The History of Lewis County, Washington, Pt 9 of 10: PAGES 316 - 357 Submitted by: Wes , Feb. 2003 ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************************************** Source material: Nix, Alma and John Nix, Eds. "The History of Lewis County, WA". Chehalis, Lewis County Historical Society, 1985. The genealogies and stories of pioneers found on pages 63 to 394 of the history were scanned to Word, and saved as .txt files without Photos. Photo captions with names remain. The scanned page with photos is available from Wes upon request. We thank the Lewis County Historical Museum (lchs@lewiscountymuseum.org) for generously granting permission to post this file to the Digital Archives. Page numbers are at the bottom of each page. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Pt 9 of 10: PAGES 316 - 357 SANFORD FAMILY Walter Ralph Sanford came to Sumas, Washington from Georgia to join his three brothers in logging there. He brought with him his infant daughter, Gladys, in 1908, after her mother died. Walter married Thelma Cunningham of Winlock around 1927. They moved to the Ryderwood logging camp and three sons were born to them, Ralph, who has two sons, LeRoy and Louis, lives in Winlock and has retired from the railroad. William Arthur met his wife, Arlene, in Wisconsin while he was in the marines. He died there of a heart attack in 1960. Arlene moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked for the maritime commission. They had no children. James met his wife, Lillian, in New York while serving in the army. He settled there near her family. He has five sons and two daughters. The children are: Larry, Robert, Mike, David, Lilly, Sissy and Walter. 316 (photo): Walter Ralph Sanford and daughter Gladys Thelma died when James was six months old of a cerebral hemorrhage. Walter then married Dolores Juanita Logsdon of Centralia. They met when she hired out to care for his small children. Walter continued to work in the woods as a logger at Ryderwood. His job was a busheler, falling trees. He was injured once with broken ribs and shoulder. They bought a ten acre farm near Vader. Six children were born to them, three boys and three girls. Ruby Sanford DeBriae is living in Winlock and she has a daughter, Linda Linder, who lives in Toledo with her three daughters. Joseph Arnold Sanford married Faye Chrisman of Winlock. They moved to Seattle where he is a Sgt. in the homicide unit of the Seattle Police Dept. He has three sons and a daughter. Betty Jane Sanford Hartwell resides in Los Angeles, Calif. and has two sons, Brian and David, and a daughter, Debbie. Charles Sanford married Peggy White of Winlock and is a long time resident of Vader, serving on both the police and fire departments there. They have two sons, Randy and Ronnie. Richard Sanford married Bernadette Greene of Seattle, where he works for the Seattle Police Dept. He has three children, Juanita, Danny and Yvonne. Rhonda Jean Sanford Julien lives in Winlock with her husband Terry and two sons, Richard and Robert. SAM AND FRANCES SCALF William (Sam) Scalf, nicknamed, "Two Gun Sam," by his Grandfather Bill Scalf, remembers sitting around campfires many times after hunting, fishing or trapping with his father Joe, uncles Tom, John, Herb Morris and cousins Wink and Gene Morris, Floyd, Howard, Merle, I and Wilfred Scalf, hearing about all the interesting and exciting things that happen. There would be much laughter and slapping the leg in hilarity. Many times Joe told about rescuing Sam from the mouth of the North Fork River as the fish he had speared was dragging him down the river. Joe ran and caught Sam by the back of his shirt, he also caught the salmon. It weighed near 80 lbs. and was larger than Sam. Joe was an avid fisherman, hunter and trapper. He trapped for the Government. Everyone knew that he would catch fish when no one else could. One of his favorite fishing holes was "Scalf Eddy" in the Cowlitz River about halfway between Packwood and Randle. The family lived by the Cispus River near Tower Rock which is one of the highest monoliths in the Northwest. It is 3,335 ft. above sea level, 2,000 ft. above the Cispus floor. (photo): Joe Scalf Sam and sisters Lola Belle, Geneva and Helen played in the Cispus Valley. They swam in the river and when Sam was about six, Lola Belle drowned in it. Their mother Maybelle, who was one-half Cherokee died of pneumonia two years earlier. Sam married Frances Looney in 1948. She lived in Glenoma on her grandparents' Nelson and Malissa (Baugh) Stiltner's farm with her folks John and Ethel (Stiltner) Looney, sister JoAnn and brother Ralph. The name Stiltner originated from the name of Stiegler who was a German soldier in the 1st World War. He went AWOL and changed his name. Nelson was an avid farmer, he purchased his land from the railroad near the turn of the century. Grandma Melissa had polio when she was young, leaving her partially paralyzed. Frances, JoAnn and Ralph enjoyed seeing the Kiona Indians riding their horses by their place to Morton and back. Many times they would see the Indians picking huckleberries when they went huckleberry picking. Frances remembers camping out with her family and friends at beautiful Takalack Lake. Huckleberry picking time was Vacation Time. Sam and Frances have 3 children, Dennis Michael, Tina Marcia, and Duane Matthew. The home is near Silver Creek (Brook), the Cowlitz River and White Pass School. Silver Creek swimming hole was a favorite place in the summer. The children learned to ride "Tote-Gotes" at an early age and looked forward to being out in the beauty that is abundant here. They all enjoyed the Huckleberry fields. Because of Sam's asthma they became acquainted with Tacoma and Seattle; on one of these trips a pickup hit them head-on leaving Frances disabled with brain damage. But her Heavenly Father is helping her. Denny married Joni Sasich. He is a Civil Engineer. Tina married Danny Hall; they have 6 children, Boaz, Carmel, Anna, Daniel, Daniqua, JeTaime. Duane is a truck mechanic and carpenter. He married Connie Hatch and has a son, Jebodiah. HERB AND LILLIAN SAYLER FAMILY Herb and I were born and raised on farms in N.D., both of German parentage. My father, Henry Schlechting came to the U.S. in 1889 as a small baby of six weeks. His parents farmed first in Minnesota and then went to Garrison, N.D. where he was one of seven children. My mother Bertha Thode, whose parents also came from Germany, was born in Minnesota and moved to Garrison, N.D. where she was one of a family of five children, living on a farm two miles from the Schlichtings. I remember my grandparents telling of their experiences while they were raising their families. Herb's ancestors migrated from the Black Forest in Germany to Russia in 1817, where his great-grandfather and family were offered land under the reign of Catherine II. They were promised no taxes and their sons would not be drafted into the Russian Army, but after she died and others reigned after her, things changed. Herb's grandfather, Michael, and family and five children migrated back to Germany. They left on the "Kaiser Wilhelm," arriving in the U.S. in May of 1902. He brought his family to Hazen, N.D. Herb's father, Henry, was 17 years old at the time. There he met and married Rosalia Neuburger, who also came from Germany as a little girl. Herb was one of 12 children born to this family. Herb and I lived four miles apart and met when he was working for my uncle on a farm. I was in high school and our first outing was to a barn dance with my aunt and uncle. In 1936 my cousin Agnes Thode, who had moved with her parents, August Thode, to Chehalis, came back to N.D. for a visit with her husband, Joe Weise. Joe was moving his parents, Ben and Ida, of Washburn, N.D. to Washington. In August of 1936 a hot day of 1160 (days of the "dust bowl"), a three vehicle caravan, Joe driving his father's 1927 Dodge truck loaded with their furniture, Joe's folks driving their 1935 Ford and Herb and I driving Joe's 1929 Ford, started out for Washington State. The first day was a long hot day; we had to add water to the radiators because the vehicles were heating. That evening, already getting dark, we decided to spread our blankets on the ground and sleep. The Weises took their big black dog along and when he jumped out of the car and ran into the field, he yelped and howled. On going to see what was wrong, we found we were in a cactus patch, so thinking better of staying, we drove on into Terry, Mont. where we saw a light. We asked if we could sleep in their garage. After that we decided to get motels. Our journey took six days with numerous flat tires and breakdowns, but being young we took it all in stride. We marveled at the beautiful farms and pasture lands while driving through southern Idaho, after leaving such parched lands in N.D. and Montana. Driving from Portland to Chehalis was beautiful. Everything was so green and beautiful trees, and not knowing where Chehalis was, remarked that this would be a nice place to live. We did not 317 know that our first owned home would be at Forest just south of Chehalis. It was an exciting adventure for both of us but how we had to get back to reality. We arrived August 28 at the August Thode farm south of Chehalis where we stayed until finding places to live and work. The Thode home was a halfway house for a number of families who came out from N.D. Herb found his first job working at the cannery for 35cents an hour, working 12-14 hours a day. It was quite an improvement from working in the N.D. coal mines for $1.00 a day. In the winter of '36 Herb worked on the farm for Ben Balmelli and I worked for Ruby and Art Hamilton helping take care of the boys Kelly and Hal. In 1937 Herb batched in Centralia where he raised turkeys for Art. January 20, 1938 Herb and I were married and the first year raised turkeys for Art and Ruby. In November of '38 our No.1 son, Robert, was born and in March we bought our first farm at Forest, where some years before we had remarked "this would be a nice place to live." We lived there for five years raising turkeys, and Herb working for the Darigold and later driving truck for egg packers. In April of' 42, No.2 son, Herb, was born and in 1945 we moved to our present home at Adna. There we continued raising turkeys and milking cows for a number of years. In December, 1947, No.1 daughter, Sandra, was born. Later No.2 daughter, Linda, joined the family. Herb worked for Perry Bro. from 1949 until retiring in 1973. He still keeps busy with a few cattle and the farm. The children haven't scattered too far from home. Robert, his wife Barb and his 3 sons live in Aberdeen, where he is employed by Bell Telephone. Herb Jr. and son, Tim, live in Denver, Colorado, where Herb works for T.R.W. and Tim attends college. Sandra Sund, and husband, Jim, and son David, live in Chehalis where she is a home ec teacher for the Chehalis School District. Linda Moon, husband Fred and two daughters, Jodi and Angie, live on Frogner Hill. Linda is a dental assistant working in Chehalis. Herb and I enjoy traveling and have much to be thankful for. We have lived in an exciting time of history from the horse and buggy days to the space age. JOHN SCHAFER FAMILY John and Emma Schafer came to Glenoma in 1913, bringing three girls, Mary, Buela and Margaret with them. Mable came along a few years later. Mrs. Wilma was her mid-wife. Dad drove four head of cattle from Mineral to Glenoma. Mom came by train to Morton with us three girls and a dog. A man by the name of Bissell met us at the train with horses and wagon. Dad worked at a Mineral mill for several years and came to Glenoma on weekends. One weekend he brought home a 1913 model T Ford, the first one in Rainey Valley. We thought we were rich. The roads were only for horse and wagon so we were stuck in the road with a horse pulling us out more than I care to remember. Dad finally got a job with the State Highway Department, and worked for them until he retired at age 73. (photo): John Schafer Family As we grew up on the farm it grew from 10 acres to 60 acres. Mom planted corn and cucumbers by the acres and sold them for $1.00 a gunny-sack. The four head of cattle grew to twentyfive, all the barn would hold. We worked hard but there was always time for fun. Our home was a stopping off place for young and old. There were always cookies in the cookie jar and the coffee pot was always on. We had lots of Saturday night home parties and most of them were at our house. Mom and Dad were always ready to welcome whoever came to the door and we took advantage of it numerous times. Our neighbors were the Martins, Fosters, Stiltners, Clevengers, Morrises, Mulligans, Christians, Colemans, Bowens, and many more. We played and fought with them but still remember and love them. We all hope they still feel the same about us. Dad passed away in November, 1966 but our dear Mom is still with us. She will be ninetythree years young in October, still lives alone and manages quite well. Mary is ill and lives in a private home in Medford, Oregon. Buela lives in Weaversville, California, Margaret lives in Medford, Oregon and Mable lives in Salinas, California. Mom had eight grandchildren, sixteen great-grantchildren and one great-greatgrandchild. Dad and Mom sold the farm in 1963 and moved to Centralia. We drive back to Glenoma when we can see the old home place and the changes that have been made. All in all, our life in Glenoma and Lewis County has been wonderful and if it were possible for all of us to be transported back to what we were, and had then, I'm sure most of us would go gladly. Buela Schafer Ose ARTHUR D. SCHERER FAMILY Arthur David Scherer and Jane Tweed McCutcheon were married in Chehalis June 24, 1934, in the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany. This church was built on St. Helens Avenue in 1883. Jane, a member of Epiphany all her life, and Arthur, who joined in 1938, were married by the rector, Oliver Dow Smith. Their attendants were her sister, Mrs. Marion (Mary) Oppelt, Tacoma, and his brother, Irving Scherer, Chehalis. (photo): Mr. and Mrs. A.D. Scherer, 1934. Members of early pioneer families, they were born in Chehalis, Arthur, on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1911 at the family home on Kennicott Road. He was the fourth of nine children including: Gladys, Mildred, Irving, Arthur, Ethel, Clara, Harold, Thelma and Anna, born to Roy Scherer and Johana Cecilia (Jennie) Patek who were married in Chehalis, July 31,1904. Arthur was the first baby delivered by Dr. Henri L. Petit after he opened a medical practice in Chehalis. While waiting for him to arrive, the doctor and Roy went fishing. Jane, the second of four, namely Esther, Jane, Mary and James Dandy Jr., was born December 20,1913 in the 'green' room of Dr. George W. Kennicott's hospital. Her parents, James Dandy McCutcheon and Lucy Weeks Bunker were married in Chehalis, July 26, 1910. (The Kennicott home and hospital stood on corner of State and Prindle Streets. The 318 (photo): Mr. and Mrs. A.D. Scherer, 1984. house was moved across the street and made into apartments. The PUD poleyard occupies the property.) Arthur and Jane spent their lives in this area. Attended Adna Schools and both graduated from Adna High School in 1931; Jane, Valedictorian of the class. After graduation and before her marriage, she was employed by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries in Olympia. Arthur and his father reopened the family grocery business, Scherer's Store, that had burned down shortly before. After their marriage, the newlyweds made their home in Adna. When his father retired in 1947, Arthur continued in the grocery business until 1972, and served as Adna Postmaster from 1968 until his retirement in 1973. Since his retirement, Arthur has continued to be active in Community affairs. Jane contracted spinal meningitis in 1959, and although she was forced to curtail many of her activities, she continued to maintain her home and raise her family. She is a member of the United States First Day Cover Society, enjoys good books and music, has