, 1941 at Santa Ana, California to Lillian Grace Graupensperger and Edwin Arne Wagley. In 1976 Ed and Janet moved to Logandale, Nevada where they operated a goat dairy and owned and operated a fabric shop. In 1981 they moved to Washington settling near Toledo after a brief stay in Oakville, where they lived in the home built by Janet's great-grandparents Vosper. For a time they operated the Rex Restaurant in Winlock. In 1984 they moved to Chehalis. Both are active members of the Centralia LDS stake. They have three children: Laurie Lynn born January 10, 1969; James Robert born July 25, 1970; and Edward George II born January 9, 1973. They were all born in Las Vegas. Laurie and James attend W.F. West High School while Eddy goes to Olympic Middle School. Laurie and Eddy are active in sports while James is interested in art and photography. Ed was associated with DJ's Plumbing in Chehalis until he went into business for himself. Janet has been employed at the Rose House in Centralia and is attending classes at Centralia College. By Jim Vosper WALCH FAMILY Joseph Walch was born May 7,1875 in Tyrol, Austria to Alois and Louisa Walch. He was the eldest of seven children, having two brothers and four sisters. The four girls in the family died in infancy. In 1884 at the age of nine, Joseph and his family boarded a cattle boat and sailed for America, docking at Manischee, Michigan two weeks later. The family lived there four years, then in 1888 came West to Tacoma, Washington. Joseph at the age of eleven, worked in a cigar factory. (photo): Walch Family In 1891, the family moved to Lewis County, on East Crego Road, which is now known as the Cousins Road. In October, 1892, Alois became an American citizen. The three brothers, Joseph, Albert, and Frank, worked in logging camps, earning one dollar a day. Joseph bought an 88-acre piece of land that had a one room log cabin on it, just about a half mile north of the home place. In November, 1903, Joseph and Anna Wollman were married. They had eleven children, raising eight of them. The children were: Louise, Josephine, William, Edward, Gertrude, Fredrick, George and Anna Mae. Over the years, several rooms were added to the one room cabin, and a lot of land was cleared. Anna was born in North Platte, Nebraska, also her two sisters and four brothers were born in Nebraska. Louise, Mrs. Theodore Blumstrom, the eldest, was a waitress for many years and was secretary-treasurer of Local #316 for 33 years. Josephine, Mrs. Alfred Scheuber, was a homemaker and raised a family. William and Edward raised families and held many jobs to support them. Joseph Junior served in the Army in Germany. Gertrude, Mrs. Elmer Swinth, raised a family and they all graduated from Adna High School. Fredrick was Valedictorian of his class in 1960 and Barbara of her class in 1975. Donald served in the Army in Texas and Patrick and James both served in Viet Nam. Fredrick Walch worked up to a Staff Sergeant in World War II. He was a gunner technician and won his silver wings at Harlingen Army Airfield in Texas. In 1944 he was stationed in Germany, and was on a mission, flying a Liberator bomber over Italy when he was shot down, becoming a prisoner of the Germans for 13 months. He was reported missing in action for four months before his parents knew where, and if he was still alive. At night he would raid the garbage cans for potato peelings to eat to stay alive. Fred lives in Eureka, California. George was a Marine in World War II and saw action in Saipan, Japan, and Tinian. He raised a family and lives in Olympia. Anna Mae, Mrs. Byron Brick, raised a family and worked out like the rest. Over the years Joseph was a farmer, but he also worked at the Wisconsin Lumber Company at Littell, the Browns Mill in Chehalis, and the rock crusher at Adna. LEE ELVIN WALKLING When Will Walkling contracted malaria in Louisiana (his birthplace), he, his widowed mother, Mary Southwick Walkling, brother, Henry, and cousin, Henry "Buster" Southwick, moved to Centra Ii a, Washington, about 1910. The two brothers logged in Zenkner Valley and (photo): Lee Elvin Walkling bought land there. Buster later became Chief of Police in Centralia. Will went to Oregon, working at the Edenbower Orchard, near Roseburg. There he met and married Ella Mae Connelly in 1913. They moved to Garrard Creek, Washington with Will's brother and mother. When Ella was expecting her first baby, she returned to Oregon, as life was too hard on the primitive farm. Although Will arrived in Oregon May 5, 1917, the day his premature 5 lb. son Lee Elvin was born, he soon left to run a farm and then an apple orchard and packing plant in Filer; Idaho. Ella and Lee soon followed. When the depression closed the apple plant, Will rented a boxcar and moved his family to Centralia. Will and Lee built a road, house, and barn; then started clearing a stump farm. Luckier than most, they had both a tractor and truck. For money, they raised hay (field shocked and stored loose), sold eggs, collected fern, did outside tractor work, raised sheep, picked berries and sold firewood. Because of Lee's early interest in machinery, he became a "Mr. Fix-it" while he was young. He enjoyed making crystal sets and reading late at night by kerosene lamplight. Lee went to Centralia High School and drove the school bus. He had little time for school activities because of the farm work; "buzzing" wood, plowing (he loved to drive tractor), and road building. After graduation, Lee went to a Los Angeles Aircraft School. He got a job he thoroughly enjoyed with Douglas Aircraft in El Segundo, California. In three years he advanced to assistant supervisor in charge of the graveyard shift in the sub-assembly department. Because of his work, the plant got him deferred from the draft in World War II. He won many "Suggestion" awards for inventions and shortcuts. In 1943 Lee married Marion Chisholm of Pasadena, California. From Gardena they moved to Pasadena in 1945, where Lee worked at a secret method of repairing cracked car engines. Two girls (Connie Lee and Nancy) were born before they moved to Zenkner Valley where he remodeled a cabin into a home in 1954. Lee worked for Chris Althauser at the Centralia Junk Company, owned by Goldstein and Bloch. After eight years, Lee bought the business and ran it for 22 years, changing the name to the Centralia Supply Company. The merchants around town referred customers to Lee for unusual merchandise, scarce materials, or jobs that no one else would tackle. He was skilled at welding and machining. Lee sold his business in December 1984 and retired to two acres east of Chehalis where he could play at his hobbies; gas engines, tractors, antique tools and inventing. His wife, Marion, does volunteer work at the Lewis County Historical Museum. One daughter, Connie Lee, lives.in Los Angeles; the other lives in Seattle. Lee's only sister, Evelyn Clark, lives in Centralia. WALLACE-ANDERSON John Wallace was born in 1748 in Scotland and came to America in the fifth or sixth decade of the 18th century. The early Wallaces were a prolific lot and John's descendants must now be scattered throughout the country. My father, Burton ("Bud") Wallace was born to Jim Wallace and the former Frances Henderson in 1876 in Anderson Co., Tenn. He eventually came to the Napavine area where he met my mother, Linda Anderson, and they were married when she was 17 years old. They raised three children, Frances, Ivan ("Bud"), and Burton ("Bud"). Yes, my two brothers and my father were all called "Bud." Confusing, wasn't it? Ivan married 370 Floriene Nicewonger of Napavine and they settled in Vader, WA where they raised their two girls, Patricia and Judith. Ivan died in 1978. Burton married Marie Jensen of Napavine and they lived there until their three children were grown, Le., Wayne, Kirby, and Diana. Burton died in 1982. Marie still lives in Napavine. I went to Portland in 1927 after graduating from Napavine High School and working a year in the Post Office there. I met Jim Farmer there and we have a son, Donald. We retired to a small acreage in the Vader area in 1974. My mother's mother was Hannah Rasmussen and she came from Denmark at age 16, though she knew no English. She came to this country by boat to N.Y., thence to San Francisco by train, and to Portland by boat. My mother's father, Hogan Anderson, was born in Norway in 1847 and came to America in 1869. He met my grandmother where they both were working in Portland and they were married in 1884. He bought 120 acres of land for $600 in 1883 on what is now the Harmon Rd. about two miles NW of Napavine. They built a beautiful farm there and one of its most interesting features was an underground flume of big cedar planks to carry the water from a winter stream under the hayfield. That fascinated me when I was a child. There was also a cedar gutter-like flume from the back porch to carry washwater, etc., away from the house. Believe it was about 50 ft. long. Never saw that any place else, either. I remember there was an 8-ft. cedar picket fence in front of the house and yard area, and all the hayfields were enclosed by cedar zig-zag fencing. It was from that farm that my little dog and I wandered away when I was a little over two years old (1910) and were lost in the heavy timber and brush surrounding the farm. The mills all closed and everyone available searched for me. A neighbor's boy, Harold Romerman, found me when he went to get the cows, about two miles from home. I have the old clippings from the Bee-Nugget telling about it. The Andersons raised three children there, Chester ("Andy"), Linda (my mother), and Alma. They were all eventually married and of course are now deceased. My grandfather joined the LO.O.F. Lodge in Napavine about 1889 and was still a member when he died in 1911. My grandmother moved to Portland after his death and died in 1941. Ah, for those good old carefree days! By Frances (Wallace) Farmer LLOYD WARFIELD FAMILY The Warfields arrived in Mossyrock, Washington March 1, 1947. (photo): Lloyd Warfield, 1935 Lloyd William Warfield was born September 6, 1907 in Wichita, Kansas. His parents were William Isaac Warfield, born February 18, 1876 in Indiana and Emma (Schroeder) born February 13, 1882 in Wisconsin. In 1913 the family moved to Anaheim, California. Lloyd worked in high school to pay for flying lessons. After graduating from Fullerton High School, he owned his own Waco 9 plane, and once while flying to Hood River, Oregon, he was forced to land on the present site of Bonneville Dam. Sunday afternoons Irene Stives flew with him in the open cockpit plane thinking it was exhilarating. Flying expenses and marriage responsibilities were not compatible and Lloyd, upon their marriage in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 23, 1938, sadly sold his plane. Irene was born in Oil City, Pennsylvania July 10, 1909 to James Wilmot Stives, born March 23,1884 and Edith (Beers) Stives born June 29, 1885 and moved with them to Fullerton, California February 1911. After World War II the Warfields visited Lewis County and decided it was a fine place to raise their sons, Lloyd Allan born April 3, 1939, Whittier, and Lynn Wilmot born January 8, 1942, Fullerton. C.C. Green, Lloyd's brother-in-law, and Lloyd gave a Strout realtor at Silver Creek a ten dollar deposit on a farm at Mossyrock and rushed home to convince their wives that a substantial deposit should be sent immediately. The seller wanted to back out, but the puny ten dollars secured the deal for ten days. For $12,500 the William Hoyt farm on the Young Road was purchased. When the Greens returned to California, the War fields sold 120 acres to the Rupert Nelsons and later four acres to the Cecil Birleys. The 48 acres retained by the Warfields, according to an abstract of title, was a land grant to the Indian, Kiona, which he later sold to the McMurry family for $600. Supposedly there were Indian graves on the Mossyrock hill and when a tree stump was dug, a marker was found revealing part of an epitaph. This artifact was left with the David Burtons who purchased this property in 1977. The abstract also revealed that the big spring one time furnished water to families in Mossyrock. Allan married Leta Mae Osborne May 29, 1956 and Lynn married Virginia Carter June 4, 1960. Both wives were from longtime resident families. Lloyd worked as county road supervisor until his retirement. Irene was employed in the post office and by the school district as a secretary and later a teacher in fifth and eighth grades and of high school art. Activities for both included membership in the Church of the Brethren and Order of Eastern Star; for Lloyd, Robert Morris Lodge #97, and for Irene, Delta Kappa Gamma, and Daughters of the American Revolution. ALVA WARREN AND EDNA MARY BOWEN In 1890, Alva Bowen came by train to the Mossyrock area from Greenbriar, West Virginia. He was 18 months old. His father had come before his family and found an abandoned homestead and filed on it. Alva Warren was born August 4, 1887, in Nicholas County, West Virginia. He was the fifth child of Anthony and Laura (Loudermilk) Bowen. When Alva was six years old, his father died. His mother later married Thomas Landis. He was affectionately known as "Uncle Tommy" and raised Alva. There was a little man with a horse and buggy that came around selling fruit trees. Anthony must have planted nearly a hundred trees. No one seemed to know his name. Going through the Bowen family Bible, we found a letter from a Mr. E.H. Gilbert, telling when the trees would arrive. Edna Mary was born January 11, 1888, in Broken Bow, Nebraska. She was the second daughter of Charles Fremont and Martha (McGuire) Henderson. Edna's family had heard a bout the fortunes to be made in Oregon, so came by train to Scio, Oregon. They made their living peeling cascara bark. They heard that Lewis County had lots of cascara bark, so they took the train to Portland, and by boat to Toledo, then on to Mossyrock. They liked it so well, they sold their place in Oregon and settled on a place at Harmony. There wasn't any bridge across the Cowlitz River to get to Harmony. The Carsons operated the ferry and it cost a nickel to cross. Alva and Edna met when they were both in a musical for the community. They were married June 7, 1911, Chehalis, by Dr. Brown, the Methodist minister. They had four children. All born in Mossyrock, delivered by Dr. Botzer. Warren Fremont, August 29,1913. Warren was drowned in the Cowlitz River, at Nesika, when he was 19 years old. Francis Lucille, March 17, 1914, Lucille died June, 1978. Verna Thelma, July 3, 1919. Richard Lee, February 20,1923. Alva owned one of the first Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In 1913-15, he owned and operated the stage between Mossyrock and Chehalis. The fare was 20cents. He did shopping and errands for people that couldn't go to town. Alva owned and operated tie mills. He was a good mechanic and could fix anything. Alva died of cancer on his birthday, August 4, 1974. Edna was a homemaker, an avid gardener. She took the family wild blackberry picking and peeling cascara bark. She is the only living charter member of the Mossyrock Community Church. She came from a large family and they would get together at her parents at Harmony, nearly every Sunday. One of the most grizzly events of Alva and Edna's life happened when a Mr. Wolf, a homesteader on Winston Creek, was found murdered. He had been shot in the head. The men that found him, cut off his head, put it in a "gunny sack" and brought the head out and displayed it at the post office. CLAUDE WARREN FAMILY IN LEWIS COUNTY Claude Warren and Effie Pippin eloped and were married on August 17, 1910, in Seligman, Missouri. Claude was born in Benton County, Arkansas on April 12, 1889, and Effie was born there on May 29, 1890. The young couple came immediately to Western Washington to join three of Claude's brothers in the logging business in Lebam. Before leaving Lebam and coming to Centralia, their three children were born: Tracy Eugene on September 26, 1911; Juanita Pauline on February 23, 1913, and Mildred Elizabeth on March 29,1919. The family became active in the business, civic, fraternal and church life of the community. Mr. Warren and his brother Lewis operated the first service station in Lewis County and then expanded this business to Grays Harbor and a gas and oil distribution business. In 1936 they bought the Chevrolet-Cadillac agency in Centralia, and shortly afterwards acquired a Chehalis car agency. By the close of WW II, Mr. Warren's brothers had passed away and he was 371 (photo): Claude and Effie Warren, married Aug. 17, 1910 joined in his business affairs by his son, Tracy and his two sons-in-law: Gordon H. Smith, Juanita's husband, and H. Ray Williams, Mildred's husband. This group also acquired and developed the Fairway Shopping Center located between Centralia and Chehalis opposite the Fairgrounds. Claude Warren and his extended family were all well known for their church work, their participation in community affairs, fraternal organizations and educational institutions. Miss Lulu Warren, his sister, was a longtime teacher in the Centralia High School and his daughter, Juanita, was later a longtime kindergarten teacher. Mr. Warren was mayor of Centralia from 1952 to 1956 and was instrumental at that time in doubling the generation of the city's hydroelectric plant at Yelm. Claude Warren was called to his heavenly home on May 17, 1964. His life on earth ended in the place so close to his heart. It was in his special pew at the First Baptist Church in Centralia just as the pastor was pronouncing the benediction, a church he had served faithfully for nearly a half century. His widow remains in Centralia and celebrated her 95th birthday at the Centralia Convalescent Center. All three of her children were with her to help mark the day. Tracy and his wife Florence live in Cathedral City, CA, but return to visit our mother during the summer months. Mildred and Ray maintain their home in Centralia and a condominium in Seattle. Juanita, a widow, maintains a home in Issaquah and another in Cathedral City, California. By Juanita W. Smith WARREN My parents, Perry and Dolores (Pickens) West, my sister Tracy and brother Wade lived on a farm in the northwestern tip of Lewis County called the Independence Valley. We attended school in Rochester where I met and fell in love with Glenn B. Warren. Our first child arrived exactly one year after our marriage and my mother brought Gerald Glenn to my graduation ceremony in 1976. I studied to become a key punch operator at Centralia College and went to work at D.S.H.S. in Olympia while my husband earned his degree in diesel mechanics. God blessed us with our second son Gregg Garad in 1978 followed by Grant Michael in 1982 and Geoffrey Wade in 1985. We have a little farm near Grand Mound and I keep busy caring for our boys, decorating cakes, sewing, etc. while Glenn works at the Centralia Steam-Electric Plant. I became a member of The Latter Day Saints Church which my husband had been brought up in, and we are both active in our church and Little League baseball. My parents moved to Lewis County where there had been no relatives until my second cousin Ray Pickens came to visit and found his second wife Myrt. They live on Newaukum Hill. Three of his four children moved here also so we have third cousins Donna (Pickens) Butterton in Rochester, Debbie (Pickens) Lawler in Napavine and Dena (Pickens) Mauerman in Chehalis. My parents and my teen-aged brother Wade live in Chehalis and my sister Tracy (West) Nielsen lives in Centralia. When Mother graduated from Centralia College our dad and we three children gave her the loudest cheers. And when Dad developed sinus cancer we all encouraged him to keep going as much as possible. Our immediate family is very close and we have many good times together. And we often see my uncle and aunt, Bob and Rena Pickens, and their children and granddaughter in Tenino. I've inherited my parents' determination, love of family and appreciation for the great outdoors. By Gay Lynne West Warren HAROLD AND ANNA WASSON Jesse Harold Wasson was born at Ceres, Lewis County, Washington on 26 August 1899. He was the first of five children born to Henry and Mary Ann (Cooper) Wasson. As a boy he picked hops at his Uncle Bill Wasson's hop yard. In his teens he worked in the lumber mills. In September, 1918, Harold enlisted in the Army. Before he saw duty, the Armistice was signed in November. (photo): Harold and Anna Wasson, Sept. 9, 1919 On 9 September 1919, Harold and Anna Jane Roach, daughter of James and Naoma (Huss) Roach, were married at Centralia, Washington. Their first home was a part of the Kilborn homestead (next to Henry Wasson Sr.) located near the Cora Bridge, on Cline Road east of Randle. Here they raised a family of four children: Elea (photo): L. to R.: Eleanor, Vivian, Rosalie, and Raymond, 1964. nor Covey, Vivian LaFaive, Rosalie Beard and Raymond Wasson. It was a typical small farm with alfalfa fields that provided winter feed for the few cows and a team of horses. Anna raised chickens, both for the eggs (often having enough to sell) and to provide meat for the table. An orchard had apple, plum and cherry trees. Peaches for canning were purchased from trucks that came from Yakima. The milking and garden were left to Anna's care as Harold was away at camp much of the time. Harold started working for the Forest Service in 1922. He was a maintenance and construction engineer with the Randle District of Gifford Pinchot National Forest. As foreman of fire crews he was kept busy during fire season with blazes caused by careless campers and by lightning. He was among the first to fly in a small plane over one of these fires, the aerial view enabling him to place his crews in the most strategic places. When Company 2919 of the Civilian Conservation Corps was stationed at Lower Cispus in 1933, Harold was named foreman of the camp. He supervised the building of camping and picnic areas, roads, lookout stations and fire-breaks. The CCC's were terminated in 1942. Anna accepted the position of Randle Telephone operator in June, 1942. The Wassons rented the farm and moved to McKay Road, across from the Randle Methodist Church. The switchboard was located in the front room of their house. She continued as operator until direct dialing was brought to Randle about 1952. A congenial and active member of the community, Anna served on Skywatch (1952), on the Pamela Asmundson Memorial Guild and was Noble Grand of Silver Spray Rebekah Lodge in 1939. She was a member of the Rebekahs from 1934 until her death in 1964. Harold Wasson died 12 March 1962, just before his planned retirement in August. The East Canyon Bridge on the Cispus was named the "H.J. Wasson Bridge" in appreciation of his years of service, by the Forest Service. I am the daughter of Harold and Anna Wasson. In the fall of 1940 I entered Knapps Business College in Tacoma and later I worked at McChord Field. Elzure LaFaive and I were married 10 June 1947. We had met at the CCC dances on the Cispus. I am widowed and live in Portland, Oregon, as do our two daughters, Margaret and Nancy. By Vivian LaFaive HENRY AND MARY ANN WASSON My parents, Harold and Anna (Roach) Wasson settled on our farm on Cline Road (ten miles east of Randle), 11 September 1919. Here I was born July 1920. After the birth of two more daughters, Vivian and Rosalie, and a nine year 372 (photo): Henry and Mary Ann Wasson, wedding picture, Oct. 18, 1897 delay, brother Raymond was born. We all grew up on this farm and spent many happy hours with our grandparents, who lived next to us. We attended the Randle School, which subsequently burned. I graduated in the class of 1938 and from the Twin City Beauty School, Chehalis, Washington. I met Paul Covey in San Francisco, California where we were married in 1944. We have three children: Douglas, Mary Lynne Donnelly and Mark Wasson Covey. While our family was growing up, I was the Postmaster at Woodacre, California. (photo): Henry Wasson and Dillard, Butler the stallion, c. 1918 Grandfather