Sunday’s Obituary

These obituaries belong to my Uncle Dick Dollen. I have been working on his life story for several years. I work a little bit here and a little bit there and most recently connected with his naval buddy, Bob Hall. I scanned the above obituaries years ago and let them rest in my iPhotos.

One of my nagging questions has been, “Where did Uncle Dick go to school?” Earlier research led to the discovery of Dick’s high school years. Dick graduated from The Luther Institute of Chicago in 1950. This was good news, but I continued to wonder about his elementary school years.

I went so far as to map his 1940 residence and search for elementary schools within walking distance. That little exercise provided a possibility but I never followed through. Yesterday I was looking through my iPhoto and stopped to read my uncle’s obituaries.

There was the answer to my question! Uncle Dick attended Jehovah Lutheran Grade School and Luther Institute of Chicago. His obituary tells of his short nineteen years of life. I know his story quite well and only glanced at the obituaries. Shame on me! The answer to all my questions was in my hand all along.
 

Lesson learned!

Linda

Facebook

Facebook is a magnet for opinions. You either like it, hate it, are somewhere in between or never want anything to do with it. I personally have had a love/hate relationship with fb.

I am currently on Facebook. I quit once and, must say, I missed seeing what my “friends” were saying and joined again. Though I rarely post, when I do you will most likely see photos of my puppy or snapshots from vacation.

So, you can only imagine my surprise when I found my uncle’s naval ship on
Facebook! My Uncle Dick enlisted in the Navy on 7 February 1952 and was assigned to the

U.S.S. Washburn as an apprentice seaman. His naval career was short-lived due to a non-combat accident that resulted in his death on 3 October 1952. My brothers, sister and I never had the opportunity to meet our mother’s only sibling.

How did I find it? My nephew Tyler’s on a one-of-a-kind homework assignment. On 2 October 1952, Uncle Dick ended his last letter home from the U.S.S. Washburn with the words “I love you and don’t you ever forget it.” Sadly, he died the following morning just hours after posting the letter.

Through an internet search of the U.S.S. Washburn, my nephew and his mother discovered a new Facebook page dedicated to the ship! Why would the ship have a newly created Facebook page all these years later?

The answer is simple. The U.S.S. Washburn was having a reunion on 19 September 2013 in San Diego and the organizers understood the importance of social media.

My sister contacted the owner of the Facebook page and reunion organizer to ask if anyone remembered our uncle, Richard “Dick” Dollen, and, if so, could they contact us. Veterans are a special group of people and quickly spread the word. Soon, our request was answered.

                                                     

Two men named Charlie McCorkendale and Bob Hall responded. Yes, they remembered Dick and they remembered his death, as well. Our pulse quickened, not only because of their response, but also because Bob Hall’s name was frequently mentioned in our uncle’s letters. Uncle Dick considered Bob Hall his good friend… and we had just found him.

Bob told us what life was like on the ship for two “new boots” on the Deck Division, including their first cruise, a supply run to Point Barrow Navy Base in Alaska. Once supplies were offloaded (Uncle Dick’s assignment), the U.S.S. Washburn headed into The Long Beach Naval Shipyard for routine maintenance. The shipyard was also the location of our uncle’s fatal accident. Bob explained the circumstance around Dick’s working conditions and his death.

My sister and I never anticipated hearing from our Uncle Dick’s best buddy who kindly answered all our questions. I must say, we are very grateful for Facebook; without it, the connection would have never have been made and our questions would have remained unanswered.

Facebook also provided us with the opportunity to see photos of the ship. We saw where our uncle slept, the deck on which he worked and much, much more. It also provided informational links to Wikipedia, Naval Amphibious Photo Archives, A Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships and the U.S.S. Washburn Commanding Officers.

In this instance, Facebook provided quality genealogical information. The first-hand recollections of two sailors stationed onboard the ship provided consistent information: Charlie McCorkendale rushed to Uncle Dick’s aid and Bob Hall recounted the story of a short friendship and detailed explanation of everything that occurred between boarding the U.S.S. Washburn on Saturday, 24 May 1952 through our uncle’s death on

3 October 1952. The informational links were extremely helpful in learning about the history of the U.S.S. Washburn. It you are interested, please visit the U.S.S. Washburn on Facebook and see the potential of social media.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/USS-Washburn/130760680381803

Get Me To The Church On Time

My Uncle Dick Dollen preparing to walk his big sister down the aisle on her wedding day. I think he had just finished boot camp. Mom and Dad’s wedding plans revolved on when Dick could get home.

This is a favorite photo of Mother and Son taken on 10 May 1952.

Photographs of Apprentice Seaman, Richard Dollen

Memories of days gone by, days I never knew. . . 

Uncle Dick Dollen, apprentice seaman - Photo most likely taken somewhere in California.

