Family Recipes Bring Good Memories

 As I was digging through my recipe box, looking for family recipes, I came across much more than I expected. And it brought back a lot of fond memories.

When I was younger, I copied recipes onto index cards, so I have tons of recipes I've never tried. I can tell I've never tried them because they aren't stained, and they have no comments written on them like "Yummy," "make again," or "no one liked."

I inherited both of my grandmother's recipe collections. My maternal grandmother's are mostly all neatly typed on small index cards. She likely typed them at work during her lunch breaks. She was a good cook when she didn't burn things. One recipe caught my eye. It was labeled "Banana Cake (Mrs. Hess)". Mrs. Hess was a church member who lived near us when we lived in Dolton. She always did a Vacation Bible School, which I wrote about earlier this year. 

My paternal grandmother wrote her recipes out. I grabbed one called Blarney Stones, which I've never tried. It's a vague recipe - it says bake in a slow oven. It doesn't say how long or even what exactly you end up with, which explains why I've never tried them. Somewhere, I have her recipe for Yorkshire Pudding, which I believe was handed down from her English father's line. I've never tried it either because I'm sure I couldn't live up to hers. 

There were two recipes that I've made frequently. One is for Sloppy Joes. This was handed down from my Aunt Laura. She ALWAYS made these for me whenever we visited because she knew how much I loved her sloppy joes. Didn't matter what else she fixed or what the occasion was - there was always a pot of Sloppy Joes!!!

The other was my mom's lasagna recipe. I never cooked much growing up (well, not really at all). Her lasagna was the first grown-up meal I learned to make. (Okay, I was in college when I learned it.) 

Besides the recipe cards, I found tons of recipes clipped from newspapers and magazines, recipes scribbled on box tops, and on the back of a church bulletin. I have no clue who clipped these. They could have come from my mom or either of my grandmothers. But they represent at least 100 years of food choices made by the women in my family.

This week's #52 Ancestors prompt is FAMILY RECIPE

The Two Moses Jones - The Same Name but Very Different People

As genealogists, we often encounter people with the same name. Many times, it's father and son or uncle and nephew or some relation or the other. We learn, sometimes the hard way, that 'senior' and 'junior' don't always mean 'father' and 'son'. There can be two people with the same name in the community, and they are just designated as the older and younger.

But sometimes we encounter people with the same name in totally different places, with no relationship between them at all. Jones is one of the most common names, but encountering two different men named Moses Jones was fun!

THE FIRST MOSES JONES

Moses Jones is my 5th great-grandfather. He is my DAR patriot. Moses was born about September 1762 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. He married twice -- first to Hester Thomas in 1791 in Gates County, North Carolina, and second to Elizabeth Allen Thomas in 1806 in Wilson County, Tennessee. I descend through Moses and Elizabeth. 

Moses was a private in the Revolutionary War, serving from North Carolina. He served first in a Regiment commanded by Captain Walton. After the war, he moved to Wilson County, Tennessee, where he served again in the War of 1812. 

Moses Jones moved his family to Illinois in 1819, a year after Illinois became a state. He settled in Franklin County, Illinois. He applied for a pension in 1831, which is how we learned more about his life. He died in April of 1851 at the age of 89, having survived two wars, multiple moves, and the rigors of frontier life. He is definitely a man that I am proud to call an ancestor. 

THE SECOND MOSES JONES

The other Moses Jones I've encountered is not my ancestor. He is the 3rd great-grandfather of my friend Steve. Steve's family was heavily involved in the American Revolution, living on Long Island during the war, serving in various military units, and having involvement in Washington's Culper Spy Ring. 

His Moses Jones was born too late to be involved in the war. And I know little about him. It's possible his father served, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. But this Moses Jones was born in 1773 in New Jersey. He married Elizabeth Van Sickle at the Old Clove Dutch Reformed Church in Wantage, New Jersey, in 1793. He and Elizabeth had eight children before he died in 1813 at the age of 40. I haven't found any record of him serving in the War of 1812, but that is a possibility. 

