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Archiver > BRETHREN > 2010-05 > 1272767168


From: "Dwayne Wrightsman" <>
Subject: Re: [BRE] Vaniman question
Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 22:26:08 -0400
References: <47ed3.a433fb4.390e01e7@aol.com>
In-Reply-To: <47ed3.a433fb4.390e01e7@aol.com>


Yes, Elmer Vaniman and his cousin Levi Vaniman went to McPherson (by taking
the train). Melvin Vaniman went to Valporaiso U. in Indiana. That was in
the 1890s. Elmer studied, among other things, vocal music. He was an old
man when I was a young boy. I certainly remember his rich solo voice at
church. His daughter Georgina became director of the junior choir. She
made me sing alto. That was in the late 1940s. My mother was the church
organist. She rehearsed every Thursday evening. She would come home after
rehearsals and tell me that the ghost of Elmer Vaniman kept her company.
When I asked Mom how she knew, she said that she recognized his footsteps.

Dwayne


-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:]
On Behalf Of
Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 6:15 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [BRE] Vaniman question

Wow. These folks are almost kin to me on two sides (Bower, Kimmel). I
thought Melvin's story was amazing, but I never thought about these folks
being somebody anybody actually knew. Elmer is the one who went to
McPherson, right?

Thanks

Jan


In a message dated 5/1/2010 3:07:22 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
writes:

According to the book "Pleasant Hill" (1956) by Ethel Weddle, The Vaniman
brothers, Melvin and Calvin, went down to sea, off the coast of Atlantic
City, on July 2, 1912. Calvin's body was discovered at once and he was
given a funeral at Pleasant Hill on Sunday, July 7. ".....More than a
thousand gathered at the Pleasant Hill meetinghouse." The sermon was
preached by Elder Michael Flory. Melvin's body was not found until two
weeks after the accident. His funeral took place at Pleasant Hill on
Friday, July 19. Both were buried at the Pleasant Hill cemetery across the
road from the meetinghouse. Melvin and Chester had a brother, Elmer, who
thought about going on Melvin's dirigible "The Akron" but he decided not
to
go. The Pleasant Hill book says that there were articles in the St. Louis
Globe Democrat and the Springfield Evening News that covered the Vaniman
brothers and their disaster.

(I got to know Elmer Vaniman when I was a school boy. He would pick me up
on the highway and drive me the rest of the way to school.)

Dwayne Wrightsman


-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:]
On Behalf Of orwahist
Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 2:57 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [BRE] Vaniman question

there is no listing in the Gospel Messenger for Chester M Vaniman

Dennis



In a message dated 05/01/10 11:06:44 Pacific Daylight Time, KTompk7744
writes:
Would it be possible for someone to check Gospel Messenger to see whether

an obituary appeared for Chester Melvin Vaniman, who died about July 12,

1912 off the coast of New Jersey?







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