Helicopter Crash Kills

U.S. Foreign Service Attaché James F. Hogan

 

Hogan was Great Great Grandson of

Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow

[Updated November 9, 2009]

 

Colonel James F. Hogan was killed in a helicopter accident that occurred some 700 miles north of the Arctic Circle near Thule [pronounced too lee] Air Base in Greenland.  The crash happened on August 26, 1959.  Col. Hogan was just 41 years old.  He was the son of Francis “Con” Hogan and Evelyn Good Hogan of Ashland, Wisconsin descends from Mary Ann Ducklow Good.

The doomed flight was, at least in part, a humanitarian mission returning an Inuit native to her village after she received surgery at the Thule Air Force Base Hospital.  Six others were also killed in the crash, including a U.S. diplomat to Denmark named Livingston Lord Satterthwaite.  The crashed occurred after dropping-off the Eskimo women and the flight was just minutes from landing back at Thule.

 

Left: Col. James F. Hogan, Circa 1943. Photo from the Susan Noskoviak Collection

Col. James Hogan’s title was air attaché at the American Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.  In this role he was the face of the United States Air Force to the Denmark government and coordinated military travel arrangements for Embassy officials.  Prior to this assignment he had been attached to American Embassy in Sweden.  Col. Hogan had served his country since World War II and had been a prisoner of war of the Germans for 19 months.

The helicopter crash in Greenland was widely reported in many U.S. newspapers, as diplomat Satterthwaite was a noted figure in United States - European relations.  At the time of the crash, the United States Ambassador to Denmark was Val Peterson.  He paid tribute to both men by saying:

“The American Embassy in Denmark has suffered a tragic blow and the American Foreign Service and the U.S. Air Force have lost two of the most promising young officers.”

Thule U.S. Air Force Base in Greenland

A pilot of a C54 [a DC 8 modified for military use] was escorting the helicopter.  He reported that it was behaving peculiarly as it descended from an altitude of 2,700 feet in preparations for landing at Thule.  About 11 miles from the base he lost sight of the helicopter and then received an emergency signal.  A short time later he saw the burning wreckage some 50 feet from the shore of Baffin Bay.  This is the whole account of the accident as there were no survivors. The cause of the crash remains a mystery, at least to this author, as no follow-up newspaper articles or other accounts of the cause of the accident have been found.

Location of Thule U.S. Air Force Base, Northwestern corner of Greenland. Illustration from Strategic-Air-Command.Com

So what was a helicopter crew, carrying attaché Hogan and U.S. diplomat Satterthwaite doing some 700 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland?  In three words: The Cold War. 

Thule Air Base is located roughly half way between Colorado Springs, Colorado and Moscow using the “great circle” route.  In the early 1950s the United States, under an agreement with Denmark (which governs Greenland), built Thule in northwestern Greenland.   It is part of America’s early warning detection system scanning the skies for offensive missiles headed towards U.S. soil.  It too houses nuclear tipped ballistic missiles that are capable of striking major cities in Russia. At one point Thule housed several thousand military personnel; today it houses fewer than 1,000. 

Polar illustartion of great circle route from Colorado Springs, Colorado to Moscow, Russia.

Illustration made with tool from http://gc.kls2.com/

No doubt that the Livingston Lord Satterthwait, as a U.S. diplomat to Copenhagen, was conducting meetings with Thule Air Force Base command personnel around the nature of U.S. nuclear arms in Greenland.  He was likely communicating issues expressed by the Denmark government over operations of the then six year-old base. The specific mission of delivering the Inuit women back to her village after surgery at the military hospital was a “photo-op” to demonstrate to the native people and to the Denmark government a very positive benefit of having a U.S. base with a hospital in far northwestern corner of the country.

Forty-Four Years Later: A Memorial

American Embassy in Copenhagen Denmark. Building Opened in 1954. Picture from http://denmark.usembassy.gov/

In 2003 The U.S. State Department honored the memories of Col. Hogan and diplomat Satterthwaite.  A memorial plaque at the Embassy in Copenhagen was unveiled in a ceremony on July 14^th 2003.  It notes the sacrifice these men made to our nation under the Cold War era.   Ambassador Stuart A. Bernstein, who presided at the unveiling, said that the families of the men killed should comfort in knowing their loved one helped advance the cause of freedom during the Cold War. Several members of Satterthwait’s family, including his widow, attended the event.  It was reported that members of Col. Hogan’s family would have been invited guests as well, but State Department officials were unable to locate them. [see footnote].

At this writing it is unknown to this author if descendants of the Hogan family have yet become aware of the 2003 honor bestowed by the State Department regarding James’ sacrifice to our nation.

