Showing posts with label High. Show all posts
Showing posts with label High. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Family Photos Found At Alexandria-Monroe Historical Society

Sorting through some pictures I took at a visit to the Alexandria-Monroe Historical Society, I thought I would share them here.  The society has a nice collection of old local photos.  I'm looking forward to its re-opening in the spring so I can get back there and do more research.

This first photo was taken in 1954 and shows my uncle Terry, as a young Boy Scout at the new Marie Thurston Elementary school.


In the society's military room, this photograph of my maternal great-uncle, John M. High, who served on the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor, was found:


Another photo in the military room was of my maternal great-aunt, Clara Ellen (Wright) High, who served with the WAVES during World War II:


Another photo I found while browsing at the museum was of my maternal great grandaunt, Geneva Ruth (Aldridge) Pierce when she was a little girl:


These types of wonderful photos are great finds at local historical societies.  I'm looking forward to returning to see what other gems I can add to my family history.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Wordless Wednesday : The Old Tree House

The old treehouse
Ami High, Michelle, LeMaster, Jason LeMaster, Jim McDermitt, Travis LeMaster
Found this old picture of the first tree house/fort that we had at our house.  Standing alongside my neighbors/cousins and my brother and sister.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Wordless Wednesday : Wright Family circa 1946

Back row (L-R) : Virgil Wright, Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright, William Wright, Bonnie (Lambertson) Wright, Clara (Wright) High, John M. High.  Front row : Barbara Wright, Terry Wright.

This undated family photo was taken at the Virgil Wright farm in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana, just north of Alexandria.  Estimated date is 1945-46, based on the age of Terry Wright.

This farmhouse was where I grew up and I recognize the driveway and the tree on the right side.  The fencing is gone, the tree across the road are gone as well.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

On This Day : August 12

1683 - Elizabeth PRICE born.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Robert PRICE and Sarah WEBB.


1684 - Thomas FESSENDEN born in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  Thomas was the son of Nicholas FESSENDEN and Margaret CHENEY.


1700 - Samuel BROWN born.  Samuel was the son of William BROWN and Catherine WILLIAMS.


1704 - Ulrich RINEHART born in Sumiswald, Canton Bern, Switzerland.  Ulrich was Eileen's 7x-great grandfather.


1712 - Elizabeth BEESON born.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Edward BEESON and Elizabeth GRUBB.


1812 - James GROENENDYKE born in New Jersey.  James was the son of James GROENENDYKE and Joannah ANTONIDES.


1818 - Ruth MAXSON born in Freeport, Harrison County, Ohio.  Ruth was the daughter of David MAXSON and Sarah KINSEY.


1830 - Dinah CARSON born.  Dinah was the daughter of Jacob CARSON and Esther BEALS.


1832 - Peter ANTONIDES died.  Peter was the son of Cornelius ANTONIDES and Marie VAN SICKLEN.


1832 - Christian Friedrich KAHRE died.  Christian was the son of Johann Friedrich KAHRE and Anna Marie Wilhelmine KIRSCHOFF.


1855 - John Jacob HALEY born in Huron, Erie County, Ohio.  John was the son of George J. HALEY and Rachel GARY.


1860 - Levi WARDLOW married Nancy Ann WRIGHT in Brown County, Ohio.  Levi was the son of Arana WARDLOW and Adelina D. DENNIS.  Nancy was the daughter of John WRIGHT and Anna WARDLOW.


1876 - Rebecca SCISM died.  Rebecca was the daughter of William SCISM and Lucinda McPHEETERS.


1884 - Arthur F. MORRISTON died.  Arthur was the son of Alonzo T. MORRISTON and Rebecca A. WAMSLEY.


1886 - Ethel C. METZNER born in Jay County, Indiana.  Ethel was the daughter of Wesley T. METZNER and Mary Emma ROSER.


1890 - Mary SHAW died in Madison County, Indiana.  Mary was the daughter of Godfrey HECK and Elizabeth KIMMER.  Mary was my 4x-great grandmother.


1894 - Ernest SWAFFORD born in Tennessee.  Ernest was the son of George W. SWAFFORD and Elizabeth HAMILTON.


1913 - M. Oneida LeMASTER died in Jay County, Indiana.  Oneida was the daughter of Clarence Harrison LeMASTER and Ferry Mae BICKEL.


