DONNER Party Postscript

DONNER DOWNEY MINEART, GOEHRING, HOFFMAN, HILL, BEAUCHAMP, DANIELSON, HAFNER

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 2/24/2009 at 19:46:45

"The Fairfield Town Crier", August 23, 1994

Donner Party Postscript

There has been so much interest in the Donner Party column of two weeks ago that we'll have a follow-up today. There are several other local descendants besides Wilda DOWNEY who deserve mention. We learn that Ferne MINEART and her brothers Ray and Carrol GOEHRING are grandchildren of Elizabeth HOFFMAN HILL. Two weeks ago, we mentioned Dr. Donal HILL as a great-grandchild, but failed to mention his father, Gerald HILL, a grandchild. Elizabeth HOFFMAN HILL's daughter Hazel married Louie GOEHRING who are parents of Ferne, Ray and Carroll.

Wilda DOWNEY's sister Blanche taught rural schools, Libertyville and Wapello for 35 years and now lives in Perry. Sister Nellie BEAUCHAMP worked in the Police Radio Station and now lives just east of the Richland Y. Our area is rich in descendants of the DONNERs.

Mrs. DOWNEY has traveled Interstate 80 through Donner Pass and visited at Donner Lake. There is a boulder to show where the original cabins were. In Sacramento, Calif., there is a big museum with replicas of items from the DONNER Party. Wilda says that the George DONNERS' daughter Frances was one of the people who completed the rescue trip. Lorene DANIELSON, too, has made a trip over Donner Pass. She notes that while Intersate 80 is a fine road, all the territory around it is rough country even today so she can undersand why the early winter created havoc with the DONNER Party.

Mrs. DOWNEY says that the video "One More Mountain" is a good documentary film and Pastor HAFNER saw "Alive" which is a good picture of the DONNER Party.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.