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Harold Wright Erwin

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Harold Wright Erwin

Birth	:	11 Jun 1918 Chelan, Chelan County, Washington, USA
Death	:	7 Apr 2010 Carlton, Okanogan County, Washington, USA
Burial	:	Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Chaska, Carver County, USA
Coordinate	:	44.7929000, -93.6023000
Plot	:	South Fraternal Row28 STBLK26 LS7
Inscription	:	Married Dec 4, 1981
Description	:	Harold Wright Erwin, age 92, died of natural causes at his home in Carlton, WA on April 7, 2010. He came into this world June 11, 1918, as the result of the union of Thomas E. Erwin and Jesse Wright after they were married by the Justice of the Peace, C. C. Campbell, on the steps of the Campbell Hotel in 1905. And what a start. He was the ninth of 12 children, Willis, Georgia, Grace, Elsie, Chesly Cecil, twins, Edith and Edna, Howard, Bernice and Spencer and Norma Harper. Ten of the 12 preceded him in death, Norma is... Read More	Harold Wright Erwin, age 92, died of natural causes at his home in Carlton, WA on April 7, 2010. He came into this world June 11, 1918, as the result of the union of Thomas E. Erwin and Jesse Wright after they were married by the Justice of the Peace, C. C. Campbell, on the steps of the Campbell Hotel in 1905. And what a start. He was the ninth of 12 children, Willis, Georgia, Grace, Elsie, Chesly Cecil, twins, Edith and Edna, Howard, Bernice and Spencer and Norma Harper. Ten of the 12 preceded him in death, Norma is now living in Montana.It was common to have large families in those days and equally common that some of the kids got 'farmed out,' to ease the burden. At ten years old, he went to live with his father's cousin, Grace D. Lewis, who was living on what is now called Gallagher Flats on the Columbia River. He was at the ranch for eight years. That experience shaped his life more than any other. Here, he learned to live with hard work, adversity and the value of saving every penny possible. At 12 years old, a bull severely gored Grace, and it was Harold and the cow dog, Old Mike, that saved her. She was in the hospital for a month and Harold tended to the milking and all the other requirements by himself. For two years, after leaving the ranch, he worked at the usual labor jobs, picking apples at Azwell's orchard, milking cows, or any other job that would pay something. About 1940, he and a friend tried to join the Army. Both were turned down. He came back to Chelan and went to Holden, to work in the mine. Here, all those early years of hard work and self perseverance started to pay off. His ability to work hard was quickly noted, but more important, his ability to be able to step up and take on a crisis was noted. He was at the forefront of teams that responded to emergencies. And in a strange turn of fate, the problem that kept him out of the Army in 1940, was no longer a problem in 1942. He was drafted, went to Europe, was wounded and came home. That is the short version. The longer version is similar to what is heard now from the diminishing Veterans of that War. The long shipboard journey, constant awareness the subs were out there, D-Day, relief force at the Battle of the Bulge, and he was only 40 miles from Berlin when the War ended. He was wounded twice. Again, the recognition of his abilities were called upon. As attrition took its toll on platoon and company, he would be put in temporary charge. In his own words, after being discharged, he came back to Chelan, "I will always remember coming through Knapps Coulee and the first glimpse of the Lake. At last, I was home." He went back to work at Holden until 1949, and with the money he was able to save, bought an apple orchard near Ellisford. He put in ten years of hard labor, expanding the size of the orchard. The quality of the apples he produced was noted at the packing shed. They knew he wasn't going to have very many C grades or cider apples in his truck loads. The hard work paid off, when a buyer offered him a sum he couldn't refuse. Then began another important period of his life. He went into the cattle business with Effie and Chris Albrecht, buying a cattle/haying ranch near Riverside. Their cattle won some of the County Fair prizes and their quality alfalfa was highly sought after. There were no bale wagons or wheeled watering machines. The ten years of hard work picking up bales and changing sprinklers took its toll. They all moved to a large house in Omak. He worked for the Department of Natural Resources for several years, and after Chris and Effie passed on, he returned to Chelan. Shortly after returning, he married Enid (Stocker) Fache. They lived a few miles up the river from Chelan, on a piece of property that soon became a showcase for flowers and wonderful garden products. Their truck load of produce and flowers had locals waiting at the farmer's market each week. In Harold's fashion, as an example, the flowers weren't to be just ordinary flowers. They came from all over the world. He knew the names of every bulb planted and they were carefully tagged each fall when dug up. Traffic on Highway 97 often slowed to look at the beauty each spring. It was during this time, too, that Harold took on the recording of the family history. What a history he found. The product of all that work will be available at the Chelan Genealogical Society. And his efforts were magnified by the number of nieces and nephews who became interested and helped put the pieces in place. There aren't very many gaps in the written history of the Erwin and Wright families. Enid died in 1999. He then was to marry Judy Ann (Felts) Brezina. The flowers and garden continued with the same enthusiasm and wonderful products. They discovered a piece of property for sale up the Methow at Carlton. The old, two-story farm house was in disrepair, but Judy could see the possibilities and Harold, after taking shovel in hand to test the soil, declared it would be good for garden and flower. Within a short time, the people in the Methow knew he had arrived. Their garden produce and flowers started to grace the tables of the best restaurants and inns found in the Valley. And, of more importance, Harold found a voice he had kept strangely silent. For years, he very seldom spoke in detail of his past. He began to verbalize his past and put it down on paper. The episodes in his life could be made into short stories and novels. While the hard work and ability to save for future events were central to his life, one other should not be left unacknowledged; his ability to be compassionate. Examples abound in and around the people who knew him. He offered it without reservation or expectations of any return. There is a thought in Buddha thinking that "this is the moment that I am living. I must choose to make it the best moment and do the most possible good." Buddha would be proud of Harold Wright Erwin. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, April 24, 2010, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Christian Church in Chelan, located at 210 Wapato. A dinner will be served following the Service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Twisp Valley Grange, P.O. Box 464, Twisp, WA 98856