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Footnote: Before Thule Air Force Base was built in the early 1950s the United States (under the Franklin Roosevelt administration) attempted to buy Greenland from Denmark.  While an offer was made, apparently the Danes had no interest in selling, and so the offer went unanswered.  Perhaps as a compromise to outright sale of the country, Copenhagen agreed to allow the U.S. to build a base in the far northwestern corner of the country.  

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Footnote: Thule means the most northerly region of the habitable world to ancient Greek geographers.

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Footnote: The building of Thule AFB was a major secret.  Called project Blue Jay, 12,000 men, based out of Navy ships send from Virginia, built much of Thule during the summers of 1951, ’52 and ‘53.  It was an amazing feat of engineering, which went unreported, due to its secret military nature.  It has been compared to the same amount of effort taken to build the Panama Canal.  Nearly all of Greenland is tundra and Thule Base and airstrip is built entirely on permafrost, making installation of stable footings a challenge. Thule is also “locked-in” by sea ice nine months out of the year, making construction a race in getting supplies to the project.  Ships must arrive soon as the ice is thin and must depart before thick ice forms again curtaining shipments for another nine months.

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Footnote: Regarding the State Department’s difficulty in locating immediate family of James Hogan in 2003: James' wife, Evelyn, is believed to be living, but is known to have married twice after her husband James’ death in 1959.  Her surnamed changed in each of these marriages.  James and Evelyn Hogan’s daughter Eve, age 13 at the time her father’s death, is living but has also married twice, changing her surname with each marriage.  In addition, both mother and daughter have lived away from Ashland Wisconsin for decades. James’ father Francis died 10 years prior to James’ death. His mother Evaline died in 1969. And James’ two brothers had also passed before 2003; Jack in 1966 and Mickey in 1994.

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Footnote:  While the helicopter crash and death of seven men in 1959 is tragic it is not the most notable aircraft crash associated with Thule Air Base.  A near nuclear disaster occurred near Thule on January 21, 1968.  A United States Air Force B-52 bomber was carrying four hydrogen bombs during a Cold War alert mission was flying a figure-eight pattern over Baffin Bay Greenland.  An in-flight cabin fire started.  It became out of control forcing the seven members on board to abandon the aircraft before they could execute an emergency landing.  Six of the crew ejected safely, but one who did not have an ejection seat was killed while exiting the bomber.   The then unmanned B-52 crashed on the sea ice in North Star Bay 7.5 miles west of Thule Air Base causing the nuclear payload to break apart and disperse radioactive material across three miles of sea ice.  A clean-up effort was immediately launched by the United States and Denmark to recover the radioactive material.  Part of one of the nuclear weapons was never accounted for and continues to be source of environmental / weapons debate in Danish politics. 

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Footnote: Ducklow Pedigree: James Francis Hogan > Evaline Josphine Good > James Walter Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow

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Sources:

Ironwood Daily Globe, Ironwood, Michigan, August 28, 1959, Page 1 “Tribute is Paid Ashland Officer Thule Copter Crash Kills Two Badger Men”

Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Saturday, August 29, 1959, “Officer Killed in Helicopter Crash Had Cousin in City”

American Foreign Service Association News, October 2003, Page 3, http://www.afsa.org/fsj/oct03/AFSANEWSOct2003.pdf,  “1959 Thule Helicopter Crash Victims Remembered”

United States Depart of State, State Magazine, October 2003, Page 8, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/25073.pdf, “Never Too Late to Remember”

Thule Air Base, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_Air_Base

1968 Thule Air Base B-52 Crash, Wikipeda, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Thule_Air_Base_B-52_crash

Greenland, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland

Time Magazine, January 27, 1947, National Affairs: Deepfreeze Defense http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,778870,00.html

Thule Air Base, http://wapedia.mobi/en/Thule_Air_Base

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The Fruit Bowl Bet

(Its Not About Football)

[Updated October 19, 2009]

My Grandpa Vernie Ducklow passed away in 1961 at age 81 years.  He lived a full life, most of it around Spring Valley, Wisconsin.  It has been a bit difficult to find many stories about him, but here is one that is known:

In early 1907 Vernie and his pal Gideon Arneson were walking along the planks that formed the boardwalk [see footnote] of main street in Spring Valley. As they walked they came upon the display window of the Foss-Armstrong and Johns Hardware Company [see footnote].  This store was known for its hardware offerings, but it was also stocked with other merchandise too, including housewares that ranged from spatulas to flower vases.  Vernie and Gideon both paused and took notice of a very decorative and expensive fruit bowl prominently displayed in the store’s front window.  The beautiful glass bowl was handcrafted from translucent pink and white glass.  It had scalloped edges with gracefully curved sides and featured a hand-painted design of blue berries with gold-leaf flourishes.  The bowl sat ensconced in a four-legged base that connected to an ornate handle. The handle and base were masterfully crafted by a silversmith.  It was a piece of art and very stylish for that  period.

