Sharp

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Day Reunites with Brothers

This was a newspaper clipping just sent to me a week or two ago.  I have read it before even though I do not have a copy.  I probably read it at Grandpa Ross’ home.  Either way, the occasion was just as momentous for Grandpa as it was for Hobart.

As I have mentioned before, Hobart is Grandpa’s half-brother through his father’s first marriage to Nanna May Day.  Hobart was born a Ross but at some point took his mother’s maiden name, Day.  John “Jack” William Ross married Ethel Sharp, Grandpa’s mother.  Milo James Ross and Hobart Day only met once.  Grandpa and his brother, Harold, paid for a bus ticket for Hobart to come to Utah in 1972.  Hobart was blind by that time.

Grandpa always told the story of when Hobart arrived at his home he gave him a little tour of the home.  Grandpa would walk into the room and would turn on the light.  Hobart would keep telling him, “You don’t need to turn the light on for me.”  Apparently they repeatedly got a kick out of that.

When Hobart returned to Virginia he spoke to the local newspaper about his visit.  That is where this article comes from.

Since it is hard to read (I was given a photo carbon copy of the newspaper), I will type what is says.  The scan of the article is available at the end.

“Day Reunites With Brothers

“By Cindy Conte

“‘I never saw my half brothers, but I thought of them often,’ said Hobert Day of 47 Peppers Ferry Rd, Fairlawn.  Hobert sat by the kitchen window, the rain beating against the panes as steadily…(fold in newspaper).  He continued, ‘I was sitting by the phone about eight weeks ago and decided to call them.  Milo Ross who is now 55 and his brother Harold, 52, invited my wife Edna and me to come out and visit them in Ogden, Utah.  Edna fell and was unable to go with me.  My half brothers paid for my tickets and I was on my way.  Every mile of the way I wondered if they would accept me or not, I had so many doubts.  When I arrived, my doubts were erased.’

“Hobert spent three days and nights with Milo and his wife Gladys and their children.  He visited Harold, his wife Joanne and their two children.

“‘They are carpenters and are doing real well’ said Hobert.  ‘It was a wonderful and very happy reunion.’

“Hobert was 11 months old when his parents separated.  His father traveled to California and in 1913 moved to Ogden, Utah, where he remarried a (unclear, her name was Ethel though) Sharp.  John Ross had four children by his second wife.  Milo Ross, Harold Ross and Paul Ross who died at the age of 12.  (Crossed-out, Ethel handwritten in) died in 1932 (actually 1925) giving birth to a girl (girl is crossed-out and ‘boy’ is written in).

“‘It was in 1939, I was 28 when I first saw my father.  He stood at the door and said “Hobert I’m John Ross your father.”  Then one Sunday he was gone and I never saw him again.  He died of an unknown illness in 1948.’

“Hobert is blind, but he is content with his life and he and Edna generate a lot of warmth in their home.

“Hobert smiled and said, ‘My brothers and their families are going to visit me and Edna some day.  I told them we couldn’t offer them as much as they could, but we can love them as much.’

Hobart died in 1983.  Grandpa and Harold did not make it to Virginia to visit.

 

Days

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Austin Sharp Daughters

Opal, Nelda, Hazel, and Carma Sharp

Opal, Nelda, Vera, and Carma Sharp

Here is a picture recently mailed to me with four of the children of Austin Sharp.

Austin Sharp married Martha Hazel Howard (1886-1965) on 22 February 1907 in Brigham City, Box Elder, Utah.

In the photo are:

Opal Adeline Sharp (1909-1995), married Carl Rudolph Stolberg (1901-1968),

Nelda Sharp (1914-1985), married Charles Edward Miller (1901-1984),

Vera Hazel Sharp (1907-1997), married Raymond Alvin Seifert (1909-1993),

and Carma Lillian Sharp (1912-1981), married Milton Edward Mercer (1913-1998).

