- Family News
Family News
Ross Cody (256/347) was featured in the Veterans Day issue of the Ashland (OH) Times-Gazette because, after 60 years, he had just received eight medals he was awarded during his service with the 101st Airborne Division in World War II. Those medals included a Purple Heart and a Bronze star awarded for his participation in D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. During the war Ross also served in Italy and southern France. Why did it take so long to get the medals? Ross said that because he was more worried about just getting out of the Army, he didnÕt do much about getting all his medals then; he did receive a Purple Heart and a combat infantry medal at the time. He said he didnÕt really push the matter Òbecause it really didnÕt mean that much to me.Ó But his family encouraged him to keep trying and a veterans service office in Ashland helped him finally get his due. Part of the problem was that many army service records were destroyed in a fire in St. Louis in 1970. The Times-Gazette article quotes Ross as saying about his service: ÒI just tried to stay alive when I was in the service. I didnÕt consider that any of us guys were heroes or anything like that. You just wanted to stay alive.Ó
Mona Thorton (at right), wife of Douglas Choate Thorton (248/A72) and mother of former ICFA president Harold Thornton (248/A721) died in June at the age of 91. She is also survived by a daughter, Lynne Joanne Thorton (238)A722). Mona had attended the 1998 Reunion in Beverly and was on the organizing committee for the 1993 Reunion in Calgary. She had taught school for a number of years in Calgary.
Work is going on in Cleveland, Ohio, to save a historic cemetery in the downtown area which contains, in addition to others, the grave site of Philip Cody, father of Isaac Cody and grandfather of William F. Cody. Philip moved his family from Ontario, Canada, to Cleveland in 1832. In his years there he became owner of many acres of land in the center of the city. It was this property that became the topic of a lawsuit filed by Buffalo Bill in 1882. Because of some duplicity on behalf of PhilipÕs son Joseph, Buffalo Bill claimed 55 acres in the center of Cleveland which he felt should have gone to his father Isaac. The court case on the matter dragged on for years; the Great Scout never benefitted from the claim and lost money trying to settle it. He spent 20 of his 80 years in that City. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the hidden cemetery lies to the east of East 118th Street, near an expanding Case Western Reserve University. The paper says that responsibility fort the graveyard bounced back and forth of almost 100 years between to suburbs: East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights. The place was overgrown with weeds and littered with trash until a new foundation was formed to attempt to save it. The foundation has arranged many free services and is trying to raise grants and donations to restore the cemetery.
Notice has been received of the death of James F. Briggs (263/A51) in Marietta, Ohio. He was 94 years old. He h ad been a farmer with his father, a school bus driver and a school board member and had also worked for Gas Transport, a division of Anchor Hocking Glass. He is survived by Beulah, his wife of 73 years, one daughter, Kathryn StarcherÊ(263/A511) and her husband; a son James A Briggs (263/A512) and his wife Barbara; two grandson and one granddaughter.
Dwight Cody (148/3423), after operating the Boston Connection for 28 years in that city has moved his business to the Cape and will offer filmmakers around the country services as Resource for Services. Dwight says he hopes his parents, Richard Cody (148/342) and mother Priscilla can move to the Cape also in the near future. Richard is 96 years old. Priscilla is 86.
Joan Sheets Woolf (270/4511) reports on the memories of the Cody Family Association that she got from her grandparents, Bessie Lenora Cody (270/45) and Perley Delbert Sheets, and her aunt Gladys Sheets (270/451) and uncle John Aiken. She says her first memory of the association was of these relatives preparing to go to a Cody reunion in the mid 1930Õs. Joan says they had rented a small travel trailer which was of Ògreat interest to the neighborhood children as it was the first such living quarters we had seen.Ó She said Grandma Bessie was proud of her heritage and enjoyed the reunions.
Lee Norwood, family genealogist, reports that he keeps busy answering requests from people throughout the country who want to find out if they are related to William F. Cody. Many have heard over the years from family members that there is a connection and want help in confirming the connection. Some 85 years after the death of Buffalo BillÕs death there is still a great interest in the Great Scout and a desire to be connected to him. Other requests for such information about whether a particular person appeared in the Wild West or perhaps knew Cody on some other level are received by the Review editor. The staff at the McCracken Research Library at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center are very helpful in trying to provide answers.
Brian Dombkowski and Ashley Ledbetter were married October 11, 2003, at Meadowood in Napa Valley, CA. Brian received his BS and MS in Finance at the University of Wisconsin and is Chief Investment Officer, Senior Portfolio Manager at RCM Capital, San Francisco. Ashley received her BA, MA, and PhD at Rice University in Mathematics and is Principal with MPM Capital, Health Care Venture Capital. The couple lives in San Francisco. Ashley is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Lindus and Amelia Cody.
Christopher Cody Polatin (148/213111) and Colleen Elizabeth Sculley were married on August 31, 2003, in Chautauqua, New York. The Reverend Carolee Gill (148/21312). aunt of Christopher, officiated at the ceremony. Christopher is the son of Suzanna Cody (128/21311) and stepson of Ron Hills. Christopher completes his Masters degree in Conservation Biology in May and plans to go into the environmental consulting business while Colleen, an entomologist, serves as manager of the Hadley MA Fish and Wildlife Agency. They reside in Amherst, MA.
Gertrude Wheaton Chandler (148/2A2) passed away on March 18, 2004, at the age of 87, in Edinburg, Pennsylvania. She had been in declining health for some time due to the effects of congestive heart failure. ÒTrudieÓ worked for the travel agency at Peoples Bank for 24 years and then formed Total Travel in 1980. She was well-known for her travel lectures. She is survived by a son, Karl Chandler III (148/2A21) and his wife, Sandi of Mount Jackson, PA; two daughters, Sally Chandler (148/2A22) of Edinburg, and Carol Chandler (148/2A23) of Alexandria, VA; a sister, Dolly Wasson of Bala Cynwyd, PA; and two granddaughters.
Copyright 2004 by the International Cody Family Association
