Clarence Milton Alexander (1895 - 1955)

Born 14 Oct 1895 in Custer, South Dakota, United States

Ancestors

Son of Charles Newton Alexander and Eva Melissa (Crofford) Alexander

Husband of Ruth (Jennings) Alexander — married 21 Jul 1918 in Missoula, Missoula, Montana, United States

Descendants

Died 29 Dec 1955 at age 60 in Puyallup, Pierce, Washington, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kenneth Alexander [send private message]

Biography

Early life in South Dakota

Clarence Milton Alexander was born on October 14, 1895, in Custer, South Dakota.^[1] He was the oldest of the five children of Charles Newton Alexander and Eva Mellisa Crofford. His younger siblings, in order of birth, were Chester Franklin, Arthur Leslie, Laurence Everett, and Cassie Wynnette, all born in Custer.

Clarence attended the local school in Custer.^[2] As was typical of school children at the time, particularly in an agrarian setting,^[3] the highest grade level that he completed was the 8th grade.^[4] After completing his schooling, Clarence worked on a farm rented by his father from Seth Bullock,^[5] who is noted, among his other accomplishments, for having been a sheriff of Deadwood, South Dakota.^[6] Bullock is also credited with introducing alfalfa to South Dakota.^[6] Clarence was working in an alfalfa field on the Bullock ranch when his grandfather, Milton C. Alexander, a widower who was living with the family, was fatally injured in a farming accident on July 8, 1914. ^[7] Clarence was 18 years old at the time, and the accident must have been traumatic for him as well as for the rest of the family. The Alexander family continued living in South Dakota for a time following the accident,^[8] but by 1917 they had moved to Montana.^[9]

The Montana years

Following the move from South Dakota, the Alexander family initially lived in Milltown, Montana,^[9] but by 1918 they had settled in nearby Missoula.^[10] Clarence was employed in Milltown in a sawmill owned by the Western Lumber Company.^[9] Clarence’s father was a planer at the sawmill and Clarence’s three brothers also worked there, loading trucks.^[11]

Sawmill of the Western Lumber Company, Milltown, Montana, in 1915.

Clarence did not work at the sawmill for long. Instead, he soon became employed by the railroad,^[10] most likely the Northern Pacific Railway, which ran a line through Milltown, bringing in logs and taking out lumber from the mill.^[12] The nature of his position with the railroad during this time is uncertain. According to a newspaper account,^[10] he was a fireman. However, one of his daughters recalls that he was a train conductor.^[13] It seems most likely that he was a brakeman, which was the position he held after he returned from military service.

On July 21, 1918, Clarence married Ruth Jennings, a daughter of John Jennings and Annie Ross.^[14] According to one of Ruth’s daughters, the couple had met when Ruth was riding on a train on which Clarence was working.^[13]The wedding took place in Missoula at the home of the bridegroom’s parents.^[10] The ceremony was performed by Reverend Charles D. Crouch, a prominent Methodist minister who had converted from Mormonism in the 1890s.^[15]

Military service during WWI

Clarence’s married life in Missoula was interrupted by his service during the First World War. He had registered for the draft on June 5, 1917,^[16] but was inducted into the United States Army over a year later, on August 20, 1918.^[17] Clarence was supposed to have been inducted by the time of his wedding in July 1918, but his induction had been postponed due to his employment with the railroad.^[10]

RMS Empress of Britain, which served as a troop ship during World War I and transported Clarence Alexander to France.

