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.
