Notes for William Hans EHLERS

Notes for William Hans EHLERS Doug & Nancy Russell's Homepage

Notes for William Hans EHLERS

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British Columbia Archives:

Marriage:

William Hans Ehlers and Mary Ellen Driscoll
Date: 9-25-1919
Place: Rossland, British Columbia, Canada

Reg. # 1919-09-205468
BC Archives Microfilm # B11390
GSU Microfilm # 1984111

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Death cert., State of Washington State File #1277
d. Cerebral Vascular Accident, Cancer of Larynex, Arteriosclerotic artery disease
buried; Okanogan Cemetery

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Okanogan Independent
August 21,1969

Ehlers To Observe Golden Anniversary

To help celebrate the 50th anniverdary of Mr. and Mrs. William Ehlers, their daughter Jeanette and husband and two sons Paul and Billie from Spokane, and their son Robert and wife and two daughters Lisa and Leslie and Miss Mary Ehlers will be here.

Coming also will be Mrs. Ehlers three sisters, Mrs. P.J. Head from Spokane, Mrs. Lillian McFarland from Colfax and Mrs. Perdue and husband from Cashmere. Other relatives attending will be Mr. and Mrs. Leo Driscoll, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Kimel from Spokane, Mr. and Mrs. Don Perdue, Seattle, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Larkin, Everett, WA.

From Bridgeport will come Mr. and Mrs. Lupis and from Moses Lake, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Waterstat. A reception will be held at Paul Ambrose for the relatives and close friends. Following, a dinner at 7 p.m.

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Okanogan Independent
January 23, 1975

Okanogan sorrowed at Bill Ehlers death

Okanogan was sorrowed at the recent death of one of its long time residents, Bill Ehlers, who passed away in the Brewster Hospital, Friday, January 17. Bill lived in Okanogan for 52 years and in a recent visit recounted some moments in his life.

Bill, born in Walla Walla, spent his early years in Rossland, B.C. He came to the Okanogan Valley in 1922 as an employee of C.E. Blackwell Hardware. With his wife Nell and son Gordon, Bill moved into a house near the present Okanogan High School. A second son was born in 1924, and a daughter Mary Jeanette, in 1925.

In 1934, he purchased his present house and lot, for the seemingly small sun of $400.00. The house had to be moved from Booher Lake near Riverside and the moving crew got the house hung up at Shellrock Point in the process. The house located on the river has survived the severe floods of 1948 and 1972.

After 13 years in the hardware business at Blackwell's, Bill began work with Vince White as Deputy County Treasurer. In 1943, he was elected to the position of County Treasurer, which he held until his retirement in 1963. The 1943 election was the first and only time he was opposed for the position of County Treasurer.

Upon retirement, fishing, handy work and travelling occupied much of Bill's time. A bout with throat caner left him without his natural voice, but the sucessful operation allowed him to maintain a lot of his activities.

Bill and Nell celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1969.

Survivors are his wife Nell; a son, Bob Ehlers of Salt Lake City,Utah; a daugher, Jeanette Cunz, Spokane; four grandchildren; and a sister, Mary Ehlers, Vancouver, B.C.

Bill was preceeded in death by a son, Gordon, lost in the service of his country in 1943.

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History of Bill Ehlers
Summer of 1974

Bill Ehlers was born December 5, 1892 in Walla Walla, WA. At the age of three,
his family moved to Rossland, B.C. where his father built and owned the local
hotel. One of his fond memories was a vacation which his family took to
Germany in 1900.

Bill drove a delivery truck at age sixteen and at age eighteen, went to work
for Hunter Brothers General Merchandise in the hardware department.

In 1920 he worked one year in Vancouver, B.C., then returned to Rossland for
six months. He then moved to Spokane, WA where he worked for John T. Little in
hardware where he stayed about nine months. In October, 1922 he mov
Okanogan where he worked C.E. Blackwell. He only intended to remain one year.

Bill married Nell Driscoll on September 25, 1919. They had three children;
William Gordon, born September 12, 1920, died in 1943 when the tug boat where
he was Captain went down in the Gulf of Alaska; Robert James, born May 11,
1924, now living in Salt Lake City, Utah; and Mary Jeanette, born October 1,
1925, now lives in Spokane, WA where she teaches school.

Bill worked for C.E. Blackwell for ten years, then went to work for Vince White
as Deputy Okanogan County Treasurer in 1935 and was elected to office of
Treasurer in 1943. The first election was the only election in which he was
opposed. He retired from this office in 1963.

Bill had an attack of throat cancer about 1965. He loved sports and played La
Cross and Hockey. He played hockey against the world famous Patrick Brothers.
He loved bird hunting and trout fishing. He used to get his limit of three in
the morning and three in the afternoon. Bill said he lost two fingers in gears
at a machine shop when he was fifteen years old.

Bill moved the old house from new Sam Bohr Lake to Okanogan. He paid $200.00
for the house and $200.00 for the lot. He had to borrow $200.00 from a woman
in Okanogan and it cost him $122.00 in interest before he got the debt paid.
The house was hung up on Shellrock Point and it made the Wagner crew late for
work. The carpenter got $.25 per hour in wage. Bill�s mother gave then
$400.00 so they added the bathroom, bedroom and dining room. Their home
flooded on 1948. There was eighteen inches of water in the house. There is
water in the basement most every year, Bill observed. They had eighteen inches
in 1972 too.

Bill and Nell had their fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration in 1969 at
Paul Ambrose�s in Okanogan.

Nell earned $60.00 per month as a telephone operator at Rossland, and on the 10
p.m. to 7 a.m. shift. It was sometimes necessary to walk through two to four
feet of snow.

Bill worked where soda pop was made when he was fourteen for $15.00 per month.
He saw his first car in Rossland about 1915. He went from Rossland to Trail in
sled and wagon and also skied from Rossland to Trail, and then would ride the
train up the hill in the evening.

Bill played a violin until he lost his fingers, then he played the drums in the
local orchestra.

Nell had a heart attack in 1968, and a brain tumor in 1973.

Bill paid $150.00 for his first car, a 1914 Model �T� Ford which he purchased
about 1924. It took them two days to drive from Okanogan to Vancouver, B.C.
His first NEW car, a 1929 Model �A� Ford cost him $700.00.

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1930 Okanogan, WA Census

William states parents from Hamburg, Germany

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Passenger
Number Surname First Name State of Origin Marital
Status Date of Birth Destination Attendant
Family Members Category
838551 Ehlers Charley British Columbia 1852/1853 Boulogne; New York yes d
838554 Ehlers Elise British Columbia 1852/1853 Boulogne; New York yes d
838557 Ehlers Marie British Columbia 1891/1892 Boulogne; New York yes d
838559 Ehlers Willie British Columbia 1892/1893 Boulogne; New York yes d

Surname: Ehlers
Given Name: Charley
Maiden Name:
Age in Years: 48
Date of Birth:
Age in Months:
Place of Birth:
Attendant Family Members: yes
Marital Status:
Nationality: British Columbia
Place of Residence: Rossland
(Federal) State of Origin:
Religion:
Profession:
Destination:
Passenger Number: 02.0009
Passage Number: A1901.0153
Accommodation: Kaj�te
Date of Departure: 12.05.1901
Port of Departure:
Destination of Ship: Boulogne; New York
Name of Ship: Phoenicia
Ship Type: Dampfschiff
Shipping Company: Hamburg-Amerika Linie (Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft)
Agent: Hamburg-Amerika Linie (Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft)
Country Flag of Ship: Deutschland
Name of Captain:

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