The Ornate Fruit Bowl 

Retailed at Foss-Armstrong-Johns Hardware Company, Spring Valley, Wisconsin

Manufactured circa 1906

Now it seems a bit odd that two single young men in there mid-twenties would stop and admire this beautiful fruit bowl.  But they did as you see that both were courting their future wives.  Neither one could afford to buy the bowl that day but each agreed that it would make a wonderful gift for one of their sweethearts.  Without means to purchase the bowl one would have thought this is where the conversation would have ended.  But apparently there was a bit of a rivalry between them regarding who would convince their respective girlfriend to marry them first.  One thing lead to another and soon a bet was on.  Right then and there they agreed that the first to marry would receive the bowl as a wedding gift from the other.

Vernon and Mina Ducklow Circa 1948

A few months later, on July 25, 1907, Vernie married Mina Bowen in Denver, Colorado (Vern was working at the machine shop for railroad at the time).  Eventually the newlyweds returned to Spring Valley and received many congratulations and well wishes along with a number of wedding gifts including one from Vernie’s pal Gideon.  Gideon had not forgotten about the bet he made several months prior.  He honored Vernie and Mina with the gift of the handcrafted fruit bowl with the silver handle that he had purchased at the Foss-Armstorng-Johns store.

Vernie and Mina cherished this wedding gift during their 54 years of marriage. The ornate bowl was likely one of the most valuable household possession that they ever owned, especially after losing much during the Great Depression.  Gideon Arneson did go on to marry too.  Federal Census records show that by 1910 he was wed a woman named Parmilia (Millie).  Like Vernie and Mina, Gideon and Millie spent their lives in and around Spring Valley and no doubt were friends with Vern and Mina through the years.

 The Rest of the Story

In 1961 Vernie passed away and by 1964 Mina became unable to care for herself and so she entered a nursing home.  In preparing for this, many of Mina’s household possessions went to her children including the ornate fruit bowl.  It was given to Mina’s daughter Audrey.  She and her husband Hank Thompson lived in Phoenix and so the bowl traveled from Spring Valley to Arizona in about 1964.   Sadly, just three years later Audrey passed away.  After Audrey’s death, the bowl had little meaning to Hank, and as Hank and Audrey had no children, he kindly gifted the bowl to Audrey's brother Vic.  Hank brought the bowl back to Wisconsin from Arizona in about 1970 during a vacation, but without the silver base.  He had not realized the bowl had a holder. For a while it was thought that the base was lost, but Hank later discovered it back in his home in Phoenix and then mailed it to Wisconsin.  Unfortunately, a slight bend of the handled occurred in shipping, but was expertly corrected by Vic. Without knowing the bend occurred, one could never tell.

Today the 100 plus year-old bowl with silver base and handle rests in an honored place in the Ducklow family.  It seems a bit of a miracle that this beautiful bowl has not been broken after all these years.  It is also a wonderful to know of how it came into the family so many years ago.

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Source: Pearl Neiderhauser Ducklow told this story to Jeff Ducklow October 11, 2009.

Footnote: Pedigree: Vernon George Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow

Footnote: Pearl Ducklow told this story referring to the hardware store as the Olsen-Wolf store.  This was the name of this mercantile when she was a young girl (1930s).  However, at the time of this story (1906-1907) it was owned by Foss who also owned a hardware store in Ellsworth, along with partners Armstrong and Daniel Boone Johns.  See page 419 of Doug Blegen's "Spring Valley Early Days" published in 1995.  The Foss-Armstrong-Johns hardware store location is now the present day location of the Spring Valley Drug Store; on the corner of 1st Street and McKay Avenue.

Footnote: Spring Valley did not have concrete sidewalks until the summer of 1910.  Up until then the walks were either dirt paths or elevated wood planks forming a boardwalk.  See page 209 of Doug Blegen's "Spring Valley Early Days."

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On this Day in October

[Published October 7, 2009]

 

