From the suites of Mattoon to the streets of Seattle

Jim Hinton who has contributed quite a bit of information behind the scenes of Cheever & Beyond shared the following story of how his family got from Mattoon, IL. to Seattle, WA. For those who don’t know Jim or Uncle Jim as he's called, he lives in Belfair, WA outside of Seattle with his lovely wife Sonia. Hopefully, we’ll get to hear more about the Hintons and what it was like growing up on Seattle. Below are his words, please enjoy.

Remember if you have something you’d like to share about the family please let me, Jim or John James know.

My name is James Nathan Hinton 1934 - present; my mother is Ferne Elizabeth (Cheever) Hinton 1913-2003. She was the second child of seven born to James Lewis Cheever 1883-1942 and Lena Mae (Baker) Cheever 1886-1935. James Lewis Cheever was born to Alvin L. Cheever 1854-1913 and Frances Elizabeth Baker 1865-1930. Lena Mae was born to John Wesley Baker 1842-1933 and Margaret Jane Cecil 1850-1932. I have some additional information on Frances’ ancestors, the earliest forebear I have is Joseph Baker 1781-1865. I also have earlier data on Lena Mae’s grandparents.

My father is Joseph Dayton Hinton 1909-1986. He and Ferne Elizabeth Cheever were married in 1930 in Mattoon, Ill. They had four children: Betti Joann 1930-1990, Loris Jayne 1932-1992, Douglas Carlton 1933-2005, and me.

Born into a farming family, Dad Joe was a whiz at fixing things. He hung wallpaper and painted for a living until he started a radio repair shop in Mattoon in the mid 1930’s.

At the start of the Second World War he discovered that a company with a funny name (Boeing) desperately needed people who had experience in repairing electrical devices, especially radios. He corresponded with Boeing and an attractive offer of work in the Pacific Northwest was received. Joe had been one of many who rode the rails for several years ‘to see the world’ as he called it. He never lost that wanderlust. In 1944 he accepted the offer and our family sold the house and auctioned off everything which wouldn’t fit into the 1937 Dodge and started off to Seattle.

We reached Davenport, Iowa before the car engine had to be rebuilt! The rest of the trip was uneventful except for the two lane mountain passes and their switchback roads. That was a little frightening for a family who had lived their life in a land practically table-flat.

We arrived in Renton, Washington in July 1944. Both Ferne and Joe found work at Boeing. Life was good; we all had more money to spend than at any time before. Rationing of practically everything you could buy was a nuisance. Tragically, Ferne and Joe split up a few months after we arrived in Renton. Ferne somehow managed to raise the four children by herself.

All four children grew up and all became married. Betti Joan married Richard Carl Illian and they had four children; Linda Paulette, Cathleen, Richard Carl Jr., and Pamela Sue. Loris Jayne married Paul William Gallant and they had three children: William Paul, Christy Cheri, and Bert Louis. Douglas Carlton married Betty Wright and they had four children: Joseph Dayton, Rory Douglas, Scott, and Lisa. I married Sonia Sue Liljeberg, we have no children.

During the ensuing years this group’s size has grown with offspring and my latest ‘estimate’ of the overall size is something over 60 individuals directly related to the family that left Mattoon, Ill. in 1944.