Ward Pierce was my husband’s great-great grandfather. He fought for the Union during the Civil War.
John Henry Becker was my 3rd great-grandfather. He fought for the Union out of Missouri during the Civil War. This is an affidavit written by his neighbors for his Civil War pension.
..O.P. Williams, aged 63 years, Fredrick Lutz 57 years citizen of the Town of Tipton, County of Moniteau, State of Missouri…
…we are close and intimate neighbors of the above named claimant John H Becker and known that he Suffers from Rheumatism and complains of disease of kidneys and Liver disease and indigestion and has weak eyesight and because of the above disabilities he is unable to Earn a Support by manual Labor and we believe the disibilities are permanent their is not the Result of his … bad habits he’s a man of …
Walden Bergman was my great-uncle. He died in 1978, less than a year after this newspaper article was written.
The Anchorage Times, Saturday, June 25, 1977, pg. 18
‘Red’ Bergman Retires From Communications
Walden ‘Red’ Bergman has retired for the third time. After 42 years in electronic communication he says it’s really the end of his full-time work.
In 1935, Bergman was a bicycle messenger for the Postal Telegraph Service in Seattle, Wash. He had Army communication jobs in Alaska till his 1963 discharge. And when he retired May 31 he held the post of senior marketing specialist for RCA Alaska Communications Inc.
Born in Seattle, Bergman acquired his nickname because of his bright red hair.
In 1942, during World War II, he enlisted in the Army, which operated the Alaska Communications System. He was communications liaison officer for Alaska, sometimes traveling to remote areas of the state, and sometimes working at the public service counter in Anchorage. “People used to line up to make a long distance call. There were only two circuits to Seattle and sometimes people had to wait five or six hours to get a call through,” he recalls.
Bergman was married at Elmendorf in 1946. His wife, June, had come to Alaska in response to an advertisement for women to work on the communication system.
The Bergmans are the parents of Mrs. Dan McMahon and Mrs. Jay Bieber of Anchorage and Robert Bergman of Seattle. They also have two grandsons.
Bergman retired from the Army in 1963, but soon assumed his old job with the communications system.
When RCA Alaska Communications bought the system from the government in 1971, Bergman retired again, but then was able to transfer to the new company in the same capacity he had held.
His responsibilities as a marketing representative included private line services, radio and television broadcasting. He helped initiate telex services – for two-way written conversations conducted on machines. There are now more than 700 telex customers in the state, including newspapers, which use the technology to receive stories from, and send messages to, their distant bureaus.
He has also been involved with radio for the Bush, to give villagers land and ship-to-store communication.
He handled facilities for broadcast and press coverage of the visit of former President Richard Nixon and Emperor Hirohito of Japan to Alaska in 1971.
“When the president comes to town, everyone devotes everything to his visit. You don’t say there are no facilities, you find them somewhere,” says Red.
He has also been involved in development of television here.
After recovering from all his retirement parties, Bergman plans to visit friends and relatives in the Lower 48. Then, he admits, he may take a part-time job.
John S. Baker
Date of Death: 3 Dec 1905
Date of Birth: 9 Sep 1832
Age: 73 yrs, 2 months, 24 days
Occupation: Retired
Place of Birth: Pa
Birthplace of Father: Maryland
Cause of Death: Heart Disease & Rheumatism
Place of Death: 1636 Kensington
Last Residence: 1636 Kensington
Place of Internment: Mount Washington Cemetery
Patrick Cavit was my 6th great-grandfather. He served in the Revolutionary War – and someday I’m hoping to do my DAR paperwork on his line.
This is a transcription of his will, dated 1 Aug 1824. I am related through his son, George.
In the Name of God Amen. I Patrick Cavit of the county of Allegheny and state of Penn. being in my usual stae of health, but through old age, and viewing my mortality approaching. Do this 1st, of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty four, make and publish this my last will and testament in the manner following –
I give and bequeath to my Wife, all the furniture of the house, and to be at her Disposal, at her death, with the house and garden during her life, with one cow and horse equal to any I posses and four sheep, which are to be kept by my son Samuel on the place: and he is to sow her one half bushel flax-seed yearly. And further she is to have the fifth that the Mill makes yearly from James and the fifth that is raised on the place by Samuel (and as to support a sufficing of flour and meat are to be given her for support by Samuel)
I give and bequeath to my son George Cavit one Dollar, to my Daughter Hannah one Dollar, and to my son-in-law Thomas Hogg one Dollar.
I give and bequeath to my Daughter Nancy forty Dollars, the young mare, a cow, and two sheep, which are to be kept on the place by Samuel if she is pleased to keep them. She is to live with her Mother during her Mother’s life and at her Mother’s death, to have the house in which her Grand-mother now lives, repaired for her by James and Samuel, which shall be hers, during her life; and Samuel is to sow her one half bushel of flax-seed yearly; and He and James, are to give her what grain, she will need for support.
I give and bequeath to my Daughter Margaret one hundred dollars my loom and gears essential to the weaving of linnen.
To my son William I give and bequeath sixty Dollars, a bed and bedstead and to live with his Mother during her life, if he pleases.
To My son James, I give and bequeath the Mill and thirty acres of land which land is to command the water from my line, below the mill, to the head of the lower dam, where a maple tree stands, and to take in his house + garden; out of which he is to pay three hundred dollars in the following manners: one year after my death, fifty dollars to my son John Cavit, the year following fifty dollars to my daughter Margaret McGinnis; the year following fifty dollars to my daughter Jane Purdy; the year following fifty dollars to my son John Cavit; the year following fifty dollars to my daughter Margaret McGinnis, and the year following fifty dollars to my daughter Jane Purdy.
To my son John Cavit I give and bequeath to what I have given him one hundred dollars to be paid as above.
I give and bequeath to my son Samuel Cavit, the whole of the place on which I live (except what I have given to James) the Waggon, plow, barrow, horse-gears, wind-mills, a bed and bed cloath? and all of my personal property not already bequeathed out of which he is to pay his sister Nancy forty dollars, and his brother William sixty dollars. William’s to be paid one year after my death and Nancy’s the year following; and to do for his mother and sister as already specified. Together with Samuel and James providing fire-wood for their mother and sister during their lives.
I give and bequeath to my daughter Jane Purdy after what she has got one hundred dollars to be paid as above specified.
I make and ordain William Cavit and Wm Wilson my sole Executors of this my last will and testament; in witness where of the said Patrick Cavit have to this my last will and testament set my hand and seal the day and year above written.
Signed, sealed, and published by the same Patrick Cavit for his last will and testament in the Presence of us, who were at the sealing and ? there of.
Robert Wilson
James Wilson Patrick Cavit (seal)
