The History of Lewis County, Washington, Pt 7 of 10: PAGES 251 - 284

Submitted by: Wes <coxwes4sherry@aol.com>, Feb. 2003
Update minor correction - 5 Aug 2022
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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 7 of 10: PAGES 251 - 284

MILES FAMILY

The Miles Family in Lewis County was on the way in 1851, when my uncle, Henry
Miles, was living on a claim across the Cowlitz River from Cowlitz Farms. When
he arrived, from where and how, I do not know - for an interesting reason. He
was not talked about in family conversation, so one of my Victorian English
sisters took her inquisitive little brother aside and, in the role of a nanny,
explained: "He associated with uncouth people, even Indians - and besides
that, he was a Democrat!"
He died in 1891, three years before I was born. Facts gathered from various
other sources show that, according to a 1903 history book, "he was a member of
the first territorial legislature, in which he served with marked 
efficiency for
several terms!" He was also Private Miles in the territorial army in the Indian
War of 1855-1856. And on the old-time Decoration Days, the G.A.R. put a flag on
his grave as Captain of the Lewis County Rangers in the "War of the Rebellion."
He was one of Chehalis's early day postmasters when the place was still called
"Sander's Frog Pond." An Olympia newspaper referred to him as "the Sage of
Saunders' Bottom."
But his greatest accomplishment rests on what today might be called an abstruse
situation. In correspondence with my father, John Miles in England, 
he persuaded
him to come to America and bring an award from Queen Victoria that in changing
into American dollars would become - mark this - metal money.
	To explain this, while fascinating, would take too much 
space, but suffice
it that it made him a wealthy man, in time owning thousands of acres of Lewis
County land, operating from the old time Browning store and stage stop in
Claquato. He once told me that he'd been tempted to buy land in 
Seattle from one
of its early real estate promoters, who offered him "fifty lots at 
fifty dollars
a lot" on Yesler Way. But, "it was too far from Claquato." Also too far away,
obviously was a "chicken ranch" near Los Angeles that he immediately sold. It
later became the Signal Hill 	Oil Field.
	He died in 1909, at the age of 77.
	In England, he had been a "servant of the Crown," as a tax 
assessor at a
number of localities along the border between England and Wales. In Welshpool,
near Shrewsbury, he met and married Sophia Davies. He later brought her six
daughters and a son to Washington Territory, and added two American daughters
and another son, in all, including my "Victorian sister": Mary, Maude, Mabel,
Emily, Eva, Eley, Edith, Bertha, Harold and Frederick. Several years after
Sophia's death, he remarried: Rose Tune - the daughter of an old school friend,
who came to America from England with her brother, George Tune, after whom Tune
Road is named. By the latter union came this writer and a sister, Winifred. By
Charles Miles

ALBERT MILLER FAMILY

In 1903 my father, Albert Miller, took as his bride Anna Frase and moved to his
property in Randle, where they spent the remainder of their lives. 
They raised 4
children: Gladys, Marie, Carl, and Edith. In due course the girls married and
moved away.

  (photo): Albert and Anna Miller, 1903

A mountain stream, which became known as Miller Creek, ran through 
the property,
and later became the source of the town's water supply and power for the
Millers' various endeavors. Albert was resourceful enough to create a 
succession
of "firsts" for the community. Dad's ingenuity began to show up when he flumed
and piped water from about 1 1/2 miles upstream to what would become the main
street of Randle. A water supply, and a sawmill which he quickly built near his
home, became the hub of a town which sprang up around the industry. 
Before long,
he had also set aside a corner of the mill structure to install a 
feed and flour
mill.
	The next venture was the construction of a two-story building 
across the
road from the mill. The entire upper story was a community building known as
Miller Hall, complete with stage and dressing rooms. The hall was used for
dances and

251

all manner of entertainments, including high school plays. On the ground floor,
he installed a creamery, a light plant, and woodworking shop with a lumber
drying area.
	Operating a creamery was a new and unfamiliar experience for 
Albert. The
processed butter was shipped to Spanaway. However, in the 'Twenties, Darigold
and Bordens established daily milk routes in the valley, which led to the
discontinuation of the creamery. As one farmer put it: "I cannot see myself
turning a cream separator just to wear the thing out."
By the late 'Twenties, I had become involved in the various Miller 
activities. I
think it was in 1929 the Randle school burned. This created somewhat of a
problem. The Miller light plant was inadequate to handle the additional load
required by the proposed new school building. Thus we decided to build a new
power house and install a much larger generating unit, and a diesel engine to
supplement the water power which was limited during summer months. The above
expansion not only increased the much-needed capacity of the plant, 
but provided
more reliable service.
	As a result of this, the operation and maintenance of the 
electric plant and
water system became my responsibilities, as Dad, who was in his 70's, could not
cope with this new development. Dad died in 1937.
	My mother, Anna Miller, represented the pioneer spirit. She 
helped in all
the family businesses, and learned to love having neighbors and friends stop in
for dealings either with the family or the Methodist Church, of which 
she was an
ardent member. In her later years she opened a gift shop in the front room of
her home. She died in 1954.
	A sequel to the above will appear in the story of the Carl 
Miller family.
Carl A. Miller

CARL MILLER FAMILY

The "Carl Miller Family story" begins where the "Albert Miller family story"
leaves off.

  (photo): Carl Miller, 1946

Esther Anderson and I were married in Garfield, Washington in 1932, and of
course established our home in Randle. We have always been active in the
community and church, but especially so while at Randle. We raised 3 children:
Marilee, Vivian and ElRoy. I was Master of the Randle Grange for several years.
One thing I did not mention in the Albert Miller story was Dad's sawmill being
phased out and dismantled to make room for other business establishments. (I
don't remember the year this happened.)
We continued to operate the light plant and water system under the assumed name
of Randle Power & Light. I engaged in other activities, such as house wiring, a
daily milk route for Darigold, and electric line extension work. This meant
Esther had to keep an eye on the diesel engine. In 1937 I added a second diesel
engine to the plant. By this time, the Lewis County Public Utility District had
been established and organized. This, of course, made the future of the Randle
Power & Light very uncertain.
	In 1938, the P.U.D. signed a contract with the Rural Electrification
Administration for an allotment to build approximately 70 miles of rural lines
in the Alpha and Randle areas. Since this included a diesel generating plant at
Randle, I could see the handwriting on the wall. However, I did have a sort of
gentleman's agreement with the Commissioners that they would purchase our
electrical facilities for an unspecified amount. I was appointed as Project
Superintendent. This work took me away from home almost every day, so again
Esther had to keep an eye on the diesels and do part of my 
secretarial work. For
this, we received $75 a month plus car expenses.
	In 1939, the P.U.D.'s new Randle plant and lines were energized, and my
plant shut down for good. The District did purchase the electrical 
facilities of
the Randle Power & Light Co. for a small price - but one I considered fair, as
the plant had no value to the District except as scrap.
	The fact that the new generating unit required very little 
attention allowed
me to continue as Project Superintendent for an additional 205 miles of rural
lines.
	By 1941 the P.U.D.'s system had been integrated enough so that the
generating plant could be shut down. We then established residence in Chehalis.
In 1943, I was named as Manager of the District.
	In 1951, I accepted the position as Manager of the Clallam 
County Public
Utility District, and we moved to Port Angeles - thus ending 44 years as a
resident of Lewis County.
	Early in 1958, the Miller family purchased the Myrtle Lane Motel in
Coquille, Oregon. This was an AAA motel, and we operated it as a family until
retirement in 1976. The 18 years in the motel was an interesting part of our
lives. In anticipation of retirement, we built a new home in Coquille. Carl A.
Miller

CLARENCE MILLER FAMILY

Clarence Miller was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1900 to Albert and Calista
Miller. During Clarence's early years the Millers moved to Lewis County and
bought a farm on the Miller road in Newaukum Valley.
	Gladys Mooberry was born in Missouri in 1903 to Howard and 
Jessie Mooberry.
The Mooberrys moved to Lewis County and bought a farm on the Rosebrook Road
around 1919.
	Clarence soon became acquainted with the Mooberrys - 
especially Gladys. A
favorite family story is about the time Clarence was taking Gladys home on his
motorcyle. Somehow the sidecar in which Gladys was riding tipped and Gladys
jumped out. She wasn't hurt. They were married in 1923 and lived on 
the Mooberry
farm for several years. Their daughter, Doris, was

  (photo): Kenneth, Verna, Ella Mae, Doris, Gladys and Clarence Miller

born in 1925. They bought and moved to a place joining the Miller farm in
Newaukum Valley. Two daughters, Ella Mae and Verna, were born there.
	Farming and logging were Clarence's occupations. As a logger 
he fell and
bucked timber as well as filed saws. His farming included raising pigs, goats
and milking cows. In the 1930's, as now, jobs were hard to find. The family
moved where the jobs were. They lived in Mendota, Blue Mountain, Sea beck,
Langley, Bay View, Tahuya, Belfajr and Onalaska. They came back to Chehalis in
1942. Moving didn't cost much in those days. Clarence had a good sized truck on
which went all the family belongings including the goat.
	The girls remember Christmas 1933 when Santa left new clothes for their
dolls and a note telling them the weather was so bad he couldn't get through so
he was sending their gifts by mail. A trip by Daddy to the post office in
Langley brought Santa's gifts.
	After three girls, everyone was delighted when Harvey was born in March
1934. His young life was short as measles and pneumonia took their toll.
	The summer of 1940, when the family moved back to Lewis 
County, they stayed
with CIarence's parents. Lighting struck and burned Albert's barn and contents
which included most of Clarence's family furniture and other belongings.
	In 1944 Clarence and Gladys became parents and grandparents. 
A son Kenneth
was born and a grandson was born to Doris and Ray Haskin. After Calista died of
cancer, Clarence's family lived with Albert. Their first granddaughter was born
to Ella Mae and Gene Rasmussen.
	Sad times were when Gladys died of cancer in 1963. Several 
years later Verna
and Bob Glasgow's little girl died when she fell in an old well.
	Clarence and Julia were married in 1964 and built a new home 
on the Kirkland
Road where they still live.
	Kenneth and his sons, Jeffery and Jerry, live on the Miller 
farm. Charlois
now roam the pastures of Millerdale as did Guernseys in Clarence's day and
Holsteins in Albert's time.
	Family gatherings bring back memories of the places they lived and
experiences they have had. It was an education moving from place to 
place, going
to new schools and making new friends. These memories are cherished 
by everyone.

MILLER FAMILY (1834-1985)

George A. Miller was born in England in 1834. When he was a young man, he and
two sisters came to the United States and settled in Minnesota. The sisters
remained there but George came west where he met and married Clarissa Garrison.
Clarissa was born in 1848 and lived in

252
the Rochester area. They moved to Tumwater and lived there until 
1879, when they
moved to Mossyrock. They purchased 160 acres in the center of Klickitat Valley.
	The Millers had eleven children, five of whom died in infancy or early
childhood. Of the six remaining children, there were three daughters, Addie,
Bertha and Minnie, and three sons, George, William and Lon.
	 Addie married Frank Swigert. They had five  children; Hugh, 
Cecil, Ted,
Pearl and Gladys.
	Bertha married Frank Carson. They had two sons; Lloyd and 
Mike. Lloyd had no
children, Mike married Mary Meadows. They have one daughter, Marcheta. Marcheta
married John Conradi. They have three children; Michael, Cliff and Cheryl, and
two grandchildren, Gerald and James.
	 Minnie married Frank Tillinghast and they had no children.
	George married Lodia Sparks; they had two sons, Clifford and Leslie.
	Clifford married Bess Morrison; they had one son, George.
	Leslie married Hazel Severns; they had no children. Lon 
remained a bachelor,
living on the home place until his death.
	William married Birdie Boyd and they had five children; Lois, 
Inez (who died
at an early age), William, Mona and Lee.
	William married Luella Anderson. They had five children; 
William (Buck),
Dean (deceased), Lon, Merrilee and Melody.
	Buck had two daughters; Cheri by his first wife. He married 
Jan Stephenson;
they had a daughter, Laurie Jo. Lauri Jo married Terry Howard; no children.
Cheri had two children; Monico and Tyson.
	Lou is unmarried.	.
	Melody married Dave Williamson; they have two children, Angiy 
and Davey.
	Merrile_ married Jack Woods. They have four children; Mark, 
R.D., Scott and
Jody. Jody is unmarried. Mark and Coleen McKinney have a son, Lucas.  R.D.
married Tami Hasvold; they have one daughter, Kristina.
	Scott married Robin Royal; they have a son, Clinton.
	Lee married Frank Kurivial; they have a son Pat and a daughter Pamela.
	Pat married Bobbi Lockhart; they have one son, Theodore.
	Pam married Buck Golen; they have two daughters, Blair and Greear.
	Mona married Keith Maloney; they have one daughter, Teresa (Terry).
	Terry married Rod McMurry; they had one daughter, Dana Lynn. 
Rod gave his
life in the Vietnam War. Terry married Gary Jolly; they have a son James and a
daughter Erin.
	Dana married Chris Weed; they have a son, Jacob.
	Lois married Les Smith. They have two sons, Larry and Rick. Rick is
unmarried. Larry married Barbara Lentz. They have four sons, Ron, 
Jeff, Greg and
Daniel.
	The original holdings of George and Clarissa Miller were 
divided among the
three sons. All but 37 acres was sold. This 37 acres had been the home of Lois
and Les Smith until 1976 when Larry and Barb Smith moved on to the place.
	 This will be the fifth generation of the family to live on 
this land, and
the fourth generation to live I in the house that William Miller built for his
bride Birdie Boyd.

IVAN AND ESTHER MILLER FAMILY

Ivan's grandparents immigrated to America in 1864 from Germany and settled in
Illinois. His parents moved to Minnesota in 1898. Ivan was born near Sioux
Valley, Minnesota. Ivan married Esther Neitzel in Lead, South Dakota. Esther's
grandparents immigrated to America in 1872 from Germany and settled 
in Nebraska.
Her parents moved to Minnesota in 1914. Esther was born in Lakefield, 
Minnesota.
	Ivan and Esther were living in Lakefield in 1940 when 
President Roosevelt
drew the first numbers for the military conscription. Ivan's serial number was
the first drawn in Jackson County. Since Ivan was classified 4-F, he 
was allowed
to work in a naval shipyard. Esther's uncle, Herman Neitzel, lived in Napavine,
so they moved to Bremerton. Later they moved to Napavine, where Ivan 
started his
masonry construction business. They finally settled near Onalaska in 
1948. There
is an example of Ivan's construction ability in every area of Lewis County. He
was always in demand to build a fireplace or something else made of 
rock, brick,
or block. Ivan suffered a heart attack and passed away 16 December 1960.
	Esther remarried in 1965 to Roy Ball of Morton. Roy worked in 
a plywood mill
in Randle. After retiring, they joined a camping club and traveled 
from one site
to another.
	Ivan and Esther had four children: Donald Keith, Yvonne 
Larae, Mavis Joann,
and Douglas Arthur., Don was born II June 1936 at Lakefield, Minnesota. Soon
after graduating from Onalaska High School, he joined the Navy. Upon return
home, Don joined his father's construction business. His hobbies included
hunting, fishing, and, listening to country music. He was injured when he fell
from a building he was working on in Morton. Don passed away 8 August 1966.
	Yvonne was born 22 January 1938 at Lakefield, Minnesota. 
After graduating
from Onalaska High School, she attended Centralia College and received her
license as a practical nurse. She worked at St. Helen Hospital and 
then moved to
California. She was married to James Hahey at Oxnard. After his discharge from
the Navy, they moved to Watertown, South Dakota. They were divorced 
and she took
her family to Janesville, Wisconsin. She works at a nursing home. 
They had three
children: Pamela Jean, Dean Scott, and Donald John.
	Mavis was born 2 February 1940 at Lakefield, Minnesota. She 
was married to
Darrel Harper at Chehalis. They lived in Morton before they were divorced. They
had three children: Patrick Eugene, Darrel DuWayne, and Joy Larae. Mavis was
married to Robert Rasmussen at Chehalis. He works for Weyerhaeuser as a truck
driver. They live near Castle Rock.
	Doug was born 9 May 1944 at Bremerton. After graduating from 
Onalaska High
School, he attended Centralia College and received the Associates 
Degree in Data
Processing. He was married to Bonnie Davidson at Onalaska. Doug works as the
Data Processing Manager of a computer firm in Seattle. They have two children:
Robert James and Jami Lynn. Bonnie is the daughter of LeRoy and Mary 
Davidson of
Toledo.

JOHN AND MINNIE MILLER

	John C. Miller and Minnie Grohs met while both were working 
in the Klaber
hop yards.  It is said that while John was courting Minnie, he came calling and
tied his horse to the fence.

  (photo): John and Minnie

Her brothers went out and spooked his horse, making it jump and the fence fell
over. He and she had to fix it.
	So on March 31, 1911 they hitched the horse to a buggy and headed for
Chehalis where they were married by Justice of the Peace Westover.
	They made their first home on the Hanberry farm in Lost 
Valley. While there,
their daughter Ruby Katherine was born on April 15, 1912. This was a memorable
day as it was the same day and year that the Titanic sank and Herman Klaber,
owner of the Klaber hop yards was lost.
	Two years later they bought land at Klaber. The place was covered with
stumps and trees. Ruby spent her first few years sitting in a powder box while
her parents cleared the land.
	George Pier set up a sawmill on the place and lumber was 
sawed to build a
house and barn.
	They eventually had one-hundred sixty acres to farm.
	Arnold Glen was born June 14,1918.
	They were active in the community, belonging to the Grange, 
and John was
a charter member of Darigold.
	They celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary March 31, 1961.
	They moved off the farm in June 1946, when they turned the farm over to
their daughter and husband.
	They lived at Curtis and John was a fire warden for the 
Bureau of Natural
Resources. Later they moved to Chehalis where they lived until John passed away
at the age of ninety-three, and a year later Minnie died at the age of
eighty-nine. So ends the saga of two wonderful people.
	Now for the present generation of the Miller family. In June 1938 Ruby
married Steve Smarz of Pe Ell. They lived in South Bend for six years. During
this time they had two children, Judith Ann and Robert Steven.
	In 1946 when they moved on the farm, Ruby went back to 
teaching. She taught
for twelve years at Boistfort and eighteen at Pe Ell.
	During this time Steve farmed. After he retired, he bought a 
cattle truck
and does custom hauling for the farmers.
	Their daughter Judith married Douglas Snellgrove on July 9, 
1960. They have
four daughters; Diana, Debra, Donna, Denise and a son David.
	Robert married Darinda Hope and has four children; Candace, 
DarIa, Colleen
and Cory. He lives in Vancouver.
	Arnold Miller married Alene Martin on June 1, 1946. They have 
two daughters;
Carol Ann and Pamela.
	Carol Olin has two children; Jeffery and Alissa, and Mrs. Bob (Pamela)
Wicklund has a son Eric.

253

Arnold spent his time in Tenino where he was Superintendent of schools there.
After 68 years the "Home Place", house and buildings still stand, 
looking better
than ever and are occupied by Ruby and Steve Smarz. By Ruby Smarz

RONALD ALEXANDER AND PEARL EDITH TROOP MILLER

Ronald was born in White Salmon, Washington on May 2, 1920, the son of Cecil
Alexander and Agnetha Christensen Miller. Ronald's grandfather, Alexander
Miller, emmigrated from Scotland and homesteaded in Klickitat County. 
His father
and two uncles were born and raised on that homestead which was divided between
the three brothers and became Ronald's home for the first 16 years of his life.
His grandfather, Maurice Christensen, emmigrated from Denmark, living first in
Minnesota and later moving to White Salmon. Both grandmothers were American
born.
	Ronald has two sisters. All graduated from Columbia Union 
High School. After
graduation he worked for a retail grocery in White Salmon, and in 1940 moved to
Portland to work for Fred Meyer, Inc. With that firm he advanced to manager of
their grocery store in Salem, Oregon. Late in 1942 he joined the U.S. Army
Signal Corp serving 19 months at Fort Lewis and 19 months overseas in New
Guinea, Philippine Islands and Okinawa receiving a discharge on January 19,
1946, at Fort Lewis. While visiting a friend in Chehalis, the same day he met
Pearl Edith Troop.
	Pearl was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, the daugher of Asa and 
Clara Schlatter
Troop. Pearl is the third born in a family of five girls and three boys. The
family moved to Crawford County, Kansas where Pearl attended Monmouth 
Elementary
School and Cherokee High School. After graduation she worked in Hutchinson,
Kansas, and in 1939 moved to Chehalis. She was employed by the Washington Gas &
Electric Co., Chehalis Advocate, and Rainier Crossarm Company prior to becoming
a full time homemaker in 1949.
	In February 1946, Ronald enrolled in the Centralia Business College to
complete an accounting education that was started while serving in the Army. He
was employed by P.U.D. #1 of Lewis County in September of 1946 as a bookkeeper
and was appointed Auditor on January 1, 1947.
	Pearl and Ronald were married April 19, 1947, and have three sons.
	Dennis Ronald was born June 8,1949, Gregory Lee, June 20, 
1951, and Brian
Keith March 25, 1954. All attended the Chehalis school system. Dennis went to
Washington State University earning a degree in Hotel Administration and
Accounting. Greg attended the University of California at Berkeley earning a
Bachelor of Science Degree and a doctor of Optometry Degree. Brian graduated
from the University of Washington with a degree in mathematics, Master's Degree
in bio-statistics and Medical Doctor's degree. All three boys were 
active in Boy
Scouts, each attaining the rank of Eagle, earning the God and Country 
award from
their church and all accepted into the Order of the Arrow.
	Ronald worked for the Lewis County P.U.D. for 35 1/2 years. 
Thirty-five of
those years as the District's chief financial officer. During that time, he
participated in various public power organizations, serving as chairman or
president of APPA Accounting and Finance Committee, the NWPPA Accounting
Section, the Washington PUD Financial Officer's group and served as 
Treasurer of
the PUD Self-Insurance Program

  (photo): Pearl and Ron Miller

for several years. In the community he worked with the Chehalis Little League
baseball program for twelve years and eight years with the Boy Scout 
program. He
is a past president of the Chehalis Rotary Club, Past Master of the Chehalis
Masonic Lodge and has served on the Board of Directors of the Chehalis Chamber
of Commerce.
	Pearl, besides being a homemaker, has been active in the 
community, taking
part in all the activities created by her men folk, and finds time to be a
member of P.E.O., church groups, charitable fund drives and bridge clubs.
	Ronald and Pearl are members of Westminster Presbyterian 
Church. Ronald is
an Elder and Pearl a Deacon.
	Ronald retired from business life in 1982, and since that 
time he and Pearl
have continued to be active in the church, in the community, play golf, travel
and enjoy the good life.

SIMON ALBERT MILLER AND MAMIE CATHERINE McKENZIE

Simon Albert (AI) Miller and Mamie Catherine McKenzie were married January
29,1912.
	Al's mother, Melissa Catherine Wilson, came with her family across the
country
by wagon train from Missouri, as a little girl. They settled in Boistfort
Valley.
	She married John Henry Miller and they had 8 children; Will, 
Jay, Alice,
Olive, Albert, Waiter and John. They lived in Boistfort Valley across the river
from the present Boistfort school.
	Al was born Dec. 23, 1882 and attended school at Boistfort, 
until he had to
quit in the 10th year to support the family as his father had died.
	Mamie was born December 19, 1889 in Blue Hill, Nebraska. She 
had 3 brothers,
Ellis, Webster and Hugh. Also 2 sisters, Pearl and Ethel. Her parents, Kenneth
and Sarah Catherine (Curry) McKenzie raised their family in Nebraska 
- where all
attended school. Then came west by rail and settled in Lost Valley in the early
1900's.
	Mamie and Al lived in Boistfort, and Alice and Henry, the 
first two of 10
children were born there. They moved to Idaho in 1915, where Al worked on a
large farm driving as many as 16 teams of horses to pull a large combine, among
other duties. This is where the term "Teamsters" originated. He stayed until
after Irene was born in June of 1916, then moved to Onalaska in the 
fall to work
for Carlisle Lumber Co., where he had many different jobs over the years.

254

There were no houses available when they arrived, so they lived that winter in
the log school house that stood where the old high school was.
	In the spring there was a house ready, so they moved, so the 
school could be
used, and stayed until after Louis was born in April 1918. The Co. sent them to
Carlisle, Wash. where they also had a mill, and they stayed for 1 year. After
which they came back to Onalaska in 1919 - Verne and Ollie were born here, and
Alice, Henry and Irene started grade school.
	In 1923 they bought a home with acreage at Alpha, WA and 
moved. Ellen, Paul,
Nylla and Sylvia were born while living there.
	All attended Alpha grade school and all attended Onalaska high school.
	AI Miller was president of the Union, and when the strike 
came we moved to
Boistfort in the fall of 1936 where we stayed 3 years. Al worked as a logger,
usually away from home for other firms.
	In the spring of 1939, after school was out, we moved back to 
Alpha where we
lived until Al retired in 1951. After the war years, he and Henry, Louis and
Paul logged a few years.
	We lived in On alaska 4 years - when we went to MacMillan 
Rest Home, (Now
Forest Manor).
	Mamie died in April 1959. Albert remarried Lily and they 
lived at McMillan
Rest Home. After Lily died, Al stayed at McMillan until he died in May 1965. By
Nylla Justice

LOUIE AND EDNA (WEBSTER) MOCAN FAMILY

Louie and Edna (Webster) Mocan were married in 1934 and celebrated their 50th
anniversary in 1984.
	We started out in our first home on H Street in Centralia 
with a wood cook
stove from my grandparents, Frank and Huldah Webster, a bedroom set from my
folks George and Callie Webster, and the gifts we received. In our 
front room we
did manage curtains but didn't have a piece of furniture in it. But 
the curtains
made it look nice.
	There have been many changes in our lifetime, like wood stoves to
microwaves, radio, T.V. and going to the moon and many, many more.
	We love taking trips with our trailer. There are so many 
beautiful places to
see here, beaches, mountains and the Sound. We are right in the middle between
two big cities, Seattle and Portland which makes it nice. It's fun to go on
trips, but I love to get back to Centralia, Washington.
	Louie Mocan has three sisters - Julia Stacy, Doris Maki and 
Babe Maki, all
of Centralia, Washington.
	Edna (Webster) Mocan has three brothers Frank Webster of Bremerton,
Washington, Don Webster of Renton, Washington, and Dale Webster of 
Maple Valley,
Washington. Thought for sure we would have a boy and a girl for Louie had three
sisters and I had three brothers, but we had two wonderful sons. They 
are Marvin
L. Mocan in Spanaway, Washington, and Robert E. Mocan in Morton, Washington. We
also have two very nice daughters-in-law and many grandchildren and
great-grandchildren.
	Louie Andrew Mocan was born February 14, 1914, in Oak Creek, 
Colorado. His
mother was Anna Margaret (Rejec) Mocan. She was born in Tolmin, Austria, July
13, 1885. She died in 1962. His dad was John Mocan. He was born in Staricha,
Austria, April 4, 1880. He died in 1927. They were married in New 
York and moved
west. They came to Centralia, Washington, from Colorado in 1918. He worked at
the Tono Coal Mine and also ran a 120 acre farm known as the old Edward's farm.