Henry Wasson was born in Minnesota and talked about the deep snow they had in winter. He and his brothers would 'toughen up their feet' by running barefoot in the snow. At age fifteen he came West with his parents, Jesse and Martha (Galbreath) Wasson. On 18 October, 1897, Henry Wasson and Mary Ann Cooper, daughter of John and Emma (Mulkey) Cooper, were married. For twenty two years they lived at Ceres and raised five children: Harold, Vivian, Martha, Henry Jr. and Gladys. The back field of the Ceres farm was along the Chehalis River and as the river changed course, it cut away a part of the farm. On one of his buggy trips through Morton and the Big Bottom Valley, driving his horse Dillard, with the stallion, Butler, tied behind, Granddad saw the Kilborn homestead. It was for sale, and on April 8, 1919, Mary Union Kilborn, widow of Edward J., signed the Warranty Deed to Henry Wasson. The move from Ceres to Cline Road was by Dodge Touring car and a rented truck. At Riffe they found the Nesika Bridge was out, which meant they had to detour over the mountain to Morton. Then the truck, loaded to capacity, got stuck in the ditch. A kind family named Coleman asked them to stay overnight. Granddad was an extremely strong man. With hay cut and threatening rain, and no one to help, Granddad put me on the flatbed wagon to tell him where to place the next pitchfork full of hay. He loaded the wagon, and with his well trained team of horses, had the hay in the barn before the downpour. Grandma Mary Ann Wasson was born in 1877 at Monmouth, Oregon. she died in 1932, age 54. She loved working in her garden and had the proverbial "green thumb." Her front yard looked like a painting of 'An Old Fashioned Flower Garden' and the vegetable garden, with its straight rows, was impressive. She had a gardener named 'Sparky', raised Bantam chickens and turkeys, and she and Grandpa held 'Turkey Shoots' in the back field. Grandma usually whistled as she went about her daily chores. (Both Grandparents are buried at Pleasant Hill.) By Eleanor Jessie (Wasson)Covey JESSE AND MARTHA WASSON Jesse Wasson, son of Joseph and Hannah (Gray) Wasson, was born in Pulaski County, Indiana in 1838. His parents were the first white "squatters" to settle on the Tippecanoe River, near what is now Winamac. The town was named for the Miami Chief of the Algonquian Indians. His father died when Jesse was nine years old. In 1863 Jesse married Martha Jane, daughter of another pioneer family, Thomas Jefferson and Susannah (Neff) Galbreath. Accompanied by his mother, Jesse took his new bride to a farm along Sun Fish Lake, LeSueur County, Minnesota. In April, 1887 Jesse, Martha, their nine children and Hannah, boarded the Great Northern train for Washington Territory. They traveled in boxcars along with a stallion, farm animals and machinery and household possessions. After a seven day trip they arrived at Tumwater, the end of the line. It was pouring rain and continued for sixteen days. Matilda, wife of the eldest son Jacob Wasson, got a job at the boarding house and some of the family stayed there, the rest lived in tents. Hannah was now seventy-seven. The twins, youngest of the children, were four. Several relatives and neighbors accompanied the Wassons on the train including such names as Pittman, Dick, Wynn, Doyle and Gish. By August, 1887 Jesse had settled his family at Pleasant Hill west of Chehalis, his homestead papers were recorded in 1901. Hannah died in 1901, just before her ninety-first birthday. She was buried on a part of the Wasson farm set aside for a cemetery. Later it was called Pleasant Hill Cemetery for which Jesse and Martha made a Quit Claim Deed in 1906. Many Wasson descendants are buried there. Besides farming, Jesse raised prize horses and broke them to teams. They were in demand throughout the state. Seven acres of the farm were fenced off as a deer farm and Jesse sold venison to meat markets in Chehalis and Centralia. Martha loved the circus and whenever the Big Top was in Centralia she and Jesse would go. Martha was a pleasant, easy going lady who read from her Bible daily. Jesse liked to hunt bear, trap and fish along the Chehalis River, where he successfully competed with his sons and grandsons, who also enjoyed this sport. Jesse was a wiry, fiesty man. Once when he met another driver on the puncheon road, one had to back his team off the road for the other to pass. After some heated discussion, Jesse finally conceded but announced to the other driver that he would not do so, if he was a few years younger! Jesse and Martha Wasson's children and the names of their spouses are as follows: Jacob married Matilda Pittman, William married Mae Kain, Sarah married Norton Smith, Henry married Mary Ann Cooper, Mary married Louis Pittman, Hannah (Ida) married Walter Doyle, Susannah married Walter Dolph, Jennie married Peter Pearson and Jesse Jr. married Edith Monnett. Many progeny of this pioneer couple still reside in Lewis Co., Washington. By Rosalie Wasson Beard (photo): Jesse Wasson Family c. 1900 - Front Row: Jesse Jr., Martha, Jesse Sr., Jennie. Back Row: Mary, Henry, Ida, Jacob, Susannah, William, and Sarah. 373 LESTER AND DOLORES WEBSTER I, Dolores Ruby Webster, was born July 25, 1927 in a farmhouse next door to my grandparents' farm on the Big Hannaford Valley. My parents were Reta Betts and Jerome Skvor. They were married in May, 1926 in Centralia. Mom was born in Bucoda, and dad was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My parents divorced when I was 2, and mom and I came to live with my grandparents on their farm. They were Charles and Lulu Betts. Grandpa was born in Beaverton, Oregon, and Grandma in Kansas. Her maiden name was Waller. (photo): Lester and Dolores Webster Life wasn't easy on the farm. Everything was done the hard way. There was no electricity. The power lines were on each side of us with about 4 miles between. So, it was kerosene lamps and lanterns. Water was pumped by hand from the well, carried in buckets to fill a big boiler on the wood cook stove to heat water for baths and laundry. Laundry was done on the washboard. In 1950, the power lines were connected, and the farm changed hands. Mom and my stepfather, Ralph McClure, moved here to take care of my grandparents and the place. I married Lester Dale Webster in May, 1950. I had met him when Mom and Dad had rented a house on Lincoln Creek next door to his parents, Otis and Bernice Webster. He was born Aug. 4, 1923 in Centralia, and was one of 9 children. It was so different from me. I was the only child and the only grandchild of either set of grandparents. When I graduated from the 8th grade in our little country school, Hillcrest, I was the only one in the class. In 1967, Les and I moved back to Grandpa's farm on the Big Hannaford Valley, from Lincoln Creek where we had lived many years. We live in an old house built in 1904, an addition was built on in 1950. I still have memories of the house I grew up in. Les has always worked in the sawmills and is now working at Northwest Hardwoods, Inc. on Fords Prairie, where he has been for 15 years. His favorite pastime is playing "Snooker" at the Olympic Club with a group of friends he has played with for the past 40 years. I love to raise flowers; I can't seem to get enough of them. We have three children: Christine, Dale, and Kathleen (Kathy), as well as five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Chris was born in 1945 and has worked for the state for 22 years. She lives in Olympia. Dale was born in 1948 and has 18 years service in the Air Force. He is now stationed in New York. Kathy was born in 1953 and is a treatment technician in a doctor's office in Centralia. They were all born and raised in Centralia and graduated from Centralia High. Grandpa, Charles Betts, came to Centerville, now Centralia, in 1877. It had a dozen log houses, a grocery store, a shoe store, two livery stables, and a saloon. The first time he saw the Big Hannaford Valley, it was covered with tall timber with an Indian trail running through it. He and his brother Ed, and father, George W. Betts, a professional shingle maker, had the contract in 1878 for making the shingles to cover the Territorial Penitentiary. NEIL OTIS WEBSTER I was born June 9,1953 in Centralia, Wa. On my mother's side of the family, my greatgreatgreat-grandfather was Sidney Ford, for whom Ford's Prairie was named. On my father's side, the Websters were early settlers up Lincoln Creek. I have two brothers and two sisters, Riley, Eric, Laura and Molly, all born in Centralia. I attended Rochester Grade School and High School, Centralia College, the University of Washington, and Pacific Lutheran University. One of my major interests in college was geology. Both my brothers and one sister also went to the University of Washington. My other sister attended the University of Oregon. Riley majored in fisheries, Eric in mathematics, Laura in drama, and Molly in psychology. Currently I'm working here in Centralia at Interchecks, Inc., one of the ten largest employers in Lewis County. Interchecks is an international company, with plants in the United States and Canada. The Centralia plant prints checks mostly for the Northwest, and some for California and Alaska. Some of my hobbies include music, photography, and hiking and camping. I learned a lot about hiking and camping and the outdoors while in the Boy Scouts. I was in both Troop 317, Rochester and Troop 328, Centralia at different times. I earned the rank of Eagle Scout. At Centralia, my scoutmaster was Rufus Kiser, whose first Eagle scout was my uncle, Ben Hodge. As a Boy Scout, I've hiked the Wonderland Trail 90 miles around Mt. Rainier, gone spelunking in the lava caves south of Mt. St. Helens, and canoed down the Chehalis River from Rainbow Falls to Elma. I've photographed places all over the Northwest but some of the best places are close to home: Borst Park in the fall when all the leaves have changed color, all the festivals and parades during the summer, hang gliders on Dog Mountain by Morton, and of course, Mt. St. Helens. Every year, I try to enter a picture or two at the Southwest Washington Fair. I've even won a few ribbons. By Neil Otis Webster ELMER AND RUTH WEBSTER Elmer Forest Webster was born January 8, 1915 on Independence Valley at the farm home of George and Lizzie Sawtell, his maternal grandparents. His parents were Frank Ernst Webster and Elizabeth A. Sawtell Webster. His paternal grandparents were Frank and Huldah Webster, some of the pioneer residents of Lincoln Creek. He has a sister, Genett Hagen of Centralia. His family lived in a home built next to the Lincoln Creek Grange. At the age of 14 his family moved to Centralia where they operated the O.K. Transfer Company with Harvey Webster. Elmer married Jewell Mincher in August, 1936. They have a daughter, Joan Roddy of Portland, Oregon and a son, Alan Forest Webster of Cle Elum, formerly of St. Helens, Oregon. There are six grandchildren. Elmer moved to Seattle in 1941 and drove truck for Pacific Fruit and Produce for over 15 years. He and Jewell were divorced in 1946. After less than a month of a whirlwind courtship, Elmer married Ruth J. Thompson December 7, 1946 in Seattle. Ruth was born in Ute, Iowa on December 7, 1919 to Clarence A. Thompson and Lizzie Palm Thompson. Her family farmed at Ute, Iowa. Ruth came to Seattle in December, 1944 for a visit and liked the country so well she stayed. Ruth worked as a waitress and also packaged meat at different stores in Seattle. Elmer and Ruth bought a farm on the Cline Road at Randle, Washington in May, 1955. They commuted for nearly a year when they moved to the farm on April 2, 1956. On January 1, 1957 they became parents of a baby girl, Juanita JoAnn Webster Porter. She was Lewis County's New Year baby for 1957 born at Morton hospital. She grew up at Randle and graduated from White Pass High School. she now lives in Puyallup, Washington. Elmer and Ruth farmed, milking cows and raising beef. They shipped milk to Darigold in Chehalis and later sold cream to them. Elmer worked in the woods for his Uncle Harvey Webster and for himself. He logged with Duly Morris a few years. He also hauled alfalfa hay from eastern Washington, mostly around Othello. After an illness he sold his truck and drove for Pacific Lumber Company about three years, until his death January 26, 1981. Ruth lives on the farm, milking a couple of cows and raising beef. She still makes butter and yogurt, and enjoys the beautiful "Big Bottom Country". By Ruth Webster FRANK E. AND LYDIA K. WEBSTER Frank Ernst Webster was born Jan. 19, 1889, the second son of Frank W. and Huldah Webster, in a log cabin on Lincoln Creek. He helped on the farm his father homesteaded. He attended school for 3 years. Frank and his brothers ran mills in the Lincoln Creek area. He also had a stallion horse he took around the area to breed mares. It was on one of those trips that he met Elizabeth Adaline Sawtell of Independence Valley. Lizzie was born July 20,1894, the daughter of Edward P. and Elizabeth King Sawtell. Frank and Elizabeth were married Nov. 26, 1913. Three children were born to this union. they were a girl born in 1913 who died at birth and is buried at Mt. View cemetery, Elmer F. Webster, born Jan. 8,1915 and died in 1981, and Genett Hagen, born Dec. 20, 1919. They were living in Centralia by this time. Lizzie studied to be a beautician. Frank and Lizzie were divorced in 1933 and Lizzie moved to Alaska and then to Seattle. Frank worked for Boeing in Centralia, then moved to Seattle and worked at Pacific Fruit and Produce. While working in the warehouse there, he met and married Lydia K. Krause Altier. Lydia was born June 18, 1908 in Marlin, Washington, the first daughter of John and Mary Lentz Krause. Her father was born in Russia while her mother was born in North Dakota. 374 The family moved to the Wenatchee Valley town of Dryden when Lydia was 8 years old. She has 4 sisters and 5 brothers. She worked with her father in the orchards and storage packing sheds and sorting apples. She met her first husband here working with the fruit in the orchards. He was James Atier of Seattle. They courted three years, then married and moved to Seattle. They had two girls, Patricia Lydia born in 1931, now Mrs. Ed Grandbois and living in Centralia and Amy Mary, born in 1933, now Mrs. Bennett living in Reno, Nevada. Jim got a job in Petersburg, Alaska working on a boat. The family moved up. In 1938, Jim was killed in a deer hunting accident. The girls and Lydia moved back to Seattle to be near family and friends. She worked for American Cracker Co. then at Safeway and then for Pacific Fruit and Produce. She met Frank Webster here and they were married in Sept. 1954. On Jan., 1955, they moved to the farm on the Cline road at Randle, Wash. They had dairy and beef cattle. In 1964, they sold the farm and moved to "H" street in Centralia. In 1969, Frank built a new home at 1214 W. Chestnut next door to Frank's brother, Otis Webster and wife, Bernice. They moved in there and were busy gardening and enjoying retirement. Lydia's beloved husband passed away on May 8, 1978. Lydia is still living in their home on Chestnut. Her daughter, Pat, lives next door. By Lydia Webster RUSSELL AND EDITH WEBSTER My grandfather, Frank Williston Webster, was born in Cass County, Michigan on December 8, 1855. He came west to San Francisco in 1875, took the old mail steamship "Ajax" to Portland and rode the Northern Pacific train to Centerville, later changed to Centralia. He then walked the five or six miles to David Ames' home on Lincoln Creek where he stayed while he worked to earn money to buy a home for himself. He had known David Ames before they had moved west. Frank's sister, Lucy, was married to David's son, George. (photo): Otis and Bernice Webster Frank bought a home near David's home and on July 23,1885, married Huldah Scribner Russell, a granddaughter of David Ames. Born at this home were a son, George, a son who died at birth and is buried there in an on marked grave and a son Frank. , In 1890 Frank sold this home and with his family moved about four miles further up Lin (photo): Russell and Edith Webster coln Creek valley to a farm that had been homesteaded by John Stephens. He lived and farmed there for 27 years. Frank acquired more acreage and his family enlarged. Eight more children were born to him and Huldah. They were Otis, Homer, Lucy, Harvey, Daniel, Myrtle, Albert and Lawrence. With so many boys to help, grandfather did well farming. One practice, at that time, was to plant fields of peas which, when ripe, were harvested by turning pigs loose in the field. When the pigs were fat they were herded down the county road to Centralia for sale. Can you imagine herding 200 loose pigs into Centralia now in 1985? With retirement in mind, grandfather purchased a home in Centralia at 212 Ash Street. William Hodge and his family were living in the house at the time. In the process of their moving, William's daughter, Bernice, saw Frank's son Otis and remarked to herself "That's the man I'm going to marry." On March 13, 1913 they were married. After their marriage, Otis and Bernice moved to a small farm near his father's farm on Lincoln Creek and with his brothers farmed this place and his father's farm. Soon Otis' father sold his farm and Otis and Bernice began their search for happiness. In the years to follow Otis and family moved many times. Bernice claimed they moved 26 times but I can account for only about 18 moves. Some of their moves were back into homes they had occupied earlier. Otis farmed, logged, worked in lumber mills, loaded lumber and ties onto railroad cars and during the depth of the depression worked at any job that could be found. He was not a large man. He weighed only about 145 pounds, but he had tremendous strength and endurance and could perform tasks that were difficult for larger men. Bernice was kept very busy housekeeping and caring for the needs of their large family. Their nine children were William, Russell, Fred, Charles, Lester, Hazel, Robert, Marjorie and Rosalie. Hazel died at 14 months of age. William married Marian Baker, Fred married Tove Hodge, Charles married Lorraine Hartman, Lester married Delores Skvor, Robert married Margaret Matzer, Marjorie married James Reed, Rosalie married Kenneth Moon and later Pete Bowman and I (Russell) married Edith. I was born in Centralia on October 14, 1917 at my grandparents home at 212 Ash Street. With the exception of my first five years I have resided on Lincoln Creek valley. Edith was born in Centralia at her grandparents home on February 22, 1918. She and her family lived for a short time on Cooks Hill then moved to Lincoln Creek valley. I met Edith when my parents moved to a home in the same school district in which she lived. I was nine years old. Soon my parents moved to a home next door to the Mauermann home and our families became good friends. Edith and I went to small country schools where all of the eight grades were taught by the same teacher. At times there were as few as twelve students in the entire school. We graduated from Centralia High School together in the 1935 class. After graduation we both worked at various short term jobs and dated and on June 13, 1940 we married. We started housekeeping in an old house on 40 acres of logged ground on the Summer Road. There was no electricity, no plumbing and hardly room between the stumps for a garden. I grew up watching my father and uncles log so when the logging camps began booming it was natural that I sought work there. Bordeaux Logging Company was the first major company I worked for. I was a timber cutter. After they closed in 1942 I worked for several other companies but I spent my longest periods at Schaeffer Brothers Logging Company and St. Regis Paper Company. I was employed by St. Regis Paper Company for 21 years. I worked there as a timber cutter, a cutting supervisor or "bull buck" and retired in 1980 as logging superintendent of their LaddMineral operation. Edith and I lived for only a short time at the home on the Summer Road before buying the home next to her father's place where I had lived as a boy. In 1950 we bought a farm from Dick Setula about three miles further up the valley. Later we acquired Halley Dye's farm which adjoined the Setula place. We also purchased 80 acres that had belonged to my grandfather and then my father and then another 200 acres that bordered the 80 acres. Most of this 280 acres was ground my father and his brothers had logged and milled. Edith and I have been lifelong grangers at Lincoln Creek Grange. She was a 4-H leader for 27 years teaching girls sewing and cooking. She is now called on to judge sewing and cooking done by 4-H children at fairs and also sewing and cooking done by grange women and shown at competitions. On our farm we raised livestock, made hay and raised gardens. Before my retirement in 1980 the work fell to Edith for I was away working for long hours. Since retirement Edith and I, with two very good friends, have gone to Alaska on the Pacific Princess "Love Boat" and on another trip we toured England by automobile. We have three children. Barbara married to Vern Geist, Steve married to Mary (Martin) and Bettie married to Jim Cook. Barbara has three children. By Russel Webster STEPHEN RUSSELL WEBSTER I was born to Russell and Edith Webster in Centralia, Washington on October 27, 1942. We 375 (photo): Steve and Mary Webster lived on Lincoln Creek, at first on a very small farm sandwiched between my grampa Harry Mauermann's farm to the west, and the farm to the east where Grandpa was born in 1893. My earliest memories are of Dad working in the woods, or caring for a couple of milk cows and pigs to meet our needs, my "helping" Grandpa make hay, milking cows by hand, plowing the fields, and harvesting oats. We purchased Dick Setula's farm located about five miles above Galvin in 1951 when 1 was nine. Dad continued to work in the woods and, with the family's help, worked steadily at improving the farm and producing grade B milk, replacement dairy heifers, and a few beef. I graduated from Centralia High School in 1960 after attending grades 1 through 6 at Galvin, and 7 through 8 at Washington. Having developed interests in agronomy and forestry, I went on to study these subjects at Centralia College and Washington State University, at Oregon State University and North Carolina State University where I obtained a Ph.D. in 1972. Since then, I have worked in forestry research for Weyerhaeuser Company. At Centralia College, I met Mary Martin from Tenino. We married in 1965 and currently reside near Chehalis on Newaukum Hill. TOVE IRENE HODGE WEBSTER The history of Lewis County was always with me as I heard my mother, Irene Ticknor Hodge, tell about our ancestors, the Joel T. Ticknor and Sidney S. Ford families, among the first settlers in this area. My high school roll room teacher, (photo): Fred and Tove Webster Herndon Smith, helped me to write a chapter on them for Centralia: The First 50 years. My father, Osman J. "Shine" Hodge (born in Alden, Minn.), grew up in Centralia, sharing his memories of it from 1906 until after I was born (1926, on Cherry St.) During my grade school days, we safely roller skated and bicycled in the streets as many cars were locked away for the Depression. We swam in Plummers Lake when it was an active gravel pit, the huge jaws rumbling on the steel cables. We sailed paper boats out the window when Shookumchuck floods poured over the tracks and down J St. For a dime apiece, I took my younger brother Benjamin Jay (born Feb. 10, 1931) to the Saturday matinees at the Liberty Theater to see Tom Mix and an episode of "Flash Gordon." My brother was well known in high school as a football center on a winning team, and as state champion in 1948 in shot put and discus. He attended WSU and UW and for years has been a California State hydraulics engineer at San Francisco. High school days for my class of 1943 were war years and although we giggled and flirted and passed notes in class, underneath was a dreadful fear that friends and relatives