Following his induction into the Army, Clarence’s first term of service was with the 45th company, 12th battalion, 166th Depot Brigade at Camp Lewis, Washington, an assignment that lasted until September 23, 1918.^[17] The depot brigades were tasked with receiving and organizing recruits and providing them with training and equipment prior to their deployment on the front lines in Europe.^[18] Clarence’s subsequent military assignments were apparently related to his employment experience with the railroad. From September 23, 1918, to October 24, 1918, he was assigned to the 5th Provisional Battalion of Engineers at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. This was a group of soldiers who received training in the construction and maintenance of light railways. Clarence then sailed for France on the RMS Empress of Britain in November 1918.^[19] While in France, he served in Detachment A, Replacement Draft Railway Shop, as well as with the 131st company, 21st Grand Division, Transportation Corps, which was stationed at Camp Pullman, La Rochelle, France. He was promoted to the rank of Private First Class on February 1, 1919. From February 19, 1919, until his discharge, he served with the 100th Company, Transportation Corps. Clarence returned from France on the USS Santa Clara, which departed from Bordeaux, on May 18, 1919.^[20] He received an honorable discharge on June 15, 1919.^[21]

South end of the rail yard at Camp Pullman, France, where Clarence was stationed during WWI.

The post-war years

After Clarence returned from the war, he and Ruth continued to live with the Charles Alexander family in Missoula for a couple of years.^[11] The couple’s first child, Charles Jennings Alexander, was born there on October 16, 1920.^[22] During this period, Clarence worked as a brakeman for the Northern Pacific Railway.^[23] The duties of a brakeman, historically a dangerous job, included coupling and uncoupling freight cars, operating track switches, and inspecting couplings, hand brakes, air hoses, and other train parts.^[24] In 1920, Clarence’s route ran between Mandan, North Dakota, and Paradise, Montana,^[25] a distance of approximately 800 miles. During this time, Clarence belonged to the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, but he terminated his membership on July 3, 1921,^[26] because he had relocated to the Pacific Northwest.

Clarence Alexander in his uniform as a brakeman for the Northern Pacific Railway, on the front steps of the Charles Alexander residence in Missoula, Montana.

For a few months in 1921, Clarence was a member of the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electrical Railway Employees of America, working in Portland, Oregon.^[27] At the time, Ruth’s sister Mary Christine Jennings was also living in Portland.^[28] Clarence, Ruth, and their son Charles then moved to Puyallup, Washington, where Ruth’s mother was living. Four additional children were born in Puyallup: Robert Henry, Shirley Evangeline and two living daughters born in the 1930s.

From the mid-1920s to the early 1940s, Clarence was primarily employed by the Northwestern Woodenware Company, a producer of wooden butter tubs and shipping barrels located near the waterfront in Tacoma, Washington.^[29] He held various positions within the company, including shipping clerk,^[30] mill worker,^[31] and warehouse foreman.^[32] Clarence also worked as a shipping clerk for the Buffelen Lumber and Manufacturing Company in 1928,^[33] and as a shipping clerk for the W. R. Lumber Manufacturing Company in 1940.^[4]

After the United States entered the Second World War, Clarence, age 46, registered for the so-called “Old Man’s Draft” on April 26, 1942.^[34] The purpose of this draft registration was to collect information about the skills and potential wartime contribution of men born between 1877 and 1897. As noted on the registration form, Clarence was employed at this time by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, which was located on the Tacoma tideflats not far from the Northwestern Woodenware Company. This corporation built ships for the United States Navy and Merchant Marine during the war. Following the war’s conclusion, Clarence worked briefly as a custodian at a grade school.^[35] He was then employed as a warehouse checker at the Mt. Rainier Ordnance Depot at Fort Lewis^[36] (now the Joint Base Lewis-McChord). He served there continuously from July 2, 1951, until his death.^[37]

Clarence Alexander relaxing near his home in Puyallup, Washington.

During his years in Puyallup, Clarence was an active participant in several social organizations. He was a member of Lodge Number 1450 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, a member of the Past Exalted Rulers Association of the Elks, a member of the Bruce A. Mercer Post of the American Legion, and a clerk of the Neighbors of Woodcraft. ^[38] He was also a member of the Birthday Utopian Crippled Kiddie Service (BUCKS) of the Elks^[39] and a staff member of the annual Puyallup Fair (now the Washington State Fair).^[40]

Clarence Alexander (circled) with the staff of the Puyallup Fair in the early 1950s. To his left is his son Robert.