October 1, 1990: Pauline Cecil Pearce Ducklow, age 81, dies in Blue Earth County, Minnesota.  In 1959 she married Gerald Erwin Ducklow.  Pedigree: Gerald and Pauline Ducklow > Frank Erwin Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 2, 2001: Gladys Nellie Blair Lloyd, age 89, died in Barron County, Wisconsin.  She was the daughter of Charles T and Nellie Hanson Blair.  Pedigree: Gladys Nellie Blair Lloyd > Nellie Hanson Blair > Elizabeth Ducklow Hanson > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 3, 1982: Melvin Clyde Blair, age 67, died in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota.  He was the son of Charles T and Nellie Hanson Blair.  Pedigree: Melvin Clyde Blair > Nellie Hanson Blair > Elizabeth Ducklow Hanson > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 4, 1979: Victor Neal Ducklow, age 56, died in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota.  He was the son of Vernon and Mina Ducklow.  Pedigree: Victor Neil Ducklow > Vernon Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 4, 1989: George Merle LaGrander, age 83, died in Chili, Adams County, Wisconsin.  He was the son of George and Nellie LaGrander. Pedigree: George Merle LaGrander > Nellie LaGrander Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 5, 1925: Joyce Elaine Ducklow was born in Rock Elm, Pierce County, Wisconsin.  She was the daughter of Frank Erwin and Jessie Ducklow. Pedigree: Joyce Elaine Ducklow > Frank Erwin Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 6, 1902: James Justus Good was born in Ashland, Ashland County, Wisconsin.  He was the son of James Walter and Effie Good.  Pedigree: James Justus Good > James Walter Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 6, 1993: Beatrice Blanche Van Nortwick Ducklow, age, 69, dies in Spring Valley, Piece County, Wisconsin.  She was the wife of Fay Ellsworth Ducklow.  Pedigree: Fay Ellsworth and Beatrice Ducklow > Frank Erwin Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 7, 1963: Meribel Klinefelter Good, age 84, died in Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin.  She married Sidney Good November 14, 1900.  Pedigree: Sidney and Meribel Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 7, 1990: Nellie Bernadine Lenore Good Catura, age 91, died in Clark County, Wisconsin.  She was the daughter of William Thomas and Lora Good.  Pedigree: Nellie Bernadine Good Catura > William Thomas Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 7, 1861: Blanche T Townsend was born in Oconomowoc, Waukesha County, Wisconsin.  In 1899 she married John T Ducklow. Pedigree: John and Blanche Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 9, 1998: Hanna Sophia Osmunson Good, age 83, dies in Bonita Springs, Lee County, Florida.  She was the wife of Harold Eldon Good.  Pedigree: Harold and Hanna Good > William Thomas Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 10, 1856: Elizabeth J Ducklow was born in Ashippun Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin.  Pedigree: Elizabeth J Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 12, 1927: Charles T Blair, age 51, died in Barron County, Wisconsin.  In 1904 he married Nellie Jane Hanson, daughter of Elizabeth DUCKLOW HANSON and John HANSON. Pedigree: Charles T & Nellie Hanson Blair > Elizabeth Ducklow Hanson > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 13, 1980: Anne Elizabeth Ostenson Holman, age 76, dies in Cass County, North Dakota.  She was the daughter of Gunder and Lucinda Ducklow Ostenson.  Pedigree: Anne Elizabeth Ostenson Holman > Lucinda Ducklow Ostenson > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 14, 1957: Jane Marie Rudesill is born in Menomonie, Dunn County, Wisconsin.  In 1981 she married Jeffrey Michael Ducklow.  Pedigree: Jeffrey and Jane Ducklow > Victor Neal Ducklow > Vernon Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 14, 1947: Lamont Vernon Ducklow marries Florence Irene McClurg in Pierce County, Wisconsin.  Pedigree: Lamont Vernon Ducklow > Vernon George Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 15, 1956: Francis George Good, age 87, died in Madison, Dane County Wisconsin.  He was the son of Frank Gallagher and Mary Ann Ducklow Good.  Pedigree: Francis George Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 16, 1876: Nellie Laurine Ducklow was born in Rock Elm, Pierce County, Wisconsin.  She was the daughter of George and Emma Ducklow.  Pedigree: Nellie Laurine Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 16, 1982: Daisy Marie Buis Blair, age 56, died in Hennepin County, Minnesota.  She married Melvin Clyde Blair. Pedigree: Melvin and Daisy Blair > Nellie Hanson Blair > Elizabeth Ducklow Hanson > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 16, 1930: Patrick Michael Hannafin was born.  In 1954 he married Mary Jane Ducklow, daughter of Clayton and Mary Ducklow. Pedigree: Patrick and Mary Jane Ducklow Hannafin > Clayton Hamilton Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 17, 1980: Francis Mary Good Hardy, age 84, died in Cottage Grove Township, Dane County, Wisconsin.  She was the daughter of James Walter and Effie Good.  Pedigree: Francis Mary Good Hardy > James Walter Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 18, 1885: Charles T Blair was born in Palmerson, Ontario, Canada.  In 1904 he married Nellie Jane Hanson, daughter of Elizabeth DUCKLOW HANSON and John HANSON.