2005 - Clara Ellen HIGH died in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.  Clara was the daughter of Virgil Lee WRIGHT and Edna Muriel PIERCE.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

At Taylor U. Cage Meeting

Anderson Herald, Anderson, Indiana, July 30, 1961, page  10





At Taylor U. Cage Meeting


ALEXANDRIA - Charles and Phillip High, sons of Mr. and Mrs. John High, have been attending a basketball camp at Taylor University.


Among the well-known Indiana personalities at the camp are Max Bell, a former local coach now at Elkhart, Joe Platt of Kokomo and Dick and Tom Van Arsdale from Indianapolis.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

John High In Hospital

Anderson Herald, Anderson, Indiana, April 5, 1961, page 3


IN HOSPITAL


John High, who was injured in an auto accident last week in Grant County, is a patient at St. John's Hospital, Anderson.


---
John High, my maternal great-uncle, was apparently injured in an auto accident in the spring of 1961.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Deed Transfer: Wright to High

Anderson Herald, Anderson, Indiana, June 21, 1969, page  16



Deed Transfers
As Shown in Madison County Recorder's Office

Virgil L. Wright to John M. High and wife, South Side, Alexandria.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Grandma Wright's Wedding Dress

The Alexandrian, Alexandria, Indiana, July 1, 1986


Home Tour - Gloria LeMaster, right, presided over the front parlor of the Scott-Malone Place Thursday.  Her grandmother Wright's wedding dress and license were on display, commemorating the fact that while the home was owned by the First Christian Church, numerous couples such as the Wrights were married in the front parlor.  Gloria's two aunts, Clara Ellen High and Barbara Webster, visited the home, now owned by John and Marsha Madden, during the benefit tour sponsored by the Alexandria-Monroe Historical Society.

This article was from a collection of newspaper clippings that my parents have saved for their "Indiana Room" at their home.  My grandparents, Virgil Lee WRIGHT and Edna Muriel "Peach" PIERCE, were married June 15, 1915 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.

Friday, July 01, 2011

Family Recipe Friday: Aunt Clara Ellen's Rhubarb Poke Cake


Aunt Clara Ellen (Wright) High


Another contribution from mom's kitchen:



I grow 'red' rhubarb that I originally got a start from a neighbor, John Horn, when we lived on Monroe Street.  I was always looking for different recipes that called for rhubarb.  Keep it  in the refrigerator.  It gets more moist the longer it sits.  I got this recipe from my Aunt Clara Ellen.  I was told she always liked to cook up a dessert, especially homemade ice cream when the family got together.  Makes 12 servings






    1 cup rhubarb                                                  
    1/2 cup shortening                                             
    1 1/2 cups sugar                                               
    2 eggs                                                         
    2 cups flour                                                   
    1 teaspoon baking soda                                         
    1/4 teaspoon salt                                              
    1 cup buttermilk    

                                           
    Decorating icing     

                                          
    1/2 cup brown sugar                                            
    3 tablespoons flour                                            
    1/2 cup sugar                                                  
    1 1/2 cups water                                               
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract                                     
    1-2 tablespoons butter                                         
    1/2 package strawberry jello                                   
    1 8.8-ounce carton cool whip        

                           
Cut rhubarb into small pieces and let stand in 1/2 cup sugar for 30-60 minutes.  Beat shortening, remaining sugar, and eggs until creamy and fluffy.   Add flour, soda, salt.   Mix well.  Mix in buttermilk.  Add rhubarb mixture and pour into a 9x13 inch pan.   Bake 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.   Cool.   Punch  holes in top of cake.


In a saucepan combine icing ingredients of brown and white sugar, flour, water.  Cook until thick and clear.   Add vanilla, butter and jello.   Pour icing over top of cake.   Cool.


Optional:   Spread a layer of Cool Whip  on top of cake to hide holes.   



Family Recipe Friday – is an opportunity to share your family recipes with fellow bloggers and foodies alike. Whether it’s an old-fashioned recipe passed down through generations, a recipe uncovered through your family history research, or a discovered recipe that embraces your ancestral heritage share them on Family Recipe Friday. This series was suggested by Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Exploring WWII U.S. Navy Records Online

Ancestry has placed the U.S. World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949 online, and what a lot of good information I've found this Memorial Day.  The muster rolls give information such as the sailor's name, his service number, when and where they enlisted, as well as movements from ship to ship.  