Death and interment

Clarence died on December 29, 1955, in Puyallup. He had lived there for about 35 years. The cause of death was noted as generalized peritonitis due to an incarcerated hernia.^[36] He was interred in the Sumner Cemetery in Sumner, Washington.^[41] Buried in the casket with Clarence were the cremains of his mother-in-law Ann Ross.^[42]Also interred in Sumner Cemetery are Clarence’s wife, Ruth,^[43] and their daughter Shirley. ^[44]

Sources

1. ↑ "South Dakota, U.S., Birth Index, 1856-1917". South Dakota Department of Health; Pierre, South Dakota; South Dakota, Birth Index, 1856-1918. Ancestry Record 6996 #74822.
2. ↑ "1900 United States Federal Census". Year: 1900; Census Place: School District 22, Custer, South Dakota; Page: 11; Enumeration District: 0014; FHL microfilm: 1241548. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7602 #59701736.
3. ↑ Library of Congress; Digital Collections; America at Work, America at Leisure: Motion Pictures from 1894 to 1915; Articles and Essays. “America at School”
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "1940 United States Federal Census". Year: 1940; Census Place: Puyallup, Pierce, Washington; Roll: m-t0627-04356; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 27-77. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2442 #67040304.
5. ↑ "Milton C. Alexander Meets Death in Rake." The Daily Deadwood Pioneer-Times, July 10, 1914, p. 1.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Wolff, David A. Seth Bullock Black Hills Lawman. Pierre, SD: South Dakota State Historical Society Press, 2009.
7. ↑ Newspaper account of the death of Milton C. Alexander. Document obtained from the personal effects of Ruth (Jennings) Alexander; a digital copy is in the possession of Kenneth R. Alexander.
8. ↑ "South Dakota, U.S., State Census, 1915". Ancestry Record 60160 #293995.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} "U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918". Registration State: Montana; Registration County: Missoula County. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6482 #2509627.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4} "U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-current". The Missoulian; Publication Date: 22/ Jul/ 1918; Publication Place: Missoula, Montana, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/349086287/?article=5a147034-86dd-43c5-9c43-b94f551ac616&focus=0.44316438,0.2629107,0.5753782,0.36191502&xid=3398. Ancestry Record 62116 #33563918
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} "1920 United States Federal Census". Year: 1920; Census Place: Missoula, Missoula, Montana; Roll: T625_973; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 153. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6061 #85103006.
12. ↑ Bonner Milltown History Center and Museum. “Western Lumber Mill”. Accessed 30 Dec 2021.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Personal recollection of a daughter of Clarence Alexander, 22 Jun 2015, as told to Kenneth Alexander via email.
14. ↑ "Montana, U.S., County Marriages, 1865-1987". Montana State Historical Society; Helena, Montana; Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61578 #315026
15. ↑ Crouch, Jerry Evan, Embracing Montana: The Methodist Ministry of Reverend Charles D. Crouch, D.D. 1863-1947. Trafford Publishing, 2006.
16. ↑ "U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918". Registration State: Montana; Registration County: Missoula County. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6482 #2509627
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} "Montana, U.S., Military Records, 1904-1918". Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62068 #3572.
18. ↑ Wikipedia contributors. “Depot Brigade.” ‘’Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.’’ Accessed 30 Dec 2021.
19. ↑ "U.S., Army Transport Service Arriving and Departing Passenger Lists, 1910-1939". The National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985; Record Group Number: 92; Roll or Box Number: 432. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61174 #1148693.
20. ↑ "U.S., Army Transport Service Arriving and Departing Passenger Lists, 1910-1939". The National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774-1985; Record Group Number: 92; Roll or Box Number: 297. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 61174 #10656090.
21. ↑ ”Honorable Discharge From the United State Army.” Document obtained from the personal effects of Ruth (Jennings) Alexander; a digital copy is in the possession of Kenneth Alexander.