  (photo): Edna, Man, Bob, Louie Mocan

Louie's folks left all their relatives in Europe and started a new life in the
USA. They never got a chance. to go back. Their daughter Julia Stacy did get to
make the trip years later.
	When Louie's folks arrived here, their relatives requested 
them to send back
"the American button," known here as the safety pin.
	Louie attended school at Tono, Washington. He operated a mill with his
father-in-law called the Webster-Mocan Mill. There is a road off the Halladay
Road named the Webster-Mocan Road. Louie also drove a milk truck for Blazer
Brothers.
	I (Edna May Webster) was born December 15, 1915, at 212N. Ash Street,
Centralia, Washington, at my grandparents' home. The house was built by the
founder of Centralia, George Washington. Most of Frank and Huldah Webster's
grandchildren were born there. I went to school in Lincoln Creek Valley until I
was thirteen and then my parents moved to Centralia. They built a home on
Washington Street and then I went to the Lincoln School. Later, we moved to the
Old Chehalis Road, and I went to the Jefferson School in Centralia.
	Louie and I lived on the Bucoda Road for fifteen years and 
raised our two
sons there. I worked at the Bucoda mill during World War II.
	After our sons flew the coop, we moved to Centralia, bought a home on
Johnson Road, and lived there for thirteen years. I worked at Peerless and
Perry's in Chehalis, Washington, for many years. Louie and I are now 
retired and
live on Pike Street in Centralia, Washington.
	My father, George Otis Webster, was born on Lincoln Creek, 
August 6, 1886.
He died in 1962. He was the oldest child of Frank and Huldah Webster. He was
raised on the old Webster farm, also called the Padham place. George and his
brothers ran a tie mill there for many years and also farmed.
	My mother, Callie (Keene) Webster was born November 17, 1893 in West
Virginia. She died in 1955. Callie Keene taught school at Lincoln Creek School
District #44 in 1914. It was a oneroom school, and she taught all eight grades.
She stayed at the Webster home. That is how she met my dad. Her folks lived at
Riffe, Washington. She ran the grocery store on Summa Street in Centralia for
many years. Callie passed away during service in the old Christian Church on
Pine Street.
	I was the first child of George and Callie Webster.

CLEMENT MOGER FAMILY

The Clement Mogers came to Napavine in 1948. Ida was to be employed as an
elementary teacher, Carolyn was in the fourth grade, and Clem Jr. was in the
third grade. Clement came in November after completing his farming 
for that year
in North Dakota.

  (photo): Shirley Tweten Moger, Clem Jr., Ida, Clement Sr., Carolyn Moger Mann,
James Mann

Later in November they purchased the Romer farm where they made their 
home after
doing some remodeling. Several years later they purchased the Herrick farm.
	The Mogers lived on the Romer farm until the spring of 1955, 
at which time
they moved back to North Dakota. There they purchased 640 acres of farm land in
the Red River Valley about fifty-five miles north of Fargo. Clem Jr. and family
now live on the farm. A second house was put on that place in 1973. Clement and
Ida live there during the farming season.
	Carolyn and Clem Jr. graduated from high school at Buxton. 
Carolyn went on
to college and went into the teaching profession, while Clem Jr. went into
farming with his father and leased more acreage. Carolyn taught at Buxton and
McHenry, North Dakota. On June 27,1959 she married James Mann.
	James, also in education, graduated from Mayville State 
College at Mayville,
North Dakota and later earned his Master's Degree in Administration from the
University of North Dakota at Grand Forks. He held teaching and administrative
positions in North Dakota before moving to New York Mills, Minnesota, where he
has been in school administration for the past fifteen years.

255

Carolyn is currently employed, part time, at the Dairyland Veterinary Clinic of
New York Mills.
	Carolyn and Jim have three children. Todd has taught two 
years at Kemmerer,
Wyoming. Terrie, married to Myron Bernu, is a laboratory technician at the
Wadena Hospital at Wadena, Minnesota. They live at New York Mills. Kirk is a
high school sophomore.
	Jim and Carolyn Mann celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in June
of 1984.
	Clem Jr. married Shirley Tweten, also an educator, on 
December 27, 1960.
They have three children; Clement III, Corrie, and Cayle.
	Clement III, together with his father and Clement Sr., farm 
3,000 acres,
raising wheat, barley, soybeans, navy beans, pinto beans, and sunflowers. They
also raise a few cattle.
	Corrie is a graduate of Moorhead State College, Moorhead, 
Minnesota. She
plans to continue her education, getting her Master's Degree in speech
pathology.
	Cayle is a seventh grader.
	   Ida went into teaching again in Buxton, her home district, 
in 1958. She
preferred the Washington rains to North Dakota snow, so she returned to
Washington in 1962 to teach fourth grade at Pe Ell under Supt. Wendell Iverson.
She was also employed at Onalaska, Rochester, and Napavine. After teaching a
total of twenty years in the state, she retired from Napavine in 1975.
	Clement and Ida purchased a home in Centralia in 1963 and in 
1969 purchased
their present home, also in Centralia.
	They spend their winters in Centralia and their summers in North Dakota
where Clement Sr., who is semi-retired, assists with the farming operations.

JAMES AND IVERA MONAGHAN

Jim Monaghan was born in Renton, WA, Feb.21,1914 and moved to Tono, WA, in 1921
with his family. His father worked in the mines till 1932 when the mines closed
and they moved back to Renton. His grandparents had come from Ireland 
where they
were born and his grandfather had worked in the mines in Renton, Roslyn, and
Butte, Mont. In 1936 Jim married Ivera Nelson (Nielson) and they 
lived in Renton
till 1944, when they moved to Centralia. Jiin had worked at Pacific Car and
Foundry in Renton and had welded on tanks during World War II. In 
Centralia, Jim
worked for the Strain Coal Company in Tono on maintenance till the war ended in
1945. He then went to work at Lincoln Creek Lumber Co. and later at Palmer's in
Chehalis
Ivera (Nelson or Nielson) Monaghan was born at Bucoda, WA Nov. 29, 1913 and
lived there until she was 6 years old. Her natural father died when she was 18
months old and her natural mother died when she was 6 years old. Then she was
adopted by her uncle and aunt, Chris and Bell Nelson, and lived for 1 year at
Roy, WA.
	Chris or "J.C." as he was always known, came to Bucoda when he was 7 years
old in 1890. He remembered the old territorial penitentiary which was still
standing at the time. His parents had both been born in Denmark, but 
came to the
west coast from Indiana and Minnesota.
	Belle came to Bucoda with her parents in 1905 from Minnesota 
and Iowa by way
of Portland, Oregon. Both of their fathers worked in the mill in Bucoda. J.C.
became a farmer and rented a farm at Roy for a few years and then they bought
some uncleared land on the Centralia-Bucoda road. He cleared the 
land, built the
buildings and started a dairy for Bucoda and Tono. Ivera grew up here and
graduated from a one room school, then went to Centralia High School and
graduated in 1932, the same year Jim did.
	While living in Renton, their daughter, Sharon Monaghan 
Kenner was born in
1937. Five and a half years later they had a son, E.B. (Butch). Sharon was 7
years old and Butch was 16 months when they moved to Centralia. Both children
graduated from Centralia High School. Sharon graduated from Tacoma General
Hospital and University of Puget Sound as a registered nurse. Butch graduated
from Centralia College, then spent 4 years in the Coast Guard. Sharon is now a
nurse and health instructor with the Northshore School District. Butch is a
supervisor with Pacific Northwest Bell at Lacey.
	Jim and Ivera were both avid sports fans and went to all the 
sports events
in town and out. They also liked golfing. They belonged to the Riverside golf
clubs.
	Jim died in Dec. 1975 following open heart surgery. Ivera had 
been working
for the Centralia Schools in 1962 and is still there. She still goes to all the
games, and she golfs.
	Her mother, Belle Nelson died Jan. 15, 1985 at the age of 99 
years. She was
still living in her own home and doing her own work. By Ivera Monaghan

EUGENE ELLIOTT AND ROBERT A GRACE MOOMAU FAMILY

Eugene Elliott Moomau and Roberta Grace Warren were married February 
21, 1936 in
Holdredge, Nebraska. Eugene (Gene) Moomau was born May 26,1909 in Pine Bluff,
Wyoming and was raised in Wyoming. Roberta Grace Warren was born February 3,
1914 in Moore, Montana, but was raised in Nebraska. After their marriage they
moved to Lewis County in 1936. They worked on farms, in the Adna area, until
Gene rented a farm in Swofford Valley at Ajlune.
	Roberta's parents and family moved to Lewis County a year 
later. Her father
was Clarence Grover Warren and her mother was Ava Grace Warren. He worked for
Long-Bell Lumber at Winston Creek, for many years. They bought the schoolhouse
on Green Mountain at Riffe and converted it into a home. Their 
children in Lewis
County are: James Warren, who married Lola Black, and lived in Centralia;
Clarence Raymond (Bud) Warren, who married Norma Knodel, and lives on Green
Mountain; Louella Margaret, who married George Hagen, from Green Mountain;
Wandah Alice, who married Leonard Oliver Woods, and lives in Swofford Valley;
Victor Lee, who married Irene Pundt, and lives in Boise, Idaho.
	The first Moomau child was William Eugene, born August 
21,1937 at Chehalis.
Richard Lee was born July 3, 1938, Ruth Ann was born March 16, 1941, and Mary
Ellen was born July 9, 1944.
	The family moved to the Collar farm, on Gore Road, near 
Salkum. Gene also
operated the farm owned by Ivy Hills. Bill attended a two room schoolhouse, at
Salkum, where his teacher, Mrs. Mullens taught Grades 1-3. The family 
then moved
to Chehalis where Gene worked on a beef and hog ranch, owned by 
Scherers, on the
Jackson Highway. It is now part of the Newaukum Valley Golf Club.
	Due to the ill health of Bill, the family moved to Priest 
River, Idaho, in
1946. They moved back to Lewis County in 1949 and rented farms on 
Green Mountain
and at Harmony. All of the children graduated from Mossyrock High School.
	The oldest son, William Eugene (Bill) Moomau is an auditor 
for Washington
State
and has been chairman of the Republican Party in Multnomah County, Oregon, and
Thurston County, Washington. He has no children. Richard Lee Moomau graduated
from La Verne College and Loyola University and is a lawyer in California. He
married Melinda Chantry and they have three children: Mardell Suzanne born
October 30, 1961, Renee Hillary born March 14, 1963, and Jeffrey 
James born July
31, 1965 and adopt. ed in 1967. Ruth Ann married James Clinton Moore, 
the son of
Roy and Roberta Moore, Mossyrock. They have six children: Jacqueline Dawn born
August 25, 1960; James Clinton, Jr. born January 27,1962, deceased May 22,1962;
Theresa Rene born October 21,1963; Christina Marie born June 29, 1965; Jamie
Michelle born April 5, 1968; and Timothy James born November 15, 1969. Mary
Ellen married Larry Finstad of Silver Creek, the son of Virginia and Dale
Finstad. They have two children: Gina Kay born December 29, 1964 and Carla Jo
born February 19, 1967.
	Eugene and Roberta Moomau live at Mossyrock and are active in 
the Salkum
Community Church of the Brethren.

J. DOSSEN AND ROSY RACHEL MOON

Rosy Rachel Ray ton and J. Dossen Moon were married at Boistfort, August 4,
1901. She was the daughter of Angeline and John Ray ton, and was born at
Claquato April 22, 1884. He was born in Oregon, February 16, 1882. They made
their home in Curtis.
	Their family consisted of 12 children, five of whom died as infants.
	The first child, Clara, was born June II, 1902.
	She married John Rose and had a girl and a boy. She passed away 10 days
after childbirth, in II 1922.
	Rachel was born March 16, 1905. She married Archel Alleman in 
1934. He died
of a heart attack in 1956. She married Nickolas Mosch in 1965, he 
passed away in
1984. She is a retired schoolteacher and beautician.
	Alvin, the first son, was born December 22, 1906. He married 
Bertha Lampitt
in 1934. They have 5 boys and a girl. Alvin passed away in 1981.
	They lost two boys from 1908 to 1910. January 7, 1911, Olive 
was born. She
married Clarence Damitz, better known as Dutch, in 1927. They had 4 boys and a
girl. Olive died as the result of an automobile accident in 1962.
	Another boy and girl, born in 1913 and 1914 respectively, 
died as infants.
Gilbert was born February 16, 1916, on his Pop's 34th birthday. He married
Louise Davis. They separated and later he married AIda Rapos while stationed in
the Azore Islands. He is now retired from the ser. vice and they live in
Littell.
	Warren was born August 7, 1922. He married Violet Ticknor. 
They have one
daughter. Their marriage ended and he later married Della Wisby. They also
separated. He is retired and lives on Newaukum Hill.
	Rosalie, born August 18, 1927, married Warren Walker and had 
3 daughters.
They separated in 1978. She married Levi Scribner in 1981. He passed away
unexpectedly in 1982. She married Malcolm Berg in 1984 and they live 
just out of
Chehalis.
	Doss and Rosy celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary in 
August 1963. He
died that November at the age of 81.
	Rosy lived with Rosalie until 1971 when she passed away.

256

  (photo): Front: Doss and Rosy. Center: Rosalie, Olive, and Rachel.  Back:
Warren,
Gilbert, and Alvin.

Doss was a farmer, milk truck driver, worked in the woods some, bought and sold
real estate and fixed up houses. They moved frequently, but seldom out of Lewis
County. Rosy was born in Washington before it became a state, and 
lived here all
her life.
	The Moon family got together often. Any holiday was a time for dancing,
eating and celebrating. Never any alcohol, just good times and lots 
of fun, with
everyone there.
	Rachel was 66 years old when Rosy died and she had never been 
away from her
on Christmas. Now that is togetherness. By Rosalie Berg

MORGAN FAMILY

J. Will Morgan and Leona Courtney were married in 1901 in Candler, North
Carolina. In August of 1903 they came to Winlock, accompanied by their 9 month
old son, Lynn. They joined several "Tar Heel" families who had preceded them to
this area. Among them were the Charles Harkins (whose son, Virgil, later became
mayor of Winlock), McKrackens and Gudger families. After spending a winter and
working in one of the several sawmills that was operating at that time,

  (photo): Mr. and Mrs. J. Will Morgan and sons Lynn, Henry and Ralph.

they decided they didn't like the rainy weather, so left to return to North
Carolina; in their words, "burning their bridges behind them".
	It took seven years and three more sons added to their 
family, before they
decided Washington wasn't all that bad, so returned to Winlock. One 
son, Howard,
had died in infancy and was buried at Candler. They lived in the community
called, Veness (formerly called Capitola), which was adjacent to the "big"
Veness mill, south of Winlock. In April of 1914, Will (as he was called) was
appointed postmaster at Veness. It wasn't long afterwards that the post office
was discontinued. In 1915, a girl, Margaret, was added to the family.
	He worked a number of years in the mill at Veness and later at Littell
before going into the real estate and insurance business. They had by this time
moved into Winlock. He passed away in 1930.
	Their 3 sons, Lynn, Henry and Ralph, worked in a sawmill, operating the
large lumber carriers which were in use at that time. All worked for a time in
Bucoda, north of Centralia, with Lynn and Henry returning to Winlock, 
where they
followed other pursuits; Henry as a school bus maintenance manager, and Lynn at
times working in local mills and later as a mechanic. Lynn married Teresa
Wickert, daughter of another early day resident and they had two sons, Bill and
Pat, and a daughter, Janet. Henry married Verna Schneider, a relative of the
Wall families. They had one daughter, Dorothy, and five sons, John, Joe,
Richard, Robert and Jim. Ralph continued to live in Bucoda, marrying Edith
Meyer, daughter of long time Pleasant Valley residents. They had one 
son, Allan.
Margaret married Blaine Raybuck, son of early day residents of Walville, at one
time a bustling lumbering community west of PeEll. His father was later a
caretaker of Claquato cemetery and lived on the cemetery grounds. They had one
son, Donald, and three daughters, Anne, Gail and Mary.
	Leona passed away in 1968 at the age of 84, after a long illness and
confinement in a nursing home. Lynn had preceded her in death in 1959. His wife
passed away a few years later. Blaine passed away in 1985.
	Margaret and Henry and his wife continue living in Winlock 
and Ralph lives
in Tenino.

JOHN M. MORRIS FAMILY

John Madison Morris (Jack), was born in 1877 at Cattlesburg, Kentucky, and
married Cynthia Bowen in 1896 at Inez, Kentucky. They came to Lewis County in
1909 from Martin County, Kentucky. Cynthia's parents, Samuel Bowen and Nancy
Jane (Spriggs) Bowen preceded them by four years or so. They were 
accompanied by
the familes of Monterville Mills and Grover Bowen, making a total of twenty-one
in the party. They landed at Glenavon as that was the end of the railroad at
that time. They went by wagon from there to Glenoma where they settled. At that
time there were six children in the family: Wallace, Earl, Grace, Herbert,
Claire and Willie. Another child Rebecca was born later.

  (photo): John and Cynthia Morris 60th Wedding Anniversary

They rented a log house in Glenoma and about three years later moved 
to the Cook
place on Martin Road. Jack freighted for the Coleman and Harleson Store for a
few years. This store was located in Glenoma and the freight was 
hauled by horse
and wagon from Glenovon and later Morton when the railroad was extended. This
was a three or four day trip as the roads were muddy and part of it was
"corduroy" roads. He also did some farming, drove the school bus and 
worked as a
logger. In 1919 they bought a place at Kosmos which is now at the edge of the
Lake but not under water. Later they moved to the Bergen place on the Bear
Canyon Road and from there to Silver Brook at Randle where they stayed until
their deaths. Cynthia passed away in 1964 at the age of eighty-nine and Jack in
1972 and he was ninety-five. They celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary
about three months before Cynthia's death. Four of their children are still
living: Grace Parks at Tacoma, Claire Keesee at Silver Brook, Willie at Naches
and Rebecca Camp at Mossyrock.

RALPH J. AND GRENOLIA J. MORRIS

Ralph Morris, son of J.B. Morris and Virgie Johnston Morris, was born 28
January, 1911, at Pindall, AR. At age five, Ralph moved, with his family, to
Oklahoma. Upon graduation from

257

Bixby, Oklahoma, High School, Ralph was presented the school's highest award,
the Gold Medal for Scholarship, Loyalty and Achievement. Ralph was a member of
the State Champion Grain Judging team, the State Championship Doubles Tennis
team and, in addition, played basketball and football.
	Ralph earned a BS Degree from the Northeastern University of 
Tahlequah, OK
and an advanced degree from Washington State University.
	Ralph taught in Oklahoma schools for 13 years. He served nine years in
administration, as a principal, and ten years as an athletic coach. 
He taught at
Mossyrock, WA, for 25 1/2 years, seven years as coach and 18 1/2 years as
Superintendent of Schools, after one season as coach at Centralia, WA.
	On February 19, 1930, Ralph was married to Grenolia Jean 
Rice, daughter of
Ross Rice and Maud Boyd. She also graduated from Bixby High School, 
Northeastern
State University and Washington State University, where she received 
an advanced
degree. Mrs. Morris taught in Oklahoma for five years, at Mossyrock 
for nineteen
years and at Centralia for six years.
	They have one son, Ralph Louis Morris, who graduated from 
Mossyrock High
School and the University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA. Dr. Morris
has served as the Peace Corps Medical Director, an assistant professor for the
University of California at Berkley and is now an internist at Hoquiam, WA. Dr.
Morris and his wife, Suzanne Arndt, live at Hoquiam, WA.
	Ralph and Grenolia Morris have six grandchildren: Kevin, Amy, Jenifer,
Colin, Christopher, Adam and Anthony (deceased).
	The couple has always been community minded. Ralph is a 
member of the Robert
Morris Lodge F and A M of Silver Creek, W A; a charter member of the Mossyrock
Lions Club; a member of the Mossyrock Community Church; and a member of the
Retired Superintendents' Club of Lewis County. His wife served as Worthy Matron
of the Silver Creek Chapter 119 OES and as Deputy Instructor. She is an active
member of the Mary Lacy Chapter of the NSDAR of Centralia, WA.
	They have many hobbies. Ralph prefers sports, since, in his 
playing days, he
earned many awards in basketball; the most important being an invitation to
try-out for a berth on the Olympic team. At present, he fishes and makes opal
jewelry. His wife is an ardent genealogist.
	Since retirement, they have visited all fifty states of the 
U.S. in addition
to trips to twelve foreign countries.
	For six months of the year, the Morrises make their home at 
Lake Mayfield,
in western Washington, and the other six months are spent in Arizona.

ROBERT AND AVALON MORRIS FAMILY

My father, Robert Morris, was born in 1930 and grew up in Moundsville, West
Virginia. He is the son of .James and Rose (Frey) Pelley. A track star in high
school, he was state champion in the mile run two times. After graduation, he
joined the Army taking basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He served two
tours in the Korean War, going with the famous Second Division when it shipped
out of Fort Lewis in 1950. He received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
	A M/Sgt., again stationed at Fort Lewis, he met my mother, 
Avalon Gates.
Three months

  (photo): Standing: Cathy, Robert, Bob (Father). Middle: Diane, 
Avalon (Mother)
Rachel. Ground: Melody and Gwendolyn, later they were married, in June of 1954.
She was the daughter of Grace and Charles Gates.

	Cathy, born in Tacoma in 1955, was six weeks old when father 
was transferred
to Panama. Diane, born in 1956 at CoCoSolito Naval Hospital, was two months old
when father was accepted to Officers Candidate School, Fort Benning, Georgia.
Mother and daughters lived with her parents at Dryad during OCS. At OCS, father
ran track and was the first candidate to ever receive a perfect score on the
physical test. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in 1957.
	Father was next assigned at Fort Gordon, Georgia and sent to 
Iceland for a
year in 1959. The family lived in PeEll and Robert was born in Centralia. In
Iceland, father transferred from Infantry into Military Police, and later
returned stateside to the Army Chemical Center, Maryland. Melody was born in
1961 at Aberdeen Proving Grounds.
	In Germany in 1963, father's first station was Dachau. He 
worked with the
German Border Guard and was Assistant Post Commander. Gwendolyn was 
born in 1963
at Munich Second Field Hospital. Father was then Customs Officer at Frankfurt.
The family toured several countries, much to mother's delight.
	In 1965, father applied for Military Police School, Fort Gordon and the
Morris family again lived in Augusta, Georgia. After a year at M.P. School we
moved to Fort Lee, Virginia. While there, father volunteered for Vietnam duty.
In 1967, a family home was purchased in Chehalis. Father served several places
in Vietnam and was Provost Marshall at Long Bein during the Tet Offensive.
	Father retired from the Army, rank of Major, in 1969 at Fort 
Lewis and now
works for the State Liquor Control Board. Through college night classes, he
received a BA in Law Enforcement.
	I, Rachel, was born March 8, 1971, at St. Helen Hospital. I attended
Chehalis Schools and the Adna Evangelical Church.
	In 1974, one month apart, Cathy married John Spears and Diane 
married Dan
McGuinn, McGuinns have two girls, Heidi and Darby, Robert married Trena Beck in
1978 and has a daughter, Robin. In 1982, Melody married Gary West and two weeks
later, Gwen married Rick Lawrence. Gwen has a daughter, Jennifer.
	Father has been involved in Little League Football and 
Baseball. He belongs
to Kiwanis, Broken Spokes Cycling Club, is president of Lewis County Special
Olympics, holds the position of head coach of track and field and 
helps as timer
at school track meets. He helped establish the St. Helens Running Club. He has
won awards in track here, in California and Canada in Police Olympics.
	Mother is a member of Hillside Garden Club, Napavine 
Homemakers, and Adna
Church, being President of Women's Circle, youth leader, teacher and 
past Sunday
School Supt. Like her mother she sews, does crafts and loves to travel.
	I like to travel too. Have been to Disneyland, Yellowstone Park, Grand
Canyon, Victoria B.C., Jasper and Banff Parks in Canada and toured Washington,
Oregon and Colorado. By Rachel Morris

258

WILLARD AND VIOLET MORRIS

Wallace Morris and Theresa Ann Scalf (d. 9-1918), daughter of John Scalf, had a
son Willard, born 8-5-1917 at Randle.

  (photo): Willard and Violet Morris, 25th Anniversary

Violet Frances Burlingame, born 5-18-1921 in Wisconsin, the daughter of Frank
and Lydia Love Burlingame (b 3-21-1885) came west in 1936 to settle at Glenoma.
	Violet went to work for Henry and Mathildia Perry, Willard's 
grandparents,
on Meade Hill. This is where they met.
	They were married 11-4-1939 at Glenoma and lived on Meade 
Hill on what is
now the Compton property. In 1940-1941 Willard drove the school bus 
from Glenoma
to Morton.
	Two children were born to them: Willard Jr. on 11-5-1940 and Anna Mae,
12-7-1941. Both graduated from the White Pass School. Willard "Bud" has worked
for Pacific Sales Lumber Company for 22 years as truck boss. He has one son,
Eddie Dean. Anna Mae married Gene Love, has six children and has taught school
for about 20 years at Glenoma.
	In April 1944 Willard went into the Army and was soon sent to 
Japan where he
was stationed until his discharge in June 1945.
	By this time they had bought a home on Highway 12 at the end 
of Meade Hill
Road.
	When Willard returned from the service they bought a farm on 
Anderson Road
(1947) from Harrison Christian. They milked cows selling bottled milk for a
short time. Willard worked in the woods and on construction for McDonald
Company, helping build the new highway through the Randle area.
	When that job was finished the company started clearing the 
land for the
Riffe Lake Reservoir and the Salkum Fish Hatchery.
	In 1962 Willard had a stroke and lost his ability to speak, 
thus retiring.
	Violet acquired her license for foster parent home care. They 
have had close
to 300 children, who have received her tender loving care. They have 
come at all
hours of the day or night with very little notice of arrival and in 
all kinds of
health conditions. They have stayed from 1 week to 3 years at a time. 
The oldest
one was 13 years old and the youngest was a newborn.
	>From these many children they received, and after their own 
children were
grown and gone, they adopted four children: two sisters from Riffe, (Dodge
Coleman's daughters) Theresa born 6-27-1961, who has one son Justin, 
9-8-80, and
Penny born 6-30-63 had one daughter Alicia (37-1981, died 6-10-81). Julie born
2-24-61 has one daughter Holly (11-29-81) who lives with Willard and 
Violet; and
Dennis (9-4-1966) who lives at home and works in the woods.
	In March 1985, Willard was severely burned on the leg while 
burning the dry
grass in the yard. But with the good care he received from the Harborview Burn
Center in Seattle it is healing nicely.
	Willard and Violet have nine grandchildren and still live on 
Anderson Road.

WINFRED AND JOANN MORRIS

Winfred (Wink) Colin Morris and JoAnn Looney were married July 17, 1948, at
Mossyrock, WA. Wink is the son of Herbert and Melvina Morris. JoAnn is the
daughter of John and Ethel Looney of Glenoma. Wink was born at Kosmos and JoAnn
was born at Mayfield, both of which are now covered by Mayfield Lake. 
Wink has a
brother, Gene, and two sisters, Lois and Beverly. JoAnn has a sister, Frances,
and a brother, Ralph.
	When Wink and JoAnn married, they lived at Glenoma, where 
their daughter,
Susan Marlene, was born, July 25,1954. In February, 1956, they moved to Randle
near the cemetery, where their son, Steven Craig, was born, September 26, 1956.
Both children grew up and attended White Pass Schools, where both 
graduated from
high school.
	Wink owned and drove logging trucks all his life until 1975, 
when he started
working for the U.S. Forest Service in Packwood. JoAnn worked five years for
Dr.'s Bede and Wark at Morton Medical Center from 1950-1955. January 1970, she
began employment for the White Pass School District as Fiscal Officer and, at
the present time, is still working there.
	Steve attended Grays Harbor College, at Aberdeen, for two 
years. June 2,
1977, Steve married Beth Merrin. They own Alpine Arabian Meadows at Glenoma.
	Susan attended Seattle Pacific College for one year, when she 
was employed
by Christian Alliance, and worked one summer in England. She also attended
Everett Community College one year. August 20,1977, Susan married 
Donald B. Glad
from Everett. They make their home on Camano Island. They have four 
sons: August
(Gus), Eric, Andrew and Cody.
	Wink is a World War II Veteran, serving in the US Army in 
Germany, France
and England. During the Battle of the Bulge, he received word of the death of
his mother. His father, Herb, died of cancer, March, 1978.

