For Descendants of Christopher (Doc) Cranston & Bess Melby
The First Families of Ohio (FFO) is a lineage society recognizing descendants of individuals who settled in Ohio by 1820. John Cranston and his family settled near Columbus, Ohio in 1815. FFO is administered by the Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS) that honors descendants of the earliest settlers in the state. Membership is open to any […]
Read More…
From Galesburg to Newport The Direct Line of Charles Edward Cranston, Eight Generations Back to Mary Clarke — with One Important Correction * * * * * For years our family papers have included a handwritten genealogy page — the “40 Generations” chart — tracing the Cranston line from Charles Edward Cranston of Galesburg, Illinois, […]
Read More…
Here’s a link to a couple of “Google Earth” maps that show where the Painter Ranch, the Willitt Place, The Jett Ranch, where Marion, Helen, Bill and Tip were born. Just click on “Location of Cranston Family – North Dakota and South Dakota” below. Locations of Cranston Family – North Dakota and South Dakota
Read More…
Marion Painter’s Story As told to Donna at Tamarin Square, Durango, Colorado Provided by Melinda Painter Subject: Marion Cranston Painter Parents: Christopher and Elizabeth Cranston Born: Harding County, South Dakota Recorded: Tamarin Square, Durango, Colorado — 1983 or later Recorded by: Donna Marion Cranston Painter told her life to a woman named Donna at Tamarin […]
Read More…This recording was made in 1956 when we visited Knoxville, Illinois. Susanne, Helen and Charlie visited “Doc” in Galesburg and went to Knoxville to see Auntie Pearle and Uncle Frank. Here’s the best effort for a transcription of the recording. Galesburg, Illinois, 1956 Auntie Pearle, Uncle Frank, and Jane Swanson Best-Effort Transcript Source: […]
Read More…CAROL PAINTER A Record from the Newspapers, 1966–1973 Part Two of Four · 1969–1970 Daughter of Preston E. and Marion Painter of Rochford, South Dakota Clippings submitted by Melinda Painter The three items below cover November 1969 through May 1970, the year Carol Painter turned from a 4-H club member into an officer, a Girls […]
Read More…CAROL PAINTER A Record from the Newspapers, 1966–1973 Part One of Four · 1966–1968 Daughter of Preston E. and Marion Painter of Rochford, South Dakota Clippings submitted by Melinda Painter The three items below cover the earliest surviving notices of Carol Painter, from August 1966 to March 1968, when she was a girl on her […]
Read More…
Charles Edward and Keturah Cranston Charles Edward Cranston was born April 19, 1833, at Woodstock, Ohio, Champaigne County, and died at Galesburg, Illinois, on August 5, 1805. He married Keturah Taylor Parke on March 15, 1860 in Milford Center, Ohio. She was born on March 30, 1835 and died on September 18, 1902. A certified […]
Read More…
This photo was taken around 1920. The photo includes (from left to right) Marion, Helen, Bill, and Tip
Read More…These are notes taken by Carol Painter from a phone conversation with Bob Painter. From January 14, 2012. Carol’s Notes from Bob Conversation with Bob — 01/14/2012 Transcription of two pages of handwritten notes — Cranston/Painter/Borell family papers Page 1 T/C Bob 01/14/2012 Mae Borell — 2 sisters 1) Maude Borell Richards — Elmer Richards 2) […]
Read More…
This is a poem that was written by Elizabeth Clark Hardy, and was read at the memorial service for President Woodrow Wilson. I found among my father-in-law’s papers – Robert Holden – he was the Dean of Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When my first wife (Marcia) died in 2005, this poem […]
Read More…
I’m putting a short video on here that (hopefully) gives you some idea of how this website is set up. This might make it easier for you to find what you are looking for and/or just plain explore. Have fun! ~ Charlie
Read More…Former longtime Durango resident Catherine Elizabeth Dodd passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 7, 2021 in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Born to Preston and Marion Painter in Harding County, South Dakota on October 9, 1939, she was raised on the family ranch with her four brothers and four sisters. Cathy married Richard Dodd of Spearfish, South […]
Read More…Jan G. Painter, 78, of Scottsbluff, died October 15, 2016 at the Residency Care Center in Scottsbluff. Funeral services were set for 10 a.m. Saturday, October 22 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Scottsbluff, with Bishop Randall Mills officiating. Burial was to follow at 3 p.m. at the Glenn Cemetery near […]
Read More…
Ruth Doreen Painter Henrikson passed away peacefully in her sleep at home on June 1, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family. Ruth was born on September 13, 1951, in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, to Preston Elmer Painter and Marion Josephine Cranston Painter. She was one of nine children and spent her childhood on […]
Read More…
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…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…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 27, 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 and BessII have been published. They are 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 […]
Read More…