“The Gang” – Early 1930s In the Badlands
Here’s “The Gang” along with Wood and Stuart Jett in the early 1930’s in the Badlands.. From left to right we have: Tip, Wood, Bill, Marion, Helen, Stuart.
Read More…Category: Sidney (Tip) Melby
Group Photo – Who Are These Guys?
See if you can recognize some of these characters and put the names in the comments.
Read More…
The Battle Mountain Auto Camp (BMAC)
The Place Bess and Ole Melby Bought when they Sold the Ranch This is a mini-history of what the parents of Marion, Helen, Bill and Tip did when they sold their ranch and left for the Black Hills to enter the tourist business. The Battle Mountain Auto Camp (BMAC) sat on the north side of […]
Read More…
Love Letter from Ruth Kelly to Tip Melby – January 1938
On a Monday evening in January of 1938, Ruth sat down after a long day of teaching and wrote to Tip. She had traveled all night by bus to get back to her school — a stage from Deadwood, a late connection at Cheyenne, a wash and a comb at the schoolhouse before the children […]
Read More…
The Saga of Johny Jergeson meets Uncle Tip
The Saga of Johny Jergeson meets Uncle Tip A holograph account by Bob Painter · Scottsbluff, Nebraska · May 19, 2016 Transcribed from the two-page manuscript. Original spelling, punctuation, and paragraphing retained. In the spring of 1937 (I think if I remember correctly) Uncle Tip came home to the ranch in Harding County (the old […]
Read More…
“The Kids” – Marion, Helen, Bill, and Tip
This photo was taken around 1920. The photo includes (from left to right) Marion, Helen, Bill, and Tip
Read More…
Tip’s Stories – As Told To John Ashford in 2003
Tip’s Story The Recollections of Sidney “Tip” Melby — A Life on the Northern Plains As told to John Ashford Tip Melby was born in 1915 in a sod house on the line between North and South Dakota, the son of Christopher Cranston and Elizabeth Lillian Campbell. He was raised on horse and sheep ranches […]
Read More…
Tip’s Musings – A Grandfather Sits Down to Talk
Tip’s Musings for His Grandchildren A Grandfather Sits Down to Talk In the early 1990s, Sidney “Tip” Melby sat down and began to write to his children and grandchildren. He was born in 1915 on the high plains where the two Dakotas meet Montana, the son of Christopher Cranston and Elizabeth Lillian Campbell. What he […]
Read More…
The Cajun Condo — A Joke on Tip
He started it with Bulgarian folk songs. He should have known better! Tip loved jokes – even those on him. This is a fun story – typical of the great sense of humor that was “purely my Uncle Tip.” It’s the record of a long-running practical-joke war between Tip and me. It began with music: […]
Read More…Tip Melby – 1973
This photo was taken in 1973 at the time of Preston Painter’s funeral.
Read More…Tip Melby With Echo Staff
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…Ruth Kelley Melby with Students at Heart Mountain Relocation Center
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…Oyster Stew – Christmas Eve
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…Tip and Charlie Discuss Pranks
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…Tip and Ruth Get Married!
This is the decorated car in which Ruth and Tip made their getaway after their wedding! I’m not sure of the date of the wedding, but I’m sure that cousins will supply it in a post.
Read More…Tip Melby’s Sense of Humor – The World Poetry Contest
Tip Melby was an educated man. He was fond of opera and good literature – something I think he learned from his grandfather, Giles Campbell. Tip was visiting with me one afternoon and asked me if I had watched the world poetry contest that was on TV the other night. Not being so tuned […]
Read More…Ruth Melby (Tip’s Wife) – Memories from Jean Melby-Mauer
These are memories of Ruth Kelly Melby from her daughter – Jean Melby. ~ 2015 Remembering My Mother Ruth, my mother, was a special woman. Born in a small house on the prairie in 1912, she was delivered by my Aunt Esther, who at the time was only a teenager. Always an avid reader and […]
Read More…Melby – Early Photos
Who are these guys, anyway?? Photos provided by Jean Melby-Mauer. Come on, cousins – fill in the blanks with your comments below! ~ CCJ
Read More…Tip’s Story – Introduction by John Ashford ~ 2003
These pages are scanned from “Tip’s Story” written by John Ashford ~ 2003 They cover a lot of fun things about his early life and his memories – these are how he is communicating with us! All stories can be found by going to the MENU bar and clicking on “Tip’s Story.” Sidney “Tip” Melby Here […]
Read More…Ruth Melby (Tip’s Wife) – Memories from Karen and Bill
From Karen Melby Lavelle All mankind has in common a mother and a father .I had a mother and a father. They had all the requisite warts, wonders and splendors. One of those splendors was my Mother’s fierce determination and courage. I had graduated from Montana State University with an associate degree in nursing. All […]
Read More…Locations of Cranston Family – North Dakota and South Dakota
These are the locations taken from Google Earth of the various places where the Cranstons Lived in North and South Dakota. The location is the North Dakota / South Dakota state line and to the west is the Montana State line. This is the overview Another Overview Relationship between Painter Ranch and the Willett Place […]
Read More…Who Was “Auntie Pearl?”
Marion and Helen stayed with “Auntie Pearl” in LaGrange, Illinois where they attended and graduated from Lyons Township High School. “Auntie Pearl” was Louise Pearl Burnside and daughter of Marcus Terry Burnside and Maude Taliaferro Cranston who was some 14 years older than her younger brother, Christopher “Doc” Cranston. Marcus and Maude married in 1883.when […]
Read More…Tip Melby’s Sense of Humor – CCJ’s Memories
One of the pleasures I had by being related to “Uncle Tip” was that I could enjoy humor with him. He loved to laugh . . . and he loved practical jokes – even if the jokes were played on him. I always had a great deal of respect for him – particularly because he […]
Read More…Tip Gets Lost!
Sometime around 1980, Tip was visiting us in Chicago. He had come to Chicago to watch a handball tournament in the northern suburbs – so we let him use our car. We were waiting for him to come home that evening, and he didn’t arrive until about an hour after he thought he would […]
Read More…Bad Man’s Butter!
When Marion, Helen, Bill and Tip lived with Giles and Nellie Campbell at (I think) the Shaw place, Helen, Bill and Tip were playing down by the Grand River. One of them had to go to the bathroom (#2) . . . . went . . . and then covered the “stuff” with dirt. […]
Read More…Tip’s 80th Birthday with Family and Helen
These are photos taken on Tip’s 80th birthday with his family. Helen attended the festivities.Tip and Helen Tip and Helen Jean, Janice and Karen Bill Pat
Read More…