researched both sides of the family genealogy, and raises roses. She is a member of the St. Helens Federated Women's Club of Chehalis; Member-at-Large, Daughters of the American Revolution; The Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington and Mary Ellen Scherer Orthopedic Guild of Adna. Both Arthur and Jane are life members of Lewis County Historical Society and 56-year members of the Adna Grange. They raised four children, Mrs. Richard (Susan Jane) Hess, Bellingham; Daniel Arthur Scherer and Susan, Indonesia; Sarah Anne Scherer Klickman, Chehalis; and John William Scherer and Ann, Boulder, Colorado. The children attended the Adna Schools. Daniel was valedictorian of the senior class of 1958 and Sarah, class of 1968. A fifth child, Mary Ellen Scherer, died in 1949. There are nine grandchildren. John Arthur, Anne Elizabeth and Mary Bunker Hess; Alexandra Tweed and David Sanford Scherer and Sarah Jane, Robert Christian 'Chris', Lucy Kathryn and Laura Esther Klickman. In honor of their parents' 50th anniversary, the sons and daughters presented them at Easter with a gift of "A spectacular weekend in Victoria, B.C., a cruise on the Princess Marguerite; a stay at Prior House, one of Victoria's finest Bed and Breakfasts, a tour of greater Victoria and the Butchart Gardens." Their children joined them in Victoria the weekend of June 24, 1984. Special guest was Anna Scherer's mother, Mrs. James (Barbara) Pulsford, who was visiting from Geebung, Queensland, Australia. GEORGE D. SCHERER The history of our family started in the year 1913 when I was born. I was the sixth child born to A.F. and Lula Scherer in Chehalis. We lived in town until I was two or three and then we moved to a small farm south of Chehalis that my folks bought. We had chickens, cows, horses and of course cats and dogs. (photo): George and Virginia Scherer I started school at the Dillenbough school about two miles south of our home. There were no school buses so we had to walk, rain or shine. It was a good school and we learned to read, write, spell and had arithmetic. We moved back to town when I was in the sixth grade and I went to West Side School until the Junior High School was built and I went there a couple of years and then on to High School. This was the old high school that was later destroyed by an earthquake. In high school I was Boy's Club President, earned a letter in basketball, and played football for three years under Johnny Glann, a real good coach. I graduated in 1932 in a class of about one hundred. I went off to Washington State College in the fall of 1932. I joined Lambda Chi Fraternity and chose engineering as my major. I had to quit after two years because of the Depression. My oldest brother Alfred had a small meat packing company in Centralia with a meat market and small grocery store out front. He hired me to work in the packing plant where we made weiners, bologna, several kinds of sausage, hams and bacon. I met Virginia Scanlan, who was born and raised in Centralia, and we were married in 1936. We rented a house for a year and then bought one on South Pearl where we lived for five years. We had two children while living there, Richard born in 1938 and Judy born in 1941. In 1940 we bought the meat market and grocery store from my brother. I worked as a meat cutter and Virginia worked in the grocery store part-time. We rented the adjoining building in 1945 and enlarged the store, called Thriftway Market and operated it until 1963 when we closed it and I thought I'd retire. In 1948 I was elected Mayor of the City of Centralia and if I told you everything that happened and how it happened it would fill this book. We had a flood, a snow blizzard and an earthquake in less than four months. This term was quite educational because it was so soon after the war and there were lots of things that had to be done that couldn't be done before because of the war. The sewage plant was built and the outdoor swimming pool which was certainly enjoyed by young and old and had been a long time coming. I went into Real Estate in 1963 and retired in 1978. JESSE AND EMMA SCHERER FAMILY In the year 1675, the Scherer family began in America; in 1889, Daniel Scherer headed west from Sheldon County, Illinois with nine of his children and wife, bound for Washington State. One of his offspring was Jesse F. Scherer. Jesse was born October 24, 1874 in Sheldon County and moved to Chehalis with his family and another early Lewis County family, the Armstrongs. Together they booked passage on the same railroad car. (photo): Jesse and Emma Scherer Jesse Scherer attended school at the Dillenbaugh School in Chehalis, where his future bride Emma also attended. He quit school at age seventeen to help support the family when his father died. On July 10, 1897 Emma and Jesse were wed. They had six offspring, two of whom died in infancy. Laurence Scherer was born June 25, 1901; Grace Scherer Bunker was born May 15, 1903; Elsie Scherer Brown was born December 31, 1905 and Norma Scherer Busek was born September 29,1915. Jesse and Emma were married fifty-nine years at the time of his death. Jesse and Emma lived in several parts of Lewis County during their early married years. At one time they had moved six times in seven years, a feat not easily accomplished when moving by horse and wagon. Jesse and Emma's children attended schools in Chehalis and Randle. Jesse had worked in Chehalis at A.F. Scherer's grocery store. He made $70 per month which was a very good salary. However, due to ill health, it was recommended he not work at the store any longer. At that time he chose to move his family to a homestead off the Cline Road in Randle, more commonly known as the Big Bottom Country. Until their house was erected, they lived in Kilburn's old log cabin, shoveling out over a foot of dirt to make it livable. The game warden laughed as he watched the children fish out of the river. Growing vegetables and canning meats and salmon over a woodstove for over four hours a stretch was not uncommon. In comparison to others, they were well to do during the poor economic times. To reach the homestead, they had to travel with a team and 319 wagon. Jesse worked for Mr. Anderson and received wheat which he took to Randle to be ground into flour. Emma and the girls churned their own butter and milked the cows. Everything was canned in half gallon jars for convenience. To water the vegetable garden, water was hauled by buckets from the Cowlitz River. Growing up on the homestead left time for childhood pranks as well. Grace had climbed to the top of a hundred foot fir tree, leaving her mother at the bottom yelling until she climbed down. One time she climbed to the top of a waterfall to catch a butterfly and slipped, rendering herself unconscious for several hours. Laurence had gone hiking to Packwood Lake with some friends and cousins. He started talking to a park ranger halfway up the four mile trek and asked the others to take his pack. When he again reached his party, his pack was so heavy he could barely keep up with the group. His cousins had filled his pack with rocks. Jesse had several occupations including a Raleigh Products salesman from 1917-1918. He started using a horse and hack and eventually purchased a Model T. Raleigh Products included flavored extracts, linaments and cough medicines. It was not uncommon for the Indians to buy the extracts for the alcohol they contained. Once a gentleman bought all the lemon extract for the alcoholic enjoyment. Jesse also owned rentals that supplemented the family's income with approximately $30 per month. In 1918 he became a fire warden and supervised about 150 men when the Cispus fire broke out. In 1918 he became the Lewis County Assessor after having worked four years as a personal property appraiser. Prior to becoming Assessor, he had worked as a Lewis County Road District Supervisor. As a hobby, Jesse took pictures and developed them himself. Jesse had purchased forty acres of land on Lincoln Creek. In 1918 they moved from the homestead in the Big Bottom Country to Lincoln Creek. At the time, the roads were wooden planking and mud. To travel the approximately eighteen miles to Centralia took over two hours by Model T. Jesse was the road supervisor and crushed rock out of Lincoln Creek to build the road as far as the Bunker Creek turnoff. Between 1936 and 1938 Agnew Lumber Co. was logging the area and kept the crusher going to fill the holes and ruts. It was too far for Grace to commute daily to attend high school. She worked for board and room and lived in Centralia. Most of the people purchased their supplies from Darigold, including sugar, milk, butter and flour which were delivered. During the Depression, the WPA workers took over the task of completing the road to where it now ends just south of the Thurston County Line. Emma took boarders from the logging camps. Lincoln Creek had several mill sites, railroad camps and logging camps. Norma used to sneak desserts the cook laid out for the workers in the camps when she delivered eggs to the Independence Logging Company. In 1923, they had their own water wheel to generate electricity from the creek. The neighbors down the valley used Delco light plants to generate their electricity. It cost approximately $150 to install the plants. One of the neighbors, the Ingalls, didn't want to spend the $150 so they used carbide for electricity. Laurence and Jesse purchased a used Maytag gas washer and converted it into an electric motor for Emma. The light plant didn't generate enough power for an electric range. Electricity had been installed to Bunker Creek long before Puget Sound Power and Light installed it to the end of Lincoln Creek. Laurence purchased the first deep freezer on Lincoln Creek. It was a twenty cubic foot chest freezer purchased from George Scherer for $600 which they kept in the root cellar. Prior to getting the freezer, any meat that was butchered was hung in the ice plant. When any meat was needed for consumption they would go to the plant and saw off a week's supply. During the Depression, they sold milk at the farm for three quarts for twenty-five cents; eight cents a pound for live pigs, thirty-five cents a dozen for eggs and nineteen cents a pound for butterfat. Through the fifties most of the farms on Lincoln Creek raised chickens as the price for chickens earned a good living. Laurence had 1,500 hens he was raising and about 3,000 day old chicks at one time. All four surviving children were married. Grace wed a pioneer from Bunker Creek, John Bunker. They had two children, both deceased. They were married in 1922. Grace lives in Galvin. Elsie married Chet Brown and resides in Grants Pass, Oregon. They had no children. Norma was married to August Busek in 1934. He was born on Coal Creek and moved to Galvin at age fifteen. They had one daughter. Laurence married in 1939. He has one stepdaughter and a son. Laurence was the second generation Lewis County Assessor. His term was from 1971 until 1983. Today the Scherer farm on Lincoln Creek is a third generation farm. Laurence and his son, David run the farm which is now approximately 400 acres. RICHARD G. SCHERER I was born September 4, 1938 in Centralia, the first child born to Virginia and George Scherer. I was also the first grandchild on my mother's side of the family. We lived on South Pearl and I had a nice fenced yard to play outside. The second World War began and I was very young, so life was quite different. My folks owned a grocery store and with rationing of meat, sugar and certain groceries, shoes and gasoline, any spare time any of us had was spent counting the ration stamps and depositing at the bank so the stock could be replenished at the store. We moved to a house on Hill Kress that my folks bought and the rest of my life in Centralia was spent in that home. I started Edison school when I was six and went there for eight years and then on to high school and then for two years at Centralia College. I entered Western Washington State College and graduated in 1960. I worked for the State Employment Department in computering for two years and then spent two years teaching it at Centralia College. I met Joan D'Allensandro in 1963 when she came from Kirkland to teach P.E. at Centralia High. We were married in 1965 and moved to Mountain View, California, where I worked in computering and Joan taught school. We moved to Hawaii in 1967 where I worked for Castle and Cook for two and half years. Our oldest daughter Jodi was born in 1968. We enjoyed our time there but decided we didn't want to live there permanently, so we moved back to Palo Alto, CA where we still live, Heidi, our second daughter was born in 1971. I've continued in computing, working for different companies. Our daughters are now 17 and 14 and will be a senior and freshman so our lives are busy with school activities and sports. We like this area and hope to continue living here. ALFRED SCHEUBER FAMILY While driving west on Hiway Number 6 towards Raymond about two miles from Chehalis, were you to look to the right you would see an old story farm house and an old barn on the hillside. This has been the Scheuber Farm since sometime around 1885. This is about the time that Fred Scheuber came to this country from Switzerland and homesteaded 280 acres. (photo): Scheuber farm as seen from Scheuber Road. There were seven children in the family, three boys and four girls. The Scheuber children attended school at Claquato at that time. Two of the boys, Alfred and Conrad, more or less remained on the farm. Alfred worked in several logging camps throughout the east end of the county and as far north as Everett, while Conrad stayed on the farm. Around 1925, Alfred moved back to the farm full-time with his brother. In 1929, Alfred married Josephine Walch of Adna. They had three children, Joe and Fred of Chehalis and Louise Lyle of Astoria, Oregon. Conrad never married. Until 1938, the only access to the farm was an old wagon road, known as Military Road. That year a new road was built from Hiway 6 to Centralia and is now known as the Schueber Road. The two brothers farmed together until 1965 when the farm was sold to the Hamilton family and became part of Hamilton Meadows. The Alfred Scheubers celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in July, 1979. Alfred Scheuber is still residing on the farm while Conrad resides in Centralia. SCHIMINESKY FAMILY Our great grandparents John and Eva Bohmer and grandparents Louis Joseph and Karoline Schiminesky came from the small province of Bukovina. Bukovina is a region in east Europe now divided between the Soviet Union and Tumania. When Louis Schiminesky and father-inlaw fled from Bukovina in 1888, this little country was under Austrian rule. They worked their way across the U.S. through New York and Kansas City by raising and selling produce to keep them in traveling money. When Louis and Karoline Schiminesky first came to Lewis County.in 1890, they settled in Chehalis in the Donahoes Addition. They then moved to Boistfort Valley where they bought 56 acres and farmed there until 1906 when they bought a 160 acre farm on the head of Hope Creek. They lived on this farm until 1913 when they moved to PeEll. The children of Louis Joseph Schiminesky and Karoline were Rudolph, Frank, Bertha, Minnie, 320 (photo): The Schiminesky Family. Back row, L to R: Frank, Rudolph, Front row, L to R: Bertha, Louie, Emil, Koroline, Minnie. and Emil. Grandfather Louie Schiminesky was a very educated man. He wrote and spoke five different languages including Russian, and did various writings for people who could not read and write. Rudolph and his wife moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon and had no children. Frank was our father and had the only children to carry on the Schiminesky name. Our father was a high climber and worked in the woods all of his life. Most of the time was spent in the Lewis County area. Bertha (Schiminesky) Brown worked in Zackovich and Farley's Dry Goods store and also was the Town Clerk of PeEll for many years. There were not many people in PeEll who didn't know Bertha Brown or