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Unknown Pennsylvania Photo

Dad has continued to go through the items Grandpa and Grandma Ross left behind.  Here is a photo that unfortunately is likely lost to the past.  We are not sure why Grandpa and Grandma had it in their collection.  It could be an ancestor but it might simply be a flea market find.

doc20140820173330_002

Frankly, I cannot even tell for certain what the top of the photo is supposed to say.  Either way, there is the lady and the child in the bottom right corner.

The back of the photograph has “L. Whittling, Photographer, Cochranton, PA.” written on the back.   It also indicates “Presented to A Sawford”  For those interested, the back of the photo is shared below.

I attempted to find an A Sawford in the Cochranton area but did not immediately turn up anything definitive.  The other thing is we do not know if this person is related to Mr. or Ms. Sawford.  There is nothing to link Sawford to Cochranton.

One thing I can say, I do not have an ancestral line that came through Pennsylvania.  I cannot even find a relative that went to live in Pennsylvania on the Ross, Sharp, Stoker, Donaldson, or Van Leeuwen lines.  Hopefully with the limited information, someone related might be able to find this relative.

doc20140807105320_001

 

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Separation Qualification Record

With the passing of my Grandfather, Milo James Ross, I have some documents available for me to scan and make available to others.  There is a heap of documents accumulated over 93 years to go through.  Nevertheless, I am happy to make this one available, and others in the future.

As this Separation Qualification Record indicates, “This record of job assignments and special training received in the Army is furnished to the soldier when he leaves the service.  In its preparation, information is taken from available Army records and supplemented by personal interview.  The information about civilian education and work experience is based on the individual’s own statements.  The veteran may present this document to former employers, prospective employers, representatives of schools or colleges, or use it in any other way that may prove beneficial to him.”

Separation Qualification Record page 1

Separation Qualification Record page 1

Separation Qualification Record page 2

Separation Qualification Record page 2

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Old Ross/Sharp Photos

I thought some of you would like an update on a sort of miracle in the family.  Some old photos have surfaced in March and April of 2010 some of you will probably be very interested in.  (I republished this page because the links have all changed, so I just uploaded the pictures to avoid the link changes again.)  I also replaced the photos with fresh scans of the photos in February 2011.  If you downloaded the photos, you may want to download the newer scans.

Ethel Sharp was born in 1898 in Plain City, Utah to Milo Riley and Mary Ann Stoker Sharp.  Here is a photo of Ethel we found.

You can click on the photos for a closer look.

Another photo of Ethel and another friend, Gertrude Terry.  Ethel is on the right.

Gertrude Terry and Ethel Sharp

Another photo of Ethel and a cousin, Richard Thomas Stoker.

Ethel Sharp and Richard Stoker

Many of you are probably aware that Ethel Sharp was injured on the old electric train that went from Plain City in to Ogden.  After recuperating she took her insurance money, moved to Paul, Idaho, and opened a confectionery.  Here are two photos that recently surfaced of that little store in Paul, Idaho.  Obviously construction is not completed in this photo but the store was still open for business.


We don’t know the exact time frame when she purchased the confectionery, but some of the old checks, order sheets, and other paperwork call it the Streeter Confectionery.  We don’t know the location of this store, if she built it, or what happened to it afterward.

We do assume that she opened it while married to Mark Lewis Streeter who she married 7 May 1917 in Ogden, Utah.  We don’t know the exact date of the train wreck yet, but while in Paul she gave birth to a daughter 4 June 1918 named June Streeter.  Mark and Ethel couldn’t make things work and were divorced.  She remarried to Jack (John William) Ross 12 Jan 1920 at Fort Logan in Colorado.  Here is a photo of Jack and Ethel holding little June Streeter.

I have written more about Jack and Ethel at this link: Ross-Sharp Wedding.

4 Feb 1921, Milo James Ross was born in Plain City.

14 Feb 1922, Paul Ross was born in Paul, Idaho.  7 Nov 1923, John Harold Ross (Harold) was born in Burley, Idaho.

This is probably one of the last photos of Ethel Sharp Ross with baby Harold.