  • John M. High - he was my maternal great-uncle.  Served aboard the USS Oklahoma and survived Pearl Harbor.  He came onboard the Oklahoma on 9-3-1938 and enlisted in the Navy on 4-10-1937.  It appears he was aboard the USS Sepulga after the attack.
  • Floyd Ray Lambertson - another maternal great-uncle.  He served aboard LST 779, the ship that supplied the famous flag photographed at Iwo Jima.  He enlisted 1-4-1944 at Indianapolis, Indiana and was rated as a "Comm. Rep." [Navy friends - help me out here]

I did not find everyone that I believe should be listed in this database.  Perhaps not all have been indexed.  The information provided is very valuable, including service numbers of the men who served.

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: The Highs

John, Clara (Wright) & Charlie High


Wordless Wednesday – a great way to share your old family photos! Create a post with the main focus being a photograph or image. Some posters also include attribute information as to the source of the image (date, location, owner, etc.). Wordless Wednesday is one of the longest running “memes” in the blogosphere and is an ongoing series at GeneaBloggers.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Obituary : William Lee Wright (1919-1973)

Source : Alexandria, Indiana Times Tribune [undated]


William Wright Dies Monday


William L. Wright, 53, 610 W. Broadway St., was dead on arrival at Community Hospital in Anderson Monday at 12:44 a.m.


He was a native of Alexandria and was married to Bonnie Lambertson, formerly of Elwood.


He had been employed as a clerk at the Alexandria Post Office for 28 years. He was a member of the First Christian Church Alexandria Elk Lodge 478 and was a veteran of World War II.


Surviving with the widow is one son, Terry Wright, and one daughter, Mrs. Gloria LeMasters, both of Alexandria; two sisters, Mrs. Clara Ellen High and Mrs. Barbara Webster, both of Alexandria; five grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.


Funeral services were held Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Karl M. Kyle funeral home. Burial followed in the Park View cemetery.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Alex Man was on Oklahoma at Pearl

[This post originally appeared on this blog December 7, 2008.  In memory of the Pearl Harbor attack, I'm reposting]


Source : Anderson Herald-Bulletin, Anderson, Indiana, Sunday, December 8, 1991.

Alex man was on Oklahoma at Pearl by Jim Bannon.

When we put together our special Pearl Harbor anniversary section recently, we contacted some people in this area who were survivors of the attack.

Another survivor turned up later, and even though we couldn't get his story in the Pearl Harbor section, I thought it deserved telling.

John M. High is 72 years old now and lives in Alexandria. On the morning of December 7, 1941, he was a ship's cook first class serving on the battleship U.S.S. Oklahoma, anchored along battleship row at Pearl Harbor.

High has been in bad health recently, suffering two heart attacks and a stroke and his story was told to me by his son, Charles, of Anderson, who works atDelco Remy.

When the attack came, High was in his bunk, since he had just come offnightwatch.

The Oklahoma was hit hard. It caught fire and, though it did not sink, it rolled over. Many on board lost their lives.

John High managed to get from below deck to the main deck. Smoke and fire were everywhere. He jumped over the rail and swam through burning oil to safety.

His son says the one story that sticks out in his mind that his father tells of that day is the one about a Catholic priest. It seems several men on the ship were trapped by flames and the only way out was through a porthole.

The priest, a portly man, helped push 12 men through that porthole to safety. But when he tried to get through he got stuck and drowned when the ship capsized. "He saved those 12 men but he couldn't save himself," the younger High said.

He said his father never talked much about Pearl Harbor and World War II. He talked more about it after he had his first heart attack, Charles High said.

A twist on High's story was that his parents were notified their son was missing in action. High was from Rowesburg, W. Va. The message they received read: "The Navy Department deeply regrets to inform you that your son, John M. High, is missing following action in the service of his country."

The message added that to prevent any possible aid to the enemy, the parents should not divulge the name of the ship he served on or where it was stationed.

Then on Jan. 2, 1942, his parents got the wonderful news that John was, indeed, safe. John High went on to serve the rest of World War II with the Navy in the Pacific, serving on several different ships.

He went almost nine years without seeing his parents, from 1936 to 1945.

How did he get to Alexandria? He met his wife while in the Navy. She was from Alex and when the war ended they settled there. High worked at Pierce Governor in Anderson for awhile and then joined Haynes Stellite Corp. inKokomo. He retired from Cabot Corp. (which bought Haynes) in Kokomo.

"My father is a very patriotic person," Charles High said, "He has a great love for his country."