were not coming back from Europe or the South Pacific where they had to kill and were killed. A special concern was for Fred Webster who spent 1941 - 1945 in the Pacific with the Navy. Since the third floor of the high school held the junior college, it was easy to graduate into those classes. That was the low point for C.J.C. and there were only three of us graduating in the spring of 45. My teachers, Margaret Corbet, Katherine Kemp, Arthur Ehret, and Minnie Lingreen helped to keep that school open. Now most of them are known as buildings on the Centralia College campus. Labor was scarce in 1943-1945, so I had a chance to work at the post office summers and Christmas rush. With this money ($500 or so a year), I managed to attend U.W. and even finish a fifth year for my teaching certificate. College life was exciting then on a big, beautiful campus, with stimulating classes, and a happy relief from the strain of the war years. And all those young men going to school on the GI Bill - they changed our attitudes and heightened the competition in classes with their maturity, their humor, and their dedication to receiving a worthwhile education. Changing from a student on a scintillating campus to a teacher at rural Ferndale High School was a maturing experience. I loved the intense involvement with Spanish and English classes, ski club, girls' athletics, drama coaching, and summer-time camp directing. What a beautiful outdoor country with Mt. Baker, salt water with islands, and flat rich farmland! But I longed for a family of my own and it was with great joy that in 1952 I married Fred, bought a 7-acre home near Centralia where we have lived since, and took part in the lives of our Neil, Riley, Eric, Laura, and Molly, born between 1953 and 1961. Family and home-the best things in our lives. They also involved us in the community - school, Boy Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, Little League, sports, drama. Although grown and gone from home, the children are still the big focus in our lives. And some of the outside interests continue. Substitute teaching (and some years, full time) commands my attention. The American Association of University Women keeps me turned to global, as well as local, concerns. Directing plays, first at Grand Mound with Mimaers for eight years, and now with Centralia's Evergreen Playhouse, is a delight. Canoeing and rubber rafting the Skookumchuck and Chehalis summers is a communion with Nature. Gardening and bird and animal watching with Fred (now retired from 37 years of woods work with Schafer Bros. and Simpson Timber companies) keeps me more closely connected to life on this green planet. GALEN RONIMOUS WEDIN FAMILY Galen was born March 31, 1940, at St. Helen Hospital in Chehalis, WA. His father is Sven Ossian Wedin, a logger, carpenter, and farmer, who came from Sweden in the early 1920's. His mother, Elizabeth, daughter of William Nix, was a school teacher and, therefore, Galen attended grade schools where she taught: Napavine, Boistfort, Winlock, and Centralia. He attended high school at Auburn Academy, Columbia Academy, and Adna, graduating in 1958. He spent two years at Centralia College, received a B.S. degree in biology from Pacific Union College in 1963, and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Washington State University in 1967. (photo): L to R: Allison, Dr. Galen, Kathy, Jon-Erik Wedin. He started his veterinary career at Atlantic Street Hospital in Seattle and met Kathleen one year later. Kathleen was born January 19, 1944, in Bremerton, WA. Her Norwegian father, Alvin Clarence Lundemo, was a shipbuilder. Her mother, whose family was from Idaho, was Lorraine Delores Winger Lundemo. There was one sister, Patty Jean, and three brothers, Kenneth and Jerry Lundemo and Bruce Thomas Darley. She attended school in Idaho and Utah, graduating from Bountiful High School in 1962. She acquired business machine and bookkeeping training and also received a Certified Dental Assistant degree from the University of Utah. She was employed by United Airlines as a stewardess when she met Galen. They were married on October 4, 1969, at Adna in the same farm house they would later make their own home. Galen formed a partnership with Dr. Jan Siks, a classmate from W.S.U., and opened a mixed large and small animal practice in Redmond, WA in 1968. One year later they purchased the Lake Sammamish Veterinary Hospital in Issaquah, WA and later, also started a practice in North Bend, WA. This group of three hospitals employed three veterinarians in addition to the two partners and eighteen additional employees. Galen and Kathy lived at the Issaquah hospital and later in a mountain-top cabin above North Bend. In 1973 the hospitals were sold and Galen started the Chehalis-Centralia Veterinary Hospital. Galen and Kathy moved to Adna, April 22, 1974, purchasing the dairy farm he grew up on from his parents. This farm was bought in 1921 by his grandfather, William Nix. In 1974 the 376 farm was turned from raising crops to raising registered Limousin cattle and children. Allison Michelle was born March 13, 1972, in Seattle, WA. Jon-Erik Ossian was born September 25, 1975, in Centralia, W A. They became the fourth generation to live on the farm at Adna. Both children attend the Adna schools. VERNON AND CLARA WEDIN FAMILY Vernon Wedin (1910-1971) was born in Cokato, Minnesota, and brought to Gresham, Oregon, as an infant Clara (Ruff) Wedin (1913- ) was born and grew up in Hillsboro, Oregon. Vernon was educated in Gresham schools and received a measure of fame when he was one of the famous football eleven known as the "Iron Men". Clara attended Hillsboro schools and received a B.S. degree in 1934 from Pacific University. She then taught school for two years in the Boardman, Oregon, High School. They met when both went to tech school, September 1936, in Newberg, Oregon. Their marriage took place in September of 1939. In September of 1940 they moved to Chehalis, where Vernon taught classes and coached football, as well as, at various war years, etc., basketball, track, golf and baseball. Eventually he became vice-principal of the high school and, at the time of his death, was assistant superintendent of schools. Clara eventually taught again and became counselor in the high school. She still resides in Chehalis. Their three children, born and educated in Chehalis, were Kirsten A. (1941- ), Michael V. (1943- , and William D. (1947 Kirsten received a B.A. degree in Communications from the U of Washington. She worked in her field, later married Ned C. Lumpkin. They own a construction business in Seattle. There are three children: Jeffrey, now attending college; Tobias in high school; and Anna in upper elementary. Michael V. (Bud) received a B.A. degree from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He now teaches at the University of California in Davis. William D. received a B.A. degree from the University of Washington. He resides in the Seattle area and works in construction. SVEN AND ELIZABETH NIX WEDIN My parents, William and Wilhelmina Nix met during their early school years in the Puyallup-Sumner area. After their marriage in 1906, (photo): Drusilla (Wedin) Stelling Regina, Age 8, Jason, Age 7 (photo): Back row, L to R: Sven Wedin, Robert Nix, Pete Nix, Vernon Johnson, Jim Nix, Galen Wedin. Middle row: Alma Nix, Elizabeth Nix Wedin, Wilhelmina Nix, Wm. Nix, Alberta Nix Johnson, Nancy Nix Ghere, Rose Nix. Front row: Drusille (Susi) Wedin, William Nix (Billy), David Nix, John Nix, Robert Nix. Photos on mantel: Barbara Nix Olson, Freeman Johnson, 1956. their first home was in Summer, where I was born in December 1913, the third of four children. I attended Spinning School for three years in Puyallup where we lived later. Then dad purchased the Clinton farm west of Adna. Mother had joined the Seventh-Day Adventist church before we moved to Chehalis and she was insistent that we children receive a private school education. We attended the small Adventist School in Chehalis and also had private music lessons. Later I attended Columbia Academy, a private boarding high school near Battle Ground, continued at Walla Walla College and graduated from the Music Conservatory there in 1934. I transferred my college career to the College of Puget Sound and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1937, majoring in violin with minors in English, German, and religion. During my two years in Tacoma I often attended the Adventist Scandinavian church to help with the music. At the home of one of the members I met Sven Ossian Wedin. Sam, as he was called in America, had been born in 1905 to Per-Olav and Kristin Wedin in Hogso, near Harnosand, Sweden. He had come to America at the age of twenty following brother, John, who lived near Eatonville, and had hoped to make his fortune in the logging industry in which he was engaged as a "faller". We were married in September 1937 and lived two years in Enumclaw. After moving to Chehalis our son, Galen, was born. I had been giving private music lessons, but since teachers were so in demand, Mr. Marvin Schafer, superintendent at Napavine, whose children were my music pupils, urged me to get a War Emergency Certificate and teach in the high school. To do this, I attended CPS another semester in order to do my cadet teaching at Tacoma's Stadium High School. We were living then on Summit Road above the Chehalis Library where we had built a new home. Sam wanted to shift from logging to farming so we sold this house and moved to the farm home of my childhood, west of Adna. After beginning my teaching career at Napavine High School, I spent five years at Boistfort High, later music and seventh grade at Washington School in Centralia and finally eighteen years at Winlock High School. It was always necessary to have English classes, but my interest in teaching Spanish intensified and I spent two summer sessions getting my master's degree in Mexico. Christmas season 1950, our daughter Drusilla Mary (Susi) was born. We found her at the age of two weeks under the Christmas tree of her grandmother's in Portland. We had searched for almost ten years for a child to adopt. In 1958, following Galen's high school graduation, he and I toured Europe. We had spent one summer before (1947) in Sweden with Sam's family. After retiring from farming, Sam built our summer cabin on Lake Cushman, and later a home to sell at Brinnon on Hood Canal. Galen finished veterinary medicine in 1967, and in 1973 he moved his practice to Chehalis and took over the farm. Our move to a new home on Curtis Hill took place two years before my retirement from thirty years of high school teaching (1975). Since then I have been a Centralia College instructor in foreign languages at the Lewis County Senior Center, and my sister, Alberta Johnson, and I have pursued our interest in traveling, first to South America, later with the Friendship Force Ambassador Organization to Korea and Finland. An International Youth Exchange organization invited me to be a counselor - placing foreign students in American homes and monitoring their progress. This has led to more travel. Organizing and leading student trips has taken us to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Mexico. Galen and Drusilla have each given us a granddaughter and a grandson and all of us enjoy many activities and good health. Drusilla (Susi) was married in 1972 to Donald Eugene Stelling and they are the parents of Regina and Jason Todd, both born in Palm Springs, California where Don and Susi lived for four years, later moving to Santa Rosa, California where Don pursued his nursing career and is now a nurse anesthetist. In 1977 they were divorced. Susi is a word processor at Washington Natural Gas in Seattle, and they live in Kent. ROY WELSH FAMILY My father, Roy Allison Welsh, came west in 1910. His first job was engineering the building of a bridge near Randle, WA. There he met my mother, Virginia Blankinship, and they were married in Centralia, WA December 25, 1912. Soon after that they moved to Centralia as he 377 became city engineer. I was born November 30, 1913. Dr. W.R. Scott lived next door, which was fortunate as my mother had typhoid fever. Keeping her alive and delivering her first born was no easy event. Dr. Scott owned the first car in town. The city engineer, my father, owned the second one. After my mother had recovered, she tied me in the front seat, drove it out on the prairie (Ford, I think), and taught herself to drive a Model T. September 14, 1916 Roy Allison Welsh, Jr. was born. In 1918 we moved to Onalaska, WA. Roy Welsh became civil engineer for the Carlisle Lumber Co. He was cruising timber for purchases, building logging railroads, trestles, and bridges for logging trains to bring the logs into the mill where they were to become finished lumber for sale. Onalaska was a company town; quite interesting to think back on. My father was on the school board and knew my teachers and the principals, also. I think we had a good education for those days. William Harlen Welsh was born November 4, 1921, with a neighbor acting as midwife. Dr. Scott got there several hours too late. We moved back to Chehalis, WA, in 1929 after the stock market crash. Dad worked in the county engineer's office. One job was building a bridge over the Cowlitz River near Packwood, WA, with the W.P.A.labor, living in a camp, and getting home on weekends. In 1932 he went back to Centralia as city engineer. He went to work the same day that Franklin Delano Roosevelt became President of the United States. (They died within a few hours of each other April 12, 1945.) I remember him talking about building a million-dollar hydro-electric system which was expected to create the cheapest electricity in the state. Roy Allison Welsh, born July 31, 1880, in Ottowa, Kansas, died April 12, 1945, Centralia, WA. My mother, Virginia Blankinship Welsh-Willrich was the first-born to pioneer homesteaders in the Big Bottom country near Randle, WA. Her parents were William Austin Blankinship and Ada Proffitt Blankinship. She was followed by Evan, MaryLee, and Ernest, all near Randle. These people were survivors in the wilderness and the stories they lived through would fill several books. When Mother was a young girl, a team of horses she was holding spooked, and the accident left her with three fingers severed. Her father bundled her in the bed of the wagon to take her to the doctor in Centralia - a three-day trip via Morton and Bear Canyon, if my memory is correct. When she was fifteen, she had to learn to make soap, bread, sew for the family; all the duties of a woman as her mother had to be taken to Tacoma for surgery and was gone six months. The rest of her life is as interesting as what I have told you but the 500 words stop me. Virginia Blankinship Welsh-Willrich, born Randle, W A, June 22, 1893, died Des Moines, W A, June 25, 1982. By Ada Welsh Ulmer BEATRICE WATKINS WENDLING I, Beatrice Watkins Wendling, was born May 4, 1918 in Chickasha, Okla. My grandparents, Giles Thomas and his wife, Lola Watkins and his mother, Mary Dunn Watkins came to Washington from Chickasha, Oklahoma first in 1920. Then after a trip back to Oklahoma, returned to Chehalis in 1923, accompanied by my parents, (photo): Preston and Beatrice (Bee) Wendling William J. and Callie Watkins and family, Homer, Bessie, Beatrice, and Hubert. A sister, Jenniebelle, was born shortly afterwards. In 1926 Dad took us back to Oklahoma for a visit and returned to Chehalis in 1927 to stay. My mother's parents, Eldridge Connor and Altie Vernon, and a brother, Henry Vernon and family, returned with us. My father, William, bought a place on old 99 Highway and started building while working at Palmer's Lumber Mill. The famous 1929 Depression caught him jobless and, with the tough times, we lived in it unfinished for several years. Meanwhile I attended the now extinct Dillenbaugh School from which passing the State Exams were a must to enter high school. In 1934 Jenniebelle was killed by a car while crossing the highway. Of the others, at present Homer is in Mesa, Arizona, Bessie Towner in Olympia and Hubert on Whidbey Island. In high school I met my future husband, Preston Wendling. He graduated before I did and sailed to Alaska to make his "fortune". After a few years of correspondence, he sent for me and we were married in Anchorage in 1940. Although we came "outside" to the States (Alaska was a Territory at the time) during World War II until it ended, all three of the Wendling children were born in Anchorage Deena Bea during the War and Juanita Dean and Sylvan Duane after it. Our trip back to Alaska by ship after the war was a rough one with the deck we were on being flooded and we had to change staterooms - so we decided we didn't care for ocean voyages. We returned to Chehalis in 1952 by way of the Alaska Highway and a tent. One morning there were fresh bear and deer tracks on the site. Another night the wind blew so hard we had to take down the tent and leave about 1 :30 A.M. On arrival in Chehalis Dad sold us the home place and moved next door. The next years were spent in raising our family and working - Preston at various jobs - chef, logging and at the Post Office. I stayed with clerking, first parttime and then steady, at the Penney store. All three of the children, Deena, Nita and Duane, graduated from Chehalis High School in due time and now have families of their own Scott and Cindy Bernhardt, Troy and Amy Pope, and Matthew and William Wendling respectively - with their own interesting histories to tell. Preston and I are now retired and enjoy traveling when possible (in a trailer now) in spite of other interesting incidents while on the road. PRESTON THOMAS WENDLING I, Preston Thomas Wendling, was born in Tacoma, Washington, June 5,1916. My grandparents, John and Kristine Wendling, came to America September 5, 1905 from Illischestie, Bukawina, Austria, bringing all their six children: Joseph, Jacob, John, Adam, Frank and Annabelle. They lived in Kansas City, Missouri for one year before moving to Lost Valley, near Klaber, to homestead. Their seventh child, Elsie Wendling Quist, was born in Lost Valley in 1912. The rest of his life was spent farming on the property - which is still owned by his descendants, with James Jacob Wendling the third living there now. My dad, Jacob Wendling, married Margaret Blackwood and had three children. In those days his being a foreigner made the whole family foreigners. He was naturalized in 1922 when I, Preston Wendling, was six years old, my sister Sybil Clara was four, and brother James Jacob, Jr. was three. When I was a young child we lived in shacks in the Klaber hop yards and Dad worked there for years. Then he bought property and built a home in Lost Valley, on top of a hill above his dad's place. When I was five years old we moved to the new home. When I was eleven to fourteen years old I worked in the hop yards picking hops, making spray dope, trimming and putting three plants up the strings. Then in a month we used a tall sled to place the hops on the high line. My mother, Margaret, picked hops and learned to wait tables at the home of Margaret Kaufman, sister to Herman Klaber, who had owned the Klaber hop yards. From there she became a waitress at the St. Helens Hotel for many years. In 1929 my parents were divorced and Mother took us three children to Chehalis where I graduated from high school in 1935. In high school I had a girl friend, Beatrice Watkins. When I graduated my mother and new step-dad moved to Homer, Alaska to homestead, taking us children with them. The next spring they split up and Mother and we three children moved to Anchorage. I learned to be a chef in restaurants in Anchorage and in a few years had bought a home. I sent for Beatrice and she accompanied my sister, Sybil, back up to Anchorage where we were married in 1940 in the Episcopal Church. I was Lutheran and she was Baptist and neither church was represented in Anchorage at that time. All three of our children - Deena Bea, Juanita Dean and Sylvan Duane Wendling were born in Anchorage while Alaska was still a Territory. In 1952 we moved to Chehalis and bought a home on what is now called Jackson Highway and still live here. I worked at Yardbirds as a carpenter for several years and at the Post Office in Chehalis until retirement. Our children are all married and have two children each. By Preston Thomas Wendling JACOB AND REGINA (PSCHAIDA) WERB FAMILY Jacob Werb was born December 7, 1873 in Illeschestie, Bukovina (now a part of Romania). 