Dear Sgt Bud,

I sent you the last letter because I have been reading facebook about our fellow students and Marionites none of whom I knew. It seems that Marion was a lot bigger than I thought. There was a lot going on in that town that I did not have a clue. Many seemed to have a direct path to education and work. There were whole sub groups of people who were railroad people, Telephone Co. people, business people ,small and large. It seems that undertakers do well in Marion.

There were Tecumseh, Whirlpool, Shovel people. West end people. People who belonged to Demole , Northern Star, and Masons . Tons of people played baseball. and many others bowled.  

And I wanted to be a Cowboy!

Sincerely

Sgt Steve

Dear Sgt Bud,

I was thinking about my time spent as a kid and what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a cowboy , then a Marine as I got a little older. I did not want more! I had no higher aspirations that I can remember.

I was only a "c" student at best. So the Marines was my choice. After several years I realized that a guy could get killed doing that type of work! Then of course the opportunity came along to get out early on the extension to go to school , so I became a student. My goal was to graduate from the school of social and behavioral sciences at Ohio State University, of all things in Sociology, so very practical indeed. Ha Ha!

I attended some graduate courses in statistics and education and then went to law school at Capitol Law School while working at the City Attorneys  land Acquisition Office, then for the County Prosecutor as an investigator in the Special Investigations Unit.Mostly dealing with Organized crime. Then police officer in Colorado.I still did not have a plan for the rest of my life.

I moved to California and sold security systems to the rich people, worked in the movie industry as a location manager which seemed to fit me best and certainly paid the best. I probably worked at this for 17 or 18 years.The movie job had lots of benefits, health dental, travel, lots of it.After heart attacks and earth quakes they wouldn't hire me any more so I went back to criminal law. just to make some money. then as you know a missionary for 8 years. I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up!Pathetic eh?

Sgt Steve  

Dear Sgt Bud,

I was thinking about my time spent as a kid and what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a cowboy , then a Marine as I got a little older. I did not want more! I had no higher aspirations that I can remember.

I was only a "c" student at best. So the Marines was my choice. After several years I realized that a guy could get killed doing that type of work! Then of course the opportunity came along to get out early on the extension to go to school , so I became a student. My goal was to graduate from the school of social and behavioral sciences at Ohio State University, of all things in Sociology, so very practical indeed. Ha Ha!

I attended some graduate courses in statistics and education and then went to law school at Capitol Law School while working at the City Attorneys  land Acquisition Office, then for the County Prosecutor as an investigator in the Special Investigations Unit.Mostly dealing with Organized crime. Then police officer in Colorado.I still did not have a plan for the rest of my life.

I moved to California and sold security systems to the rich people, worked in the movie industry as a location manager which seemed to fit me best and certainly paid the best. I probably worked at this for 17 or 18 years.The movie job had lots of benefits, health dental, travel, lots of it.After heart attacks and earth quakes they wouldn't hire me any more so I went back to criminal law. just to make some money. then as you know a missionary for 8 years. I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up!Pathetic eh?

Sgt Steve  

Dear Cheryl,

Yes That seems much more reasonable 1888 than 1911 for Grandma. I can't wait to see a copy of Their mariage licenseI don't know much about Binau but we often went to visit in UpperSandusky,Her father or her brother was a captain in the city Fire Dept of Upper Sandusky for Like 30 yearsI wish that I could remember his name, Martha had a sister named Geneva who later became Miller living in Marion Ohio.

James F Ralph , his middle name is Fredrick ,is my biological dad , I had some things but not much on him. I never so much as had a picture of him and Henry and Martha would not let me find out anything. However, James's father I believed worked at the shovel the same time as grandpa, and it appears that they came both ,grandpa and James Ralph's dad Dana were both from Grand Prarrie Township and had grew together there, I believe that they were friends untill my mom got preg. My mom burned all pictures of James. The really interesting thing is, I heard that James was adopted, so was Gladys, so was I. So you see it would be next to impossible to trace blood lines much past mom and James.Unles one could get into adoption records if they have them.I would love to know the entire story but I doubt if I ever will. I think that James may have been in the Navy. It was very confusing as a child, as to who to call dad that includes Lew T Gleason. He had two daughters who always called me their brother , but I was not because there was no adoption, untill I went back to live with Martha and Henry. Even after I was sent to the Children's home Wernle Home in Richmond Ind. I got a new set of parents of Harold and Ruby Cook, but they were only foster parents, but remained like parents to me untill they died. What a life eh!

My mom ,Gladys was sick from Kidney disease most of her teen and short adult life  she died of it only five years after I was born. She missed lots of school and graduated in 1943 at 19, I was born in Oct 1944, she died 1950.

Well some of this history may clear the picture a little.
Have a good weekend !

Cousin Steve D
Hi, Steve,

I agree with all the birth years except Martha's.  Everything I have points to her being born 1888.  Henry & Martha were married Aug 3, 1907 per recorded marriage license in Marion County.

Got to tell you that you got me started back into researching "family" again.  Kinda put it on the back burner lately.  Now having fun "running" with your part of the family - Binau [thru adoption] & Ralph.  Havn't found death cert yet for Martha.

Can't find much about your mom's first husband, James S. Ralph, [isn't he your biological dad?] other than they went to same high school, found marriage announcement in Marion paper, & lived in Marion.  Know some "Ralph's" attended the wedding.  Can you help with anything else??

OIL OIL

Dear Sgt. Bud

He is driving up the price of oil, he believes it will force us into accepting his green agenda where we must buy electric cars, where we must accept big government to help us find a better way of life.Anyway by not drilling on federal land which is available, also off shore drilling is has mostly been halted, drives us to alternate energy.The United States is really Like Saudi Arabia in fact some say we have more reserve oil than they have. We just need to drill it. Oh yes the electric car business came from our tax dollar GM (government motors). Now the only people buying Volts are Government fleets contracts, so you are again supporting GM with your tax dollar. This is so stinking Marxist it makes me want to puke!! Remember the government made cars from the eastern block? The Hugo? The Soviets also really made some real beauties!

We are in a movement of change which is re distributing the wealth of our country, it is really quite sickening and very very sad.

We must stop him at the voting box local and state and federal.

Sgt Steve