Source: NARA Record Group 331, Muster Rolls of Ships based at Pearl Harbor, 1939-47, Oklahoma, BB 37, Muster Roll, 1941, June 30, image on-line at Footnote.com

[John M. High married my maternal great-aunt, Clara Ellen Wright- TJL]

Monday, September 27, 2010

Obituary Omissions

Sometimes the newspaper makes a mistake, other times perhaps the family is so distraught that incomplete information is given.  


An example is my maternal great-grandmother's obituary in the March 5, 1968 Anderson Herald.


Funeral Services Set For Muriel Wright

ALEXANDRIA - Funeral rites for Mrs. Muriel Wright, 71, wife of Virgil Wright of Rt. 3, have been arranged for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Christian Church.  The Rev. Eugene Lamport will be the minister in charge. Interment will be in the Parkview Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the Karl M. Kyle Funeral Home after 2 p.m. today, and the Eastern Star Chapter will conduct memorial rites there at 8 p.m. today.

Mrs. Wright died Sunday noon at Community Hospital in Anderson after an extended illness.

A lifelong resident here, she was born in Alexandria, Feb. 16, 1897, to William F. and Clara Penniston Pierce.  She was married to Mr. Wright in 1915.  She was a member of the Christian Church, Order of the Eastern Star, Alexandria Chapter 179 and the Rebekah Lodge.

Surviving are the husband; two daughters, Mrs. Clara Ellen High and Mrs. Barbara Webster, both of Alexandria; a sister, Mrs. Nehersta Roberts of Santa Monica, Calif.; five brothers, McClelland, Charles, Eddie, and Bobby Pierce, all of Alexandria, and Jimmy Pierce of Indianapolis; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
For some reason, my grandfather, William Lee WRIGHT, her only son, was not listed at all in the obituary.  Someone who didn't know better might think that he was deceased at the time.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Family Milestones: March 28th

My maternal grandaunt, Clara Ellen WRIGHT, was born on this date in 1916 in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.  Clara Ellen was the daughter of Virgil Lee and Edna Muriel (PIERCE) WRIGHT, and the older sister of my William Lee WRIGHT.  Clara Ellen married December 8, 1945 to John M. HIGH.  John was born September 13, 1919 in Rowesburg, West Virginia.  They had 2 children.  John died September 21, 1992 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.  Clara Ellen died August 12, 2005 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana.  Both are buried in the Park View Cemetery in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.

My maternal 7th-great grandfather, Johannis ANTONIDES, was born on this date in 1683 in Franeker, Netherlands.  Johannis was the son of Vincentius and Anatie (VAN COUVENHAVEN) ANTONIDES.  Johannis married in 1724 to Annetje COUWENHOVEN, daughter of Peter Willemsen and Patience (DAWS) COUWENHOVEN.  They had at least 2 children.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My maternal 5th-great grandaunt, Frances PUTMAN, married on this date in 1835 in Monroe County, Indiana to Alexander CLEVELAND.   Frances was the daughter of James and Elizabeth (KENDRICK) PUTMAN, and the younger sister of my Mary PUTMAN.  Frances was born circa 1805.  I do not have dates of birth and death of Alexander.  Nothing further is known at this time.

My maternal 7th-great grandparents, James HODGKINS and Elizabeth EVANS, were married on this date in 1752 in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.  Elizabeth was born circa 1737 in Pennsylvania.  I do not have dates of birth or death for James.  They had at least 6 children.  Elizabeth died about 1814 in Pleasant Township, Clermont County, Ohio.


© 2010, copyright Travis J. LeMaster http://tjlgenes.blogspot.com

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Sentimental Sunday: Memories of Virgil Lee Wright (1894-1972)


Virgil Lee Wright (1894-1972) was my maternal great-grandfather.  While I don't have any memories of him to share, my cousin Charlie High shared some of the following tidbits:

"Virgil hid his Salem cigarettes in my cattles' corn born bin.  He was always at the fairs when I showed my cattle and he came and visited me in El Paso, Texas while I was in AIT training in the Army.  Bob and Barbara Webster brought him down there."

Another tidbit was relied by Charlie "a guy at the feed barn named Ernie Rector said his family was in a thrashing ring with Virgil and many locals such as Blackledge, Goldie Freese and many more, John and Mike Wright, etc."  I had no idea what a thrashing ring was, until I looked it up on Google and found this book:






Charlie also told me that he named his first steer after Virgil, called him "Virg". 

© 2010, copyright Travis J. LeMaster http://tjlgenes.blogspot.com

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday: Virgil Lee & Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright

My maternal great-grandparents, Virgil Lee and Edna Muriel (Pierce) Wright are buried in the Park View Cemetery in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana.



