Wordless Wednesday: William & Estella Brown

 Wordless? Ha! Just not my style...

William James Brown was the third son of William Warner Brown and Emma Anderson (Andersson?) of Orting, Washington. Born 9 Feb 1921, he married Stella Lindsley on 1 Dec 1942. Uncle Bill was a Merchant Marine in WWII, before signing up he worked on the ALCAN (or Alaskan-Canadian Highway) with the CCC. He also served in the Army Air Corp, never going abroad. After his service was over, he worked in a cardboard manufacturing plant in Sumner, Washington, and remained there until retirement.

William J. Brown

Bill & Stella

Estella Lindsley may have been Native American, possibly in the Puyallup, Washington area.  We know she had a sister named Ester, and one member of the family remembers seeing more in the family.

They are both buried in the Orting Cemetery, Orting, Washington.

Washington High School photos ca. 1935-1940

From a family with nine children, a lot of memorabilia gets collected. In the collection from my father received during the holidays this past year, I was able to locate several high school senior photos from Pierce and King Counties in Washington State. Some have first names, some have years or schools identified, some have nothing. I would love to identify these folks and get the pictures back to their rightful owners.

Update 13 Apr 2012: Many of these young folks have now been identified thanks to the searching of family archives by many of my own kin. I now have "The Cardinal", yearbook for Orting High School in Orting, Pierce County, Washington, from years 1933 - 1936. See photo captions for names. 

"To my beloved cousin Midge, '36" (Midge would be my great-aunt, Hazel Brown. Orting High School, Orting, Washington. Photo taken by Hartsook Studio, Tacoma.

"Sincerely Dayton" The O on his sweater implies Orting High School, Orting, Washington. Photo taken by Hartsook Studio, Tacoma. UPDATE: Aaron Dayton

"Your Friend Griffi (?) '35" Photo taken by Hartsook Studio, Tacoma. UPDATE: Robert Griffith, Class President, 1936, Orting High School, Orting, Washington.

"Love Helen" Photo taken by Hartsook Studio, Tacoma. UPDATE: Helen Dillon

No identifying marks. Photo taken by The Arntzen Studio, Seattle, Wash.

"Love Mary" Photo taken by Camera Club Studio, Tacoma.

"Lovingly Maybelle '35"  "OHS" in bottom right corner, indicating Orting High School. Photo taken  by Hartsook Studio, Tacoma.  UPDATE: This young woman has been identified as Maybelle Humphries, class treasurer, 1936, Orting High School. 

"Pesky (?) Good Luck, Midge '35" Photo taken by Hartsook Studio, Tacoma. Because this was given to Midge (above), it is probably from Orting High School, Orting, Wash. UPDATE: Lester Harpst

Insignia at bottom "SHS", indicating Sumner High School, '34.  Photo taken by Hartsook Studio, Tacoma

Handwriting on back of SHS photo. "Given to me by Norman on July 15, '34 at his place at Lake. Day of I.A. E. picnic."

Update: on 27 Feb 2012, I contacted the Orting High School Librarian and the Pierce County Library System. Hopefully someone in that arena can assist, or possibly provide a way to get to a high school year book(s) from the era.