For Descendants of Christopher (Doc) Cranston & Bess Melby
Lebanon, OR – Marion Co. Nov 23, 1851 Dear friends and relatives. We are all here and well every one of us. It has been almost two years since we have seen each other. I should be glad to see you all but in all probability we shall never see each other again in this […]
Read More…Mailed to Mr. Christopher Cranston in Woodstock, Ohio Near Fort Kearney, NE, May 22, 1851 Dear Friends – We have just arrived here all well without the first accident whatever all in good spirit after remaining all night in a storm without wood to make a fire to get our breakfast with so we ate […]
Read More…Letter from Ephraim Cranston – Oregon Trail – 1850 This is a letter from an ancestor, Ephraim Cranston, son of John Cranston. Ephraim left Woodstock, Ohio in 1850 and captained a wagon train on the Oregon Trail. This letter was written at a place approximately 100 miles northwest of St. Joseph, MO. The letter was […]
Read More…The Cranston Adventure of Moving from Rhode Island to Woodstock, Ohio in 1815 as told (I think) by Josephine Park Cranston sometime in the 1880’s from her memory of stories and records that she kept. The original documents in her own handwriting are below. * * * * * Early in the fall of 1815, […]
Read More…Here is a wonderful photo of our two cousins – Cathy and Susanne. This photo was taken at the ranch (Kelly Place) that Wood and Helen Jett were renting back in the very early 1940’s. It is located north of the Painter ranch and the Willett Place – somewhere a little west of Ladner.
Read More…In Rob Painter’s words . . . . . I would like to start by relating a journal that explains a part of, or what makes Dad, or (Bob) as you know him, Who he is. A good part of what makes a man is of course Mother. In this case that is Marion Cranston […]
Read More…“How Bob Painter and Jan Gillespie Met” I went back to school at Colorado A&M, an agricultural/mechanical college. I didn’t have a place to stay because I wanted to stay at the riding stables. At that time they had a riding stable so they could teach riding to college students. Prior to World War II, […]
Read More…Marion Writes a Letter – “From Your Mother” Dear One a Diary Belle Fourche, South Dakota At D. L. Owens home January 24, 1938 (This is the entry and voice of Marion Painter) Your Father and I don’t know who you are yet, but I am here waiting for you to come, while he stays […]
Read More…Funeral services for Robert Lewis Painter, 83 of Crawford, NE will be held at 11 am Friday April 23 at the Scottsbluff Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Bishop John Blomstedt presiding. Robert (Bob) died April 18, 2021 at the Monument care center in Scottsbluff. Burial will be at 3pm at the Glendale […]
Read More…On Tuesday, July 6, 2021, Chris Cranston visited the Evergreen Cemetery in Hot Springs, South Dakota to celebrate the lives of our family. They include: Bill Cranston (Chris’s Father) Doreen Cranston (Chris’s Mother) Bess Melby (Chris’s Grandmother) Ole Melby (Chris’s Step-Grandfather) Chris (Doc) Cranston (Chris’s Grandfather) Marian Painter (Chris’s Aunt) Preston Painter (Chris’s Uncle) Helen […]
Read More…These photos were provided by Chris Cranston from an album his mother created in the 1940’s and 1950’s.
Read More…Jean Elizabeth Melby-Mauer of Las Vegas passed away on Sunday, December 22nd. She was born to the late Sydney Melby and Ruth Kelly on September 10th, 1948 in Missoula, MT. Jean attended Whitman College and the University of Washington. She pursued graduate studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She taught English as a […]
Read More…Photo provided by Dick Painter.
Read More…These photos were taken in September 1974 when Dick was a senior in High School. The gathering was to go to the football game. The view is from the windmill at Preston and Marion’s ranch northeast of Crawford, NE. In one of the photos, you can see the north side of the ranch house.
Read More…This photo was taken in 1973 at the time of Preston Painter’s funeral.
Read More…These are photos provided by Pat Melby of Echo editor Albert Saigo with advisor Sidney (Tip) Melby and Echo Staff with Tip. (Early 1940’s). Click HERE to this link and scroll down to read about Tip and Ruth’s time at the Relocation Center in Lyman, Wyoming.
Read More…These photos are at the courtesy of Pat Melby. They are of Ruth Kelley Melby with students at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming (early 1940’s)
Read More…Jack Watson and Dick Painter also sent this letter to “one” – written in February 1938.
Read More…From Jack Watson and Dick Painter . . . . this is apparently a letter written to the Painter children by Marion in January of 1938 anticipating the arrival of a new family.
Read More…Apparently there was some sort of tradition in some of the Cranston clan families for having oyster stew on Christmas eve. Certainly I remember having it with Helen and Wood, and it looks like the same tradition was prevalent with the Painters and Melbys. So . . . . Here’s the recipe that I found […]
Read More…Trip to Australia and making new friends.
Read More…These are photos of Helen with Chuck and Clara Williamson – dear friends for years.
Read More…A collection of photos mainly with the Painters . . . . Marion and Preston . . . and a couple of good ones with Marion, Tip, Helen and Preston. Enjoy!
Read More…Frostie was a delightful and VERY smart toy poodle that Helen and Paul had while they were at the General Custer Hotel in Custer, South Dakota. She deserves a place and her own post on this site.
Read More…Here are some new photos that include Marion and Preston . . . . . taken around 1970, I think. Group photo was taken (I believe) at Preston’s funeral.
Read More…These photos include Helen and Paul at the Davies residence in Ellicott City and some from the General Custer Hotel in Custer, SDak.
Read More…Here are some photos taken with Helen and Paul – and some (rather poor quality . . . sorry) in the Davies home in Ellicott City. Enjoy.
Read More…The “It’s All About Skills” podcast series is about to go live. The introductory episode can be accessed through the link below.
Read More…For those of you who are bread bakers, here are a couple of recipes that are guaranteed “Kick Ass!” Recipes are in “.jpeg” format. Click on them to enlarge – then print. Pumpernickel, Rye and/or White. Enjoy! White Bread Rye Bread Pumpernickel Bread
Read More…This video was taken about two months before Tip died – and, incidentally, about a month before Marcia died. It was taken over a luncheon at the Glen Oak Country Club in Glen Ellyn, Illinois by Georg Mauer. Also on the video is a bit of coverage of Andreas Mauer’s graduation – speech given by […]
Read More…Rare photo of Uncle Bill in his Canadian Air Force uniform.
Read More…This is shared by Dick Painter. One of my favorite stories about my Dad and I won’t bore you with all of the details is how they took the cattle to Nebraska in 1936 to survive the drought. It was so dry and the vegetation was so sparse that when the cows would get to an […]
Read More…This story was told to Bob Painter by Tip Melby. Bob generously passes it on to the “Cranston Clan.” ~ CC
Read More…This photo was taken in Spearfish sometime in the early 1930’s. See if you can find Helen and Marion.
Read More…Photo taken in July 1944 when Chris (Doc) Cranston visited the CB Jett ranch.
Read More…These are photos of Susanne taken in the forties and fifties. They include birthday photos (3 and 4 years old), photos on the North Dakota ranch, and photos in Hot Springs.
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