Virgil Lee Wright was born July 6, 1894 in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana, the son of John William and Ellen (King) Wright.



Edna Muriel "Peach" Pierce was born February 7, 1897 in Madison County, Indiana, the daughter of William Francis and Clara (Pennisten) Pierce.



Virgil and Edna were married on June 19, 1915 in Alexandria, Madison County, Indiana. Virgil and Edna lived out their lives in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana.

Edna died March 3, 1968 in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana and Virgil followed on March 25, 1972 in Alexandria, Indiana.

Virgil and Edna were the parents of three children, all of whom were born in Madison County, Indiana:

  • Clara Ellen Wright (1916-2005) married John M. High, had 2 children.
  • William Lee Wright (1919-1973) married Bonnie Mae Lambertson, had 2 children. These are my grandparents.
  • Barbara Lou Wright (1932-2008) married Robert L. Webster, had 2 children.


Sunday, December 07, 2008

Alex man was on Oklahoma at Pearl

Source : Anderson Herald-Bulletin, Anderson, Indiana, Sunday, December 8, 1991.



Alex man was on Oklahoma at Pearl by Jim Bannon.



When we put together our special Pearl Harbor anniversary section recently, we contacted some people in this area who were survivors of the attack.



Another survivor turned up later, and even though we couldn't get his story in the Pearl Harbor section, I thought it deserved telling.



John M. High is 72 years old now and lives in Alexandria. On the morning of December 7, 1941, he was a ship's cook first class serving on the battleship U.S.S. Oklahoma, anchored along battleship row at Pearl Harbor.



High has been in bad health recently, suffering two heart attacks and a stroke and his story was told to me by his son, Charles, of Anderson, who works at Delco Remy.



When the attack came, High was in his bunk, since he had just come off nightwatch.



The Oklahoma was hit hard. It caught fire and, though it did not sink, it rolled over. Many on board lost their lives.



John High managed to get from below deck to the main deck. Smoke and fire were everywhere. He jumped over the rail and swam through burning oil to safety.



His son says the one story that sticks out in his mind that his father tells of that day is the one about a Catholic priest. It seems several men on the ship were trapped by flames and the only way out was through a porthole.



The priest, a portly man, helped push 12 men through that porthole to safety. But when he tried to get through he got stuck and drowned when the ship capsized. "He saved those 12 men but he couldn't save himself," the younger High said.



He said his father never talked much about Pearl Harbor and World War II. He talked more about it after he had his first heart attack, Charles High said.



A twist on High's story was that his parents were notified their son was missing in action. High was from Rowesburg, W. Va. The message they received read: "The Navy Department deeply regrets to inform you that your son, John M. High, is missing following action in the service of his country."

The message added that to prevent any possible aid to the enemy, the parents should not divulge the name of the ship he served on or where it was stationed.

Then on Jan. 2, 1942, his parents got the wonderful news that John was, indeed, safe. John High went on to serve the rest of World War II with the Navy in the Pacific, serving on several different ships.

He went almost nine years without seeing his parents, from 1936 to 1945.

How did he get to Alexandria? He met his wife while in the Navy. She was from Alex and when the war ended they settled there. High worked at Pierce Governor in Anderson for awhile and then joined Haynes Stellite Corp. in Kokomo. He retired from Cabot Corp. (which bought Haynes) in Kokomo.

"My father is a very patriotic person," Charles High said, "He has a great love for his country."

[John M. High married my maternal great-aunt, Clara Ellen Wright- TJL]

Day of Infamy : Alex Man Survived Pearl Harbor

Source: Alexandria Times-Tribune, December 11, 1991.

Day of Infamy: Alex Man Survived Pearl Harbor by Stephen Dick

It was the Day of Infamy. 50 years ago. Sleepy Pearl Harbor Navla [sic] Base in Hawaii, where reveille had been about an hour old. Sailors were waking up, taking showers, ands [sic] finding their way to the mess decks for a steaming cup of coffee.

The ships were lined up in port. On Battleship Row were some of the Navy's mightiest warships, named after the states. The USS Arizona has become the most famous but sitting two ships away, outboard from another battleship, was the USS Oklahoma. On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, a first class cook named John M. High, already a five-year veteran of the Navy, was preparing chow for his shipmates. Just another Sunday morning, the ship probably in holiday routine.

