Aunt Kate traveled to France to visit son's grave

Although a difficult journey to undertake, Aunt Kate traveled to France to visit World War I battlefields and cemeteries, including the one where her son is buried. Read on.

Grant County history

The Grant County Historical Society has compiled several volumes of Grant County history. The books are available for purchase at the Historical Society Museum gift shop in Ephrata.

I bought the series in 2009 and secured permission to relay some of the history through this column.

Memories of Grant County, compiled from taped interviews by the Grant County Historical Society.

Today we conclude the story of Hartline, by Kathryn (Kay) Evans, recorded May 9, 1978 and the letter written by her grandmother, Aunt Kate, in 1940:

"Those years in Hartline were perhaps the most carefree of my life. I had lost the ranch, like so many others, but had a monthly compensation for my boy's death of $20 on which I could live and nothing more to lose, so nothing to worry about. I had a radio and magazines, New Republic, The Nation, The Christian Century, The Forum and any other I wished to buy occasionally, and I had plenty of time to read them; a few neighbors with whom to discuss various subjects, and with whom I disagreed freely.

"Bess' husband, Harry Warne, died suddenly the last day of June 1935. I came over to Winlock at that time and have been here ever since. It is a lovely country, but I felt pulled up by the roots for several years. I had lived over East of the Cascades for 45 years, knew everyone and some of their grandpar?ents when they were school children.

"I forgot to tell about my Gold Star Mothers' trip to France. I could feel no enthusiasm whatever about going because of the occasion or reason for the trip, that is, the death of the boys. However, I went and am glad I did. We had a very pleasant voyage of 11 days from New York to Cherbourg, France; was not seasick at all.

"Went on a special train from Cher?bourg, to Paris, there were 163 mothers in our group, spent four days in Paris sightseeing, then went to the various American cemeteries, where each one was interest?ed. Spent four nights at Verdun, mornings at the ceme?tery, and afternoons driving around the battlefields. Saw the table on which the caskets (eight, I think) con?taining the bodies of unknown Americans were laid and the body of the Unknown American Soldier was chosen by a blindfold soldier dropping a white rose on one of them. This was in one of the corridors in the old Fortress of Verdun.

"I could tell a lot about that trip, but I still feel resentful for the occasion of the trip. It is said that each American boy killed in France cost his govern?ment $25,000, which would have given trips to more than 400 mothers, without the heartbreak. 'What fools we mortals be.' (Shakespeare)

"I did tell a lot of things about the war in a Memor?ial Day talk at Wilbur in 1932 where I was, for once in my life, the speaker of the day, my one and only public speech."

End of manuscript written by Kate Williams Roberts.

This pretty well covers the ground of my grand?mother's life, which I think is real interesting and I do cherish the manuscript and the time it took her to write it.

E-mail from Cheryl

Facts from the past gleaned from the Moses Lake Herald, Columbia Basin Herald and The Neppel Record by Cheryl (Driggs) Elkins.

Contract awarded to extend water system

New Lakeview Terrace area to get service

Utility Construction Co. of Seattle was awarded a contract for extending the city water system to the Lakeview Terrace area when the firm submitted the lowest of seven bids to the city council Tuesday night.

The Seattle company was low on cast iron pipe at $43,620.78 and on concrete pipe at $38,695.32. The bid calling for cast iron pipe was the one accepted. The bids were below the estimates of G.D. Hall & Associates, engineers for the city.

Included in the job are 4,000 yards of excavation and backfill, 50 cubic yards of bedding gravel, 4,700 feet of six-inch pipe, 5,400 feet of eight-inch pipe, 26 valve boxes and 13 fire hydrants.

Wilson Creek area history

The Rev. David H. Crawford compiled and published a history of families in and surrounding Wilson Creek titled, "Family Memories of Wilson Creek Area." The book was printed in 1978, which was the 75th anniversary of the town. David's son, John Crawford, has given permission for those memories to be a part of this column.

Today we begin the story of Frank and Rosa Knopp by Rosa Marie Dorothea Hirschel Knopp:

I was a young girl when I came with my parents (Adam and Emma Hirschel) and family from Jack?son, Minnesota in 1901 to Wilson Creek. Years of growing up in a pioneering country brought many changes. Mother was not well and placed responsibility on me as I was the eldest of a family of six children.

I remember going to school in a little shanty owned by a bachelor named Leonard Forster. Father was instrumental in forming a district in 1905; a new schoolhouse was built.

This was our educa?tion home for many years. It served as meeting place for all community activities and social affairs. The schoolhouse also served as a church where people gathered every Sunday for services, sometimes twice on Sunday.

Mother died in 1908 and I became the family homemaker with father the provider. This was a big undertaking, but somehow we managed.