Those Thursday Places

Facebook is my Thursday Place. My sister has taken an interest in our family history and has been trying to connect with our Uncle Dick Dollen’s fellow seamen aboard the U.S.S. Washburn.

For those who might not know, our uncle was killed in a tragic accident. He was an apprentice seaman aboard the U.S.S. Washburn when it went into dry dock for routine maintenance. His job was to scrape and paint the left side of the rear of the ship. In the afternoon of 3 October 1952 the scaffolding in which he was standing gave way. His safety line failed and he fell to his death. Our mother and grandmother spent the rest of their remaining days mourning our uncle. As a result, very little was ever said about his life. Uncle Dick’s letters written to our grandmother provide our only clues to this uncle we never knew. Our curious minds sent us looking.

Facebook has played a key role in making connections. Timing is everything. As we searched the web, the U.S.S. Washburn was planning a reunion and created a facebook page specifically for the reunion. Nancy messaged the facebook page owner, as well as, the reunion contact person.

It is through these gentlemen, she was able to make contact with our uncle’s best friend aboard ship. His name is Bob Hall and Bob has agreed to tell us what he remembers of our uncle.

I don’t know if our mother would be happy with what we are doing but we do it out of love and with the hope of knowing our uncle just a little bit better.

Isn’t that what this family history thing is all about?

Linda

Social Media

Facebook is that social networking phenomena that has grabbed the world’s attention. From its humble beginnings in a Harvard dorm room Facebook has grown to more than one billion users. I have used Facebook as a tool to advance my family trees by searching for possible living descendants. My Dollen cousins and I have had success in reaching out to several unknown, living cousins.

Who would think a Navy attack cargo ship that has been sold for scrap would have a Facebook page? The U.S.S. Washburn does. My Uncle Dick Dollen was an apprentice seaman aboard the ship at the time of his death.

Wishing to learn more about the incident, my sister, Nancy, volunteered to contact the owner of the Facebook page. She privately messaged him, received a prompt reply with the promise of putting out the word and assisting us in learning more about our uncle’s death. The next day Nancy received an email from a gentleman nicknamed Red who served aboard the U.S.S. Washburn from 1950-1953.

Red tells us that the U.S.S. Washburn was in dry dock for routine maintenance when word was passed down of someone falling to the deck of the dry dock; which is concrete. Our uncle was cleaning and scraping the port side aft (Left side and back) of the ship at the time of his accident. Red went up to the deck and looked down at our uncle prone on the dry dock deck with hospital corpsmen tending to him. Words such as these are painful today and I can only imagine how painful they must have been in 1952. I am so very sorry for my grandmother, my mother, and our family's loss.

Red offered to contact other shipmen with the hope of someone knowing more about what happened. A promise was made to mention our uncle at the U.S.S. Washburn reunion this fall. Our family is grateful.

I write quite often about my Uncle Dick Dollen as his death caused considerable pain for my grandmother and mother. Conversation about Dick was kept guarded and minimal. Curiosity keeps me searching for more information about the man and his untimely death.

Uncle Dick ended his last letter home with these prophetic words:

“I still love you all and don’t you ever forget it.”

We haven’t forgotten, Uncle Dick.

Linda

That Sweetheart of a God Mother Part II

As I mentioned in my previous post, I don’t recall meeting my God Mother. After revisiting information about my Uncle Dick Dollen, I decided to search for my her. I was in possession of two facts. Her given name was Marilou and that she was my Uncle Dick’s high school sweetheart.

As I cleaned our coat closet, I pulled out a large blue suitcase that I thought housed my Mother’s accordion. I had quite a surprise when I opened the alleged accordion case for in place of my Mom’s accordion were baby books. My cleaning ground to a halt as I stopped to enjoy the three baby books page by page. My interest in genealogy seems to be predestined for my baby book held a family tree that shed new light on a great, great grandfather and revealed the surname of my God Mother!

Curious about her life and armed with a given and surname, I began searching for her on ancestry.com. I located a Mary Louise who was born in the same city and about the same time of my Uncle Dick’s birth. I decided to test the find by messaging the owner of the tree. Could Mary Louise be my Dick Dollen’s high school sweetheart? I asked the tree owner just that.

The owner replied that yes Mary Louise did date Dick Dollen and a series of messages followed eventually leading to a phone call.

Good News! My Sweetheart of a God Mother is well. She has been blessed with five children, four living children. She is also a grandmother and enjoys her family very much. Marilou remembers her first love.

It was homecoming at Luther Institute when Marilou felt a tap on her shoulder. It happened over and over until she finally caught her admirer. Dick asked her to go steady and Marilou agreed. The girls thought Marilou was lucky to be going steady with such a handsome guy. Dates consisted of riding and going places. Dick would take her out to meet his family. They planned on marrying and raising a family consisting of “a girl just like her and a boy just like Dick.” Marilou and Dick were a match made in heaven!

