Re: Henry Fredrick Wasmund 1848 - 1923 Nebr
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In reply to:
Re: Henry Fredrick Wasmund 1848 - 1923 Nebr
4/21/01
Bob Cochran wrote: "Henrys son,John had a son Wallace who married Grace Mendenhall and were the grand parents of my wife...".
I think that's not quite right. John F(Frederick, I think) Wasmund married Grace Mendenhall in 1899. John F. Wasmund worked as an 'Indian Agent' for the US Bureau of Indian Affairs; despite frequent separations, the couple had 9 children, of which my grandfather, Howard Otis Wasmund was the youngest. His father John died of appendicitis when Howard was 3, so in 1922 as noted. Wallace was one of my grandfather's brothers.
After the birth of the third child, the family settled in Winterhaven, FL with John frequently absent on assignments to various Indian Reservations, of which he would be the administrator for a period of time, never less than a few months from what I gather. The house and land in Florida belonged to the Mendenhalls, inherited by Grace. Grace found life on the reservation too difficult, apparently, and preferred to return home and maintain a more stable home with her children.
Howard Otis Wasmund moved to California with the army in about '39 and married Lorraine Zeller. Children Janice and Howard Andrew. I've never met most of my Florida relatives, aside my grandfather's oldest sister Sylvia when I was 12 (I was born in 1966). My grandfather had a brother John, one other sister Louise, and the rest brothers: Donald and...I'd have to look it up.
My grandfather was a natural storyteller and I have a legacy of tales about his family and growing up in Florida in the days when it was still mostly undeveloped, swamplands and wilds. I also inherited Great-grandmother Grace Mendenhall's gold wedding band, engraved with her initials & date of marriage, and boxes of photographs of both my grandparents' families. There are photos of John and Grace on the reservation, for example with a class of Indian children (all looking miserable); John's oldest children sitting in the living room of the Florida house which was all decked out with Indian artifacts: rugs, handicrafts, etc. There was a fire in that house one day, before my grandfather's birth...everyone was out so no injuries but all the Indian paraphernalia burned, except for 3 relatively valueless items one of the children had taken to school for 'show & tell'. My grandfather inherited these (a tomahawk, a child's moccasin...) but on the deaths of her parents, my mother sent them to an Indian historical foundation, as she felt these items did not belong to us.
VoilĂ ...anyone know of a forum for sharing family histories (not just dates & places)?
Don't hesitate to contact me if you are a relative or have information or questions I might be able to answer.
D. Beccue