Photos of Extended Mitchell Family, and Working Together to Solve the Family History Mysteries

Not long ago, my mother loaned me a photo album that Grandma Ella had put together about 20 years ago. Ella compiled photographs of herself and Ralph growing up, as well as photos of their parents, grandparents, and beyond, making identical albums for each of their four living children. This album is such a treasure!

I happily scanned the pages of the album and started posting photos to FamilySearch, tagging the individuals who had been labeled in the pictures.

For some photos, such as a set of three extended family photos, only three of 12-22 individuals were identified: John Virgil Mitchell (1908-1954; Ralph's father), John Payne Mitchell (1849-1928), and Mary Adaline Stockwell Mitchell (1869-1959) (John Virgil Mitchell's parents/Ralph's paternal grandparents). And there was no additional information about where and when the photos were taken.

The Mitchell extended family, with previously only 3 family members identified

Not long after I posted these to FamilySearch,  I received a message from cousin JC, whom I had connected with before on FamilySearch. She is also a descendant of Mary Adaline Stockwell Mitchell, through her first husband Joseph Louis Mitchell, while Ralph is a descendant of her second husband, John Payne Mitchell. Ralph and JC are 1/2 first cousins once removed. We'll just say "cousins," as that's less complicated.

But here's the neat part: JC had never seen the 3 particular photos I had posted, but she recognized her mother, grandparents, and aunts and uncles in the photos, as her family had a similar photo taken by the same photographer that same day in the same location. JC has in her possession the similar photos with notes on them, which she inherited when her mother passed away 5 years ago.

With JC's help, here's what we now know:

These photos are of Mary Adaline Stockwell Mitchell's family, specifically three of her daughters from her first husband Joseph Louis Mitchell - Edna Lee Mitchell Brawdy/Abbott, Sylvia Renae Mitchell Newton, and Celia Ann Mitchell Graeber with their spouses and children, and John Virgil Mitchell (a son from her 2nd husband John P. Mitchell. No relationship to her 1st husband.)

These were taken on the farm of Walter James Newton and Sylvia Renae Mitchell Newton in Springer, Colfax, New Mexico in the summer of 1924.

It feels so satisfying to know for sure the faces in these photos. As I went through and labeled the names, I found myself saying, "Oh, hello! It's so nice to put a name to a face!" And I chuckled at the children pictured: Little girls holding their dollies, others shielding their faces from the sun, and hair that is more ruffled than coiffed. It seems that it was a battle then, just as it is today, to have that "perfect" family photo taken. But in this case I'd like to apply the definition of "perfect" to be "whole" or "complete," in which case, these photos are now perfect.

Thank you, cousin JC!

Ralph Pilots Helicopter to Save Boy Scout Troop

This is a continuation of stories about Ralph’s flying experiences. Read previous, related posts below:

• The Sky's the Limit
• Trailing Clouds of Glory - Highlights from Ralph's Flying Experiences
• Dream's Take Flight - More Highlights from Ralph's Flying Experiences

..........

In the late 1960s, Ralph and Ella were now living in Long Beach, California, and Ralph was working as a salesman for Hughes Helicopters, working out of the Culver City office.

During this time, Ralph attended an International Association of the Chiefs of Police (IACP) convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was there representing Hughes Helicopters, specifically showcasing several police helicopters.

One day during the conference, they got a phone call from a local TV station, KLAS, and they were told that 16 boy scouts were stranded on a mountain east of Las Vegas. Would it be possible for a couple of helicopters to go out and rescue them? Off Ralph went in one helicopter, with a sheriff’s deputy in another, and a cameraman from the TV station along as well to record what came next.

What had happened was the boys started their trek on the east side of the mountain, and they were supposed to hike over the mountain and finish on the west side, but they ran into treacherous terrain along the way. Additionally, one boy had a broken leg, and it seems like another one had an injury. They were trying to slide down the rock face, and that’s when they got scared and stopped.

As Ralph flew in, he saw there was no level place to land the helicopter. The only way he could pick people up or let them off was to hook a skid on the rock ledge. Seeing a helicopter fly up one side of a mountain and hook one skid on a ledge, it could look dangerous and reckless. If it was your first time seeing it, you might think, “Oh my gosh! look at what that guy is doing!" But Ralph had done it hundreds of times on other occasions so he was very practiced. He admits that he was taking a chance but that it was marginal and not unsafe. (He also admits that he was perhaps a little cocky and a smart-aleck pilot at the time!)

Example of a Helicopter Balancing on a Skid
(Image Source)

Ralph dropped the cameraman off on the mountain, and he helped the boys in. The sheriff's deputy was in a helicopter behind him and did the same thing. They would pick up two boys at a time, drop him off further down the mountain (less than a mile away), and return and repeat until all the boys were out of harm’s way. The whole task took less than a half hour.

How did Ralph feel about being a hero that day? “It’s just one of the things you do when you're working."

This whole story has a funny ending: The TV station sent a copy of the video coverage to Hughes. Several department heads and vice presidents watched this coverage, and they see the helicopter fly in (because they had dropped the cameraman off previously). Here was the sheriff's deputy in uniform, and here was Ralph in a white shirt and tie (as he was in the middle of a meeting when they got the call). Then a VP watching this jumped up and said, “Who the [heck] is that?” Ralph was obviously not one of the sheriff's deputies, and what was a company employee doing flying like that?

Ralph’s boss responded, reassuring the Hughes leaders that this wasn’t a publicity stunt, but it was an honest to goodness rescue and they handled it the best way possible.

Ralph concludes: "It was an interesting career, a lot of fun. Wish i could do it again!"

……….

Source: From a phone conversation with Ralph on April 9, 2018

Ella Becomes a US Citizen

“Scottish by birth, American by adoption, and humbly grateful for both.” This is what Grandma Ella often says. She is undoubtedly proud of her native heritage, but it’s also arguable that she’s one of the most patriotic “adopted” Americans around!

On 3 May 1957, Ella petitioned to become a naturalized citizen of the United States, and on 14 June 1957 she officially became one. 

In honor of America’s Independence Day on July 4th, I wanted to share some of the requirements to become a US citizen. It’s a big deal to change your citizenship! But I love Ella’s philosophy - to celebrate both nationalities and to be “humbly grateful for both.”

Ella's US Naturalization Record

What does it take to become an American citizen? The requirements might have been slightly different in 1957, but today it includes the following:(1)

For an adult immigrant to become  a U.S. citizen, he or she must go through the process of naturalization. GENERAL requirements for naturalization call for the immigrant to:

• Be at least 18 years old at the time of filing the Application for Naturalization, Form N-400 
• Be lawfully admitted permanent resident of the United States 
• At the time of the filing the application, have been a permanent resident in the United States for at least for five years OR for at least three years if you meet all eligibility requirements to file as a spouse of a United States citizen
• Have demonstrated continuous permanent residence 
• Have demonstrated physical presence 
• Have lived within the State or United States Citizenship and Immigration Services District for at least three months prior to filing 
• Have demonstrated good moral character 
• Demonstrate an attachment to the principles and ideals of the U.S. Constitution 
• Demonstrate an ability to read, write, speak and understand basic English 
• Demonstrate a basic knowledge of  U.S. history, government, and civic principles 
• Take an oath of allegiance to the United States 
• Receive a Certificate of Naturalization

You are not a U.S. citizen until you take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony.(2)

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

.......... 

Notes & Sources:

1. Source: https://www.usa.gov/become-us-citizen
2. Source: https://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/naturalization-test/naturalization-oath-allegiance-united-states-america