Egypt

Data taken, by permission, from Reinbold Genealogy was compiled by Nancy Joy Reinbold Johnson, daughter of the Adolphe W Reinbolds. This second edition was printed July 1980. Data from TS was gathered by Rella Gleaton, 2001. Other data taken from sources cited, LCT is Lincoln County Times. Comment of ‘did not view’ refers to a fast data collection that I had done previous to contemplating this project of documenting the burials and the individuals. Egypt’s other cemetery is called the Frans Cemetery, obituaries in file on line. Many of the Reinbold relations are buried in Davenport’s Mountain View Cemetery.

“Simon M Reinbold of Davenport, Groom. Agnes L Wassum, of Davenport, Bride. License Date: 2-01-1944. Marriage Date: 2-01-1944, at Opportunity in Spokane County. Witnesses: Mrs Roy Smith and Louise Smith. Clergyman: B Scott Bates.” (Marriage Certificate #64761, Spokane County. Filed: 2-03-1944)

“Simon M Reinbold of Davenport, Groom, age 21, single, b. WA. Father: Jacob Reinbold, born Germany. Mother: Louise Buck born Germany. Bride: Agnes A Slater of Davenport, age 20, single. Born: Davenport. Occupation: Cook. Father: Jas A Sater (sic), born Scotland. Mother: Jessie McCallum, born IL. Marriage Date: 9-22-1920. Witnesses: Jas A Slater and Ethel Williams. Clergyman: Rev J F Cheerman.” Certificate of Marriage Vital Statistics. License #. 28517, County of Spokane, WA.” (Certificate of Marriage: Filed 9-22-1920)

“Simon M Reinbold, groom, of Davenport, and Agnes L Wassum, bride, of Davenport; Marriage Date: Feb 1, 1944 at Opportunity in Spokane County; License: Feb 1, 1944, Spokane County. Officiating: B Scott Bares, Opportunity, Clergyman. Witnesses: Mrs Roy Smith and Louise Smith.” (Marriage Certificate: #64761, County of Spokane, WA; Filed: Feb 3, 1944)

“Will L Riddle, Groom, of Davenport and Lorena Reinbold, Bride, of Davenport. License Date: 9-07-1934, Spokane County. Marriage Date: 9-07-1934, at Davenport. Witnesses: Lester Hansen and Velma Hansen. Clergyman: J A Riener of Davenport. (Marriage Certificate: 49453. Filed Sept 13, 1934).

“Fred W Reinbold, Groom, of Lincoln Co, and Bessie Hickman, Bride, of Spokane Co. License Date: May 28, 1914. Marriage Date: May 28, 1914. Clergyman: C C T Hopf. Witnesses: Elizabeth Reinbold and J P Reinbold.” (Certificate of Marriage: #107442, Lincoln Co; U-2061)

“Paul A Clark, Groom, of Lincoln Co, and Elizabeth Reinbold, Bride, of Lincoln Co. License Date: June 15, 1934. Marriage: June 17, 1934 at 12:15 p.m. in Lincoln Co. Clergyman: S J Ahrendt of Davenport. Witnesses: Andrew Reinbold and August Reinbold.” (Marriage Certificate: #354. Files: July 20, 1934)

“Richard Lee Steven, Groom, of Whitman Co, and Rosemary Reinbold, Bride, of Whitman Co. Marriage: 14 Sept 1963. License Date: 12 Sept 1963. Clergyman: Karl A Ufer, Pullman, WA. Witnesses: Cecil H Baldwin and Diane Stevens. Date of birth of Richard Lee Stevens: Jan 29, 1943. Date of Birth of Rosemary Reinbold: Jan 30, 1943.” (Certificate of Marriage: #3549, Lincoln Co)

“James S Willis, of Lincoln Co, and Ellen E Harris, of Lincoln Co. Marriage 4 Oct 1913, at Davenport, WA. Minister: C C Gibson. Witnesses: Mary A Gibson and George Bair. License Date: 4 Oct 1913.” (Certificate of Marriage: U-1984, Lincoln Co.)

“The home of Matt Reinbold was gladdened by the appearance of a little girl last Monday. All doing well.” (LCT: 3-25-1900)

“Simon Reinbold is preparing to build a large barn on his home farm.” (Davenport Tribune: 4-04-1901)

“Farewell reception. Egypt, Wash, April 19.—In anticipation of the departure of Mr & Mrs Simon Reinbold for their old home in Germany, on Tuesday, April 18^th, a large number of their relatives and friends gathered at their elegant home on Sunday, the 16^th, to bid them farewell, and to wish them a pleasant journey and a safe return. A notable feature of the event was the number of children present, nearly fifty in all. Mr & Mrs Reinbold simply gave possession of the premises to their guests, and spared no pains to make all those present enjoy themselves, and to say that they did is putting it mildly. Games were played during the day and evening, and after twelve o’clock the young folk repaired to the barn floor, where they spent a couple of happy hours tripping the light fantastic, after which all departed for their various homes, pronouncing it the most enjoyable event of the season, and wishing Mr & Mrs Reinbold godspeed on their long journey. Among those present, with their families were: Jacob Reinbold, Will Reinbold, Matthew Reinbold, Mrs A Reinbold, John Wolfrum, Fred Erfurth, George Williams, A Alstron, A Conrad, Mr Downing, Mr Shafer, Mrs Paul Gaberial, H Kahse, of Davenport; and Ed Humes; also Mr & Mrs H Phelps, Mr & Mrs G W Kennett, and Mr & Mrs H Jepson, and Misses Ida Phelps, Marie Johnson, Emma Peterson and Martha Wallschlager; and Messrs B Bockemuehl, A Wallschlager, Dr Herchimer, Mr Ryal, Edward Beer, A Kumbra, Victor Johnson, Gotlieb Foehr, Henry Courtney, F R McDonald, W J Van Buskirk, Allan Nessly, John Johnson, Gray Phelps and O I Tawney.” (LCT: 4-21-1905)

