Sunday, November 29, 2015

Where is the final resting place of Major George Steunenberg & his wife Georgia?

Sometimes there has been confusion as to where Major George E. Steunenberg, and his wife Georgia, are actually buried. The answer is Arlington National Cemetery, NOT Canyon Hill Cemetery in Caldwell, Idaho. One of the reasons for the confusion is that Arlington previously had the Steunenberg name misspelled in their database. How many times have we seen that before! I requested a correction and it was done several years ago.

Further muddying up the picture is that information on the Find A Grave website lists Canyon Hill Cemetery in Caldwell, ID as the burial site for George and Georgia. That is incorrect too as it is a memorial marker at Canyon Hill. I have asked the person managing that page to make the change so hopefully you will see it soon. I also have added some photos, including of George's and Georgia's markers at Arlington. Perhaps a link to the the actual Arlington grave site would also be helpful.

Memorial Marker at the family plot, Canyon Hill Cemetery, Caldwell, Idaho. The DOB for George on the Find A Grave site is also incorrect and should be Aug. 10, not Aug. 20. As you can see above, dates were not used on the marker itself, only years.

Further adding to the confusion, there are actually two different Find A Grave entries for both George and Georgia (4 total). I think having the two sites is fine as long as the information is correct and each makes mention of, and links to, the other.

George Steunenberg:
Arlington National Cemetery
and
Canyon Hill Cemetery, Caldwell, Idaho 

Georgia Steunenberg
Arlington National Cemetery
and
Canyon Hill Cemetery

Probably doesn't help having a husband and wife with the names George and Georgia either!

So in the end, the actual resting place for Major George Steunenberg and wife Georgia is at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. However, the memorial marker in Caldwell remains an eternal symbol of their connection to Idaho and to the many family members resting peacefully on Canyon Hill.

A young George in the U.S. Navy
On the L Charles S. & George on the R





You have seen these photos elsewhere on the blog. However, I need a photo of Georgia if anyone has one.I believe she became a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and see a couple of brief references. Need to do more research.


Some related Links:

Saturday, December 20, 2008




Sunday, April 15, 2012
FOLD3 Memorial Page (under construction)

Monday, March 26, 2012
 An Army Invitation

Sunday, March 18, 2012
Elimination

Saturday, March 10, 2012
The Feline Curse at Leavenworth

And George wrote a lot more, sometimes getting accolades and at other times into a little trouble with the Army for his comments and criticisms. He was a rather free spirit and one of my favorite ancestors because of it. I recently picked up a second copy ($2 as I recall) of his entertaining little book, Songs of a Soldier. He also wrote Memories of Hawaii and Other Verse.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Thanksgiving Flashback

I am taking the easy way out again and posting a Thanksgiving Flashback of previous posts. You will see familiar items, including this now almost traditional photo of the turkey herd at the Old Idaho Pen that comes from a November 1924 Nature Magazine I acquired a few years ago.

I may get back to add a few items later.

Have a safe and great day/weekend everybody!
JTR Collection

I said I would probably be back for an addendum!

A person I got acquainted with on Find A Grave has done many entries for Steunenberg kinfolk and 1000's of others. I am not into it as are those who document many grave sites/deaths as a hobby but it is a good resources for information and of course memorials. I have posted a few pictures from time to time on some of our family member pages. This gentleman who did all the Steunenberg's had asked if I would take over the assignment/maintenance from him. I agreed to do so. Not a big deal as he did all the work but it gives me more control over what can be added without having to request permission each time. My name, email and blog links also now appear for others to use that might have information or wish to comment but with whom we don't have regular contact. I was reminiscing  about our T-days as kids, mom, and how I miss her along with that turkey, dressing, mash potatoes and gravy. Fittingly, he just transferred her page over to me a few minutes ago on this Thanksgiving Day. I always give thanks for having such a great mom!
Mom Brenda & John on
 a bright sunny day by the bay.

Brenda Ruth Steunenberg Richards (1918 - 2010) - Find A Grave Memorial

Sunday, November 22, 2015

QSL cards wanted for W6WFV, Cal Steunenberg, U.S. Army Signal Corp. & Ham Operator

 I am doing a little collecting project and looking for any old QSL cards of my uncle Cal Steunenberg's with the call sign W6WFV. Preferably they were written on and sent to other ham operators and the earlier the better (50's. 60's, 70's), etc. Of course actual cards are preferred but if it is one you can't part with, a good scan would suffice. I will pay the mailing cost and a reasonable fee (a few bucks) unless you have something with a unique message or was swapped with a famous fellow Ham operator or radio station. Of course free would be better as it is the story of your contact or your ancestors as evidenced by the card that I want to preserve too. Since QSL cards were exchanged by mail, one of yours, or your relatives/ancestors (even if blank) to go with Cal's would be a special treat. BTW, in case you are wondering, I have none of his QSL cards (be it his or those he received) except the two you see pictured below. I do not know what happened to any of them...wish I did.