JAMES AND EMMA WEAVER MORTON

James and Emma (Weaver) Morton were born and raised in eastern Tennessee near
Clinton, which isn't far from Knoxville. They were married September 
22, 1895. A
daughter, Beatrice was born August 20, 1896. They left Tennessee in January
1900, arriving by train in Winlock, February 2, that winter. Their first home
was in Olequa between Winlock and Vader. A heavy stand of virgin timber grew in
this area and anyone looking for work could find a job in the woods or in a
mill.
	The family moved to Napavine in 1901, living in a house at the McCoy's
sawmill where James worked. This mill was where the present Jordon

  (photo): James and Emma Weaver Morton 1945 - 50th Wedding Anniversary

and Linbeck Roads intersect, near the railroad tracks. It was in this 
house that
Russell was born September 19, 1902.
	James Morton's parents left Tennessee and moved to Napavine 
in 1903. They
purchased the J.A. Nail homestead and both families moved there. Later Jim and
Emma bought the property from them but they continued to make their home with
Jim and family until their deaths; grandfather in 1913 and grandmother in 1937.
	Three other daughters were born to Jim and Emma; Pauline in 
1904, Elizabeth
1907, and Winnifred in 1911. The four girls were all teachers. Russell worked
for R.T. Evans Grocery Store, E.R. Davis Store in Onalaska, and Waiter's Market
in Chehalis before taking over the George Morton Meat Market in Napavine. He
added the cold storage lockers in 1941.
	When Jim and Emma moved to Woodland, Russell and his wife, 
Clara, bought the
home place in October, 1937. Their family of three sons and one daughter all
grew up on this farm.
	Jim and son, Russell, both worked to get many improvements in 
this area -
the telephone line down the Conrad Road, electric line, rural mail 
delivery, and
better road conditions. In the town of Napavine, Russell worked to form the
Cemetery District, the Lewis County Fire District #5, of which he was elected
commissioner, for the district and given a certificate of appointment January
21,1958. Later he worked to get a city water system in Napavine. He 
saw the need
of a sewage system for the city but that materialized after Russell's death in
1965.
	Of the others in the Morton family, James passed away in 
April, 1951, Emma
in November, 1962, Beatrice Deal in February, 1983. We plan to keep the farm in
the Morton family. Russell's wife still lives there and son Bob uses the
buildings and pastures the fields.

PATRICIA ANN (PATTI) MORTON

Patti was born in St. Luke's Hospital in Centralia, May 30, 1935, one year and
one week after her brother Paul was born in the same hospital. They shared many
things together as they grew up. One was being in the same grade from 
the second
grade on through grade school, high school and 2 years of work at Centralia
College. Paul served in the Army then for 2 years and Patti finished college at
Western Washington University at Bellingham.
	She worked in the office of the Governor at Olympia for 4 years before
taking a leave of absence in 1960 to take a 3 months round the world trip. She
returned to work, but in 1963 visited friends in Florida and worked in a law
firm in Orlando. She had put her application in for

259

  (photo): Patricia Ann (Patti) Morton

foreign service and by 1965 she was accepted and given a choice of 3 places to
go: Durbin, Paris and Nepal. She chose Nepal because it seemed to be the most
remote and challenging place.
	>From Nepal, it was Kinshasa, Africa in what was the Congo 
then, Zaire now.
While there she made a trip home to attend her brother Paul's wedding Feb. 14,
1969. Finishing her tour of duty in Kinshasa, she was sent to Cameroon, Africa,
then Singapore for 2 years.
	On returning to Washington D.C. she was recommended for training as a
security officer. This she accepted and some interesting years of 
work followed.
When Patti received Centralia College's second distinguished alumnus award, in
1979, she was the State Department's regional operations officer for Africa,
responsible for the security of all U.S. embassies and consulates there.
	Formerly she had been the emergency and evacuation 
coordinator for Vietnam
and the security officer for Central and South America, Mexico, and the
Caribbean.
	After returning to Centralia College to receive the award, 
she was appointed
Federal Women's Program Manager, directing the department's efforts to provide
full employment for women at all levels. Currently she is a member of the State
Department's Board of Examiners, responsible for the selection of those who
enter foreign service.
	In the State Department she is the only woman to have been a regional
security officer, the first woman to have been admitted to the Office of
Security as a special agent, and the first woman to work as a desk officer in
the Foreign Operations Division.
	Working as a member of the Board of Examiners, she has been 
sent to many
ports of the U.S. - Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Kansas 
City, Austin
and back again to some of these cities, testing and interviewing applicants for
foreign service. Whenever she is on the west coast, she plans a 
weekend in Lewis
County and home. No matter in what part of the world she is working, her home
address is the farm home where she spent her childhood days.

W. RUSSELL AND CLARA HAASE MORTON

I remember so well my first day in Lewis County. My parents, Paul and Anna
Haase, didn't want to raise their family in a city. They

  (photo): Russell and Clara Haase Morton

traded their newly built home in Seattle for an 80 acre farm in Lewis County, 4
miles southwest of Napavine. That was January 1916. Lydia was 13 years old, I
was 12, Edwin (Ed) 10, and Frieda was 8. Frieda and Mother stayed in 
Seattle for
a while and came by train. We three children, and our father, one dog and our
parrot, came with the moving truck that brought all of our possessions to
Napavine. We stayed at the hotel that night. That building is no 
longer here. It
was next to Frosty'sTavern. Our truckload of goods was left in the livery barn,
below the tavern, until we could haul it home with horses and wagon.
	After breakfaast, the four of us walked the four miles to our 
new home. We
went by way of what is the Haywire Road, past the Summerville Mill, on to
Pleasant Valley, and up the hill to our home. It was a cold winter with much
snow. Life was different without electricity, a phone, streetcars, and close
neighbors. We walked 2 miles to the 1 room Pleasant Valley School. I was in the
sixth grade then. After finishing the ninth grade there, I transferred to
Napavine High School. I rode horseback those 4 miles, keeping my horse in the
livery barn, until the school built a shed on the school grounds for 
several who
rode horses to school.
	Graduation followed in 1922. Napavine started high school 
classes in the
grade school building, 5 years before their first high school building was
built. Our class of 9 graduates was the first to use it. The following year I
attended Central Washington University, then called Ellensburg Normal School.
Teaching for 5 years followed, first at Castle Rock, then Chehalis.
	It was during my high school days that I met Russell Morton. 
We were married
June 23, 1929. Our first home was in Onalaska, then a busy mill town. For
several years Russell was manager of the meat and produce department 
of the E.R.
Davis and Co. store. Later he worked in Chehalis. In 1935 we bought the market
in Napavine, when George Morton moved to Centralia. We added the cold storage
lockers in 1941.
	By then we had our family of four - Robert, Paul, Patricia, 
and Delbert.
They all graduated from Napavine High School and prepared for special 
careers of
their own. Childhood days were spent at the farm home that we bought from
Russell's parents, when they moved to Woodland.
	Russell passed away, due to a truck/car accident not far from 
home, November
16, 1965. I sold the market equipment several years later, also the buiding and
lot where the Sunshine Inn is now. I continued teaching, retiring from the
Napavine district in 1970 after a teaching span of 30 years. I still 
live on the
home farm but Robert (Bob) and family use the buildings and fields for their
cattle. By Clara Haase Morton

CLARENCE AND DOROTHY RAYTON MUELLER

I, Dorothy Ray ton Mueller, was born April 15, 1913, at Ceres, Washington. I
love to quilt and do all types of handwork.
	My parents, Andrew and Elisabeth Rayton, came to the Wildwood 
area in 1914
when I was a year old. I had two older sisters, Helen Reppeto, who still lives
in the Boistfort Valley, and Mildred, who drowned in the river near our home
when she was six years old.
	My father grew up in Cowlitz and Lewis Counties, and lived in those two
counties all his life. He passed away in 1949. He was a farmer, and farmed with
a team of horses. He never owned a tractor.
	My mother was born and raised in Indiana. She came to 
Washington when she
was 21. She passed away in 1974.
	. I have lived all of my life, except the six years we lived 
in Chehalis, in
the Wildwood area.
	I was graduated from Boistfort High School in 1932. After 
graduation I went
to work for a lady on what is now Bishop Road. That is where I met my husband,
Clarence Mueller.
	We were married Nov. 25,1935, and lived in Chehalis for six 
years. Clarence
was working at the Darigold Creamery. Our three daughters were born while we
lived there. Our daughters are Mary Rose, Linda. Wilson and Ann,Wentzel. Mary
lives at Leavenworth, Washington, Linda at Tenino, Washington and Ann at
Wenatchee, Washington.
	We moved to the Wildwood area in 1941. Clarence went to work for the
Long-Bell Logging Company at Ryderwood.
	In 1942 our son William was born. Bill still lives here in 
the Valley with
his family.
	Clarence worked for Long-Bell till they were done at 
Ryderwood in 1952. He
then went to work for Weyerhaeuser, as a heavy equipment operator, until he
retired in 1975.
	We live on an 80-acre farm and have beef cattie.
	Clarence's parents, William and Bertha Mueller, came to the 
Chehalis area
from Fife in 1921. They lived around Chehalis  until they both passed away, his
mother in 1940 and his father in 1945.
	His father worked on the J.A. Scollard Ranch, then at Green Hill for a
while. They rented the farm that now belongs to Fred Young, and farmed for a
number of years before moving out on Bishop Road. When his father 
passed away he
was working at Green Hill.

HARRY MULFORD 1880-1932

My father, Harry Mulford, came to Chehalis from Harrison, Arkansas in 1908. He
met Florence Towner while working at the Carnation plant in Chehalis. They were
married in September, 1909.
	Harry had four brothers who came to Chehalis about the same 
time. He and his
brother Arthur went together in what they called "Mulford Bros. 2nd Hand Store"
at 960 Chehalis Avenue in 1909. After a year or two, Art got a job carrying
mail, so Harry bought out his brother's interest and continued to run the store
until 1927. He bought used furniture and household goods and reconditioned them
to sell, and also filed saws and re-covered umbrellas.
	In those days the milkman delivered milk in glass bottles 
using a horse and
wagon. The water

260

  (photo): Mulford Bros. 2nd Hand Store

wagon and the fire wagon were both pulled by horses.

  (photo): Interior of Mulford Bros. Store

One day there was a fire in the rooming house above the store, but most of the
damage to the store was from the water coming through the ceiling. What I
remember most about the fire was that the people who came to watch the fire
brought the kids along in baby buggies and little wagons. In those days you
could tell where the fire was by counting the number of chimes of the 
fire bell,
as the different parts of town were numbered for that purpose.
	I (Clyde) am the oldest of our family of eight boys and one 
girl. Four of us
were born in Chehalis. In 1918 the folks bought an 80 acre farm four miles up
Coal Creek, where we raised our meat, milk and eggs and always had a large
garden.
	My dad, who used crutches all his life because of childhood T.B. of the
bone, continued to run the store until 1927. He drove back and forth to work
with a horse and buggy, taking a sack of hay which he fed to the horses in
Hayseed Park which was between the streetcar tracks and Market Street.
	Streetcars ran between Chehalis and Centralia for many years, but later
buses were used. There were two cars, one going each way, passing at the fair
grounds using what is now N. National and S. Gold. The electricity for the
streetcars came from a coal-fired plant on Coal Creek.
	H.H. Scribner's Harness Shop was next door to the second hand 
store, and
along the curb there were several rings where you could tie your horse.
	I finished grade school in the one-room Lower Coal Creek 
School. To get to
high school the first three years, I had to walk or bum a ride, but the fourth
year I had a bicycle. I graduated from Chehalis High School in 1929. That fall,
they put on a school bus, which my brother Basil got a job driving for
twenty-five dollars a month.
	I worked ten years for the Department of Natural Resources on state
lookouts. Then I moved to Longview where I spent eleven years on the 
planer gate
selling Presto Logs for Weyerhauser Co. I am now retired and live in Winlock.
	Two brothers, Roy and Ervin, are living just north of 
Centralia. Basil is up
near Olympia, and Don is just east of Vancouver. The rest of the family is out
of state. By Clyde Mulford

JAMES MULLENS FAMILY

While living in Tacoma, my grandmother Lida met my grandfather James Michael
Mullen. He was born in Wicklow, Ireland in 1864. He was a sailor, and 
his family
owned a ship or ships. They married and my father Michael James Mullen was born
December 8, 1892. Aunt Lillian was born in 1894. My grandfather worked as a
longshoreman, sailed on boat to Alaska and for a short time was a Tacoma
policeman. He added an "s" on his last name while living in Tacoma 
because there
was another James Mullen living next door.

  (photo): Lida Kathern (Baldwin) Mullens. Children: Lillian, Michael and Rant.

Hard times came and Grandpa went to Montana to work in the mines. My grandma
moved back to Cedar Creek to live with her father, Ransom Baldwin. 
Shortly after
moving there, son Rant was born February 10, 1897. When my 
grandfather came back
he helped farm the homestead and two more children were born to them: Kate in
1904 and Joe in 1905. When their house burned down in 1925, they moved to
Toledo.
	My grandfather Mullens worked at the tavern in Toledo for 
many years. He
seemed so big, tall, and such big feet when I was small. He always made sure I
got my chocolate ice cream after Sunday dinner. I will always love him even
though now I know he had his faults. He loved to talk and, he was an Irish man
for he celebrated St. Patrick's Day to the fullest, being brought home by
friends after celebrating, many times. Sometimes the pay check never made it
home if there was a party on the way.
	My grandparents lived in the house that my Uncle Rant lives 
in now. Grandma
Mullens was a good cook and we went down many Sundays to eat dinner. She always
sent something home with me. I have many good memories of them both, the Sunday
dinners and the many Cheese Day Celebrations in Toledo. Grandpa Mullens died in

  (photo): Michael and Alma (Larsen) Mullens

1945 and Grandma Mullens in 1948. They are buried in the Toledo cemetery.
	My father and mother, Michael James Mullens and Alma Esther 
Larsen, were
married in 1926. Dad at the time was working for the forest service 
managing the
CCC boys, making trails and working on the campgrounds at Mt. St Helens. My
mother was teaching at Nesika. My folks built a house at Salkum on 
Fuller Rd. on
land my grandfather Larsen gave them as a wedding present. They lived there the
rest of their lives.
	My brother James Michael Mullens was born October 7, 1931, 
and I came along,
Elizabeth Lee Mullens, on May 11, 1935. Their third child, a little boy, was
born in the Toledo Hospital September 28, 1938. He died a few days after birth
and is buried in the Salkum Cemetery.
	My father worked many years up at Mt. St Helens building 
trails and making
campgrounds. Mom went with him, cooking for the crew and later taking care of
the phone at the park, when Jim was born. When they formed the Forest Service
that we know now, Dad had to go to Chehalis and fill out a form. On 
the form you
had to tell if you were a Democrat or a Republican. He wouldn't answer that
question, for he thought it was no one's business what he was. It 
shouldn't have
anything to do with the job. His best friend Harve Weltie, who had worked with
Dad for years, came out to our house to try to get Dad to go with him to town
and just tel1 them what he was. He didn't have to write it on the 
form. But, Dad
was stubborn and wouldn't go. He never got the job, so he went back 
to the woods
as a fal1er for many years.
	Dad loved to hunt and fish and just being out doors. He loved 
to talk and
tell hunting stories. His language was very rough and his bark was much worse
than his bite. I only tested him twice, and was very sorry both times, for the
razor strap was used. That last word always got me in trouble. Mom never
punished Jim or me for our language but, now that we are grown up, she should
have.
	My dad had a heart attack and died May 24, 1956. He was fishing at the
Devil's Eye Brow on the Cowlitz River, which is now part of Lake Mayfield. I
thought at the time it was so unfair, for he had decided to retire and was just
waiting to draw his first Social Security check in Decem-

261

ber. But now I know it was a blessing, and he is buried at the Salkum Cemetery.
	My brother married Pat Greenland March 15, 1957. They live in 
Auburn. They
have no children.
	Mom graduated from Mossyrock High School in 1919. She did 
housework for a
year. Then she went to Bellingham and became a teacher. Her first teaching job
was at Nesika and staying with the Schoonovers. She stopped teaching when Jim
and I came along and started again when I began first grade. She taught two
years at Burnt Ridge at Onalaska. I had her at Salkum in the third grade. They
moved the Salkum school to Mossyrock the next year. She taught the first grade
from then on, till she retired after 33 years of teaching. Mom liked to travel
and did. She had a stroke December 3, 1979, leaving her paralyzed and not able
to talk. She is living with us at Salkum.
	What I remember most about my life with Mom and Dad was the 
annual trip to
Spirit Lake on the 4th. The year I spent shooting the BB gun at a target so dad
could get his trigger finger working, so he could go hunting after his hand was
smashed loading logs. And the many shopping trips and traveling trips Mom and I
took together. The many lectures from Dad about why I should stay home from the
show, then giving the money to go and a little extra too. They were happy times
and we always knew we were loved and wanted.

ALOIS (LOUIE) HERMAN MULLER

Alois (Louie) Herman Muller was born Feb. 17,1915. His parents were John Konrad
Muller and Wilhelmina (Camenzind) Muller of Pe Ell.
	Louise attended the first three grades at McCormick School. 
At the age of
eight, he began to milk one cow, morning and evening. In the fourth grade, he
went to school in Pe Ell. Louie helped his brother, Conrad, deliver milk before
school. After school, he rode home on the bus, carried in wood and did other
chores. After supper, it was milking time again. Then schoolwork and 
off to bed.
	Louie attended Pe Ell High School. He played football on the 
team that won
the Lewis County B League Championship in 1933. He graduated with the class of
1934.
	As Louie's older brothers and sisters left the farm, he and 
brother, Bennie,
continued to operate the farm and the dairy business. In their spare time, they
cleared more land.
	Louie's father died in 1935. Louie and Bennie operated the 
business with
their mother. Their younger brother went into the service in 1941. That same
year Bennie and Louie leased the farm from their mother. After a few 
years, they
purchased the farm. A complete new set of farm buildings were built, as well as
a new home.
	On June 20,1942, Louie married Rose Marie Buergler, daughter 
of Joseph and
Josephine (Gisler) Buergler of Raymond. Four children were born to 
them - Joseph
Louie on Nov. 10, 1947; David John on Dec. 18,1949; James Robert on Dec. 27,
1953 and Janice Rose on Aug. 24, 1957.
	Bennie and Louie processed and bottled their herd's milk until 1964, at
which time they began jobbing Darigold products on their milk route, selling
their own bulk milk to Darigold. Louie continued to milk cows until Nov. 1972,
when the dairy herd was sold. The milk route was discontinued on Jan. 31,1979.
Semi-retired, operating the farm on a limited basis, they now raise replacement
heifers and some beef.

  (photo): Alois Herman Muller Family - Back: Joe, Rose, Louis a David.  Front:
Janice and James

Louis serves on several agricultural committees and service organizations. A
favorite pastime is Friday's Chehalis Livestock Auction, which also serves as a
business venture at times.
	Nine grandchildren are now enjoyed. Joe married Patricia Ann 
Kaech of Silver
Creek on June 20, 1970. They reside in Redmond with three children, Frederick
Joseph born June 29, 1972; Kenneth James born Feb. 6, 1974 and Lisa Marie born
Aug. 14, 1976.
	David and Suzanne DeBruyne of Olympia were married July 19, 
1975. They have
two children, Neil Allen born Dec. 10, 1976 and Karen Michelle born 
May I, 1980.
They live in Adna.
	James married Jil Marie Kotula of Burien on Mar. 26,1977. They live at
Littel with two children: Erin Marie born Dec. 13, 1978 and Louie James, born
Mar. 28, 1981.
	Janice married Ronald Frederick Christen of Frances on Apr. 
8, 1978. They
reside in Raymond with their children: Nichole Rose, born May 13, 1980 and Kyle
Allen, born Sept. 29, 1982. By Louie Muller

BENNIE AND CHRISTINE MULLER

Joseph Benedict (Bennie) Muller was born January 24, 1914, to parents John K.
and Wilhelmina Muller, formerly of Gersau, Switzerland. (John K. was one of the
early settlers of the PeEll area, moving there in 1888 with his mother and
siblings.) Bennie was the ninth child in a large family of thirteen children,
ten of whom survived through adulthood. He attended McCormick School until 1924
and the PeEll School until 1928.

  (photo): Bennie and Christine Muller and family

The family operated the McCormick Dairy which eventually became the Pe Ell
Dairy. All members of the family helped in the running of the dairy and so in
1928 at age fourteen, Bennie took over the milk route in Pe Ell.
	On September 14, 1940 Bennie married Christine Buergler of Raymond.
Christine, daughter of Joe and Josephine Buergler, was born March 24, 1920 in
Tacoma. She graduated from Raymond High School in 1939.
	After Bennie and Christine married, they lived in a small house between
State Highway #6 and the Meyer Rd., approximately one mile west of Pe Ell.
	On August 2, 1944 their first child Benice Christine was 
born. April 7, 1949
brought son, Carl Benedict. Christine was still in the Chehalis Hospital after
having Carl when the big 1949 earthquake hit the area. This made 
Carl's entrance
into the world most memorable. Their third child, Kathleen Ann was born on
January 15,1952.
	With a growing household the little house on Meyer Rd. was 
now bursting at
the seams and so, to accommodate his family, in 1957 Bennie remodeled the old
farm house which had been built by his father, John K., in 1924.
	In the early 1950's Bennie and his brother Louie had 
purchased the farm from
their mother. They continued dairy farming until 1972 when they stopped milking
cows. Bennie continued his milk route in Pe Ell until February, 1979, 
As of now,
he and his brother are raising replacement dairy heifers and maintaining the
farm.
	Bennie was a longtime member of the Pe Ell Volunteer Fire 
Department, and is
a lifetime member of the Chehalis Eagles, Lewis-Pacific Swiss Society, Tacoma
Swiss Men's Society, and Swiss Sportsman's Club of Tacoma. Christine is a
lifetime member of the Lewis-Pacific Swiss Society and the Tacoma Swiss Ladies'
Society "Helvetia." Both are members of St. Joseph Parish in Pe Ell.
	Bennie and Christine's three children are graduates of Pe Ell 
High School.
	Benice continued her education at Centralia Community 
College. On June 29,
1968 she married Jerald Lee Cody of Olympia. After a long illness Jerald passed
away in January of 1977. Benice went back to school and graduated from Fort
Steilacoom Community College and then in 1981 from Western Washington 
University
with a degree in sociology. She is now employed as a Youth Counselor at Naselle
Youth Camp.

262

CARL B. AND LINDA MULLER

Carl B. Muller is the son of Bennie and Christine Muller of Pe Ell. He was born
April 7, 1949. Carl graduated from PeEll High School in 1967 and joined the
Washington National Guard. He served as a cook for six years; meanwhile, he
attended Centralia Community College and studied civil engineering. 
He graduated
from there in 1970. That same year, Carl got a job with the Forest 
Service, as a
surveyor, and worked in both the Olympic and Gifford Pinchot National Forests
until 1972. In 1972, he went to work at the Centralia Steam-Electric Plant for
Washington Irrigation and Development Company as a surveyor. Carl worked there
in that capacity for eight years and, in 1980, changed to driving truck for the
same company, the job he now has.

  (photo): Carl B. and Linda Muller and children Anneliese, John, Katrina and
Carl J.

In July of 1972, Carl met Linda Ann Moore of Bellingham at the Schwingfest in
Frances, Washington. They became engaged shortly thereafter and, on Carl's
birthday in 1973, they married at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in PeEll.
	Born on September 18, 1952 in Bellingham, Linda is the 
daughter of Samuel L.
and Eliza J. Moore. She has one brother, Darryl, and one sister, 
Ruthie, both of
whom still reside near Bellingham with their families.
	Linda graduated from Sehome High School, in 1969, and then 
attended Western
Washington State College for a year, majoring in music. Looking ahead to a
probable lack of employment for music teachers, she changed to the Bellingham
Vocational- Technical Institute and studied accounting and secretarial skills.
After six months of training, Linda was employed by Georgia-Pacific 
Corporation,
where she was working when she met and married Carl.
	After their wedding, Carl and Linda lived in Chehalis for six 
months and, in
October of 1973, they purchased the house in Centralia where they now reside.
	Carl and Linda have four children. Anneliese Christine was 
born on February
17, 1977, Carl Josef arrived February 22, 1980, followed by Katrina Louise on
August 10, 1981, and finally John Samuel on July 4,1983.
	Carl is an avid hunter and is very active in competitive 
small bore rifle
shooting. Linda mainly enjoys cooking and reading, although frequently she also
shoots competitively. Both are active in many clubs and 
organizations. Carl is a
member of the PeEll Sportsman's Club, a lifetime member of the Lewis- Pacific
Swiss Society, (he has served as their secretary for ten years), the Tacoma
Swiss Men's Society, Swiss Sportsman's Club of Tacoma, the National Rifle
Association, and the Washington Rifle and Pistol Association. He is also a past
officer, and an active member, of the Centralia Rifle Club. Linda is a lifetime
member of the LewisPacific Swiss Society and is a member of St. Martha's Circle
and the Altar Society of the St. Mary's Parish in Centralia, of which both she
and Carl are members.


JOHANN KONRAD MULLER

Johann Konrad Muller was born March 19, 1861 to Josef Maria Muller and Theresia
(Steiner) Muller of Gersau, Switzerland. He was sixteen when his father died.
	John worked two years on Saint Gotthard Tunnel. Then he and brother,
Marzell, went by ship, Amerique, to New York. By train, they rode to Arkansas,
joining German Catholics in Paris in Oct., 1880.
	Their farm crops failed, so they began carpentering. A year 
later, brothers
Joe and Frank came from Switzerland. In two years their mother and other four
children also arrived in Ark.
	In the fall of 1888, John and Frank went west to join Marzell at his
homestead near Pe Ell. The rest of the family came in a few months.
	John and brothers helped Marzell build a sawmill. Joe and 
Frank filed for
homesteads in 1889. In spring of 1890, the men, except Marzell, went to
carpenter in South Bend. In fall and winter, they worked on the homesteads.
	Mullers sold their sawmill to McCormick in 1902. Joe and Frank went to
Chicago, so John looked after their homesteads.
	In Sept., 1903, John met Wilhelmina Camenzind (born May 5, 
1879) to Josef
Anton and Ann Marie Camenzind). She had just come from Gersau, Switzerland. She
found work housekeeping for the Goulds. John and Wilhelmina married Feb. 10,
1904.
	They lived in Joe's house. John worked in the McCormick mill. 
Wilhelmina
took in boarders. Their first child, Anna Theresa, was born in Dec., but she
died three days later. Conrad Martin was born Jan. 20, 1906. 
Christina Elizabeth
was born Dec. 25, 1906. Matilda Eleanor was born in 1908; Anton 
William in 1909,
lived three months; Anna Marie in 1910; Paul Anton in 1911; Helen Theresa in
1912; Joseph Benedict (Bennie) in 1914; Alois Herman (Louie) in 1915; Wiliam
Anton in 1916, lived 9 months; Martha Marie in 1918 and Leo John in 1921.
	John kept a few milk cows. In 1910 he began to sell milk to McCormick
cookhouse. Other people asked to buy milk, so he increased his herd of Brown
Swiss cows, changing to Holsteins in the early thirties. John delivered milk by
foot carrying a milk can on his back, dipping out milk into customer's
container. Soon he bought a horse and buggy.
	In 1915 John bought Joe's homestead. The farm became McCormick Dairy. He
began to bottle milk in glass bottles. In 1921, John bought a new Chevrolet
delivery truck
McCormick Mill closed in 1927 and the town folded. John began 
delivering milk in
Pe Ell. He bought Pe Ell Dairy business from Frank Aust.

