THIS IS MY LIFE

George Washington Raymond Kinsey

Son of Alva Kinsey and Ida Mae Hann.

Named for George Washington, changed to Raymond (not legally). During the 1913 flood in Logansport (Indiana) the records in City Hall were all ruined. Ray and Ann's birth certificates were destroyed and in order to get new ones they went down to the courthouse with Bertha and each said they knew each other and got new birth certificates. George Raymond Kinsey is the name on the new certificate, dated 6/29/1939.

Born: February 22, 1898
Place of Birth: Logansport, Indiana at home 2010 Smead Street

Statistics:
Hair color: brown
Color eyes: gray blue
Height: 5'8"
Blood type:???
Started wearing glasses: Sometime after Service
Politics: Democrat

Mother: Ida Mae Hann

Born: June 10, 1872
Place: Onward, Indiana
Died: September 23, 1930
Cause: Hypertension, dropped dead in garden.
Buried: Logansport, IN

Father: Alva DeMoine Kinsey

Born: September 30, 1862
Place: Onward, IN.
Died: December 27, 1922
Cause: Uremic Poisoning, died at home.
Buried: Logansport, IN

Grandparents:

Sarah E. Davison

Born: Jan. 17, 1839
Place: ??? PA
Died: March 26, 1874
Cause: TB
Buried: Onward, IN

Jacob A. Kinsey

Born: March 9, 1838
Place: Hagerstown,Wayne,Indiana
Died: March 11, 1866
Cause: Quinsy
Buried: Onward, IN

James Daugherty Hann

Born: March 7, 1846
place: Near Chili, Miami,Indiana
Died: July 30, 1910
Cause:???
Buried: Bunker Hill, IN

Phebe Ann Puterbaugh

Born: October 18, 1847
place: Tipton Twp.,Cass,IN
Died: Jan. 14, 1921
Cause: ???
Buried: Bunker Hill, IN

Great-grandparents:

Brother: Claude James Kinsey

Born: Jan.23, 1894
Place: Logansport, IN
Died: Oct. 6, 1974
Cause:Congestive heart failure
Buried: Detroit, MI Grand Lawn Cemetery

Sister: Bertha May Kinsey, Hammer, Cotterman

Born: Dec. 23, 1891
Place: Logansport, IN
Died: June 27, 1966
Cause:complications from broken hip.
Buried: Near Bennetts Switch Logansport, IN

Sister: Ina Merle Kinsey, Myers

Born: April 15,1896
Place: Logansport, IN
Died: Sept. 29, 1980
Cause:complications after stroke
Buried: Parkview Memorial Cemetery, Livonia, Wayne Co., MI

Father:

When Alva's mother Sarah died, Alva (11 yrs. old) and his brother, Marshall, (8 yrs. old) went to live with the Hanns' (not sure about Marshall). Eventually he married their Daughter, Ida Mae.

Before he was married, Alva and his brother went to Missouri to build railroad tracks. Told of having to go through the cane breaks (bamboo) which were a problem.

Ray called him " Dad"

Alva worked in railroad car repair shop as a member of the "Rip Team" fixing defective railroad cars.

Road a bike to work except in bad weather when he walked. He worked 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. Made $40 a month, $20 went toward house payments, $20 to feed and cloth 6.

Alva had bladder problems and went to Evanston,IL to a specialist. Needed $1200 cash before the operation. The grocer in Logansport, Mr. Meste of Meste's meat market loaned the money. The surgeon ruptured his urethra and had to wear a bladder bag the rest of his life. Alva was remembered as a real nice man. He was small about 5'6" and thin. Never swore but did say Oh Shit.

Mother:

Was called "Mom".

Was short and plump. Always wore an apron, which was the usual in those days.

She belonged to the Larken Club. Met once a month to buy spices. They gave prizes- got a rocker and mirror. Somewhat like Stanley & Tupperware parties today.

The meat wagon would come around. Later walked to butcher shop and grocery store.

Had no refrigeration or icebox.

Milkman came by horse drawn wagon, milk was in a big can from which he filled the small cans at the door.

Homes:

Ray was born at 2010 Smead St. Logansport, Indiana. Five bedrooms- one on the first floor and 4 on the second floor. Bertha and Merle had their own bedrooms; Raymond and Claude shared a bedroom. Had a barn, chicken coop and outhouse. Had small dirt floored basement- used as a fruit cellar, apples, potatoes, and cabbages. Dug larger years later to hold furnace. Had a Jersey cow until 1904 when Raymond was 6 years old. Had attic where furniture was stored. Sisters dressed up with clothes in attic.

