Some Will Share Their Documents
I enjoy receiving mail - especially when it contains such interesting bits of trivia.
Here are some letters I’ve received recently.
Barbara Anderson of La Mesa, Calif., wrote that she has the Civil War diary of James W. Goodwin of Co. E, 4th Reg. Tennessee Cavalry Volunteers. The diary spans May 1862 to July 1865 and lists battles and skirmishes with dozens of names. Barbara will send a copy of the entire diary for $4; or, for a stamped, self-addressed envelope, she will send the list of names. Her address is 6080 Manon St., La Mesa, CA 91942-2250. Is your ancestor mentioned in this diary?
Shirley Ann Fay of Ritzville, Wash., sent some tombstone photos I would be happy to pass along to any family member. They’re from the Lakewood Cemetery on Washington Street in Tacoma - a very neglected cemetery, she said. The photos are of the graves of Elmer M. Hunt (1881-1890); William Y. Cullion (1830-1902); John H. Miller (1856-1913); Hugh McLeod, who died 1891 at age 60; Ida A. Benston (1888-1900); and the military stones of Lt. H.G. Johnson and J.S.R. Bates, both of the Ohio Infantry.
Doris Gressitt of Battle Ground, Wash., has a 15-year collection of DAR magazines and The Portland Forum Bulletin. You may write to her at P.O. Box 815, Battle Ground, WA 98604,
Marcelle Carpenter of Chelan, Wash., has written a book about her grandfather, Alfred W. LaChapelle, who was born in Quebec in 1845 and was a pioneer in the Yakima and Chelan areas. For more details, write to her at P.O. Box 117, Chelan, WA 98816,
Margaret Demick of Tacoma sent copies of letters from the Caple family from Cheney in the 1890s to a family in the Midwest. These family letters give interesting tidbits about early history in various places in Oregon and Washington. One letter from Cheney, dated Aug. 3, 1890, brags the town intends to install electric lights and water-works. I will donate these copied letters to the Eastern Washington Historical Society. Margaret can be contacted at 3947 N. 29th, Tacoma, WA 98407.
John Witte of Spokane seeks information regarding the whereabouts of the meeting minutes and membership rolls of the Spokane Grand Army of the Republic Post 47, the J.L. Reno Post formed in 1889. GAR is a union veterans fraternal organization. Witte’s address is: 1311 E. 28th, Spokane, WA 99203.
John Weiss of Spokane is seeking information on John L. Wright, born about 1906 in North Dakota, and son of May Wright. Siblings were Floyd, Leslie and James. The family lived in the Havre, Mont., area. The father is believed to have died in a railway accident before 1920. Weiss can be contacted at 5015 Northwood Drive, Spokane, WA 99212-1643.
Joyce Pettit of Kennewick seeks information on Sam Essary (1877-1962), who is buried at the Pines Cemetery in Spokane. Sam married a woman named Ermee or Erma and they had a son, Billy. Billy married a woman named Elinor and had a son also named Billy who’s thought to be living in 1991. This second Billy is Pettit’s second cousin. Pettit’s address is: 912 S. Huntington Place, Kennewick, WA 99336.
David Maitland of Channelview, Texas, seeks information on an uncle: Robert Wilke, born about 1928 and became Robert Hanson through an adoption in Idaho. A brother, Dean Wilke was adopted by Charlie Maitland in 1925 and is David’s father. David Maitland’s address is: 918 Holbech Lane, Channelview, TX 77530.
Today’s Laugh: Lorraine Larson, a student in my recent genealogy class, suggests with a bit of rye humor that the way to be UNsuccessful in genealogy is to, first, wait until they all die before you get interested, and second, never save a document or label a photo.
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Donna Potter Phillips The Spokesman-Review