Here are some new photos of June, Milo, Paul, and Harold.  The first seems to be about 1925 and the later two around 1926 or 1927.

l-r: Harold, Milo, and Paul Ross with June Streeter

Ethel died of blood poisoning at 600 Cross Street in Ogden, Utah on 6 Aug 1925 after giving birth to Ernest Jackson on 16 Jul 1925 (he died 20 Sep 1925).  We don’t know why the family was in Plain City when she gave birth and passed away.  However, some time after the funeral Jack loaded up the children and took them to Rupert, Idaho to be with his parents for a time.  We don’t know where he went (find work, find a mother, who knows?).  However, after some time, we don’t know exactly how long, Jack’s parents could not take care of the 4 children anymore and asked the Sharp Family to come get them.

Os Richardson drove up to pick them up.  Eventually, June was raised by her Streeter grandparents; Milo was raised by Uncle Ed Sharp; Paul was raised by Aunt Vic Hunt; and Harold by Uncle Del Sharp.

Here is a picture of a bunch of Sharp cousins in a wagon in Plain City.

l-r: Ruby Sharp, Harold Ross, Milo Sharp, Milo Ross, Paul Ross, Ethel Sharp (cousin), and Bob Martin.

And another photo of Paul (R) and Harold (L).

Paul would die after falling out of a barn in 1932 just over 10 years old.

Now comes the story from the new photographs.  For reasons we do not know, the Sharp family did not like Jack Ross.  They did not allow him to visit his children.  All the mail received by any of the Sharp family for the Ross children was kept from them.  When Ethel’s mother (Mary Ann aka Lillie M Sharp) passed away, a photo album given to her passed to Vic Hunt.  Vic Hunt kept in her possession all the letters mailed from Jack Ross to the Ross boys as well as the photo album from which these photos come.  The photos and letters then passed to Vic Hunt’s son, Harold Hunt.  When Harold passed away in 2002, these passed to Harold’s nephew, Archie Hunt.  Archie just went through some of the stuff and found these items about March 2010 and gave them to Grandpa Milo Ross.

Milo James Ross went to visit Jack Ross in 1948 after receiving a telegram that Jack was dying in Livermore, California.  Jack mentioned to Grandpa that he had written after the boys went back to Utah, but Grandpa didn’t believe him.  Here we are, 70-80 years after the letters were written, and almost 90 years since some of the photos were taken.  Jack was vindicated to his own son 62 years later!  It was the first time Grandpa had seen the photos and letters he did not know existed.  How is that for a sort of miracle?  I hope at some point I can type up the letters and also make them available on here.  I know some of Grandpa’s family will have seen the photos, but know extended family will be interested in this find as well.

If anyone else has photos they would like to share, please let me know.  If you can fill any of the story, please let me know.

Oh, Grandpa finally answered one question he had when he visited his father in 1948.  One day working in the fields at Ed Sharp’s house as a kid, he saw a car at the end of the field.  The occupants did not leave the car but he could see a man watching him from the back window.  The car left and not until 1948 was it revealed to him that it was his own father looking at him across the field that day.  I can only guess what is going through Grandpa’s heart and mind as he reconciles his understanding of his own history in these letters.

l-r: Harold, Milo, Gladys, Milo, Caroline

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Ethelyn June Streeter

With the recent passing of Aunt June Stout, I thought I would dedicate a post to her.  (This is a repost from 2012 due to Grandpa’s 2014 passing)

Ethelyn June Streeter was born 4 June 1918 in Paul, Minidoka, Idaho to Mark Lewis and Ethel Sharp Streeter.  She was the only child born to this union as her parents soon separated.  Mark Lewis Streeter was born 11 May 1898 in Hooper, Weber, Utah and died 21 March 1986 in Ogden, Weber, Utah.  Ethel Sharp was born 9 April 1898 in Plain City, Weber, Utah and died 6 August 1925 in Plain City shortly after giving birth to her fifth child.  Mark and Ethel were married 7 May 1917 in Ogden.