  (photo): Back: Bennie. Center: Paul, Martha, Matilda, Anna, Helen and Leo.
Front: Christina, John, Wilhelmina and Conrad.

263

In 1933, John suffered a stroke. He died on Aug. 3, 1935 at age 74.
	Wilhelmina and her family kept the dairy going. In 1941, sons 
Bennie and
Louie took over the business. Wilhelmina passed away on March 30,1957. By Rosa
Muller

MARZELL MARIA MULLER

Marzell Maria Muller was born Feb. 1, 1859 in Gersau, Switzerland. His parents
were Josef Maria Muller and Theresia Steiner Muller. When Marzell was eighteen,
his father died.
	Marzell and his brother, John, worked on the Saint Gotthard 
Tunnel for two
years. In early Oct. 1880, they applied at the government office for a loan to
go to America. They went to Le Havre, France to board the steamship, Amerique,
on Oct. 16, and sailed to New York. There they took the train to Fort Smith,
Arkansas. They joined a colony of German-speaking Catholics in near-by Paris,
Ark.
	Marzell and John farmed, planting corn, grain and cotton. A 
drought from May
to Oct. 1881 caused crop failures. The two went to work as carpenters. Marzell
went to St. Louis. He met Eleanor Liebert, born Apr. 6, 1863 to German parents,
Henry and Victoria (Spin) Liebert. Eleanor was working in Breese, Illinois. She
and Marzell married in Breese on Oct. 20, 1885.
	Marzell's dream was to homestead. Marzell, Eleanor and his 
brother, Joe,
went west to Tacoma. Eleanor's first baby was born prematurely, weighing 2 1/2
lbs. Eleanor and baby stayed in Tacoma. Marzell and Joe took the 
train to Kalama
and went on to Mount Angel, Oregon. They were told of Joe "Rock 
Creek" Meyer who
had a homestead on Rock Creek between Chehalis and South Bend. Marzell and Joe
returned to Kalama, sailed to the mouth of the Columbia River into Willapa
Harbor to South Bend. Following a trail across Willapa Hills into Lewis County
to Rock Creek where they found "Rock Creek" Meyer.
	Land was still available. Marzell chose a site by a 
waterfall, perfect for a
sawmill. They built a log cabin on Marzell's land, which was a mile west of
present-day Pe Ell. Marzell filed for a 160 acre homestead claim on the NE 1/4
of Section 4, Township 12 North, Range 5 West, in the spring of 1888 in
Chehalis.
	Marzell brought Eleanor and son, Joe, to his homestead. Another son was
born, but he lived only a half hour. More children joined the family - Frank,
born in July, 1889; Mary, born in Oct. 1891; John, born in May, 1893; Theresa,
born in July, 1895; Agnes, born in 1897; Eleanora, born in Dec., 
1898, died Jan.
24, 1906; Josephine, born in April, 1900, died in Dec., 1908; Marzell, born in
Feb., 1902.
	After Marzell's mother, brothers and sisters came West to 
join them, Marzell
and his brothers built a sawmill powered by a homemade wheel. At the 
turn of the
century, Marzell built the large McCormick mill with four machines powered by
steam. He constructed a huge sundial on one end of the mill which could be seen
for a quarter of a mile away. In 1902 the Mullers sold their sawmill to
McCormick. Marzell continued working for McCormick as a millwright at both
mills.
	Marzell's wife, Eleanor, became ill. She suffered three years 
and died Dec.
16, 1915. In 1916, Marzell fell from a ladder. He broke a rib and never
recovered. In the spring, he entered the hospital. He died on June 17, 1917. By
Rose Muller

  (photo): Back Row: Joe and Frank. Center Row: Mary, John, Marzell, Eleanor,
Theresa and Agnes. Eleanora standing in front of her father. Marzell, Jr.
sitting on mother's lap,  Josephine in front.

THERESIA MULLER FAMILY

On May 8, 1854 Theresia Steiner (born Nov. 11, 1829) married Josef Maria Muller
(born Nov. 9, 1827). They lived above the village of Gersau, Switzerland on a
little farm. Between the years 1855 and 1873, thirteen children were born to
them, five of whom did not live past four.
	Josef passed away in Aug. of 1877 at the age of 50. As was tradition, his
eldest son, Martin, aged 21, took over the responsibility of supporting the
family.
	In Oct. 1880 Marzell and John left their homeland to go to 
Paris, Arkansas
in America to join a German Catholic colony. A year later, brothers Joe and
Frank followed them. The four brothers worked at farming and earned extra money
carpentering in Arkansas and Missouri. In Oct. 1883 the sons sent 
their mother a
letter with money enclosed for her and the remaining four children to come to
America.
	Marzell married Eleanor Liebert in Breese, Illinois on Oct. 
20, 1885. Mazell
became interested in the Homestead Act of 1862 luring people out west. He
decided to ask Joe to go with him and his bride. They journeyed by train to
Tacoma. Here Eleanor's first baby was born prematurely in June 1886, weighing
only 2 1/2lbs.
	Eleanor stayed in Tacoma. Marzell and Joe went by train to 
Kalama and on to
Mount Angel,

  (photo): Back: Frank, Marzell, Joe. Center: Martin, Lena, Theresia (mother),
and Josephine. Front: Charles and John.

264

Oregon, a small community with a settlement of Swiss Catholics. Here they heard
about Joe Meyer, known as Rock Creek Meyer, who had a homestead on Rock Creek
between South Bend and Chehalis in Washington Territory.
	Marzell and Joe went again to Kalama, caught a boat sailing 
to the mouth of
the Columbia River, north along the Pacific coast into Willapa Harbor to South
Bend. On foot they traveled a wagon trail 35 miles across timbered 
Willapa Hills
of Pacific County into Lewis County. They found Rock Creek Meyer on his
homestead.
	Marzell and Joe chose sites on Rock Creek. They fell trees to build a
oneroom log cabin on Marzell's land. In the spring of 1888 Marzell and Joe
journeyed to Chehalis to file for Marzell's 160 acre homestead claim. Joe
decided to wait to file his claim since it was more important to help Marzell
get a sawmill built to cut their own lumber to build homestead houses.
	Marzell returned to Tacoma to bring Eleanor and his son to 
his homestead:
Joe wrote to the family in Arkansas to come West. John and Frank came in the
fall of 1888. Theresia and the rest of the family came a few months later. What
a famiy reunion they had, mother and her eight children, daughter-inlaw and 2
year old grandson!
At the turn of the century, Theresia was living  in Joe's homestead house with
Joe and John and daughter, Josephine, who was caring for her. Her health was
failing, and on July 6, 1901, Theresia passed away at the age of 72. By Rose
Muller

RANT MULLEN (MULLENS)

My father James Mullen(s) was a seaman all his life. He was born in Wicklow,
Ireland, in 1864. He met my mother, Lydia, at a boarding house Grandma Baldwin
ran for seamen in Tacoma. Mother's family, the T. Ransome Baldwins were from
Iowa; they lived at Battle Ground a few years before coming to Toledo on the
sternwheeler "Toledo" in 1880. They took a homestead on Cedar Creek. James
Mullen(s) and , Lydia Baldwin were married in 1892.

  (photo): Rant Mullens with a pair of his "bigfeet." Photo by Michael 
R. Dennett

I was born on the Donahue homestead on Cedar Creek (about eight miles east of
Toledo) on February 10, 1897, the third of five children (others were Michael,
Lillian, Joe and Catherine). As a small child we lived in Seattle and 
Tacoma for
a short time. My father worked for the McCormick lines; he was a first mate. In
1902 we moved back to Cedar Creek and lived several places. My father 
was out to
sea so mother was alone most of the time. We children attended school
(three-month) terms in the summer) at Salmon Creek and Cedar Creek schools (the
terms alternated between the two districts). In 1910 we moved east of 
Toledo and
attended Toledo School.
	Between 1910 and 1913 I worked several times in the shingle 
bolt camps as a
roustabout (greasing skids, swamping brush, bucking bolts onto the 
sleds). After
the cedar trees were felled and the bolts cut, they were put in backwater ponds
behind brush and dirt dams. When there was enough water behind the dams, the
bolts would be floated into Cedar Creek which flowed into Salmon Creek, thence
into the Cowlitz River and down to the mills in Castle Rock and 
Kelso. I've seen
the times when a person could walk a mile on shingle bolts in Salmon Creek. The
shingle bolt cutters earned $1.00 a cord (21 bolts); the homesteaders were paid
$3.00 a cord after the bolts were floated into Cedar or Salmon Creeks 
where they
were counted.
	In 1915 I bucked logs at 20 cents an hour for a ten hour day; the wages
later increased to 25 cents an hour (10 hour day). During WW I we were required
to join the Loyal Legion of Lumbermen and Loggers if we wanted to work. The
eight hour day began in 1917, and wages rose to $5.00 - $6.00 a day for timber
fallers.
	After WW I (and some unfruitful gold prospecting with my Grandfather
Baldwin, and other jobs for brief periods), I made cargo booms, ship spars and
dredge "spuds", but the work was not steady. The longest spar I ever made was
115' long with a 19" top, but most of them were between 80-90' long. The cargo
booms were all 64', big in the middle and tapered at each end. The dredge spuds
were mostly round, usually 64 - 65'. All this work was done by hand with a
chopping ax, a broad-ax (10-12" blade), calipers, a square and a level.
	In 1928 I went to work for the U.S. Forest Service in the Spirit Lake
District of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest opening up and making 
trails and
fixing telephone lines. It was during this time (1930) that Bill 
Allen and I, as
a prank, perpetuated the Bigfoot legend; I whittled a set of "big feet" (15'
long, 8" wide) from alder wood and Bill walked in them around Dry Gulch,
frightening the huckleberry pickers who reported the "footprints" to the
authorities.
	Between 1942-48 I fell timber for several outfits. After 1948 
a partner and
I made donkey sleds in Oregon and Washington (altogether I helped make about a
dozen sleds). In later years I cooked for Weyerhaeuser timber cruisers and
worked on the Lewis County road crew.
	Outstanding memories: "The Dark Days" in September, 1902, 
when the smoke and
ash from the Yacolt Burn caused darkness from afternoon on the 16th until noon
on the 17th; floods on the Cowlitz - the January 1, 1916, flood that took out
the first wooden bridge across the river, and the December, 1933, 
flood that did
so much damage to land, bridges and property.

LUTHER E. MULLINS

My family has lived in Big Bottom Valley since 1906, when William and Mehalia
Mullins moved from Greenbriar County, West Virginia. Their children were Scott
(my grandfather, born February 11, 1875), Toby (born 1880), Eddie, 
Sonny, Laura,
Elisa (born April 4, 1885), and Polly (born 1883). They settled in Nesika,
located between Kosmos and Riffe, on the Cowlitz River. They made their living
farming, logging and trapping. Mehalia died in 1934 and William in 1937.
	Scott and his wife, Mary, followed the family west with their children:
William (my father, born September 1, 1898 and Harvey, born May 3, 1905). For
awhile, Granddad operated the Nesika Ferry. Between 1906 and 1920, 
they had four
more children: Eli, born January 10, 1910; Willis, born July 22, 1915; Pearl,
born March 20, 1917; and Toby, born January 10, 1919. Mary died on May 3, 1932.
In 1933, Granddad was found dead in his bed. It was declared suicide.
	Eli died in a car accident in 1937 and William in a landslide 
in 1965. Pearl
Johnson and Toby live in Chehalis, Harvey in Centralia and Willis in Randle.
	When my father, William, and Mary Standifer were married in 
1919, she had
two children: Alice, born July 9, 1916; and Fred Ward, born May 26, 1918. Alice
lived with us while Fred lived with his Aunt and Uncle Ward. I was 
born November
15, 1919, while we lived near today's Cora Bridge. We moved to Packwood in 1920
until 1932, when we moved to Cline Road, Randle. During those years, five more
children were born. Ida was born June 8, 1921, Lawrence on August 14, 1925,
Marion on January 14, 1928, Herbert on December 30, 1929 and Elsie on January
27, 1932. Dad worked for the Forest Service building and clearing trails. We
lived in this place for ten years where Inabelle was born on April 16, 1934,
Wilma on May 4, 1936, William, Jr., on January 24, 1938, Jessie Wema 
on December
4, 1940 and Dorothy on May 19, 1942.
	In 1943, Dad and Mom bought a place three miles east near a 
little creek
where Elmer, their last child, was born October 26, 1944. Until retirement in
1964, Dad cut and sold his own timber.
	On January 29, 1965, Dad and Mom were killed in a landslide when the
hillside above them fell away.
	Elmer died October 28, 1982, and Fred Ward died on April 16, 
1983. The other
children living are: Alice Singleness, Ida Campbell, Dorothy Dickey, Marion and
Herbert in Centralia. Inabelle Dickey lives in Chehalis, Wilma in Baldwin,
Missouri, Jessie Rowett in Kennewick, Washington, and William, Jr., in Everett,
Washington, while Lawrence and I remain in Randle.
	As a child, I helped with the chores and fished in the 
Cowlitz. I went to
school in Randle and quit after completing the eighth grade. I cut timber with
Dad until I went into the Army Air Force in 1941. I served four years and two
months, part of that time in India.
	I returned home in 1946 and married my first wife, Bea Johnson, of
Centralia. She had a son, Donald Lee, born January 1, 1945. We had two girls,
Carol Jean, born March 4, 1947, and Linda Mae, born May 15, 1949. We 
divorced in
1949. In 1950, I married Hazel Floyd of Twisp, and moved back to Cline Road,
where I've lived ever since. We had five more children: Cheryl Ann, born March
13, 1961; Walter Edward, born March 13, 1963; Robin Delanie, born 
June 24, 1964;
Floyd Luther, born May 2, 1966; and Fred William, born March 26,1968.
	Hazel died in 1977 and I married Edna L. Martin of Port 
Townsend in 1980.
Until my retirement in 1983, I cut timber.
	Donald now lives in Olympia, Carol Harrison in Portland, 
Linda Harting and
Robin in Ellensburg and Cheryl Bremer in Puyallup. Walter, Fred and Floyd are
still at home on Cline Road.

265

SCOTTY AND RITA MULLINS

	My folks, Toby and Ardelia Mullins, came from West Virginia 
in 1906. They
had seven children: Kelly, Bertha, Lucy, Tommy, Mamie, myself (Scotty), and
Jesse.
	I was born in 1911 in a house on the hill behind the Cora 
ferry. My Dad and
Grandad both had homesteads on the hill. My Dad sold his homestead and we moved
to the Thompson place about two miles east of Cora. We lived there a 
short time.
We moved to the Bellow's farm and ran it a few years. I always helped get the
cows and feed them.
	I started to school at Cora. We had to walk four miles to school. Some
winters the snow got three or four feet deep.
	My brother Kelly got the job hauling kids to school from the 
Bellow's place
to Lewis. If the snow got too deep for the model T, we used the wagon. I think
there were four families of kids on that route.
	I quit school and went to work on the state road from Cora to 
Lewis, driving
four horses pulling a Fresno scraper and wheeler scraper. Later I went to work
for the Forest Service out of Randle district, building the road from Vance to
Chambers Lake. I was driving a team of horses, pulling logs and stumps. Then we
took the plow and started grading the road. When the Forest Service brought in
an Army cat and grader, I started running grader. I ran it for some time, then
finished the road to Chambers Lake with a 30 Cat with dozer. Next we moved camp
to Greenhorn creek and started building the Burley mountain road to Mosquito
meadows.
	When the Civilian Conservation Corps took over the road 
building, I went to
work for forest contractors, building roads, etc. We moved to Okanagan county
for my first job. I was running bulldozer, five hours a day. The super asked me
if I wanted to run shovel. I ran it at night and the dozer during the day. Made
big money – 50 cents an hour!
During the Depression I had a few dollars in the bank at Morton. When it went
broke, I had to borrow money from my sister to get a job. We lived in a tent on
my job.
	Later, the Forest Service let a timber sale up Smith creek, 
the first big
sale in this part of the county. I built the road to it, about four or five
miles up the creek. I believe I have worked on more roads than most anyone in
the Packwood Randle area.
	I married Rita Shidell of Morton. We have two children: 
Vicki, of Seattle;
and Jerry, of Chehalis.
	I had two good hunting dogs I hunted with in winter. We had 
the record of
getting more cat and cougar than anyone in this part of the county.
	I retired in 1974. My home has been in Packwood since about 
1922, probably
longer than anyone here.

MURPHY FAMILY

We (Tricia Wilhelm and Jim Murphy) settled in Lewis County in June of 
1976 after
completing five years of College at Oregon State University in 
Corvallis, Jim in
the School of Forestry and Tricia in the School of Agriculture. The reason for
moving to the Chehalis area was Jim's new job with a timber company.
	Tricia is an. Oregon native, being born and raised in 
Portland, Oregon's
only big city. Jim was born in Virginia, raised in New England (Vermont and
Connecticut), then moved to California for one year before attending 
college. We
met in college and married upon our move to Chehalis.
	We established our home base on the North Fork Road among 
many historical
Lewis county families; the Deskins, Johnson, Kosticks, Teitzels, Tauschers and
others. Our small farm consists of ten breeding ewes, a large garden and the
beautiful Northfork of the Newaukum passing through.
	In 1981 we incorporated our first business, Timber Services, 
Inc. We were
'fortunate' enough to coincide our start-up with the "Great Timber Recession of
1980-198 ?" Surviving these times has been tough for our business but with the
hiring of a professional marketing expert in 1982 Jim's brother, Gregory R.
Murphy, and the recent addition of a second professional forest 
manager, Michael
McVey, the company has experienced strong growth since its inception. The
company offers Lewis, Thurston, Cowlitz and Pacific county landowners forest
management and timber selling services.
	Lewis County has been a very good home to our family and we are excited
about the progressive attitude the county has taken since we first arrived in
1976. We marveled then at the absence of stoplights in Chehalis. As 
much as time
allows we try to get up to the east end of the county to alpine ski at White
Pass, to backpack in the Goat Rocks in the summer, or simply to pick those
excellent huckleberries in the fall. Some of the small mountain lakes 
near Mount
Adams have been favorites of ours for fishing. Maybe now that Mt. St. Helen's
has calmed down we will explore the blast area and the regrowth.
	We wonder what pastimes people will be interested in 25 years 
from now in
Lewis county. By Jim and Tricia Murphy

CATHY MURPHY FAMILY

William and Sarah (Cunningham) Stephenson came from Benton County, MO, to
Centralia, Washington Territory, in 1881, by way of an immigrant train to San
Francisco. From there, they came to Portland by ship. Traveling with them were
their four children, Walter, a babe-in-arms, "Bird", Sabella Birdetta my

  (photo): William and Sarah (Cunningham) Stephenson

future Great-Grandmother, six-years old, Charles Alfred, who they called
Charley, age six, and George Alvin, seven. Mary Hendricks, who was 
Great-Grandma
Stephenson's older sister, traveled with them.
	When they arrived in Portland, they took a train to Centralia, where
relatives were waiting for them, Great-Grandmother's father, Thomas Cunningham,
and her step-mother, Lisa Jane, and their family. Great-Grandmother's sister,
Hariett Young, and her husband, Charley, and their family were either there or
came soon after. Her two brothers, John and James Cunningham, were living in
Centralia.
	Great-Grandfather Stephenson found work on the railroad 
section-crew, with
Uncle Charley Young as the overseer. James had a candy store in Centralia. Aunt
Mary Hendricks did housework and was an expert midwife.
	In 1886, homestead claims, made possible by the Homestead Law signed in
1862, were made by Charley Young, William Stephenson and Barney 
Blankinship, who
became my GreatGreatGrandfather. These claims were for 160acres of land in the
Big Bottom area of Randle. William Stephenson's claim was for 135-acres, due to
the Cowlitz River running through part of it. His claim was on an 
island. Water,
from the river, ran through it all year but, during high water, it became full
and overflowing.
	It took four years of work before it was possible to live on their
homesteads. Slashing, grubbing stumps, building a cabin and plowing land took a
lot of time, with work in Centralia still continuing.
	In 1891, the Stephensons moved to their new home from 
Centralia to the Big
Bottom Country. The house, one room, had a loft in it, where the 
children slept.
He, later, used it for a storage shed and workshop. The house, itself, was made
of split-cedar; long, beautiful, cedar boards that were all split by hand. They
had a big wood-shed only a few feet from the house, which was always full of
split-cedar kindling and alder wood, for the fires. They also had a 
fruit cellar
where they stored their food.
	A very difficult thing they had to contend with, living on an 
island, was
the floods that came in the spring of the year. They used a shallow part of the
river to get the animals across, a boat landing near the house and a dugout
canoe, when the river threatened their safety on the island, and they had to
leave. They would, usually, go into Randle at this time, about six-miles away,
and stay with friends and relatives.
	While they lived in Randle, two other children were born, Mary
Elizabeth, 1893, and Roy Earl, 1895. This completed their family of six
children; four boys and two girls.
	One of Barnet Jacob Blankinship's sons, who homesteaded in 
Randle in 1862,
was Charles Harland Blankinship. On December 8, 1897, he married Sabella
Birdetta Stephenson in Chehalis, WA. They originally lived on an old homestead,
known as the Dalton Place, but moved onto the Silver brook Rd., Randle, due to
flooding of the Cowlitz River. They had three children: Cecil Grace, my
Grandmother, 1889; Vera Agnes, 1903; and Reta Evangeline, 1905. In March, 1919,
Charles died and my GreatGrandmother, later, married his brother, Alfred, and
took his children to raise with her own.
	That is the story of my Great-Grandparents and Grandparents, 
who were born
in the same area. My Grandmother, Cecil Blankinship, married Herbert Cooper and
lived in Morton for many years. Their son, Clyde, is my father, 
living in Morton
at this time, as is my Grandma Cooper, who is eighty-six. For their years of
hard work and effort, I am grateful. May we always remember their diligence and
perserverant spirit

266

that carved out this country and made it as great as it is today. By Cathy
Murphy

GREGORY MURPHY

Gregory Robert Murphy and Jolynne Marie Murphy, both my parents, were born in
Maine on the east coast. They met and were married in 1950. In 1957, after they
had my brother and sister, I was born. At that time my father was a 
salesman and
we lived in Burlington, Vermont. A job transfer moved us to West Hartford,
Connecticut. In 1965, after the seventh member was added to the 
family, we moved
across town to a seven bedroom home. We lived just down the road from Noah
Webster's house on his old apple orchard.
	In 1971, my father went, with another company, as a vice-president in
Southern California. The seven of us caravaned and camped across the country
with a station wagon, tent trailer and Volkswagen. We settled in Arcadia,
California. After graduating in 1980 with a Business/Marketing degree from
California Polytechnic State University at San Louis Obispo, I framed 
houses and
began a marketing distribution business.
	In 1981 my brother Jamie called me from Chehalis and asked me 
to help him
temporarily as a consultant for his new timber marketing/management business.
Two months later I was in my car, with all my belongings - including skis,
bicycle and Poco, my dog! Learning to cope with the rain was a challenge, but
now after  3 1/2 years, I'm still with Timber Services, Inc.
	One of the reasons I remained in the area longer than 
expected was a girl
named Jolynne Howard. She had just moved down from the Seattle area and we met
in a gas station. We dated and were married July 28, 1984.

WILLIAM AND JOSEPHINE MURRY

We write this in honor of our father and mother, Wm. (Bill) and 
Josephine Murry,
who came to Lewis County in 1915. Dad built the building on the corner of
Chehalis Ave. and John St. and sold gasoline and used cars. He later expanded
into dismantling automobiles and sold everything from engine parts,
transmissions, rear ends, tires, etc. What was too worn out went for scrap iron
and metals. The business was officially named the "Washington Junk Company" and
is remembered by many in this area. Dad passed away in 1939. At the time of his
funeral, the following anonymous letter was received:

  (photo): Murry Family - Back Row: Dorothy, Dick, Billie. Front: Mother,
Bubbles, Jeanne, Father.

Mr. Murry's Junk Yard
One could pass a certain building on Chehalis Avenue a good many times without
suspecting that it housed a junk company, but that was the way Bill Murry
thought a junk company should be operated.
	He believed it possible to operate such a company without 
scattering his
stock all over the country and proved it. There are a lot of people in this
community who will miss Bill and regret his death last week. He lifted his
business above the average.
	The Washington Junk Company building is still in the same 
location and being
operated by Martin Schindler, a nephew.

Many friends were made by the couple through the years. Dad's family was all in
Michigan. Mom's family was in Oregon, except two brothers, Ted and Jack
Schindler, who moved to Chehalis to work with Dad at Washington Junk Company.
Prior to going into business in Chehalis, they lived on the Monroe Road near
Napavine. We recall stories of their traveling to Chehalis on a Saturday with
their horse and buggy, which took from very early in the morning until late at
night to make the trip. Dad told of the time he was walking home from work in a
sawmill on the Haywire Road. It was dark, and carrying a lantern to see his way
on the trail through the woods, he came face to face with a cougar. It was not
known who was the most frightened as they ran in opposite directions!
Six children were born of the marriage: Mrs. Dan (Billie) Belcher, 
Seattle; Mrs.
Angelo (Dorothy) Usabelli, Renton; Dick Murry, Chehalis; Mrs. Glen (Jeanne)
Hull, Chehalis; and Mrs. Doug (Bubbles) Brower, Chehalis. A son, 
Norman, died at
the age of 5. There are 18 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
	The last six years of Dad's life were spent on their 20-acre farm on
Newaukum Hill. Mom died in 1981 at the age of 93. She was an active member of
St. Joseph's Catholic Church, and is lovingly remembered by all who knew her.