378 (photo): Early Werb Family, c.1913. Jacob and Regina (Pschaida) Werb and first two children, Emma and Louise Werb. Illeschestie was a German settlement in Bukovina. Jacob's parents were Jacob and Louisa (Ast) Werb. Jacob was a cabinet maker, telegraph operator and served in the Army and fought in Turkish campaigns. About 1907 he married Regina Pschaida. She was born January 20,1888 and her parents were Stephan and Katherina Pschaida. Stephan and Katerina were teachers in Bukovina; Stephan a professor of languages and Katherina a home economist. Regina had two sisters, Johanna and Elizabeth, and a brother Edmund. The Russians were becoming powerful in the area and were trying to find Stephan. Hot tea was poured on Regina's hands to make her tell where Stephan was, but she refused to tell. Elizabeth was kidnapped by the Russians and never heard of again. Edmund was drafted into the army and later lived in East Germany. His daughter Helene Pschaida Malek and her five children live in Yugoslavia. Johanna married a Mr. Keller and had two children, a girl and a boy. Jacob and Regina's first daughter, Louise Katherine, was born in Illescheatie (1909). In 1910 Jacob and Regina decided to come to America, bringing Louise and Jacob's sister Caroline. (Two other brothers Fritz and Frantz stayed in Bukovina). They made the voyage on the ship S.S. Cassel, North Germany Lloyd, Bremen. On the boat a wreath of garlic was placed around Louise's neck to ward off any illnesses. However, she almost fell off the boat when she was crawling around. The Werb family was sponsored by the Kipper family in Chehalis, who were originally from lIleschestie. Most newcomers to America didn't speak English and had a difficult time learning the language, but it was easy for Regina. She already spoke Russian, German, Polish, Rumanian, Hungarian and Yiddish. Because she knew so many languages she was called on many times to interpret for customers at the Golden Rule Store (now J.C. Penneys). The family first worked in the Hop fields near Pe Ell. Jacob then worked for the Chehalis Furniture and Manufacturing Co., one of the largest industrial plants in Lewis County which employed about 100 men. after the factory burned down he worked in a furniture factory in Tacoma, and then for the railroad. Regina and Jacob had a large garden with a cow, chickens, rabbit and pigeons which the daughters had to take care of. Regina operated the Cascade Confectionary store for about 11 years on 3rd Street across from the Cascade Grade School in Chehalis. Regina and Jacob had seven children: Louise, Emma, Matilda, Bertha, Harold, Edmund and Howard. Louise, mentioned earlier, married Harvey R. Knizek in 1935 and have three sons: Harvey A., Eugene and Sidney. Emma married John Thornton and have three daughters: Dorothy, Joanne and Barbara. Matilda (Tillie) married Louie Knudsen and have two sons: Arthur and Brice William. Bertha married Bill Monfort and have three sons: James, David and Timothy. Harold died in infancy. Edmund married the former Cora Hanks and have two children: Regina and Michael. Howard married the former Venola Brower and have three children: Kenneth, Janice and Janet. DOLORES L. (PICKENS) WEST My paternal great-great-grandparents were Aaron and Loville Haight, born in N.Y. in the early 1800's. They became Mormons. Their daughter Clarissa was born in Ashtabula, Ohio in 1834. Their westward trek took them to Vallejo. California, where Clarissa married William L. Wood, born in Canada 1832. Grandmother, Emma E. Wood, was born there in 1866. The Haight and Wood families moved to Polk County, Oregon to be near Burbank cousins and the beautiful red-haired Emma married an extremely handsome bricklayer named William W. Pickens. His parents George W. and Mary Ann (Williams) Pickens Jr. were born in the 1830's in Towanda and Bradford, Pennsylvania. George and Abigale (Boice) Pickens Sr. migrated to Lawrence, Kansas. Most of their families stayed in that area, but George Jr. moved his family to Towanda, Kansas, after his Civil War duty, and there he died in a well in 1877. His wife Mary had left her parents Daniel and Laura William (b. Wales 1796) in Pennsylvania and wanted to return there, but her 26 year-old son William persuaded her to come out west where she homesteaded in about 1890 near Sandy, Oregon. William's younger brother married Emma's sister Mattie and the two families raised many children there. The homestead is still in the family, a tribute to Mary Ann Pickens who died in 1898. (photo): William and Emma (Wood) Pickens and son James, 1908 My grandparents relocated near Coulterville, California where my father James L. Pickens was born in 1904. Today, at 81, after years of wandering and searching for something he couldn't find, he lives in his beloved Trinity Mountains of California, the last of his large family. My mother, Jeanette "Lavinia" Freeman came from a solid block of Montana pioneers. She was 16 when she married dad there in 1929. Her parents, William and Ethel (Cates) Freeman, were born there in the early 1880's. Greatgrandfather Jacob Freeman had left Kentucky during the Civil War to mine at Alder Gulch. He married Jeanette Porter, a red-haired school teacher, whose parents William and Elizabeth (Honeyman) Porter and her paternal grandparents, Richard and Grace (Rocket) Porter and their other sons left England to settle in Montana. Jeanette's maternal grandparents are said to have arrived from Ireland. Their names were O'Brien. My maternal grandmother was very tiny. She had 21 pregnancies but had to bury many other babies, including a set of triplets. Her father, John Marion Cates, was born in Illinois in 1850, the son of Tennesseeans William and Lavesta Jane (Johns) Cates (who died early). John married Bettie S. Bryant from Scooba, Mississippi in 1877 and they and his father's new family sailed up the Missouri river on the "Red Cloud" to Fort Benton. Later they all moved on to Victor, Montana. The depression of the 1930's caused my parents to move to the fruit picking camps in the Yakima Valley. My grandparents unhappily left Montana, too. I was born there during the great flood. In about 1940 my parents moved us six children to Tenino. Dad was a coal miner for awhile. After much traveling I married Perry A. West, the son of Clarence and Cora Mae (Estes) West. Our daughter Gay Lynne married Glenn B. Warren and they and their 4 sons, Gerald, Gregg, Grant and Geoffrey live in Rochester. Daughter Tracy Jane lives with husband Thomas Nielsen, Jr. in Centralia. Our son Wade is 15 and attends W.F. West in Chehalis. By Delores Pickens West CARRIE SPRINGER WEST FAMILY My name is Carrie Springer West, and I was born August 8, 1909, as the eighth child of the nine children of Luther Manderville Springer and Anna Belle Buck Springer. At age 13 my mother came from Maine to Centralia with her family in 1882, and they homesteaded in the upper Lincoln Creek Valley. My father also came from Maine and settled at Lincoln Creek about 1880. After they were married, my parents continued to live at Lincoln Creek, where the first seven of their children were born. When mama's labor pains began announcing my imminent arrival, Dad loaded her in the buckboard and traveled 14 miles over dirt road to Centralia, where I was born at my aunt and uncle's house on Washington Avenue. >From Lincoln Creek we moved to South Bay at Olympia when I was about five. I walked three miles to school my first year. From Olympia we moved to a farm at Shoestring Valley between Onalaska and Cinebar. After two years there, we moved to Prindle Street in Chehalis, where I lived until I was married. On April 8, 1925, I married Charles Henry West, a logger who also came from Lincoln Creek and who was born April 8, 1900, at Winlock. Charlie's father, James Henry West, and mother, Martha Koons West, had settled in Lincoln Creek about 1915 after having lived in the Winlock area for many years. They were both raised there. 379 When Charlie and I were first married we lived in Galvin and he continued working in the woods. Our first child, Delbert Charles, was born at Galvin in 1926, at home, with Dr. Toothaker in attendance. We moved from Glavin to a large place at Lost Valley near Klaber in 1928. We farmed the cleared ground with horses and raised cattle, chickens and pigs. We had no electricity or running water. There was no road from the Lost Valley Road about a mile away to our house at the top of the hill. Life was hard. WPA workers built a road to our place in the 1930's. Our house was of handhewn cedar logs, it burned in 1933, after which we had to live in a converted chicken house for awhile and then in a rough-board shack. Our second child, Leslie Earl, was born in 1928 in the old log house with Doc Stevens of Doty in attendance. The rest of our five children, Betty Jean, LeRoy James and Lois Joyce, were born while we lived at Lost Valley. During the depression years, we survived by selling timber off our place for $1.25 per thousand, by selling wood at $3 for a 1 1/2 cord load and by raising our own food. In 1945 we moved to PeEll, where we lived for the next 30 years or so. Charlie continued to log and operate a sawmill, with some farming on the side. Charlie died in 1972, and I sold the farm and moved to Doty in 1976, where I now live. HENRY WILLIAM WESTERBACK Henry moved to the Winlock area with his parents, Matt and Selma Westerback, in 1913 when he was 5 years old. (photo): Henry William Westerback He started first grade at the Lakecreek School near Curtis, approximately three and one-half miles from the Westerback home. During bad weather Henry and his sisters Ellen and Fannie were kept home because the trail was steep and slippery. It was a wet, stormy day when the superintendent of schools decided to visit the Westerback home to see why the children were absent so often. After slipping and sliding up the wet trail to their home, she knew why they were not in school. She decided that a school was needed for the children living on Buckhorn Hill. Mr. Toregerson, a local resident, donated an acre of land for the new school. The Torgerson School, which opened in the fall of 1915, was only a two-mile walk for the Wester back children. Henry missed so much school his first year that he had to repeat the first grade. Sally, his 5year-old sister, started with him, but she was so shy that the teacher thought it would be better if she stayed home another year. Henry kept thinking of all the fun she must be having at home and thought of all kinds of ways to get even with her. During the winter of 1984 Henry was very ill and Sally came to take care of him. She told him "I've waited 70 years for this. Now I have you where I want you!" As a second grader, Henry wanted to ask his teacher a question. He raised his hand, snapped his fingers, and called out, "Hey, Teacher." His teacher did not appreciate this form of address and told him he was not to snap his fingers and that her name was Miss Auld, not Teacher. At age 12 Henry went to work (earning 75cents a day) for a neighbor who was putting in 16 acres of strawberries. After a time Henry had $50 coming, but the man did not have the money to pay him so gave him a cow instead. Henry was a very proud young man when he came home leading a cow. When he was 15 Henry went to work for the Washington Fir Co. on the section. His boss was Mike Blum, one of the nicest bosses he has ever had. Later Henry worked as a whistle punk for the Cooper Bros. At that time he was called Henry, Hank, or Bill. A lady who knew him by Hank asked him to deliver a message to Henry. She was worried that the message wasn't delivered until her husband told her that Hank and Henry were the same person. Henry married Alena Janhunen in November of 1959. He was working for Weyerhaeuser in the Raymond area at that time. A serious logging accident in the early 60's forced him to retire. The Westerbacks now reside in Kelso where Alena has been in a nursing home for the last three and one-half years. Henry spends his time visiting his wife and tending his beautiful flowers. By Carleen Lee MATT AND SELMA (MAKI) WESTERBACK Matt Westerback and Selma Maki were in their early twenties when they immigrated to the United States from their native Finland. They met and were married in Ishpeming, Michigan. The year was 1903, and they were both 24 years old. Shortly after their marriage, Matt and Selma moved to Wyoming where Matt worked in the coal mines. During the next few years Matt's work took them from one coal mining town to another in the Utah-Wyoming area. Children born during those years included: Ellen, 1904; Fannie, 1906; Henry, 1908; Selma (Sally), 1910; and Elizabeth (Betty), 1913. In 1913 Selma's declining health forced the family to move away from the coal mining country. Friends had moved to the Winlock area, so Matt and Selma decided to move there also. After arriving by train from Wyoming, the family lived in a rented house in Winlock until a house was built on the property they had bought on Buckhorn Hill northwest of Winlock. Their 80 acres were covered with the stumps left after the old-growth timber had been logged. They had to clear their land by hand. This was done by charring the stumps and then grubbing out the remaining roots by hand. Eventually, about 30 acres were cleared in this manner. Matt was a miner and a bricklayer, but he wasn't a farmer. It was Selma, the farm girl from (photo): Matt and Selma Westerback, 1903 Finland, who knew how to raise crops and take care of livestock. They kept about 10 head of dairy cattle, raised hay, grain, and a large garden which included root crops such as potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, and carrots. Fruit trees included prunes and several varieties of apples. Children born after the move to Winlock included: Arne, 1915; Hilda, 1917; and Lydia, 1919. Matt worked as a bricklayer and logger after moving away from the mines. He didn't like logging because of the rain. He said it never rained in the mines. When their first Christmas in Washington arrived, Ellen, Fannie, and Henry decided to decorate a Christmas tree. (Trees were a novelty to them.) They took labels off tin cans and tied the cans to a tree in the woods. Their father, on his way home from a week in a logging camp, saw the glittering tree in the moonlight. He did not know what it was and it must have started him because the next day, after investigating the strange phenomenon, he made them take it down. In February of 1922 the Westerback home burned leaving the family with only the clothes on their backs. They spent a couple of nights with neighbors and then moved into a vacant house next to their place where they lived until their new home was built. People in the area donated food, clothes, and household items to help the family through the crisis. The family lived a long way from medical care so Selma had to doctor her children by whatever means available. She made her own cough syrup from cherry bark and used other first aid items such as iodine, Lysol, and carbolic acid. She treated the family for major and minor illnesses and kept Ellen, Henry, and Sally from bleeding to death following separate accidents with axes. Selma died December 15, 1928, the day before her fiftieth birthday. Sally, who was working in Seattle, came home to help take care of the family. Lydia was only 9 years old, Hilda was 11, and Arne was 12. Because Selma had always taken care of stocking up for the winter, the girls did not do the canning they should have and, consequently, the winter of 1929-30 was very lean. After that Betty took charge of the canning and, once again, every 380 jar was filled with fruit, vegetables, and meat. Henry bought a pressure canner to aid in the canning process. The depression years were hard, but the family always had enough to eat. The girls made sure plenty of food was put away for winter, and Henry's hunting prowess kept meat on the table. Eventually, the family grew up and left home. Sally had married Carl Cook in 1937 and was living near Napavine. After spending the winter of 1938-39 alone, Matt decided to move close to her. He built a small house on three acres of land next door to Sally's place and lived there until his death, from cancer, September, 1959, at age 80. All the Wester back children are still living except Ellen who died in 1949 at her trading post home on Lake Iliamna in Alaska. They still reminisce about their happy childhood and the good times they had growing up on Buckhorn Hill. By Carleen Lee LOYD EUGENE WHATLEY FAMILY Loyd Eugene Whatley and Eunice Marie Myers was married in Ft. Smith, Ark. on March 20,1936. He spent three years in the Navy during World War II. He was discharged Oct. 8, 1945 and returned to Moffett, Okla. the home of his father and mother, Grover C. and Berta Z. Whatley. Work was scarce there, so he went to Longview, Wash. arriving June 1, 1946 and went to work for the Weyerhaeuser Company. Marie came on July 30th. Their children: EI Duane (9 yrs. old) and Callie Lavelle (6 yrs.) came in September of 1946. (photo): Loyd E. Whatley Family In the Spring of 1947 they bought a place west of Longview on Willow Grove Road and lived there until 1952. Gene Mark was born there on May 26,1952. They moved to Anniston, Ala. in June 1952 and moved back to Longview in June 1954. They moved to Toledo, Wa. June 15, 1962, buying a place from Gaylon Brown, three miles east of Toledo on Highway 505. Gene continued working for Weyerhaeuser. He started Toledo Auto Wreckers in 1946, leaving Marie to manage it with the help of Mark, who graduated from high school in 1970. He started Whatley's Auto Sales and sold used cars until he retired in 1977, following a heart attack July 4th. He sold the busjness and 20 acres of land to Robert Tovar in 1978. He built a new house on the remaining 20 acres, where he and Marie reside at this time. El Duane married Thelma Jean Lydic, Oct. 7,1955 in Longview. They have four children; Wendy, born May 26, 1957 in Portland, Ore., Sherry born Nov. 12, 1961 and Brenda born Oct. 1, 1963 in Longview. Duane taught in the Longview Schools for 8 years, moving to Toledo in 1965, then to Mossyrock where he was grade school principal for 7 yrs. leaving for Huntington, Ore., in 1978. A son, Jonathan, was born in 1969 in Longview, while Duane was living in Toledo. Wendy graduated from Mossyrock and became Miss Lewis County in 1975. Lavelle married Claude Oulman, May 21,1960 in Portland, Ore. where they now live. They have 8 girls and one boy: Candi, 7-23-61, Holly, 11-16-62, Laurel, 1-31-64, Esther and Erin, 7-27-65, David, 11-25-66, Sandra, 11- ?-68, Tamara, 1-10-73, and Rachel, 6-4-74. Erin has a daughter, Rena Leah, 5-16-1982 and Laurel a son, Joshua Michael, 1-2-85. Gene Mark married Ronda Rogers Mills, June 26, 1981, in Chehalis. They have a son, Patton Ian James, 3-29-84, in Chehalis. Ronda has a son, Jason, 6-15-71, and a daughter, Miranda, 12- 23- 7 4, by a previous marriage to Everett Mills. Ronda is the daughter of Kermit and Phyllis Rogers of Onalaska, Wa. By Loyd E. Whatley WHEALDONS AND REMLEYS The Whealdons and Remleys came in a covered wagon. They arrived first in the Oregon Territory. The people in said territory would not let them stay because they had a black scout who also was their driver. This group was very fond of him and, since the Oregon Territory settlers were unfriendly, they left for the Washington Territory. The driver's name was George Washington. He was a fine citizen of the Centralia area who worked very hard. Later he donated the property where the Centralia library was located near the park. The Remleys and Whealdons, cousins, came to Centra Ii a in 1800's. The Whealdon's house became the Gowman Florist on 1st Street. They wrote to my grandparents, Eliza Jane and John Hiram Field, telling them how much they liked "Centerville", later renamed Centralia. My grandfather was about ready to retire, so decided to take his wife Belle, and his children, John Anthony, Cyrus, Frank, Laura Belle, and Ella out to the west. They came in 1888. Aunt Ella entered Centralia High School. Laura Belle (my mother) had a few years to finish but when she saw the school she thought it looked so different from her former schools in Illinois that she did not want to finish. Later one of the Rem1eys was on the school board. My father, Joseph Edward Lease, known as "J.E." to his friends came to Centralia as principal of the high school in May, 1889. He was from Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. He had graduated from Leechberg Academy. On May 14, 1895, Joseph Edward Lease married Laura Belle Field in Centra1ia. In 1902 J.E. Lease and John Anthony Field organized the Field and Lease Bank and operated it for 15 years. They sold the bank to Albert Smith and Associates, who changed the name to First Guaranty Bank. J.E. Lease served a term in the state legislature in 1917. He was a member of the Board of Regents for the University of Washington. He was also a member of the governor's advisory tax commission. In 1930 J.E. Lease died, survived by his wife Laura Belle and only daughter Charlotte Ellen Lease. Ella Field attended millinery school in Seattle and afterward she opened and operated a shop in Centralia, where she sold hats and apparel. When the next generation came (John and Eliza Field) they could not find a large home for their family, so grandfather decided to buy the Centralia Hotel where he stayed until a house was found later. The Joseph Edward Lease family home was 402 North Rock Street. By Charlotte Ellen Lease Taylor VIRGINIA STILTNER WHEELER In order for the descendants of the Grant Stiltner family to know something of their roots, I, Virginia Stiltner Wheeler am writing this. I was born April 23, 1907 in Jumbo, West Virginia, half way between Diana and Webster Springs, the county seat of Webster. The post office is no longer there. My mother Sena Clevinger Stiltner was born June 15, 1889 at the same location. Her father, Joseph C. Clevinger, son of Polly Stiltner Clevinger and John Clevinger, was born Jan. 12, 1858 in Grundy, Buchanan County, Virginia, and her mother Virginia Perdew Clevinger was born Nov. 6,1860 in Wyoming County, West Virginia. Her father's name was Nathan Perdew and her mother was Sally Sizemore. My father, mother and I, with my mother's mother, and brothers came to Rainey Valley, now called Glenoma, in March 1908. Grandpa Joe and son Dow had preceded them the fall of 1907, and Grandpa had purchased an 80 acre farm where he and Grandma farmed the rest of their lives. My father being a logger found work in Morton, where he lived until his death in August 1949. His father, Franklin, mother Anna Cutlix Stiltner, and sister Donna Stiltner joined Grant and brother John in Morton in 1916, shortly followed by brothers, Edward, Bert, Samuel and McKinley. After several years of falling timber, Grant became a school bus owner and driver, for by that time he had several children in the Morton school. Eventually his family consisted of six sons and six daughters. One boy died as an infant and one in a woods accident when he was twenty. During World War II he was a security guard for the Army Engineers at the Ballard locks in Seattle. When World War II began, 3 sons entered the service where they proudly served their country, all of them overseas more than 19 months each. With the war over they found their niches. Clifford, the eldest, retired from the civil Air Force and now lives in Centra1ia. Jesse retired as chief of police from the Sunnyside, Washington police force. He lives in Olympia. Forrest, after years as deputy state fire marshal in California, retired to Morton. Ronald retired from the State Highway Department in Chehalis. My sisters, Ann, Mabel, Mary Lee, Carmen, and Jean, married, raised families and live in Lewis and Pierce counties. As we entered the sunset years a. few of us found we had some talent. Writing poetry. I have had several poems published in the Tacoma News Tribune, an anthology of poetry in the Library of Congress, some in literary magazines, newspapers and two have won awards and prizes. Clifford, Ann and Jean have had some of their poems published. We suppose we inherited this ability from our grandmother Anna Stiltner's uncle, A.J. Howell, who was called the blind poet of West Virginia. 