Marilou and Dick Dollen; a gift from Marilou

A Sweetheart of a God Mother

Last Saturday, my local genealogy society held it’s first meeting of 2013. The weather was cooperative and we had nice attendance. Jennifer Holik presented a program entitled, “Soldier Dead.” Her focus was on soldiers who died while in military service. The program was well received with a collaborative discussion following for every family has World War I and II heroes. She motivated me to write my “Soldier Dead” story.

My Uncle Dick served in the Navy during the Korean War. He enlisted following his high school graduation. He served aboard the U.S.S. Washburn until an unfortunate accident took his life at the tender age of nineteen and prevented me from ever knowing my uncle.

Fresh eyes are just what I needed. A second look at his high school yearbook provided me with his baseball teammates names. An Internet search helped me locate a teammate on his baseball team. I have sent this gentleman a letter inquiring about my Uncle Dick with the hope that he will remember my uncle and respond.

My Uncle Dick had a high school sweet heart. I was born shortly after my uncle’s tragic death and his high school sweetheart became my God Mother. I don’t remember that God Mother of mine. Who was she?

It was time for creative thinking and my baby book held the clue. With genealogical research and a little luck I located my God Mother! This Friday afternoon, I will get an opportunity to speak to my Uncle Dick’s sweetheart also known as my God Mother. Can't wait!

Things happen when you look at something with fresh eyes.

Linda

In Flanders Field

In Flanders Field

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders Fields.

By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD

Canadian Army

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, M.D., “In Flanders Field,” Arlington Cemetery (http://www.arlintoncemetery.net/flanders.htm : accessed 28 May 2012).

This Memorial Day I visited two locations.

In search of  Memorial Day treasures, my first visit was to my Grandmother Meyer’s Family Bible. Dried poppies from Flanders Field were a gift from her son, Robert. Uncle Bob, a World War II veteran, visited Flanders Field in 1941 and sent this poppy home for his mother. My Grandmother preserved another flower; this one came from Korea. Her son, Paul, followed his older brother’s lead and while serving in Korea sent a Japanese Rose home to his mother. Both wartime gifts were obviously appreciated as they were saved in her Bible.

My second visit was to the gravestones my World War II Veteran Father and my Mother. My Father was a medic during World War II. He built hospitals, drew blood and retrieved the wounded throughout Europe. 

For some reason, my father never got on the American Legion Veteran list. As a result, his grave is not decorated with an American Flag. Each Memorial Day I place a flag by his gravestone. I don’t mind.

The cemetery was quiet, as usual, until I heard a single trumpet. A young man standing in the center of the cemetery was playing taps in honor of the veterans of the Town of Maine Cemetery, Park Ridge, Illinois. It was very somber moment. That sound took me back in time to my father’s funeral. I last heard taps played on a very snowy day in December, 2005. 

I must honor my other veteran ancestors of the Town of Maine Cemetery.

The Town of Maine Cemetery has a Civil War Memorial. My family and I passed by this Memorial for my entire life and never realized that Ferdinand Meyer, Civil War Veteran, was a paternal ancestor.

I must also mention my Uncle Dick Dollen. He was killed in an accidental fall while painting his ship in dry dock shortly after enlisting in the Navy. His safety harness failed.

 

With Gratitude For All Those Who Serve.

Pure Genealogical Joy

 

My story began with this athletic patch that ultimately made me desire confirmation of oral family stories. The patch belonged to Uncle Dick Dollen who I affectionately call “My Unknown Uncle” for he passed before I was born. His patch was stored in an old cardboard box that belonged to my Grandmother.

 On 9 February 2012 I wrote about his baseball patch and shared what little I knew of Dick’s high school experience at The Luther Institute of Chicago. That post spurred me to dig deeper for there were missing pieces - questions unanswered. So I took a chance and contacted the athletic director of Luther North High School who forwarded my email to the school’s Development Director.

I would like to introduce you to Lori Wright, the Development Director of Luther North High School. Lori was able to locate the 1947 and 1950 yearbooks; which were his freshman and senior yearbooks. It was in her office that I learned much, much more about this unknown uncle of mine. Thank you to Lori!

 

My Uncle Dick was an athlete! As you can see he was a letterman in his Junior and Senior years. He played four sports: football, basketball, baseball and track. 

 

His football jersey was number 57; which means he was a linebacker. 

 In my February 9^th  post,  I wondered about the position he played on that championship team. I now know that he was a pitcher and his team was called, “The Wood-Choppers.” Baseball fans all know how important pitchers for a winning season.

I am sharing the photographs I took this morning just because I am thrilled. What I learned today makes my uncle’s story a richer and more meaningful one.  His high school story is accurate and I am now in possession of the evidence.