ALFRED MYERS

I, Doris (Grose) Myers, came here to Mossyrock with my family late in 1939. We
moved into an old house on the Charlie Carter place east of Ajlune. I 
was in the
seventh grade.
	Alfred Glenn Myers came here with his folks from Sumner in 
the fall of 1943.
They bought the Tony Hadaller place in Harmony. Al was a junior in high school
and by this time, so was I. We both graduated from Mossyrock High School in
1945, and as World War II was still going, Al was drafted into the Army. I was
offered a job at a bank in Chehalis, so along with two other girls, lived in an
apartment there.
	The war ended, and after 18 months, Al returned home and we 
were married in
January, 1947. We continued to live and work in Chehalis for a year, when Al's
brother, Bernerd, came home from Southern California on vacation and persuaded
us to go back down there with him. I worked in a bank in Los Angeles, and Al
went to a mechanic school. When he finished, he went to work for a Chevrolet
garage. We stayed there about three years, then had a chance to buy a service
station and garage here in Mossyrock that was owned by Jack Childers, also a
classmate of ours. So in December, 1950, we came back there to live.
	We moved into a house on the corner where Jerome Hadaller now 
lives, and
lived there for 12 years, and then moved to our present home about one mile
south of Mossyrock on the hill, which was the former Kenneth Adams place. Our
son Jim was born in 1952, is married to the former Ina Lane. They 
live at Silver
Creek with their four children, Rusty, Paul, Kelli and Matthew. Our daughter
Beverly was born in 1954, is married to Richard Fitzhugh and they live on the
same hill as we do with their three children, Tony, Adam and Karl.
	After nearly 35 years, we still own and operate the Myers 
Texaco Service
Station here in Mossyrock;

LAURA (SCHUSTER) MYER
	A DAY AT THE CIRCUS

Circus Day was an important day in Chehalis. Because the circus grounds were
across the street from our house, we were always sure of tickets to the show.
	The circus day began very early with the arrival of the circus on the
Northern Pacific railroad. Many people went down to watch it unload. My older
brothers were there. When the circus arrived at the vacant lot, the whole place
became alive. Every man knew exactly what to do, and in a short time the
enormous main tent was up, the sideshows ready for business, and the animal
cages all in place. My brothers must have found something to do to 
help, as they
always came home with complimentary tickets for the performance. We furnished
water for the elephants, so the whole family was given free tickets.
	Then came the big parade. We watched the start from home and 
then hurried to
town to see the whole parade.
	The circus was wonderful, with the animals, the lion tamers, 
the horses, the
tightrope walkers, the performing elephants and the clowns. The clowns
entertained the people before the circus began. One clown I remember would come
into the tents and walk around with what looked like an organ grinder's music
box. His little dog would follow along behind. Soon the clown would pick up the
little dog, put him into the box and then he would start grinding. At once a
long string of sausages would come out of the box. What fun!
After the evening performance all was activity again, and soon the benches were
out of the tent and loaded, the big tent came down, and the block across the
street was quiet again. The circus was on the way to the next stop to start all
over again. Laura (Schuster) Myer

MYER FAMILY ON ALPHA PRAIRIE

Theodore Myer, a short, stocky, Prussian from Seffern, Rhineland Province,
Prussia, arrived to stake his pre-emption claim on Alpha Prairie at 12 noon,
March 31,1869. The prairie, its original fir trees burned off by Indians, had
existed for several hundred years. Theo, 30 years old and single, was the third
settler on the prairie. He had left his homeland because of the continuing
political and military strife in his home district, which lay on the border
between France and Prussia. An added reason was that his military family, once
close to Napoleon, had fallen from favor. But war followed Theo even to the New
World. On the night before his entry to New York's harbor on the English ship
"Favorita", six other ships sailing for New York were sunk by the Confederate
Navy. His was among the few to make it through.
	By the time Theo staked his claim in 1869, he had been in the 
U.S. some five
years. During that time he enlisted on the Union side of the Civil War, hauled
freight by oxen wagon to the Dako267

  (photo): Family of Laura (Schuster) Myer

ta outposts in support of Indian War campaigns, declared his 
intention to become
a citizen, and worked for two years as a foreman constructing bridges on the
railroad between Portland and Roseburg. Theo was a construction foreman of the
first bridge to be built across the Willamette River at Portland.
	In the first years on his claim, Theo built two log cabins 
and began the
back-breaking process of clearing and breaking sod. But to do that, he needed a
plow. When his husky Hudson Bay Breaker arrived at the Newaukum Farm (Napavine
area), there wasn't a wrench available to dismantle it. No matter. He 
carried it
on his back, all in an afternoon, some ten miles along an Indian trail, back to
his claim.
	The isolation of Alpha Prairie was profound. In the entire 
area from Jackson
Prairie on the south, Saundersville (Chehalis) on the north, the Hudson Bay
Company inspired Newaukum Farm (Napavine) on the west, and the Tilton area on
the east, there were only some 48 dwellings and 43 families, totalling 172
souls. Theo's closest neighbors, several hundred feet from his cabin, were a
family of Cowlitz Indians, the Laquashes. To end the isolation, a crude wagon
road was built by the Alpha settlers out to the area of Newaukum Prairie. Over
the road, the settlers first carried grain in a wagon train to Tumwater for
grinding into flour.
	As for the Indians, Theo soon became proficient in Chinook, and was
frequently visited by the still nomadic Cowlitz as they passed his farm. The
Laquashes, semi-permanent residents, became lifetime friends of the Myer family
and are buried on the Myer claim.
	In 1875, Theo became the official owner of his land, some 160 acres. In
1879, he married Elizabeth Straussheid, herself a Prussian from the Koblenz
area. While Theo had left Prussia under the duress of political differences,
Elizabeth came to the U.S. to seek a better life than that of farming in her
impoverished homeland. Elizabeth was the granddaughter of the Count and

  (photo): Myer family in 1894. L to R, back row: Leonard, Theodore, Jr. Front
row: Jobn, Theodore, Sr., Joe, Mary, Elizabeth, Gertrude, Val.

Countess von Chinebach, Bonn, but now possessed limited means. She arrived in
Granite (now Onalaska) to work for the Schmit family, whose homestead would
later become the site of the Onalaska mill. (Mrs. Gertrude Schmitz was
Elizabeth's sister.) When married in the Schmitz home, Elizabeth was 
27 years of
age, Theo was 41. It is said that Elizabeth was shocked and amazed when after
their marriage, Theodore revealed his possession of some 600 gold pieces. In
later years, Theodore would state that these gold pieces were among the first
deposits of the Coffman-Dobson bank in Chehalis.
	The following years were good to the Myers. The farm grew 
from 160 acres to
280. Seven children were born, whose descendants now live as close as Onalaska
and as far as away as Canada. An eighth child died at an early age 
from disease.
A large two-story house was built, with accompanying barns and corrals. As the
Big Bottom country became settled in the 1880's, the Myer farm became 
known as a
hospitable way station for travelers between Chehalis and the Big Bottom. The
Myer farm was about halfway between the two points, a convenient stopover for
wagons and carriages. For this reason, Theodore built a large kitchen 
and dining
areas in his home, as well as additional barns. He even converted the upper
floor of his granary to a small dancehall. Those in need of refreshment were
invited down to his cellar where beer and harder varieties of drink 
were stored.
	While farming of oats, wheat, peas, potatoes and the raising 
of pigs and
cattle were the main. stay of the Myer farm, the way station business added to
the family income. To encourage travel from the Big Bottom country, Myer agreed
to construct the first bridge across Bear Creek Canyon, located about
three-eighths of a mile down. stream from the present site. The bridge used as
its center post an existing six-foot diameter fir tree, cut off 98 feet above
the canyon bottom. The puncheon-planked bridge deck was for single lane traffic
only. Stories are told of two wagons meeting on the narrow bridge approaches:
one would have to be dismantled while the other wagon passed.
	In the late 1890's, Theodore and his sons created "Lake 
Alpha", actually a
millpond, made by damming a small creek. A grist stone was installed, 
as well as
a roughcut saw. In 1905, an electric dynamo was attached to a waterwheel,
producing the first electricity in rural Lewis County. While electric lights
brightened the evening hours for his family and guests, it was 
"lights out" when
Theo went to bed. In his bed. room was a rope connected to the waterwheel
outside. When Theo pulled the rope, that was the end of electric 
lights for that
night, no matter what parlour game was being played.
	At the turn of the century, Alpha boasted two stores, two 
dance halls, one
public hall, a grade school and a planned high school. Myer served on 
the school
board, and provided lodging for the teachers. He contributed the land for the
public hall, school and cemetery. The public hall was used nearly every weekend
for dances or social events. The Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas
would attract settlers for miles around and were the major celebrations of the
year. Masquerade balls, greased pig chases, horse races, baseball, 
sham battles,
speeches, fireworks, gun salutes, basket socials, and shooting matches were
among the many activities at these times of the year. Dances and parties, even
for the very young, would usually include a late evening potluck dinner and end
at daylight.
	In an unusual feature story, The Chehalis BeeNugget in 
October, 1911, summed
up the Myer family efforts with photos and these, words: "What is considered to
be one of the finest farms

268

  (photo): Myer Family Photo

in Lewis County, if not in the entire state is that of Theodore Myer . . . What
with an electric light plant of his own, a private fishing pond, many acres of
excellent soil and fine stock, Mr. Myer and his family are now enjoying the
fruits of years of hard labor in making their home as near to an earthly
paradise as possible."
Two years later, just a few hundred feet from where he first drove a claim
stake, Theo was laid to rest, having died exactly 44 years and one 
hour from the
time he arrived at Alpha. Elizabeth Myer moved to Chehalis, where she passed
away in 1935. Both are buried at Alpha Cemetery.
	Where once stood a sizeable farm, complete with houses, 
barns, a blacksmith
shop, a power house, dance hall and corrals, now there is nothing. Christmas
trees grow where the family painstakingly pulled stumps in earlier years. The
only remaining artifacts are the original cedar barn timbers, first raised in
the 1870's, which now support the roof of a barn on the Paul Rave farm nearby.
	The 61 descendants of Theodore and Elizabeth Myer include:
Theodore Myer (Lenore daughter/Audrey daughter - Gail granddaughter: Denice
granddaughter.)
Leonard Myer (Valentine son/Leonard son - Virgil grandson: Carla and Rodney
greatgrandchildren: - Gary grandson: Angela greatgranddaughter: - Gloria
granddaughter, Larry, Susan, Valerie, Laurie, great-grandchildren -Gordon
grandson/Lillian daughter - Larry grandson Bobby Joe, Cindy, Robert,
greatgrandchildren; - Marion granddaughter: Delaine, Darla, Dean, Donna
greatgrandchildren/Frank son - Susan and John grandchildren.) Val 
Myer (Bob son;
Joe son).
	John Myer (Jack son - Eric grandson: Aaron great-grandson; Janet
granddaughter: John, Jessica, Joseph greatgrandchildren; Joel grandson/Margaret
granddaughter: Dana Ann greatgranddaughter; Adam grandson).
	Mary Myer Johnson (Tom Klaus son; John Kucera son - John 
grandson: Ann and
Mary great-granddaughters; - Tom grandson: KarIyn and Kim 
greatgranddaughters; -
Vic grandson: Kristin greatgranddaughter.)
Anthony Myer.
	Joseph Myer.
	Gertrude Myer Brown. By Vic Kucera

GEORGE MYERS

I, Marjorie Williams Myers, was born in Nebraska and came with my family to
Sumner, Washington as a teenager. There I met George Myers, who was born in
Sumner. We were married in Tacoma. George had several jobs from working in the
rhubarb to mill work. I worked in the cannery during the summers. 
George went to
work in the shipyards after the war broke out in 1941, as a carpenter.
	At this time we had five boys and one girl. We decided to get 
a farm to keep
them busy. We had looked for a farm in Eastern Washington, but none seemed to
suit us. We looked for a farm at Silver Creek, and decided it was what we
wanted, and we moved here in 1943. I think the thing that sold us on the place
was the beautiful garden. Tony Hadaller, the owner, could kick potatoes out of
the ground with his foot, the ground was so fertile. George didn't leave the
shipyards until he had acquired enough milk cows, chickens and pigs. The boys
milked the cows and separated the milk. George was able to stay at home just
before Christmas.
	We would meet log trucks and tie trucks every time we would 
go up or down
the hill. The children all learned to drive on that hill.
	We had another boy and another girl after moving to Silver 
Creek (Harmony).
	The family now includes, Bernerd and his wife Joan. They live 
in the Seattle
area; he is retired from United Air Lines; they have 4 daughters and 3
grandchildren.
	Alfred and Doris live in Mossyrock, own and operate the 
Texaco Station, have
2 children and 7 grandchildren.
	Melvin passed away in 1982, but his wife Vera and their 2 
children and 2
grandchildren live at Salkum.
	Margaret and Bill Mitchem live in Mossyrock, have 4 children and 13
grandchildren.
	Max and Dorothy live in Mossyrock, have 4 children and 2 grandchildren.
	Jerry was killed in an automobile accident in 1964. He had one son.
	Darell and Paulette live in Glenoma and they have 4 children.
	Marilyn and Edmond Armit live in Mossyrock with their 3 daughters.
	I worked as head cook at the school lunch room for 9 years, retiring in
1971, after George passed away in 1980.
	Marjorie passed away in 1980.
	This was written by Marjorie in 1976, then updated by 
daughter-in-law, Doris
Myers in 1985.

WILBUR F. NASH FAMILY

Wilbur Fremont Nash was born in 1852 in Northeast Pennsylvania. His immigrant
ancestor was Thomas Nash, who came from England with the Reverend Davenport's
followers in 1620.
	He married Lucy Adele Packard in 1876, whose immigrant 
ancestor was Samuel
Packard, a Puritan, who came to America eighteen years after the 
Pilgrims landed
on Plymouth Rock.
	Wilbur, with his wife Lucy and their five children, joined a 
small wagon
train in the spring of 1887, and started for Washington Territory. He 
had a Feed
and Grain Store in Axtell, Kansas. Times were bad in Kansas for farmers. A year
of grasshoppers, thick as clouds, then a drought the following year, forced him
to sell out and seek another place to support his family. Their wagon 
was pulled
by oxen.
	They arrived in about five months and settled in what is now 
Cowlitz County,
at Stello, Washington. He started a logging operation on the Cowlitz River and
floated logs on rafts down the river, to the Columbia River, then on 
to Astoria,
Oregon. In 1888, a terrible wind storm broke the rafts apart, and 
they were lost
in the ocean. He had to sell the oxen team to pay the men their wages.
	They bought 160 acres then, in Lewis County on the east side 
of the river,
one half mile east of Cowlitz Landing, now Toledo, Washington. He built a
two-story house for his family. It was the first house in the 
community that had
running water - literally. There was a spring 1A mile from the house, piped to
the back porch with a self-energizing pump. It ran back through the 
chicken yard
into a creek behind the house. They kept 600 laying hens, and sold in Seattle
and Tacoma. In 1909 it cost him 1 1/2 cents per dozen to ship by mail to
Seattle.
	Wilbur was an excellent Photographer, and was called on by 
the community to
take pictures of special events. He used a large box camera on a tripod; the
film was glass plates that were changed after each picture. He also printed his
own pictures. Many of the old pictures found around Toledo were made by him.
	Lucy had her calling also. She was called when the neighbors 
were sick, or
babies born. She could splint an arm or finger as well as a Doctor. She raised
her own seeds for her huge garden. Her flowers were profuse. She gave slips to
anyone who admired them. None of her garden went to waste. She canned every bit
of it. Her chicken pot-pie is remembered by all her grandchildren.
	Their children were all raised in Lewis County. They were: 
Charles Nash,
Lillian Nash Calvin, Edgar Nash, Ethel Nash Hopp, Henry Nash, all deceased.
	Three of his many grandchildren, George Hopp, Ida Hopp 
Little, and Lacey
Calvin still live in Lewis County. By George Hopp

NEER FAMILY

Roy (Buck) Neer, son of Ralph and Anna Neer of Forest, and Ann 
Wegener, daughter
of Henry and Catherine Wegener also of Forest, were married August 13, 1947.
Buck was born in Chehalis, attended school in Forest and graduated 
from Chehalis
High School in 1942. He then served four years in the U.S. Navy. He was
discharged in 1946. He then attended Centralia College for one year.

269

  (photo): L-R.: Ethel, Lucy, Edgar, Wilbur, Henry, Lillian, Charles Franklin
Nash

Ann came to the Chehalis area from Forks, where she graduated from high school.
She was born in Albion, Nebraska and, with her family, came to Washington in
1936. She graduated from Providence School of Nursing in Everett in 1943 as a
registered nurse. She served in the U.S. Army and was discharged in 1946. She
came back to Chehalis to work at St. Helens Hospital.
	Before their marriage, Roy had purchased the old Hickey place at Mary's
Corner. It was 20 acres of land with a hatchery and three large chicken coops.
He operated the hatchery for five years, continued to raise chickens and sell
eggs for many years. More land was purchased from adjoining property owned by
Weldon Pascoe, bringing the total to about 100 acres. The farm was 
operated as a
chicken and beef-cattle operation. The farm is still the family home and
presently is leased out for Christmas trees.
	Buck and Ann have six children: the oldest Catherine, born 
August 9, 1948.
She married Joseph Heilman of Yakima, there are three children, Joseph, Mathew,
and Jared. Ellen, born December 23, 1949. She married Dennis Mallonee 
of Yakima,
they have two children, Justin and Christopher. Mary Jane, born April 6, 1951.
She married David Belanger of Seattle, they have two children, Nickolas and
Brooke Ann. Ralph, born May 8, 1953. He married Sylvia Gardner of 
Chehalis, they
have one daughter, Therese. Margaret, born October 16, 1960. She married Ronald
Bridgman of Chehalis, they have a son Andrew. Ann, the youngest, born April 4,
1963 is unmarried. A son born June 13, 1957 died at birth and is buried at St.
Frances Mission. The family belongs to St. Frances Mission parish and still
attends church there.
	The children all attended schools in the Chehalis area and 
graduated from
high school. Catherine from St. Mary's Academy in Toledo. Ellen, Mary Jane and
Ralph from Chehalis. Margaret and Ann from Napavine.
	Along with the land at Mary's Corner, Buck rented land along 
the Newaukum
River owned by Dr. Pascoe, where he farmed and raised cattle. He also logged in
the area for many years.
	Ann worked as a registered nurse at Walker Care Center in Centralia
beginning in 1970 and retired in 1985. Buck retired from farming and loggjng in
1984. By Roy and Ann Neer

ALBERT AND LOIS NELSON

	This is a brief family history of Albert Dale Nelson and Lois 
Joyce West
Nelson.
	My name is Lois Joyce West Nelson, and I was born at 
Centralia, Washington,
November 1, 1939, the fifth child of Charles Henry West (a logger and farmer)
and Carrie Springer West. At the time, we were living on our place (farm and
timberland) at Lost Valley near Klaber. My father was born April 8, 1900, at
Winlock, and my mother was born at Centralia on August 8, 1909. Mom has written
a family history which can be found in this book also and which gives more of
our family background.
	We moved to Pe Ell in 1945, where we continued to live all through my
growing up years.
	I have four older brothers and sisters: Delbert Charles West 
of Winlock,
Leslie Earl West of Centralia, Betty Jean Vaughn of Raymond and LeRoy 
James West
of Napavine.
	On July 16, 1960, Albert Dale Nelson and I were married at 
Doty. He was born
May 11, 1937, at Dryad, the first child of the five children of Albert James
Nelson (a logger) and Oretta Arada Lusk Nelson. Dale's father, Al, was born
October 9,1914, and his mother was born February 14, 1915. Both were raised in
the Doty-Dryad area. Dale's brothers and sister are: Gary E. Nelson of Meskill,
Joan Nelson Johnson of Doty, Rodney Lusk Nelson (deceased) and Rick 
G. Nelson of
Doty.
	After spending two years in the Army stationed at Schofield Barracks in
Hawaii, two years in Portland, Oregon, and two years in Raymond, we purchased
our present business and home here in Doty in 1966 from Palmers and have since
added to it by purchasing farm ground which was the former Porter 
place and part
of the Ernie Lusk place.
	Dale and I have four children: Michael Dale, born September 17, 1970; Julie
Anne, born November 22, 1972; Albert Charles, born June 19, 1974; and Aaron
James, born February 3, 1978.
	Dale's parents died in a fire which destroyed their home on 
December II,
1977. My father died June 21, 1972, and my mother lives near us here in Doty.

CHARLES N. NELSON FAMILY

Charles Nels Nelson was born in Sunne, Sweden August 27, 1873. He came to
Astoria, Oregon at the age of 15. Worked with his uncle, at fishing and in the
cannery at Ilwaco, for many years. Went to Alaska in 1898 and was instrumental
in building the tramway at Chilquot Pass, Skagway, during the gold rush days.
	In 1911, he was returning to Sweden on the steamship Caronia 
leaving New
York harbor. On the Caronia he met Karen Elizabeth Palmblad from 
their home town
of Sunne, Sweden.  They were married in New York July 8, 1911 on their return
trip to the United States. From there, they moved to Centralia, Washington in
1911 and built their first home, on the Nick road. The house still 
stands though
the barn has been torn down.
	At that home there their first daughter Ella Emelia was born 
on April 19,
1915. Their second daughter, Hannah Elizabeth, was born December24,1916.
	In July 1919, after two bad floods they moved to the present 
home on the
Keasling road on Jackson Prairie. They successfully farmed, raised strawberries
and every year from October 20 to December 10th, harvested Christmas trees for
Hofert Co. This was what we all worked at especially to survive the depression
years. They were hard years but Ella and Hannah attended Jackson Prairie grade
school and Napavine High School, graduating in 1933, and 1934.
	Ella worked at Dorn's Auto Park and in restaurants for over 
40 years. She
lives on the home place as of June 1985.
	Hannah lives in Roseburg, Oregon, retired from A.T. & T. with 39 years
continuous service. Her son, Ronald White, is with Weyerhaeuser Co., in
Springfield, Oregon, and her daughter, Gail, is with State Employees, Salem,
Oregon.
	Our father, Charles Nelson passed away March 1948.
	Our mother Karen Elizabeth passed away February 1965.
	They were an important part of history of Lewis County and wonderful
parents. By Ella (Nelson) Van Buskirk and Hannah (Nelson) White

HOLGER AND MAY C. NELSON

Holger Nelson was born September 14, 1901 at Rock Springs, Wyoming. 
His parents,
John and Ingeborg Nelson had migrated to the United States from Denmark. John,
christened Jens Neilsen, was born at Alborg, Denmark, January 16, 1868. He
served in the Danish army and came to the United States at the age of
twentyfour, in 1892, first working on a farm in Nebraska, then to Rawlings,
Wyoming where he worked on the railroad. Here his boss had two Jens Neilsens on
his work crew and told John, "From now on your name is John Nelson." 
John worked
there for a time and then found work as a freight car repairman for the Union
Pacific Railway at Rock Springs, Wyoming.

  (photo): May and Holger C. Nelson

Ingeborg (Andersen) Nelson was born November 28, 1876 at Omsted, Denmark, near
Aarhus. She migrated to the United States in June 1896 to Rock 
Springs where she
had a sister living. John and Ingeborg were married November 1897 at Rock
Springs. A daughter, Dagmar, was born September 24, 1898 and a son Holger

270

  (photo): May and Holger, children Gerald and Shirley

September 14, 1901. In 1906 they moved to Evaline, Washington, near Winlock.

  (photo): John and Ingeborg Nelson, Holger, Clara, Dagmar

May Christina Johnson was born at Wahl, Washington, a logging camp on the
outskirts of Bellingham, Washington June 25, 1904. Her parents were John and
Mary E. (Caron) Johnson.
	John, christened Johan Johansen, was born August 11, 1868 in 
Vejen, Denmark.
He served time in the Danish army in the King's Guard for ashort time, disliked
it and, on a leaveof absence, migrated to the United States at the age of
nineteen in 1887. He arrived at Amboy, New Jersey where he had a brother living
and found work in a brick yard. His brother had taken on the name of Johnson so
he became John Johnson. A Danish friend and he could see no future 
working there
so, after a year, they came west, by way of the Canadian railroad working their
way south to California. Work was scarce and, after several short jobs there,
they worked their way north to Washington in 1889 where they found 
work. By 1890
John and two Danish friends he had made, Nels and Peter Nelson, had 
saved enough
money they were able to buy railroad land in the north western part of the
Evaline school district. They had been told there was good farm land in Lewis
County. In 1898 John and his friend, Nels Nelson, decided to try their luck in
the Alaskan Gold Rush. After a year John returned no richer than when he went
up. He continued working on his farm and at local woods work.

  (photo): Seated: John and Mary Johnson. Standing: May, Gladys, Helen.

Mary E. Caron, mother of May, was born at Turon, Kansas June 22, 1885. She was
the youngest of ten children. Her father, Joseph Caron, was born at St. Anne De
Bellvue, Quebec, August 24, 1836, and her mother Philomaine (Daoust) Caron was
born on Isle Perrot, Quebec, June 19, 1838. After making their home in Quebec,
moving to Michigan and pioneering in Kansas for sixteen years, they decided to
return to St. Anne De Bellvue, Quebec, when Mary was six years of age.
	Later, after three of Mary's brothers had married and taken up land in
Oklahoma territory, they moved there in 1898. One of Mary's brothers, Frank
Caron and family, had moved to Evaline, Washington, (near Winlock) early in the
year 1900. Mary's parents followed them to Evaline in August 1900. Soon a
brother David Caron arrived. They settled on a farm on Hale's Hill which later
became the Fries farm.
	John Johnson and Mary E. Caron were married September 2, 
1903, at Chehalis
and moved to Wahl, Washington where logging pay was better. Daughter May was
born there June 25, 1904. They lived there for a little over a year 
and returned
to the farm at Evaline, where John continued woods work and improving the farm.
	In January 1906, Mary's father died and her mother came to 
live with them
until she passed away in March 1923. Mary's parents are buried in the Winlock
cemetery. A daughter, Gladys, was born November 14,1905, and a third daughter,
Helen, was born August 6,1912. Holger had also gained another sister, Clara,
born at Evaline, September 1907.
	Holger started school September 1907 in the Evaline one room 
school. His
parents' farm was directly east of the school, across the railroad. The Evaline
school became a two room school the following year. Holger attended 
school there
through his sophomore year and then went to work at local mills, logging camps,
the apple harvest at Wenatchee and Yakima, and in the shipyards at Tacoma and
Seattle. In 1921 he and a friend decided to attend an auto mechanics school in
Seattle. At the conclusion of this training, Holger secured work as a mechanic
at an auto repair shop in Seattle. He worked there until July 1923. Then he
returned to work at the Washington Farmers Egg and Poultry Association at
Winlock, when he and May Johnson were married July 19, 1923, in Chehalis.
	May started school at Evaline, September 1910, gaining her 
first ten years
of school there. She attended Winlock High School her junior year working for
her board there. The following year Evaline bused students to the Napavine High
School where she graduated in 1922. The following year she attended Ellensburg
Normal School and secured a position at the end of that year as a 
teacher in the
one room school, Osceola, located between Vader and Toledo.
	Following their marriage and a honeymoon down the Columbia 
River Gorge and
into eastern Washington, they settled down in a shack next to the schoolhouse
and Holger drove to work at Winlock from there. At the end of two years of
teaching, May was required to attend another year of normal school and Holger
boarded with his parents that year. At the conclusion of that year at college,
they moved to May's parents' original farm which they had decided to 
buy. In the
meantime, May's parents had bought and moved to the adjoining Lentz farm in
1921.
	May taught the year of 1926-27 at the two room Veness school south of
Winlock and resigned at the end of the year. Their son, Gerald, was 
born October
1, 1927. They built a chicken house and went into producing eggs. Holger
continued work at the Co-op, first making wooden egg crates, then as 
maintenance
man until 1929, when he felt a living could be made on the farm. The depression
arrived! May taught one year 1931-32 at the one room Ainslie School 
southwest of
Winlock. The school consolidated with the Winlock school in 1932 and 
Winlock did
not hire married women teachers. They joined Hope Grange again in 1926, took an
active part in it, and continued farming. August 31,1935, their daughter,
Shirley, was born.
	In 1943 when teachers became scarce during the Second World 
War, May was
asked to take the upper grades at Evaline, where she taught for two years, then
went to Napavine where she taught the next twenty-four years, retiring in 1970.
With extension work and correspondence courses and three summers at the Central
Washington University, she obtained her B.A. degree and continued taking
courses. War time construction needed more carpenters so, Holger went 
to work at
Longview and at McCord Air Force Base. He liked construction work so continued
this line of work in Centralia working at a cabinet shop, in two lumber yards
and also had his own shop for ten years. They had purchased land in Centralia
and built a home there and, in 1959, rented their farm home and moved to
Centralia. They sold their farm in 1972.
	Their son, Gerald, attended the Evaline Grade School and 
Winlock High School
and went to pitch for the Coast Baseball League's San Diego Team out of high
school, in 1945. He married Janet McDonald of Eagle Point, Oregon, in 
June 1948,
at Riverside, California, where he was playing ball. He continued playing
baseball for some time but had injured his arm, so that had to be discontinued.
He obtained work at a mill in Eureka, California, where they make their home.
For a number of years he has been working for the Redwood Bureau of 
Grades which
requires traveling around Northern California and other areas when required.
Janet, his wife, is a junior high school teacher. They have two children, a son
Gerald A. who works with Boy's Club at Santa Rosa and Kristina, a nurse, who is
married and lives at San Luis Obispo, California.

