John Winthrop Rawlinson was a Forester/ Florist/Proprietor of Rawlinson Western Auto Store.
3 "I was born in Greenwood Delaware September 7, 1912. We lived about 2 and 1/2 miles from Greenwood and about 2 miles from our great Aunt Maggie Young and Uncle Bill Young until 1924. We lived in a very small house in a large grove of trees. Father built three log cabins which he used as office and storage space. Father did much writing and public speaking and other work in churches. A highlight for him was when one of his short stories was published by the Saturday Evening Post. His log cabins were much thought of by the local people. Through his work in the churches, many groups were invited to have picnics, weiner roasts, etc., in our grove of trees. Some of my early recollections are of a holly and strawberry business. The holly business involved collecting holly and mistletoe, making wreaths and door pieces, packing and shipping it over a fairly wide area. The strawberry business involved raising about 20 different varieties of plants, digging, cleaning and tying them into bunches and packing and shipping them. The sandy soil of Delaware was particularly adapted to growing healthy plants with a vigorous root system. During this period, a Ford pickup truck appeared on the scene, probably about 1922.
"In 1924, Mother and we seven kids left Greenwood and moved to Aunt Maggie's house on 160 acres about 6 miles from Blackstone, Virginia, with the assistance of our Uncle George. She and Uncle Bill had moved there a few years earlier. Uncle Bill, who had been in ill health, was no longer living. Father stayed on in Greenwood, but would visit us from time to time. We went to a small country school through the sixth grade, and, then by bus to Blackstone High School where Georgian and I graduated in 1932. During this period, Mother taught school in various Virginia country schools. An interesting thing is that Mother did not even have a high school diploma at this time. But, through taking correspondence courses, and summer school, she got her high school diploma at the same time that Georgian and I did. She not only got her B.S. degree at the same time we did, she went on to get her Masters Degree. A very remarkable achievement, especially since while doing this she was pretty much the sole support of seven children and the glue that held the family together.
"After high school, Georgian and I went to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where we attended Western State Teachers College with the assistance of our Aunt Eleanor, Father's sister, who was on faculty there. During holidays and vacations, we spent much time at Scrub Oak near Spring Lake, Michigan. This was a group of four cottages in a grove of scrub oak trees. We spent our time caring for the grounds, doing house work, and other things that needed to be done about the property, and, there was always time each day for such activities as swimming, fishing, sight seeing, etc. One of the things that I did during this period was plant an area to pine trees. You can imagine the thrill I had when a group of us visited the area recently. To see the trees that I planted 65 years ago was really awe inspiring!
"In 1934, I transferred to Michigan State College where I got a B.S. degree in Foresty in 1936. I worked for the U.S. Foresty Service as a Junior Forester for a year until the project I was working on was discontinued as an economy measure during the great depression. I was out of a job. Jobs were scarce, but, in late 1938, I was employed by the Firestone Plantations Company on their rubber plantation in Liberia, West Africa and stayed there for 10 years. I would go out for a two year term and have a three month vacation before going back for another two year term. Ruth Kinney and I were married in 1944, and, she spent parts of two two-year terms there with me. There was no question of my being drafted for the army as rubber was very important for the war effort. We were the only source of natural rubber that the United States had. Our daughter, Nora, was born in 1948. Because of Ruth's health and the difficulty of raising a child in Africa, we decided not to return to Liberia after Nora was born.
"We purchased a greenhouse and florist business in Attica, Indiana, and operated it until 1955 when we sold the business and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. There I was employed in the florist business. In 1959, I purchased the Western Auto store in Decatur, Indiana. I operated the store until 1974, when we sold it and moved to Fort Wayne as a retirement home. Ruth had been in poor health and she died in 1976. In 1979, Dorothy Alger and I were married and we have lived on her property near Decatur ever since."
(written by John Rawlinson 1998)
John W. Rawlinson, 86, of Decatur, Indiana, a member of St. Mark's United Methodist Chirch, died Monday, April 26, 1999, at Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.
The Greenwood, Sussex Co. Delaware, native was retired owner of Rawlinson Western Auto. He also worked in Liberia, West Africa, on a rubber plantation for Firestone Tire Co. He was a member of the Decatur Optimist Club, and Builders Class and Keen Agers at the church. Surviving are his wife, Dorothy; a daughter Nora Rawlinson of Decatur; a stepson, Stanley Alger of East Troy, Wis.; a stepdaughter, Caroline Olson of Brookfield, Wis.; a brother, Woods K. of Miami; sisters Georgian Tashjian of Los Altos, Calif., and Mary Creason of Grand Haven, Mich.; six stepgrand children; and two stepgreat-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by three sisters. Services are noon Friday at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Decatur, with calling an hour before services. Calling is also from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Haggard & Selfton Funeral Home, Decatur, with an Optimist Memorial service at 6 p.m. Burial will be in Grand Haven (Mich.) Cemetery. Memorials are to Operation Classroom, Liberia, West AFrica, through the church, Decatur Optimist Schlorship Fund of donor's choice. Information provided by Haggard and Sefton Funeral Home, Decatur, 1-219-724-7167. He was educated in Michigan State University in 1936 B.S. Forestry.
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