381 I cannot close this biography without mention ing that my great-grandfather, Frederick Stiltner served in the Civil War on the side of the north while his two nephews, Bob and Louis Clevinger were Confederate soldiers. All three served that deadliest conflict. We are descended from Frederick Stiltner who was in the Revolutionary War and it is said he was related to Frederick the Great, King of Germany. In hopes that this may aid whoever chooses to trace their family roots, this is gratefully submitted. WILLIAM HENRY AND MARY ETTA RHODES WHITEMAN William Whiteman (my father) was born in 1885 in Lawrence County, Illinois. He came to Washington with his parents around 1903. Mary Etta Rhodes was born in 1888 in Boistfort, Washington Territory. They were married at Boistfort on June 7, 1907. (photo): Wm. Henry and Mary Etta Rhodes Whiteman c. 1948 After their marriage, they lived in Aberdeen for about a year. They then returned to Boistfort and purchased farm land from her parents where they built a home and farmed for a few years. They then sold it and moved to Montana. The irrigated farm there did not produce a decent living so they returned to Lewis County. They settled on a "stump ranch" above Lincoln Creek where they developed enough acreage to live on while he worked in the woods - a fairly common experience in those days. I am the eldest of their six children and was born at Boistfort, as were Leslie and Vera (Mrs. Claude Lee). Lee, Doris (Mrs. Cecil Farley), and Thelma (Farley Cummings) were born in Montana. Leslie died in 1978, Lee in 1977. The rest have remained in Washington except that I was already married when they returned here and went East with my husband, returning here in 1939. The folks' house burned down in 1947, and they moved into Centralia where they remained until their deaths in 1960 - my father in January and Mother in December. They are buried in Mt. View Cemetery in Centralia. By Irma Whiteman McNair REV. EZRA LEROY WHISLER Ezra LeRoy Whisler, son of Levi and Martha Jean Whisler, was born in Unionville, Iowa, on October 11, 1881. His mother died in 1890, at the early age of 38 years, leaving his father with five children to raise. (photo): Rev. Ezra and Martha J. Whisler In 1895 his father moved to Colorado, and later to Idaho. In the fall of 1901 Ezra moved to Portland, where on November 27 he married Sarah Ellen Hamilton. Here they worshipped with a few members of the Church of the Brethren, who were living in the Portland area. After short employment in both Newberg, Oregon, and Elma, Washington, they moved to Centralia in 1902. Here he, with other members of his family, built a mill, manufacturing building materials and finish lumber. A Church of the Brethren had been organized here a short time before. In 1911 the church elected him to the deacon's office, and in 1912 licensed him to preach. In the spring of 1913 they were ordained. Feeling the need for more preparation for the ministry, they, with their two children, went to Chicago and enrolled in the fall term at Bethany Bible School. Pearl, 9, was enrolled in grade school and Rose, 4, in kindergarten. Both Ezra and Ellen enrolled in classes and assisted in mission responsibilities engaged in by Bethany. By December, on a Monday morning, both Ezra and Ellen experienced a definite spiritual message, telling them to return home. Not knowing why, but both felt a definite direction in this decision. At home they became very active in a commitment to home missions, having services at the Lewis County Poor Farm, located near Chehalis, and also at the Fords Prairie School. A mission building was established on a back street in downtown Centralia, near a saloon. The service would start on the street corner and continue on to the building near by for the service. Young Pearl played the street organ for this street meeting. In the spring of 1917, through the efforts of Mrs. Fannie McFadden, Ezra was invited to come to Mossyrock to hold services. Services were held at "the little church on the plank road" near Ajlune. This no doubt proved to be the fulfillment of the "call" felt by both Ezra and Ellen to go home to accept this opportunity of ministry. The ministry of Rev. and Mrs. Whisler in this eastern Lewis County community of Ajlune was a growing spiritual experience and he continued to share the "good news" wherever there was opportunity, including the local Indians. In 1918 the present Richland Valley Church of the Brethren was built. The original building has had extensive remodeling. In August of 1919 the church was officially organized with 30 charter members. RV. Whisler had a total of nearly 42 years in the ministry when he died in December 1954. He had retired from pastoral duties in 1953. But in the absence of a pastor he preached the Sunday before his passing. More details of his ministry in eastern Lewis County is given in the book, "The Shepherd of the Cowlitz", which is his autobiography with an exposition by Geraldine Eller, a Wenatchee writer. Copies of the book have been given to both the Chehalis and Centralia libraries by his daughters, Mrs. Bud (Pearl) Rea and Mrs. Bill (Rose) McGee, both residing in the Mossyrock area. By Mrs. WD. McGee DAVID WHITE FAMILY David and Mary Ann (Metzger) White have three teenage children and devote their time and efforts to schools, farming, travel and youth activities such as sports and 4-H. The children were all born in Chehalis and their names are Neil, Scott and Wendy and all attend Centralia schools. The Seminary Hill Highlanders 4.H Club has met at the White's house for over ten years. The entire family is found at numerous sports events whether members be in the stands, in the band, or on the playing field or playing floor. The family has taken numerous vacations together. These have been mostly trips to California, Arizona, and Hawaii in search of warmth and sunshine. An occasional hike to Packwood Lake, on the beach or into the Olympics are family favorites. The family farming efforts are divided between two parcels, one on Seminary Hill, east of Centralia, and another next to David's parents property west of Chehalis near Meskill. David was born in Chehalis, attended Boistfort Schools and graduated from Centralia College and the University of Washington. Mary Ann is a graduate of Washington State University and the University of Puget Sound and both are teachers. Mary Ann is currently teaching gifted students in the Centralia Schools and David has worked at Centralia College for nearly twenty years. Mary Ann, born in Elma, is the daughter of Carl and Leola (Tinnerstet) Metzger and was raised in the Wynoochee Valley. David's ancestors were Lewis County Pioneers and have been in the county for over 120 years. David's mother is Julia (Christin) White and lives near Meskill. David's father, Henry White, passed away in 1980. Julia and Henry have two daughters, Betty (White) Neumeier and Alice (Billie White) Forth, in addition to their son, David. Henry also has another daughter, Catherine (White) Heay. Julia's parents were August and Philomene (Desplantes) Christin who immigrated from France about 1900 and later settled in Meskill. Julia (Christin) White had nine brothers and sisters, several of whom raised their families in this area. Alice (Christin) Hoover is one of these sisters and Stephanie (Christ in) DeSpain was also a sister. Henry's parents were Daisy (Rayton) and Oscar White. Henry's brother and two sisters died before they had any children. Henry's children were, therefore, Daisy (Rayton) and Oscar White's only grandchildren. Henry's closest relatives were his cousins and through them David is related to the Deterings, Toporkes, Barrs, Duncans, Wisners, Staffords, Orloskes, Bergs, Roses, Muellers, Watts, Cabes, Beabers, Middaughs, Rays, Sickles, Clarks and the Jones to name some. These are in addition to the Whites, Raytons, and Blacks. Daisy was the daughter of pioneers Angeline (Smith) and John Rayton. John located in the Chehalis Valley in 1865. Oscar White was the 382 son of Rachel (Black) and Francis White. Rachel was the daughter of Sarah (Jay) and Jonathan Black (1823-1903). Francis (Frank) White was the son of Benjamin F. White. Angeline (Smith) Rayton was the daughter of Lucy (Cline) and John Parshall Smith. With this information, David and Mary Ann's children can trace back six generations of county residents. WHITED FAMILY I am Ivy Whited Koher, the fifth child of Emore Esthelson Edward Whited and Angeline Prince Whited. I was born in a decrepit, homesteader's house, February 6, 1914. Two ladies from Johnson Creek Lumber Company (above our place) attended my birth. My brother was born there in 1911 and Milo in 1916. My mother was born in the Skookumchuck Valley in 1878. Her father, Jonathon Davis Prince (born in 1839, Tennessee) homesteaded there in the late 1860's. He came across the plains from Missouri with his widowed mother, two brothers and three sisters in 1849 via a wagon train. He built a large farmhouse, where the first school was held upstairs and later used for dancing. He married Rebecca Anna Strimple (born in Illinois, 1856) at his brother William's place, February 1876. To this union were born eleven children: Iola, Ernest, Myrtella, Mabel, Charlie, Ralph, Lelia, Jesse and Harold. Two sons died. He gave homes, with about forty acres of land, to his first four children when they married, then provided for the others in a will, dated January 6, 1906. He died about three months later. My mother was playing organ in church when father first met her. They were married January 1903. Father was born in California March 1872. Artie Rebecca was born October 1903 on the place that Grandpa had given to Mother. Clarence was born there also February 20, 1906. Father persuaded Mother to sell out and move on a farm near Centralia. Warren was born there November 1907. Their next move was to buy a hundred-acre farm on Johnson Creek, a tributary of Skookumchuck River. My father's sister Satilla and her husband Esthelson Johnson had earlier homesteaded below our place. My sister and older brothers attended school in a cookhouse at the millsite and also went to a new school, (Johnson Creek School) built by the lumber company. I went to that school for two years before they consolidated with Stony Point. I received my eighth grade diploma, then rode nine miles to Tellino on a bus. I walked over two miles each morning and night to ride the bus. I graduated from Tenino High School, as did Artie and Milo. My two older brothers quit school to fall and buck timber, for they could make bigger wages doing that. I married Lee Wharton, from Tacoma, in Chehalis 1936. We spent years owning and managing riding and training stables in Washington and Oregon. Four children were born to us: Violet Elaine Puccio, Centralia; Loren Lee, Rochester; Doreen Ivy Johnson, Snohomish; and Richard Leroy, Issaquah. In the 1950's and 1960's we lived in Lewis County and our children went to Rochester schools. Lee worked in the woods; sometimes driving cat, or logging truck or running donkey. During that time I worked in a poultry plant, hospital and a nursery. After Richard graduated from high school, Lee and I were divorced. In November 1979, I married Ralph L. Koher, whose family was pioneers of Lewis County up the Cowlitz. Weare retired and living near Centralia. We enjoy gardening, traveling with our fifth wheel trailer and-ballroom (photo): Whited Family. L to R: Elmore, Iola, Artie, Clarence, Warren, Calvin, Ivy, and Milo. dancing. Ralph likes to do woodworking and I like to sew. We keep busy and very happy. Artie (deceased) was married twice, first to Hubert Horst. Their children were Maca Hill Smith, Vernon, and Marie Fesler. They first lived on Johnson Creek, then she divorced and moved to Waunch Prairie, Centralia, and lived there for about eight years. Clarence married Susannah Picher O'Neal in 1938 and they lived in Centralia. They had one daughter, Barbara Rabbitt, who lives in California. From 1942 until 1946, he had a mill in Centralia. In 1947, he remodeled the old armory and had an implement shop which he sold in 1950. In 1943, he bought a ranch of 593 acres, up the Skookumchuck. He commuted from ranch to Centralia after 1950. His wife died in 1956, then a couple years later he built a home on the ranch. In 1961, he was cattleman of the year for Thurston County. He sold his ranch to Agnew Enterprises. Now he is living in a very good, large travel trailer; stays the winter in the South, summers in Eastern Washington and the rest of the time in Centralia. Warren married Tennessee (Tina) Smith (from Cowlitz area) in 1928. They moved around a lot as Warren followed his work, in the logging industry. In 1942 until 1950, they owned a place on Waunch Prairie, then they moved to California. Now they live in a nice, large travel trailer where they live South in the Winters and North in the summer. They raised six children: Nina (deceased); Warren Leon, Tenino; Iola Walters, Seattle; Leland, (deceased) Shirley and Donald, California. Calvin farmed, had a wood yard in Tacoma three years, a tie mill, and sawmill, also did road construction. In 1938, he married Lois Read from North Dakota and bought a farm at Mckenna. In 1948 they bought five quarter sections of land in North Dakota, that he farmed. He sold his home and his land in 1978 and moved to Eastern Washington, where they have a lovely home bordering the Columbia River. Their two children are Dale and Linda Robbins, and they live nearby. Milo married Joy Abrahamson in 1939, when her son, Ronald was about two months old. They had two children. David and Roberta Saunders. David lives in Oregon and Roberta, Olympia. Milo was an inventor, a heavy equipment operator and mechanic. They moved around a lot and were living in Portland, when he was killed in a freak accident at work, age 37. My parents moved to Centralia (Waunch Prairie) in 1947. They finished their lives there. Elmore died in 1962 - Iola in 1966. WILLIAM J. AND EMILY BIXBY WHITEMAN William Jackson Whiteman, my paternal grandfather, was born in Clinton County, Illinois, in 1848. Grandma was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1853. To their marriage were born nine children, all in the state of Illinois. When they moved out to Washington, four came with them, namely: William Henry, (my father), Lela, Ivy, and Ethel. Molly and Hattie, being married, remained in Illinois. Edward and Jennie had died in early childhood. Their son Thomas also brought his family out here. The family lived in the Gray's Harbor area before moving to the Wildwood area where they settled on a farm, remaining there the rest of their lives. Daughter Ethel married Ben Crocker who owned a farm across the river. Both properties are now one farm, owned by the Crockers' descendants. Grandma died in 1917 and Grandpa in 1920. They are buried in the Boistfort Cemetery. When I visited them, we drove by horse and buggy over partly puncheon and partly corduroy roads. With towering trees on both sides, I was always thinking maybe a bear or cougar would appear, but none ever did. Grandpa's long beard was a curiosity to me as the other Grandpa had only a moustache. By Irma Whiteman McNair JOHN E. AND FRANCES WICKERT FAMILY John E. and Frances (England) Wickert are almost native to Lewis County. Frances was born in Winlock and John was three years old when he moved here with his family from Wisconsin in 1908. John's parents were William and Margaret Wichert. Some of the children were born here, but altogether the family consisted of Anne, Margaret, John, Thressa, Pete and Emery. William's brother Otto and his family came west at the same time. There were several cousins that stayed in this area after growing up and marrying here. The fathers were blacksmiths and machinists. They secured jobs with the M.T. O'Connell Lumber Company. William 383 (photo): John E. and Frances Wickert Family worked on the logging train, and in 1913 he was killed in an accident. At that time, a small Industrial Insurance Policy was their only means of support. All of the children helped out as soon as they were old enough. Anne died, leaving a daughter Frances, who was raised by the family. Most all of the children graduated from high school and John went on to graduate from Centralia Business College. Their mother was very proud. Originally the name was spelled Wichert, and the uncle's family kept that spelling. The children in John's family didn't like being called 'Witchert' at school, so they changed the spelling to 'Wickert', and the whole family converted to that spelling. It is an easy way to tell which branch of the family the name is from. Margaret, (Maggie) married Adolph Henriot of Cowlitz Prairie, and they lived on a farm near the Cowlitz Mission. They had two daughters, Jeanne and Mary Lou. Jeanne married Herbert Tausher of Centralia. They had three children. Mary Lou has been married and divorced. She had no children. Adolph died in 1946 and in 1947 Maggie married J.H. England of Winlock. Pete never married. He worked in logging all of his working years. Pete looked after his mother until her death in 1960. He returned to Winlock to spend his retirement years. Thressa married Lynn Morgan of Winlock. They had three children, William, Patrick, and Janet. Lynn died in 1959 and Thressa in 1976. Emery married Hazel Omeg of Toledo. They had five children, Edward, Gary, John Emery, Timothy, and Terry Lee. Emery worked for the State Highway Department. Frances married Robert Martin of Winlock, and they lived there. They had two children, Thomas and Peggy. They were divorced. John went to work for the Ford Motor Company of Winlock after graduating from college. When they moved out of town, he went to work for the England Lumber Co. and remained there until it burned in 1951. He then worked for Wood Products Corporation of Chehalis. His last few years before retirement were at the Centralia Plywood Mill. Frances England went to work full time at the England Lumber Company Office after she graduated from high school in 1941. She and John Wickert were married in 1942. They were both employed there until the mill burned. Frances knew this was the right time to start her family, and at three year intervals, Evelyn, Jan and Charley were born. All three graduated from Winlock High School with honors. Charley and Jan went on to graduate from Centralia College and Central Washington University at Ellensburg. Jan's degree was in Medical Techlogy and Charley's in Business Administration. Evelyn (Evie) married James Wheeler of Winlock and they had two children, Heather and Nick. They live in Winlock. Jan married Patrick Ambiel of California, an orthopedic physician's assistant. They live in Astoria. They have two children, Tiffany and Christopher. Charley married Susan Siler of Onalaska, and they live in Chehalis. Charley works for KMart and Susan works at the Lewis County Courthouse. By J. Backman EDWARD AND "IVAN" WIDELL Edward August and Wesley Oiva "Ivan" Widell were born in a log cabin in the Lincoln Creek area. Ed was born November 11, 1909, Ivan June 5,1913. They farmed with their parents until their parents' deaths and then continued to farm until 1977 when they retired but remained living on the farm. Their parents were Leander and Mary Lydia Widell. Leander married Mary Lydia Lehtimaki (Ellison) August 20, 1895. Leander was born in 1871 in Finland. His father, John Lepisto, came from Finland to Michigan. He changed their name to Widell because there were so many Lepisto's in that area. Widell was the name of a logging company. Lydia was born in 1873 in Finland. Her first husband, Lehtimaki, was killed in a coal mine. She then ran a boarding house. After Leander and Lydia were married they homesteaded in Minnesota but became disillusioned because there were so many rocks. They moved to Seattle where Leander worked in a mill before moving to a farm in the Lincoln Creek area. Leander died in 1940 and Lydia in 1948. Leander and Lydia had eleven children. The oldest daughter, Hilda, went by Widell but her father was Lehtimaki. The first four children, Hilda, Lillian, Elma Geraldine, and Ben were born in Minnesota. Eino John was born in Seattle. The remaining children were born on the Lincoln Creek farm, twins Fred Jalmer and Edna, Edward August, Wesley Oiva "Ivan", Vivian Myrtle, and Art Ewalt. By Barbara Geist WILBER FAMILY'S LONG WINTER IN WINLOCK It was by choice that Lewis County became our home in 1956. We are Eugene C. and Phyllis E. Wilber, originally from Iowa and veterans of World War II. (photo): Gene Wilber Family (photo): Phyllis and Gene Wilber Our home had been a remote homestead in south central Idaho, where we lived for seven years as desert pioneers. This was under the auspices of the Veterans Administration through the Bureau of Land Management. Some winters we lived and worked in Twin Falls until time for spring work. Just before Christmas in 1955, the Byron Taber's invited us to Winlock for the winter. Gene fortunately got a job on an egg delivery route for Bill Allegre. In a few weeks we went back to Idaho to have our fifth child and let the two older children finish their school year. During this time Gene was offered a poultry ranch management position near Winlock, so we leased the Idaho farm. By now he had really become acquainted and was attracted and attached to everything about this area. We often remark about our stay here as being "a long winter in Winlock". Actually, it's been quite ideal. Our children are: Candace Wilber Horch, Woodinville, a teacher at Bothell; Gene C. Wilber Jr., Winlock, Lewis County Road Engineer; Julie Wilber Gamewell, Tenino, a pastor's wife and a student at Evergreen College; Renee D. Wilber, Seattle, a teacher in Kirkland, and Mark A. Wilber, Centralia, a distributor for West Coast Grocery Company. All graduated from Winlock High School. Four of them were married at Win lock United Methodist Church which we attended for twenty-five years. There are six granddaughters and two grandsons, born in the years 1969, '71, '72, '72, '74, '76, '81, and '84, respectively they are: Teresa A. Wilber, Richard F. Horch Jr., Jennifer L. Wilber, Phyllis Fae Gamewell, Corynne E. Horch, Zane B. Gamewell, Amanda G. Wilber, and Jillian I. Wilber. During the family's growing-up years we lived southwest of town on a twenty-acre ranch in a five-bedroom house. In 1977, after all were gone we sold the large house and five acres. Then we built our dream house, a split-level retirement home on a scenic hill of the property with a fabulous view of Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens to the front and with a beautiful evergreen panorama all around. 384 After twenty-three years as maintenance director of Winlock schools, Gene has retired. He continues to sing tenor solos for churches, funerals, weddings, installations and Senior Centers in Lewis County and Thurston County and from Everett and Seattle to Salem to San Diego. Currently our membership is in the Salkum Community Church of the Brethren. After license reciprocity from Iowa to Washington, Phyllis resumed work as an active beautician with her own proprietorship at Win lock during all these years. The main hobby since retirement has been travel. In 1985, we flew to Israel and Greece, before that, Washington D.C. and historical eastern states, also visited relatives in Iowa and the Midwest, and attended family reunions in Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. Each winter we take our motor home to the Southwest for a while, taking pleasure in Thousand Trails and Coast to Coast memberships. Plans are eventual leisurely travel around the U.S.A. Other hobbies are - enjoying our family, maintaining a garden, keeping up with changes and additions to the home, entertaining, photography, gathering wood for the fireplace, preserving food, reading and individual collections. We both do volunteer work at Centralia General Hospital. Of sentimental value is this poem by Helen Steiner Rice: THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR The good, green earth beneath our feet, The air we breathe, the good we eat, Some work to do, a goal to win, A hidden longing deep within That spurs us on to bigger things And helps us meet what each day brings, All these things and many more Are things we should be thankful for. . . And most of all our thankful prayers Should rise to God because He cares! DOROTHY (RAMSEY) WILDER I was born on Waunches Prairie in the house my father, James William Ramsey, built around 1903. In 1906 he married my mother, Edith Greenman, and six years later I came along. I lived there many years; while there I met the man I married, Walter Lee Cotten, at a camp meeting in Troutdale, Oregon. My daughter, Esther, was born during my years there, and my father died five months later. Several dairies existed in the area, and my father and his brother Rufus each had one. Uncle Rufus lived on Reynolds Avenue, and we lived on Roanoke and since his son Dale and I were near in age, we were more like brother and sister than cousins. (photo): James William Ramsey with his milk delivery wagon by Centralia train station c. 1930. My Aunt Florence lived near the Skookumchuck River on Pearl Street and tried to take Dale's mother's place after she died. I remember little about my grandfather, William Wallace Ramsey, except that he had been a farmer in Minnesota and lived out his final days here and everyone called him "Uncle Billy". One other sister of my father's remained in Mankato, Minnesota. There were five other children in his family but one sister died at fourteen and the rest were babies. Such was the survival rate in those time. My early memories are of working hard in the fields with my father. Getting up at five in the morning was a way of life; only occasionally on a Sunday afternoon did I enjoy the pleasure of a bit of relaxation. Sometimes it was horseback riding or to see a movie in town. We all worked very hard and sometimes I even had to leave school to go home to help with field work. Even homework had to wait until all chores were done, usually around nine at night. Music was an important part of my life, so it was not surprising that, after graduating from Centralia High School in 1931, I soon began teaching piano and accordion lessons. The past years have seen me teaching students from Toledo, Vader, Boistfort, Mossyrock and Tenino, as well as in the Twin Cities. Some of them have gone far with their music. Two of them, Candace Norberg and Denise Hoffman, used their knowledge of piano in musical presentations in recent Miss Lewis County pageants. Others have become church musicians - both on piano and organ - and some went on to teach. In addition, I have served as church organist for many years in various churches. I like to think I have made some contributions to the community over the past forty years. This area always has been and always will be home to me. IN THE LIFE OF NORMAN WILLARD I am Norman Willard born Sept. 16, 1895, son of Albert and Bertha (Damitz) Willard. My father was the son of Alexander and Emily (Simmons) Willard. My mother was the daughter of Francis and Almarine (Holman) Damitz. Both families lived in Greenbush, Ill. and moved by covered wagons to Lewis County, Washington, when they were both teenagers. When my father and mother married, the Damitz family lived in Pe Ell so my father fixed up a small boarding hotel where they lived and took in boarders. There was no railroad so