271

Daughter Shirley attended Evaline Grade School and Winlock High School and
married a soldier from Burlington, Iowa, May 1957. They lived at Burlington,
Iowa for eight years and returned to Washington with two children, Kirk and
Cynthia. They divorced in 1966 and Shirley later married Fred Wachter who had a
farm at Evaline. He passed away in 1974. She now lives with her 
husband, Charles
Wonser, at Evaline. Her son lives with them and her daughter lives next to her.
Cynthia married Edgar Turula and they have four children, Nathan, Nicholas,
Nelson and Holly. These children are and will be attending the Evaline school,
the fourth generation in the family to do so.
	Holger's father died in September 1942 at Evaline and 
Holger's mother passed
away in Centralia in 1972. May's father died at Evaline, September 
1928, and her
mother died, June 13, 1975, at Centralia. Her mother had married Jesse Flock in
1935 but they were divorced four years later. She sold her farm at Evaline and
moved to Winlock, in 1943, the same year Holger's mother sold her 
farm and moved
to Winlock. They are all buried at the Winlock cemetery.
	Holger and May have traveled over most of the United States and much of
Canada and in 1968 visited relatives in Denmark. They are Gold Sheaf members of
Hope Grange, Holger is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Winlock and Maya member
of the Centralia Eastern Star. She is also a member of the Lewis County and
National Retired Teachers Association, Better Homes and Garden Club and of the
Akitsa Federated Woman's Club. They are both members of the Lewis County
Historical Society.
	Holger's sister, Dagmar, married Fred Conradi September 11, 
1919. They made
their home at Evaline. They had nine children: Clifford born August 12, 1920,
Richard 3/23/22, Roy 2/7/25, June 3/1/28, John 4/20/30, Fred 12/25/32, Floyd
7/19/34, Ruth 11/24/35, and Larry 3/5/41. Fred, the father, passed away 12/9/52
after a long illness due to a woods accident. Dagmar resides at Evaline. Her
family is scattered over Washington, Oregon, California and Florida.
	Holger's sister, Clara, married Archie Flock July 6, 1929. 
They also have
made their home at Evaline. They have two children, Nancy, who is Mrs. Myron
Peterson, and lives on the Brown Road out of Chehalis. She has a son 
Mark. Their
son David, who was married and has four children, works at Longview.
	May's sister, Gladys, became a teacher, teaching at the Pleasant Valley
School, at Evaline and at the Forest School for two years, each before she
married John Krebs of Pleasant Hill, out by Adna, where they made their home.
She taught at the Adna School for twenty-three years before retiring in 1969.
	May's sister, Helen, married Henry Jaeger of Condon, Oregon 
November 19,
1933. They lived on a wheat and cattle ranch out of Condon, Oregon. They
divorced in 1951 and she moved to a farm at Fossil, Oregon. She now resides at
Condon, Oregon, where her daughter Mary Thayer, lives. Helen has a son Henry
married and living at Moro, Oregon. Helen has four grandchildren, her daughter
having two children, Robert Jr. and Helen E., and her son having two children,
John and Ann.

JAMES P. NELSEN, JR. FAMILY (CHEHALIS)

James P. Nelsen Jr. was born Sept. 10, 1923 in Dupree, Ziebach Co., So. Dakota.
After his family suffered the 1930's drought farming they

  (photo): Nelsen family at Scout camp Aug. 1984.
  (photo): Thomas Nelson Family - L to R: Anna Knutson Nelson, Thelma Nelson
Rajala, Thomas Nelson, Sadie Nelson Bardwell.

moved to Hopkins, Minn. and purchased another small farm. While living there
with his father, James P. Nelsen, and step-mother, Josephine, he worked for the
railroad on construction and joined the C.C.C.
	>From Hopkins the family moved to Chehalis and started farming near
Claquato, arriving in September of 1941. James, Jr. served in the 
U.S. Army 20th
Army Air Force from 1943-1946 in the South Pacific. Upon returning from the war
he married Betty Ann Heden, daughter of Thor and Helen Heden of Chehalis who
also lived on a farm near Claquato. Betty Ann Heden worked at Coffman Dobson
bank for a few years. Two daughters were born to Betty and James Nelsen, Lynn
Helen and Peggy Ann. Betty Nelsen passed away in February 1957. James 
worked for
the Daily Bread Shop, Peoples Appliance Store of Chehalis and for 
Uhlmann Motors
over 34 years. Three generations of the same family have purchased their autos
from James.
	He married Shirley French, daughter of Leslie and Ida Betts French, on
August 2, 1959 in Centralia at her parents' home. Shirley adopted Lynn and
Peggy.
	Lynn married Dr. John H. McCord June 28, 1969 in Chehalis and 
born to them
were Jeff, Colin and Karen. Dr. John McCord practices podiatry in Chehalis,
where the family resides.
	Peggy married Bob Brooks in Olympia on June 23,1973 and born 
to them were
Meredith, Kelley, and Kathleen. Bob Brooks is soon to retire from the 
U.S. Navy,
where he is now teaching in the submarine branch of the Navy in Bangor,
Washington.

THOMAS NELSON FAMILY

Thomas Nelson (1874-1948), his wife Anna Knutson Nelson (1890-1967) and their
infant son Orvil (1910-1919) came to Toledo from Genoa, Colorado in 1911. Like
so many others of the era, they came for better land. They settled on a farm
east of Toledo near the Shepardson and Berlin families where they 
lived for nine
years. While living there, they had two daughters; Nina "Sadie" Nelson Bardwell
(1911- ) and Thelma Nelson Rajala (1913-1981).
	In 1920 they jointly purchased a farm with the Issac Koisti 
family between
Toledo and Vader. They divided the property which was originally about 300
acres. They shared the original farm house until the Nelsons finished building
their own. This house is still standing, but abandoned.
	Thomas and Anna Nelson were very active in the Cowlitz Bend Grange. When
that Grange disbanded, they joined the Cougar Flat Grange. They were also
members of the Presbyterian Church of Toledo.
	The two surviving children, Sadie and Thelma graduated from Toledo High
School in 1930. Thelma graduated ahead of her class. They both started at
Bellingham Normal School. Sadie left before graduation. She did office work in
Portland, moved to San Francisco, and became a dental technician. She married
Gerald Bardwell (1907-1979) in 1935. They had one child, Gregg, born in 1947,
who died in an automobile accident in 1965.	.
	Thelma received her teaching certificate from Bellingham 
Normal School and
began her teach. ing career at Cedar Creek one-room school. She

272

stayed with the Keen family while teaching there.
	Thelma taught for several years in Toledo and then in Longview. She
suspended her teaching career in 1945 when she married Daniel Rajala. 
See Rajala
family history.
	Thomas and Anna Nelson sold their farm to Carl Wallace in 
1939. They moved
to Toledo into a small house on the river. They also owned and rented the house
across the street. Following Thomas' death in 1948, Anna remained active in the
community including counting election returns until the 1960's. Anna 
left to the
family a large collection of her crocheted work and quilts. She died in 1967.

EDWARD AND KATHERINE NIELSEN

Katherine Martha Lawrence Nielsen Eckhart (1909- ) of Montana and Centralia and
her first husband, Edward Greger Nielsen (19111966) of Adna lived thirty years
five miles west of Chehalis on their jersey dairy farm. Prior to 
their marriage,
Katherine taught five years in the Adna schools, having taught four 
years before
coming to Adna.
	Katherine and her sister, Lota Mae Lawrence Heigel (1913- ) 
were born in
Montana of parents, Charles H. Lawrence and Jennie E. Lawrence. They came west
from Kalispell to Centralia, settling on Fords Prairie in 1922. They managed
Borst Park for several years and with their daughters always took part in the
Centralia Pioneer Days parades and picnics. They each wore pioneer costumes,
Charles as Daniel Boone, Jennie as Mrs. Boone and the girls in pioneer costumes
borrowed from the Borsts of Fords Prairie.
	Katherine and Lota graduated from "old" Centralia High and "Bellingham
Normal" becoming teachers.
	Later Lota married R.W. Heigel from Winlock and they make their home in
Portland. They raised four children - Wayne Heigel, Renton; Roger Heigel, Saudi
Arabia; Marilyn Heigel Erickson, Vancouver, Wash.; and Patricia Heigel Jones of
Indiana. The four children were visitors and "hired hands" for "Aunt Katie and
Uncle Ed" on Edward and Katherine's farm by the Chehalis river at Adna every
summer as they grew up, finished college and were married. There are eight
grandchildren.
	Edward and Katherine, not having children, enjoyed these 
visits as well as
visits from Edward's four nephews and one niece, children of Edward's sister,
Clara Nielsen Whittaker and David Whittaker. They were uncle and aunt to the
children of many friends, and picnics by the river were highlights of every
summer. During the war and later Katherine taught twenty-one more years in the
Adna schools.
	They were both active in Local, County and State Grange and many other
community affairs. Edward served on the Southwest Washington Fair Board many
years helping with the grange booths and with agriculture. He was "Hay King" at
the fair one year. He was Grassman of the year; and in 1964 they were chosen
Dairymen of the Year.
	Edward served on the Grange Insurance Board of Directors for 
state and was
Lewis County Insurance Agent; served on the Lewis County A.S.C.S. Board, later
as its president. In 1965 his group won first prize in the Northwest region for
efficiency. Edward was killed on his farm in 1966.
	After widowhood, Katherine continued teaching at Adna, participating in
school, grange, church, garden club, Delta Kappa Gamma,

  (photo): Katherine and Edward Nielsen. Their farm.

	Pythian and other community affairs, selling the farm and moving to an
apartment in Chehalis. On a grange tour to Alaska in 1969 she met her second
husband, Carl Eckhart, retired farmer from Eastern Washington, and a Granger
too. They joined each other's grange, Adna and Canniwai (Lincoln County), and
traveled much of the world. They became lapidarians in the late seventies.

TRACY JANE (WEST) NIELSEN

I was born in Olympia, Washington on March 28, 1960 to Perry A. and Dolores L.
(Pickens) West. My three year old sister Gay Lynne tried to play the role of
mother most of the time. But we got along pretty well until I developed a mind
of my own at the age of three.
	Dad had been working at Georgia Pacific in Olympia when the 
layoff came.
After months of unemployment the big change in our lives came after I developed
a virus that hospitalized me for a week, and almost killed me. My mother
wouldn't leave my side day or night. She sat in a rocker and prayed or sang or
talked to me. After a very difficult delivery of my sister she was told she
could not have more children and her next pregnancy ended with a miscarriage.
Her pregnancy with me was extremely difficult and her doctor didn't think she
would be able to go fullterm, but my mother is stubborn and she 
wanted this baby
so she wore a mustard seed necklace as a reminder of her faith.
	My first birthday in the hospital my mother resolved she was 
not going to
lose the baby she'd tried so hard to have. Her faith in God once more came
through.
	My parents had no insurance and a big hospital bill so they moved to
Redding, California, where Dad got started in the construction business working
with Mom's cousin Ray Pickens who came from a long line of bricklayers. Ray
lives in Chehalis now and the two men are still great friends after many years
of working together.
	Ray and Dad moved their families to Seattle where Dad worked 
many long hours
on ship boilers and Mom compensated for the loss of his companionship by taking
us on picnics, sightseeing, dancing lessons, making her own bread and sewing or
redecorating our house.
	When I started school Mom also went back to school and soon 
graduated as a
doctor's assistant. But Dad wouldn't allow her to go to work and when 
Dad wanted
to sell the house there were many tears from my mother and me.
	We moved to Rochester in 1969 and my parents were presented 
with a baby boy
they named Wade in 1970. Gay and I graduated from Rochester High 
School. She had
married Glenn Warren in her junior year but kept her promise to graduate.
	During my senior year I went to Hawaii for several weeks to 
visit my Dad who
was working over there. I became a Demolay sweetheart, involved with Job's
Daughters at Bethel #73 in Chehalis and was Worthy Advisor of 
Centralia Assembly
#22 for Rainbow Girls.
	I attended Centralia College for a time and then got a job 
with the State of
Washington in Olympia. But I wanted to travel so I went to Houston, Texas.
Deciding after some time, Washington was still my home, I returned 
and went back
to work for the state.
	Eventually I met and married H. Thomas Nielsen Jr. and we 
bought a run-down
house on 3 acres near Centralia. My parents come each summer to help with the
remodeling projects.

NIELS GREGERS AND MARIE DAGMAR NIELSEN

Niels G. Nielsen and his wife, Marie Dagmar, came to Lewis County in 1913 with
their son, Edward, who was sixteen months old.
	Niels was born June 14, 1875, near Aalborg, Denmark, and 
Dagmar (she was
known by her middle name) was born May 8, 1876, also near Aalborg.
	It was the practice then to educate children until age 14, 
then they were
apprenticed to learn a trade. Niels became a blacksmith and Dagmar worked in a
delicatessen and learned how to make cheese, sausage and other preserved foods.
	Niels' mother and two sisters died of tuberculosis at an early age, and
because of this and the fact that he was reaching the age for conscription,
Niels decided he'd try his luck in a new country. He worked as a blacksmith in
mining camps in the western states, enjoying travel and picking up jobs along
the way.

273

  (photo): Niels G. and Marie Dagmar Nielsen

Niels worked aboard ship going to the Orient and would have been on a ship to
Alaska in April, 1906, but the day before he was to leave, the San Francisco
earthquake shook him out of bed. A week following, he moved to Seattle.
	In 1907, he returned to Denmark to visit his father and 
family. It was then
he met Dagmar who was working as a housekeeper for an uncle. They were married
the following Feb. 28, 1908, and moved to the U.S. a week later.
	They first lived in Wyoming where there was work for a 
blacksmith in the
coal mines. Three little boys were born to them in Rock Springs but 
Edward, born
Dec. 28, 1911, was the only one who survived.
	In 1913, the family moved to Chehalis living first in an 
apartment rented
from Mr. and Mrs. Ole Kure on Prindle and later moving to a house on James.
Niels worked in a blacksmith shop on Main Street.
	In late 1914, they rented a farm on what is now Airport Road. 
Clara was born
there Oct. 8, 1915. Ed started school at West Side, riding with his Dad in the
morning when the milk was taken to Carnation. After school, he walked home
alone.
	In November, 1919, they bought their farm at Adna; 65 acres 
on the Chehalis
River. A few years later, they sold the corner by the bridge to the Roy Scherer
family. The fertile soil raised bumper crops in the '20's, and the mortgage was
paid off in a few years.
	The family was active in the Adna Grange and community 
affairs. Ed and Clara
attended school at Adna; Ed graduating in 1929 and Clara in 1934. Ed continued
to work on the farm and Clara attended Centralia Business College and worked in
Chehalis, the last job before her marriage to Dave Whittaker in 1939, was at
Darigold.
	Ed married Katherine Lawrence in 1937 and took over operation 
of the farm.
His father and mother bought a 20 acre farm near Littell where they lived until
her death in 1945.
	Niels then moved back to live with Ed and Katie but spent 
time traveling to
Denmark and California. In his later years, he built a small home 
near Clara and
Dave and his grandchildren at Grand Mound.
	He lived to the age of 92, March 19, 1968.

ALMA (LONG) NIX

I was born in Burnsville, MI, number seven of eight children born to 
John Samuel
Long and Elizabeth (Pace) Long.
	My father was a Union Veteran of the Civil War, joining up when he was
sixteen years old. He should have been a Confederate but they wouldn't take him
because of his young age, so he ran away from home and joined the Union Army. I
am now a member of the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War. As far as
the organization knows, I am the youngest living daughter.
	In his lifetime, my father served as a Southern Baptist Evangelistic
preacher, a ferryboat captain and as Justice of the Peace. In those days, the
Justice of the Peace tried cases of all nature, including murder.
	When my mother and father were married, he was sixty years 
old and she was
eighteen. He had five grown sons by a previous marriage.
	There was a tale that this marriage between a preacher, who 
had only been
widowed for a year, and a young girl from his congregation caused 
quite a little
scandal. The fact that one of my older nieces has always refused to 
see me bears
out the tale to be true.
	Mama was number three in a family of seventeen children.
	She has told me of the hard work in the fields, helping with 
cooking and
housework and taking care of the younger children.
	She had no "schoolin' " and after they were married, papa 
taught her how to
read and write. When the handsome, middle-aged preacher wanted to marry her, it
sounded like heaven to Mama, at last she would get out of all that hard work.
But, as Mama has told me, she soon found out that she had "got out of 
the frying
pan and into the fire." Having your own children and being the preacher's wife
too turned out to be just as hard.
	In those days, the preacher's wife had to do all the things 
that the boards
in our churches do now, and the preacher's children had to be "spic and span"
sitting with their mother on a bench on the platform where the 
preacher gave his
sermon.  I can still almost taste the tea-cakes that Mama brought along to
pacify the children.
	Tragedy struck my parents when their third child, a little 
boy, died with
whooping cough when he was fourteen months old.
	My father was seventy-one years old when I was born, and I 
was four when he
died. There are just two incidents where I remember my father. One 
was riding in
a one-horse buggy, standing between my mother's knees while she held the baby,
and Papa held the reins. The other time I remember was sitting on his bed with
him while he was sick and helping him eat his "goodies."
During a thunder and lightning storm, my father was closing the shutters on the
windows when a gust of wind blew one of the shutters and it struck him on the
head. He was bed-ridden for several months and never recovered.
	Throughout the years, my father was paid for pastoral 
services with produce
instead of money much of the time. There was no retirement plan or death
benefits for preachers in those days, so my mother was left with seven children
to take care of, including a seven month old baby, having only Papa's small
civil pension to do the job. The pension provided thirty dollars per month for
the widow and six dollars per month for each child under sixteen.
	Mama pieced and quilted quilts to stretch the pension. There 
was always a
quilt in the frames. It was rolled up into the ceiling at night, and 
rolled down
again during the day. I learned to sew using tissue paper because we couldn't
waste the scraps. I sat on the floor by the sewing machine while Mama sewed the
scraps of cloth together.
	Tragedy struck my family again just four and one-half years after my
father's death when my sister was killed in a freak accident. A fragment of
stump, which was being blasted with dynamite nearby, struck her on the head as
she worked in the garden.
	Mama has been gone for twenty-six years now and I still miss 
her and I wish
I had let her know

  (photo): Front: Jesse Willard, Albert Herman, (Mother) Elizabeth Long, Leonard
Owen (on Mother's lap), Mary Alma (Long) Nix, John David. Back: Lillie May
(Long) Rice, Ada Lucille (Long) Booker. Insets: Baby Hurbart 
Roosevelt, (Father)
John Samuel Long.

274

how much I appreciate all the things she did for me.
	During the years of the "Great Depression" I married a young 
dairy farmer,
Robert Nix. We farmed for forty-five years and had five children. They are
Barbara, Nancy, Ruth, Robert Jr. and John.
	My life has been fulfilled by taking care of my home, husband 
and children,
and by doing the other "hundred and one" things expected of a farm wife.
	Along with all this, I have always found time to be active in 
my church,
school and community.
	We are retired now, and my life is still filled with 
community activities.
My latest project is being Asst. Chairman for putting this family history book
together. Alma Nix

ROBERT RONNIMUS NIX

Both of my parents were born in Wash. Terr. I was born in the same house where
my father was born, on the R. Nix Donation Land Claim between Puyallup and
Sumner. Ronnimus Nix, my grandfather, had left Illinois in 1850, signing on as
an advance scout for an Oregon-bound wagon train. Arriving in Steilacoom that
fall, he secured employment as a woodsman. After working at various 
jobs for two
or three years, he and Willis Boatman, another early pioneer, one day hired an
Indian canoe and paddled up the Puyallup River from Commencement Bay for a
distance of about seven miles where they came to a clearing. After some
exploration it was decided that Boatman would stake a claim on the north bank,
and Nix on the south bank of the Puyallup River. Nix built a cabin but was
"burned out" in the early part of the Indian Wars of 1855-6. He then went to
Steilacoom where he enlisted in the Washington Territorial volunteers for Army
duty.
	Sometime after returning to his claim in the Puyallup Valley from his
service in the Army, Ronnimus Nix married the granddaughter of the Chief of the
Cowlitz Indians. Her father was a French fur trapper. Five children resulted
from this union, but tragedy struck before they were grown. The Princess loved
to hunt, and one day left her rifle on the porch of the house. One of the
younger boys pointed it at his brother and pulled the trigger, killing him.
Either as a result of the bitter quarrel that probably ensued, or out of deep
remorse, or maybe a combination of both, the Princess fled to friends at the
Oakville Tribe, taking only her baby with her. The Chief of the Cowlitz tribe
refused to grant Ronnimus a divorce immediately, but later relented after Nix
bribed him with several bottles of whiskey and two hundred dollars in 
gold coin.
	Minnie Teitzel arrived from Germany in 1883. The last lap of 
her journey
being made aboard the first train over the newly-completed tracks of the
Northern Pacific Railroad to the Northwest. She soon found employment as a
housekeeper and governess for the motherless children of Ronnimus Nix. In spite
of the fact that Minnie could speak no English and Ronnimus no German, an
attachment between them grew and they were later married. Minnie bore Ronnimus
eight children, three of whom were later to become long-time residents of Lewis
county - Minnie Nix Beuter, Lillie Nix Ahrens and my father William Lewis Nix.
	Ronnimus Nix prospered in farming and business, becoming one of the
wealthiest men in Pierce county. He was a member of the first school board in
Puyallup, was one of the organizers of the first bank there and introduced the
culture of berries into the valley. He had extensive holdings in Pierce, Kitsap
and Lewis counties, as

  (photo): Back row: Laurence Olson, Barbara Elizabeth (Nix) Olson, Nancy Marie
(Nix), Ghere Fair, Robert Ronnimus Nix, Jr., Ruth Alma Nix (inset), deceased.
Middle row: John Stephen Nix, Alma Nix (mother), Brian Ghere, Robert Ronnimus
Nix (father), Jeffry Ghere, Jay Olson (seated on grandmother's lap), 
James Ghere
(standing by grandmother's knees), Cindy Olson (left - bottom inset). Right
bottom inset: Andrew Ronnimus, William Ashley, and Emelie Jo Nix.

well as owning McNeil and Anderson islands. Much of his property in 
the Puyallup
and Boistfort valleys was assigned to the growing of hops. The Donation Land
Claim is still in the Nix famiy. Although most of it is being leased by the
Linden Golf Club, some of it is being farmed by my cousin, who grows 
rhubarb and
berries, thus laying claim to being the oldest farm in Washington that has been
continuously lived on and operated by descendants of its original owner.
	Ezra Meeker was an associate of Ronnimus Nix and once traded 
a wagon to him
for the forty acres of land that is now the site of the Western 
Washington Fair.
I can recall the times when I stood between Meeker's knees or sat on his lap
when he would ride along on the dairy truck as my father made delivieries in
Puyallup in the early twenties. Meeker will be remembered for his books about
the Oregon Trail and for having traveled it by ox team, automobile, train and
airplane, all in the space of his lifetime.
	Wilhelmina Huper, my mother, and William Nix were married in 
1906 and moved
to west Adna in 1922 after purchasing the Clinton farm located at the 
end of the
Spooner and Clinton roads.
	My parents purchased the Surprise Valley Dairy Farm, four 
miles southwest of
Chehalis, in 1928. It was on this farm that the first 100-cow dairy herd in
Lewis county developed. In 1932 my brother Peter and I started the Surprise
Valley Dairy in the towns of Centralia and Chehalis, delivering milk door to
door for five cents per quart. Peter continued in the milk-marketing business
most of his working years, while I have concentrated on dairy farming.
	My wife Alma and I have retired from dairy farming but still 
live on the
farm in Surprise Valley, as do our sons Robert Jr. and John, each in his own
home. Throughout the years we have been active in the Baptist Church, 
grange and
many other organizations. We are both charter members of the Lewis County
Historical Society. I have served as its president for seven years 
and have been
on the board of directors continuously since 1966. Alma is assistant to the
chairman of the committee that is publishing this book of Lewis 
County families.
	We have two daughters- Barbara Nix Olson of Lynwood, Wash., and Nancy Nix
Fair living in Freemont, Calif., eight grandchildren and one great-grandson. By
Robert R. Nix, Sr.

DR. WILLIAM SHANNON NIX

Dr. William Shannon Nix was born Feb. 16, 1940 in Chehalis. He was the first
born of two boys to Peter W. Nix and Rose Bryan Shannon. He attended schools at
Fords Prairie and St. Mary's in Centralia. At the age of 13, he left the

  (photo): William Shannon Nix, 8 months.

275

family dairy farm near Galvin and at 17 went to sea as a merchant Marine. After
graduation from high school in Newport, Oregon, he joined the Air Force. These
early experiences led to an interest in people and ultimately to a B.S. Degree
in education, a Master's degree in Counseling and a Doctoral degree in
Psychology.
	A sense of family and history was instilled at an early age due to his
family having been among the first settlers in the state of Washington. In
addition, he was fortunate in his early life as he was allowed to explore his
interests and was encouraged by both his parents and his maternal grandmother,
Myrtis Maureen Haughton Shannon, who had taken an interest in teaching the boy
the value of old skills and country ways.
	Young Bill grew to appreciate the manual as well as the 
mental skills. He
became adept at wood working without power tools, a decent Banjo 
player, a lover
of books, a flyer, a gun maker, an historian, a collector of antiquities, a
teacher, a mechanic, a humanist, an artist and a lover of life.
	He was instrumental in establishing the first junior 
historian society in
the state of Oregon, formed and was first president of the Lincoln County
chapter of the Oregon Pilots association. He served as city councilman and on
the city planning commission in Gervais, Oregon and was recently coordinator of
the historical survey of Independence, Oregon.
	He married Candace Stocker of Newport in 1965. There were no 
children and
they were divorced in 1975. He currently lives in Independence, Oregon, works a
farm in Dallas, Oregon, practices his profession and maintains a residence in
Newport, Oregon.

