1840 - 1918

Samuel Mathers Ralston, grandfather to Ethel Ralston, is a relative rarity in our family tree. Samuel Ralston served in the military. He was a participant in the Civil War.

Samuel Ralston was born in 1840 in Ohio. When he turned 18, he moved to Allegheny City, Pennsylvania to learn a trade (carpentry). When the rest of his family moved from Ohio to Iowa, he briefly joined them, but returned to Pennsylvania where there was work for him.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, recruited by his pastor, he joined the army and served in the infantry. (Private, 123rd PA Infantry, August 9, 1862 to May 16, 1863---I'll leave it to the military historians who read this to tell us if his group was involved in important battles.)

It was after his service was over that he moved to be with his family in Iowa and where he met Elizabeth Caldwell.

Samuel and Elizabeth lived for many years in Halsey, Oregon.

It was in Halsey that he joined the Presbyterian Church, becoming an elder. It was clear from his obituary that the Presbyterian Church was a central part of his life.

The Brownsville Times, in a "Church Notes" piece after his death, said, "for many years he was a Ruling Elder and, although nearing the four score mark, distance or weather never kept him from attending all the regular church services. His kindly advice and cheerful greeting will be missed by the entire membership."

But it's also clear his military service affected him greatly as well. He died just as the First World War was coming to a close and in his obituary, the Times noted that "his patriotism was deep and fervent, his thought being much with the country for which he had fought in his younger days."

The often florid writing style of the newspapers means we have to read between the lines. I'd say though, given the front page placement of his lengthy obituary in the Brownsville Times, he was probably considered an upstanding member of the community.

The photo on the left shows Samuel Ralston (on the right) in 1916, two years before he died. On the left is his brother, Robert. (The writing on the back of the photo is Ethel's and she refers to them as Grandpa and Uncle Bob Ralston.)