Notes on the Moloso Family

Notes on the Moloso Family • by Kathleen Moloso Marcuson • circa mid 1980's

Note :This version of the document is a word for word retyping of the original typewritten version with a few spelling corrections plus the correction of Kathrine's name as per the handwritten corrections Betty Wunn née Moloso [or Edgar her father] made to the document (the name is often misspelled as some form of “Catharine”). Kathleen Moloso (Frank's daughter and sister of Edgar, Frank Jr., John, and Phillip) is listed here as “Kathaleen” and has been left as such even though other records and Betty's confirmation list the correct spelling of the name as “Kathleen.” Incidentally “Kathleen” is also the name of Maurice's daughter, whom was probably named after her aunt and is the author of this document. She never signed the document or identified herself as the author; however, the author refers to herself in enough ways to make it clear that Maurice was her father. Also in a letter to cousin Tillie Lou (John's daughter), Kathleen Moloso Marcuson clearly identifies herself as the author. The letter also contains additional details not mentioned in this document. Finally, this original document was typed on letterhead that came from Mrs. Marcuson's family business. Adam Wunn (Edgar's great grandson).

“Moloso” is the Anglo-Saxon spelling for the French name “Woloseau.”

The Moloseau's originally came from Alsace-Lorraine. They immigrated to Ontario, Canada, then to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Grandpa Frank Moloso was born in 1859 in Oshkosh. His parents were Maurice and Matilda. In grandpa's family there were brothers, George, Alec, John and Frank (grandpa) and a half brother, Tim and a half sister, Florence. (They had the same father.) John and his wife, Angie lived in Sedro Wolley. They had one child, a daughter, Rose Wilson.

Frank Moloso married Kathrine Danahey who was born in Ontario, Canada. Her parents immigrated to Canada from Cork County, Ireland. The Danahey family moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. She and Frank Moloso met and married there. She had to brothers who remained in the St. Paul area while she and Frank moved on. Florence, Maurice and Frank, Jr. were born in St. Paul. Then the family moved to Malaca, Minnesota to a farm. Phil, Edgar, Kathaleen and John (Jack) were born in Malaca. Kathaleen was born in 1896 and Maurice was born in 1885.

Frank and Kathrine and family moved to Idaho and homesteaded in Whiskey Meadows near Lewiston. Frank worked as a bridge carpenter for the C.P.R. During his employment with the railway he made a trip to Siberia with a group of officials, He also worked for the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railroads. Then they moved to Spokane, WA. Florence did not move with then as she was teaching in Asotin, WA. The family did not remain in Spokane long. Northport, WA was their next home. Florence taught two terms in the Northport school, 1900-1901. She was paid $25.00 per month. After the second year [she] went to San Francisco to attend Normal School. It was in school that she met Edgar Riss. They were going to be married there but he was called back to New York City because his mother was dying. Later, Jacob, Edgar's father, sent Aunt Florence enough money for her and a companion to come to New York. She was 24 years old. They had no children. They lived in New York City and were able to travel abroad because of his job as a reporter for the New York Sun, Brooklyn Eagle, and other newspapers. He died at a fairly young age. Florence came west after her husband died for the first visit with her family since leaving 25 years before. She went to Los Angeles, later met and married Watson Forbes, a farmer and business man from Lincoln, Nebraska. They lived in apartment hotels all their lives. Florence vowed she would never cook a meal or wash a dish in her adult life and it seems though she never did. She did considerable writing but I have not ben able to obtain any of her stories. She died May 15, 1971. She lived many years in a retir[e]ment home, Fifield Manor, Los Angeles. She also had spent considerable time in St. Petersburg, Florida. She had an annuity with the Salvation Army. They were the trustee of her estate and took care of her expenses. Upon her death most of the remaining estate went to the Salvation Army.

From Northport, WA the family move to a community called Twelve-Mile. They lived in a rented house behind the Twelve-Mile school. Grandma (Kathrine) became ill in Northport. It is thought she had lead poisoning from the lead smelter in Northport. She was never really well again. About 1895 they located on a homestead southwest of Addy on the Addy-Gifford road where he built them a new home. She (Grandma) died there in 1904. She is buried in the Fairmount Cemetery in Spokane, Wa. Maurice (my dad) Frank, Jr. and Phil worked at the Johnson sawmill on the Addy-Gifford road. Kathaleen went to stay with the Reicker family who then had 10 children, later 11. She lived with them for about 1 year. She stayed with a number of families, anyone needing help with their family. She went to school in Marble Valley and West Side. She lived with Skeels, Willers and Nichols. Later went to work for Jeanerettes who had 5 boys and 3 girls. She married Phil Jeanerett December 26, 1915. They had one daughter, Beverly. Kathaleen and Phil were divorced after 19 years of Marriage. After the divorce Kathaleen and Beverly moved to Spokane, WA. Beverly finished high school at North Central and went to college in Forest Grove, OR on a scholarship.