Here are a couple examples of my uncle Cal's cards.

Above is the earlier card, perhaps 1950's. As we commonly find throughout history, Steunenberg was printed incorrectly, with the first 'n' left out. Sorry, but no, you can't call it an error card and sell it for a bunch of money!

Here is a card printed in the 1970's but given to my son Josh about 2002 when he got his ticket.

Circa WWII US Army Signal Corp.
So check among all those old QSL cards on your wall or among grandpa's belongings and aging ham radio equipment, I would always be pleased to see if you or your kinfolk hooked up with Cal during the many years he was on the air.

Of course, I will also listen to anyone with old radio equipment or boat anchors they might want to get rid of too! 

Email: john.t.richards@sbcglobal.net
73's, John, KJ6DOV 

More from my Blog on Cal Steunenberg

Fold3 Honor Wall-Cal Steunenberg 

Find a Grave 

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Updated post from 11/11/2015. A little Naval history discovery on Veterans Day...oil soaked 1935 bills from the USS Lexington sunk at the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942

Republishing this today with better scans and a little additional information. I was so excited with the discovery on Veterans Day that I slammed it up there pretty fast with only one mediocre scan. Will continue to add more information as it becomes available. 
Thanks, John 

From 11/11/2015 
A very nice and pleasant surprise discovery as we honor our Veterans today.

Fred Mandella, CEM, USNR
As Cindy & I sometime do on holidays, we work on our family history collections. Today often focuses on military mementos. Here is an interesting new find she discovered in a box that the Navy boys and girls will appreciate...two oil soaked 1935 Silver Certificates from the sinking of the USS Lexington in May 1942. Perhaps not specific to Idaho but the Battle of the Coral Sea was important for all of us and a lot of Idaho men and women were serving too. Being a military history enthusiast, it got me pretty excited. Looks like these were given to Cindy's grandfather, Chief Electricians Mate (CEM) Fred Mandella, USS Castor AKS-1 by Chief Hire, EMC. I have not yet located a Chief Hire, EMC, so give a holler if you do. 

Update 11/15/15: Found a little on Chief Charles W. Hire, a CE on the USS Lexington as of 9/30/1941. I will dig up more as time allows but made sense to find him on the Lexington.
USS Castor. Riding pretty high for a supply ship so my guess is coming into port for re-supply, repair and r&r.


As you can see, the note says "3 - $1.00 Bills 'Oil Soaked.'" The two US Silver Certificate Certificates fit that description. I imagine one could have been given away or sold by Fred as there were receipts among the same items for some U.S. coinage that apparently had been sold. However, there was a third $1.00 bill in the envelope but it is Canadian, appears pretty crisp and clean and not "oil soaked." It is dated 1937 so would be pre-USS Lexington sinking. Here is a front and back scan. Let me know what you think. 


From Fold3: USS Lexington was rocked by explosions belowdecks as the crew abandons ship

You might remember our earlier stories about Iowa football player and Navy pilot Nile Kinnick and the signed photo postcard I got from my father.

Kinnick died on a routine training mission off the USS Lexington on 6/2/1943. How could that be when Lexington was sunk in May of 1942?  Well one month after the older Lexington (designated CV-2) was lost, a new carrier under construction was renamed USS Lexington and designated CV-16. Kinnick was flying off of CV-16 when he crashed into the ocean. This fifth Lexington survived the war and is now a national monument and museum in Corpus Christi, Texas.

You can read a little more about Fred & other Veterans on my blog link: http://steunenberg.blogspot.com/…/honor-our-veterans-novemb…  

USS LEXINGTON  (CV-2)

And the sinking of the Lexington CV-2 on Fold3: https://spotlights.fold3.com/…/the-sinking-of-the-uss-lexi…/

Idaho Related: Idaho Public Television presents The Idaho Homefront: World War II

And of course we can't forget BIG SPUD BB-42 USS Idaho

NavSource

I might as well mention the Yorktown CV-5 too. It was badly damaged at Coral Sea but was miraculously repaired enough in time to be at the Battle of Midway. It may not have been at full power and armament but just being there is said to have scared the hell of the Japanese. My brother Gary Osborne served on the USS YORKTOWN (CV-10 & later called CVA-10 and CVS-10). As a little kid, when in port, touring the flight deck, I seem (or want!) to remember going up and down the flight elevator to the lower deck as was an unforgettable experience.