Mark and Ethel Streeter

Ethel was in a train accident in Plain City.  After marrying Mark, she received a settlement from the railroad.  With their new wealth they moved to Paul and built a confectionery.  Paul was the location of a new sugar factory built by Amalgamated Sugar Company.  Further the farm land was continuing to open and expand and Paul was a promising boom town.  Many families moved from the Ogden area to Minidoka and Cassia counties.

It was here, not long after the confectionery was built, Ethelyn June Streeter was born.  She went by June all her days.  On 3 March 1919 Mark enlisted in the Army.  We do not know the reasons for his enlistment; enlist and not be drafted, drafted, or marital issues.  All we know is that Mark and Ethel divorced during 1919.  Ethel remarried 11 January 1920 to John “Jack” William Ross.

Ethel Ross and little June Streeter

Jack and Ethel Ross with young June Streeter

June spent a several years growing up with three younger siblings.  Milo Paul was born in 1921, Paul was born in 1922, and John Harold was born in 1924.  Jack worked for Amalgamated Sugar Company most of the time and worked at the Ogden, Burley, and Paul plants.  Hence, Milo was born in Plain City, Paul was born in Paul, and Harold in Burley, Cassia, Idaho.  I have written more extensively about the family elsewhere.

(l-r) Harold, Milo, and Paul Ross with June Streeter

Sadly, Ethel gave birth to Ernest Jackson Ross in 1925 and she shortly passed away afterward.  Little Ernest passed away about two months later.  Jack’s parents, James and Damey Ross, took the four children in over the winter of 1925-26.  Jack’s parents were struggling financially and Jack was not able to properly tend to the children so the children were taken to northern Utah and farmed out to different family members.  June went to live with her Streeter grandparents, George Clark and Jane Ann Wilson Streeter.  They raised her in Ogden until she left home.

Paul, June, and Harold

Paul, Harold, and Milo Ross with June Streeter behind.

She married Dominic Anthony Corsaro and had two children; Franklin George in 1936 and Josephine Ina in 1943.  The Corsaro marriage ended in divorce.  She then married an A H Ballard, which also ended in divorce.  Lastly, she married Jack Stout.

Her obituary mentions that she was an Arthur Murray dance instructor.

I have tried to find out more information about these marriages but nobody has responded to my letters or e-mails for further information.  Some day I hope to flesh it out some more.

Jack and June Stout about 1960

June spent her remaining years living with her daughter and son-in-law, Merk and Ina French.  It was in Southern California she passed away, I do not know the exact location yet.  She passed away 24 June 2012 and was buried 30 June 2012.

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Milo James Ross Obituary

University of Utah Veterans Commemoration in 2009

University of Utah Veterans Commemoration in 2009

Milo James Ross, 93, peacefully slipped out of mortality in the comfort of his own bed in Plain City on 17 July 2014.

Milo was born 4 February 1921 in a log cabin north of Plain City to John “Jack” William Ross and Ethel (Sharp) Ross. His mother tragically died from childbirth in 1925. Milo and his siblings lived with his Ross grandparents until the costs proved too great and his Uncle Edward Sharp raised Milo in Plain City until adulthood.

He grew up tending to his Grandmother Sharp and spending most of his time farming with his many Sharp cousins and his siblings. He attended schools in Plain City and graduated from Weber High in 1939.

Milo met Gladys Maxine Donaldson at a Plain City celebration in 1940. They would meet from time to time for dancing at the Berthana in Ogden. Milo and Gladys married 4 April 1942 in her parent’s home on 8th Street in Ogden.

Milo enlisted in the Army in October 1942. He served in the 33rd Infantry Division, 130th Regiment, Company C. He trained in weapons and earned his expert ranking. He arrived in Hawaii in July 1943 and received the announcement that his son, Milo Paul, had been born. He served as part of the Philippine invasion force and they fought through the jungles and liberated Baguio City. He was injured five times, one while tending to other soldiers awaiting medical attention.

