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…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…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…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…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…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…These are the graves of the original Cranstons – in Rhode Island. The photos were taken by Charles Holly Jett.
Read More…These photos were taken in 1960 . . . one on the ranch in NDak and the other at USNA during Parents’ Weekend. Charlie & Susanne – at USNA Attie Jett (Grandmother) and Susanne
Read More…Born in Woodstock, Ohio; Married Jennie Elizabeth Fulton 20 Mar 1866 in Urbana, Illinois; Died in Parsons, Kansas. Son of Christopher Cranston and Irene Ward Nott Cranston. He was the brother of Charles Edward Cranston – Doc’s father. Therefore, William Wallace Cranston was Doc’s uncle. Nov 20, 1838 – Dec 7, 1907 Cranston was a Civil War Captain […]
Read More…These were taken in early summer, 1972, in McLean, VA where Susanne, John and Mike lived in an apartment. There are a couple of photos of the lot in Ellicott City – BEFORE the house was built.
Read More…These are photos taken, I think, in 1976 at the time of the Gold Discovery Days in Custer, SDak. Paul and Helen owned the General Custer Motor Hotel in town and were dressed up for the parade.
Read More…Bess has been published. It is HISTORICAL FICTION . . . based LOOSELY on the adventures of the real Bess. The intent is to describe the adventures of the early homestead and the challenges faced by a young woman venturing out into the prairies of far southwestern North Dakota in the early 1900’s. Remember . […]
Read More…Karen Melby and Susanne Jett sometime in the early-mid 50’s at the Battle Mountain Auto Camp.
Read More…William W. Cranston writes to his niece & all about the death of Charles Edward Cranston. It’s interesting that this letter is dated August 4, 1905 – same as the date of Charles’s death on his tombstone. In Edna Barnes’ book, she lists the date of Charles’s death as August 5, 1905.
Read More…Josephine Park Cranston says that “Crane” and “Stone” pendant would initiate the name Crane-Stone. Creative.
Read More…Not much is written in the “Story of the Cranstons” book by Edna Barns about John Cranston. The only reference to him is that he was the son of Thomas Cranston and that he had, “among others,” one child who was Christopher (born in 1803). Here is more detail on John Cranston provided by cousin […]
Read More…This letter was written on December 17, 1858 by one of the children (I assume a daughter) to a “Mary” and details the death of Christopher Cranston, Charles Edward Cranston and Josephine Park Cranston’s father and Chris (Doc) Cranston’s grandfather. He died of internal injuries suffered in a fall from the loft in his barn one […]
Read More…This is a lengthly letter written by George Cranston of Edinburgh, Scotland to Josephine Park Cranston. It describes the “Cranston Line” starting around 1170. George Cranston was trying to help Josephine with the geneology of the Cranston family. He tried and failed to get responses from his relatives to Josephine’s inquiries. He did succeed, however, […]
Read More…Janice Opsahl uncovered this gem. Our great, great uncle, William Wallace Cranston, was the son of Christopher Cranston and the half-brother of Charles Edward Cranston. He was born on November 20, 1838 in Ohio and died on December 7, 1907 in Kansas. As a Private in Company A, 66th Infantry, Union Army, on May 2, […]
Read More…Sometime around 1949 or 1950, I was at the 7-11 ranch staying with “Uncle Bill” and “Aunt Doreen” and having fun with Chris. Uncle Bill had just purchased a new Lionel “O” gauge electric train and set it up with the track running completely around the living room. He was very proud of it. Somehow […]
Read More…This letter is in very bad shape, but it is from Charles Edward Cranston to his brother, sister and daughter. He laments the fact that they are apart and worries about Josephine’s health.
Read More…This story is about the Willett Place on the Little Missouri River. It was located about two miles north of the Painter Ranch and on the west side of the Little Missouri River. The only way you could get to it was to ford the river at a crossing just a short distance downstream from […]
Read More…Tip gets a tractor.
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