Order of Daedalians

What are the Daedalians? I think of them as combat pilots. They asked me to join their organization and I did. Below is a bit about the group and the offer of a scholarship. If you know of a person who fits the qualifications, tell them to get busy as time is short.

The Order of Daedalians is the National Fraternity of Commissioned Military Pilots. It was organized on 26 March 1934 by a group of World War I commissioned Army pilots to perpetuate the spirit of patriotism, love of country and ideas of self-sacrifice which place service to nation above personal safety or position. World War I pilots were the first to fly and fight in defense of our country and their record is one of pride, sacrifice and accomplishment. The word Daedalian derives from the legend of Daedalus who, according to Greek mythology, was the first person to accomplish heavier-than-air flight.

All commissioned World War I military pilots (approximately 14,000) are listed and designated as Founder Members by the Order of Daedalians. Today, active membership is open on a sponsorship basis to current and prior commissioned military pilots, from all military services and on a hereditary basis to descendants of Founder Members. The Daedalian Foundation, which sponsors matching scholarships, was founded by the Order of Daedalians in 1959 for charitable and educational purposes supporting the order.

On behalf of the Order of Daedalians, Inland Empire Flight 41 is sponsoring a Flight scholarship in the amount of $1000. If you are currently attending an accredited four-year college or university or have applied for and been admitted, and if you have demonstrated the desire and potential to pursue a career as a commissioned military pilot, you are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Go to www.flight41.org and click on the scholarship information. Deadline is April 30.

Here is a short recap of the info:

The Spokane chapter, Flight 41, of Daedalians is sponsoring a $1,000 scholarship for deserving high school seniors or college students that intend to pursue a career in military aviation. Applicants must complete the application found at www.flight41.org and email to Matt Bowers at austinbowers135@gmail.com or Frank Conderfer at fcbum@aol.com or the webmaster@flight41.org no later than 30 April 2012.

A resourceful man was open to different jobs during the Great Depression. Ray Kelby worked at various jobs himself, including handling gin. Read on.

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.

Raymond William Kelby

I was born September 17, 1899 to Mona Gallaghar and Francis Xavier O'Carnahan in Minneapolis, Minnesota where I spent most of my early years including being placed in a Catholic Orphanage with my brother Frank. This was due to the hard times as mother was unable to provide the proper care for us.

In 1914 my mother, brother, sister and I left for Trinidad, Washington to join our father who had a store, which still stands. My mother and father were divorced and she soon met and later married Bud Webley in 1915.

We all lived in Wenatchee, Sheehan Flats, Hanford, Gloyd and Badger Mountain while Bud trapped, rodeoed etc. My brother Frank and I joined the Army during WWI at Ft. Lawton and after the war were discharged at Ft. Lewis.

I attained the rank of Bugler during my Army stint. After the Army I bummed around the country and upon returning to Washington, I tried bootlegn' gin, herded sheep, worked in harvest, was an undertaker apprentice and a little bit of everything to earn a living.

During this time my mother had had two boys by Bud Webley, Rance and Buford. In 1922 I took Rance and Buford to raise due to our mother's failing health and we lived in Soap Lake, Spokane, Seattle and came to Wilson Creek in 1923. I worked at different jobs to support the boys and myself.

It was at this time that I met a very wonderful young woman named Audrey Davis. She had to be wonderful as she easily accepted the two boys, Rance and Buford, to raise when we got married on November 18, 1924.

We had the two boys, Rance and Buford, until Rance left for Portland, to live with my sister, Joye, in 1929, and Buford left for the U. S. Navy in 1934. Both attended school in Wilson Creek.

We had two children of our own Carald Jean and Dana. During this period I continued to bootleg, worked in harvest and anything to make a living. In 1931 I had to quit bootlegging because the kids at school were teasing my daughter about her dad being a bootlegger. I then went to work for the state highway department until 1936 when our house burned down. We then moved to Seattle.

In Seattle we ran a store which included a post office, this was on McGilvra Street, for a year, and in 1937 moved to Kirkland. At this point I had exactly one U.S. dollar in my pocket so I bought a pint of whiskey, I probably chiseled the pint from someone, and a puppy named Ginger, who later had two puppies named Zig and Zag.

Audrey was a little upset about the way I spent our last dollar. The next day though, I already had a job on the WPA and the pay was $50 a month. A week later I angled my way to foreman and got $55 a month.