whom she didn't know, or know about. Minnie married Lou Parker and he was a blacksmith in PeEll. He also worked sometime for Weyerhaeuser. Emil was a logger and spent most of his working time in the Eastern Lewis County area. The immediate family of Frank and Neva (Lakin) Schiminesky are Donald J., Louie R., Larrie G., and. Merrie Lee (Schiminesky) Nelson. Frank and Neva are both deceased. Don has two children, Scott J. and Louis C. (Butch), who are both still living at home at 1382 Centralia Alpha Road, Chehalis. Don is a truck driver for Weyerhaeuser Co., and has worked for them for 35 years. His wife Jerry has worked for Interchecks for many years. Louie R. Schiminesky lives in Centralia on Taylor Road, and worked for several years in Alaska as a logger, but now makes his home in Centralia. Larrie G. and wife Sheila, live in Centralia, at 1306 B. Street. Larrie is employed by Northwest Hardwood Co. in Centralia. He has two children, Lori Jo and Frank Jay. Frank is still in high school and Lori is living in Centralia. Merrie Lee (Schiminesky) Nelson lives with husband Gary and step-daughter Cindy on the Leudinghaus Road in Meskil. She has worked for Interchecks for 20 years. Her husband Gary works for Weyerhaeuser and has for several years. By Don, Louie, Larrie Schiminesky and Merrie Lee Nelson LAFE V. AND EDNA A. SCHMIT Frederick Conrad Gottleib Schmit, born 1868 in Edwardsville, Illinois a German settlement, came west with two other boys by immigrant train to Chehalis, at age 17. Leaving his farming job which paid $6 per month, he milked cows and did carpentry work, building the Coffman Dobson bank in prosperous Chehalis. He married Lura Helen Nail, born 1877 of German descent, who came with her family from Indiana. Her father was the builder and later ordained pastor of Napavine Baptist Church. Fred and Lura had nine children: Arthur, Dorothea, Gladys, Clarice, Wilbur, Lafayette, Francis, Raleigh and Joyce. The family has always lived in Napavine area. Frederick Schmit died in 1952 and Lura in 1955. (photo): Lafe and Edna Schmit John Washington Young, Scotch-Irish, Black Dutch descent born in 1878 in Franklin, N.C., married Maggie Deresa Liner, Scotch-Irish descent, a tobacco-farmer's daughter, born 1880 in Waynesville, N.C., came in 1906 on their honeymoon to Washington State for logging industry in Sedro Wooley. There were five children; Edna, Edythe, John Maurice, Catherine and Ralph. The family moved to the original Bunker homestead farm on Bunker Creek in 1920. Maggie died in 1959 and John in 1963. Lafayette V. Schmit born in 1907, a Napavine Baptist, married in 1935 in Chehalis, Edna A. Young, born 1910 in Aberdeen, a Chehalis Presbyterian. Lafe graduated Napavine High School and Centralia Business College. Edna graduated Adna High School and Success Business College, Seattle. Both worked in Chehalis Darigold office. They are members of Chehalis First Christian Church. Their family then two girls, Vivian Annette born in Centralia in 1940, Diana Lynne born Chehalis in 1944. The family was moved to Seattle 1947 by Lafe's employer, Callison's Inc. John Frederick was born to the family in Seattle 1950. Lafe, accountant, retired from Callison's after 28 years in 1972, and Edna, secretary, retired in 1972 after 13 years with Seattle School District. Lafe and Edna came immediately back to home at Chehalis. Their two girls married, Vivian to Richard W. Elzner, 1961 and Diana to John W. Titus, Jr., 1971. Elzner family lives in Burien, have two children, Kirt and Lynne, at home and are Lutheran church members. The Titus family lives in Edmonds, have two children, Rebecca and Allison, at home and are Lutheran Church members. Son, John, a graduate of U. of W. served in Vietnam war, married and divorced, always lived in Seattle, now working in Bellevue as executive. Daughter Vivian worked as travel agent, real estate, now a tailor and custom seamstress in Burien. Husband Richard graduated from U. of W. and is a business executive. Daughter, Diana graduate from U. of W. teaching in Japan. She met and married Titus, Captain in Marines, who is graduate of Lutheran University of Pa., and now a business executive in Bellevue. Diana teaches school in Edmonds School District. Edna and Lafe are Past Matron and Past Patron of Chehalis Chapter No.3 O.E.S. Edna is Past Matron and Life Member of Greenwood Chapter in Seattle. Lafe is Life Member of Chehalis Masonic Lodge No. 28 and member of Greenwood O.E.S. All members of these families have been and are active in Girl and Boy Scouts and church activities. By Mrs. Lafe V. Schmit GEORGE PETER SCHMITT (SMITH) FAMILY The Alpha-Onalaska Smith family began far off in Hohefeld, Germany, with the birth of George Peter Schmitt, August 29, 1856. He emigrated to the United States in 1881, spending several years exploring the country from New York to Canada, and from California to the Pacific Northwest. He finally settled on a homestead in Alpha, Washington. He sent for his bride-to-be, Ottilia Diehms, born in Remlinger, Germany, September 28,1863. They were married in Napavine, Washington, April 29, 1886 and were soon settled in their little log house. Ottilia, accustomed to living in a small village surrounded by open fields, was overwhelmed by the huge trees and the dense forests. She would have returned to Germany on the next ship, had it been possible. . The homestead was the birthplace of their nine children: Tillie married Ray Gish, child Virginia; Carl married Nora Scalf, children Doris and Lois; Nettie married Frank Christy, children - Mary and Melvin; Bertha married 321 Pete Balfour, children - Harriett, Thelma, Julia, and Dick; George Peter, Jr. married Birdie Stidham; Elizabeth married Bud Hamreus, children - Robert and Dale; Mary married George Wilson, children - Miles, Millard, and Daryl; Elmer, unmarried; Lester married Lois Miller, children - Larry and Rick. Three of the daughters, Tillie, Elizabeth and Mary, became teachers in Lewis County schools. As the family increased, the original log house was replaced by a large frame house, which later became a favorite stopover for travelers on the long wagon trip from the upper Cowlitz Valley to Chehalis and other trading centers. After the house was destroyed by fire in 1915, the family moved to Onalaska, but the homestead remained in the family until the late 1920's, when it was sold. George Schmitt and Ottilia were divorced about 1910, and he left the area. The Schmitt name became Americanized to Smith, probably during World War I, when Carl and George, Jr. were serving with the United States Army. It will be up to Lester's sons to perpetuate the Smith name. Larry has made a large contribution to the cause - he has four sons. In 1981, it was discovered that after leaving Alpha, Mr. Schmitt had gone to Dallas, Oregon, where he purchased a farm from a young widow, Elizabeth Nightingale Little, whom he later married on August 22, 1911. Their children: Henry married Joan Colistro, children - Henry, Jr. and Michael; Ada married Chuck Weideman, children - Marvin and Charlene; Anna married Rudy Leppin, children - Rudy, Kenneth, Robert, and Peggy; Frieda, deceased. Henry, George's son, was instrumental in locating his father's first family and bringing together the two families. It was an exciting time for all to meet and become acquainted. Henry lives on the family farm in Dallas. He has made two trips to his father's birthplace in Germany, where he has visited with relatives who are living in the family home. George Peter Schmitt continued to use the original spelling of his name, and Henry's sons and grandsons will no doubt carryon the tradition. Mr. Schmitt died in 1950 at age 94. His first wife, Ottilia, died in 1955 at age 92, and his second wife Elizabeth died in 1952 at age 69. MATHIAS SCHMITZ FAMILY Mathias Schmitz and Gertrude Strauscheid were married in Doblenz, Germany. They, and their small family, sailed for America about 1874. They arrived in San Francisco via Cape Horn. Wishing to join his brother, William, in Lewis County Oregon Territory, Mathias and Gertrude set out to save the $1,800.00 boat passage to Olympia from San Francisco. He worked at coal mining and she in maid service. In approximately 1876, they arrived and homesteaded in Onalaska where they built a farm and raised dairy cows. From the milk they churned butter and stored it in barrels. Twice a year Mathias would take barrels filled with butter by ox-team to Olympia for shipment to Seattle. Mathias and Gertrude had eight children; sons Albert, Anton and Joseph, and daughters Christina, Mary, Elizabeth, Gertrude and Helen. Daughter Elizabeth married another Lewis County resident, Lester David Stone. Another daughter, Mary, was in charge of the kitchen in the Reformatory at the ages of 15 and 16. (photo): Mathias Schmitz and children (1914) - L to R: Albert, Helen, Mary, Father Mathias, Joseph, and Elizabeth. Mother Gertrude died of blood poisoning following a miscarriage caused by a horse bucking accident. Mathias died some twenty years later at the age of 76 in 1916. He is buried in a small cemetery in Toledo. The Carlisle sawmill was later located on the site of the original Schmitz homestead. By Don C. Franklin JAMES SCHUFFERT James Schuffert was an engineer for the Northern Pacific Railroad for fifty years. He died in 1959. His wife preceded him in death, 1951. Their daughter, Elizabeth (Mrs. Rudolph Anderson) was the mother of James and Karen. She was a Centralia High School graduate. She died in 1975. Their daughter, Dorothyann (Mrs. W.M. Griggs) is the mother of Diane, Linda and Penny Griggs. She graduated from Centralia High School and Washington State University. The family home was at 217 W. 2nd Street. By D. Griggs SCHUSTER FAMILY Frank Schuster was born in 1870 in Austria. He came to the United States when he was 13 years old. Frank married Bertha Lucas who was born in 1874 in Iowa. They had ten children: (photo): Frank and Bertha Schuster, 25th Anniversary. Carolyn, deceased. Mary (Mrs. Jerry Kieszling), born in 1893; lived in Chehalis and then moved to Bremerton; raised four children: Gerald, Roslyn, Dorothy, and Jean, deceased. Charles, born in 1896, married Hallie Rogers, and lived in Chehalis. They had one son, Jack who passed away in 1944. Chuck worked for the railroad in the freight depot. Chuck passed away September 1, 1967. Fred, born in 1898, married Myrtle Strom and lived in Chehalis. He owned Twin City Sheet Metal Works. They had two children: Margaret and Donald, deceased. Laura (Mrs. Joe Myer), born in 1901, lives in Tacoma. She is a retired school teacher. Laura taught two years in Dillenbough School; it had two classrooms. She then went back to Ellensburg Normal School for one year and then on to Kelso for one year. She taught for many years in the Tacoma School District. Louise (Mrs. Albert Hansen), born in 1903 and lived in Chehalis. They had one daughter, Janet. Louise went to Ellensburg Normal School and then taught at Newaukum Valley School,a two-room school. She is deceased. Rudolph (Dude), born August 5, 1905, married Helen Sonnenberg and lived in Chehalis. He worked for the Lewis County Engineering Dept. for 46 years. They had four children: Robert, Mary Jo, Helen (deceased), and Carole. Dude passed away in March, 1982. Frank, born in 1908, married Dorothy Seymour and lived in Chehalis. He worked for For. get-Me-Not driving a truck. They had one daughter, Madeline. Frank was killed in a truck-train wreck on Highway 12. Agnes (Mrs. Louis Pemerl), born in 1909, lived in Chehalis. She went to Ellensburg Normal School and taught at Cine bar and Doty. Agnes had four children: Shirley, Barbara, Kathleen, and Douglas. Agnes passed away August, 1964. Gilbert, born 1918, married Madelon Rodgers and lived in Tacoma. Gilbert was Director of Public Works for Tacoma at the time of his death. He has a street named after him, Schuster Parkway, on Tacoma's waterfront. They had two children, Anne and Terry. Frank and Bertha raised the older children in Tacoma and Lester, W A and then moved to Chehalis to 3rd and McFadden. For a long time 3rd Street was a dirt street. Later it was a plank street with wood sidewalks. The children attended Chehalis Schools and graduated from Chehalis High School. 322 Frank was a road master for the Great Northern Railroad in Lester, WA. When he moved to Chehalis, he was a section foreman. We have had a Schuster family picnic at the beach home of Laura at Eld Inlet near Olympia every year but one since 1945. SCHUSTER Rudolph (Dude) Lester Schuster was born August 5, 1905, in Lester, Washington. Dude attended Chehalis grade schools and graduated from Chehalis High School. He went to work for Lewis County Engineering Dept. in 1925. When he retired in January, 1971, he had the title of Lewis County Road Superintendent. Dude worked for Lewis County for 46 years. (photo): Rudolph Schuster Dude married Helen Sonnenberg. She was born on January 25, 1909. On May 5, 1926, they were married at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Centralia. They had 4 children. Robert Lee was born on August 29,1927, and works for USGS in Golden, Colorado. He is married and they have 4 children. A daughter, Helen, born February 18,1935, and now deceased. Carole Ann (Mrs. Dan Hunsaker) was born January 20, 1939 and living in East Wenatchee. Carole and her husband are school teachers. They have 3 children. I am MaryJo, born August 17, 1932 in Chehalis and lived on the corner of 13th and McFadden. The store on the corner of 13th and Market was Christenson's Corner. At that time, 13th street was not a through street. We had a tree house in the oak trees by Dr. Forsyth's office. The Duffins, Goffs, Dipolas, Brodericks, Stottlemyers, and the Fahnestocks were our neighbors. Mr. Christenson use to save us cardboard boxes and we would take them across Market Street and slide down the hill, where Dr. Wagner's office is now. The hill was much steeper then. We also had a merry-go-round in the field behind the store. We sure had lots of fun. My parents then moved to Bishop Rd., now 20th street, in April of 1939. I went to St. Joseph's Catholic School for 8 years. I went to junior high for the 9th grade and I graduated from Chehalis High School in 1950. We had an earthquake in 1949 that destroyed part of the High School. We spent our senior year going from the junior high, to the Scout Lodge, and then to the Methodist Church basement, and also the business rooms of the High School for classes. I attended business school in Seattle, and went to work for an insurance company above The 5th Ave. Theater. I married Alan Lee Schwiesow, from Centralia, on August 26, 1951. We moved to Spanaway in 1952, where our first of 6 children was born. Patti (Mrs. Don Driscoll) was born October 17, 1952, in Tacoma. Patti works at the Centralia Indoor Pool. The rest of my children were born at St. Helen's Hospital in Chehalis. Robert was born April 6, 1957, and he lives in East Wenatchee. He is a safety officer for Cannon Mines in Wenatchee. Gary was born July 8,1959, and he lives in Raymond. He is a fireman and EMT for Raymond Fire Dept. Philip was born May 27, 1963, and he works for Strata Search and travels around the United States. Thomas was born January 12, 1966, and he is a student at Cheney, W A. Beth was born May 14, 1967, and she just graduated from Centralia High School and she plans to enter Centralia College in the fall of 1985. The children all attended Centralia grade schools and graduated from Centralia High School. Alan worked for the City of Centralia Engineering Dept. for 27 years. He was City Engineer from 1971 until he retired in March, 1985. I have worked at Yard Bird's for 22 years. ENGELBERT (BERT) SCHWARZ I would like my descendants of the Engelbert (Bert) Schwarz family to know some of the things we did in our lifetime. I, Marie Schwarz, was born October 29,1913 in Chehalis, Wa. and now live at Adna with my husband Alfred Smiley who was born September 28,1907 in Van, Missouri. We were married June 5, 1939 and have lived here since then. I had two other boy friends, he was the third, and they say the third is the charm. We