my father freighted supplies from Chehalis with a wagon and a team of mules. He would come in one day, stay over night at Ben Allender's rooming hotel and drive home the next day with the supplies. Most of his trading was done at the J.D. Rice general merchandise on Chehalis Ave. Some time later my father moved to Chehalis where he worked on the J.T. (Jim) Alexander farm for several years. I was born during that time but at the home of my grandfather on North State Street. My father worked on two other farms before moving to town, the Geisler farm and the Rice farm. Both have been cut up into many small places. Of my father's and mother's families, only two married and had an issue, myself and my sister, Essie Essie was born in Pe Ell in 1890 and married William Alfred Roberts. They had three children, and my sister is still alive at 94 years old. I married Ella Scalf and was married 44 years before she passed away. We had only one child, Norman Willard Jr. He married Darcia Dayton, daughter of Dr. Dayton of Tacoma. My son had three boys and now lives in Lexington, Kentucky. He is a Doctor of Psychology specializing in human resources. When World War I was declared I went into the infantry and spent two years in France. My son spent all of World War II as an officer on an LST; most of it in hostile waters. After World War I, I returned to Chehalis and worked awhile in the Chehalis Depot. In 1920 I went to work in the Chehalis Post Office, where I worked 39 years and then retired as the assistant postmaster; During that time I became, and still am, a member of the Elks, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Veterans of World War I and the Gideons International. In many of them my wife was a member of the auxiliary. I am the oldest living post commander of V.F.W. Post #1007 and am now the chaplain. I worked up through the ranks of World War I and became Commander of the State in 1980 and am now the Quartermaster of the local barracks. After my wife passed away I was single for several years but in 1982 married Alta, the widow of Victor Smith, an old friend. We both have been members of the First Christian Church where I have been an Elder since 1944. We now live in the Keen apartments, which was built on the old high school site where I attended as a member of the class of 1915. IDA PITTMAN WILLRICH A lifetime resident of Lewis County, Ida Pittman was born July 9,1893, in rural Lewis County, near Chehalis. Her parents were Mary Jane Wasson and Lewis Pittman. At her birth, Ida's mother was attended by a mid-wife, an aunt (Mary Jane Wynn). (photo): Ida Pittman Willrich Photo by Jobn Nix The Lewis Pittmans owned a farm home at Ceres, near the Northern Pacific Railroad, which led from Chehalis to the Raymond-South Bend area. She attended a one-room school at 385 Ceres, Washington, through the eighth grade. The school was a wooden building, also near the railroad. She and Rudolph Willrich were married May 22, 1912, at a Baptist Church in Chehalis. He was a building contractor and lumberman. After years of marriage and three children, they were divorced. She was employed at several different jobs during the next period of her life. One was at a furniture store in downtown Chehalis. The first big earthquake happened then, causing the hassocks to all roll out into the middle of the floor. She helped at Mary McCrank's Restaurant doing general housework and in the kitchen. Her very first employment was at the Albert Ray ton farm, doing general housework and in the kitchen with large haying and threshing crews to be fed. Ida belongs to the Westminster Presbyterian Church, The Order of The Eastern Star, and was Mother Advisor of The Order of The Rainbow for Girls, as well as being a member of the Grange at Adna and later at Forest. At age ninety-three years Ida says, "I have three children (Lewis of Spokane, Louise and Margaret near Chehalis), three grandsons and three granddaughters and several greatgrandchildren. At this age I live alone in an apartment at the St. Helen Inn. I manage my own affairs, and I thank God every day of my life that I am able to be so independent. Throughout her lifetime many changes have taken place in the world and Lewis County. We now have telephones, T.V., paved streets and super highways, rural electrification - far different from the puncheon roads, horse and wagon travel and one-room, three or four month schools of early days. VIRGINIA BLANKINSHIP WILLRI CH I remember the 4th of July picnics when we had the store in Morton. Mother always made new dresses for my sister, Mary Lee, and me. I'll never forget my own. It had a big bertha collar trimmed with lace and made out of cream colored dimity. It was a sheer material and I thought I was really dressed up. There would be a parade and a big picnic dinner. Mother had her prize horse so she was always in the parade. There were horses and buggies all decorated with red, white and blue streamers. People came from miles around to the little town which consisted of two buildings. One was our store and the other was Hopgoods with the postoffice. Toward the river was the school and park. This area was eventually called Old Town. In later years my parents moved into the Broadbent house and Mary Lee bought a house from Mrs. Linder. In our store we sold everything, including yardage which was mostly wool serge in navy, brown or black. Mother made me a navy blue skirt, fitted at the top and pleated below, trimmed with three rows of black ribbon. I remember having to press those pleats in. Since the serge was not washable, it had to be dry cleaned with a solution like gasoline. The men had their Sunday suits and wore overalls during the week. The women wore skirts or dresses only. My father had a large team of mules which he hitched to the freight wagon. Then he would go to Chehalis or Tacoma for supplies, taking up to a week for the trip. Mother and I would run the store. There were never any fresh groceries like we find now, but slabs of bacon, hams, flour, sugar and spices. People baked their own bread and made their own lard. (photo): Virginia Blankinsbip Willrich When I was 11 we left Morton and moved to Centralia. When I was 14 we moved to Randle which was a 3-day trip. We had a big wagon filled with our furniture and tied on the back was a horse and cow. My brother, Evan, claimed these and would not let anyone else care for them. The wagon had two seats with Mother and Dad in the front with my brother, Ernest, between them. Evan, Mary Lee and I were on the other. I was living at home and riding a horse 3 miles each way to school when we got word that Grandmother Proffitt had broken her arm. Then I lived with them for about 8 months, helping with the cooking and housework besides going to school. There was a church building and Grandfather Blankinship preached the sermons. Later, Grandfather Proffitt took over the preaching. Mother played piano and sometimes we sang a duet. We lived on a homestead across the Cowlitz River and attending church was not an easy task. First we went down to the river, got in a canoe and paddled across with Dad leading the horses by their ropes. After we had made it across Dad would saddle the horses and away we'd go. JAMES WILSON FAMILY I am James Wilson and so was my great-great-great-granddad. Since we are just common, hard-working people, like a lot of the good Lewis County citizens, and not seeking any fame or glory, I will start with the other James Wilson (my greatgreat-great-granddad). He, James Wilson, was born in Scotland, on September 14, 1742, and was raised on a farm where everyone had to work and share and ask God for help to survive. His dad wanted him to be a preacher, so he sent him to the best schools, but being from poor parents he had a hard time enduring the persecution from the richer people, so he studied law and other subjects to prove that he was just as good as anyone. When his father died, he decided to come to America where everyone might have a chance to be free and equal. Being poor, it took lots of help from the whole family to pay his passage on a cattle ship. In 1765, James Wilson arrived in New York, and went to Philadelphia where he got a job as a tutor at the college under Benjamin Franklin and the Reverend William Smith. Not caring too much for teaching, he studied more law and after a year of apprenticeship to John Dickinson, he set out on his own to practice law. One of his clients was Ben Franklin's wife. In 1775, he became a member of the Continental Congress, where he helped draw up the Declaration of Independence. My great-great-granddad, James Wilson, Jr., was born November 10, 1779. My great-granddad, Jackson Carol Wilson, was born October 13, 1827. My granddad, N. Grant Wilson, was born September 21,1868. My dad, N. Wilson, was born January 4,1894. All the Wilsons being farmers, my granddad N. Grant Wilson farmed many years in the midwest, where my dad was raised and learned farming and livestock raising until the first world war. Being extremely patriotic and believing as Christ taught, "that all men should be free", he joined the army and fought in the great battles in France until the end of the war at which time he went to Colorado and homesteaded a piece of land. After several years of drought he decided to come to the Pacific Northwest. In 1924, the family moved to Salem, Oregon where I was born on June 4, 1926. Shortly thereafter the family moved to Lewis County along with my grandparents: Mr. and Mrs. N. Grant Wilson and my mother's parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Kennedy, who all lived in Lewis County the rest of their lives. I remember the depression days of the 1930's. My dad and granddad (being farmers) grubbed and burned stumps by hand to clear the land so we could grow something to eat. There were no jobs anyway except a few logging or sawmills jobs, and they were hard to find. Believe it or not, all we had to eat for several years was what we grew in our garden; except for flour, sugar, salt, etc. which we managed to get by selling some cattle or pigs. My mother used the flour sacks to make shirts for us children. She also stood over a wood cook stove all summer, canning for the winter. I remember several times sparks caught the moss on the shake roof on fire, but people always stopped and helped put the fires out. We had a hand pump at the well and one or two would pump and the others would carry (milk buckets) of water to the roof. . Dad was a hard-working man, not having many tools as we do today, he had to do everything the hard way (by hand) but he was always cheerful and, when I'm sure he knew not where our next meal was coming from, he never showed any signs of doubt or depression. He always read the Bible and said a prayer before we went to bed; and he always taught us to trust in God and he would provide, if we would just do God's will. Finally, about 1948, Dad got a tractor and having such short dry spells, he had to work night and day to get crops in, etc. I remember hearing him singing those good old gospel songs over the noise of the tractor engine way after dark lots of nights. I thank God for parents like I had that taught us the true values of life, and how to stand up against the communism that seems to be taking over the whole world today. 386 My parents are both gone on to a better world than this, but we are still here in Lewis County, Washington. I have two brothers here in Lewis County: N. Jack Wilson who hauls logs for a living and has a wife and three children, and Clyde Wilson who has a dairy and a shake mill near Napavine, and has a wife and one son. I have five sisters: Grace (Wilson) Ruth of Olympia with husband Richard and they have four children, Elva (Wilson) Matkin of Seattle who has four children, Gladys (Wilson) McConnell of Kelso who has husband Larry and two children, Janis (Wilson) Kemp of Longview with husband Ernie and three children, and Betty (Wilson) Werner of Woodland with husband Chuck and three children. I have the sweetest wife in the world, (as some of you know) Louise (Mathews) Wilson whom I love and appreciate more each day. We have two sons and two daughters. James G. Wilson, Jr. who works with me in the logging and construction and some farming, who is building himself a house adjoining the old home place. George Wilson is married and lives in Centralia and works as a carpenter. Our daughter Nancy (Wilson) Campbell lives near Chehalis and has a husband, Pat, who sells insurance and has three boys. Our youngest daughter, Ann Wilson, is still at home and goes to Onalaska High School. We still believe in the same principles this United States was founded on, namely "Liberty and justice for all."; we were taught to take nothing that did not belong to us (including welfare); nothing is free; someone has to work for what others get for nothing. And finally: Luke 6:31, "And as you would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." James Wilson M.C. (MOLE) WILSON In 1863, my great-grandparents, George and Sylvia Jane Wilson, homesteaded in the Boistfort Valley. In fact, my grandfather, also George Wilson, was born on the covered wagon coming from Missouri. I was born in Curtis in 1914. I was the second child, only son of Millard and Minnie (Aust) Wilson; I was left with the responsibility of carrying on our name. (photo): Four Generations. L to R: M.C. (Mole), Sylvia Jane, George, and Millard Wilson c. 1920's. >From the time I was eleven until I was seventeen, I worked in the Klaber hop yards. In the spring I "grubbed" in the yards, sorted out starts, and during the fall I picked hops. Also, every fall [sold garden produce to the Indians who came each year to pick hops and camped across the river. The money I earned through these jobs paid for my school clothes. I graduated from Boistfort High School in 1932. I remember that our graduation speaker told us that we faced the greatest challenge any graduating class had ever faced. This was because of the Depression. After I graduated, I went to work in the woods for various companies. I started in rigging and climbing, and eventually worked in all facets of the logging industry. In 1938, I felled the first timber for Weyerhaeuser Company in Vale-MacDonald operation. In the same year, I married June Trotter who had moved from South Dakota in 1936. our marriage produced five children, three sons and two daughters. My work went well, too. I was able to start my own logging outfit in 1941. At first I operated a sawmill in conjunction with it. During the war, we were busy getting out pilings for the war effort, so I was exempt from military service. The logging company still exists today. In fact, I was told by one state official that it may possibly be the oldest individual continuous logging operation in the state. Over the years I've seen prices really increase. For example, when I started my company in 1941, we shipped fir to Chehalis for $7.50 per 1000 board feet. In 1979, a poorer grade of logs sold for $380 per 1000. Another example is the price of #1 veneer logs which are fairly rare now; in the late 40's, they went for $27.50 per 1000 and now #1 old growth would probably go for between $600 and $800. I've seen my share of injuries too. Once I was laid up for six months with two broken arms. I've also had bones broken in my feet, shoulders, ribs and fingers in addition to several head injuries. Besides the logging, I always kept some sort of a farm out in the valley. From the time I was born until I moved to Chehalis in 1979, I lived in six houses in Curtis; four of these are still standing. The last home we had was custom built on around five hundred acres. There we raised cattle, grew grain, peas and corn. Now we are semi-retired living in Chehalis. Our three sons have remained in the Curtis area while our daughters have settled in California and Hawaii. I've fulfilled my obligation to continue the family name with fourteen grandchildren and five great grandchildren as of this writing - eleven of these will carryon our name. MOSES H. WILSON FAMILY Moses Harry Wilson was born in Illinois in 1862. His mother died while he was an infant, and when he was eight years old, his father died (due to an illness contracted in the Civil War). Moses was bound out to John Hamann, a close family friend, under the condition that he live with and work for the Hamanns until he was 21 years old. The Hamanns were to board and clothe him and send him to school. When Moses was 21, he contracted tuberculosis, and the doctor advised him to move west. He then came to Lewis County in 1883 with Wendell and Gus Hamann, with whom he had grown up. He recovered from his tuberculosis after settling in out here. Moses had learned the trade of carpentry under John Hamann, and he worked for various farms and businessmen in Lewis County. Moses and the Hamanns bought 40 acres of land from the Northern Pacific Railway Company for $2.50 per acre. Later they split it up with Moses keeping the eastern half of the property. This property is located at Evaline between Avery Road and the Pleasant Valley Road. Moses married Augusta Lentz in 1900 and built a house and other buildings on the property. The original farm house burned down in 1935 and was rebuilt on the same site. It is still standing and is occupied by a grandson. Three children were born on the farm: Myrtle in 1901, Ann in 1903, and William in 1908. As William grew-up, he gradually took over the management and ownership of the family farm. The Wilson family sold eggs and chickens through the Washington Co-op Egg and Poultry Association in Winlock and cream to a local cheese and butter maker. Moses died in 1952, and Augusta died in 1965. Myrtle Wilson married George Anderson in 1923 and lived in Los Angeles, California, until 1926 they moved to a house in the Evaline area at the corner of Avery Road and State Highway 603. they had one daughter, Betty, who now lives in Oregon. George Anderson died in 1939, and Myrtle married Dr. Robert Petrie, a veterinarian, in 1946. They moved to a house in Winlock where Myrtle Petrie lives today. Dr. Petrie died in 1981. Ann Wilson married Ora Imler in 1924 and lived in Bucoda until 1935 when they moved into a house built at a cost of $225 on the Wilson homestead at Evaline. They lived there until 1955 then moved to a house in south Winlock where Ann lives today. They had three children: Gene, Phyllis, and Warren. Warren lives in Winlock. William Wilson bought an additional 160 acres north of Avery Road. He married Marjorie Welch in 1939. William remained a livestock farmer, logged and sawed timber from the 160 acres and worked as a sawyer for local sawmills. They have four sons: Dennis, Dale, Doug and Dean. Doug currently lives on the original homestead. Compiled January, 1985 by Myrtle Petrie and Doug Wilson MARTHA SUNDBERG WINIECKI I was born October 4, 1911, in Sweden. At the age of two, I came with my mother, Theckla Sundberg, to Crego Hill where my father, Per Gustaf Sundberg, had bought a home. My first school was Twin Oaks which my cousins (the K.O. Anderson children) attended. With them I walked the two miles to school. Since I spoke only Swedish, Marie Anderson interpreted for me. After I completed the 5th grade, Twin Oaks School was consolidated with Adna School from which I graduated in 1929 as valedictorian. Fifty years later, I had the honor of presenting to Adna High School a valedictorian-salutatorian perpetual trophy donated by our 1929 class. My parents were determined that I attend college. With WSC and Linfield Valedictory scholarship offers, plus savings from hoeing and picking strawberries, I was assured one year of college. I asked my advisor, Miss Ruth O'Keefe, which college she recommended. After presenting the advantages and disadvantages, she remarked, "It boils down to whether one wants to be a big frog in a little pond or a little frog in a big pond." In 1933 I graduated with honors from WSC. During my college days, I worked, borrowed money from the college, the Grange, and our neighbor Gust Erickson; a Delta Sigma Rho scholarship also helped. I was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Forensic Circle, Delta Sigma Rho, and received the women's Northwest champion debate trophy. >From 1933 to June 1937, I taught in Tekoa, Washington, where my debaters won championship trophies. Summer of 1936, I taught speech at WSC and was the Erani Club housemother. In June 1937, I married my WSC sweetheart, Dr. Henry Winiecki, a veterinarian with the US Department of Agriculture in Sioux City, Iowa. Kathryn and Tad were born there. Roger was 387 born in Salem, Oregon, where I taught and participated in Campfire activities. In 1952, Henry transferred to Butte, Montana. I taught at Butte Business College and was a Cub Scout den mother. Kathryn became an excellent baton twirler and in December 1956 led the Montana State College twirlers in the Aluminum Bowl in Little Rock, Arkansas. She married her Butte sweetheart, Donald Scott, a US Air Force pilot. They have two daughters born on Okinawa which I visited. Tad, space science engineer, earned his Physics degree at Grinnell College, his masters in Space Science at Rice University. He has five patents relating to motorcycle safety. He married Nancy Ford from Houston; they have a daughter and a son. Roger, computer assisted instruction designer, earned his Physics degree at the University of Washington, his masters at Western Washington University, his Eagle award in scouting at Omaha, Nebraska. In 1961, he and Henry accompanied Nebraska Explorer Scouts to Europe. Roger married Nancy's sister, Carolyn; they have a daughter. In 1964, we moved to Vancouver, Washington, where I worked ten years as a Public Assistance caseworker. We participate in dramatic productions, senior citizens programs, church and scouting. Henry received his Silver Beaver award here. We visited Scandinavia in 1977. It was exciting to see my brother Tycko and his family, to go to Kiruna where Mother and Father were married, and to visit my birthplace, Sidensjo, Sweden. THOMAS EDWARD WOOD Thomas E. Wood came to Chehalis and Lewis County in 1935 as Lewis County Horticulturist. His office was in the basement of the Courthouse. His job was plant inspection for insects and diseases and advice to county residents on fruit growing. Tom was born at Silcott near Clarkston, Washington, on March 18, 1905. His parents had come west from Wisconsin to manage a 100 acre fruit ranch. Later, Charles and Daisy Wood bought seven acres in Clarkston where they raised their family. Tom played basketball for Clarkston High and during his four years at Whitman College, where he graduated. . Tom started working for Lewis-Pacific Dairyman's Association. in 1942 as manager of the Implement Department. He retired from that position in 1970. During those years he sold International Harvester equipment, Fairbanks-Morse pumps, DeLaval milking machines and other farm equipment to farmers and dairymen of the county. He was active with N.B. Coffman in the early days of the organization of the Lewis County Garden Clubs. He served on the Southwest Washington Fair Board for about forty years. He was a member of the Chehalis School Board from 1956 to 1970. Mayor Leonard Sonneman appointed Tom to the Chehalis Park Board where he served for many years. During that time Recreation Park and Stan Hedwall Park were developed and became a part of the park system. Tom is a member of the Elks Club and was Exalted Ruler in 1940 to 1941. Tom and Barbara Crowell were married in Portland, Oregon, on October 1, 1938. Barbara's parents were raised on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They came to Portland when William Crowell was offered a job in an architectural firm. Barbara graduated from University of Oregon and was taking her library degree at the University of Washington when she and Tom met. Charles Timothy Wood was born January 30, 1941 and James William Wood on February 16, 1944. Both boys went through the Chehalis school system. Tim graduated in 1959 from W.F. West High School as valedictorian of his class. He was given a scholarship to Stanford University where he graduated in 1963. Later he returned for a degree in the graduate business school. Tim and Marilee Hopkins of Olympia were married June 19, 1965. Tim started his career with Citibank in international banking and has lived in Manila; Bombay, India; Karachi, Pakistan; London; Paris; Milan, Italy; and Johannesburg, South Africa. Tim and Marilee have three children, David and twins Jason and Lydia. Bill graduated from Whitman College in 1966. He joined the army on graduation and ultimately was sent to Germany, where his major in college, namely, German, was to his advantage. Bill has worked for Citizens Federal Savings and Loan of Seattle since leaving the army. He and Nancy Montgomery of Olympia were married March 21, 1970. They have two children, Elizabeth and Robin. Barbara in the 1950s and early 1960s served several times as interim librarian for the Chehalis Library. Then was regular librarian from 1968-1970 at which time Chehalis Library became a part of Timberland Regional Library and Barbara retired. She is a long time member of the St. Helens Club, a federated women's club. Both Tom and Barbara are members of the Westminster Presbyterian Church. DONALD E. WOODS Francis E. Presnell (b. June 22, 1867, in Tennessee) and Agnes C. Gillispie - (b. March 6, 1880, Franklin, N.C.) met at Waynesville, and later married in Seattle, Washington, Dec. 22, 1907. In November of 1921 they adopted a daughter Vera, the writer of this history. Francis Presnell had graduated an attorney and counsellor-at-law (LLB) from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1896. He came to Washington State and during the 1920's taught school at Galvin and Dillenbaugh, Washington. He lived on Russell Road, Ford's Prairie, 1921 to 1933. Mother was a beautiful seamstress, so I always had lovely clothes. Sometimes they were made from hand-me-downs. She managed to bleach the lettering from flour sacks for our underwear. The meals were of healthy vegetables from her garden. If there wasn't beef to eat, Dad raised chickens so we had chicken fried the Southern way. After going to church at the Presbyterian Church in Centralia someway there was a picnic lunch fixed to eat at Borst Park or friends of father and mother would come for dinner. Each summer dad would drive us to Copalis Beach in the Model T, sometimes having to back up the hills to make it. In 1933 father built the first Shell Station in Randle, Washington before the White Pass was finished. 