He was present at the Japanese surrender at Luzon as a Technical Sergeant in June 1945. He received two purple hearts and the Silver Star for his service at the end of World War II. His Company received a Presidential Citation for outstanding performance during armed conflict with the enemy in efforts to seize Hill X in Bilbil Mountain Province. At the time of Milo’s death, the military was preparing to award him another Purple Heart, another Silver Star, Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal & Bronze Star, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantry Badge 1st Award, Philippine Liberation Ribbon and Bronze Star, Honorable Service Button for World War II. He was also to be awarded the Philippine Liberation Medal and Republic of the Philippines Presidential Unit Citation Badge from the Philippine Government.

He returned home in 1945 and began working with his father-in-law. He eventually began building or remodeling homes. He estimated he had built over 120 homes and remodeled another 50 homes or buildings in his lifetime. Two more children joined Milo and Gladys in 1946 and 1948, Judy Ethel and Caroline. Milo and Gladys dedicated their lives to raising their three children and tenderly caring for Judy’s needs until she passed away in 1998.

Milo and Gladys solemnized their marriage 2 July 1976 in the Ogden LDS Temple with their daughter Judy by their side. Milo served in various callings as a humble servant favoring their time as temple workers in the Ogden Temple for almost a decade. Milo and Gladys also relished their time in raising their garden and providing its fruits to friends, family, the temple, and local hospitals.

Milo is survived by his son Milo (Janice) Ross of Hazelton, Idaho and daughter Caroline (Abram) Gallegos of Plain City. Eight grandchildren, Scott (Robyn) Ross of Kimberly, Idaho; Jeffrey (Holly) Ross of Jerome, Idaho; Becky (Joseph) Patterson of Portland, Oregon; Paul (Amanda) Ross of Burley, Idaho; Andra Ross of Heyburn, Idaho; Christy (Sterling) Neilson of Rupert, Idaho; Cindy (Steve) Pease of Albion, Idaho; and Lonny (Amy) Taylor of Declo, Idaho; seventeen great grandchildren; and eleven great great grandchildren.

Milo was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Gladys; all five siblings Hobart Day, June Stout, Paul Ross, Harold Ross, and Earnest Ross; daughter Judy Ross; grandson-in-law Bret Adams, and two great grandchildren.

The funeral will be held Tuesday 22 July 2014 at the Plain City 7th Ward Building, 2952 N 4200 W, a building he helped organize its construction, at 11:00 AM with Bishop Tom Matthews officiating.

Friends may call at Lindquist Mortuary in North Ogden at 2140 N 400 E (Washington Blvd) from 6 until 8 PM on Monday 21 July 2014. Friends may also call from 10:00 until 10:45 AM prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in the Plain City Cemetery beside his beloved Gladys and Judy.

Milo J Ross in army uniform squat

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Ross-Donaldson Wedding

David and Dena Donaldson are pleased to announce the marriage of their daughter Gladys Maxine to Milo James Ross, son of Jack Ross and the late Ethel Ross.  They were married in the Donaldson home on 8th Street in Ogden, Utah on 4 April 1942.  (This post originally appeared in 2010 and is reposed due to Grandpa’s death)

Gladys is a 1940 graduate of Ogden High School.

Milo is a 1939 graduate of Weber High School.  He is currently employed with American Packing and Provisioning Company as a supervisor in Ogden.

The couple will make their home in Plain City.

While short and sweet, there is much more of a story behind those words.  Milo and Gladys met  in 1940 when Gladys and her sisters rode their bikes all the way to a celebration in Plain City.  Later they would meet at the Berthana, which included a dance hall on the second floor (built in Ogden about 1914).  The Berthana later converted to a roller skating rink before closing in the 1970’s.  The building is still there although I do not know what the use for the building is currently.