met during the Depression and he was working at odd jobs, sharpening plow shares. His dad owned a blacksmith shop. He worked for different farmers, helping in the harvest. I was doing housework for different families to get enough money for tuition to go to Beauty School in Centralia. One home where I worked the kids came home with the smallpox, so I was quarantined with the family and vaccinated and (photo): Bert and Mary Schwarz (photo): Marie and Alfred Smiley couldn't have my sweetie come and see me. I worked at the T.B. Sanitarium which was located at McCormick, out of PeEll on the way to Raymond. I also did housework in Centralia and Aberdeen. (photo): Schwarz Home While going to Beauty School I worked for my room and board. I had three months training left when the school sold and moved, charging tuition all over again, which I could not pay. I quit and got married. My husband had to borrow money from his dad so we could go on a honeymoon to Portland, Oregon. After we were married he worked for Weyerhauser laying railroad track to Baw Faw Peak, staying in camp and coming home on weekends. He was working for Western Tractor when we had the earthquake on April 13, 1949 and the blizzard on January 13, 1950. The Adna school was severely damaged by the earthquake. Those were the days of gas and food rationing. Later he worked for the Chehalis Packing Plant and then the Northern Commerical Machinery Co., at this time he retired on disability. Our house burned on May, 1955 of undetermined origin. We have three daughters all born in Chehalis hospital. Helen born February 11, 1943 and twins, Sharon and Karen, July 21, 1944. When twins came that was quits, as I was not looking forward to triplets, especially during war time. Our girls all grew up and graduated from Adna High School, same as I did. I graduated on May 13, 1932. The oldest daughter was valedictorian 323 of her class and one of the twins salutorian of her class. The valedictorian went one year to Ellensburg on a P.T.A. scholarship. They are all married and we have four lovely grandsons and five lovely granddaughters. My dad, Bert Schwarz, bought eighty acres of land from Louie Willie, who had bought it from N.P. Railroad. It joined the place of his dad, Johann Schwarz. My dad built a two story home of four rooms and added a lean to kitchen and dining room. Dad married Mary Glodt, September 6, 1911. I was born October 29, 1913, the oldest of nine children and the only girl, so I had to take care of the young ones. My brothers were: William and Theodore, both deceased, and the others Philip, Carl, George, Gerald, Ralph and Donald. Ralph and Donald still live on the home place. I had to help like a man when I was big enough; shock hay, milk cows, etc. I mopped many old wood floors and had the mop hung up on slivers. I remember when we had enough to get two linoleum rugs which was a thrill, no more slivers when we were barefooted. Mother sprinkled damp coffee grounds on the wood floor so she could sweep and keep the dust down. I had two dresses for school and when I came home I always had to change to keep them clean. The same with the boys. We got hand downs from cousins but they did not always fit. I had my first new coat which I bought with my own money when I was 18. We always went barefoot in the summer to save our shoes and the soles of our feet got like leather from the hay stubbles. We never got any toys, we made our own and the only time we got nuts, candy or oranges was at Christmas. It was hard to get flour to bake bread. Dad raised pigs for ham, bacon and lard. We raised potatoes, chickens for eggs and for meat. Occasionally a neighbor would butcher a beef and give us a hunk. We had cows for milk and churned our butter. We traveled by horse and buggy. It was a treat when we got the Model T. Were we ever proud. You had to light the lamps with matches. We also raised a large garden by the creek. It was us kids' job to dip water and water the garden. Mother would pick beans by the tub-full and we would snap them and can them in two quart size jars. We boiled them three hours in hot water bath in the copper wash boiler. No pressure cooker then. Water used for drinking, washing, and bathing came from a dug well. Mother kept her yeast for baking bread in a bucket hung in the well to keep cool because she got a pound at a time and couldn't run to town every whip stitch. There was a reservoir on the stove and the water got hot. We had to bathe in the galvanized wash tub, trying to hide behind the cook stove to keep warm. When mother washed clothes, it was boil them in the boiler, then scrub them on the board with the homemade soap and hang to dry. It was a hassle to get them dry in the winter. We had kerosene lamps and lanterns. We had a crank telephone. You would crank once to get central and give her your number and she would ring your party. I did not start to school until I was 8, so my brother would be 6 and we could walk together through the pasture and cow trails, going through grandpa's barnyard where we were afraid of the bull. I went to the first three grades at the one room school at Crego and fourth grade at the one room school at Alderbrook. My fifth and sixth at Twin Oaks, following consolidation with Adna. My first grade teacher was Jessie Clarken Little, now living in Centralia. Clara Riedl Neumeier was my second and third grade teacher. She lives in Chehalis. Curtis and Russell had a sawmill on Crego Hill in the early 1920's. They dammed up the creek, put in a pond and ran railroad track through our property to log off the neighbors' land and ours. Selling the timber gave dad a little cash so we could eat and be better clothed. My grandparents were born and married in Austria. Grandpa, Johann Schwarz married Magdalena Stum£. My dad, Bert Schwarz, was born in Landec, Tyrol Austria, December 29, 1869. He and his oldest brother Raymond, came to America with their father in 1883. Raymond was 16 and my dad 13. They came ahead to make enough money to send for grandma and the rest of the family. They left Antwerp, Belgium, the last of March, 1883 on the Penland Red Star Line and arrived in New York Harbor the middle of April, 1883. They then went to Manistique, Michigan and later sent for grandma and the rest of the family, consisting of seven children and her brother, Frank Willie. She had 20 children; only 10 survived. Some were buried on the homestead. The ten living were: Raymond, Bert, Frank, Joseph, Louis, Willhemine, John, Josephine, Maria, and Ludwig, who was the only one born in America. >From Manistique they came to Washington, via Canada and chose Crego Hill for a place to settle. There grandpa bought some two hundred acres of land from the N.P. Railroad for around two dollars per acre. They hewed a homestead out of a wilderness. They chose a spot down by a creek and built a house on the knoll above the creek and barn on the other side. They built a structure with a cellar underneath which they lined with bricks. They lived in this until they built the house in 1889. Due to having a large family, they built a large kitchen. The ceiling was all hand-hewn cedar, put on in a pattern of two squares in the center of the ceiling and the other boards angling out from the four corners. All fitting into a pattern. The outside of the house was covered with cedar shingles, six different patterns, all whittled out with jack knives by the Schwarz Brothers. They were put on in a definite pattern. Both still stand on the property today but are in sad shape. There was a dance hall on the property at the corner of Brown and Cousins Road. It was leaning and propped up by two poles. Neighborhood dances were held there. Uncle Raymond was a carpenter and also made guitars. He and his sons built many buildings in the area, including the beautiful big barn on the Harvey Shoultes place in 1929. This is presently being demolished. Other buildings still standing are the large house and barn on the Leonard Ray ton farm on Twin Oaks Road, which is presently owned by Carl Von Moos. He also built the Twin Oaks School as well as the one at Pleasant Valley. A trip to Olympia with a team took two days due to the bad shape of the roads. One winter we had a deep snow and the family walked to the Claquato Cemetery to bury one of my cousins. My grandparents lived on the place until their deaths in 1925 and 1926. Uncle John Schwarz lived there until his death in 1939. By Marie Schwarz Smiley LYMAN AND MARGARET SCHWARZKOPF Lyman and Margaret Schwarzkopf purchased the Old Reich Farm at Evaline from Wilbur Isley following World War II. Lyman was born on a farm in Ogilvie, Minnesota, the second child in a family of eight. He left Minnesota, where he owned a trucking business, for Seattle before entering the Army. While working in Seattle he met Margaret McDonell while she was painting signs for a store in Ballard. They were married in Pueblo, Colorado where Lyman was stationed as a 2nd Lt. in the (photo): Lyman K. Schwarzkopf and Margaret (McDonell) Schwarzkopf, May 24,1943. Army. When Lyman was sent overseas, where he served for about three years throughout England, Belgium, Holland and Germany, taking part in the Battle of the Bulge, the Invasion and the Disarmament program, Margaret returned to Seattle where she worked for Boeing's, the Red Cross and the Children's Orthopedic Hospital. Lyman and Margaret developed the sixty acre farm into a Grade A dairy, raised chickens and sold hatching eggs to the Standard Hatchery in Winlock. Margaret did free lance art work, designing Egg Day buttons for several years, helping decorate floats and regularly painting signs. She also did oil photo coloring for Bill Kershaw, a Winlock barber and photographer. Lyman worked at various places off and on while farming; driving the Alber's Feed truck and as a mechanic for Palo Motors in Winlock and McKinnell Tractor Co. in Chehalis. They were active members of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Winlock. After they had children, Lyman served as clerk of the board of the Evaline school. The family consisted of three girls and one boy. Lyman attended an Agricultural school which was conducted in Winlock for ex-G.I.'s. It was taught by Everett Blaisdell and Helmer Basso. He had a deep well drilled in 1950 which provided the first hand-line irrigation in the Evaline area. He practiced rotating pasture management and was given the Grassland Farming Award in 1954. In 1961 they sold the farm; forty acres to Mr. and Mrs. E.R. Finch and a separate twenty acre piece to Fred Wachter, and moved to the Columbia Basin. While living in the EphrataQuincy area Lyman worked as a Farm Placement Rep. resentative for the Washington State Employment Service and did diesel repair on farm equipment weekends and evenings. Margaret continued to do art work and later worked as a staff artist for the Grant County Journal and at the Ephrata Junion High in a special reading program. In 1975 Lyman, Margaret and their son John moved to Chehalis where Lyman accepted a transfer to the ChehaJis Employment office as a Employer Relations Representative. Margaret worked in the library at Green Hill School before both she and Lyman retired in 1981 and 1982. Their oldest daughter, Nancy (Mrs. Charles) Jarmin, has a son Ronald and a daughter Sandra. Their second daughter, Norine (Mrs. Gary) Jackman has sons, Jeffrey and Jarred and daughters, Jeanette and Jenese. Their third daughter, Connie, teaches school in a one-room 324 school at Winton near Leavenworth, Washington. Nancy lives in Vancouver, Washington and Norine lives in Ephrata. Their youngest child, John, lives near Rochester with his wife, Paulette and their infant son, Tyler Jay. SCHWIESOW John R. Schwiesow was born at Fern Hill, Tacoma, Washington, on April 18, 1902. He attended school at Fern Hill. John married Almira Bertha Kawelmacker on August 16, 1927 at Shelton, Washington, in the Mason County Court House. Almira was born in Roy, Washington, on March 18, 1902. Her family homestead on what is now part of Fort Lewis. Her family moved to the head of Lincoln Creek on January 22,1919. John and Almira lived with her father on the farm until it was sold in 1928. They then moved to South Gold Street in Centralia, Washington. After a year they moved to G Street and then to 1201 North Tower, where Almira lives now. They had four children. John was born in 1928 and married living in Lacey, Washington. John has 5 children. Alan born in 1929 and married living in Centralia, Washington. Alan has 6 children. Earl was born in 1932 and married living in Centralia, Washington. Earl has 5 children. Lois (Mrs. Fred Oster) was born in 1935 and living in Portland, Oregon. Lois has 8 children. The children attended Centralia grade schools and graduated from the Old Centralia High School. John was in the construction business most of his life and Almira was a housewife and mother. John passed away on August 14, 1975. MARION OLIVER MCCAW SCOTT FAMILY Marion Mary Oliver, eldest child of the William Hugh Olivers, attended the Edison Grade School (on the same site as the early high school where her mother was a student) as did her eldest son, Bruce McCaw. After high school and a year at Centralia Junior College, Marion continued at University of Washington, graduating with honors. Her business career in real estate terminated in 1942 when she and John Elroy McCaw of Aberdeen were married. Their home for the (photo): Marion Oliver, Queen of Pioneer days. next three years was in Alexandria, Virginia, while Elroy served with the Army Air Corps, leaving the service at the end of World War II as a Lt. Colonel. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire for his work with the British in the field of radar. Elroy returned to the communications industry (had established radio station KELA in Centralia-Chehalis in 1937) and in the next twenty years operated radio and television stations from Honolulu to Seattle, San Francisco, Denver and New York. Bruce was born in Washington, D.C. in 1946 just prior to the family's return to Centralia; Craig, 1949, and John, 1951 in Centralia; and Keith in Seattle after the family moved there in 1953. The four McCaw sons became involved with Twin City Cablevision (one of the oldest systems in the country) in various capacities during vacations. After the death of their father in 1969, the four sons took over the management of Twin City and have expanded their operations into 15 states. Marion has been active in various community organizations in Centralia and Seattle, including Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Seattle Junior Programs, A Contemporary Theatre and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1971 Marion and John L. Scott of Bellevue were married. She continues to have an investment in the McCaw family company. Growing up in a small town was a very special experience. It was a warm feeling to know most of the residents through school, church and community activities. In the summer there was Chautanqua - a big ten; the Southwest Washington Fair with its magnificent displays of fruits, vegetables, handicrafts, livestock, and horse and sulky races. The Pioneer Days included parades, rodeos, pageants in Borst Park, grandstand entertainment and horse races. There were many opportunities for outdoor activities for children: Red Cross swimming lessons in the Skookumchuck River at Riverside Park, horseback riding, several lakes and parks for picnics, family reunions, and water sports, and nearby Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands for boating. A sense of freedom made for relaxed summers for children and adults alike. The family ties to Centralia and Chehalis and the surrounding area remain very strong. N.C. SEARS FAMILY OF WINLOCK One of the ancestors of Nelson Chester Sears was Thomas Sayre, who emigrated from England in 1630 with his four sons. He was one of the founders of Southampton, Long Island and built the first frame house in New York (photo): Nelson Chester "Chef' Sears (1878-1946) and Maud Parker Sears (1880-1930) state. Later the spelling of the surname was changed to