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People we remember
Biographies are where we share about family & friends to connect with others who remember them.
Pam Marks:
My father described himself as an "agnostic" (he told me that he would have said atheist but if he didn't have proof one way or another, and he wouldn't take a definitive stand). He only set foot in a church for weddings or when his daughters sang in the choir. He also attended the funeral of his "Big Aunt Norma."
Pam's note: several years before he passed away, my father and I were discussing death. He told me he was an atheist and I asked him why. He mentioned his years as a philosophy major, studying all the different religions and belief systems. His belief was that upon his death, he would return to the earth and become part of the universe, and he said he was happy with that.
I spread some of his ashes in Sacred Wind, KY where his maternal grandparents had lived, and we had traveled there in 1998. He was thrilled to be there.
I know that would have made him quite happy!
Pam Marks:
Connie was an Eastern Star and a lifelong member of the Elks Lodge.
She was married 3 times - each husband died, and she remarried.
Connie married first, George Lawrence Benning, September 29, 1928, in Vancouver, WA
The marriage produced one daughter, Marian Joyce Benning. George passed away in August 1946.
Connie married Charles Henry 'Heine' Barrett July 22, 1948 in Kootneai Co., Idaho. Heine passed away January 15, 1950 in Santa Cruz, CA
Lastly, Connie married Dewey David D'Albert April 14, 1952 in San Francisco, CA. Dewey passed away July 9, 1961 in Lake County, CA.
Connie loved golf, reading, traveling and keeping connected with her life-long friends.
As a young child, Connie had always wanted to see the Andes. In 1951, she fulfilled that dream. On a voyage to Cuba and South America, Connie departed the ship and flew home-over the Andes!
After retirement, Connie applied for immigration to work in either Australia or the Virgin Islands, but was denied due to her 'age'.
When Connie died, she was survived by two granddaughters and one great-grandson, who she adored.
Curtis Beitans:
The Herald Sun, Melbourne, 4 August 2004.
COLBAN.- John Thomas ( Jack ).
Passed away on August 3, 2004, aged 82 years.
Youngest son of Harriet and Walter Colban ( both dec.),
Cherished and loved husband of Maureen, loved and
respected Dad of Raymond and Marlene, loved
father-in-law of Hazel and Rodney, adored Pa of
Melanie, Benjamin ( in Heaven ), Lisa, Catherine,
Evan and Lauren.
- You will live in our hearts forever.
COLBAN. - Jack, my loving husband, we have spent
59 years of our lives together, and I treasure every
moment. I love you with all my heart and I'm going
to miss you. Be nobody's darling but my love.
Be honest, be faithful, be kind. You promised me that
you will never be nobody's darling but mine.
Thank you for all the happy memories which I will
hold close to my heart forever. Love Maureen.
Curtis Beitans:
The Herald Sun. Melbourne. 22nd May 2007.
COLBAN. - Maureen Dorothea. Passed away on
May 20, 2007, aged 81 years. Loved daughter of
Hugh and Dorothea Keeble ( both deceased ).
Cherished and loved wife of Jack ( dec.).
Best mum in the world of Ray and Marlene, loved
mother-in-law of Rodney, adored Nana of Melanie,
Benjamin ( in Heaven ), Lisa, Catherine, Evan and
Lauren. Special friend of Di. - Peacefully sleeping.
Curtis Beitans:
The Age, Melbourne, 7 October 1944.
ENGAGEMENTS.
KEEBLE - COLBAN. - The engagement is announced of
Maureen Dorothea, second eldest daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. H. Keeble, 205 Ross-street, North Port, formerly
of Preston, to John Thomas, youngest son of Mr. and
Mrs. W. J. Colban, 77 William-street, Preston.
Nancy Florence:
My Dad was a very private, handsome, kind person. He worked very hard at two jobs his whole married life to support our family. He was very religious and proud to have become a Catholic. He played the violin and loved classical and contemporary music of the time. He loved and admired our family and was very proud of his grandchildren. He enjoyed working outside and keeping our home looking beautiful. He was most proud of our car and enjoyed taking long rides in the country on weekends. He and I used to take long walks in the summer and sometimes stop for a coke or frozen yogurt. He worked downtown Chicago for many years and on occasion we would stop by his office or enjoy the lakefront on his day off in the summer time. He always seemed to be amazed at the new big buildings going up and the new cars on the streets. He was humble and as he grew older his impatience with us left him and we suffered watching him grow weak with Parkinson's disease. He was the bravest person I knew and will always be my special angel.
Linnea Wells Cashmore:
Mom was a wonderful, loving wife and mother who was very spiritual and kind. She and Dad brought us up in the Lutheran church. Both of her parents were of full-blooded Swedish heritage of which Mom was quite proud. While Dad worked hard at being a farmer and later a mechanic and factory worker, Mom took care of we 3 kids and our home. She was very creative in home decoration and was an excellent seamstress, crocheter and knitter. She baked homemade Swedish limpa rye bread, cakes, pies, etc. She and Larry loved antiques and music, especially classical. Mom played the piano and chord organ. She and Dad had 4 children: Virginia, Larry, Sheila and me, Linnea. Virginia died at age 2 of mosquito-borne encephalitis. Larry became Mom's favorite. We 3 kids were encouraged to attend college, which we all did. Our family was devastated when in her 50's she began showing signs of what would be determined to be early onset Alzheimer's disease, something that in the early 1970's we'd never heard of. She spent 1 year at home and 2 years in the nursing home prior to being released into Heaven where lives now, whole and healed. We miss her.