October 18, 1928: Douglas C Ducklow was born in Iowa.  He was the son of Charles Edwin and Ella Ducklow.  Pedigree: Douglas C Ducklow > Charles Edwin Ducklow > Charles Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 21, 1915: Esther Alice Northfield is born in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota.  In 1935 she married Willis Francis Ducklow.  Pedigree: Willis and Esther Ducklow > Frank Erwin Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow

October 21, 2003: William Good Catura, age 81, died in Owen, Clark County, Wisconsin. He was the son of Willard and Nellie Good Catura.  Pedigree: William Good Catura > Nellie Lenore Good Catura > William Thomas Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 21, 1885: William Thomas Ducklow was born in Ashippun Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin.  Pedigree: William Thomas Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 22, 1885: Thomas William Ducklow was born in Modena, Buffalo County, Wisconsin.  He was the son of Charles and Eva Shaw Ducklow.  Pedigree: Thomas William Ducklow > Charles Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 23, 1919: Glenn Merrill Good married Luella J Johnson in Dane County, Wisconsin.  Glenn was the son of William Thomas and Lora Good.  Pedigree: Glenn Merrill Good > William Thomas Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 24, 1931: Gladys Nellie Blair married Fred Lloyd in Clinton Township of Barron County Wisconsin. Pedigree: Gladys Nellie Blair Lloyd > Nellie Hanson Blair > Elizabeth Ducklow Hanson > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 25, 1923: Winifred L Olson was born in Hennepin County, Minnesota.  In 1950 she married Thomas Clayton Ducklow.  Pedigree: Thomas Clayton and Winifred Ducklow > Clayton Hamilton Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow

October 25, 1919: Genevieve Margaret Mulheron is born in Spring Valley, Pierce County, Wisconsin.  In 1946 she married Frank Ruthbin Ducklow.  Pedigree: Frank and Genevieve Ducklow > Frank Erwin Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 26, 2002: Florence Idella Blair Davis, age 97, died in Barron County, Wisconsin.  She was the daughter of Charles T and Nellie HANSON.   Pedigree: Florence Idella Blair > Nellie Hanson Blair > Elizabeth Ducklow Hanson > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 26, 1889: Mina Bowen was born, likely in Minnesota. In 1907 she married Vernon George Ducklow.  Pedigree: Mina Bowen and Vernon George Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 27, 1908: Robert Francis Good was born in Ashland, Ashland County, Wisconsin.  He was the son of Charles J Francis and Hattie Good.  Pedigree: Robert Francis Good > Charles J Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 27, 2003: Vivian Alta Doud Ducklow, age 93, died in Cornell, Chippewa County, Wisconsin.  In 1931 she married James Leroy Ducklow.  Pedigree: Vivian Doud and James Ducklow > James Richard Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 27, 1992: William Martin Walton, age 78, dies in Oshkosh, Winnebago County, Wisconsin.  In 1938 he married Mary Elizabeth Good.  Pedigree: William and Mary Good Walton > Charles Francis Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow

October 28, 2001: Lorraine M Romaine Hogan, age 78, dies in Mundelein, Lake County Illinois.  In 1961 she married Francis Michael Hogan.  Pedigree: Francis and Lorraine Hogan > Evaline Good Hogan > James Walter Good > Mary Ann Ducklow Good > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 28, 1926: Lamont Vernon Ducklow married Dorothy Jane Lewerenz in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota.  Pedigree: Lamont Vernon Ducklow > Vernon Ducklow > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 28, 1915: Budd John Hanson was born in Clinton Township, Barron County, Wisconsin.  His parents were Fred J and Hillma Hanson.  Pedigree: Budd John Hanson > Fred J Hanson > Elizabeth Ducklow Hanson > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow

October 29, 1899: Daniel Francis Smith was born in Joliet, Will County, Illinois.  In 1924 he married Imogene LaGrander, daughter of George and Nellie Ducklow LaGrander.  Pedigree: Daniel and Imogene LaGrander Smith > Nellie Ducklow LaGrander > George Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

October 30, 1926: Beatrice Ducklow married George Torgerson in Menomonee, Menomonee County, Michigan.  Beatrice was the daughter of James Richard and Ida Ducklow. Pedigree: Beatrice Ducklow > James Richard Ducklow > Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.

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The State of Marriages 

[Published October 7, 2009]

# of Marriages           State

191                               Wisconsin

64                                 Minnesota

11                                  North Dakota

10                                 Nevada

5                                   Florida

4                                   California

4                                   Michigan

2                                   Iowa

2                                   Hawaii

2                                   Texas

1                                   Missouri

1                                   Arizona

1                                   Oregon

1                                   Washington

1                                   Illinois

1                                   Colorado

1                                   Washington D.C.

1                                   Mexico **

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Footnote: Of this writing there are 947 known descendants of Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow.  Of these descendants, the location of 302 known marriages and their location are shown.

Footnote, Yes I know that Mexico is not a state.

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Dewayne Hanson Pays Ultimate Sacrifice

Against Hitler and the Nazi Army

[Published September 28, 2009]

Dewayne Charles Hanson, age 25, was killed during military operations against the German Army on January 20th, 1945.  He was a Staff Sergeant in 94^th Division of the 301^st Infantry for the U.S. Army. Dewayne’s sacrifice, along with sacrifices of thousands of other Allied and Russian troops ensured that Adolph Hitler’s xenophobic vision of the world came to an end.