After 2 years of college she went to work in a real estate office in Spokane, WA. She married Alfred Shaw in 1942. They had 4 children. Beverly and Alfred divorced and she moved to Red Lodge, Mt. One daughter and family lives in Roberts, MT, one in Diamond Lake, WA. One sone in Seattle and one son in Billings, MT. Kathaleen returned to Colville and on November 6, 1954 married Colby Gleason. They lived at 327 W. 3rd Ave. in Colville. Colby Gleason died July 2, 1975. Kathaleen lives at the family home.

Phillip Moloso and his wife, Addie lived in Blue Creek, Wa. They had 2 sons, Phillip and Robert. Phillip, Sr. worked in a store. He and Addie divorced and it is reported that Phillip moved to Los Angeles but the family in Addy did not know for sure. Both sons are dead. Phillip was killed when the plane he was piloting crashed into a mountain during a severe storm. This was in the Phoenix, Arizona area. His widow still lives in Phoenix (it is thought). Robert and sone, Joseph were heavy equipment operators in Moses Lake, WA. They both went to Valdez, AK to work on the pipeline and were killed while working on a bridge project in Keystone Canyon, 20 miles east of Valdez. They worked for Manson-Osberg Co. of Seattle. Robert's window, Allie, lives in Moses Lake. There is also a daughter who lives at home. After Phil and Addie's divorce she married Cap Staehli. Mr. Staehli died in the 1970's. Addie is now in a nursing home in Moses Lake, WA.

Frank Jr. never married. Hew as a roamer, never really settled down. He suffered from cancer in the mouth which developed after having a tooth pulled. He was penniless and dying and to keep from being a burden on the family he went to the poor farm in Spangle, WA. He died there. He many had died under an assumed name (Frank Danahey Bennet). The poor farm is now the Upper Columbia Academy run by the Seven Day Adventists.

Edgar was a carpenter and worked for the Union Pacific Railway. He married Anna Bell of Cheney, WA on June 16th in Addy, WA. They had one daughter, Betty Ann. Betty married Donald Wunn and they had 4 children and are now divorced. Edgar died in Portland March, 1960. Anna lives in the family home at 5115 N.E. 112th Portland, OR.

John (Jack More) married Bertha Parr from Kalispell, MT. On December 20, 1923. They had one daughter, Tillie, born in Pomeroy September. 26Th, 1927. She married Casper Kehrli (sp?). They live in Cathlamet, WA. They had 3 children, Scott, Diane and Keith. Diane married Less Tischer Sept. 1, 1973. Jack died in Seattle in 1965 and is buried in Longview where they had lived for many years. Bertha move to Cathlamet after Jack died.

Maurice, (dad) married Edith Hubert (Ida Bertha was real name) on November, 25, 1912 in Coeur d'Alene, ID. He worked a variety of jobs in sawmill, smelter, was section foreman for the Great Northern Railway and homesteaded on 40 acres in Marble Valley, WA, 4 miles north of Addy, WA. Later they added to the farm, mostly in pasture and timber. Dad sold cordwood for many years and well as having a herd of thorough-bred Jersey cattle. They sold cream at one of the creameries in Addy. There were 3 or 4 creameries in Addy then. Everett Earl was born April 7, 1917 in Addy but before that a son was born dead. Kathleen was born February 8, 1920 and Anna Rose June 14, 1928. Kathleen and Everett went to the Marble Valley school then to St. Mary's in Chewelah, WA. Kathleen graduated from Harrington High where the family had moved to have a wood yard. Anna Rose went to school in Addy and Chewelah High. Everett moved to Renton, WA to work for Boeing. He died in 1957 of a malignant brain tumor, He had not married. Kathleen married Raymond Marcuson February 17, 1940. They have two sons. Patrick who married Maureen Rose Chaney of Kellogg, ID and has 3 children, After many years in Red Lodge, MT. They moved to Soldotna, AK where Pat is working as a Fish Biologist. One daughter, Heather, is now attending Montana State College in Bozeman, MT. Heidi and Wade are in high school. Robert Wade married Susan Lynn Goedde and has 2 sones, Jeremy and Joshua. He is a teacher. Anna Rose married Vernon Sell of Onion Creek, WA and they spent many years in Oregon where Vern drove logging trucks. He died in 1982 and Anna Rose in 1983. They had 8 children, 7 living. Daniel, Judy, Verna, Dennis, Vernon Ray, Kathleen and Deborah. Daniel and wife Linda has two sons. He also has 3 step sons. Verna has one daughter, Roseann, and a son Sherman, Vernon Ray was married in October, 1983. Judy lives in Arkansas with her husband. They have no children. One boy, Sherman died of a malignant brain tumor when he was 9 years old. Dennis, Kathy and Debbie are not married.