Lived on Smead St. until joining the Army.

Lived with Hurts in Gary, Indiana after service. George Gangoff also lived with the Hurts.

Then lived with Joe Evans in Indiana Harbor, Indiana

After marriage lived on Yale Ave. Chicago. IL

Then on Vernon street Chicago, IL 71st and Lawrence

In 1926 went to 6931 Van Buren Ave. Hammond,IN

1963,64,65 after retirement, rented a modular home in Royal Gardens Bradenton, FL.

1966 Rented in TriPar trailer park in Bradenton, FL

1969 Rented in Bradenton, FL ????

1970 bought a modular home in Heather Hills Estates- Bradenton, FL

1996 went to live in an assisted care facility in Beaufort, SC

grade: 16th Street school- brick building-walked 1 mile.

2nd-7th grades Daniel Webster- 3 floors-brick.

Universal Church

Logansport High School- 3 floors-brick-walked 1 1/4 miles, always ate lunch at home. Photographer at school took pictures for 5 cents. Has one with snowflakes on it, taken outside. Arithmetic was favorite subject. Played football, had shoulder pads, helmet, rubber nose guard worn by a few. Weighted 140# broke right arm. Was on the school track team.

Childhood:

Had no store bought toys.

Had no birthday parties

Had no pets

Played marbles, tops and dominoes.

11 Years:

Had wanted to run away with Claude, next door neighbor Clo King, and friends but they wouldn't allow it.

Old boxcar wood was cut into 16" lengths and Ray and Claude then split them for the stove.

12 years:

Would roller skate at the roller rink downtown Logansport.

13 years:

Earned enough money to buy a bicycle when 13 or 14 and then someone stole it.

Chicago Tribune Paper route, passed papers from house to house, made 10 cents a month per house.

Family got an ice cream maker. Would go swimming, skinny dipping in the ditch.

Girls came and wouldn't let them out of the water.

Neighbor Sager usually swam in the Wabash River.

Caught toads and snakes to tease girls.

Never had music lessons.

Wanted to be a fireman.

15 Years:

Claude was supposed to empty ashes, but didn't and Ray didn't either. Was sent to bed and kicked by father.

Father spanked with a razor strap.

One time hit father in nose with pin pointed paper dart, also shot through house into a Sears & Roebuck catalog with a .22 caliper rifle.

Family:

Family made root beer and dandelion wine.

Sister Bertha could outrun father and Ray, and Ray was on the track team.

Had to split wood for wood stove.

Washtub- everyone bathed in same water.

Mother and Grandma Hann made soap.

Had cisterns for collecting water.

Raymond and both parents were right handed.

Father got train passes, went to Onward and Pittsburgh.

Went to Detroit and Niagara Falls in 1915.

Alva got his first car, 1922 Buick before he died.

Jobs:

At 13 yr. Ray delivered Chicago Tribune, about 50 papers cost 10 cents per month per house.

At 15 yr. worked as a janitor for local doctor. Then in brass foundry molding brass bushings, ten cents per hour. The bushings were used on Apperson Jackrabbit Car.

At 18 years went into service, airplane mechanic.

In 1919 after service worked as a mechanic for cousin, Clair Vance he was an airplane mail carrier. Had a girl friend named Olice Milspool.

The same year worked on Uncle Arthur Hann's farm as a farmhand making $1.50-$2.00 a day raising corn, wheat, oats, and hay.

In 1919 went to work in Gary in the tin mill of USS. George Gangoff got him to change to Mark Bros. Steel Comp. In Indiana Harbor later became Steel Tube of North America then became another company Dad doesn’t remember the name of, then became Youngstown Sheet and Tube. Worked up to Blooming Mill Roller, retired after 43 1/2 years with Youngstown. Later bought by LTV. Worked shifts the whole time. When first started worked 13 hours nights and 11 hours days. Started 8 hours shifts the day Mary was born.

During the depression worked on WPA clearing along the Little Calumet River and shoveled snow off streets. Worked at Youngstown 1 day every 2 weeks.