In the last months of 1944 Hitler and leaders of the German military knew that they were losing the war.  Allied forces had already recaptured France and Belgium and had begun pushing into Germany.  The Third Reich’s goal of dominating Europe and beyond had been reduced to defending the homeland and avoiding surrender.  And so the Germans began a new strategy against the Allied Forces.  The Nazi's plan was to get the Allies into a non-winnable military position—a stalemate—and then negotiate a peace treaty.  They needed to get out of waging a two-front war: Besides fighting the Allies in parts of Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Germany, Hitler's forces were also in a massive battle with the Red Army along the so-called “Eastern” front on the German-Soviet boarder.  By gaining a stalemate and subsequent peace on the “Western” front, the Germans could apply all of their resources against the Russians in the east.  A one-front war would also help Hitler by giving his engineering teams additional time to design and build more advanced weapons, including completion of an atomic bomb.

Sgt. Hanson's career with the U.S. Army began on December 12, 1942. He trained at Camp Phillips in Kansas and then at Camp McCain in Mississippi.  After completing training he was transferred to England in August of 1944 where he spent two weeks.  About mid-August his infantry company  arrived on the eastern shores of France, near St. Nazaire.  This was about two months after D-Day, when the first wave of Allied Forces attacked the Germans on Utah beach.  Sgt. Hanson's company moved across France pushing any German pockets of resistant east.  In three months time they had entered western Germany.  This occurred about January 1^st, 1945.

Adolph Hitler

Source: Wikipedia Commons 

The implementation of the Nazi’s new stalemate strategy resulted in what is widely known as the “Battle of the Bulge.” This battle was the last major offensive by the Germans.  It began in mid-December of 1944 and continued over Christmas and for most of January 1945.  The name “Battle of the Bulge” was coined by newspapers accounts of the battles and the position of the front line.  At this point in the war, maps showing the location of the front was more-or-less a north-south line, except where the Germans had launched this new offensive.  The newly drawn maps showed a “bulge” of German controlled territory towards the west.

The goal of the German offensive was to divide the Allies’ front line and then out-flank them.  Hitler believed that if the front were split the Allied commanders would realize that the war would become protracted and they would then move towards negotiating a peace treaty.  War analysts say that Hitler’s plan was flawed and his own military leaders thought this plan dubious, but Hitler demanded it be carried-out.  The initial surprise attack by the Nazi Army occurred December 16^th in the steep slopes of the Ardennes forests in Belgium and Luxembourg. This military operation was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of World War II: Germany counted over 91,000 men killed, wounded, or captured.  Allied Forces, mostly Americans, reported 19,246 men killed; 47,500 men wounded, and 23,000 men captured or missing.

On January 7^th, Sgt. Dewayne Hanson and all of the 94^th Infantry Division, was positioned in an area called Saar-Moselle Triangle.  This is a mountainous area in far western Germany not far from the French-German-Beligum boarder.  Their infantry company was able to stop the Germans from advancing and began having success in forcing units into retreat. Between January 7^th and January 20^th, there were numerous battles in this area with heavy causalities by both sides, but the Germans continued to be pushed further eastward.  Then on January 20^th Dewayne’s unit engaged in an attack on the Nazi Army in the City of Orscholz.  During this battle, the Americans incurred very heavy casualties.  A loss of nearly two companies of men (200-500 soldiers) was reported in just one day.  This battle was likely were Dewayne’s sacrifice to our country was made.

So many American soldiers died in 1944 and early 1945 that it was impossible for all the bodies to be returned to the United States for burial.  To accommodate the dead, several American Cemeteries were established in Western Europe, including one in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.  A cemetery of 50 acres became the final resting place for 5,076 American service members, including General George Patton and our cousin, Sgt. Dewayne Charles Hanson.

Dewayne was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously.  This battle ribbon is given in the name of the President of the United States to members of the military who were wounded or killed or died after being wounded while serving our nation.

Purple Heart Ribbon: George Washington Profile inside

By the first of February of 1945 the Western front was roughly in the position it was before the start of the Battle of the Bulge.  The German’s plan of breaking through and dividing the Allies failed.  And with that failure came the failure of the entire strategy of gaining a peace-treaty with the Allies.  During the months of February, March and April most of the German Army had been killed, captured or surrendered.  On April 30, 1945 a desperate and resigned Hitler committed suicide.  A week later, on May 8^th, , the entire world celebrated VE  Day—Victory in Europe.

 May we always remember those who served and gave their lives defending our freedoms.

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Dewayne was the son of Charles and Emma Hanson and the grandson of John and Elizabeth Ducklow Hanson.

