To Sarah Johnson from Ernest Brige 3/21/1940

Seymour Manufacturing Company

Incorporated

Scythe Snaths, Grain Cradles

Post Hole Diggers, Etc.

Established 1872

Seymour, Indiana

March 21, 1940.

Mrs. Sarah Johnson,

1506 Y Ave.,

LaGrande Oregon.

Dear Mrs. Johnson:

I received your letter of March 10^th some time ago and have been intending to answer it more promptly. Answering some of your questions, my father’s name was Julius and his grandfather and your grandfather were brothers. His grandfather was one of the younger children in the family. Someone in the Oklahoma branch of the family wrote that they thought their family was largely Irish, meaning that the Birges had married people f Irish descent. This is true of our family as my mother’s name was Mary Patrick. In my own family I have five children and six grandchildren.

I notice that your grandmother wrote the family a letter in 1875. There seems to be some little confusion as to the name of your grandfather Elijah’s wife, possibly because he married twice. I am trying to clear up this part of the record but it is rather hard to do as no one seems to have a written record of early dates or names. I am wondering if someone in your family had records such as might be in an old family Bible. The trouble seems to be that both your family and mine were pioneers and in moving about such records were lost.

Some time before long I am going to try and get over to Centralia, Ill, as I go near there quite frequent, and see if I can locate any early records of the family while I am there. I will be glad to have the record of your family and their children at any time that you can give them to me.

You ask about my being able to read your writing. I can do very well in reading it and think for a person of your age that you have quite a firm, legible handwriting. I do have some difficulty when it comes to names as it is a little more diffcutlt to make out some particular name whereas words are easy to read, depending on the word that comes before or after them. I am

S.J.                                                                               -2-                                                                          3/21/40

Not nearly as old as you are, yet my wife tells me that she cannot always read my letters and I sometimes have to pass up some words in hers.

Do you happen to know where I could locate any of Manuel’s family, who was one of your youger half brothers, or where I could locate the family of your brother, William? I note that he lived in Centralia, Ill.

I note what you write about pictures of Mrs. Birge and me. We do not have nay real photographs but I have some Kodak pictures that I am going to have printed as soon as I can find the films and will be very much pleased to send these to you.

Very sincerely,

Ernest N. Birge

ENB:DF

Irvin Wineland - Dec 1, 1957 Hawaii

Dec 1, 1957

Dear Archie and Mable,

Was pleased to hear that you go a deer with Forest. I have not had a gun out of the case, only to check whether it is in good condition.

We’re having a hurricane coming up. From the south, they said at first that it would hit our land of area but later it veered off south of us by 70 miles but, we have had high trade winds and lots of rain since last night and I just heard over the radio that we’ll still have heavy winds and rain tonight but will subside tomorrow. Honolulu was hit with pretty hard winds last night, there’s quite a mountain range between our side of the Island and Honolulu so it broke quite a bit off the wind.

We had only o banana tree blow over, we are quite sheltered at our place, we have large Kamania trees there & four feet thick in our back and the people to our other side have a row of cocoanut trees that break a lot of wind coming from the east and south.

Give the chap where you work our address and tell him we live about three blocks south of Chings store at Hauula toward Honohilu were a block off Kam Highway that’s the highway that circles theIsland. We live at 53-018B MaKao Road.

We had a friend of Marion’s sister from Vancouver, B C she spent a few days with us, Marion’s sister wrote us adsaid she had a wonderful time, as it’s more like old Hawaii out here and Waikiki is all modern especially for the tourist trade and too commercially for a person to get the real feel of Hawaiian atmosphere.

I made a few trips here in ’21, and 22 & 23 and things are lots modern now but still life is at a lot slower pace then in the states.

We traded in our old TV this past summer and got a new RCA deluxe – it sure is OK clear as a bell, except when they have a tropical storm over o he Island of Maui, from where they relay it. Glad to hear Shirley and family is O.K. give them our helo and we’ll try to get some gift off this week for Christ.

