Meet my paternal great- grand uncle, William Henry Offenstein (1873-1954). He was the brother of my father's grandfather. He was born in the middle of 8 kids, and went on to be a lieutenant in the fire dept. William H. also made the news for finding a lost boy and then taking the boy on a ride about town in the fire truck. He married Winnie Powell in 1903 and they had 3 sons and one of them had the the middle name of Ralph, which is the first time I have seen that name before my dad. His oldest son Albert, was seriously hurt after falling off a bridge and breaking both legs and ankles, but he survived and died in Salem, OR in 1963. His other two sons were in the newspaper business and one is buried near here in Grass Valley, CA.
I love this article in 1914 about how he found a 2 year old boy who was "marching along the pavement" on the road when he was found by William.
His oldest son Albert had a horrific accident at 12 years old. I can't imagine the pain of this and the fact that he survived is even more incredible.
City Directory showing him and his wife Minnie living at the same address with their son Homer and his wife, Edna. Homer is a pressman at the Wichita Eagle newspaper along with his brother Albert. (A.C.) who is listed at 325 Ohio.
1950 U.S. Census record - William and Minnie are still living with their son Homer and his family. He also answered the additional questions below and confirms his parents were born in Germany.