Sears. Descendants moved to Connecticut, Ohio, Missouri, and Hood River, Oregon. Chet cleared land in the now famous apple-orchard area. In 1902 he married Maud Parker. Her father, John was born in Yorkshire, England and her mother, Asenath Moore, in Illinois. Maud's grandparents were emigrants from Nova Scotia. The Parkers were married in Indiana and then moved to Hood River where John built and operated a store, the first building in Hood River. Chet and Maud moved to his ranch at Winlock, Washington in 1902. In due time there were children to help as "ranch hands." Fay Meredith, better known as Buck, was born in 1903. He was known for his prowess at baseball. He married Florence Worth, a teacher, and they moved to Portland. Buck was a contractor and also worked for the Overhead Door Company. Florence returned to teaching after their four sons finished college. The sons are also continuing in building related professions. Gene is a furniture buyer for Bon Marche, Jack is a banker at North Hollywood, Tom is an architect in Portland and Dick is in masonry in the same city. The second son, John, was born in 1911 and did his share of farm chores. At the time of John's graduation the family was living in a house built by Chet. John moved to Tacoma in 1929 to begin his apprenticeship as a painter, the trade he followed as a journeyman and as a contractor. In 1935 he married Ann Goodman, gaining Michael, a five year old step-son. By 1942 John Scott and Lee Nelson were born. John was a painting foreman on the first Narrows Bridge. He taught his sons the trade and they worked as painters on the second bridge. Josephine was born in 1913 and from her early youth it was determined she should be a teacher because of her ability in mathematics. Instead she married Frank Frederick of Portland. They had a son, Neil, and a daughter, Sharon. Jo made use of her talents in her work for the Armstrong Mfg. Co. during World War II. She was the buyer of steel for the company and later became Secretary- Treasurer. Josephine's sister, Dorothy, was born in 1915. She married Dennis Kasmarek of Seattle and now lives at Lynwood near her daughter, Denise, and family. The youngest child, Donnelly, was born at Winlock and now lives at Medical Lake. This is the story of the family up to 1985 but the name of Sears will continue through its children. By Ann Goodman Sears SETHE FAMILY Heinrich Friedrich Sethe left Germany with his family to arrive in New Orleans, America in August, 1884. They traveled out west to Comstott, California and proceeded north to Blanchard, Skagit County, Washington in May, 1890. They journeyed on, arriving at Sulpher Springs, Lewis County in July, 1891. The wagon road went as far as Bremer. There he left his family, taking his oldest son Fred and started for the back country to look for land. They were told land was free, just for living on it. They traveled by foot taking two days to reach Sulpher Springs, the third day arriving at what is now Packwood. on some stump land. He left his son with August Snyder and went back for his family. He was told the land he had staked out was no good and would not raise anything. Someone told them of a piece of land down the valley a few miles with a good stream and a nice place for a cabin. The neighbors helped build a cabin for them and they took their seven children and moved in. Mr. Frank 325 Kilborn who was packing for people took his string of horses and went to town and brought back a cook stove and some staples. When Mr. Sethe settled here his neighbors soon found out he was an outstanding blacksmith. He learned his trade growing up in Germany. There was no way of earning a living for his big family locally so he set up a blacksmith shop in Claquato (that being the main city until Chehalis grew up), then he moved his shop to Chehalis. Mrs. Sethe and the boys cleared land, made a flume in the creek to bring water closer to the house, built a chicken house, pig pen, and a barn. They got a cow and three pigs which were given to her for delivering babies. Neighbors all traded garden seed. With no conveniences, sewing was done by hand. Many times clothes were washed and mended while the children slept. With much work and planning, all were kept clean and well fed. Mrs. Sethe got her first sewing machine when she had her eleventh child. After the Sethes proved up on the land they turned the land back to the government for script and all moved into Chehalis for four years. In the early 1900's, they returned to the area and purchased 160 acres five miles above Randle. In 1902 they built their home which still stands on the land. They bought another 40 acres near the road. They had thirteen children in all. Most of them spent all of their lives in Lewis County. Five of the boys worked for the Forest Service. Friedrich and his wife Emma lived on their place near Randle until they died within nine days of each other in November, 1924 and are buried in the Randle Cemetery. By Charles F. Sethe LENNIE (ANSTINE) SEVERNS' FAMILY Charles and Lydia (Baldwin) Anstine were married, February 12, 1908, at Lincoln, Nebraska. They had four daughters: Velma (19081919), Lennie (myself) (1910-), Aura Dey (19121985), and Imogene LeBaron (1926-). (photo): Lennie and Archie Severns My parents met in Lincoln when both were rooming at mom's sister's home. Daddy was a railroad engineer and mom was attending Business College. Their courtship was brief. The Baldwin family was moving to Spokane, Washington, and refused to let mother stay there because she was not married, even though she was 21 years old. My, how times have changed! My father and we girls were born and raised in Seward County, Nebraska. Mother and her family were from Kentucky, leaving there when mother was about 18 years old. After my parents' marriage, they left the city (at mom's insistence) to become successful farmers and cattle feeders. They continued to farm until cancer claimed their lives. Mother was 43 and daddy died three years later, at age 48. Imogene was 2 years old and I was nineteen. She was "mine" from that day on. I rode horseback to attend a two-room country school (grades 1-10), during which time I took private piano and violin lessons. Our small high school in Utica did not have a music department, so my parents decided to send me to Seward High School where I could continue to study music. After high school, I attended the University of Nebraska, received my teaching certificate, taught 3 years in a one-room country school, and taught piano and violin on weekends. W.A. "Archie" Severns and I met when I was a senior in high school. We were married five years later in 1931. We took over the farming business after my father's death. Archie was a town boy and I a country girl. After seven years of farming, he knew it was not the life for him. By then we had a son, Tex (1934) and a daughter, Billie (1936). Starting a new life was big decision, especially for me, to leave the only home I had ever known. It was a wise decision. We chose Centralia (1937) because Archie had a brother, Ray, in Chehalis. We bought a grocery store on Waunch's Prairie. We are now retired and still living on Waunch's Prairie. Our children attended Centralia High School, Centralia College, and the University of Washington. Both are teachers. Tex and family live in Seattle and he teaches in Kent. Billie and family live in Renton and she teaches in Snoqualmie. Tex and Eileen (Greer) have a daughter, Darci, and a son, Blake. Billie and Don Dorland have a daughter, Paige, and a son, Ty. We are proud of our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren. Eileen is a Medical Technician and Don is an administrator in Kent High School. All the men in our family are avid hunters. Our children have cabins at Crystal Mt., not far from the ski area, where they and their families love to ski. It is also a hunter's paradise. The guys have elk and deer antlers to prove it. We have never regretted coming to the West Coast. We have made some lasting friendships with some very dear people. By Lennie (Anstine) Severns ROBERT M. AND MARY LOUISE SUAVER FAMILY Robert Mason Shaver, better known by his friends and associates as "Bob", was born at his grandparents' home in Sacramento, California, 4 March 1858, the third son of Peter and Mary Hardy Shaver who owned and lived on property near Marysville, California. In October, 1865, Peter Shaver was shot and killed at his farm home, and little more than two years later Mary Shaver was dead of tuberculosis. Robert was raised by his father's friend, Mathew Mason, a single man, and together they came from Sonoma County, California to Ellensburg, Washington Territory in 1886, where they farmed. After Mason's death, Robert operated a drayline and kept a general store, where he also made candy and ice cream. It was during this time that he met Mary Louise (Champlin) Pressey, who had migrated in 1853, at the age of three, with her parents from her birthplace in Will County, Illinois, to California. In 1869 she married her first husband, in Sonoma County, (photo): Robert M. and Mary Louise Shaver, granddaughter LeOra Pressey, 1914. and in 1878, with their first three children, they moved to the Upper Wenas Valley in central Washington Territory. Three more children were born to her, and ten or eleven years later she divorced her absentee husband. (photo): Clarence and Eva Shaver - 1945. Robert and Mary Louise married in June, 1890, soon moved to Tacoma where their only child, Clarence Cook Shaver, was born at his half-sister's home on 27 April 1891. They shortly (photo): James and Mary Ann (Shaver) Scarmack, Anthony, Pamela, James Jr. - 1977. 326 (photo): Standing: Harry Shields, D. Dean and Sue Whorton, Thomas, Jesse, .Beth Shaver. Seated: Margaret Shields, Eva, Doris and Brian Shaver. Eva Shaver's 80th birthday, 1982. moved to near Puyallup where they had a cheese factory on their own property. In the spring of 1894, they executed a property exchange with Andrew Nix for his land in Lewis County. On this place, at Boistfort, they farmed, made and sold cheese and other dairy products in Chehalis on a regular basis, raised hops and bought and sold cattle. County records indicated that they also purchased and sold several pieces of land in the area, before leaving the valley in 1901. At this point in time, Robert began a twentyfive year career as a sawmill owner and operator. Because of his work, they usually lived at the millsites; subsequently they made many and frequent moves. Never known to be a great success financially, he was abundantly rich in love for his family, his step-children, the two youngest Annie and Ben Pressey, whom-he raised as his own with his son, his wife, and fellowman. Mary Louise Shaver probably was deprived of many worldly possessions, but she could count on Robert being home with her and the children. Perhaps she mothered him, too, a balm to heal the years he had no mother to turn to. . Old neighbors have referred to Mary Louise as an angel of mercy, teaching, nursing, and nurturing when it was necessary, to allay suffering and to promote happiness and spiritual growth to family and friends. Mary Louise Shaver passed away at home near Napavine 19 November 1917. She lies at peace in Mountain View Cemetery, Centralia, Washington. His sawmill days completed in 1926, Robert Shaver went to visit a few weeks with his stepdaughter, Annie Otness, near Hillsboro, Oregon. This was the little brown-eyed girl who had captured his heart almost forty years before. Robert Shaver's visit lasted until his death on J June 1932. His remains were laid to rest beside those of Mary Louise. Clarence Cook Shaver was a three year old tad when his family came to Boistfort in March, 1894. Because of his father's sawmill operations, as a young man he attended several schools throughout the western part of Lewis County. His schooling concluded at near 7th grade level at the Forest school south of Chehalis, when he was about 16 years old. He followed his father, Robert, into the sawmill and shingle mill business. Many of their mills were in the Forest, South and North Forks of the Newaukum River, and Napavine areas. They were at a location near Napavine when Clarence was drafted into service in the Spruce division, WWI. He had lost the index and middle finger on his right hand years before in a mill accident, but was drafted, a soldier minus his trigger finger. While at the Napavine mill, after his return from service, the Shavers hauled sawed lumber from the mill to the C.C.C. railroad loading dock on the Napavine-Forest road. They had permission to water their horses in the Anderson's barn lot. This gave Clarence the opportunity to get acquainted with the Anderson's daughter, Eva, and they soon began dating. The next year, after the Shavers built another mill on the North Fork of the Newaukum, Clarence and Eva were married 30 June 1920. Eva Lena Anderson was born in Everett, Washington 12 April 1902, the daughter of William David and Emma Anderson. They had moved to Lewis County in January 1915 from Everett. The two Shaver children were born at home on the North Fork, Margaret Louise on 15 November 1921 and Jesse Clarence, 12 December 1922. Clarence came to the realization that he did not want to move his family around from millsite to millsite, as his parents had done. He still carried a lease on 80 acres of state school land, two miles farther up the North Fork, which his parents had first leased in 1907. With some new lumber, lots of salvaged lumber and a smattering of knowledge about house construction, Clarence and Eva built a house on the "state land", and took up residence in 1924. They had kept milk cows on this place for several years, so now they added to the herd, enabling them to sell milk to augment their income. They also worked at clearing stumps on the front forty acres and planted oats and hay crops. In a few more years they had laying hens and were producing eggs, which were shipped to Washington Co-Op at Winlock. Clarence worked out in the woods for Carlisle Lumber Company. Not ever a strong or rugged man, his health broke, and he was very ill for several years. In 1936 after a serious stomach surgery, he seemed to mend, even though there were no "wonder drugs." During the years between 1940 and 1950, he worked at Rainier Crossarm Company, West Coast Mills, and the National Cannery. In 1950 at the age of 59, he had a series of strokes. His last ten years were a trial for him because of his disabilities. He passed away 9 August 1960, and was buried at Sunset Memorial. Even though the years on the farm were tough, Eva had the tenacity and physical strength to carryon in those years when Clarence was ill. The children had chores and responsibilities to keep the farm going. Those were hard years, and not rewarding from a financial standpoint, but during the Great Depression, they always had an abundance of food, canned, cured, and fresh from the garden and orchard. They worked together, and yes, they played together. There were dances at the Grange Halls on Saturday nights, visits to friends and neighbors, family picnics in the summer, swimming in the North Fork of the Newaukum, homebrew hidden under the back porch, sewing club meetings, 500 card parties, strawberry picking trips, wild blackberry picking trips, school programs and a myriad of other homespun activities that might seem rather dull by today's standards. In the long winter evenings, before there was electricity in the valley, Eva would read borrowed books by oil-lamplight to entertain the family, as they huddled around the heating stove in the dining room. Many a tear was shed as she read in very emotional and expressive tones. On other evenings there was popcorn, sometimes popped over the open fire, hot chocolate, or apples, saved from the orchard, as they sat around a crackling fire in the living room fireplace. There were those never-to-be-forgotten trips to the privy in the winter time, with its bonechilling seat, the drafts of cold air seeping through the cracks, and that ever-present catalog. Almost everyone who used the privy at some time was likely