CLARENCE NORBERG FAMILY

Clarence Norberg came to Lewis County in 1925 with his mother, stepfather, five
brothers, a half brother, and two half sisters. His father was Gustave Norberg,
who had been born in Minnesota and his mother was Anna Olson Norberg Pankowski,
who had come from Norway as a young girl. Clarence was born at Crosby, N. Dak.,
June 19, 1908. He passed away April 3,

  (photo): Clarence Norberg

1984. Clarence Norberg and Edith Betty Strasser were married June 20, 1941.
Edith was born Aug. 8, 1922, to two Lewis County natives: George Strasser who
was born at Napavine March 17, 1894 (d. Sept. 5, 1979) and Daisy Scott Strasser
who was born at Cinebar, April 29, 1900 (d. April 26, 1984). Edith had one
brother, Edward, born July 3,1924.
	Clarence served his country as a soldier during World War II 
from 1942 to
1945. His early years were spent in logging and mill work, but for most of his
life he was employed by the Lewis County Road Dept., advancing to be a
supervisor from which position he retired in 1975. Clarence learned to play the
fiddle as a young man in Montana. It is told that he loved the fiddle so much
that he traded his horse to a brother for a fiddle. Later he became well known
throughout the Northwest as an expert with the fiddle. In competition 
he won the
Washington State Senior Fiddler championship six times.
	Clarence and Edith were members of the Lutheran Church and the Grange.
Clarence was a member and past master of the Toledo Masonic Lodge # 116 and a
member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, also, Fraternal Order of Eagles #1550.
Edith was a member of the Order of Eastern Star, Royal Neighbors, and V.F.W.
Women's Auxiliary.
	Clarence and Edith had three children and five grandchildren. 
Their children
were; I - Lee b. Jan. 10, 1946, who is living at Port Orchard, WA. II- Kenneth
b. Nov. 29,1947, who is living at Ethel, W A and is employed as safety director
at the WIDCO coal mines east of Centralia. III - Candace b. Jan. 16, 1960 is
called "Candy" and is living in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was chosen to be Miss
Lewis County in 1978 and Miss Pierce County in 1980.
	 By Edith B. Norberg

GEORGE NORRIS FAMILY

George Thomas, the oldest child of a family of 14 of Maude Mullis and Henry
Norris, married Amelia Catherine Masshoff, daughter of Elizabeth Heidger and
Peter Masshoff, in Chehalis on June 11, 1907.

  (photo): Front, L to R: George and Amelia Norris. 2nd and 3rd Line: Katie,
Bill, Ruby, George, Virginia and Joe (1954).

George had left home at the age of 14 from South Dakota to visit his 
Aunt Minnie
Wheeler for a short time but stayed in this area until he died at the 
age of 92.
	They lived in a tent across the hill from Borden's milk plant where he
worked, which is Callison's mint plant today. George worked on the old Chehalis
High School in 1909 where he learned bricklaying and plastering. Later they
moved to Tono where they lived in a cabin. They rode to and from on the
railroad. It was long hard work and George decided man should not be that far
under the ground digging coal. George had the foresight to recognize the value
of the good spring water on the 80 acre farm purchased from Joe Borovec and
recorded it in 1914. He slashed the acreage across from Mary McCrank's, working
out part of the debt.
	He bought one additional acre from Joe Phillipi and spent 
days, hauling dirt
down the hill with a slip and horses to level the house site.
	They built their first house in a month exchanging work with 
Joe and John
Phillipi, They moved to Logan Hill on Easter Sunday in 1915 with four inches of
snow on the ground. The neighbors had told them that they wouldn't last 2 years
but they stayed 69 years. The home was remodeled in 1928. George was handy and
put his own threshing machine together and stationed it in the mow of the barn.
He put together a mill in order to grind flour for his family and neighbors
during the depression. He bought one of the first stationary balers that moved
from farm to farm and the hay had to be hauled and pitched in by hand.
	George met at the Forest Grange Hall with a few men and had 
helped organize
the Federal Land Bank of Chehalis in order to help farmers borrow 
money at lower
interest. He had served on the Dillenbaugh School Board.
	They cut wood at $3 a cord, hauled and stacked in Chehalis, in order to
clear their farm of the big old growth trees. They burnt many trees just to get
them off the land. After George and Amelia cleared the south slope of the hill,
strawberries were planted which brought berries in early and sold for 
a premium.
George continually tried new and better berries to upgrade his crops. He bought
new machinery which caused Amelia to worry over making payments. She was the
money manager. She had not been in the stores for 50 years but would send a
grocery list with money at the age of 101, and only miss by a few cents as to
the actual cost.
	He worked on many homes in the area along with the McKinnell Tractor
building and the Lutheran Church in Centralia. The children's memories about
their parents were that they were always home when they came home from school.
Their dinner would be fixed. Their clothes had to be changed and chores done
before bedtime. They were taught to make do with what they had.
They enjoyed playing cards with friends and family, dancing and music.
	George and Amelia had eight children: Charles, Ruby, Ruth, 
Bill, Katherine,
Virginia, George and Joe. Charles, George and Joe are deceased. There are 24
grandchildren, 53 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren which
have all been influenced by these two people over the years.
	"Love is eternal but memories are forever."

CHARLES REX O'CONNOR

In 1850, as small children, John O'Connor and Julia Brosenham left Ireland for
America. It was only after they were married in 1878 that they discovered they
had sailed to America on the same ship. John and Julia O'Connor eventually
settled in Johnson County, Missouri on a 100 acre farm. Their house was a large
two story brick dwelling with small slave quarters approximately 200 feet from
the main house.
	Their sixth child of ten, Cornelius Patrick O'Connor, married 
Stella Palmer
Ogden in

276

  (photo): Charles Rex O'Connor Pboto by Jobn Nix

1920. Charles Rex O'Connor was born on August 7, 1922 on an 80 acre farm 13
miles from Warrensburg, Missouri. He was the first of four children born to
Cornelius and Stella O'Connor. (Their other children include: 
Cornelius Patrick,
"Pat," born in 1926, Mary Lou born in 1928, and Mike born in 1931.)
The economic hardships of the depression forced the family to move 
West in 1937.
The O'Connors settled on an 80 acre farm in Coons Canyon (Macomber Road), in
Chehalis.
	Here Rex, as he is commonly known, raised sheep and cows for 
show at the
Lewis County Fair. He attended W.F. West High School where he was a member of
F.F.A. and drove a school bus. He graduated in 1942.
	Rex attended Centralia College and Whitman College in Yakima 
for one year
each, and then enlisted in the Navy. He fought in the Pacific Theater under the
rank of Aviation Ordinance Officer 2nd Class, He was assigned as a top
turretgunner on a B-24 (PBYl); he also flew several missions of reconnaissance.
Rex's most notable mission was for reconnaissance before a major battle held in
the Marianna Islands. At the close of the war, while on a mission of food
blockade off the coast of Japan, O'Connor saw the mushroom cloud from the
bombing of Hiroshima. For his service O'Connor received the 
distinguished flying
cross and three air medals.
	After he returned from the war Rex began working in a hardware store in
Chehalis. Shortly after this he obtained a job with the Daily Chronicle in
Centralia.
	In 1951 he married Joyce Jean Hazelrigg, the daughter and 
fourth child of
Raymond Oakley and Bertha Ann Hazelrigg.
	O'Connor began working for the Chehalis Post Office in 1957; he retired
in August of 1982.
	Rex and Joyce O'Connor have two daughters, Brenda Anne, born 
June 27, 1959
and Rexanne Joy, born March 7,1963.
	Rex is a 31 year member of the Eagles and a 38 year member of the
American Legion.
	Currently Rex and his wife Joyce reside at 233 N.E. 
Washington Avenue in
Chehalis, where they have lived for the past 29 years.

O'DELL- KNUTSEN FAMILY

Mack Knutsen was born in 1927 in Onalaska. His father was Swan Knutsen, a dairy
farmer on the Middlefork Road who had come to this country from Stavanger,
Norway. His mother, Cora Ellen, was the daughter of William and Emily Collins
O'Dell who had moved to Doty from Fenwick, West Virginia in 1904. Other O'Dell
children, all now deceased, were Rebecca Jane (Mrs. Gordon Spencer), Lillie
(Mrs. George Moore), Angeline (Mrs. John Dancy), George, William, Molly (Mrs.
John Aust), Okey, Marshall and Columbia (Mrs. Adam Miller). All lived out most
of their lives in Lewis County.
	Cora Knutsen had previously been married to John Belcher, 
deceased, and had
two sons, John Lawrence, deceased, and Wesley Loyal Belcher, Galvin. Other
Knutsen children are Kermit, deceased, Kenneth, Rochester, Clarence, Puyallup,
Robert, Seattle, Esther (Mrs. Halvar Uppstad) deceased, Mary (Mrs. 
Fred Knaack),
Puyallup, and Lois (Mrs. Bowman Wilson), deceased. After the death of Swan
Knutsen in 1932, the family lost the farm and Cora Ellen late!;.. 
married Alfred
Faultner. Both are now deceased.
	Mack Knutsen graduated from Adna High School in 1945. He 
joined the Army and
began his college career at Oregon State University. He later attended the
University of Washington where he earned a PhD. in Psychology in 1955.
	Mack met and married Merrily Hill of Lilliwaup in 1950 while both were
attending the University. Merrily was born in 1930 in Seattle, the daughter of
Clarence E. "Bert" and Frances Robinson Hill. She has one brother, Robert, of
Seattle. Her father was a lumberman and portable sawmill owner who logged in
eastern Lewis County and on the Olympic Peninsula during the 1940's and 50's.
She graduated from Shelton High School in 1947.
	Mack and Merrily moved to Augusta, Maine and San Diego, 
California during
his career as a clinical psychologist with the Veterans Administration. Their
son, Carl Edward, was born in San Diego in 1957. The family moved to Steilacoom
in 1958 where Dr. Knutsen was Chief Psychologist at Western State Hospital. He
became Chief of Psychological Services for the Department of Institutions in
1960 and later was Chief of Planning for the Department of Social and Health
Services. Daughter Karen was born in Tacoma in 1959.
	The Knutsens bought a small farm in Thurston County in 1964 where they
raised horses and beef cattle. In 1971 they purchased the J .E. Uden farm on
Centralia-Alpha Road, Onalaska, where they have produced hay, grain, timber,
beef cattle, dairy replacements and sheep. They are presently 
converting some of
their acreage to Christmas trees.
	Dr. Knutsen was the Director of Lewis County Mental Health 
Clinic for nine
years and now works as a clinical psychologist. Mack and Merrily have both
served as Masters of Alpha Grange and have been active in community affairs.
Merrily received her B.A. degree in rural planning from The Evergreen State
College in 1976. She has served on the Lewis County Conservation District Board
of Supervisors and on the Community College District #12 Board of Trustees.
	Carl Knutsen graduated from Onalaska High School in 1975 and 
Karen in 1977.
Carl received an A.T.A. degree in electronics from Centralia College 
in 1979. He
married Theresa Ann Tavis of Mountlake Terrace, a Centralia College graduate in
agriculture, in 1979. The couple moved to Pullman where Theresa 
earned a B.A. in
horticulture from Washington State University in 1981. They moved to Onalaska
where daughter Robin Ann was born in 1983. Carl is employed at Fort Lewis and
also conducts his own stereo repair business, Newaukum Electronics.
	Karen Knutsen was a National Merit Scholar at Linfield 
College, McMinnville,
Oregon and received a B.A. degree in music in 1981. She then enrolled at
Centralia College where she studied mathematics, chemistry and physics
preparatory to being accepted as a graduate student in physical 
chemistry at the
University of Colorado at Boulder in 1983. By Merrily Knutsen

GARY ODEGAARD FAMILY

I was born on February 28, 1940, in Bellingham, Washington and was raised on a
small dairy farm near Sumas on the Canadian border in Whatcom County. 
My father,
Harold K., was born in 1903 in Bellingham, but because his parents did not like
it here, they returned to Norway where my dad was raised. He returned 
to Whatcom
County when he was 20 and settled at Sumas. He retained his U.S. citizenship by
returning before he was 21. My mother, Laurel, was born near Sumas on a dairy
farm. She was very active in Democratic party politics. My mother 
died of cancer
in 1966.

  (photo): Front: Kay and Gary Odegaard. Back: Jeff and Greg Odegaard.

I have an older brother, Harold L., who teaches in the Nooksack Valley School
District where I went to school.
	As I was completing college at Western Washington University 
in Bellingham,
I decided that I would like to teach near Olympia because of my interest in
politics and state government. Therefore, I accepted a teaching position at
Maple Lane School in 1962. At college I met Kathleen (Kay) Fifield. Kay and I
were married on June 8, 1963, in Seattle where she was raised in the Shoreline
area.
	Kay's father, Rolla, was raised in Victor, Montana, and her 
mother, Alice,
was raised in Seattle. Kay's dad operated a machine shop and died of cancer in
1978. Her mother relocated near Grand Mound in 1979. Kay has a younger sister,
Karen Cluster, of Kent.
	Kay started teaching in the Highline School District in South 
Seattle in
1962. After we were married, she taught in the Rochester School District.
	In 1966 we moved to Onalaska and taught in that school 
system. In 1969 we
started teaching at Centralia College and have taught there since except when I
was in Olympia.
	Our first son, Greg, was born in 1964. He will be a senior at 
the University
of Washington in

277

the fall, majoring in pulp and paper processing. Our next son, Jeff, 
was born in
1968. He will be a senior at Centralia High School in the fall. He has an
interest in the architecture field.
	I was elected to the State Senate from the 20th district in 
1968 and was
reelected in 1972 and 1976. We moved back to Centralia in 1974 because of its
proximity to Olympia and Centralia College. I resigned my Senate seat on June
30, 1980, because Governor Dixy Lee Ray appointed me as Assistant Director of
the Office of Financial Management. I was also her liaison to the federal
government in Washington, D.C. and to the National Governors Association.
	I returned to the college in January, 1981, and have been 
teaching Business
Education at the college since. I was named the Lewis County Mover 
and Shaker by
The Daily Chronicle readership for 1984 and am now the Lewis County Democratic
Chairman.
	Kay has become a recognized authority on Learning 
Disabilities and has done
consulting work in Washington and Oregon. She teaches in the college's Phoenix
Developmental Skills Center. By Gary Odegaard

OGENS-SCHUFFENHAUER

Ludwig and Anna Schuffenhauer, stepson Max, 20, and step-daughter, Anna, 15,
came to the Big Bottom in 1905. They bought a farm on the Cowlitz River, 3V2
miles southwest of Randle on the Falls Road. There was a log house and a large
barn on the place when they arrived. Over the years, Ludwig, a master carpenter
in Germany, built an eight room house, a five room house, two large barns and
five outbuildings. On the second barn, the scaffolding collapsed and he was
killed in 1938.

  (photo): >From Left: Martha Bendsten, Dorothy Ogens, Martin Bendsten, Margaret
Ogens, unidentified, Max Ogens.

Anna Schuffenhauer came from Germany with her first husband, Michael Ogens and
son Max, three. They homesteaded near Eatonville. After Michael died, she
married Schuffenhauer. He had homesteaded near Mineral. The Rhine Post Office
was located in the Schuffenhauer's pantry from 1908 to 1921.
	Ludwig and Max worked together as partners and developed a 
large herd of
Holstein cows which they milked by hand until around 1940 when electricity was
brought into the area. They raised hay and grain to feed the cattle, pigs,
turkeys, chickens, and two teams of horses. Much of the farming was done by
horses; in later years a tractor was purchased. Two large orchards were planted
and Ludwig cared for several hives of bees. He even built a bee house 
to shelter
the hives.
	Anna attended high school at Randle and rode horseback to 
school. She lived
and worked on the farm until she was married to Stanley Remedes. They lived in
Tacoma.
	There were several floods while Max lived on the farm. The 
worst one was in
1932-33 when the river flooded three times. During the worst flood, Anna
Schuffenhauer fell and broke her arm. There was no doctor locally who could set
the arm, so a call was made to Tacoma. Stanley Remedes came by car to the road
going down into the flatland by John Peters' place, as the road was flooded
beyond that. Max brought his mother out by row boat across the flat and Stanley
took her to Tacoma to have her arm set.
	During the same flood, the young cattle were rounded up and 
penned up in the
barnyard standing in water for a day or two. The milk cows were kept in the
barn. The horses were taken across the road to high ground and tied 
up until the
water receded. Fortunately, the water didn't get into the milk barn or into
either house. Otherwise, all of the farm was under water. The older barn had
about 5 feet of water in it, but it was below the hay level, so the hay wasn't
ruined. Many fences had to be replaced and logs moved off the fields which had
washed in.
	The farm required extra help, especially during the harvest 
season. In the
early years, neighbors were hired. Also, high school age boys worked for their
room and board and a small pay. In later years, help was hired out of Seattle
and Chehalis.
	Max married Margaret Kalbus. They had a daughter, Dorothy.
	In 1954, the farm was sold. The Ogens moved to Silverbrook. 
Max died in 1956
and Margaret in 1976. Both were active in the local grange and Max served as
School Board Director of District 214 for several years. He was well known in
the county and his favorite pasttime was visiting. By Dorothy Ogens Chubbuck

CHARLES AND JENNIE OLLIE

In 1925 I put in an application for a job at the Washington Co-op Egg and
Poultry Association. I went to work there and put in 18 years.

  (photo): Jennie, Charles, Glen, Alice, Richard

Winlock was noted as the largest egg producing city of the world. One 
carload of
eggs was shipped daily. (500 cases made a carload, 30 dozen eggs to a case.)
In 1935 I made a trip to Bovey, Minnesota, to visit relatives. It was 
there that
I met Jennie Hietala. She was a clerk at the Ben Mandy Store (IGA). We were
married in May of 1936. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hietala.
	My folks retired in 1936, and we took over the farm. There was only the
house on the place. We built a barn, chicken house, brooder house, and garage.
We had 1,500 laying hens and 8 to 10 milk cows.
	Our first child, Glen, was born December II, 1937. Our second child,
Richard, was born August 12, 1939, and ouf third child, Alice, was born
September 28, 1940.
	In 1946 I had an egg route delivering 100 cases of eggs to Kelso and
Longview. I candled the eggs, Jennie cleaned them, and the children placed them
in cartons. It was a family affair.
	In 1951 I bought a share in the Linnton Cooperative Plywood Plant in
Portland, Oregon (charter Member). Everyone got the same pay regardless of what
kind of work he was doing. I put in 12 years there and then sold my share and
returned to the farm where I raised some beef cattle.
	I sold the farm in 1971 and bought a house in Napavine, WA.
	I'll give a little history of our children.
	Glen, the oldest, graduated from college in 1960. He worked for Crown
Zellerbach as a bookkeeper, served six years in the National Guard, and resides
in Portland.
	Richard, our second son, graduated from high school in 1958. He married
Sally Summer in December, 1961 and then served two years in the Army at Fort
Lewis. He went to work for Continental Can Co. and has put in 26 years. They
have two children, Dena and John, and a grandson, Joshua Thorburn, son of Dena
and Mark Thorburn. They all reside in Portland.
	Alice, our daughter, after college, worked for the 
government. She married
William Hammontree December, 1961. They have two children, Cindy and Greg.
William retired from military service after 21 years. He is employed at the
Tacoma Courthouse. Alice is employed at McCord Air Base as a civil engineer.
They live in Puyallup, WA.
	Dr. Faiola put a monitor on me for 24 hours and found out 
that I needed a
pacemaker. It had to be a dual pacemaker, something that has been on the market
for two years.
	I was the first one in Lewis County to have a dual pacemaker 
and am doing
very well. I have checkups every three months. Our activities include camping,
bowling, and some golfing.

MR. AND MRS. NICK OLLIE

Nick Ollie, 1876-1953, and Amalia Ollie, 1878-1971, were born in Lappa-jarvi,
Finland. They were married in 1896 and came to the United States in 1898 to New
York. They then went on to Covington, Michigan where Amalia had a cousin, John
Eskal. Nick worked in the woods for three years. While there they had their
first child, Otto, in 1909.
	They journeyed on to Cumberland, Wyoming, where Nick worked 
in the mines for
three years. While there, Matt was born, (1902-1970), and Saima, (1904-1963).
	Their destination was Winlock, WA. That's where the Finns 
were settling.
They arrived in Winlock in 1905.
	Nick bought a 40-acre.track of land two and one- half miles 
northwest of
Winlock on the Nelson Road.
	There wasn't anything on the place but old growth stumps. He 
cleared all the
stumps out of there by not using a single stick of powder. He burned them out
(charpitting). He got a job working in the woods for Micki O'Connel who was
logging in the area.
	After a few years passed by, he had enough land cleared to 
have eight to
twelve milking cows and a few chickens. He made a trip to town with a team of
horses once a week to deliver a 5 or 10 gallon can of cream and a case of eggs.
The roads

278

  (photo): Mick and Amalia Ollie Family. Seated: Nick and Amalia. Standing, L to
R: Matt, Arnold, Charles, Saima, Otto and Arvie Ollie, c. 1946.

	were muddy, only partly traveled. There were places to tie 
the horses, and
the streets were made of 4"XI2" planks.
	In 1912 they got an electric light plant which generated 
electricity. There
were 16 batteries 6"XIO"XI2" size with a motor that would run for several hours
to generate electricity for several days.
	He also worked at Tono Mines (coal mines). He traveled by 
train and came
home for week ends.
	They had three more children born to them while on the farm: Charles,
born 5-11-06; Arvie, born 8-7-08-1978; and Arnold, born 11-11-14.
	In 1936 they retired and moved to Winlock. In 1937 they made a trip to
Finland.
	    The farm was divided four ways. Charles 	bought Matt's 
share; that
gave him 20 acres.
	There was a forty acre place for sale between Otto's and 
Charles' places, so
Otto and Charles decided to buy the place (Arvo Kaija's). That gave Charles 40
acres.
	I am the daughter of Charles Ollie, granddaughter of Nick and Amalia. I
remember some of the busy farming days when they were running the farm. We kids
had our share of chores to do too. Most of it was done by hand; there wasn't
much machinery.
	I attended high school at Winlock and graduated from Grant 
High at Portland
and attended Portland State College.
	I have worked for the federal government twenty-four years at 
a variety of
jobs including I.C.C. Civil Engineering.
	I married Wm. Hammontree and have a son and daughter, all 
made possible by
my father's (Charles and Jennie) and grandfather's (Nick and Amalia) hard work
on the farm. Alice (Ollie) Hammontree

OTTO AND TYYNE OLLIE FAMILY

Otto married Tyyne Wirtanen in Winlock during May, 1930. She is the daughter of
David Wirtanen of Aberdeen.
	Otto had 60 acres of land three miles northwest of Winlock on 
the Nelson
Road where they built their home. They had eight to ten milk cows and 1,000
laying hens. The milk truck would come out each day to pick up the milk in 10
gallon cans. The feed truck would deliver feed once a week.
	Otto was an employee of the Hague Motors (Chevrolet) for 20 years, as a
mechanic.

  (photo): Otto Ollie Family - Norma, Otto, Anne, Tyyne, Marian

In 1959 he bought a share in Linnton Plywood (Portland, OR) and 
worked there for
14 years. He then sold his share and came back to the farm.
	Otto and Tyyne raised a family of three daughters. Anne (the 
oldest) married
Fred Jackett of Little Rock, Arkansas. They are now living in Dallas, 
Texas, and
have three children.
	Norma married Jack Farmer of Winlock, WA. They are now living 
in Spokane, WA
and have four children.
	Marian married Jim Hubs of Moline, Illinois. They are now 
living in Dallas,
Texas and raised a family of seven.
	Otto retired in 1964, sold the farm in 1967, and moved to 
Chehalis where
they are living now. He enjoys fishing and gardening. They have 14 
grandchildren
and 10 great-grandchildren.

CLAUD JAY OLIVER FAMILY

Claud J. Oliver was born in Blue Earth County, Minnesota in 1890. Following his
graduation from Hillsdale College in Michigan he became affiliated with a bank
in Winnebago, Minnesota. In 1914 he moved to Centralia and was employed for
several years by his brother, Will Oliver, at the Oliver Hardware store.
	After serving two years in France during World War I with 
Company M, 161st
Infantry, Claud returned to Centralia and was connected with local banks.
	In 1923 Claud and Nina H. Loucks of Rockford, Illinois were 
married. Their
daughter, Katherine, was born in 1925.

When the local banks failed during the depression, Claud operated a clearing
house until the National Bank of Commerce established a branch. He 
and his wife,
Nina, maintained a brokerage office from 1933 until he became the managing
partner in the Lewis-Clark Hotel in 1942. He continued in this capacity until
1950, when the hotel was sold. He died later that year.
	Katherine Oliver Malloy, and her only child, Claud Jay 
Malloy, are deceased.
Nina still lives in Centralia, and a great-grandson, Jason, survives.
	Claud's record of community service was outstanding. He was past president
of the Centralia Chamber of Commerce, past exalted ruler of the Elks 
Lodge, past
commander of Grant Hodge Post, American Legion and past president of the Rotary
Club. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church.
	Claud was a leader in the community and popular with everyone.

ELLIS WILLIAM OLIVER FAMILY

Ellis William Oliver, only son of William and Marion Oliver, was born and grew
up in Centralia. He attended Edison Grade School and was graduated from
Centralia High School, followed by one year at Centralia Junior 
College. In 1941
he received his engineering degree with honors from the University of
Washington.
	>From 1941-1945 Ellis served in the US Navy as a Damage 
Control Officer and
Naval Architecture instructor at the Naval Academy Post Graduate School at
Annapolis. He left the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander.
	In 1942 Ellis married Margaret Larsen of Seattle. In 
November, 1945 they
returned to Centralia to make their home, bringing with them a newborn son,
William Herbert Oliver. Since that time both Ellis and Margaret have 
been active
in community life and service.
	After purchasing his father's (Will Oliver) interest in the 
Oliver-Rickard
Hardware Store he became a partner with C.L. Rickard in the ownership of the
store. In 1952 Bill Rickard, C.L. 's son, joined the partnership. In 1960 Ellis
took over management of the Lewis-Clark Hotel following the death of his
owner-partner and uncle, Claude J. Oliver. For 25 years Ellis has been in the
investment business.
	Ellis has served 11 years on the Centralia City Commission. 
He is a long
time member and past president of Centralia Rotary. He has been a board member
of Centralians Inc. since its inception, and served 12 years on the Centralia
Civil Service Board. He is a former trustee of the First Presbyterian Church of
Centralia.
	Margaret Oliver graduated from the University of Washington 
with a degree in
drama. She is a founder of Evergreen Playhouse in Centralia. For 
three years she
was program director for Twin City Cablevision, and taught speech and drama
classes part-time at Centralia College. Currently a travel agent and tour
director, she is active in PEO Sisterhood and the Children's 
Orthopedic Hospital
Guild.
	The four sons of Ellis and Margaret are: William Herbert born 
in Seattle in
1945, Stephen Ellis 1948, Scott Taylor 1951, and James Camp 1953, all born in
Centralia. All attended Edison Grade School and are graduates of Centralia High
School and the University of Washington.
	Each son pursued separate careers: William, Director of the 
Washington Sta
te Commission of the National Endowment for the Humanities, lives in Olympia
with his wife Pennie and daughter Sarah; Stephen practices Law in Port Angeles,
and he and his wife Susan have sons Milo and

279

Oaude J. Oliver Family. Standing, L to R: Frank, Will H. and wife Marion. In
Front: Claud, Ethel (in front) and husband Earl Oliver" Burton. Seated: George
G. and Mary Elizabeth (Davies Roberts). Children: Marion Mary, Evan and George
(Grandchildren of George Oliver).
	Dylan; Scott is a building contractor, and lives in Olympia 
with his wife
Mary and children Marina and Trevor; James is a professional artist and
instructor at Centralia College. He and his wife Leonie have one daughter,
Brianna.
	Childhood memories in Centralia recall frequent family gatherings at
Grandmother Camp's farm on Fords Prairie. While in high school, Ellis built a
speed boat, and in later years, a sailboat. Since that time, boating has been a
favorite family sport.
	Ellis and Margaret enjoy travel and have visited many parts 
of the world,
but life in Lewis County holds happy memories.

WILLIAM H. OLIVER FAMILY

William Hugh Oliver was born in Blue Earth County, Minnesota in 1885. His
parents were George G. and Mary (Davis-Roberts) Oliver. (Both their parents
emigrated from Wales to this country.) George was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin,
and Mary in Delaware, Ohio. George and his bride migrated to Minnesota where
they developed a prosperous farm in Pleasant Mound Township. Will learned the
value of hard work as the eldest son growing up on a farm.