David Delos Donaldson and Berendena Van Leeuwen are Gladys’ parents.  Read more of her parents at this link: Donaldson-Van Leeuwen Family.  David was a plumber by trade who had lung problems from being gassed in the Argonne of France in World War I.  He suffered from lung ailments the rest of his life.  He mostly worked in the Ogden area but worked prior to marriage in Phoenix, Arizona and Twin Falls, Idaho.  He also sought work in Boulder City, Nevada during the depression and as a steam and pipe fitter during World War II in Napa, California.  Apparently during World War II he worked almost exclusively in submarines.  You can read more of their marriage and family at the link above.  She went by the name of Dena her entire life.

Gladys and Maxine Donaldson ages 5 and 3.

Dena grew up LDS and David did not.  David’s parents were not active LDS and most of David’s siblings joined the LDS church between the ages of 10 and 22.  David and one brother did not.  Dena saw that all her children were raised LDS with little difficulty from David.  Apparently smoking is what kept him from being baptized (he picked up smoking after being gassed because he said it soothed his lungs).  When the time would come for Milo and Gladys to marry, they wished to be married in the temple.   For whatever reason, the Bishop determined that he was not going to allow them to be sealed without David being a member.  I do not know which Bishop, but I have a suspicion it was Gladys’ Bishop and that he knew the Donaldson family.  He probably hoped to bring errant David around so his daughter could get married.  The plan backfired.  It would not have worked anyhow because David was pretty set on Gladys marrying a wealthy man and would not have minded if the wedding had not gone through.  Milo said they wanted to get married and were not interested in waiting around for a Bishop to figure out what he was doing.  A week before they were actually married, they decided to elope.  They packed up and drove to Evanston, Wyoming on snow covered roads.  They arrived and decided they better do it proper with family around.  They enjoyed a meal and drove back to Ogden on a very snowy set of roads.  Leading them to get married in the Donaldson home the next week or so.  It would take them another 34 years before they finally made it to the temple to get sealed.  Perhaps the Bishop was inspired.

They married in April and World War II was in full swing.  They rented a place in Ogden for a few weeks until moving to Plain City and rented there (on 4700?) until they built a home after the war.  Milo and a group of buddies then went off to Fort Douglas to enlist in October 1942 rather than wait until they were drafted.  They anticipated at least a few more days or weeks in Utah before being shipped off.  However, Milo was put on a train that same day to Camp Lewis in Washington.  He spent the next two to four months there, he cannot remember for sure.  Gladys would move to Camp Lewis to be with him through basic training.  By this point the two knew they were expecting a baby.

Milo shipped out for Needles, California to Camp Ibis.  Due to his experience with building, he was one of the men asked to lay out some of the buildings for the latrines and then helped in starting the construction of those buildings.  Their division stayed there a few months before heading off to San Francisco from which he was put on a boat and headed to Hawaii.  He landed in Hawaii on the 4th of July 1943 with the loudspeaker welcoming the men to Hawaii and announcing the birth of a son to Sergeant Ross.  I have written of that baby at this link: Baby Milo Ross.

Gladys would live with her parents in Ogden until Milo returned from the rigors of war.  Her parents moved from their address on 8th Street down to Washington Boulevard during this time.

Milo worked for American Packing and Provisioning Company some in high school and on afterward until he went into the service.  American Pack would be sold to Swift & Company in 1949.  This packing plant would remain in use until the 1970’s when it was closed.

I have written previously about Milo’s loss of his mother in 1925 and her family keeping him from having contact with his father, John William Ross.  Here is the link: Ross-Sharp Wedding.  He was raised by his Uncle Edward William Sharp in Plain City.

Anyhow, the family would go on to have 2 more children in 1946 and 1948.  Milo received a homestead in Washington State in the late 1940’s, early 1950’s, but I do not know more about it.  The homestead is believed to have been abandoned because of medical needs of Judy and the family returned to a newly built home in Plain City around 1948 or 1949.  The family then built the current home at 2532 N. 4100 W. in 1955 and have resided there since.