NavSource

Monday, November 9, 2015

Honor our Veterans November 11th and on all days

Find yourself or other Veteran family members or friends by clicking on the image below and conducting a search. Be it you are kinfolk or not, I would be pleased to know the names you discover & the stories you share. Email to: john.t.richards@sbcglobal.net
If you need assistance, just ask & I will do my best to help. 
 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3dqar-KWX7eGXJF6W-uV9vCsODDiZ9zNLsfemeIw9ZDSiv2wU-k00L7NJpPy5Yi_NMh1mVVKXR2rg4jnxEBw9p-2JFzuGUqHSam8HeMtSEzhFxvpuUbYG513RM8qjpzDHjCdr886p3w/s1600/honorwall+pic.jpg
From Fold3.com

History of Veterans Day
 
Still a lot of work to do on these but it's a start.

Carroll 'Cal" Steunenberg 

Frank 'Bud' Steunenberg 

Jule 'Juke' Steunenberg
(above are the three sons of Julian & Francis Steunenberg & my uncles)

Robert K. Steunenberg

Bernardus Steunenberg


George Steunenberg


Robert 'Bob" J. Richards (my father John Sr.'s brother and my uncle) 

Nile C. Kinnick (not family but did find a connection) 

Ronald L. Longanecker (my wife Cindy's cousin)


Jim Carl Behlen Jr., U.S. Navy (my wife Cindy's brother)

Frederick J. Mandella (Cindy's paternal grandfather)

Walter 'Gary' Osborne (my brother) 


Bob Allen (brother in-law, Navy, need more info on Bob)

Timothy Underwood (my nephew)

Justus L. Simpson (Way back on Grandma Francis S. side) 

Lewis Simpson (brother of Justus)

Sergeant Stubby (kind of reminds me of my old mutt from childhood) 

Saturday, November 7, 2015

"Boise, Idaho, 1901, Legislature" & a bit of Idaho Suffrage too

Here is a nice original photo I acquired of the 1901 Sixth Idaho legislature taken on the steps of the Territorial Capital building. As we know, Frank served here as governor from 1897-1901 when some of these legislator's were no doubt also members of the Fourth and Fifth legislatures during his administration.

"The sixth session of the State Legislature began at Boise on Monday, January 7, 1901, and adjourned sine die on Tuesday, March 12, 1901. During the session Lieut.-Gov. Thomas F. Terrill served as president of the Senate, and Glen P. McKinley, of Shoshone County, as speaker of the House. Governor Hunt's administration commenced with the opening of the session.  In his message he gave a comprehensive account of the Coeur d'Alene riots and announced that the cost to the state of restoring order in the troubled district was $59,849.66. He also stated that martial law was still in force and that United States troops still occupied Shoshone County." — History of Idaho Gem of the Mountains

Only one person, William Edward Adams, is identified on the back of the photograph. I will start searching my books and photos to see who else I can ID but no doubt need a lot of help with this one. Please let me know if you can identify any of these gents and ladies.
I will assume the "ribboned hat" is the one on the lady to the right (looks like a forest up there!) and William Edward Adams is the gentleman directly behind unless they are referencing the fella just to the right. However, I could be wrong and a bit of enlightenment on the subject of hats might be necessary. Who are these ladies? Wives, legislative aids, elected members, Idaho suffragettes?

Below from History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains, Volume 4. I have volumes 1, 2, & 3 but not the hard to find 4 yet. Looking for one if you have it.
William was born 8/3/1861, died 6/3/1937 & is buried at Hillcrest Cemetery, Weiser, Washington Co., Idaho (Find A Grave).

For more on Governor Steunenberg and the fourth and fifth sessions of the State Legislature, and the above Sixth session, click on the link below.
History of Idaho
James H. Hawley, Editor
From Steunenberg to Morrison

"By a vote as flattering as it was just, the electors of the state, at the last election, conferred the privilege of the ballot upon women. I take this opportunity of welcoming them to the ranks of voters and feel sure that, in their new capacity, they will exert the same influence for good that has characterized the sex since creation's dawn. I recommend such legislation as may be necessary to carry out the full purpose and extent of this amendment." 
Governor Frank Steunenberg, January, 1897

Other Related:
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Woman Suffrage in Idaho by Governor Frank Steunenberg

The Woman's Column