to experience the back side of the little building being hit by a well aimed rock. One thing they did have was "city" water. The main which was laid around 1914 came directly from the Chehalis-Centralia intake at the head of the North Fork of Newaukum. All the homes along the county road, near the main, were privileged to hook on, by paying the hookup fee and the monthly rate. Even though there was a plentiful supply of water available in the house, it was in the mid 30's before they had a modern, plumbed-in bathroom. Margaret and Jesse attended Agate Grade School, before it was consolidated with Chehalis district. From grade school, they went to R.E. Bennett Junior High, and then to Chehalis High School. Margaret graduated in 1939 and Jesse followed two years later in 1941. Through the forties, Margaret worked for Fred Meyers, Portland, for Boeing, Seattle, Boeing at Chehalis, and Sears in Chehalis. Margaret married Harry Eugene Shields, 13 September 1947. He was born 23 July 1923, in Clay County, Kansas, the son of Virgil and Gladys (Pacey) Shields. He had come here after serving in the USAF, 3rd Depot Repair Squadron in India, during WWII. He managed a service station in Centralia, and later was a deliveryman for Pantorium Cleaners. In 1951 he completed a six month course at Moler's Barber College in Tacoma, and for a year they lived at Orting, Pierce County, 327 where he owned and operated his first shop. He retired in 1984 after owning and operating his own business in Centralia for 28 years. Their daughter, Sue, was born 8 March 1948 in Chehalis. She graduated from Centralia High School in 1966, and in 1970 from WSU with a B.A. in Sociology. In 1976, she completed a nursing course at Highline College, and in 1980 graduated from Pacific Lutheran in Tacoma, earning her B.S.N. In November, 1978 she married Delbert Dean Whorton. Sue is an IV Clinician, specializing in home care. She is employed by Group Health Hospital in Seattle. Their home is in Maple Valley. Jesse Shaver was a U.S. Navy man during WWII, serving on the destroyer, U.S.S. Wren. His tour of duty took him to the South Pacific and the Aleutians. He married 2 August 1946, Doris Mary Robins, who was born 15 September 1919, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Thomas and Ada Ann (Turner) Robins of Gibbstown, N.J. Doris received her education in Gibbstown public schools, then completed nursing school in Philadelphia. Their first home was on part of the North Fork farm. In 1948, Jesse was employed by Dupont de Nemours Company at Dupont as an operator. Their home has been there since. He took early retirement when the company closed its Puget Sound operations in 1977. Doris nursed at St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma for many years. They have three children. Thomas Edward Shaver, born 1 November 1948, at Chehalis, grew up at Dupont, where he attended school, graduating in 1967. He works as a hoist operator in a Tacoma wallboard company. Tom married Joann Kobel of Lakewood in 1970. They have a son, Brian Edward, born in 1971, who divides his time between his parents at their Lakewood homes. Mary Ann Shaver, second child of Jesse and Doris, was born 14 March 1952. She graduated from high school in 1970. In 1970 she married James Scarmack. They make their home in Farrell, Pennsylvania, where Jim is a fireman. They have three children, Pamela born in 1971, James Olin Jr., born in 1972, and Anthony Robert born in 1976. Elizabeth Ann "Beth" Shaver, third child of Jesse and Doris, was born 14 August 1955. She graduated from Laughbon in 1973. She is a pharmacist assistant at Madigan General Hospital, and is studying to eventually become a pharmacist. Eva Anderson, who married into the Shaver family 65 years ago, has lived in Centralia since 1965. At 83, she keeps her own home, and will continue to do so as long as possible, God willing! By Margaret L. (Shaver) Shields GRACE JENKINS SHEARER My grandfather, Levi Albert Jenkins, moved west from Iowa to Ranier Beach, King County in 1902. His second son, Thomas Lloyd, my father, returned to Rice Lake, Wisconsin in 1904 to marry Pearl Albra Coffin. Their first home was established in the Rainier Beach area. I was born in 1905 and my brother, Lloyd Arthur Jenkins, was born in 1906. In 1911 our whole family, 14 of us at the time, moved to acreage in Zenkner Valley. Until WWI my dad followed the carpenter trade. We moved to Aberdeen and he worked in the shipyard for the war effort. At the war's end, we moved to Chehalis. Dad and his brother opened the Chandler and Cleveland automobile dealership in the (photo): Grace and Jerry Shearer 50th wedding anniversary, 1975. 300 block of North Tower where the 88 BONANZA store is now. Dad's first love was construction, which he returned to after 4 years in the agency. He built 25 homes in the Centralia area prior to his death in 1969 at the age of 88. Due to dad's work, we moved several times. Arthur and I attended five different schools before graduation from High School in Centralia. He went on to college at Washington State, transferring to U. of W. where he was graduated with a degree in finance. He and his wife Jean live in New York City. His children, Dorothy and Arthur, both live in Germany. Mother and I were the first commercial tenants in the newly built Masonic Building. We operated the Needle Art Shop from 1923-27. Three years after I finished high school, I married William Gerald Shearer. We bought property north of Centralia and my dad helped us build a small 3-room house. We lived at that address 54 years, just a few blocks south of my childhood home. Our two daughters, Geryldine and La Vola, attended Oakview School and Centralia H.S. Both Jerry and I served as P.T.A. President while the girls were at Oakview. In 1946 Geryldine married James E. Foglesong. Their home is in the Lincoln Creek area. In 1947 La Vola married Robert E. Meyer and their home is Beaverton, Oregon. There are 9 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Jerry and I were active in the Order of Eastern Star. He served as Worthy Patron in 1948-49 and I served as Worthy Matron in 1949-50. For 25 years Jerry was a painter and decorator. He then went to work as an administrator for Labor and Industries in Lewis, Thurston, and Mason Counties. At the death of Lewis County Auditor Roy Fletcher he was appointed to fill that office, and at the next general election was retained. He served five years; health reasons caused his resignation. He and Charley Davis combined talents and worked together as house painters, retiring in 1975. Our girls hosted our 50th wedding celebration in 1975. Jerry died in 1979, and in 1984 I sold our home and moved to an apartment in Centralia. My brother, Lloyd Arthur, and his son Arthur Llewelyn are the last of our branch to carryon the Jenkins family name. By Grace Jenkins Shearer HARLAN MEIKLE SHEPARDSON FAMILY Harlan Meikle Shepardson born November 8, 1903 at Castle Rock, WA, to Plinny Shepardson and Effie Meikle. He graduated from the Kelso (photo): Harlan M. Shepardson Family, L to R, seated: Selma, Harlan, Standing: Ruth,Harlan Plinny, Marie. high school in 1922 and moved with the family to Toledo in 1923. In Sept. 1923, he went to Pullman, WA, to attend college on a Carl Raymond Gray 4-H scholarship. After one term he transferred to the Oregon State Agricultural College (now Oregon State University) at Corvallis, OR, graduating with a BS degree in Agricultural Chemistry in 1928. It was during the 1924 summer vacation that he met Selma Marie Rajala (see Rajala Story) and they were married October I, 1927. For the two years prior to graduation he worked half time as a fellowship chemist in the Oregon Experiment Station analyzing the soils of Oregon. After graduation he went to work at the Am. S & R. Co. lead smelter at Selby, CA, as assistant control chemist and later as associate gold and silver bullion assayer. In 1929, he went to Honolulu as an assistant soils chemist for the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Experiment Station. In 1933, he quit his chemist career to become a farmer, first near Vader and then in 1941 moving to Toledo, where they raised their family. This farm was sold in 1977 and they built a home on a part of the Meikle-Shepardson farm that Harlan had inherited, where he and daughter Marie are now living. Selma and Harlan were both active in community affairs. They were members of the Lone Yew Grange and the Lewis County Historical Society. Selma has been a Sunday School teacher, 4-H leader, and precinct committee woman. She passed away January 3, 1984. Harlan was one of the sponsors in the organization of the Lewis County Fire Protection District No.2 and served on its board of commissioners for many years. He served as Master in both the Masonic Lodge and the Grange, and has been on the Board of Directors of the Lewis County Historical Society for many years. He was appointed Postmaster at Toledo in 1956 and served until 1973. Harlan and Selma had three children: Marie Evelyn born October 4, 1930 in Honolulu. Marie graduated from Toledo high school in 1948, and got her BS degree at Oregon State University in 1953 and her MEd (1960) and her PhD (1964) degrees at Ohio University. She is now living with her father at Toledo. Harlan Plinny "Lanny" born June 13, 1939. He graduated from Toledo high school in 1957. He got his BS and MA degrees at the University of Washington and his ThM degree at the Trinity Theological Seminary. He and Patricia Ann Rosengren were married June 23, 1961. They have one daughter, Rebecca Ann born October 6, 1966 and two sons, Nathaniel Waldon born July 4, 1969 and Peter Sherwin born May 23, 1974. They are living in Cornish, ME, and are active in religious work. Ruth Elaine born June 29, 1942. She graduated from Toledo high school in 1960 and attended Oregon State University. She and Walter Steen 328 were married in 1962. They had one son, Daniel William born March 3,1963. Walter was killed in an auto accident in 1966 and Ruth married Wayne Adams in 1967. They live in Laramie, Wyoming, where they are both employed in the energy research program at the University of Wyoming. By Harlan M. Shepardson PLINNY SHEPARDSON FAMILY Plnny Shepardson born August 16, 1872 was of the ninth generation of Shepard sons in America,a descendant of Daniel Shepardson who came to America in 1628. Plinny was born five miles west of Catlin, WA (now West Kelso), the fifth child of Lorenzo Dow Shepardson and Flora Rosalie Huntington who had come to Monticello, WA in 1858 and 1852 respectively. (History of Cowlitz County 1983) As a young man, Plinny entered the apiary business, manufacturing bee hives and selling them and other apiary supplies and bees. He travelled around the country transferring bees from the old type barrell hives to the then new, frame hives, and is believed to have put the first bees into a modern frame hive on the Pacific Slope. He usually had a few hives of bees around the rest of his life and never wore a veil or gloves. About 1901, he rented his Uncle Ben Huntington's farm at Castle Rock, WA, and started his farming career. He and Effie Meikle (Re: Thomas M. Meikle story) were married October 5, 1902. In 1911 they purchased property adjoining the old Shepardson farm at Kelso, W A, where Plinny was born, and developed it into a farm. This farm was sold to the Long Bell Lumber Company in 1922, and they bought from her father and mother's heirs the Meikle farm at Toledo where Effie had been born and raised. Here they dairied for the rest of their lives, which ended for Effie October 28, 1955 and for Plinny in August, 1956. They were both active Grangers, Effie having been Master of Catlin Grange at Kelso in 1920 and of Cowlitz Bend Grange at Toledo and was a charter member of Lone Yew Grange at Toledo, and Plinny served as master of Lone Yew Grange. Plinny was a member of ToledoLodgeNo.l16F. &A.M.and Effie a member of Toledo Chapter O.E.S. Four children were born to this marriage: Harlan Meikle, born November 8, 1903 (see separate story this book). Plinny Dow, born May 29, 1907 at Castle Rock, WA, married Ida Paul September 13, 1946. Dow moved-with the family to the Meikle farm at Toledo in 1923 where he lived until November, 1984 when he and Ida moved to Castle Rock, within a mile of where he was born. He graduated from Toledo high school and spent his life farming and working in the timber industries. They had one adopted son, Eugene Dow, born May 26, 1954. Cilicia Anneta, born July 25, 1910 at Castle Rock, WA. She graduated from Toledo high school and married Leo Collette August 22, 1928 and they settled on a farm at Orchards, WA. They had two daughters: Cleo Nita, born December 21,1932, and Norma Jean, born May 10, 1938. Flora Marilla, born June 16, 1915 at Kelso, W A. She graduated from Toledo high school and went to work at Forks, WA, where she met and married Bjarne "Barney" Olberg December 4, 1934. They later moved to and settled in Enumclaw, WA, where they raised four children: Marilyn Edelweis, born September 10, 1935; Barney Dow, born July 15, 1938; Harley Gene, born October 31, 1941; Stanley Darby, born December 26,1948. By Harlan M. Shepardson (photo): Plinny Shepardson Family, L to R: Harlan, Anneta, Plinny, Effie, Dow, Flora. WILLIAM FRANKLIN AND OPHELIA MCFADDEN SHORT My grandfather, William Franklin, was born in Alabama in 1857 to William and Malinda Welch Short. (photo): William Franklin and Ophelia (McFadden) Short His travels led him to Paris, Texas, where he met and married Ophelia Ann McFadden on September 30, 1883. She was born on February 17, 1865 in Tennessee to John McFadden and Fannie Rummage. They had three children, Missouri Lee, born July 16, 1884, Fannie Mae, born November 17, 1885 and my dad, William Thomas, born January IS, 1887. Grandpa came Northwest in 1888, and was met in Chehalis by relatives of grandma's, the Rea's or McFadden's from Ajlune. My grandmother followed in 1889, with the three small children and with what few possessions she could bring on the train. (photo): Standing: Lillie and William. Seated: Esther and Ophelia Short. They stayed with relatives in Ajlune until the land in Highland Valley, five miles West of Morton, could be improved enough to apply for a homestead deed which was granted on June 29, 1898 by President William McKinley. The first home was a small log cabin and later a larger home was built. It burned and nearly all of their possessions were lost. My father helped build the new second story house that had carbide lights and modern bathroom facilities, which would have been a true luxury in the early 1900's. My grandfather on Sunday mornings would hitch up the horses and the wagon and take the 329 family to Ajlune to the Brethern Church. In those days that would have been quite a trip. The main thing that I've heard about Grandma Short, or Aunt Babe as she was known, was trom Dick Coston and Eugene "Bing" Bingaman. As young boys, their parents would go and visit the Shorts and grandma would go outside, grab two chickens by the neck, wring them and they'd have chicken dinner with the best baking powder biscuits that these "boys" had ever eaten. They must have been good for them to remember her biscuits so many years later! Grandpa was a farmer and walked with a bad limp, and some thought he'd lost his big toe. It was not known for sure, but he was crippled. He passed away in Eatonville on October 13, 1922 and was buried in the Morton Cemetery. Missouri, or Zuda as she was known, married James Rockwood and lived in Highland Valley, where they raised their five children. She passed away October 20, 1957 and is buried in the Morton Cemetery. Fannie married Ed Owens and for some years lived in Randle where several of their children were born. Then they moved to Castor, Alberta, Canada and she never returned to visit. They had eight children that survived. She passed away, May 28, 1928, and is buried in the Castor Cemetery. After the passing of my grandfather, my dad stayed on the farm with his mother and took care of her. On February 14, 1927, he married my mother, Lillie May Knittle, the daughter