Cars:

1926-Model T Ford Roadster

De Sota in here somewhere

1936 4 door Ford

1942 4 door Ford one of the last ones made before the war. Had ordered a car and then decided not to take delivery, but then came the directive that no more cars were to be sold to civilians. The dealer said he would backdate the sale if we wanted to get the car, which we did. Spare tires were not to be sold but ours had a spare until Mom had to ask if it" came with a spare" half kidding the dealer. He went over and took it out of the trunk. Thanks Mom.

1947 Overland from Mary and Jim was 1929 Oldsmobile from Washington Island car that Dad used for work.

1950 4 door Ford. Paul bought it from the folks in 1951 and all his kids learned to drive using the "purple bomb". It pulled the house trailer from MD to ME and pulled many a tree from the lot in Riegelwood.

1952 4 door Ford.

???????

1987 Grand Marquis Mercury- tan

Military:

Enlisted in W.W.I Dec. 1917. Took Interurban train to Fort Benjamin Harrison near Indianapolis, then train to Camp Taylor in Louisville KY, and then spent 3-4 weeks at Camp Hancock in Augusta, GA. Now site of Daniel Field Airport. In Augusta it was warm, then overnight had a 4" snow, then on to Camp Merrit in Hoboken, NJ.

Went to Europe on Livathian, the largest ship afloat at the time. Was a German cruise vessel that was in New York when war was declared. It carried 15,000 troops and 2,000 crew.

Paid $30 a month, $15 went home to mother and $6.40 went for insurance. Spent some on cigarettes, was a smoker at that time.

In 1918 was an airplane mechanic at Grand Park Aeronautics near Chelone Mautauge France. Had to move to Oua Serseine because of bombings.

Planes were made out of linen coated with collodion. Repaired wrecked, shot or old planes.Some were German, Italian, and French.

Was in the 17th 2nd regiment from Algiers

900 French & 200 German prisoners

French Colony Vietnam- Aminites

Came back from Europe on the George Washington, Woodrow Wilson had once gone on the George Washington, was classy. After only 68 miles out to sea, the ship was able to talk to Boston and Washington on short wave radio. The 77th Division was also on the ship. Had broken right wrist cranking a tractor so was brought back to the US as a casualty to be hospitalized in NY. A department store, The Green Hut, was turned into a hospital for the Army wounded.

Discharged- medical, broken wrist, July 1, 1919

Marriage:

October 28, 1922 married Annie Agnes Damm. Before getting marriage license, walked around the block.

Lived in furnished rooms on Veron St. in Chicago.

Raymond made cigar box radio, listened to KYW Pittsburgh Opera 1 hour a week, also WGN in Chicago. Headphones came apart so two persons could listen at one time.

Children:

Jane Ann, April 24, 1925 Englewood Hospital- Chicago, IL
Mary Louise, March 8, 1927- Hammond, IN
Paul Richard, June 22, 1929- Hammond, IN

History:

Grandfather had a buckboard flat bed wagon that had an 8'bed 7-8 feet long.

Grandma Phebe Hann (Hann’s were good friends of the Kinsey’s) took in Alva and Marshall Kinsey, also raised two nieces.

Claude James Kinsey, Ray's brother, Claude began working for General Motors Research in 1926 and worked there until his retirement in 1958. As head draftsman, he designed, among many other things, an early high speed camera, improved automobile air conditioning and he designed many balancing machines which were build and sent all over the world. One of his balancing machines was used to balance airplane propellers on W.W.II planes.

In the late 1940's GM Research became involved in the medical field working with doctors from Detroit's Harper Hospital. Claude designed the first heart-lung machine. In 1958 he was honored by the American Society of Tool Engineers as Man of the Year for this accomplishment. The original heart-lung machine is now at the Smithsonian Institute. In 1956, along with other members of his department, he worked with doctors to design a machine to inactivate live pole virus which was then used in Dr. Salk's polio vaccine.

Charles F. Kettering was Vice President and Director of GM Research from 1920 until he retired in 1947. They knew each other well enough to be on a first name basis.

Grandfather James Dougherty Hann was in Civil War.

Ray's Uncle Harry Wilber Hann was an ornithologist. Would go into the woods, put up birdhouses and band birds. Spent 15 hours a day studying birds. Also studied frogs and minnows. Harry was principal of high school in Iowa. Graduated from Angola University. Was professor at U. of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Wrote several books, worked with Roger Troy Peterson-bird expert and author.