We have quite a few orchids in bloom also Hibiscus, roses also another plant with pinkish lavender flowers that has new flowers on it 365 days a year, surely the finest blooming plant I’ve ever seen by Xmas we’ll have quite a lot of orchids in bloom, so we’ll have some to show your friend.

I worked at Hawaiian Electric all summer till in Sept, we installed a new steam trubolectric unit, I was working 10 hrs a day 6 days a week too darn much for me, so I am going to take it easy till 1^st of year and if there is no work through our union I’m going to draw unemployment to heck with Killing your calf off, I’ll take it easy, Marion wil write some too – I was just interrupted by Puki, our mamma Siamesee cat I head her calling outside so just went out and she had a mouse she had caught chi one young male tom just 7 mo old oday, he catches rats and mice about every day and he’ll bring them in to show us and he’ll play with them for quite a spell before he kills them. I hope you folks had a nice Thanksgiving. We had a small turkey and finished it off today.

With love from Irv.

Marion will write a few lines. (Note: no writing from Marin with this letter)

Irvin Wineland - July 1938

Noyes Island Via Ketchikan Alaska

July 26, (1938?)

Dearest Bro and All:

Well I sent you a card from Ketchikan some time ago but I didn’t hear from you. I cam up here to Ketchikan along in April and looked around for work so I finally decided to buy a boat a fishing boat there that was the quickest way to get a job – so I bought a 40 ft by 10 ft beam Trolling boat it has a 100 gal cooking water tank and 2 banks – stove cupboards and storage space and a 30 hourse power Palmer marine engine and a large hold back aft to store things or to pack fish when using Ice we made 2 trips this spring and carried 2 ton of ice each trip and packed one salmon in to market but we had bee out here on the west coast among the numerous islands the past mo and have sold each day that we fish. The old man who I but the boat he is a old boat builder and he built it in Seattle he hs shown me me how to handle it and I have been doing all the fishing and practically all the work, he wants to sleep and take it easy so the work has been up on me, some days we ran as high as $28 and we bare have some $25 days but he won’t put in the hours, we get up at 3 am and sometimes quit 10 or 12 oclock am but if 2 fellows would work together and put in the hours they could make some real money here in the summer & Fall especially as prices are double than in the spring and summer.

It has rained and blew here now for over a week and it makes it darn hard to handle 24 to 32 lbs of lead on each line we have 4 poles and a gurdie or reel run from the engine to handle the lines and boy how these big King Salmon do fight, you have to put them in and knock him in the head and goff him and throw him aboard a the boat keeps going all the time and some weigh up to 40 to 45 lbs dresed, we or I have to clean each too.

I sure wish you were here with me Archie – Maby I’ll fish out of Seattle up at Cope Flattery as to mil and swift True next spring & summer so I think I’ll move the family up to Seattle and I’d like to have you to work with me. Will make some real money Archie then in the fall we could come up to Alaska only 5 or 6 days run with the boat and fish here in Sept & Oct and I think we could make a years wages in 5 or 6 mo.

Pearl is coming up here on her vacation the 20 of Aug she leaves Seattle and then reaches Ketchikan Aug 22 and will stay till Sept 31. She wants to see the boat and have a good rest – she nees it too, that’s darn hard work on the nerves where she works.

They trap a lot here in the winter lots of wolves, wolverines, mink, other, fox martin, beaver, one fellow who is a hand troller here said he made 500 last winter on martin, he got #35 a piece you could do fine here, Archie.

The only transportation one has here is by boat or airplane  My boat is named Jewel. I am going to rebuild the Gallry or Kitchen part I Seattle this winter I am going to make a couple more banks and better cabinet space and fix it a bit different.

Now write me and tell e all the news and if you, Mable & Shirley have been all OK. Write me at Ketchikan, as I have my mail sent out by some packing boats.

Your loving Bro, Irvin

Irving Wineland - May 8, 1939

Anchorage Alaska
May 8-39

Dear Bro Mable & Shirley:

I should have written sooner but you know how hard it is for me to write.