of a very early homesteader. Grandma passed away on May 30,1927 and is also buried at the Morton Cemetery. The 160 acre farm was left to Dad. He farmed and milked sixteen head of cows by hand twice daily, plus working long hours in the woods. Never having any modern farming equipment, he did his plowing of fields and getting the hay in with a team of horses. When it was time to get the hay in, all the relatives gathered together and helped each other with the haying. Myself and four cousins loved to ride the hay wagon. One afternoon Dad's younger horse, for some reason, apparently got spooked and the team ran wild with five children on the hay wagon. It was very frightening for everyone. All jumped or fell off, except for my cousin Roland. His leg was caught. Finally the wagon tipped on its side in the swamp area and thank goodness Roland was not hurt. That was the last trip we got to ride on the hay wagon. The folks and I lived on the farm until 1950. They had to sell and move into Morton because of Dad's poor health. Back then with five to six feet of snow each winter and no phones available, it was not safe to be up on the hill. The 160 acre farm with several acres of large fir trees was sold for $4,000.00. Dad passed away on September 25, 1952 and is buried in the Morton Cemetery. The folks had two daughters, Ophelia Nellia, born December 8, 1927 and myself, Esther Louise, born October 21,1933. Ophelia (known as Phil) married Jack Pell on March 17, 1946. They had one daughter, Anna May, December 24, 1946. She married Gary Blang June 19, 1965. They have two children, Jeffery Scott born April 19, 1966 and Carman Marie born February 28,1969. I married Richard Hope, Jr. in Topeka, Kansason February 28, 1953. We have four children. Dick was born in Omak, Washington but grew up in Onalaska. Our four children are Donald William, May 19, 1954, Richard Earl III, May 23, 1955, Paul Severn, November 19, 1956 and Denise Eileen born August 17, 1958. Donald married Norma Moore November 13, 1976 and have Crystal Marie - October 28, 1975 and Jack Everett - February 1, 1977. Richard III married Donita Simpson on October 20, 1984 with two children, Josh and Jodi. Paul married Kim Melton on July 29, 1973 and they have Janet born September 25,1975. Denise married Robert Clevenger - May 6, 1978. They have Amanda Jo - March 7, 1979 and Breann Rochelle - September 9, 1980. My husband has worked for St. Regis, now Champion, as the purchasing agent for over twenty years. Much of our married life we have been in Morton. The road east of Morton, where my grandparents homesteaded, was commonly called the Short road by all local residents. In 1967, the County named it the Hopkins road on the maps. In April, 1981 through my efforts, the Lewis County Commissioners officially established the "SHORT ROAD." The Short road is widely published as an access to an excellent view point of the Mt. St. Hden's crater. By Esther Short Hope LEE AND MYRTLE SHULT FAMILY Leland O. Shult, "Lee" as he was known later, was born October 2, 1908 near the small town of Doland, South Dakota. He died March 12, 1969 so I'm left to tell of our family. I am Myrtle (Drayer) Shult and was also born in the small town of Doland, S.D. on October 16, 1911. The two of us grew up in the same area, Lee of Swedish ancestry and my parents of English-German stock. He went to a one-room country school while I attended "town" school, but we both graduated from Doland High School. (photo): Lee and Myrtle Shult I had the distinction of graduating with Hubert Humphrey, our Vice President under President Lyndon Johnson. After high school Lee attended Dakota Wesleyan University graduating with a B.S. degree in 1932. He started to teach the following fall but became ill with Tuberculosis and was confined to a sanitarium for two years. After graduating from high school, I attended the University of Minnesota, receiving my diploma in nursing in 1932. We had dated in high school but later our paths separated; however we kept in touch. Upon discharge from the "San," Lee came to the Pacific Northwest in search of something new. He got into "selling," which is what he pursued the rest of his life, working for Fuller Brush Co., Singer Sewing Machine Co. and finally Allstate Insurance. I had stayed in Minnesora for eight years working in a hospital. After keeping in touch all these years we were married in Seattle July 25, 1940. We made our home in Hoquiam for a year while he was with the Fuller Brush Co. He was transferred to Chehalis as field manager and lived there for ten years. It was here our four children were born: Douglas 1941, Jean 1943, Jo 1947 and Carol 1949. We were all member of the Chehalis Methodist Church and began our Scout Life. Lee was involved with Boy Scouts while Doug was a Cub Scout, later to become an Eagle. In 1950 we moved to Centralia where we found our country home of nine acres on Ford's Prairie. Our house was built about 1918 by Dan Foron, a member of a pioneer family in this area. It was a perfect place to raise our children plus horses, a cow, our beef cattle, chickens, goats, ducks, dogs and cats. I became involved in Girl Scouts with all three girls, and have now been a member over thirty years. We were all involved in Centralia Methodist Church as well. All four children have established their own lives. Douglas is married with two daughters and a doctoral degree in mathematics and teaching in California, our second daughter Jean is married with two sons and a degree in education and teaching. Jo is married with a son and a daughter and a degree in education and teaching, and Carol has been employed by Pacific Northwest Bell for seventeen years. The Northwest has been good to us. By Myrtle Shult I.W. SHULTZ FAMILY Isaac W. and Eliza Dalton Shultz with their year old daughter, Mary Gertrude, came to Toledo, WA, in September of 1877, with his brother John and his parents Lawrence and Delilah Bumgardner Shultz. (photo): Ike and Eliza Shultz and daughters Gertie and Maggie, 1880. Their daughter, Margaret Ella, was born one month later, October 1877 of Cowlitz Prairie. Next spring they bought the Samuel Layton D.LC. on Eden (Layton) Prairie where daughters Mahala and Lettie were born in 1880 and 1882. They were instrumental in purchasing ten acres from the Northern Pacific Railroad for the Eden (later Lone Hill) Cemetery. Lawrence was the first to be buried there in June of 1880. Deli- 330 lah passed away in June of 1901. Isaac was a progressive farmer and for many years ran a mercantile store at Knab (Lay tonPrairie) and one for the miners at Green River, managed by daughter Gertie. John Knab petitioned for a post office on the prairie and when it was opened in 1888, it was named for him. Eliza ran the post office till 1902 when they moved to Chehalis and ran a livery in the vicinity of what is now Lee's Insurance. In 1892 Isaac, a staunch Republican, was elected Lewis County Assessor for two terms. He also served as deputy sheriff for many years and served on the Toledo town council. He belonged to the LO.O.F. They were very active in civic and community affairs. Eliza was a charter member af the Rebekah No. 46 lodge. Their stay in Chehalis was short lived and by 1905 they had moved back to the prairie farm. In 1911 they moved into Toledo. Ike passed away in January of 1935, Eliza, March of 1937. Gertrude married George Waddell. Their children were: Frank, who married Ruth Weigand; Carmen married E.A. Krause and Edna married John Jacobson. Margaret married Elias P. Layton. Their children were: Ernest, who married Harriet Gries; Estella, who married Ellsworth J. Smith; Elva, who married Henry Armstrong and Edith who married Mark Kirkendoll. Mahala married George Olson. Their children were: Kemp who married Esther King; Stanley who married Anna Boone; Ralph who married Wilma Buswell and Cecil who married Lois Williams. Lettie married Jack Lemon. There were no children. By M.D. Cole LAURENCE L. SICKLES Our father, Laurence Luther Sickles, was born in Hymer, KS, in 1878. He came to Seattle with his family in 1888. Later, they moved on to a farm near Mossyrock. Dad delivered mail between Mossyrock and Winlock on horseback. His step-father, Sal Kessinger, delivered mail between Chehalis and Mossyrock. (photo): Back row: Laura and Laurence L. Sickles. Seated: Dan, June and Lee. Our mother, Laura Lillie Edna Black, was born in Brighton, IA, in 1889. She came west with her family on an immigrant train in 1901. The train came along the Columbia River, on the Oregon side. Much rain had fallen and the train was moving slowly, so as not to trigger another slide and to avoid serious damage or injury. One (photo): Laurence Luther Sickles, Laura Lillie Edna Black Sickles did hit the locomotive and they came to a sudden stop. A man sleeping next to the aisle lost his derby hat, which rolled down the aisle. Granddad had just started for a drink and had to run to keep from falling, like he was chasing the hat. Some laughed but others were in tears, from fear of the situation. They had to sit there all night until another train came from Portland. On one side, all they could see was the river and, on the other, a steep bank. After they transferred to the other train, the next morning, they soon arrived in Portland. They sat idle for a long time. Granddad finally went out to see what the delay was. When he returned, he said, "By Ned, we're on a boat." The train was being ferried across the Columbia River. Evidently, no bridges had been built at that time. The relatives expected them a day before they arrived and were waiting at the Chehalis Depot. They came again the next day and, when they were not on a train coming in, thought there was more delay. A cousin, Tom Houston, went to look at a second train. He came back and said, "Here is Uncle Cale getting off this other train." They said, "How do you know? You have never seen him." He replied, "I don't care. It is him." He was correct. It was Granddad and family. The South Bend line of the railroad ran from Chehalis to the coast and went by the foot of Ceres Hill. Long's Crossing was a rail stop, where Ceres Hill road crosses the tracks. Some of the family were waiting there with a team and sled to take them up the very steep hill to the log cabin, where Granddad's father and mother lived. Our mother was eleven years old at the time, and the man driving the team said, "Hang on tight or you will roll down into the Chehalis River." So she held on for dear life in the darkness. They stayed with her grandparents, Jonathon and Sarah Black, who had a donation land claim on Ceres Hill. The school, where mother went, was near the track, a short distance beyond Long's Crossing. On the first day of school, the weather was clear on top of the hill, but as they started down, they encountered heavy fog. She had never seen fog in Iowa and wondered what it was. She saw that her cousins, Charlie and Ellie Beaber, were walking right into it and asked "What is it, water?" Ellie laughed and said, "it is fog," so she followed them into it. One of our uncles said, "This is the doggondest country I ever saw, where the trees have whiskers." No moss on the trees in Iowa. A brother-in-law, Alva Goff, said, "When you look down the street, all you can see is a row of umbrellas." Our parents were married in Chehalis in 1909. About two years later, they took a homestead near Shaniko, OR. Shaniko was the rail terminus and sheep country. It was known as the greatest wool shipping area in the world, at that time. My mother worked in the Shaniko hotel, then called the Columbia Southern Hotel. Dad worked in wheat harvests. He was knowledgeable in working and caring for horses, the power source in those days. About the year 1916 in late fall or the spring of 1917, they sold their homestead rights and moved to Chehalis. Dad worked in the milk condenser plant. In the spring of 1919, they heard of logged-off land being sold for $5 an acre at Winlock. They purchased fifty acres about five miles from Winlock. We moved there as soon as a house was built. From this time on, they always lived in the Winlock area. We had some cows and a team of horses. Dad milked cows morning and evening and worked in a sawmill about two and one half miles from home. He walked back and forth to work. Mother worked hard, also, carrying water, cooking on a wood stove and caring for the children. In 1921 a planer accident at the mill claimed Dad's left hand. It was hard for him to get a job after this, especially during the Great Depression. Twelve chidren were born to them. Eight lived to maturity. We lost our brother, Louie Leroy (Lee) Sickles, in World War II. Daniel L, Oran A. and L Russell live in the Winlock area. Lucille Kaija and June McNelly also live in Winlock. Muriel Oneal lives in Kalama, W A, and Ivy Mulford lives in Centralia, W A. Dad said we were pioneers of both Washington and Oregon. By June Sickles McNelly SILER FAMILY Judson S. Siler left his home in Waynesville, North Carolina, in the fall of 1886, arriving at Cowlitz Prairie in Washington Territory. Where he remained through the winter with his uncle, Judson Herren, whose farm bordered the holdings of the Hudson Bay Co. The latter now being the site of the Cowlitz Mission. Early the next spring he left the Prairie and proceeded up the Cowlitz River to Mossyrock, the last settlement at the end of the road. From there he took the horse trail thirty-five miles into the Big Bottom country on the upper waters of the Cowlitz. In taking his homestead three miles southeast of what is now the town of Randle, he was following by something like a year the route taken by his cousin Rufus T. Siler who had located in that same vicinity in 1885 or 86. For the first ten years after coming to the Territory, J.S. Siler spent about half his time, that is the spring and summer months, in slashing and clearing his claim, while during the remainder of each year he would return to Winlock, Washington. There he grubstaked himself by working in the logging camps and mills. In 1897 he was married to Theresa A. Rise (Lewis). In 1899 he and his family, which consisted of his wife and one son Harry A. (born in 1898) and four stepchildren, moved to their home in the Big Bottom country. This trip, although taking five days by team and wagon, covering a distance of sixty miles over such roads as existed at that time, was a method far superior to that used when the first settlers went into that country. The following story is told of the first wagon which was taken into the Big Bottom by R.T. Siler, referred to above. It was necessary to dismantle the wagon at Mossyrock thirty-five miles from its destination and carry it that distance by pack horse. Accordingly, the wagon was torn down into sections as 331 convenient to pack as possible, two wheels being loaded onto one horse and two onto another, etc. The portion alloted to one particularly obstreperous cayuse was the front hounds and axle, the latter having a sharp edge due to wear by the wheel. In its effort to relieve itself of its burden by rearing and bucking the animal had jabbed this sharp point into its neck cutting a blood vessel, and it was feared that it would bleed to death. However, pioneer surgery came to the rescue, a pin was thrust through the skin on both sides of the wound and a string tied around both ends of the pin, thus drawing together the cut. The bleeding stopped and the pack train continued on its way. Even in those early days a little hard money was necessary as well as desirable to keep a family eating, and a body of cedar timber on the homestead seemed to be the most ready source. Accordingly, Jud Siler and his wife set up a camp in their own home and the accompanying "bunk house." A crew of up to a dozen or fifteen men were employed. The big cedars felled, cut and split into four foot bolts, "bucked" into nearby Siler Creek, driven to the Cowlitz River three miles distant and then on to Kelso in the big "drive" to the shingle mills. Thus, and in similar ways came the ready money so necessary to buy the flour and the sugar for the table and the shoes for the family while