1939 brought the joining of two pioneer families. Donald E. Woods, son of Otho Woods and Ruth (Ives) Woods married the Presnell's only daughter Vera. Donald and Vera raised their family of four children: namely, Gary, Rodney, Diane, and Dawn, in Randle Washington. FRANK AND BELLE WOODS FAMILY Frank and Belle Woods and two children, Lula and Elkanah, left Greenbriar County, West Virginia in 1909 and came to Chehalis, Washington, by train. They traveled by horse and wagon to Randle and worked for Rufe Siler and later homesteaded in Lewis (Packwood) in 1911. Emery, Leonard, Milo and John were born on the homestead. Frank worked in logging camps and, during that time, he also ran the Lewis Stage from Lewis to Morton, carrying the mail and supplies. They moved to Ajlunein 1919 and Lola was born there. (photo): Frank Woods carrying the mail from Morton to Packwood. Lulu married Flor Falsetto and had three sons, Frank, Donald and Vernon. Lulu now lives in Arizona. Elkanah married Fanny Carlick and had two daughters, Lola and Evelyn, now living in British Columbia. Leonard married Wandah Warren, had four children, Jack, Janice, Marilyn and Alice, now all living in Western Washington. Leonard and wife still live on the home place in Ajlune. John married Doris Engle and had three daughters, Karen, Marion and Darleen, living in Oregon. Lola married Gilbert Aust. They have eight children; Annabelle, Jenine, Gregory, Gaylen, Vaughn, Kurt, Melanie and Lisa. The children all live in Western Washington but Gregory. He lives in Texas. Lola and husband live on the Rea place in Ajlune. Elkanah, Emery, Milo and John are deceased. BEN S. AND RUBY V. WOOD OF MORTON The nursing home in Morton is a lasting memorial to Ben S. and Ruby V. Wood. They built the home for 23 patients and operated it for 12 years, after opening it in 1948. Mrs. Wood did the nursing and Wood did the bookkeeping and upkeep. It was built in the Wood-Collar Addition, 20 acres bought by Wood, his brother, Al and his wife's brother, Harvey G. Collar. Ben and Ruby Wood arrived in Lewis County in Oct. 1926, coming from South Dakota to spend a winter at the urging of friends, in Toledo. Finding the climate so much better here, they soon sold out their farm and moved west. Wood worked at a great variety of jobs during his life with his first job away from the farm being in a garage and his last job working in his son's-in-law service station in Morton. He was always looking for a position that would better himself and his family. The most financially rewarding was an electrician, in the Naval Ammunition Depot in Bremerton during World War II, where Mrs. Wood worked also. In the mid-1930's Wood went to work in Talbott's store in Salkum as a meat-cutter and clerk for $100 a month for six days a week, 5:30 a.m. 388 to 5:30 p.m., a normal work schedule in those days. House rent was $8.00 for a two bedroom house with electricity, but no running water or bathroom. In 1938 they bought 80 acres of cut-over land one mile north of Salkum. When they moved to the "stump ranch", there was no road or electricity into the property, but there was running water from a spring on the hillside, so they had a bathroom. Cooking was done on the old wood range and kerosene lamps provided light. After about a year, the WPA built a road and later a power line was installed. After the war years, Wood and his brother-inlaw, John Gormally, bought a bulldozer and hired out around the county in land clearing. In 1947, Wood moved to Morton after buying the previously mentioned property in Morton, which they cleared and platted for streets and lots. In the meantime, Mrs. Wood had been nursing at Centralia General Hospital and found she especially enjoyed taking care of the elderly and realized there was a need for a nursing home in eastern Lewis County. Early in 1948, construction was begun with walls laid of concrete blocks, made with pumice stone found in abundance in the east end of the county. Mrs. Wood loved the patients and treated them like her own family and the affection was returned. In 1953, the couple discovered rock-hounding (collecting gems and minerals) and enthusiastically pursued the hobby, which entailed many trips to collecting sites around the western states. In his spare time, Wood learned how to cut and polish gem stones and, after retirement from the nursing home, worked at it full time. He created everything that can be done with gem materials ranging from jewelry to end-tables, in addition to a collection of polished stones and sections of petrified wood, identified as to species. Wood was very active in the Morton Rockologists Club, serving as general chairman of the big gem and mineral show for many years. In the 1950's, Wood built a house in the WoodCollar Addition, near the nursing home, for themselves and one for their daughter and family. Their son, LaMar, married Jeanne Gaines from Montana, and they spent most of their lives in the Seattle area, where he was a meat-cutter and she was a lab technician. They have a son, Gaylen. Wood's daughter, La Vonne, married Elmer Sparkman of Mineral, where they lived for seven years before moving to Morton. They have a daughter, Lanette, and a son, Jay. DON WORKMAN My maternal grandfather Lewis Franklin Adkins, the eldest son of Peter and Eliza Adkins, was born in 1859 at Pikeville, Kentucky. He married Rene May in 1870. Their children in order of birth were: (1) Morgan, son, who married Emma Hill and had no children. (2) Pricey, daughter, married Archie Craft and had 11 children. (3) Peter, son, married Nora workman and had no children. (4) Sam, son, married Angie Schoonover and had 2 sons, Harold and Donald, a daughter Helen. (5) Rachel, daughter (my mother), married George Martin Workman in Chehalis on March 1, 1916. Their two sons were Donald Martin, born October 16, 1917 at Walville, Washington and Reginald Lewellyn (Bud), born July 30,1919. Lewis Franklin Adkins' wife, Rene, died in Kentucky in 1896. At this time he and his two eldest sons, Morgan and Peter, came to Lewis County and took a homestead on Green Mountain near Mossyrock. (photo): Don Workman (photo): Lewis Franklin Adkins - grandfather of Donald Workman. Rachel and Sam were left with their grandparents in Kentucky until a home was established on Green Mountain. In 1900 Lewis sent for the two younger children to join him. They walked to Swafford to attend school. Lewis married Rosella Baxter, a widow, in 1908. She had three children, Elmer, Reita, and Pearl. About this time the family moved to Morton where they operated the Morton Hotel until it burned. Relocating in Forest, Lewis carried the mail by horse and buggy to Morton. This required two days each way. (photo): George Workman, father of Donald Workman, (lower left). In 1916 Lewis, his wife, and her children moved to Walville, Washington, a sawmill town that was located on the Lewis-Pacific county line, where he worked for the Walville Lumber Company. About 1920 the family moved to Pe Ell where Rosella died in 1931, and Lewis in 1949 at age 90. He is buried at Claquato Cemetery. During his lifetime he was very active in the Southern Baptist Church. My father, George Martin Workman, was born in Seebert, West Virginia on February 20, 1890, and came to Lebam, Washington in 1904 where he was employed in the logging industry at age 14. He married my mother, Rachel Adkins, and they made their home in Lebam until moving to Walville, Washington in 1917. Our family relocated to Pel Ell in 1922 where my father died in 1945 as the result of an injury in a logging accident. He is buried at Claquato Cemetery. Both my brother Reginald (Bud) and I graduated from Pe Ell High School. He continued his education at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. After graduation, he was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Navy, retiring in 1972 with the rank of Captain. My working lifetime was spent entirely in the electrical utility industry. After high school I was employed by the Bonneville Power Administration. In 1941 I left Bonneville for a position with Puget Sound Power and Light Co., who sold their property in Lewis County to P.U.D. in 1948. I remained with this utility until retirement in 1979, the last 21 years as Superintendent. On November 30, 1940, Teresa J. Cox and I were married in Walla Walla, Washington. Our three sons are: Ronald Martin, born in 1942; Douglas Lee, born in 1943; and Gary Morgan, born in 1946. My mother died in 1984 at the age of 90 and is buried beside my father at Claquato Cemtery. By Donald Martin Workman MILES AND REBECCA WORKMAN FAMILY April 20th in the year of 1870, Rebecca Workman was born in Greenbrier County, West Vir- 389 ginia. On April 7, 1892, she married Miles Workman who was born December 20, 1861, also in Greenbrier County. During their life together they had eleven children: Ellen (1893-1934), Ethel (1894-1929), Gertrude (1889-1910), Bondail (1896-1944), Gretta (1902-1944), Gilbert (1904-1930), Ada (1907-), Hilbert (1908-1930), Edd (1913-1936), Fielding (9 months), Rebecca and Miles also had two stepchildren: Martha (1884-1967), and Bertie (1887). Miles, Rebecca and ten children came west in 1908 and first settled in Mossyrock. The year 1910 took the family to Doty where Miles worked in the woods and sawmills. In 1914 they returned to Mossyrock where they resided until her death in 1961. Miles Workman farmed the old Ed Lester place before buying a farm on Green Mountain. After several years of farming the Green Mountain place, the family returned to the Ed Lester where Miles died on December 29, 1928. At an early age, Rebecca had been attracted to medicine and her interest in administering aid to the sick became a focal point for her life. By the time she turned eighteen, her knowledge of illnesses and their treatment was recognized by the surrounding families. Throughout the county she was known as Ma Workman. Wearing a white starched dress and apron and carrying her black doctors bag that had been given to her by a doctor, she would set out to care for a patient. In the early years she traveled by horseback to get to the sick. Later, she traveled as far as Chehalis to care for the sick. Rebecca grew a great variety of herbs in her garden to make her home remedies with which she would treat illnesses such as the measles, the swine flu of 1918-1919, pneumonia, small pox, diphtheria, scarlet fever, and other nameless ailments. The following treatment for scarlet fever was taken from one of Rebecca's medical books and appears as it was first written by her: Sweet spirit of Netre, one ounce and half Laudanum (a tincture of opium), 2 drachms (apothercaries weight for 1 ounce), 4 drachms syrup of ginger, 4 ounces distilled water, 2 drachms bromide of potassium. For adult 1 tablespoon full every 2 to 4 hours according to fever. For child 1 year old 2 teaspoons. Five years 1 teaspoon every 2 to 4 hours according to fever. As she was also the local midwife, she delivered many babies during her lifetime. For the numerous hours she spent by the bedside of an ailing friend, relative, or stranger, many a grateful person would pay with a sack of potatoes or some other plentiful food from the garden. On very rare occasions some much needed money was offered but more often than not, a heartfelt thank you settled the account. On her return home she would always change her clothes outside to protect her family from any contamination. This hearty person outlived all but two of her children, Mrs. George Rhodes of Woodland, Washington, and Mrs. Henry Blankenship of Washougal, Washington. By Robin Pickering GEORGE WRIGHT FAMILY Grandfather George Wright was born in Pennsylvania of Dutch ancestry in 1829. He and his wife, Mary Nichols Wright had eleven children, five boys and six girls. They gradually moved to the midwest. Grandfather owned large herds of cattle that grazed on land called "Speculators' Land". He rented this grazing land from companies who had purchased it hoping to sell it at a large profit. The older boys in the family helped herd the cattle and they became excellent horsemen and cattlemen. In 1889 grandfather and his family of nine children (two older girls had married and had homes of their own) joined a wagon train to come West to Washington Territory. They traveled the Overland Trail and first settled at Pasco, but soon came to Lewis County. Here, they bought a farm near Salkum, a part of the Wilcox land claim. Grandfather was sixty years old at the time and his older sons helped him build his home and later farm his land. Three sons soon married but lived on parts of the land claim. The Wright family were all gifted with musical ability. The violins and guitars were favorites and they had beautiful singing voices. My fondest memories of grandfather are of his singing voice as he led our hymns in our little country church services. The grandchildren all loved him and his enthusiasm. He was truly a devout Christian! Grandmother was the disciplinarian in the family. The grandchildren never doubted her authority, which extended to grandfather and even to her grown children. I had shoulder length curls when I was young and I hated them. Father refused to let mother cut my hair. One day when I visited grandmother, I begged her to cut my hair. She put a bowl over my head and proceeded to dispense with the curls. My father never uttered a word when he learned that grandmother was the culprit! Grandfather died at the family home in 1915 at the age of 86. One of the daughters and her husband moved there to care for grandmother. She died in 1928 at age ninety. Both are buried in the Salkum cemetery. The home place was owned by members of my family for over eighty years and was recently sold. By Olive Mills GRANT WRIGHT FAMILY Grant Wright, the son of George, and Katy Allen, the daughter of Robert, were married at the Mayfield Hotel May 29, 1892. At that time Katy was helping her parents run the Mayfield Hotel and Grant driving a bull team at a logging operations. When Grant's job ended six months later, he and Katy moved to Slakum. They had her father's team and wagon to use and short "teaming" jobs were available. In 1894, their first child was born, a son, Clifton. In the following years twelve more children were born to Grant and Katy. The children were, Clifton, Buelah (who died in 1907), Arlie, Ethel, Hazel, Olive, Grant, Marion, Mayme, Jessie, Opal, Marjorie and Neil. They continued to live in the Salkum area close to grandfather George Wright's home place. We grew up near our grandparents, uncles, aunts, and many cousins. We attended Bennett school, one room with eight grades and one teacher. When we passed our eighth grade exams we had no high school close by to attend. Onlaska didn't exist and Mossyrock had the nearest high school, but no transportation. My older sister, Ethel, attended Centralia High School. I stayed with my mother's sister and went to Chehalis, while some of my brothers went to Mossyrock. Father always farmed and had horses and cows. He was shrewd at buying livestock. He loved horses and delighted trading them to make a profit, or putting them together for matched teams. He, his brothers and oldest sons were expert cattlemen. He had well trained cattle, dogs, and horses to make drives to Chehalis and Centralia, for later shipment to Idaho or Montana. Sometimes cattle were taken to Grand Mound Prairie to pasture. We always had riding horses and a horse and buggy for long trips. When the lumber boom began a great change occurred in Lewis County. Mills were built at Onalaska, Lacamas and Salkum. More railroads were constructed and cars became common. At the logging camps the steam donkey produced power and oxen were forgotten. My older brothers bought the Lacamas store, the Silver Creek store and built new homes. The lure of logging won. They sold the stores, bought equipment and went to the woods. Their last operation was at Mineral. Cliff and Grant (Bud), moved to Oregon to log, and Arlie went to Portland to sell logging equipment. My father died of a sudden heart attack. My mother was left with three children still at home, the youngest was Neil, then age eight. Not once did she consider leaving her forty acre farm. After the three younger children were married, she married a neighbor widower. He died in a few years, and she remained at her home until her death in 1962 at age of 87. She and father are both buried in the Salkum cemetery. By Olive Mills WALTER WUERTH FAMILY Except for the time I spent in the Air Force during World War II and two years attending the University of Washington in Seattle, I have lived continually in Centralia since my parents and their 5 children moved from North Dakota in May of 1938. My father had purchased the old Nugent Hospital on south Gold Street and started one of the first "old folks homes" in the local area. Fees for room and board at that time ranged from $8.00 to $22.50 per month. One of the first residents was Eva (Borst) McElfresh, who was born to Joseph and Mary Adeline Borst on the Borst homestead in 1855. My father sold the home in 1942 when help became hard to get, but it is still a nursing home at the present time, now called Peter Pan Nursing Home. My parents moved to Tumwater in 1947, where my father started the Gull Harbor Lutheran Church and served as Pastor until he retired in 1972. They again returned to Centralia in 1971 and he passed away in 1978. My mother, who is 84, lives with my sister near Kelso. Only my older sister, Elsie, who married Gerhard Grill continues to live in the Centralia area also. My brother, Erhardt moved to Kelso in 1947 and passed away there in 1976. As for my younger sisters, Hildegard married Barney Grunenfelder and has lived near Tumwater since 1946, and Gertrude married Bill Wart and has lived near Kelso since 1953. In 1947, I married a Centralia College classmate, Jayne Steele, whose parents had moved to Centralia in 1944, but since they did not like the climate, they moved back to Oklahoma in 1947. After graduation from the University of Washington with a major in accounting, I became involved in Centralia Plywood, a co-operative plywood plant which was built near the Agnew Mill north of Centralia. It began production in 1950 and ceased being co-op in the mid 1960's. In 1958, with nine other partners, we started Cardinal Doors, which is located on North Gold Street. This was the site of William Bryan's Rock Tomb that he built for himself, but never used. According to "Centralia The First Fifty Years", he had come to Centralia in 1865. Unfortunately, the tomb was destroyed in the late 1960's to provide room for the installation of a dry kiln. Cardinal Doors was sold in 1973 and ceased operations about 1980. In 1967 four others and I started Brookbank, Inc. which was involved in selling mobile homes on Kresky Avenue and also in land development 390 in the Centralia-Chehalis area. While the mobile homes sales lot was leased out to others this year, we are still active in land development. All of our four children were born in Centralia, but none of them live in the local area now. Mike, born in 1950 is an electrical engineer, working in Seattle; Bob, born in 1952 is a veterinarian working in Renton; Jim, born in 1956 is an accountant working in Houston, Texas; and Mary Jane, born in 1960 works in Puyallup. ANDREW AND UNA YEAGER Andrew J. Yeager was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 1894. His parents were William and Sarah Yeager. He spent his school days in Oklahoma and Texas and came to Washington as a young man. He first settled in Grays Harbor where he found employment for a while and later came to the Grand Mound and Centralia area. (photo): Andrew and Una Yeager with Baby Dolores I, Una (Veyaey) Yeager, who's parents were Wallace and Harriet (Axtell) Veysey, was born in Aberdeen in 1901, and at the age of three moved to the Grand Mound area near the Oregon Trail. I went to elementary school at Grand Mound where I graduated from the eighth grade. Incidentally, that year was the last that high school was held there. There was only myself and one other eighth grader, so after that high school pupils went to Rochester, but I spent my first three years in Montesano and then my last year in Centralia, where I graduated in 1922. During my grade school years the school house at Grand Mound burned and we used Weaver's Hall until the new schoolhouse was built. Weaver's Hall was a community building which later became Woody's Nook, and it burned in 1952. I met Andy through his sister before the United States entered World War I. He enlisted and was in the Spruce Division. He was stationed at Bay Center as a stationary Engineer for the duration of the war. We were married in 1922, and his first job was a millwright at Helsing Junction near Independence in Thurston County. From there we moved to Centralia where our daughter Dolores was born in 1929. When she was small we moved to an eighty acre farm on Logan Hill, where we raised turkeys and strawberries. In 1937 we helped organize the Logan Hill Grange. The meetings were held in the schoolhouse, but later the school district consolidated with Chehalis and the building was remodeled into a grange hall. Andy was driving logging truck when he was severely injured, and it took him a long time to recover. Afterward he did custom farm work. He was working in the Vancouver vicinity when he was taken ill and passed away in a Vancouver Hospital in 1943. Our daughter Dolores and her husband (Gene Ward) are graduates of Centralia College and Central Washington State University in Ellensburg, and after working in and around the Seattle area spent most of their teaching career in Puyallup. They now live in Orting. I moved from Logan Hill to Centralia in 1948 and immediately went to work for the Peerless Sausage Company where I stayed until I retired. I am at the time of this writing, still living in the same house that I moved into in 1948. By Una Yeager CAL AND MARY ELLEN (JENISCH) YEARIAN Mary Ellen (Jenisch) Yearian was born 2-23-32 in Chehalis, WA. She was the daughter of Georgia Ann (Sanderson) Jenisch and Otto Jenisch. They also had a son, Albert Joseph. (photo): Joseph and Anna Jenisch, Otto and Mary Anna. Calvin Yearian came from Salmon, Idaho, when he was twelve. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.K. Yearian. We both attended St. Joseph School and the Chehalis High School. Cal graduated in 1948 and I in 1951. My class was the last to graduate from the old Chehalis High. I attended high school during the time of the earthquake so some of my classes were held at the Scout Lodge. As a child, I had to walk one-half mile to the bus or sometimes get a ride into town. I can remember studying by the kerosene lamps and also getting my hair curled by a curling iron which was heated by a lamp. After high school, I attended Centralia Junior College for one year and then worked for two years. In 1952 not many students had cars so I was lucky to have a Ford Coupe. Cal attended Washington State 1948-1952, and majored in Pharmacy. After serving two years in the service, he worked for Dunsmore Drug, Raymond, WA, 1954-1955, Bartel Drugs, Seattle, WA, and Garrison Drug Stores. In 1967 we bought the Chehalis Pharmacy and after two years, Cal merged with Garrison Rexall Drug in Chehalis. Later Cal and J.L. Jensen, his new partner, bought the store from Ed Wheeler of Centralia and renamed the store Chehalis Rexall Drug. We now are selling the drug store. We married February 12, 1955. Our first home on Ribelin Road was small, but we built a new home and that is where we raised our six children: Pat, Mark, David, James, Rob, and Barbara (Yearian) McNuriin. All were born in Chehalis including our three grandchildren. We sold our home in the fall of 1983 and then moved to Macomber Road, property we inherited in 1975 and once again we are building. We feel proud to be part of our ancestors who worked hard. My grandmother and grandfather came to America from Austria in 1886. Joseph Jenisch became a citizen of the United States on October 23, 1889. They bought 80 acres from Sparr in 1890 and this is some of the acreage we inherited. With my son Mark, wife Rene, and grandson Nicholas, this is the sixth generation to live here. This includes Dr. Karl Drexler, the father of Anna Jenisch, who also came from Austria and lived here until his death in 1906. Joseph Jenisch and Anna Jenisch and five children: Eugenia (Jenisch) Riedle, Emil, Ottile (Jenisch) Oppe, Marie (Jenisch) Sanderson, and Otto. At one time Marie (Jenisch) Sanderson owned 440 acres. They always had a large garden, cattle, chickens, sold milk and cream, and raised their own hay and grain. (photo): Bottom row, L to R: Cal, Mary Ellen, Rob. Back row: Pat, David, Barb, Mark, James. 391 My father, Otto, had to clear his land by dynamiting stumps, making torches to burn brush and at one time, had some goats to help eat the brush. He lived on a 90 acre dairy farm on Macomber Road. He and his wife Mary received the Lewis County Dairy Family crown in 1965. He had been credited with developing one of the top producing herds in the state. He was Farmer of the Year in 1952 and Grassland Farmer in 1954. Our son James, Linda and Terasa live on his place. ROBERT E. YORK My father, Edward C. York, was born in Mars Hill, Maine in 1869 in a family of 10 boys and 1 girl. (photo): Mary, Robert, Connie, Robert Jr. York My mother, Ellen C. Sanborn, was born in Sweden in 1882 and came to the United States when one year old. She had 4 sisters and 3 brothers. My father worked on logging railroads in Wisconsin and Michigan before he came west in 1906 to work for O'Connel Lumber Co. in Winlock. There he met my mother and they were married there. I was born January 23, 1911 and my brother, Richard, was born in August 29, 1909 in Winlock. We moved to Chehalis in 1916 and I started school at the West Side School. I remember the teacher had us cutting out rags for cleaning guns for the soldiers during World War I. During the flu epidemic of 1918 my mother, brother and I were down with it and dad came home from work to take care of us. He got a bottIe of brandy from the drug store - the only place you could buy it during prohibition, and made us hot drinks. We survived that epidemic but a lot of people did not. We moved back to Winlock where I finished grade school and high school. Played football and basketball and graduated in 1930. My father operated Mary's Corner Store and Cabins on old highway 99 in 1930-1934 where I worked and pumped gas. This was depression times and if we sold 100 gallons of gas a day we did well. We used to clown around and put our ear to the pavement to listen if we could hear a car coming! At Mary's Corner I met Mary Stacy and we were married in 1932. Our children were Mary Constance, born 1934 and Robert Edward, born 1940. Shortly after we married I went to work for Carlan Creamery in Toledo making cheese. We worked 10-12 hour days 7 days a week for $50.00 a month, but we got by; paid $8.00 a month rent for a new house. In 1933 I went to work for Weyerhauser Timber Co. in Longview firing a steam locomotive. I was promoted to Engineer in 1937 and worked in that capacity until 1941 when I quit to go to work for the Union Pacific Railroad. We moved to Centralia in 1945 and built a home at 805 J St. where I am living at this time. In 1944 I was promoted to engineer. During World War II we barely got 8 hours rest before getting called for another run. We moved many troop trains and munition trains. Some were bringing prisoners of war from the east coast to Fort Lewis. The prisoners thought we were running them around in circles. They didn't realize how big this country was. When they got to Fort Lewis you couldn't drive them away - they never had it so good. While I was working a job out of Olympia in 1972 the Olympia Brewing Co. made a TV Commercial using our engine, caboose and crew with me as engineer. They also used the pictures of me on the engine in their magazine ads - even in Playboy magazine. I retired in July 1974 after 41 years of rail roading which I enjoyed very much. My son, Robert, was killed in an automobile accident in 1972, leaving a wife, Suzie, and a daughter, Kelley. My daughter, Mary C (Connie), married Richard Barner in 1956 and has 2 children: Jim and Chrissie who live in Portland, Oregon. After retirement, Mary and I trailered to Arizona in the winter months. In 1980 Mary had a heart attack and passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada ending 48 good years. On Dec. 7, 1980 I married Elsie H. Stewart with whom we were good friends before. She had lost her husband of 42 years and they had 2 married children, Barbara J. Wilson of Centralia, a school teacher, and son, John R. Stewart of Seattle, a professor at the University of Washington. We are now enjoying our retirement together and our children are happy for both of us. I am now 74 as this is written, and in good health. ELSIE HOFFMAN STEWART YORK My mother, Bertha Schultz, and father, Gustaf Hoffman, both of German parents, came to the United States of America in the early 1900's. They came separately, but met in Castle Rock and were married January 1, 1915 at the Lutheran church there. They became citizens of the United States as soon as they could, and were always very proud of their citizenship. We never spoke German in our home, as our parents felt that was disrespectful to the United States. When my mother told me this I could understand her reasoning, but (photo): Robert (Bob) and Elsie Stewart, John and Barbara nowadays it is an accomplishment to know another language. I was their first child, born in the town of Vader of Lewis County, and I have lived in Lewis County continuously to this time. My sisters and brother are: Dorothy, born 1919 in Napavine; Helen, born 1922 in St. Urban; and Robert, born 1923 in Winlock - all mill towns where our father was a millwright. When I was 9 years old we moved to Centralia where my father worked in Agnew's mills. Throughout the 1930 depression years he had work there. He worked long hours on the logging road steam engines and his wages didn't always come in full on paydays, but he had a job. My mother sold Spencer corsets (made-to-order garments) to help support the family. All of us graduated from Centralia High School. By the 1940's my parents were living in Seattle (my dad worked for Disston Saw) and my sisters and brother had moved from Centralia. In 1937 I married Robert (Bob) Stewart who was working in "Fraser's Groceteria," a grocery in Centralia. At that time there were a dozen groceries. The following year we moved to Chehalis where he managed a branch of the same grocery. While living in Chehalis our children were born: Barbara Jeanne, 1938, and John Robert, 1941. They were born at St. Helen Hospital with Dr. Joel Toothaker, Sr. attending. (It is interesting to note that Dr. Toothaker's son, Joel, Jr. was my daughter Barbara's doctor when she had her children in the 1960's). December 1942 the family moved back to Centralia where Bob Stewart managed Pippins Grocery on Waunches Prairie until we bought our own store on North Tower in Centralia. The Stewart family was active in the community. Bob served as President of the Kiwanis Club and Master of the Masonic Lodge; I was a leader in Girl Scouting, active in the Eastern Star Lodge. All were involved with school-parent organizations and the First Baptist Church. Barbara and John attended the same schools as I did: Edison grade and Centralia High. They also graduated from Centralia College as leaders of their classes and went on for further degrees. Barbara is a first grade teacher and John a pro 392 fessor of speech communications at the University of Washington. In the 1950's we closed the grocery store for health reasons. I worked at Seattle First National Bank and Bob worked for the school district until we retired. During the 25 years Bob Stewart was in the grocery business many changes occurred. At first credit and delivery was popular: a clerk took your order by telephone, then put it all together for free delivery to your home. Grocery bills were paid monthly or weekly and stores were closed evenings, Sundays and holidays. In the 1950's cash and carry was developing, with hours extended to night times and every day. Retirement years were not many for Bob and Elsie. Bob died February 1979, right after our 42nd wedding anniversary. On December 7,1980 I married Robert (Bob) York, a friend who has lived in Centralia almost as long as I, and who had been widowed. We have many friends in common; enjoy trailering and travel. Our combined families are happy for us. I am living in the same neighborhood I grew up in 60 years ago on the north end of Centralia. CHARLES YOUNG FAMILY Charles Young was born in 1854 in Summersworth, New Hampshire. He married Harriett Cunningham. She was born in 1858 in Avon, Illinois. There is no record of their marriage or when they came west. (photo): Charles Young Home, Randle They lived in Kansas for awhile. Their only son, Walter, was born at Fort Scott, Kansas. They came West in 1881 to Centerville (Centralia) Washington Territory. There were three girls born, Lela, Leona, and Mollie. Charles worked for the railroad out of Centerville. In 1886 he arrived in the Big Bottom to prove up his claim. He received his land grant on December 30,1899. He later donated part of the Silvercreek Cemetery. He also sold some land back to the government. They planted an orchard and built their first house across the wagon trail. It burned. They built another house on the north side of the trail which is still being used today by his grandson, Henry and Agnes Young. The wagon trail became the state highway across the pass. At the present time, it is a county road. In the early days he farmed, and he and his son drove a team and wagon hauling freight between here and Chehalis. He also worked for the County Road Department. Leona married Claude Davis. Lela married George Stout. Mollie married Ben Proffitt. Walter married Minnie Koher. Harriett died in 1919 and Charles moved in with Minnie and Walter Young. He lived there until he died in 1939 The old home was rented until his grandson Henry Young married and moved into it in 1944. They sold the dairy farm across the road to their daughter and husband Conrad and Kay Thomas. Their two children are the fifth generation to live on the homestead. FREDERICK L. YOUNG FAMILY The Young family has been in the Pleasant Valley, Claquato area ever since 1867 when my great-grandfather George L Young settled here to farm on the Levi L Gates Donation Land Claim. Levi Gates died of T.B. and George took over his farm and married his widow, who was a Whittier from New England, on May 2, 1867. They had two sons who farmed: Clarence on the west side of Pleasant Valley and Frederick L, born March 17, 1869, my grandfather, who farmed on the north end of the Chehalis River Valley by Claquato. Frederick married and had one child, Lewis W. Young, my father born February 12, 1903. Mrs. Young, who was a Clinton, died October 27, 1903, at age 26. Frederick married again and had another son, Gardiner, and a daughter, Margret. Frederick farmed and in the fall always ran the threshing and baling crews. He was killed September 17,1928, age 59, moving machinery up Foster Hill. He was crushed between his tractor and the thresher in front of his father's home. I was not yet two years old then so I never knew either of my grandparents. My father attended Claquato Grade School and my mother, Nina (Chase) attended Twin Oaks, both of them graduated from Adna High School; Mother in 1921 and Dad in 1922. They married in 1923 and had four children: Harvey, born August 4, 1924, who served in the navy in WW II, then became a doctor in Spokane; Jean, born September 18, 1925; Donna, born December 30, 1929, died at age 50; and myself, Frederick L Young, born December 20, 1926. Lewis and Nina Young lived and farmed all their lives. Both were active in the grange. In 1927 dad bought the Senn farm, known today as the Ernie Rothlin place. The barn burned down their second year there. We sold cream and milk to Lewis Pacific Dairymen's Assn. and eggs to Washington Co-op. We sold three to four hogs a week to Pool's market on 7th Street in Chehalis. I grew up there with many happy experiences of farm life that made lasting impressions on me, swimming lessons in the river every week in the summer and cleaning those chicken houses every Saturday morning is something I'll never forget. We listened to the radio at night - The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, Amos and Andy (there wasn't any T.V. then). We ate potato soup five days a week at Adna School lunch room. It was the depression then; W.P.A. crews digging ditch by hand. During the floods of 1933 and 1936, we got in a boat from the front steps of the house and the milk truck went off the bridge on Christmas day, all the milk and cream going into the river. I remember roller skating in the hay loft; homemade ice-cream and fried chicken every Sunday in the summer; dry cereal on Sundays, otherwise oatmeal; shutting my sisters in the empty silo all day (were they mad when I let them out); Rosemary Ray ton's flesh-colored bathing suit; riding Shetland ponies from Clark's, they either kicked you in the gut or bucked you off in the gravel road; being water boy for the threshing crew every hour (The well always went dry when we needed water the most.); running the downspout during silo filling, corn was the best because of the little cobs you could throw at your sisters; sleeping out in the hayfield on a shock of hay and watching all the stars; learning to milk cows by hand. Yes, growing up there from diapers to girl friends was hard work but fun for everyone. Dad sold this farm in 1941 and bought the big Foster place up on the hill where June and I live today. In 1943 we bought my greatgrandfather's place back from Tom Nesbit who had purchased it from my grandfather in 1921. My mother, Nina, passed away in 1958 at age 55. My father died at age 73. June (Halbert) and I were married July 20, 1947. We lived in my grandfather's big house until 1949 when the big earthquake ruined all the fireplaces. We then lived in the old Foster house that had been pulled down to the bottom of the hill by horses so that Mr. Foster could build the big white house that we live in today. All the homes June and I have lived in were built before 1890. We graduated from Chehalis High School, I in 1944, June in 1947. We met at Ocean Park at the Methodist Youth Camp. We have four children living. Richard and his wife, Marilyn, have two children and run the Northwest Sausage and Deli in Centralia. Karen and her husband, Bill, have two children and live in Olympia. Fred, Jr. and Kevin both came home to farm after college. In 1972 we formed a corporation called Claquato Farms Inc. We used the name Claquato because the property that the Claquato School was on was deeded from this place. The Claquato river crossing on the military road was on this place. The historic Claquato Church and former town is but a short distance away and, of course, the Claquato Cemetery is always too close to everyone. We wanted to keep the name Claquato alive. In 1979 we purchased part of the LF. Rayton place. This makes Claquato Farms run from the old Browning place in Pleasant Valley where I was born in 1926 all the way north to the Claquato bridge, where the river crossing was when my great-grandfather came here in 1867. Fred Jr. and his wife, Sue, and their four children live on the Peterson place. Kevin and his wife, Margaret, live on the old Young farm with their three sons. I'm 58 now. June and I have eleven grandchildren. The Youngs have been in the valley for 118 years and should be around another 118 at least. By Frederick L. Young YOUNG (JOHN W. AND MAGGIE LINER) John Washington Young, born March 1878, Macon County, Franklin, North Carolina, heritage Dutch and Scotch-Irish. His mother was a Gray, is traced back to 1066. Original Gray family (Anglo-Saxon) Normandy, came with Wm. the Conqueror in 1066, settled in Ulster, Ireland. Scotch side of family is Anglo-Norman stock, possessors of Lordships resulting from military conquests. Crest is lion couchant. Some went to Londonderry, 1700. Charles Rush (Karl Risch) came to America, October 25, 1746, on the ship Neptune starting in Rotterdam. He came to Philadelphia via Lancaster, England and to Rockingham County Virginia in 1753, died in 1806. By then he had been in Kentucky and finally North Carolina. In courthouse records there are copies of deeds and wills showing much plantation property and slave ownership as inventoried by widow Ann Gray on February 14, 1750. 393 (photo): Catherine Fralich Gray Young, (John Young's mother) Maggie Deresa Liner Young, John Washington Young, 1906. John W. Young, son of Catherine Fralich Gray and Lewis Grant Young, came to Washington State about 1902 with other young men going West to logging camps. He felt he found prosperity, returned to North Carolina to marry his sweetheart, Maggie Deresa Liner. In 1906 three couples married at church on an October afternoon, in Franklin, N.C. They boarded a train bound for Sedro Woolley, Washington State. Brides and grooms were sisters, brothers and cousins. Several of these couples remained here, Cabe, Waters, Rush, Gray and Mallonee. Many followed to the great Northwest logging industry; few returned to N.C. Maggie Deresa Liner Young, born December 1880 in Haywood County, Waynesville, N.C. one of ten children; heritage, Scotch Irish. Her father, Thomas Liner was a Confederate captain in the Civil War, fought along with Robert E. Lee and named his first son Robert Lee Liner. Christopher Liner (1763-1836) ancestor of the Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama Liners was a Revolutionary War soldier from Virginia. He witnessed Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown in 1783. Maggie's mother was a Turpin. The first Turpin was Thomas Turpin from the Isle of Shoales, N.H. He was renowned in Portsmouth, N.H. in 1645. Brother William was first school teacher in Providence, R.I. in 1684. Logging was not Maggie's choice, so she and John went to California a short time, to Sunnyside, Washington, back to the Northwest to Bunker Creek on the original Bunker homestead about 1920. They loved the farm for rearing their family of five, Edna Adelia (Mrs. Lafe V. Schmit) Chehalis; Edythe Mae (Mrs. Robert McCafferty), deceased March 1985; John Maurice, deceased 1983; Catherine Minnie (Mrs. Ernest R. Waters), California; and Ralph Liner Young, Longview, Washington. All five children graduated from Adna High School. The family were all members of Chehalis First Presbyterian Church. John W. Young died in 1963, wife Maggie in 1959, both laid to rest at Claquato as they desired. WALTER YOUNG FAMILY Walter Young married Minnie Koher in 1906. She was the daughter of the pioneer family of Bertha and Henry Koher. Walter operated a butcher shop in Centralia. Ortha was born in 1908 and Burnice in 1910 in Centralia. (photo): Henry Young Family. Front row: Kay, Gretchen and Walter Young. Back row: visitor, Dick and Josie Bremgartner, Agnes and Hank Young. They moved back to Randle and took a claim on Davis Bend of the Cowlitz River. Their first son Harold was born in 1912, then Edith in 1913 and Henry 1915. They lived there until Henry was about 5 years old. Then they built a home on the Young Road. They had 5 acres of land and farmed the Charlie Young homestead. In 1924 Harriett was born and in 1929 David. Walter had many jobs besides the freight line. He was an assistant Ranger in the late 1920's and later worked at the CCC Camp on the Cispus. He was always willing to help his neighbors and really enjoyed children. All the Young children attended school around Randle. All of them married and left the valley except Henry. David returned to the valley in 1984. Minnie lived with her son David in California for many years. She died in 1972. Henry Young married Agnes Bremgartner in 1943. Her family were also pioneer families who settled in St. Urban east of Winlock, Washington. They lived in his grandmother's Bertha Kohers home in Randle for several months. The house was where the present Highway 12 goes through Randle. In 1944 they moved to the Charles Young homestead and raised their family of three. Gretchen was born in 1944, Walter in 1945 and Katherine (Kay) in 1947. Hank has always farmed and milked cows. There was only a few years that they didn't have at least one cow. He had many jobs. He ran bulldozer and road grader for different logging companies. In 1960 they decided to go into the Grade A dairy business. For several years he worked grading to help get all the things they needed for farming and they were getting up around 3:00 a.m. most of the time to milk before he went to work. They added to their property by buying the Bonnie Blankenship place. By then they farmed 160 acres, some rented from the brother. All of their children attended and graduated from the Randle school. It was by then called White Pass. Gretchen married Edward Thomas, they had 4 children; Paula, Michael, Wendy and Jennifer. They later separated. Walter Young married Vickie Lay and had 2 children, Joseph and Danielle. Katherine married Conrad Thomas and they had 2 children, Angela and Troy. Katherine and Conrad returned to the valley and took over the dairy farm. They built a new home across the road from her parents. Their children are the 5th generation on the place. Henry and Agnes are active in the Grange and Mountain Ma and Pa's Square Dance Club. Henry has kept time for ball games at the school for 29 years. He also has been chairman of the Cemetery Board since 1962. 394