In April, 2011 I received this email from Verne Alexander. At that time I started a blog post which I never finished or reported. This is Verne's email as he sent it:
I am not a member of the Staeheli family per se.
Paul Mathias Staeheli was my uncle, having married my father’s (Robert
Alexander) sister Erma. Glenn Albert was my cousin.
In reading the section on Paul Mathias I noted some errors,
and my intent here is to offer more accurate information. Paul served his
entire NP career in Spokane. The nomadic career path listed for Paul
properly belongs to his son, Glenn (spelled with two “N’s”). Glenn was a
road foreman of engines, not an inspector. I am almost certain that his
wartime service was in the Navy, not the army.
Paul had a one car garage on our property in Spokane, which
was but a three block walk to the NP roundhouse. I thus saw him
frequently during my childhood as he came by on his way to or from work.
He had a gruff exterior, and I was afraid of him. As I grew older I got a
better handle on what he was like, which led to a greater appreciation of the
man. He had a Calvinistic work ethic, and believed that everyone
should. He was reserved around people until he was satisfied that they
had the right character. If ever one got a sign of approval from Paul, it
meant a lot. Paul lived in a house he built on our original homestead
property during my father’s childhood and youth. My father’s father
(Elmer E. Alexander) had been out of my father’s life since he was 6 years
old. Paul stepped in as a father figure, and remained my father’s
principal role model for the rest of his life. They were frequent
companions on the railroad, hunting and fishing, and at the Staeheli
house. I moved away from Spokane to attend school, but was privileged to
be able to visit Paul on what proved to be his death bed. There was a lot
of denial going on in the family at the time, but without using the words Paul
made it very clear that he knew he was dying and that this would be our last
contact. I felt genuine affection from him, and I was inspired by the
manner in which he was facing his death head on, just as he faced everything in
his life.
I did not get to know Glenn until after he retired from the
railroad. He shared many of his father’s characteristics. We talked
railroading extensively; he as a professional and me as a fan and
modeler. Before he died, Glenn absolutely insisted that I ride my bicycle
on a stretch of abandoned Milwaukee road bed In the Bitterroot mountains of
Idaho. I shall forever be indebted to him for urging me into one of the greatest
experiences of my life!
I am extremely happy to have had the opportunity to read so
many things about the Staeheli family that I did not know. I have Addy on
my HO scale model railroad and I run a milk train that collects raw milk in
cans as it works its way up from Spokane. At the Staeheli creamery in
Addy it exchanges its can car of raw milk for another car of finished dairy
products. These are unloaded at the team track in Spokane, one of the
principle customers being the Davenport Hotel. In real life the creamery
never had rail service, but having it on my layout is a nice way of preserving
memories.
My best to you as you continue in your pursuit of family
history.
Verne Alexander
CRAP is the acronym for my HO scale Colville, Republic and
Palouse railroad. The CRAP runs north and south out of Spokane. To
the north it resembles the GN Kettle Falls branch; to the south it resembles
the NP Palouse and Lewiston branch. It is harvest time in 1944, and the
war is still going on.