Asking questions and looking for the answers by digging deeper is the foundation for good genealogical research. The 1950 Luther Institute yearbook gives primary evidence to the fact that Uncle Dick Dollen attended Luther Institute, was in the Class of 1950, played four sports and was a pitcher on the championship team of 1950. It also directly links his P.S.L. Baseball Athletic Patch of 1950 by referring the to Private School League team. Mystery solved!

Happy Hunting!

Linda

A Soldier and A Parent’s Ultimate Sacrifice

I have spent the past few posts relating the story of my Uncle Dick Dollen. Yesterday I shared a letter written in 1952 to my grandmother explaining his death. The letter was direct and brutally honest which must have been difficult to write and terribly painful to receive yet so necessary.

Dick’s death was preceded by his father’s death in 1950. I grew up with an understanding of life and death. My unknown grandfather passed away from a massive heart attack in 1950 and a mere two years later my unknown uncle, Dick Dollen, was killed. His loss sealed the Dollen women’s fate, as sorrow was an unspoken companion always close by.

My grandmother spent the remainder of her life struggling with depression; which escalated in her later years. My mother worked tirelessly to protect her family and herself from further loss. Every death anniversary was silently acknowledged throughout her remaining years.

I must be careful. Today I look and read this letter with 21^st century eyes. I immediately critique the letter and wonder why the Navy could not have sent a more professional letter.

Here I am, the lover of handwritten letters, unhappy with this letter.

I wish Thomas J. Pike had taken the time to rewrite the letter and eliminate the scratch outs. Does the sloppy inattention to detail in this letter reflect on the attention to safety aboard the ship? Hmmm . . . 1952 was a different time, a more innocent time and investigative reporting that I have become used to didn’t exist.

--> My uncle’s death was most likely an unfortunate accident.

But this 21^st century girl needs to find out what really happened. Thomas J. Pike promised an investigation and my grandmother never received any further communication from the Navy. Was there an investigation? I have decided to place a request for my uncle’s military records. As his records are not yet considered archived, it is my understanding that I should be able to receive partial records as the government protects the privacy of those who served. In four short years his records will become archived and at that time I will have access to his full records.

My uncle’s last words, “I still love you all and don’t ever forget it” give me goosebumps.

Written in loving memory of my unknown uncle, Richard Dollen

1932-1952

The Love of Handwritten Letters

I have been thinking about letter writing lately. I knew a doctor who had purchased a writing desk for the sole purpose of writing to his children and grandchildren. He had a sense of the importance of hand written letters. I was thinking about his desire to put his words to paper and wondered if the recipients of his letters would save them.

Handwritten letter collections are treasures. When I see someone’s handwriting, it is a bit like seeing the actual person for the handwriting is his or hers. I wonder if and how emails will be preserved. Emails just seem less personal for me.

I have two letter collections. One is a collection of letters written by my grandmother, Henrietta Danker Dollen Haskins. These childhood letters were written in the early 1900s to her Aunt Emma and Uncle Oscar Solum of Chicago. These adorable letters give an insight into young Henrietta’s life. The existence of her letters suggests that this only child was very cherished, as they have survived more than one hundred years.

The other letter collection was written my Henrietta’s son, Dick Dollen. These letters were and are cherished. Dick enlisted in the Navy and was stationed in California. His letters chronicle his naval days and give the picture of a young man asking for money, in trouble with his girlfriend and wishing to succeed. 

His last letter home was written on 1 October 1952. Plans were in the works for his trip home and his family waited with much anticipation. Life came crashing down for this young man and his family for Dick Dollen was killed the day after he posted his final letter.

Play Ball

 In 1950 there was a team of talented young baseball players who became the undefeated Champions of the P.S.L. in Chicago, Illinois. I have searched for the meaning of P.S.L. and my best guess would be either Parochial School League or Private School League. Chicago did have a Chicago Public League (C.P.L.); which began in 1920 and continues today in the form of Little League.

This patch belonged to my uncle, Dick Dollen. I never that the good fortune of meeting my uncle, but my mother told me he attended Luther High School in Chicago. As it turns out Dick’s school was Luther Institute. Dick playing ball in a Parochial School League makes complete sense.

Luther Institute was located at the corner of Wood Street and Park Avenue in Chicago. The school opened its doors in 1909 with just two teachers. Luther Institute remained at that location until the early 1950s at which point it split into two separate schools: Luther North and Luther South.

Dick Dollen most likely graduated from Luther Institute in 1950. Dick was born in 1932 making him the perfect age for a 1950 high school graduate. He most likely won the P.S.L Tournament in his senior year.

This championship patch never made it onto his team jacket. It is all that remains of a young man’s undefeated championship baseball season. I wonder what position he played.