Two men named Moses Jones - one from the south who lived a long life despite fighting in two wars. A second in the north, who was not as fortunate. Both left a legacy that lives on today. 

This week's #52 Ancestors prompt is "Names the Same."

Raymond Ryan, the Spruce Squadron, and Post-War Work

Raymond Ryan was the 3rd child of Stephen and Nellie (Lanham) Ryan He was born on 4 May 1897 in St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota.[1] 

As he grew up, Ray followed in his older brother's footsteps and got a job working for the railroad. He worked for the Northern Pacific both before and after World War I. He started as a clerk and then became a tapeman earning $35/month. The tapeman operated the ballast tamper, a machine that was used to pack and level the crushed stone under the tracks. He was promoted to rodman at a new salary of $55/month. The rodman was the surveyor's assistant, holding the leveling rod.[2]  

When Raymond registered for the draft in June of 1917, he gave his address as Ellensburg, Washington, and his employer as the Northern Pacific. He was described as tall, of medium build, with gray eyes and dark hair.[3] This matched his employment record, which listed him as 6 feet 2 inches tall, 175 pounds, with brown hair and gray eyes.[4]

In March of 1918, Ray enlisted in the Army. He was assigned to the 112th Spruce Squadron, which brought him to Vancouver, Washington. The Spruce Production Division was a home-front division and part of the Army Signal Corps. There was a need for spruce for airplane wing spars and fuselage frames, and fir for ships. The Pacific Northwest was the primary source for this wood. Sitka spruce, which grew heavily in Washington and Oregon, was in high demand because it did not splinter when hit by a bullet. 

Lumber mills in the area could not keep up with the demand for this wood, and soldiers were assigned to help speed up production of the spruce. Vancouver Barracks was the center for receiving, training, and disbursing the Spruce Soldiers who were stationed throughout the Pacific Northwest. They worked in camps near railroads, logging operations, and mills. By November 1918, about 18,000 soldiers were engaged in logging, construction, and mill work, working at Vancouver Barracks and 235 camps across the Northwest.

The 112th Spruce Squadron, Ray's unit, was a "production inspection" unit. They moved from camp to camp, gathering statistics on the amount of lumber being processed. The statistics were then provided to the Army Planner. The group traveled all over the Northwest, including Idaho, Montana, eastern Washington, and Oregon. The Spruce Squadron started demobilizing almost immediately after the Armistice was signed, as they were no longer needed. 

Raymond was demobilized in December 1918. He likely returned to St. Paul for a visit, but he was obviously drawn to the Pacific Northwest. By 1920, he was living in the small logging and mining town of Index, working on the railroad. He boarded at the Globe Hotel.[5]

A year later, Raymond married 21-year-old Genevieve Hyatt of Everett, Washington.[6] They remained in Everett, and in 1930, Ray got a job working as a welder at the City Water Department.[7] 

In November of 1938, Ray became the Sheriff of Snohomish County. It is likely that he was a Deputy Sheriff for some time before that. One of the notorious cases he was involved in was the murder of Harry Fain by his wife, Mabel Fain, in 1937. He appears to have provided information about the case to various area newspapers.

From 1945-1949, Ray was the Superintendent of the Washington State Reformatory. A newspaper article noted that: 

"After four years of what law enforcement men are just about unanimous in terming the institution's finest administration Ray Ryan Friday stepped down as superintendent." 

The number of escaped prisoners had decreased during his tenure, and Ray had purchased surplus military equipment, saving money. The equipment was used to train inmates so they would have a trade upon release. 