During this period, 1937 to 1946, times were hard, but I had some good friends Bill Lane, Frank Ford, Chet Ashley, Miles Buckles, Bob Nato, Herb Riley and Henry Singer. We were living on Rose Hill on Slater Street. Bill, Chet and I hauled horses from Montana and various other things to try to make the best living we could. I would not accept welfare from anyone. I might chisel someone out of something though.

When we lived on Slater Street I often wondered why Audrey stayed with me because when Bill, Chet, Bob and Herb would come to the house which was often, we always sat in the kitchen, so it was impossible for Audrey to fix supper, and of course we hoisted a few and as a result Herb Riley loved to argue and fight so a battle would follow and we had some good ones.

One time Bill Lane picked up Herb Riley and sat him on the old cook stove and held him there until we could pull him off. I might add, Bill was a mean SOB. We managed to knock over the stove one night during a battle but as usual, the next night they were all back again.

I had lots of angles to help feed us, like I knew a guy who made cheese, so I would go to help him and naturally I would come home with a wheel of cheese. I also knew a' guy who made wine so I would stop in to talk to him and taste his wine and before you knew it we were hoisting a few and I would leave with a few gallons of wine which I would then sell and would be able to buy a gunny sack full of fresh oysters for a buck.

Then we would set on the back porch with pliers and eat oysters raw with salt, pepper and vinegar. We would probably eat half a sack that way and then Audrey would fry the rest. Those were the good times.

In 1940 I went to work at Boeings and in 1942 I went to work for the Lake Washington Shipyard and we had moved to Northup. We had five acres and raised pigs and boarded horses.

The money I made at the shipyard was good but I still angled as ever and in 1945 I angled some extra money to help Chet Ashley get started in the wrecking yard business and he later went on to cattle buying and selling in Ellensburg, but he never forgot.

It seemed that he thought he still owed me something which he didn't, but he was always trying to do something for me and my family. He had repaid me both by money and being a true friend until the day he bumped off.

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 continue the story of Hartline, by Kathryn (Kay) Evans, recorded May 9, 1978:

There were five children in this family, my Dad being the oldest; Daniel Chester, an attorney, lives in LaGrange, Illinois. He is 85 years old and still goes once or twice a week to his practice in the Loop of downtown Chicago. Rosena, the oldest sister, who taught school for 40 years, her first school in Du?point, later teaching in Hartline and in her later years in Spokane, a principal of many schools and is now retired and living in our Methodist Retire?ment Home, Rockwood Manor, in Spokane.

Another sister, Annette Alboucq, was Mrs. Louis Alboucq. Her father-in-law, Leon Alboucq, had a department store in Hartline, which, believe it or not, employed 16 people. It was during hard times and he extended credit, but with people taking bankruptcy that really ruined him. They left Hartline and went to Clarkston and he was so bitter he never ever came back to Hartline.

His son, Louis, who was married to my aunt, farmed for many years in Clarkston Heights. He passed away and Annette also is living in Rockwood Manor in Spokane. The youngest sister was Marianna, who married Johnny Hughes of Almira. He was the son of Griff and Mary Hughes who were old pioneers in that area, and their son, Alan, and family are still in Almira.

My mother and father received their formal education in the Hartline Public Schools. Mother attended the College of Puget Sound, graduating in 1915 and taught for two years before marrying my Dad on August 19, 1917. In 1942 they celebrated their 25th anniversary at their home surrounded by people who loved them and they loved.

My Dad graduated from Washington State University in Veterinary Science in 1915 and was fortunate enough to be able to go back to his Golden Graduation celebration in June 1965, the spring before he died in December.

Those veterinary days were not so glamorous as the modern veterinary clinic. The returns were not so good. I can remember he was called out all hours of the day or night saddling the horse or driving the Model T and going for miles to attend a sick animal and most often without pay.

This also reminds me in the fall of the year, I can remember he would saddle the horse and get young boys to go with him and they would take the horses and often times the cows across the river on the little Seaton Ferry to Nespelem to winter them.

My Dad, I believe, served three terms as your County Commissioner beginning in 1932, ?this, also, was the interesting beginning days of Grand Coulee. Our favorite trip when we had guests was to take people to the Dam site. It was a thrill to see it take form and, best of all, giving people much needed employment. Many lasting friendships were made lasting to this day that our family cherished.

I was their only child. However, during the Depression, the Children's Home Society came around wanting to put youngsters on the farms for the summer. My folks took a young man who was 11 years old, Eddie Johnson, maybe some of you remember him. So when they came to get him in the fall, big tears ran down his face, so that's all it took. He stayed 37 years until his untimely death of a heart attack.