We have been here in Anchorage for a couple of months. You can see Mt McKinley from here, we are about 275 miles south west of Fairbanks. One can see the Aleutian Islands down the Alaska pensula from  here, it is 110 miles by rail road from Award to here.

As far as I know now I will be going over to Bristol Bay to Fish, the season there is about 30 to 40 days long, but they all make from 1500. Up to 3,000 for 24 days fishing then when I get back Mildred and I are going to Fairbanks and take a steamer down the Yukon River to a village called Ruby then we will fly to Nome, we have a tip on a very rich creek one old fellow 82 years old took out $90,000 last summer and he is the only one working in that place. We will out fit in Nome and fly there and we can prospect for a month and a half then we will have to build a log cabin and get in plenty of wood for the winter as we both want to spend the winter out trapping and hunting for wolves and there are lots of foxes in that country. I think from all reports that the Nome district is by far the best place in Alask to prospect. Two avaitors from Nome went out two years ago bot were $1,400 in debt and the 1^st summer took out $30,000 and last year they took out 40 thousand, not bad.

If we do hit anything good, I’ll sure have you folks come up.

Write and tell me all the news.

We saw 2 big moose as we came over the pass by rail from Seward.

Lots of big Kodiak Brown bear and Grizzleys in this country as well as Mt. Sheep and caribon.

As ever your bro

Irv & Mildred

Park Wineland 7-7-57

The Hulman Building

120 West Second Street

Dayton 2, Ohio

Park Wineland Manager

7-7-56

Dear Archie:

After arriving home from the ball game last night, Mrs. W. remembered that we had visited your cousin Ira at Lerpsie, Ohio. That is not very far where the fastin of your grand-father lived. Near Lindlay, Ohio.

I was born and raised just 12 miles from Findlay in Word County.

However so far, I have not been able to place the original John, who came west from some place in Penna. I am enclosing his clart. Ira told me the orginal J. lived in a house where the Penna & Maryland line went through the house. Vout he could not tell me in what country in Pa, I have been in all out three of these Co’s but so far bars not found any count records.

My “hunch” and it is purely one is that he was the son of Jacob & Mary who lived in Beford during the whiskey rebellion, they had about 800 acres of land there but sold it, before the final warrant was issued. The story goes, that he took to the Hills when the troups came there, as he had a big still there, However later he came out and was not prosecuted. But I do not find any further record in the court house, so he must have moved.

I arrved at that idea because the first son (see chart) was named Jacob, and the second son John, Hoever his first daughter was Margarete Ann, (But their the grand-mother could Lanbeur Mary Ann.

So you see how every little bit of information helps make the picture.

I have a letter from Melvin Wineland Alton, Kansas.

So glad you wrote, I am writing to your Brother.

Thanks,

Park Wineland

PS/ Ira is a son of A12 – Jonathan.

This is the original letter - some of the words I wasn't sure about. 

Dec 30, 1963 - June

538 W Figueros Drive
Altadena, California

Dec 30, 1963

Dear Shirley,

So glad to get your letter. I have been interested in the family since 1856 but have only been working on the genealogsince Oct. of this year. I have a full time job which makes my time limited. My husband has a meat market and we have a daughter Darlene, 19, in her second year of College. She is engaged and plans to be married in July. Our son Michael is 17 and will graduate from High School in June. He as part time work and plans to go on to college but you never know. Clyd is from Hill City Kansas and came to California when he was 21. I was born at Waldo Kansas, but came to Calif. when I was 7. We met here in Calif.

I am afraid I won’t be too much help, but am trying and will let you know anything I find out. Being out here I missed out on much of the family back there.