Sources:

(1) Memorial Services for Sgt Dewayne Hanson, Barron County News, February 9, 1945

(2) World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas – Ancestry.com

(3) American Battle Monuments Commission http://www.abmc.gov/search/wwii_list.php

U.S. Army Military History http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/094id.htm

(4) Battle of the Bulge - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bulge

(5) World War II in Europe - http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/ww2time.htm

 

Footnote: Dewayne was survived by his wife Muriel Bussewitz.  They apparently had no children. Prior to joining the Army he was a milk tester for the Turtle Lake Cooperative Creamery.

On this Day in September

[Published September 21, 2009]

September 1, 1921: ELIZABETH J DUCKOW HANSON BRANCH: Marie Amelia Dieckman was born to Walter and Amelia Dieckman in Ramsey County, Minnesota.  She married Budd John Hanson in 1952.

September 2, 1909: MARY ANN DUCKLOW GOOD BRANCH: Infant Stanley Edgar Good passed in Dane County.  Age 5 months.

 September 2, 1923: GEORGE DUCKLOW BRANCH: Patricia Sharon Ducklow was born to Clayton and Mary Ducklow in Pierce County.

 September 3, 1923: MARY ANN DUCKLOW GOOD BRANCH: Francis Gerald Good was born to Sidney and Maribel Good in Dane County.

 September 8, 1927:  MARY ANN DUCKLOW GOOD BRANCH: Bonita Elaine Davis was born to Morgan Davis and Florence Blair Davis in Barron County. 

 September 10, 1904: LUCINDA ISABELLE DUCKLOW OSTENSON BRANCH: Anna Elizabeth Ostenson was born in Waukesha County.  Parents were Gunder and Lucinda Ostenson.

September 10, 1910: GEORGE DUCKLOW BRANCH:  Clayton Joseph Hamilton Ducklow weds Mary Magdalene McMenamin in Ramsey County, Minnesota.

September 11, 1895: MARY ANN DUCKLOW GOOD BRANCH: William Thomas Good weds Lora A Swan in Dane County.

September 11, 1907: JAMES RICHARD DUCKLOW BRANCH: James Leroy Ducklow as born to James and Ida Ducklow in Barron County.

September 11, 1926: MARY ANN DUCKLOW GOOD BRANCH: Nancy Lou Hardy’s birthday.  Born in Ashland County.  Her parents were Robert Roy Hardy and Francis Mary Good Hardy.

September 11, 1960: ELIZABETH J DUCKOW HANSON BRANCH: Gordon Maurice Hanson died in Sheldon, Washington.  He was 36.

September 12, 1947: MARY ANN DUCKLOW GOOD BRANCH: Robert Francis Good wed Norma Hanson in Ashland County.  This was Robert’s second marriage.

September 13, 1977: ELIZABETH J DUCKOW HANSON BRANCH: Glen Lavern Barton passed in Wabasha County, Minnesota.  He was 57.  He was married to Phyllis Vorene Blair.

September 16, 1992: MARY ANN DUCKLOW GOOD BRANCH: Charolette A Hull Good died in Dane County.  She was married to Kenneth D Good in 1925.

September 17, 1910: MARY ANN DUCKLOW GOOD BRANCH: Norma Hanson was born in Ashland County.  In 1947 she became the second wife to Robert Francis Good.

September 17, 1910: MARY ANN DUCKLOW GOOD BRANCH: Donald G Good was born in Dane County to Sidney and Maribel Good.

September 17, 2002: MARY ANN DUCKLOW GOOD BRANCH: Evelyn Ann Hogan died in Ashland County.  She was 78.

September 18, 1848: THOMAS J DUCKLOW BRANCH: Thomas J Ducklow was born in New York State.

September 18, 1920: CHARLES DUCKLOW BRANCH: William Thomas Ducklow Jr. was born to William Thomas Ducklow Sr. and Iva in LaCrosse County.

September 18, 1957: CHARLES DUCKLOW BRANCH: Iva Blanche Avery Ducklow passed in Winnebago County.  She was 74.  Her husband was William Thomas Ducklow Sr.

September 19, 1901: MARY ANN DUCKLOW GOOD BRANCH:  Ralcey Charles Good was born in Dane County.  Parents were Sidney and Maribel Good.

September 19, 1925: GEORGE DUCKLOW BRANCH: Edward Robert Reynolds was born in Minneapolis.  He became the husband of Patricia Ducklow in 1946.

September 19, 2008: ELIZABETH J DUCKOW HANSON BRANCH: Bonita Davis Rogstad passed away in Eau Claire.  She was 81.

September 20, 2001: ELIZABETH J DUCKOW HANSON BRANCH: Leona Pearl Blair Akenson passed away in Minneapolis.  She was 75.

September 24, 1919: ELIZABETH J DUCKOW HANSON BRANCH: Julia Gwendolyn Hanson was born to Theodore and Emma Hanson in Barron County.

September 24, 1923: JOHN T DUCKLOW BRANCH: John T Ducklow passed away in Waukesha County.  He was 75.