Jacob & Sarah Kinsey made wooden chest (blanket box) for Ida's parents Phebe and James Hann as a wedding gift.

Arthur Leroy Hann son of James and Phebe Hann taught school.

Wilber Hann, son of Harry Wilbur, worked in parts department of Buick

Merle Kinsey & Fred Myers cared for Uncle Harry and his wife when they were ill. They died within a week of each other.

Grandmother Ida Kinsey gave dolls to Jane and Mary every year.

Uncle William Marshall Kinsey, wife Lola, worked for lumber company in 1923. Lived in Kokomo,IN. worked for glass company. Their daughter Olive married Ernest Benner. They went to Wisconsin and worked in a lumberyard. Uncle Marshall followed them to Wisconsin.

Cousin Clair Vance was an airplane mail carrier; in 1932 he took a barnstorming trip to Colorado and was killed when he hit a mountain. Ray worked as Clair's mechanic.

Depression:

Would work at steel mill 1 day every two weeks, between times worked with the WPA cleaning along the Little Calumet River.

Also shoveled snow off streets.

Had to have phone removed at that time.

Memories:

1933 Saw first television at Chicago Worlds Fair.

1950 Purchased first TV.

1919 July 1. Allowed liquor to be sold legally again, prohibition over. Illinois had liquor, Indiana did not. This was the day Ray was discharged from the service. "Speakeasy" was a place where liquor was sold illegally.

Gangsters played golf in Calumet City. Al Capone (Scar Face) drove up in Stutz Roaster. Their victims would be killed in Illinois and then dumped in Indiana (out of State jurisdiction).

1930 Gambling and Pool Halls were illegal. Indiana Harbor,Indiana had the " Big House" had to have a password to get by the door.

1931 Ann went to sanitarium on April 24th with tuberculosis. Mrs. George(neighbor)kept children for 1 month. When school got out, children went to stay at Uncle Fred and Aunt Merle in Detroit, MI for the summer. Aunt Merle taught Mary to eat ice cream.

1941 December 7th We were in China Town in Chicago when war was declared.

Worlds Fairs:

Chicago 1933-34, was there the last night when people tore the place apart. Police made them discard their "loot" before leaving the grounds.

Vancouver, Canada

1947 Nest is empty. Jane got married, Mary got married and Paul went off to Purdue.

Hobbies:

Known for lots of things but some were making wahoo boards, collecting banana stickers, stamp and coin collecting, repairing anything. Of course, card playing was almost an addiction.
Belonged to a pinochle club--KB's
Ann and Raymond Kinsey
George and Clara Kuehle
Lee and Blanch Branson
Ivan and Irselle Brown

Photography got first camera?

Played golf

Plays Wahoo

Trips:

1936 Yellowstone National Park, first vacation whole family went.

? Trip around Lake Michigan, someone picked up rocks to take home for souvenirs, Dad threw them out when he found them. Ate a lot of Dairy Queen milk shakes.

1947?

1948 With Blitsch's in Kansas

1950 West, Vancouver, San Francisco, Yellowstone, Salt Lake City, Garden of Gods, Estes, Rocky Mountain National Park

1954 went to see Janet and Paul in MD. Drove through hurricane Hazel Oct. 15, in Harrisburg, PA couldn't stop and shouldn't have kept going, trees down in road, live electrical wires etc.

1956 Lake Waccamaw, NC to see Janet and Paul

1957 Riegelwood, NC to Janet and Paul

1961 April went to Bluefield VA, Bel-Air MD

1963 Florida- rented at Royal Garden Estates

1968 Hawaii

1986 Alaska

1987 Mexico

Medical:

Ray had a small hole in his right ear that would drain (and smell) for many years. Had operated on by an ear nose and throat Dr. Later found out that one of the Shopes children had the same thing.

Broke right wrist playing football in high school, had no insurance Raymond paid for setting the break.

At age 97 still has his own teeth.

Death:

July 3, 1996. Fell and broke hip. Was operated on but never left the hospital Beaufort, SC. Death certificate says aspiration pneumonia.

Burial:

Dad’s body was cremated and his ashes were inurned at Arlington National Cemetery July 28, 1997. Section II Stack 13 Niche No. 2. Great place for a wonderful man.

Written by Raymond’s son Paul Kinsey
Published with permission July 2000