Everyone knows of the existence of the Wineland bible but no one seems to know what happened to it. Ira supposedly had some of the family genealogy and that is why I wrote to Laura. Ira and his wife are both dead. He and Frank (Laura’s husband) were sons of William Marshall Wineland. There was another son, Marvin. Ira had bought Grandpa John Winelands home place at Osborne, Kansas and I saw it in 1956 when Katy was still alive. E had kept it with the antique furniture and etc. and it was lovely. There was a large picture of Grandma Jane (Pearse) Wineland hanging in the dining room. The windows were the narrow tall over with insets at the top of Cranberry galss and the drapes were velvet in the same color. It was just beautiful. We all presumed that Ira had the bible as he seemed to be the only one searching into the past. I had written to all my immediate relatives and they all know the bible existed but no one knows where it is. Another thing I have tried to find out without siccess in it was always rumored that Grandma Jane Pearse Wineland was part Indian. But all I can find out is that her fathers last name was Pearse. Well that spelling is English. Her mothers last name was Brady. And that usually Irish, taken from O’Brady. Laura was writing to Wava and I believe she is Iras daughter so maybe we will learn something there. I hope so. So far I haven’t even been able to find out these peoples first names. It’s terrible to be so ignorant Ha! I have written to try and get more information about John and Jane Wineland and also about Great Great Grandpa John and Mar Elder Wineland. What ever I find I will pass on to you. It so wonderful to find other people doing this. So many people I contact think I’m crazy and others just don’t bother to answer. No if you or Mr. Park Wineland will writhe specific facts you want we will all og to work. I appreciate the information you have sent.

Do you know where Great Great Grandpa John Wineland was born on Dec 11, 1803 or Mary Elder Dec 13, 1803 or where they were married.

I am sending you the references I have on the Elders as there is no information available here where I live. There are blind leads so far. Will put it on a separate page and also enclose genealogy sheets on my immediate family as Park may want them

Love June

Well, I thought I had run down – but decided I would put this in in case Mr. Park Wineland didn’t have it. I read your letter again and think he has it. But anyway.

Great Grandpa John Wineland and Jane Pearse and Wineland went to jewell co Kansas in 1871 and to Osborne Kansas in 1874 from Iowa.

I yes, James Westly Goad --- Uncle John says his fathers initials were I S after they came to Kansas things were so rough he started walking back to Iowa to get work and we never heard of again. It has been a persistant family rumor that “the Indians got him” But no proof. He was born Sept 1 1857 at Cordan, Wayne Co Iowa and Ihave written to see if I can find his parents. No answer yet. He died Aug 31, 1916 of Brights Disease. It buried at Cedar Bluff Cemetary near Waldo Kansas. His wife Lydia (Markham Goad was born Dec 30, 1821 we think in White Co. Tenn. I have written there too. No answer yet. She died April 7, 1885 and is buried at Cedar Bluff Cemetery. Practically everyone is this cemetery is Goad or related to a Goad.

ORIGINL LETTER SENT TO Park Wineland on 9 January 1963

March 15 - Sunday - June

Sunday Mar 15

Dear Shirley,

You go right ahead and preach – if that’s what you call it. I was so glad & proud too to receive your letter. Too many of us take for granted the rights and freedoms that our free flying flag guarantees us, the people of this great country. Too many forget the spilled blood, the gut & grit that gave us these rights. And too few realize that these rights could be lost or taken from us. I am proud to be a distant relation to you and your husband. You keep right on feeling the way you do – it is wonderful!

I too was privileged to have cub scouts & Clyde was assistant Scout Master. Also had Blue Birds, Camp Fire Girls & etc,. Clyde also worked with Little League for two years.

I have gotten discouraged in my research as it seems I am wondering down roads that lead nowhere – but make in time.

Did you get a picture of the Weinland or Wienland crest when you were in Germany? I have hunted the Paradena library on my day off – but cannot find it nor any genealogical references to the spelling of Wineland that Parks wife so kindly sent.

If I think I have information I will write. If you get some – write – otherwise forget t. We are all so busy in the mad cap world of today. I can’t help but wish I could live longer to see what changes that futre will bring to our planet. When you think of the change – just since our Great Grandmother & Grandfather John & Jane Wineland it is truly awesome.

Wava Nelson (Ira Wineland’s daughter) has never answered myletter. I had a nice letter from Marvin & Esther Wineland – but they had no information. They did send the picture of our Great Grandparents that I mentioned in my last letter.

Love,

June

Note: Believe this letter was written ca 1966.