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Harold Wright Erwin's memorial?
Harold Wright Erwin's memorial is located at: Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Chaska, Carver County, USA.
When did Harold Wright Erwin death?
Harold Wright Erwin death on 7 Apr 2010 in Carlton, Okanogan County, Washington, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Harold Wright Erwin's memorial?
Latitude: 44.7929000
Longitude: -93.6023000

Family Members:

Parent

Thomas E. Erwin

(1872 - 1950)

Jessie Grace Wright Harper

(1886 - 1953)

Spouse

Enid Laurie Stocker Erwin

(1918 - 1999)

Siblings

Willis Isaac Erwin

(1906 - 1969)

Georgia Alice Erwin Tingwall

(1908 - 1996)

Jessie Grace Erwin Graves

(1909 - 1988)

Chesley Cecil Erwin

(1914 - 1915)

Edna Mae Erwin Martin

(1916 - 1997)

Howard Worth Erwin

(1918 - 1918)

Spencer Gail Erwin

(1926 - 1963)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Chaska, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7929000, -93.6023000

2. Guardian Angels Cemetery
Chaska, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7874985, -93.6119003

3. Moravian Cemetery
Chaska, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8036003, -93.6108017

4. Saint Johns Lutheran Cemetery
Chaska, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8041992, -93.5706024

5. Mount Hope Cemetery
Carver, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7738991, -93.6292038

6. Saint Nicholas Catholic Church Cemetery
Carver, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7620000, -93.6290000

7. Shakopee Catholic Cemetery
Shakopee, Scott County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7868996, -93.5363998

8. Saint Nickolas Cemetery
Carver, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7550000, -93.6430000

9. Preiss Cemetery
Dahlgren, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7745440, -93.6760860

10. Chanhassen Pioneer Cemetery
Chanhassen, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8567600, -93.5812930

11. Zoar United Church of Christ Cemetery
Dahlgren, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7768700, -93.7008150

12. Valley Cemetery
Shakopee, Scott County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7966995, -93.4974976

13. Paisley Park Studios
Chanhassen, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8617840, -93.5613170

14. Saint Victoria Catholic Cemetery
Victoria, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8557550, -93.6617320

15. East Union Lutheran Church Cemetery
East Union, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7299020, -93.6745540

16. Calvary Catholic Cemetery
Shakopee, Scott County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7835000, -93.4845000

17. Saint Marys of Marystown Cemetery
Marystown, Scott County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7199000, -93.5426000

18. Saint Hubert Catholic Cemetery
Chanhassen, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8619070, -93.5298400

19. Leach Cemetery
Chanhassen, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8829300, -93.6206300

20. Lake Auburn Moravian Cemetery
Victoria, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8693440, -93.6771790

21. Zoar Moravian Church Cemetery
Laketown Township, Carver County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8191833, -93.7307053

22. Eden Prairie Cemetery
Eden Prairie, Hennepin County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8429985, -93.4820023

23. Woodside Cemetery
Shorewood, Hennepin County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8955994, -93.6243973

24. Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Cemetery
Prior Lake, Scott County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7366020, -93.4780760