the ranch was being cleared that it might provide in the future. In 1905, the family went back to Winlock for a short three months, stay and there the second boy, Judson Terry, was born. During these several years Judson S. Siler served his community in whatever way it called him. He was number one man in the church, Superintendent of the Sunday school, Justice of the Peace, School Director and United States Commissioner during the land opening about 1914 or 15. For many years he served as Deputy County Assessor and canvassed the entire east end of the county from Mossyrock to Packwood, mostly on foot, a distance of fifty miles. Through all these years of traveling through the county he had accumulated an acquaintance of nearly the entire population in Eastern Lewis County, together with a host of friends around Chehalis, Winlock and the west end. His business frequently called him to the Court House, and being interested in civic matters, naturally had at times entertained the ambition to enter politics. To run for the office of County Commissioner was perhaps the most ambitious of his hopes, although this wish was never gratified. However, in 1912 the call came for a man from the east end to represent Lewis County in the Legislature, and Judson S. Siler answered that call. It was perhaps as much a surprise to him as to anyone when he found his hat in the ring but he fought a hard campaign and won. >From that time until 1927 he served in the Washington State Legislature continuously, with the exception of the biennium of 1920 and 1921, making a total of fourteen years. He served on many important committees, including the Appropriations Committee and the Committee on Agriculture of which he was chairman. However, his most important work and that nearest his heart was that which he found in the Committee on Roads and Bridges and the Educational Committee. He made few speeches on the floor of the House, but in these two committee rooms, especially he labored long and hard. State Road No.5 and the White Pass Road came in for much of his attention; while in the matter of schools, the growth of the consolidated high schools throughout the state and the welfare of the State College of Washington were his greatest interests. The completion of his service in the Legislature brought him to the age of sixty-five years, declining health and the end of his active life. In 1929 he was stricken with a malady which confined him immediately to his home and later to his bed for the remaining thirteen years of his life. He died in 1942 and was laid to rest beside his wife who had preceded him by only a few months, in a little cemetery in the Big Bottom Valley, which valley he had watched develop from a little handful of pioneer bachelors to a thriving community of agriculture and industry. R.T. SILER FAMILY In the spring of 1885 a tall slender young man of 22 years stepped from a train at Winlock, Washington. He was Rufus T. Siler who had come directly from Tennessee to find a new home in the northwest. An uncle had written of a beautiful valley in the Cascades which the native Indians called Big Bottom. The letter stated that homestead land was available and that he should come out west to this Washington Territory to see it for himself. Following directions, Rufus started walking toward the mountains with all his belongings on his back. At nightfall he stopped at a cabin in the present area of Salkum to seek shelter. On approaching, he heard voices of people inside. They were singing hymns, and he felt heartened as he had heard scary tales of the wild west. After crossing the Cowlitz twice by Indian canoe, Rufus met the uncle. They selected a site and at once began cutting logs with which to build a small cabin, the site being one mile south of Randle. In a few months, Rufus' family arrived and selected another homestead site nearby. His oldest sister, Louisa (Owens) kept house for him the following winter. She, therefore, was the first white woman to appear in the valley. A need for mail service resulted in an application by Rufus to Senator Vance of North Carolina, for mail carried on a weekly basis from Chehalis. This was accepted and the post office was thus named Vance in his honor. By early 1886 Rufus had met, on his occasional trips to Mossyrock for supplies, an attractive young girl named Josephine Landes, daughter of a pioneer there. They were married in December of 1886. While still occupying the tiny cabin without floor or window, Rufus started building a larger house of logs. Here three children were born: William in 1889, Beatrice (Magill) in 1893, and Louise (Anderson) in 1897. These three were all sent to college in due time. Mr. Siler had hired Indians of the Cowlitz tribe, to clear his land and finding them friendly, he learned their Chinook language. They came to trust him and sought his advice on legal matters. Early in this period, religious services were held in the home. By 1894 a log church was built, with community help, on an acre of the Siler farm. It was of Methodist denomination. Rufus occasionally acted as preacher and Josephine played the organ. She also taught a Bible class for many years. In 1911 a larger church was established in Randle. By 1911 the Silers had built a modern home with registered stock on the farm. Mr. Siler produced prize-winning crops and for several years in the 1930's, he exhibited community products at the Puyallup Fair. He was on the board that organized the first consolidated school district No. 214. For 20 years he was president of the Citizens League of Eastern Lewis County. He also had a hand in modernizing the beautiful cemetery at Silver Creek near Randle. The Silers celebrated their Golden Anniversary in December of 1936. Mr. Siler died in 1931 and Mrs. Siler in 1939 they left seven grandchildren and numerous great and greatgreatgrandchildren. RUFUS T. SILER Conditions for living in the South in the years following the Civil War were not too easy or filled with opportunities, so my father, RUFUS T. SILER, from Loudon County, Tennessee, came west early in the spring of 1885. He was 22, just the right age for seeking adventure. He was a fine specimen of young manhood, being over 6 feet tall and weighing around 190 pounds. He had black hair and blue eyes that bespoke honesty and friendliness. His complexion was ruddy, and he wore a mustache as was the fashion of that day. On reaching Portland, he took an afternoon train for Chehalis. From his uncle, JOHN W. OSBORNE (who had preceded him to the northwest), he had heard about the fine soil and untouched land in the upper Cowlitz basin. He was further convinced by a man with whom he became engaged in conversation on the train who said that he must go and see the newly discovered "Big Bottom" country located 65 miles east of Chehalis. At that early date, the road ended a short distance beyond Mossyrock, and from there on, newly- blazed trails wound through the dense virgin forests. Trees which had fallen across the trails had notches in them where men and horses could get a foothold. Father set out on this trail on foot. At the end of the first day's hike (about 18 miles out near where the town of Salkum is at the end of the pavement at the time of this writing), he stopped at a homey-looking cabin and asked if he could stay for the night. He heard singing and learned that the family and their neighbors were having a prayer meeting. He remembered the tales of wild animals, fierce Indians and wild people who had settled in the west, and his fears subsided. Here were people of refinement and education singing praises to God and, quoting from his own words, Rufus said, "I felt better and was more encouraged than ever about going on." Later on his journey, he had to cross the reo cross the Cowlitz River, with the help of friendly Indians who had dugout canoes, before he reached the site which he chose for his future home. When he came out of the forest of tall fir, hemlock and cedar trees, he stopped once on a hill and looked out on the fertile valley called "the Big Bottom." He was entranced by its beauty and grandeur. It was covered with groves of soft maple, ash and alder trees with vine maple and cascara beneath. It lay peacefully between the rugged foothills of the Cascades and three snow-covered volcanoes, one of which was almost entirely visible. It was rich with alluvial soil which had covered the ground when the river overflowed its banks from time to time. There was a luxuriant ground cover of reeds and bear grass which had later proven fine for grazing before the land was cleared. Here he chose some of the best bottom land with the river running straight along the west side, and here he built a cabin. It consisted of one room about 15xl5 feet built of small logs. There was a fireplace of mud and rock, and a door so low that he had to stoop to enter. On April 4, 1885, he took out a homestead of 160 acres. 332 Because the river cut off a small portion of the land, the actual acreage was about 145. In the early part of June of that year his family consisting of his widowed mother, Mrs. Martha (Osborne) Siler and brothers William O. and Jacob, sisters Louisa M., Mary E., and Harriet E., followed the way west but stayed in Chehalis for a time. Later grandmother Siler took a claim on the Cowlitz River at the point where the present town of Riffe now stands. EARL E. SILVA Earl E. Silva, the youngest child of George and Myrtle Silva, was born 27 February 1927, in Randle, WA. His father was trucking logs for K. Madsen at Malone when Earl started the first grade at Porter. Miss Gazelle was his teacher, and Les Scroup was the principal. All the little boys wore bib overalls and Earl recalls they sat in little green chairs. He attended public schools in Mossyrock, Centra Ii a and Aberdeen, then graduated from Seattle University. Milking his grandma's cow was Earl's first work, and then he had a bike route delivering the Seattle Times to Centralia customers. Some other jobs were: almost six years in the U.S. Army, a mechanic at Ray Spears garage in Chehalis, a bread wrapper at Lippman's bakery in Seattle, and 18 years with the Centralia School District. His first contract in 1955 was 7th grade classroom teacher, plus basketball and football coach at Oakview grade school. His salary was $3,600 per year. In 1948 Earl married Laila Sigrid Walli, born 4 December 1926, in Aberdeen. She was the daughter of Sam and Sigrid (Junkari) Walli, both born in Finland. Earl and Laila have lived near Centra Ii a for thirty years, in the house they remodeled. Their area of residence has beautiful views and good building sites, but had inadequate water supply. In 1966 after having engineering studies which met American Water Works Association standards, Earl and his partner Glen (Bud) Hedge began construction of a water line that connected to the city of Centralia water supply. Eventually there were nine miles of water line and fire hydrants. With adequate water, over seventy families built new homes in that Cooks Hill neighborhood. The business, which was known as 7-11 Development Corporation, was sold to the city of Centralia in 1984. Earl's partner, Bud, died in .1984. Earl and Laila have four daughters. Susan Sigrid, born in 1949, is married to Ron White and lives in Boise, Idaho. Sally Jo, born in 1950, is married to Rick Marshment, and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Cynthia Anne, born 1951,is married to Jerry Taylor and lives in Centralia, Washington. Celia Karen, born in 1953, is married to Chuck Hansen and lives in Spokane, Washington. The grandchildren are Seth and Scarlett Taylor, Heather, John and Brian White, and Andrew Hansen. By Laila Silva GEORGE ANDERSON SILVA George Anderson Silva was born 20 May 1896 in Webster County, West Virginia. He was a little boy when he arrived at the Chehalis train depot with his younger sister, parents Russell and Sallie, and grandparents Robert and Martha Silva. That day in 1903, they were met by Reynolds kinfolk, who were already settled here from West Virginia. They went by horse and buggy to their new home in Swofford Valley. George went to work at an early age. By 1912 he was driving a four horse team and wagon and delivering cream from Riffe to Chehalis. In 1916 he drove a Model T as the "stage" between Mossyrock and Riffe. In 1921 he had a seven passenger Anderson-six touring car, in which he drove the family back to West Virginia for a visit. They took along cooking utensils, food, bedding and clothes, all fastened to every protuberance. Rolling along they went, stopping to cook, camp and to buy gas. In later years his mother, Sallie, recalled that she baked biscuits almost every day of that trip. In 1926 George had the first truck with pneumatic tires in Lewis County. For the rest of his working years he was a truck mechanic. George married Myrtle Rude, who is of Norwegian descent, in 1917. She is now living in Aberdeen, Washington. They had five children, who were: Delbert Daniel Silva, born 1918 and now in Sutherlin, Oregon; Russell Clinton Silva, born 1920, died 1973; Inez Lorraine Silva McKinley, born 1922, died 1979; Edith Silva Landi, born 1924 and now in Aberdeen, Washington, and Earl Edward Silva born, 1927 and now in Centralia, Washington. George was married to Reva Smith Bowen of Aberdeen, Washington, and she died several years ago. He now makes his home in Centralia. By Laila Silva ROBERT DANIEL SILVA Robert Daniel Silva, b. 15 April 1838, was the oldest son of James W. Silva (Silvey) and Frances B. Atkisson, dau. of Barnett and Eleanor (Saunders) Atkisson. The family left Madison County Va., in ca. 1830, and settled in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, "high on a mountain, near the summit, where five rivers head, and neighbors were few and far between." The father, James, d. 18 January 1849, leaving the widow Frances, with four sons and three daughters. She remarried a widower, Joseph Rogers in 1855 and the combined family moved to Stamping Creek, in the same county, and so named as buffalo once stomped in its bed. Robert married 9 September 1860, to Martha Ellen Young. She was the daughter of John Young Jr. and Mary Underwood; he a veteran of the War of 1812 and the son of John Young Sr. a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and all of Madison County, Virginia. Robert and Martha settled on the Stamping Creek homestead. He was a farmer, hunter and a sometime schoolteacher. During the "War Amongst Us," he served the Confederacy under Stonewell Jackson, rode in the cavalry, and learned the cobblers trade. His three brothers Barnett, John Anderson and Christopher Silva served the Union cause; the first two dying in Dakota Territory while guarding wagon routes. Ca. 1903 Robert and Martha, with son Russell and family left West Virginia. They settled in the eastern end of Lewis County, Washington, on land reminiscent of the steep hills of their former home. Eventually their sons John Barnett, Cysler Vivian Silva and daughter and son-inlaw Joanna and Thomas M. Hill joined them. Left in West Virginia were three daughters and one son. Robert spent his last years living with son Russell. He enjoyed reading, writing letters to the newspaper. In one he recalled that he was twelve years old when he first attended school and three months was the longest term he attended. He and neighbor Andrew Kaiser, a Union veteran, spent many an hour telling Civil War tales. During World War II, Robert worried about his great grandsons in the armed forces, and hoped they all had a warm barn to sleep in and more than sweet potatoes to eat. Robert d. 28 September 1942, at the age of 103. He is buried in Frank Able Cemetery, Woodland Washington, next to his wife Martha, who d. 25 June 1921. By Laila Silva RUSSELL B. SILVA Russell B.Silva, b. 2 March 1867, in West Virginia, the second son of Robert Daniel and Martha Ellen Silva, was married to Sallie I. Reynolds, b. 12 September 1877. She was the daughter of William J. and Elizabeth McElwain Reynolds of Webster County, West Virginia. The McElwain lineage includes Daniel Perrine, a Huguenot, who arrived in