8^th generation: sons of Joseph Jackson Ransdell

  Henry Miller Ransdell

(1887-1946)

Rose Ellen Randolph

(1890-1987)

Photos—thanks to Carl Ransdell!

Miller Ransdell & Rose Randolph Ransdell 1940

Juanita, Rose & Miller Ransdell

Henry Miller Ransdell was the oldest of six sons of Joseph Jackson Ransdell and Laura Bell Terhune Ransdell, born in 1887 in Mercer County, KY.[1]

He married Rose Ellen Randolph, who was born January 29, 1890, the daughter of Joshua Washington Randolph and Annie Mooney Randolph.  Miller and Rose had three children:

i.  Carl Ransdell b. 30 Aug 1915  Tulsa, OK; d.7 April 2011 Pasco, WA; m. (1) 1936 Carmelita Holderman (1918-1946) daughter of John and Saphona Holderman, 4 children;  (2) 18 Nov 1947 Fay Duncan (12 Jan 1921-17 Jul 1997), daughter of Nute Duncan and  Winnie McIntyre Duncan, 1 child.

              Carl & Fay Ransdell

ii.  Harold Ransdell (1917-1996) m. 1944 Erma Frost, 2 children.

           Harold Ransdell

iii.  Juanita Ransdell (1920-2000) m. 1946 Z.R. Harrison, 3 children.

 It would appear that the pioneer blood of the Ransdells and Terhunes flowed
most richly in Miller Ransdell's veins.  In 1904, at the age of 17, Miller left Kentucky and joined the Army.  He was in the Boxer Rebellion in China, the Philippine War, and served in Nagasaki, Japan, on detached duty.  He was in San Francisco in 1906 at the time of the earthquake.  He was in the Army for five and a half years in the Military Police. 

Following his military service, he went to Kansas City and worked for Pinkerton.  The FBI did not exist at that time, and the government contracted with Pinkerton's for national police services.  While investigating a "dope ring" in Kansas City, Miller was almost beaten to death by gangsters using brass knuckles and black jacks.  He decided that kind of work wasn't conducive to a long life, so he resigned and headed west.

He went to work in the oil fields in the new state of  Oklahoma as a driller, and remained in that work for the rest of his life.  He met Rose Randolph who was living with her mother and two sisters in Tulsa, working in a laundry.  Walking to work one morning, she said that she saw a "tall stringbean—appeared to be about half starved—hanging out on the same corner for several mornings in a row."  So she took pity on him and took him home to feed him up.  Since she couldn't get rid of him, she married him.

Miller died of a heart attack January 6, 1946, age 58, at his home in Geneseo, Kansas.  He is buried in Lyons, Kansas.

Henry Miller Ransdell Tombstone

 Rose died August 15, 1987, at the age of 97.  She is buried at Dove Creek, Colorado.

 *************9th Generation***********

Carl Arthur Ransdell

          Carl Ransdell passed away at Avalon Health Care April 7 of age related illness. He was born in Broken Arrow, Okla. August 30, 1915 and lived in the Tri-Cities area for 28 years.

          Carl’s career started at age 15 in the oil fields of Oklahoma. He was entrepreneurial in spirit and developed his own drilling company, United Drilling. His company provided water and oil drilling services in the Southwestern U.S.

          He was in the Navy Seabees during WWII, where he served with honor and was severely wounded in battle.

          At age 40 he began a second career with Bechtel as a superintendent. He worked and traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada with Bechtel for over 30 yrs. He developed an affinity for the Tri-Cities area during construction of the FFTF.

          For over 40 yrs., Carl’s primary hobby was flying his own plane. He, along with his wife Fay, enjoyed picking and canning local fruit and vegetables. This was an activity for which Carl regularly recruited all visitors and grandchildren, willing and unwilling.

          Carl was proud of his affiliation as a 32nd Degree Mason and Shriner.

          Carl and his wife of 51 yrs. retired in the Tri-Cities area so they could be near their four youngest grandchildren’s activities.

          For the past 17 yrs., since Fay’s death, Carl was able to live in at home with the assistance of his son. Neighbors Pat and Jerry Wallace made a major contribution in supporting his needs.

          The final 2 yrs. of Carl’s life were spent living in Avalon Health Care where he and his family received love and support during his physical challenges.

          Carl is preceded in death by his wife Fay, sisters Esther Perry and Juanita Harrison, brother Harold, sons Carl A. and John, daughters LaDawn Mourer and Sally Foreman.

Sources of information:

            His son Carl A. Ransdell

His nephew E. Ransdell

            His niece Anna Belle Ransdell Bush

His daughter Juanita Ransdell Harrison