While the men ate their breakfasts, the waters 200 miles north of Oahu were infested with Japanese ships including six carriers loaded with warplanes. Around 8 a.m. the squadron of Japanese bombers snaked around the mountain ridges that bordered Oahu. Past the mountains and over the sea the bombers turned north toward Pearl Harbor and dropped their lethal cargo on the unsuspecting men below. For a half hour 183 planes decimated much of the US's second fleet. Twenty ships were damaged, many sunk, including the USS Oklahoma where John High, like his shipmates, may have thought the apocalypse was upon them.

High went topside, saw the carnage, and knew his ship was going down. The ship had suffered repeated torpedo assaults. He had no recourse but to jump into the water which was covered with burning oil. High suffered some mild burns and was forced to swim under water to shore.

Soon his ship lay on the bottom of Pearl Harbor along with the Arizona and others. Also at the bottom were his naval records. He was listed as missing in action for six weeks after the attack. When High, who was from West Virginia, ran into a man he knew from home, the man was incredulous. "We thought you were dead." he told High.

John M. High is alive to this day, and makes his home in Alexandria. He moved here in the late Forties with his wife, Clara Ellen Wright, who was from Alexandria. Because he survived Pearl Harbor, where 2,000 soldiers and sailors died, High was honored last Saturday, the 50th anniversary of the attack, by the Alexandria Veterans of Foreign Wars where he was made an honorary member.

High is not the youth he was when he heard and felt the Japanese bombs falling that morning. At 72, he suffered a stroke two years ago and does very little nowadays. But Clara said he enjoyed the ceremony on Saturday. "John got emotional about it," she said.

When he was 22, however, he was more worried about getting his pay than he was about the historical significance of the bombing. When he tried to get paid, long after the attack, he was told he'd have to wait because of his missing records. High told the Navy he'd be going home. He got paid, and spent the war years in the Pacific on a number of ships. Clara could not recall their names but said he was often in combat situations.

In 1945, with the war over, John was transferred to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. There he met Clara, a WAVE, who had joined the Navy from Alexandria. They married in 1945. He was the chief commissaryman at Great Lakes until his discharge in 1947.

The couple came back to Alexandria to make their home. John worked at a number of jobs including Stellite in Alexandria. He was transferred by that company to Kokomo and retired from there in 1984.

The couple had two sons, Charles, who served with the Army as an MP, in El Paso, Texas, and Phillip, who also joined the Army and spent time in Korea.

During the years where the war retreated into memory, John and Clara frequently went to reunions of survivors of the USS Oklahoma. There the stories and memories flowed. A compartment full of men had sunk with the ship, but in the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor they had made enough noise to be heard. When they were rescued by divers, they had spent time in pitch black darkness with water up to their necks. Then there was a priest aboard from Dubuque, Iowa, who rescued many men by forcing them out of a small porthole into the water. The priest had perished, however, as he was too large to fit through the opening.

Clara said that attending the survivors' reunions was like getting together with family. One reunion took place in Hawaii and a survivor from Mississippi was told by his doctor that his health wouldn't allow such a long trip. He told the doctor he'd rather be dead in Pearl Harbor than alive in Gulfport. He went and he returned.

The last reunion the Highs attended was in, aptly enough, Oklahoma City in 1990. Because of John's illness they did not attend the 1991 reunion, and will likely miss the 1992 get-together in Norfolk, Va.

But the memories and heroic actions of men under extreme conditions remain as an inspiration to us all. As VFW Commander Bill Tankersley said at Saturday's ceremony, "America answered the call and the rest is history."

The USS Arizona remains at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, a memorial to that day of infamy, and a reminder that we live in a volatile, unpredictable world. And what of the USS Oklahoma? She was raised and was going to be repaired. But as tugboats were pulling her out to sea, the lines broke and the ship sank again. The Navy let her rest. It was her men, not herself, that answered the call 50 years ago. John High was one of those men.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Obituary : Virgil Lee Wright (1894-1972)



Source : Elwood, Indiana Call-Leader, Monday, March 27, 1972


Alexandria - Virgil Lee Wright, 77, route four, Alexandria, died Saturday at the Bradford nursing home following an extended illness.

He was a lifetime resident of Alexandria and had been a farmer in the Alexandria area.

He was married in 1915, his wife, Edna, died in 1968.

Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Clara High and Mrs. Barbara Webster both of Alexandria; one son William of Alexandria; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Karl M. Kyle funeral home with the Rev. Edwin Clark officiating. Burial will be in the Park View cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home after 4 p.m. today.