(Uncle) Minor Billings

My grandmother Ethel’s family travelled the Oregon Trail near the end of the great migration west. They left from Neligh Nebraska and made their way gradually to Oregon. Grandmother, born in 1903, was the only one of six siblings born in Oregon.

Her brother Minor Billings, born in 1890, was old enough to recall events from the time of the family journey. (I typed up some stories for him but will have to delve further to find them. I have not been as organized as I would wish.)



Minor was an avid fisherman from the get go. Here is his 1915 hunting license - I do have some of his fishing licenses.




Portrait of Minor in 1917

On the back of this photo is a notation in my grandmother's hand "A very fine person".




Franked enveloped dated Oct. 7, 1918 from Minor at Fort Lewis, Wa. Addressed to Miss Ethel Billings, Blachley, OR. And it made it!

Following WWI, Minor worked for the forest service until he retired at age 60. He married along the way although it was an unhappy union and he divorced.

Minor lived along some of the best fishing rivers in Oregon and had secret fishing holes up and down the coast range streams. He had a big station wagon that was always so filled with belongings there was only room for the driver.




In the last years of his life he moved in with grandma, (he died in 1986). They were always close. I have a great black & white photo of him at that time (also buried in my stacks of albums). He used to sigh and say “all the women wanted to kiss my toes when I was a baby but not now”. At 90+, go figure.

This Is A Sepia Saturday Post.
Click here to see more sepia photos from all over this planet.