22. ↑ "Montana, U.S., Birth Records, 1897-1988". Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services; Helena, Montana; Montana, Birth Records, 1919-1986. Ancestry Record 61591 #555487
23. ↑ Northern Pacific Railway pass issued to Clarence Alexander in 1920. Item obtained from the personal effects of Ruth (Jennings) Alexander; a digital copy is in the possession of Kenneth Alexander.
24. ↑ Best Accredited Colleges. “Be a Railroad Brakeman: Education and Career Roadmap”. Accessed 30 Dec 2021.
25. ↑ Northern Pacific Railway pass. Document obtained from the personal effects of Ruth (Jennings) Alexander.
26. ↑ Withdrawal card, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. Item obtained from the personal effects of Ruth Jennings Alexander; a digital copy is in the possession of Kenneth Alexander.
27. ↑ Working Cards, Division 757, Amalgamated Association of Street and Electrical Railway Employees of America. Items obtained from the personal effects of Ruth (Jennings) Alexander; a digital copy is in the possession of Kenneth Alexander.
28. ↑ "Washington, U.S., Marriage Records, 1854-2013". Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington Marriage Records, 1854-2013. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2378 #904402165
29. ↑ Echtle, Edward. “Furniture Manufacturing in Tacoma – A Thumbnail History.” Accessed 31 Dec 2021.
30. ↑ "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995". Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2469 #951266102
31. ↑ "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995". Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2469 #740557450
32. ↑ "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995". Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2469 #819421489
33. ↑ "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995". Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2469 #908558448
34. ↑ "U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942". The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Box or Roll Number: 2. Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1002 #10642351
35. ↑ "1950 United States Federal Census", United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Puyallup, Pierce, Washington; Roll: 2705; Sheet Number: 15; Enumeration District: 27-123, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 62308 #66523304 (accessed 12 June 2023).
36. ↑ ^{36.0 36.1} "Washington Death Certificates, 1907-1960". Citing Puyallup, Pierce, Washington, reference 24545, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Olympia; FHL microfilm 2,033,577. FamilySearch
37. ↑ Buck, Champlin. Letter sent to Ruth Alexander, January 3, 1956; a digital copy is in the possession of Kenneth Alexander.
38. ↑ "U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current". The Tacoma News Tribune; Publication Date: 31 Dec 1955; Publication Place: Tacoma, Washington, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/734217026/?article=38394035-b414-4007-a7f6-27356d491b84&focus=0.19478443,0.33284712,0.30819598,0.50625634&xid=3355. Ancestry Record 61843 #1180544098.
39. ↑ BUCKS receipts. Items obtained from the personal effects of Ruth (Jennings) Alexander; a digital copy is in the possession of Kenneth Alexander.
40. ↑ Alexander, Kenneth. Personal recollection, 24 Dec 2021.
41. ↑ "U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current". Ancestry Record 60525 #102039317.
42. ↑ Personal recollection of a daughter of Clarence Alexander, as told to Kenneth Alexander via email.
43. ↑ "U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current". Ancestry Record 60525 #102039303
44. ↑ "U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current". Ancestry Record 60525 #102045563

• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA test results on Family Tree DNA. Kenneth Alexander, FTDNA kit # B5705, and his half 4th cousin, Raymond Connor Forsythe, FTDNA kit # 828503, match at a Genetic Distance of 1 on 111 markers, thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their most-recent common ancestor who is Charles Forsyth, the 3x great grandfather of both Kenneth Alexander and Raymond Forsythe.

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal AncestryDNA test match between Kenneth Alexander and NW, his 2nd cousin 1x removed. Their most-recent common ancestors are Chester Crofford and Cassander Schamp, the great great grandparents of Kenneth Alexander and great grandparents of NW. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: second cousin once removed, based on sharing 100 cM across 5 segments.