The sorting through loose documents and photographs is a challenge for me, but it has to be done. After all, some items, such as today’s featured photograph would mean little to anyone, but with a little narrative brings another perspective.

My great grandmother, Jane Smith Tanner was born there in 1846. In 1869, with her brother, John P.M. Smith and her mother, Mary, settled in the Honey Lake Valley, near the present day of Fleming Unit, of the Honey Lake Wildlife Refuge.  Shortly thereafter, she married William Martin Tanner. After nineteen years of marriage, she was widowed, with four children ranging in age from four to eleven. She remarried to Charles Adams, who not only she endured his physical beatings, but then he sold the Tanner property, absconded with funds, leaving Jane destitute. She died in 1899, a ward at the County hospital and is buried in the Susanville Cemetery.*

Fast forward, in 1998, I made the journey to Cornwall to visit, Orin Smith, her nephew, my grandfather’s first cousin, who was named for Orin Dewitt of the Honey Lake Valley.

Tim

*Her three sons, Bill, John and Charlie sought refuge with the Ravenscroft family. While that name not be familiar to a lot. a Ravenscroft descendant was in the national news of late. His name, Spider Sabich, a former Olympian skier, was murdered by Claudine Longet, who recently passed away. Sabich was also a member of the Galeppi family. Bonus tidbit for the seasoned residents, Jack VanDorn’s mother was a Galeppi. So much useless information stored in my head. On the other hand, to use a old phrase “I do know where the bodies are buried”