All was not perfect, though. Another article in the same newspaper, accused Ray of using inmate labor to help build a house for himself. He disputed the claim, stating that only Union labor was used for construction and that inmates only cleared brush on the worksite.[8]

Ray and his wife Genevieve were living in that house in Index in 1950 when the census enumerator came around. Ray was working as an investigator for the Attorney General, and Genevieve was teaching grade school.[9]

Ray's next role was working as the chief Deputy U.S. Marshal in Anchorage, Alaska. According to his obituary, he became friends with Henry "Scoop" Jackson during that time. But Henry Jackson was already a U.S. Senator by then. However, earlier in his life, Jackson was a county prosecutor for Snohomish County, so that's likely where Ray encountered him.[10]

In May of 1969, Ray filed for divorce from his wife Genevieve. They had been separated for two years, and the grounds were cruelty and personal indignities. The divorce was granted to both parties. Genevieve died in 1977.[11]

Ray died on 8 June 1998 of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, complicated by diabetes and organic brain syndrome. When he died, he was living in Longview, Cowlitz County, Washington, likely closer to his children in nearby Kelso and Castle Rock. Both his death certificate and his obituary listed his wife as Genevieve so perhaps they reconciled at some point.[12]

Ray was an active participant in the communities he lived in. He participated in Catholic Church activities, was a member of the Everett Elks Lodge, and  the American Legion. He was the former president of the WWI Barracks 129, likely a local veterans group. He was a member of the "4 & 8" which was an invitational veterans society. He was also a past president of the Washington State Sheriff's Association.[13] Raymond Ryan was buried in the Cowlitz View Memorial Garden next to Genevieve, who was also included on his headstone.[14]

Children of Raymond Ryan and Genevieve Hyatt. 

• Raymond Richard Ryan, born 2 February 1933 in Snohomish County, Washington; died 15 May 2015 in Cowlitz County, Washington. He was an LTC US Army veteran, serving in Vietnam and a Bronze Star Medal winner.
• Rosemary Ryan Dahl, born 1936 Snohomish County, Washington. Died before May 2017.

This week's #52 Ancestors prompt was WAR TIME

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    [1] “World War I draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6482/records/31846176 : accessed 22 August 2025), Serial # 2077, Raymond Bernard Ryan, Washington State.

    [2] “Northern Pacific Railway Company personnel Files, 1890-1963,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2157/records/158201 : accessed 22 August 2025), Raymond Bernard Ryan, 1916 Application and personnel file #11-5645. 

    [3] WWI Draft Registration.

    [4] Northern Pacific Railway Company Personnel Files

    [5] 1920 U.S. Census, Snohomish County, Washington, population schedule, Index City, e.d. 176, sheet 4a, dwell 96, visit 101, Ray Ryhan in Globe Hotel; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061/records/13946170 : accessed 20 August 2025).

    [6] “Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2378/records/1035520 : accessed 20 August 2025), Cert. #74898, 1921, King County WA, Raymond B Ryan and Genevieve E Hyatt.

    [7] 1930 U.S. census, Snohomish County, Washington, population schedule, Everett City, e.d. 31-20, sheet 6a, dwell. 33, family 14, Ray Ryan household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224/records/112581137 : accessed 20 August 2025).

    [8] “Earl Lee Takes Over as Ray Ryan Leaves Reformatory,” Daily Herald, 16 April 1949, p.1, col. 6-7; digital image, newspapers (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 August 2025). And also page 10.

    [9] 1950 U.S. census, Snohomish County, Washington, population schedule, Index, e.d. 31-80, sheet P71, #9, Raymond B Ryan household; digital image, Ancestry(https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/records/65482859 : accessed 20 August 2025). NOTE: This page is out of order and the entry for Raymond Ryan references P1. P1 - Block 8, Avenue A. Not at Home. See p71. 

    [10] “Raymond B. Ryan,” Longview Daily News, 6 June 1988, p.10, col.1; digital image, newspapers (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 August 2025).

    [11] “Washington, Divorce Records, 1968-2017,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61251/records/1376508 : accessed 20 August 2025); #6283, Certificate of Absolute Divorce, 1969, Raymond B Ryan and Genevieve Ryan. 

    [12] “Washington, Death Records, 1907-2017,” digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6716/records/6398725 : accessed 20 August 2025). Cowlitz County, #146-8 8 13379, 1988, Raymond B Ryan.

    [13] Raymond B. Ryan obit.

    [14] Find a Grave #130512433, photo by Jim.