About Me

My mother started researching into her heritage and biological family in 1997. She was able to find out a lot, but we are still searching for more. So here we go:
Willard kids:
Mabel born 2-2
Helen
Henry
Edna
Martha 3-19
Kathryn
Raymond 5-5

Added Note:  More information forthcoming after Family Re-Union June 2004

I don't know if I can get this correct.  Right now I understand that Aunt Louise is the oldest of the siblings.

Helen married twice (?) to Jackson and Pringle. She has a daughter named Marlene, a daughter named Florence and a son named Harry.  (Harry acted on the show Northern Exposure).   Marlene (Joseph) had a daughter, Shirley Simmons, and two grandsons: Donald and Robert (Bobby) Simmons. Donald has two young sons with Hannah, Kane Dominic.  Donald had lived up the street from Mum without ever knowing he was so close to family.

Florence Rinehart had two children, Richard Oliver and Wendy Lyon..

Harry had 7 children, and I didn't get all their names.  Edie and Sylvia Pringle, Robert "Bob" Pringle of Arizona and then there's a half brother, Richard Pringle, in Arkansas

I have a note of Nadine and Ronnie Jackson, but am not sure how they fit into the picture.

Uncle Ray had a daughter, Elaine, and two sons (?) Dennis Willard and Sonny Ray, who died in an auto accident.  Elaine has 5 or 6 kids.

Then Great Aunt Martha had Jeanne, who is pictured with us, and Joanne.

Mum's mother had mum, Cheryl Hickman, and Ray, who died not too long ago.  Pictures of Ray are almost identical to Mum.

So the simplest thing I can do here is just list the relatives I guess and edit as I find things out.
*My Dad, Henry "Skip" Amos Museth was born to Henry Colben Museth and Lyda Mae (Benson) Museth at Dupont, Alaska. Dupont no longer exists. He died of heart failure while getting his affairs in order for traveling to Seattle to await a new heart.
I am going to start with the furthest back family member I have found:

*Henry Museth, possibly known as Hendrick Mjaaset when he came to America, was 36 in 1906 (which puts his birthdate about 1870). He was born in Karmoan, Norway. According the births records of his children, he spent several years in Michigan. He died December 13, 1908 in Douglas, Alaska. According to his small obituary, he left many children and was an active member of the Western Federation of Miners. He died of the equivalant of black lung from working in the Treadwell Gold Mine.
*Martha Halverson Museth, his wife, was 38 in 1906 and she was born in Christiansund, Norway.

The Children:
*Anna Museth was the oldest, apparently born in Norway. She married John H. Davies November 10, 1910. They made their home in Ketchikan where he became a deputy U.S. Marshall. In 1913 he was elected to Alaska's first legislature.                                                                                                                                                                                   * John. H. Davies of Ketchikan, Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska. Republican. Member of Alaska territorial House of Representatives 1st District, 1919-22; mayor of Ketchikan, Alaska. Died in 1935. Interment at Bayview Cemetery, Ketchikan, Alaska.

*Minnie H. Museth was the next daughter. She was born March 1, 1883 in Michigan. She married John W. Stoft in Juneau Alaska on May 20, 1906. They moved to Petersburg and raised a family there. She died in San Diego at the age of 80.
*John W. Stoft was the Secretary of the Douglas Aerie, No. 117, Fraternal Order of the Eagles. He and Minnie had a son born Saturday, March 30th, year unknown.He was followed by a brother and sister, not necessarily in that order. There is also mention of a great community effort to pick up John's house and turn it around so that it faced Third Street!

*Nikolai Museth 1885-1894. There is no information at this time on this child, probably due to the young age at death.

*John Leonard Museth was born January 19, 1888 in Republic, Michigan. He was an active member of the Juneau Volunteer Fire Department. He served in the Army from 1917 to 1919. He married Verna Bean, who died in Seattle, November 1982. She was born December 10, 1889.

*Agnes Museth was born in Michigan on May 29,1892. She graduated from the Douglas High school in 1910. She was a reporter for the Gastineau school society. She died in San Diego December 18, 1977, apparently unmarried.

*Nora Alice Museth, born 1895, was apparently the first of the children born in Alaska. She graduated from the Douglas High school in 1914 and was the only member of her class. She married Joe Williams on April 21, 1925 and raised four children.

*Trine Museth was born November 25, 1897 and died in San Diego on June 14, 1988.

*My grandpa, Henry Colben Museth was born in Douglas, Alaska on March 1, 1906. On his birth certificate he was listed as the fourth child. However, under this listing, he appears to be the 8th. And he was only 2 when his father died.

*Herman Museth, relationship currently unknown, was born September 20, 1890 and died September, 1971.

*Lyda M. Benson, my grandma, was born May 2, 1911. She was born to Nellie (Stepenoff) and Amos Benson. Grandma died October 23, 2001.

*Not much is known about Nellie Benson. She was born in Sitka on September 11, 1887 and died in Juneau on June 17, 1959.

*Amos Benson was born December 24, 1868. He died November 10, 1936. His father was John Benson who was born in Denmark.

*Amos and Nellie had another daughter, Edie Benson. She was born June 12, 1912 and died on the way home April 14, 1988. She was married to Elmer Powers and after his death, to Kenneth Forbes.