Randy Rapp:
I only knew Donald Dwight Hoffman 1970-71, when he was my roommate in House C of Kelly Hall at University of Missouri-Rolla. But seeing no other memorial commentary for Don, and as talented and generous as he was, something of his good life should be stated. I was a freshman in Physics, so they lined up another freshman and me to room with Don, a graduate student in Physics and Fellowship awardee. I can picture him at his desk as I write this, intently smoking cigarettes and grinding away for a course in vector and tensor analysis. We were so fortunate to know him. He was not physically large, but Don was like a big brother to many of us, since he already had a degree and more life experience than the rest of us undergrads. He did not push his views on anyone, but he offered kindly advice with a wry sense of humor, when he thought we needed it. We could tell that our teenage behavior often amused him; maybe our behavior reminded him of himself six years earlier. With his white 1964 Chevy Impala convertible and Hurst transmission, he drove us many times--especially out to the Gasconade River to hang out on sand bars on warm weekend days. That winter, a few of us often spent evening time together in his Impala, simply talking and enjoying each other's company, enhanced with the adult beverages that Don generously bought to share. His stories of Army service were especially interesting to me, since I was heading off to West Point in months ahead. Don explained how the enlisted soldiers would play games on officers, often just for something to puncture the boredom on the 101st Airborne field artillery firebase, when they had no fire support mission. It was only recently that I saw documentation showing Don completed his master's studies, so it was good to know of the success we expected for him. His memory remains a happy reflection in my life. It was good to know him, and I was thankful to call him a friend.
Lisa Tomes:
Jesse Cornwell is my grandfather and I myself did not know him but his son Charles Edward Cornwell was my daddy and he told me some about him Jesse was married to Edith Francis Ammon and they had 3kis Jesse Francis Cornwell. Charles Edward Cornwell and Melvin Franklin Cornwell. Mrs Cornwell later to a Mr Martin and she passed away in Detroit Michigan if anyone knows of the family history I would really like to know thank you and God bless
Joseph Balachowski:
Trying to solve a mystery. - Karol Bienko and my father, Joseph Balachowski were fellow partisans in the Polish Home Army during WWII, in the eastern part of Poland that now belongs to Ukraine.
During the war they operated out of a farm where my father met my future mother. At the end of WWII my parents ended up in a displaced persons camp in Salzburg, Austria. According to them, Karol disappeared.
In 1948 my parents emigrated to the United States. After my father retired from teaching at a California college, my parents retired to Hemet, CA. This is less than 100 miles from Desert Hot Springs, CA, where Karol Bienko spent his last days. My father passed away in 1989.
I am not sure this was a coincidence. It's possible Mr. Bienko somehow found my father. But did they ever communicate?
Does anyone out there know this story? I would love to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Joseph D. Balachowski
Seattle, WA
Roma Gryte:
21 July 2025 - I found out through a DNA match that I am Dell's daughter. I know very little about him. He died when I was a senior in high school. I was adopted at 7 days and did not meet my biological mother until I was 24 years old. She only knew Dell's name. They met as neighbors in Merced, CA.
My half sister shared that there were 6 children. I was the second oldest and she is third. The youngest girl passed away. I believe both, she and my father, died of heart attacks. He was an accountant and musician. The musical talent seems to be shared by all the siblings.
Any information would be welcome.
Robert Stetson:
Radio Row - As grade-school aged kids in Brooklyn we were allowed to cross just one street when we were playing (walking to school was the exception). However, we reasoned that riding the subway into Manhattan didn't count as crossing streets. Cortland Street had surplus stores with electronics and military stuff. (Surplus insect repellant could be used for great stink-bombs)! It was hard to keep our trip a secret when the two of us returned home carrying an old oscilloscope (not solid state in those days; just tubes).
Jennifer (Hutton) Goertler:
She was my grandma Trudie's big sister. Always referred to as "Kate". After their mother died, my grandma, as a teenager, lived with her and husband at the time, Lawrence Slonaker, in McMechen, WV. She had some psychological issues, and I know she spent a lot of time in facilities for those issues. Her and Lawrence were divorced, and the trail ran cold for information regarding her life after that.
Colleen Stanley:
Bob was my dad. I only had a handful of years with him toward the end, but it was enough to know that he loved my younger brother and me. Hopefully he knew that we loved him, too. I know from all of the stories that have been told to me over the years that he was an avid fan of the Detroit Tigers who also enjoyed watching college basketball, participating in our church’s bowling league, and making what would today be called “dad” jokes. His love for family and friends was also boundless. Whether it was a sibling, in-law, someone for church, etc., he was the first one who would come up with a plan to meet any needs that arose - anything from donating cases of baby food to our pastor after an accident to sneaking full-sized replacement appliances into the homes of both my mother’s sister and his own. My goal is to carry on the best parts of my father’s legacy and honor his memory with my life.
David Michael:
A Father I never met - My name is David Micheal. My mother's name is Marilyn Ridgeway. I'm 70 now and Charles is my biological Father. I never had the opportunity to met him. I've tried over the years to locate him but all attempts failed. I've carried an emptiness and a slight sense of loss in my heart. If you are related and care to reach out, I would love to talk. God Bless. Email [contact link]
Lizzy Canedy:
This is a portrait of my great-grandmother Eva Alice Canedy (nee Call). She was William Floyd Canedy's mother. I don't know much about her as my grandfather didn't know much either but she's a lovely looking woman who died far too young.
I was lucky enough to this photo negative, which itself was a copy made of the daguerreotype in the 1980s, in my family's collection. Even luckier to have a transparent media adapter attachment of a flatbed scanner. This is perhaps the first time this photo has been viewed in almost 40 years, and I'm happy to get to share it with the world.
Lizzy Canedy:
tagged Eva Alice (Call) Canedy in this photo.
Jean Hoffmann:
updated the profile photo of Olga Zimmer to Olga L Zimmer.