September 26, 1895: GEORGE DUCKLOW BRANCH:  Nellie Laurine Ducklow weds George A LaGrander in Pierce County.

September 26, 1903: PETER EDWARD DUCKLOW BRANCH: Thomas Edward Ducklow was born in Dodge County to Peter and Helena Ducklow.

September 28, 1899: JOHN T DUCKLOW BRANCH:  John T Ducklow weds Blanch T Townsend in Dodge County.

September 28, 1911: ELIZABETH J DUCKOW HANSON BRANCH: Fred J Hanson weds Hilma Thollander in Barron County.

September 29, 1921: LUCINDA ISABELLE DUCKLOW OSTENSON BRANCH: Harriet Elizabeth Holman was born to Willard and Anna Ostenson Holman in Barron County.

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How Peter Ducklow Became Blind in One Eye

[Updated September 17, 2009]

Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow’s youngest son, Peter Edward Ducklow, was a well-known and respected sheep farmer in the Township Oconomowoc of Waukesha County.  He had a large flock of Merinos, a breed of sheep that is especially valued for its soft wool in garment making.  Peter’s farm was just a few miles north of the City of Oconomowoc and about five miles south from the original Ducklow homestead.

Raising sheep, especially in the pioneer farming period of the mid 1800s to early 1900s, had a large number challenges—not the least of which was keeping predators at bay.  Fox, coyote, wolves, and even badgers would attack for any easy meal. Sheep have few defenses against predators, explaining how the ancient profession of shepherding and use of herding dogs came about.  However, hiring a full-time shepherd was not a practical solution for most farmers in Wisconsin at the turn of the twentieth century.  The tools to keep sheep protected were fences, dogs and rifles.

One day [see footnote] Peter’s use of a gun during an attack of his flock had a life-changing consequence.  As he had done perhaps a thousand times before, he loaded his rifle, took aim at an attacking animal, and pulled the trigger.  But this time Peter did not feel the expected recoil from the butt of the gun on his shoulder. The bullet somehow jammed.  The explosion that normally forces the bullet out the barrel of the rifle had instead tore the firing chamber apart sending shrapnel directly into Peter’s face.  No doubt Peter dropped to the ground, bleeding profusely, writhed in terrible pain.  His most serious injury was metal shards embedded in his aiming eye. The pupil was shredded badly; to a degree that all hope of future sight from eventually was abandoned. 

His wife Helena and sons Thomas and Maurice likely took up the burden of Peter’s farm work, in addition to performing their normal chores, while he recuperated from the accident.  Peter did recover and made the adjustment of seeing the world now with one eye.  He continued sheep farming with his son Maurice until his death in 1940, at age 77.

Peter Edward Ducklow, Circa 1934

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Footnote:  It is not clear when this accident occurred.  It was after Peter’s marriage to Helena in 1901, and before the christening of Elizabeth Helen Ducklow in 1934. 

This story was originally shared with me by Betty Ducklow Steinhoff.   

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Recently Located 2nd Generation Pictures 

Peter Edward Ducklow and Helena

James Richard Ducklow and Ida 

William Ducklow

Children of Thomas and Elizabeth

[Published Sept 16, 2009]

My wife has often said, "everyone holds a piece of the greater family history."  This has proved true time and time again.  During a wonderful visit with Betty Ducklow Steinhoff we were treated to many photos of Peter Ducklow's descendants as well as a few photos of his brothers and sisters-in-law.  Below are five awesome pictures that were shared.  Many thanks to Betty, her daughter Irma and her daughter-in-law Lauri for connecting with me and sharing all the photos!  

A few notes: The pictures of both Peter and Helena and James and Ida appear to be wedding pictures and are high quality images.  The picture of William Ducklow is poor, but is the only image known to exist of him.  He is holding Elizabeth "Betty" Ducklow Steinhoff, his great niece, who was an infant in this picture, taken about 1934.   The pictures of Peter and Helena was taken circa 1901 and James and Ida circa 1902.

Peter Edward Ducklow

b. May 21, 1863

d. Dec 13, 1940

Sheep Farmer, Dodge County

12th Child of Thomas & Elizabeth

Helena Augusta Timmel Ducklow

b. May 27, 1872

d. Jan 18, 1948

Peter's Wife

James "Jim" Richard Ducklow

b. Feb 2 1862

d. May 28, 1949

Dairy Farmer, Barron County

11th Child of Thomas & Elizabeth

Ida Mae Blair

 Ducklow

b. Nov 21 1881

d. Jan 24 1957

James' Ducklow Wife

William "Bill" Thomas Ducklow

b. Oct 21, 1858

d. Oct 19 1941

10th Child of Thomas & Elizabeth

Farmer, Dodge County

Married to Mary Jane Miles Ducklow (no image of her has yet to be located)

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