  (photo): Marion C. and William H. Oliver as George and Martha Washington

After receiving a bachelor of arts degree at Parker College, in Minnesota, Will
apprenticed in and then managed a hardware store in Escanaba, Michigan. Looking
for a respite from the hard winters of northern Minnesota, Will 
traveled through
Canada in search of a hardware store to buy or manage. He went on to Washington
state, arriving in Centralia in 1910. After managing a mill supply store for
J.P. Symons, he purchased the "House of Keir," and re-named it the Oliver
Hardware. In 1916 C.L. Rickard joined him as a partner and the company became
the Oliver-Rickard Hardware. The two men operated the firm until the end of
World War II when they were succeeded by their sons, Ellis W. Oliver 
and William
Rickard.

  (photo): William H.Oliver. Top Picture, LtoR:Will Oliver(left) Claud Oliver
(right). Bottom Picture: Oliver Hardware 1914.

  (photo): William H. and Marion C. Oliver 50th Anniversary. Standing: Janice,
Ellis, Marion.

Will met his future bride, Marion Christina  Camp, at a church social. She had
grown up on Ford's Prairie and was a school teacher. (See related story:
Frederick T. Camp family.) They were married September 7, 1915. Their 
first home
was an apartment above the store which at that time had graceful Victorian bay
windows and sky-lights. Later, after living in a house on the present site of
the Rainier Bank, the family moved to Rock Street, where Will had 
built the Rock
Street Apartments and a home for his family next door.
	Will brought his parents from Minnesota in 1920. They lived 
on Oak Street
until their deaths. They were very active in the Baptist Church and were
well-loved by all who knew them. Three of Will's brothers also came to
Centralia. All three served in World War I. Frank went on to establish the
Oliver Hardware in Sonora, California; Burton died as a result of his I war
service and Claud settled in Centralia. (See related story: Claud J. Oliver
family.) A fourth brother, Earl, had taken over the family farm in Minnesota. A
sister, Alice Maud, died at age four.
	Three children were born to Will and Marion: Marion Mary, 
Ellis William and
Janice Adele. All three attended local schools. (See related stories: Marion O.
McCaw Scott, Ellis W. Oliver and Janice O. Burt.)
An early family tradition was a large Sunday dinner after church followed by an
afternoon drive and supper of bread and milk, and ice cream. Bread and milk was
an old Welsh tradition Will brought into the marriage, but Marion claimed that
it was a Scottish tradition also. Now the fourth generation of the family is
having bread and milk for Sunday supper.
	Music was an important family interest. Will played the bass viola and
Marion the piano in the Rotary Orchestra and accompanied the children for their
many solo performances. All three children were members of the high school band
and orchestra.
	"In the early years, we used to take the children to the 
ocean beaches,"
Marion reminisced. "The road was just terrible. We also used to go to
California; it was a slow drive. When the roads were better, we took longer
trips, such as one through Canada." Other family pastimes were boating, summers
on Puget Sound, and horseback riding.
	The First Presbyterian Church was the center of many family activities:
Marion played piano and organ, taught Sunday School, was active in the Women's
Association and served as a Deaconess and Elder. At the time of her 
death on May
30, 1985 she was the longest standing member of the church.
	Marion also served in many capacities in P.E.O., Creative 
Reading and the
Music Club. She was a charter member of Mary Lacy chapter of DAR, and the
Children's Orthopedic Hospital Auxiliary.
	Will was active in community affairs in his early business life. He was
instrumental, through the Community Club, in obtaining the building at the N.E.
corner of North Tower and Magnolia as a location for a city community center,
and in negotiating the purchase of land for Riverside Park - a Rotary 
project. A
concrete play boat for children was constructed at the park in memory of Will.
The boat was named Will-O for the boat in which Will and Marion cruised or many
years in Puget Sound and San Juan Islands waters.
	For many years Will was involved in farming and industrial 
development in
the area. He quietly lent a hand to many over the years, and was active in farm
financing until his death. He was a member of the Centralia Chamber of Com280
merce and of the Rotary Club-at which he had perfect attendance for 45 years.
	Will and Marion traveled extensively in their later years and were
well-known for their interesting travel programs.

JOHN D. AND MATILDA OLSON OF ETHEL

"It was the picture that brought us together," both John D. Olson and his wife
of fifty years, Matilda Kristina Johnson agreed, as they reminisced on their
Golden Wedding anniversary, October 25,1963. Happily they related the story to
their eight grandchildren, beginning with Matilda's birth in northern 
Sweden, 16
November 1881 at Roda, Vasterbotten. Her parents, John Peter Mattsson and
Kristina Johansdotter, had died young after struggling to raise their children
Anna, Matilda, Martin, and John. In 1911 Matilda had traveled all alone across
the ocean on The Lusitania to a new life in America. Although trained as a
seamstress, she took work as a maid in Minneapolis and began learning English.
	Her brothers soon came to America and Martin went west to 
work as a logger.
One day Matilda received a photograph of him with his falling partner - John D.
Olson of Ethel, Washington. "Impressed" by the photo, she made immediate plans
to go to Washington. During their three month courtship, they carved their
initials in the old wooden bridge at Pt. Defiance Park.
	John had come to Washington with his parents, Daniel and 
Susanna Olson in
1897 from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he had been born in 1880. In 1905 he
had hauled a bell and a wagonload of desks from Centralia for the Greenwood
Schoolhouse (now the Ethel Grange Hall). Always active in school affairs, John
served many years on the Ethel School Board and later the Onalaska 
School Board.
	On land purchased from his father, John built a large house 
for his bride.
John took road building contracts for logging and county roads. The Olsons
operated a first-class dairy farm and became charter members of the Ethel
Grange. Matilda won ribbons at the county fairs for her fine quilts and
Scandinavian baked goods. She was also known for beautiful gardens and belonged
to the Ethel Loyal Neighbors Club: John and Matilda were active members of the
Onalaska Community Presbyterian Church.
	 Noted for their generous hospitality, the Olsons housed traveling
preachers. School teachers boarded there, and immigrant relatives made Ethel
their first stop in the new country. The Sanders children remember how the
Olsons secretly provided food and gifts to brighten a depression era Christmas
for their family. The Olsons had two children, Margaret born in 1916 and Donald
born in 1921. Margaret married 	Orville Padget and they had two children. Her
second husband was Arch Extine; she still resides at Ethel. Donald lives in
Tacoma. Although she had little formal education, their mother Matilda, was a
gifted writer. Her diary records memories of a northland childhood, impressions
of Ellis Island, and unhappy experiences in Minneapolis Kitchens. Her
description of Christmas in Sweden is cherished by grandchildren and
great-grandchildren. Devout Christians and loving husband and wife, John and
Matilda died within a few months of each other in 1966 - both aged eighty-five.
By Pamelia S. Olson

DANIEL OLSON FAMILY OF ETHEL

When young Daniel Olson returned to his native.northern Sweden in 1872 and
persuaded Susanna Olafsdotter to accompany him to America, he started a family
mystery. Why did they wait until reaching Lockport, Illinois, to marry? Daniel
had immigrated in 1868 from Roback, Vasterbotten, where he had been 
born in 1841
at the comfortable home and prosperous farm of his parents Olaf Danielsson and
Susanna Carlsdotter Ronholm. Daniel worked as a laborer in Lockport and
purchased a home where their first child Anna was born in 1873. After 
nine years
in Lockport, they lived temporarily in Columbus, Kansas, where son 
Olaf was born
in 1878. Residing briefly in Minnesota, Daniel set

  (photo): John D. Olson and Matilda C. Jobnson marriage Oct. 25,1913

tled his family in Mapleton Township (now suburban Sioux Falls) South Dakota.
There in a sod house on the fertile prairie the family grew to 
include John born
in 1880, Palma in 1883, Alma in 1886, and Sophia in 1891. Devout Lutherans, the
Olsons attended the Evangelical Beaver Valley Church where all the 
children were
confirmed. Celebrating his fiftieth birthday, Daniel posed his family for a
formal photograph to send his elderly parents in Sweden.
	Wagon trains moving west camped near the creek below the 
house and in 1881
the railroad opened the Pacific Northwest to settlers. Daniel's wanderlust took
him to Washington in 1893; and in 1897 after eighteen years in Dakota, the
family moved to Ethel where Daniel bought John Mettler's proved-up claim. He
logged the virgin timber, cleared the land and planted. Against the advice of a
neighbor that he would lose everything, Daniel borrowed money to 
purchase cattle
which he grazed on the open range. His success proved the neighbor wrong.
	The damp climate, however, took a severe toll on the family. 
Anna died from
consumption (tuberculosis) in 1899, as did Susanna in 1901 and Palma in 1903.
Alma married Charles Nordquist. She succumbed to tuberculosis also in 1908,
leaving a little daughter Ella. The three remaining children married, raising
families at Ethel. Olaf and Maria Delfi married in 1903 and had five children;
John and Matilda Johnson married in 1913 had two children; and Sophia wed Arch
Extine raising three children.
	Daniel made four return trips to Sweden, the last in 1910. In 1912 he
married widow Catharina Carlson who had immigrated earlier with her husband.
Daniel was noted for his auburn hair and beard which retained their color all
his life. In 1924, aged 81, he was laid to rest in the Ethel Greenwood Cemetery
marked by the tall family monument which he had ordered earlier to be "higher
than the tree stumps."

  (photo): The Daniel Olson Family, 1891. Seated: Alma, Daniel bolding baby
Sophia, Susanna, Palma.  Standing: Olaf, Anna, Jobn, Settled at Ethel, WA 1898.

281

The Olson descendants lost contact with.the Roback relatives until 1984 when
John's son Donald visited Sweden. Welcoming Don to his 'grandfather's
birthplace, second cousin Egil Johansson proudly displayed a copy of Daniel's
family photograph. By Pamelia S. Olson

O'NEIL FAMILY

Robert Hugh O'Neill Sr. was born August II, 1928, at Bucoda, Washington. He is
the son of Robert Harold O'Neill (b. 15 July 1890) and Josephine Louise
Harkenrider (b. 22 June 1899), grandson of Robert Hugh O'Neill (b. 17 
June 1863)
and Agnes Isabella George (b. 25 Feb. 1865).

  (photo): The O'Neil Family

Robert Hugh O'Neill has resided in Lewis County since his marriage to Doris Fae
Walser in 1950. His wife Doris (b. 12 Oct. 1928) is the daughter of Verdi Loran
Walser (b. 26 March 1901) and his wife Thelma Fae Emert (b. 3 March 1906) of
Salem, Oregon, and granddaughter of Evan C. Walser and his wife Nellie Celia
Hughart of Spokane, Washington.
	Robert O'Neill Sr. and his wife Doris are graduates of Willamette
University. Robert is president of Hemphill-O'Neill Co., past president of
Western Wood Products Assoc., past president of the Chehalis Kiwanis, past
president of Lewis Co. Knife and Fork Club, a member of the White Pass National
Ski Patrol and Olympia Mountaineers. He is also a member of the board of First
Interstate Bank of Washington N.A., past president of the Centralia College
foundation and presently a member of the board.
	Doris has served as Regent of Mary Lacy Chapter of DAR for 7 
years, as choir
director of Mt. View Baptist Church for 15 years, as a Deaconess for 3 years,
organist for 2 years, and as a member of a ladies' trio for many 
years. She also
taught piano for 7 years, served as Cub Scout Den mother 2 years, taught Sunday
School and a Music course for adults at Mt. View Church. Her favorite hobbies
are Genealogy, sewing and crafts, porcelain doll making, oil 
painting, music and
making doll house furniture. She is a member of Round Table and 
Chadwick chapter
of Eastern Star.
	The O'Neills have two children: A son Robert Hugh O'Neill Jr. 
(b. 27 Jan.
1952) who graduated from P.LU. and Western Conservative Baptist Theological
Seminary of Portland. He married Loretta Louise Young, a graduate of P.LU. They
reside in Centralia and have 3 children, Erin Alissa, Michael Robert and Jeremy
Loren. A daughter Debra Jo (b. 21 Nov. 1954) graduated from P.LU. She married
Richard James Pine and both have their M.B.A. from Willamette U. They reside in
Salem, Oregon and have a daughter named Kylie Jo. R.H. O'Neill

JOHN AND ALICE ORLOSKE

My grandparents, John and Alice Orloske, came to Centralia, Washington from
Minot, North Dakota with eight children. They arrived by railcar on a 
very rainy
day in April, 1923.
	John's father, Johannes Orlowski, passed down verbal history. He was
orphaned at a very young age. It was during wartime, and he was taken in and
adopted by the Orlowski family. It is believed he was born in Germany but no
information is available as to his entry into the United States. Johannes' wife
was Anna Elizabeth, but her maiden name is unknown. They had eight children:
Otto, William, John, Gustav, Caroline, Ida, Anna, and Augusta. John was born
4/17/1886 in Minier, Illinois.
	Alice's family was German. Her father, John W. Wefel, married 
Helen Engel on
December 3, 1884 in Plainfield, Iowa. She was born October 28, 1864 in Berlin,
Germany. Her father, August, was chauffeur for the Kaiser, in the city of
Berlin. She came with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. August Engel, in 1882 to Butler
County, Iowa. John and Helen Wefel's ten children were: George, Albert, Herman,
Charles, John, Helen, Alice, Charlotte, Gertrude, and Annie. Alice was born
12/24/1881 in Lakefield, Minnesota.
	John Orloske and Alice Wefel married November 24, 1907, in Lakefield,
Minnesota.
	The family's movement is shown by the birth of Margaret, Max, 
Arnold, and
Dorothy in Minnesota, to North Dakota where Evans, Alene, Agnes and Edwin were
born. Only Thelma, the youngest, was born in Washington State.
	The following are the children of John and Alice Orloske: 
Margaret Helen
Alice Orloske, birth 11-19-08; death, 10-10-82; spouse, John Perona; 
Max Leonard
Oscar Orloske, birth 10-10-10; death, 12-03-73; spouse, Dora Dean 
Rayton; Arnold
Lester Herman Orloske, birth, 8-16-12; spouse, Evelynn Scheffhauer; Dorothy
Gertrude Orloske, birth, 4-22-14; spouse, Harry Rowett; Evans George John
Orloske, birth, 1-2216; spouse, Merle Martin; Alene Charlotte Edna Orloske,
birth 12-18-17; spouse, Oris Hanse_ Agnes Tharon Orloske, birth, 10-17-19;
spouse, Glen Hansey; Edwin Richard Carl Orloske, birth, 8-06-22; 
spouse, Dorothy
Hunter; Thelma Orloske, birth, 4-38-24; death, 1-25-75; spouse, James 
Wakefield.
	In both Minnesota and North Dakota, farming was the source of income -
sometimes by living on farms and share cropping. They always kept chickens,
cattle, and raised a garden.
	Winters were severe, and the school was two miles from home. 
In unusually
bad weather, the older boys hitched up the horse and took along hay for noon
feeding. Snow drifts would often reach the roof tops. One home the family
occupied was a sod home, and it was not remembered with any fondness.
	Recollections of childhood pranks were told such as the story of
disassembling of a buggy and then reassembly on a barn top. This took place in
the wee hours.
	Good friends, the Lovals and Elvis families, had previously settled in
Centralia and assured John and Alice of employment opportunities and a better
weather climate. This prompted them to sell all their belongings and come to
Lewis County.
	John was employed at the old Eastern Mill, and their first 
home was on East
Third Street. Later, they moved to Newalkum Hill, property referred to as the
Imes, Zippy, and Wake farms.
	John was employed by the Northern Pacific Railroad as a 
signalman. He first
worked in Aberdeen, but the family did not move because the children were
established in school. Seniority ruled with railroad jobs causing employees to
be bumped. In 1940 John was located in Yakima with Northern Pacific, and the
family did purchase a home and move there. The place had a small grape yard, a
small fish pond, and turtle that grandchildren liked.
	John Orloske passed away August 15, 1945, at the age of 59. 
He died in a
Northern Pacific Railroad Hospital after suffering a stroke. He had worked 20
years for Northern Pacific. I remember Grandpa as a short man, always kind and
gentle in nature.
	Alice remained a widow for 22 years after John's death. She 
sold their home
in Yakima and resided on East Carsen Street in Centralia. I remember 
her raising
berries, chickens, and a garden. She was hard working and active all her life.
At times she worked in food processing canneries in Chehalis and Yakima. She
died August

  (photo):  Orloske Family. Back Row: Max, Dorothy, Evans, Thelma, Edwin, Agnes.
Front Row: Alene, John - Father, Alice - Mother, Arnold and Margaret.

282

14, 1967, in the Centralia Hospital, also of a stroke.
	 Both Alice and John are buried at Claquato Cemetery. By Lois 
Orloske Keen

MAX AND DORA ORLOSKE

Max Leonard Oscar Orloske, my grandfather, was born October 10, 1910 in
Lakefield, Minnesota. His parents were John and Alice (Wefel) OrJoske. They had
nine children: Margaret, Max, Arnold, Dorothy, Evans, Alene, Agnes, Edwin and
Thelma. They came from North Dakota to Centralia, Washington via rail car in
April, 1923.

  (photo): Max and Dora Orloske

Max attended Centralia High School, only through the 10th grade. The 
oldest boys
in the family, Max and his brother Arnold, left school to work on strawberry
farms locally, and to Yakima to prune trees and harvest fruit. They lived in a
tent and sent money home to help with the large family.
	My grandmother, Dora Dean Rayton, was born December 25, 1907 at her
parents', Leonard and Anna (Black) Rayton, home at Claquato. She was 
one of four
children: Norman, Dora, Eva and Lowell. She graduated, in 1927, from Adna High
School, and also completed one year of Business College in Centralia. She was
employed as a bookkeeper for Darigold in Chehalis for four years. But as
required by Darigold, upon marriage she was forced to quit.
	Max and Dora met through grange activities. They attended 
grange dances, Max
played on the grange baseball team, and Dora was on the drill team. 
They married
December 24, 1933 at Dora's parents' home. They planned a California honeymoon
trip to visit John and Margaret Perona, (Max's sister), but the entire county
was experiencing record high flood waters. There was much anxiety if Rev. Fred
Lucas would arrive to perform the ceremony and, due to the floods, they
cancelled their wedding trip.
	Their first home was rented on Newaukum Hill, and had no electricity or
indoor plumbing. They farmed 18 acres of strawberries, a very popular crop on
Newaukum Hill at that time. In  1934 they purchased their permanent home, 50
acres of farmland, from Frank Burlingame on Twin Oaks Road. Later 
they purchased
the adjoining 30 hilltop acres from Mrs. George Johnson. Max milked 
six or eight
cows for income, and once again planted and farmed strawberries. Max was
employed for Bonneville Power Administration a few months, when power 
lines were
installed through to Curtis, Washington.
	The following are their children: Alice Ann, birth, 3-30-35; 
spouse, Ronald
Hjelmstad; Larry Max Orloske, birth, 1-05-37; death, 1-18-37; Lois 
Irene, birth,
4-16-38; spouse, Ronald Gates, m. William Keen; Sharon Lee, birth, 11-04-41;
spouse, Coe Johnson III; Maxine Evelyn, birth, 8-11-44; spouse, Herb Sayler, m.
Nels Pederson.
	Their only son, Larry Max, died 13 days after his birth, and 
the cause of
death was determined as crib death. He had no previous sign of illness. The
following summer, August, 1937, their home was totally destroyed by a fire that
started in the chimney, and spread to the roof. Dora was canning peaches on a
wood stove at the time. They lived briefly in a tent. They cleaned and white
washed the chicken house, and lived in it about four months while the new house
was being built. They moved into it when very incomplete.
	Grandpa Max was employed by the American Crossarm in 1941, 
and was employed
31 years, until his death. He was a member and trustee of Lumber and Sawmill
Workers Union #2628; master of Newaukum Grange, member of Lewis County Pomona
Grange, plus a member of State and National Grange; director and 
grange chairman
of Southwest Washington Fair; director and member of Adna School Board; and
member of Chehalis Masonic Lodge. The American Red Cross awarded Max special
recognition for many years of regular blood donations. He died of a 
heart attack
December 4, 1972 following a serious foot injury, suffered at the American
Crossarm.
	Grandma Dora still lives on the farm, now planted in 
Christmas trees. She is
a long time member of the Adna Evangelical Church; 49 year member of West Crego
Garden Club; member of Lewis County Daughters of Pioneers; a 60 year member of
Newaukum Grange, plus member of State and National Grange, and also 
participates
in the Adna School Host reading program.
	A sign at the back door of her home greets you as "Grandma's Place."
Christmas time has always been a special family time, combining 
Dora's birthday,
the anniversary of Max and Dora, plus the gathering of family members at the
homeplace. The family now includes 12 grandchildren, and a new generation of
great-grandchildren. For many years there has been a traditional visit from
Santa Claus, "Bob Venemon," Christmas Eve and a keeping of family 
ties close. By
Sharlynn Gates

ORMBREK FAMILY

Mary Ormbrek was born May 16, 1921, in Centralia, WA. Her father was Kittle Ole
(Kert) Ormbrek, a farmer and gravel pit worker at Plummer Lake, Centralia, WA.
Her mother was Mary Ann "Mamie" (Harlan) Ormbrek, whose mother, Cora B. Harlan,
was a pioneer school teacher in Lewis County. Mary went to grade school at the
Roosevelt and Jefferson Grade Schools, graduating in 1939 from Centralia High
School. She worked for Boeing Aircraft Company, during World War II, then was
employed by Northern Pacific Railroad for sixteen years and employed eighteen
years by Washington state, retiring in 1981. She then took a vacation trip to
Norway, where her father was born.
	Her father, Kittle Ole Ormbrek, was only a year old when his 
parents, Ole G.
Ormbrek and Anna (Moaas) Ormbrek, came to America from Hoidalsmo, Telemarken,
Norway, in 1873, on a sailing vessel. They took the train to Minnesota and, in
1882, moved to a farm near Juanita, King County, WA. They were the parents of
four sons; Gonlek, Eslek, George and Kittle, and one daughter, Rena.
	Kittle met Mamie Harlan while working on a farm in Centralia 
and they were
married May 24, 1909. Mamie Harlan was born at Boisfort, WA, Lewis 
County, 1891.
Her parents were Cora Belle (Gilmore) and Isreal Gregg Harlan.
	Mamie and her husband created a playground in the back yard, near the
kitchen window slides, swings, merry-go-round, sand piles, ropes tied to tree
branches with a tire at the end of the ropes. She also used a room in the house
as a library. Dad helped the boys build a tree house near China Creek, with a
cable running from the tree house across the creek to the opposite bank. It had
a sliding pulley with a handle on it for extra fun.
	Mary's brother, George, was a Chronicle delivery boy and 
enjoyed his job.
George taught Mary to ride a bicycle. Mary enjoyed her teenage years 
in the Girl
Scout Troop, headed by Mrs. Helen Beckim. Also, dad had brother, Bob, drive our
family car to Olympia in the 1930's to see the ship, Old Ironsides. Dad and
mother never learned to drive, so the sons had to do it. Mother and father
bought rental houses, which kept them busy, as father was also working at
Plummer Lake. They had a mini-farm on the corner of Factory and Courtland
Street, with rabbits, chickens, cows, calves and an old white horse, "Kate."
There were lots of fruit trees, too.
	Mother made Christmas presents out of old coats. Gray coats were made into
stuffed camels about 18" high, black coats were made into stuffed horses about
18" high, and one black coat was made into a Puss-in-Boots doll, with red boots
and a dangling sword. Mother made doll houses, with miniature 
furniture, for her
daughters and their friends.
	Some of our neighbors were the Todd Robinson family, Roberson family,
Munsell family, and Moore and Poore families. The children of these 
families and
our family have wonderful and happy memories of those "Good Old Days," like
fishing in China Creek and getting no fish; catching minnows and pollywogs to
sell to fishermen for spending money. Life was always a daily challenge to my
parents and the family. During the Depression, the family slogan was "Don't
throw that away, as I know I can make something useful from it."

HARLAN-ORMBREK

Kittle Ole Ormbrek, about thirty-six, arrived in Lewis County from Bothell, WA,
about 1906.

  (photo): Cora B. and Israil Harlan, Mary Ann "Mamie" and William Harlan

283

  (photo): Ormbrek Family Thanksgiving, 1967. Front Row, L to R: 
Robert, William, WaIter,
Edward and Ronald. Back Row: Mary, Ruth (Bill's wife), Betty (WaIter's wife),
Claire (Ed's wife), Marian (Ronald's wife), and Rosalind (Ormbrek) 
(Mrs. William
E. Menish).

  (photo): Mary Ann (Mamie) Harlan and Kittle Ole Ormbrek

	He married Mamie Ann Harlan, of Boistfort/ Pe Ell, in May, 1909, in
Chehalis, W A.
	Isreal G. Harlan and Cora Barton Harlan, parents of Mamie, 
arrived in Lewis
County, from Girard, KA, about 1888.
	Cora B. Harlan was a pioneer school teacher; all eight grades 
in one room.
She taught at Knabb, Salzer and Zenkner Valleys.
	She taught many years in the smaller districts around 
Centralia and Chehalis
and, up to WWI, rode horseback, side-saddle, to and from school in all kinds of
weather for about $50 per month.
	She was very active in the early temperance (anti-liquor) 
work, W.T.C.U. She
was born in 1869; died in 1947.
	William G. Harlan, son, born 1886, was a pioneer logger. 
"Bogus Bill" Harlan
ran a spruce camp in WWI, ran logging camps and tended hook, and went from
ox-team to diesel logging. He died in 1963.
	There were ten Ormbrek children. Only the last three were born in a
hospital; the rest at home, where a doctor came assisted by a midwife. All
healthy into their teens. From 1916-1941 there was an Ormbrek, or two, in the
Centralia schools.
	Ombrek children: Robert H., 1910-; Edward G., 1911-; Hilda 
M., 1914-1938;
Ronald B., 1915-; Rena E.R., 1917-1938; George H., 1919-1946; Mary V.E., 1921-;
William R., 1925-; Walter B., 1925-; Rosiland D., 1927-.
	The Ormbrek's became associated with housing rentals in 1911 
and never got
away from them.
	The depression of 1929-1933 wiped them out, but the older 
boys were able to
save enough, from their logging jobs, that fifteen rentals were re-bought, on a
contract plan, from the county tax sales of the middle 1930's, and 
they were off
again.
	Kittle Ormbrek left the Scandanavian settlement, around 
Bothell/Woodenville,
for Seattle, where he was selling strawberries, when the big fire broke out in
1889.
	He started to join the navy, in Bremerton, during the 
Spanish-American War
of 1898, but was allowed to board the coal-burning cruiser Charleston, where he
was talked out of it by a sailor in the brig. You don't wander around 
Navy ships
alone, anymore. His main work was hop yards, shingle mills, logging and
teamster, ending as hopper tender for the Twin City Sand and Gravel Company,
owned by Sydney Plummer of Centralia.
	His last job, before retiring, was tearing down the old Grace 
Seminary, a
four-story wooden structure, in 1931, on Armory Hill.
	World War II, started by Adolph Hitler, changed the world and 
separated the
Ormbrek family for good. All six boys going into one branch, or another, of the
service. All except George, in the Marines, came back. The two girls, Mary and
Roselind, went to Boeing's in Seattle.
	Kittle Ormbrek, father, died in January, 1942, and Mamie, mother, left
Centralia, in 1946, and became an apartment, house owner, in the Fremont
District of Seattle. She remarried to March Nordscow and died in 
December, 1957.
All deceased Ormbreks and Harlans (1985) are, mostly, in Mountain 
View Cemetery,
Centralia, WA. By Robert H. Ormbrek