“A ten pound son arrived at the home of Mr & Mrs Chris Reinbold Friday morning.” (LCT: 5-19-1910

"W G Duncan, the pioneer merchant of Egypt, entered into negotiations for the sale of his store to Spokane parties. Mr Duncan settled in Egypt in 1889 and was in the mercantile business for the past 12 years." (Dav. Times: 100 Yrs Ago in Oct 27, 2011, representing 10-27-1911, Dav. Tribune reprint)

“E L Fulmer, for several years a barber of this city, and Roscoe Sherwood of Egypt expected to open a barber shop, pool hall and cigar stand at Peach in the near future. They had a building in the course of construction and would open for business as soon as it was completed.” (Dav. Times: 100 Yrs Ago in Nov 3, 2011 representing 11-03-1911)

“Rancher Bitten by Rattler. H C Willis, Indian Creek rancher, near Davenport, is recuperating at the home of his son-in-law and daughter, Mr and Mrs August Reinbold, after being bitten on the hand by a rattlesnake Sunday. Mr Willis reached into a hay pile in his barn, searching for a hay fork, when the snake struck him. He did not realize it was a snakebite until the hand began to swell, and then he had Chris Stormo, a neighbor, bring him to Dr Ralph Sewall. The physician gave him an injection of anti-venom serum. His right hand and arm were swollen badly.” (Odessa Record: 5-28-1936)

Reinbold, Theresa; 1988 “Theresa Reinbold of Davenport died Dec 4, 1988. She was 87. Mrs Reinbold was born Dec 31, 1900 in Hegyeshalom, Austria-Hungary. In 1907 her family moved to Kansas and in 1913 to Davenport… She married William C Reinbold May 19, 1926. She was preceded in death by an infant son, Virgil, and two brothers, Bill and Math Thiringer. Graveside services were at the Spokane Memorial Gardens. Survivors included: her husband, William; one daughter, Pauline Soderquist of Liberty Lake; a son and daughter-in-law, Raymond and Kathleen Reinbold of Kirkland; five brothers: Dr Henry Thiringer, Hans and Carl Thiringer, Paul Thiringer and Ed Thiringer; four sisters: Susan Slater and Nellie Coleman, Frieda Graham, and Della Stewart.” (excerpt of DT: 12-08-1988)

Reinbold, William C; 1995 “William C Reinbold. “Funeral service was held Wednesday this week for William Christian Reinbold at the Thornhill Valley Funeral Home in Spokane. Mr Reinbold, 93, died Sept 8 in the Spokane Valley. He was born Aug 2, 1902, in Egypt to Matt and Christina Reinbold. His parents were early pioneers in the Egypt area north of Davenport. He farmed wheatlands in partnership with a brother, Ed, in Bluestem, Davenport and Reardan country during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1942, they purchased a dairy farm near Marshall, WA. After his brother’s death, Bill continued to operate the farm until his retirement in 1971. At that time, he and his wife, Theresa, returned to Davenport. While residing at Marshall, Mr Reinbold was an active member of Four Corners Grange, serving a term as Grange master. He also was a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Spokane. During his retirement years in Davenport, he was a member of Zion Lutheran Church and Community Grange, taking part in many activities of these organizations. Retirement days were busy for Mr Reinbold. Hobbies he especially enjoyed were gardening, fishing and building windmills. His windmills can be found in many gardens throughout the Northwest. Mr Reinbold was preceded in death by his wife in 1988. Because of health problems, he had resided in the Spokane Valley since 1992. Mr Reinbold is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Raymond and Kathy Reinbold of Kirkland; his daughter, Pauline Soderquist of Liberty Lake; three granddaughters, two great grandsons; and numerous nieces and nephews.” (Davenport Times: 9-14-1995)

Gowan, Alma M; 3-14-1996 “Egypt native Alma Marie Gowan, 73, of Bellingham passed away March 5, 1996. She was born Nov 11, 1922, in Egypt to Chris and Anna Christian Reinbold. She married Kenneth Gowan in Davenport on May 30, 1944. The Gowans moved to Bellingham in 1948. Mrs Gowan was a member of the Central Lutheran Church, Bellingham Senior Center and the Altar Guild at Central Lutheran Church. She enjoyed baking and canning while her family was home, and later she helped serve the homeless meals at the Assumption Church. Mrs Gowan is survived by her husband Kenneth at the family home; two daughters, Loretta Gowan of Bellingham and Rosemary Medford of Fircrest, WA; her twin brother, Elmer Reinbold of Davenport; four sisters, Elaine Mellert of Camas, Irma Wollin of Davenport, Gladys Huffman of Vancouver and Grace Rutherford of Yakima; and numerous nieces and nephews. A funeral service was held Monday at the Central Lutheran Church of Bellingham, with Pastor Len Erickson officiating. The Jerns LeVeck Funeral Chapel and Crematorium of Bellingham was in charge of arrangements.” (Davenport Times: 3-14-1996)

Willis, Sidney; Mar 5, 1931 “Sidney Willis of Daisy, WA, a former resident of this region, died in a Spokane hospital, Tuesday after more than 6 months’ illness. Mr Willis, in partnership with K Mutterer, has operated the Miles-Daisy stage line for nine years. He is survived by his widow, two sons, his parents, Mr & Mrs H C Willis of Indian Creek, and a sister, Mrs August Reinbold of the Egypt country. Funeral services will be held at the Egypt Lutheran Church at 2:30 today, Thursday. Interment will be in the Frans Cemetery. (Davenport Times-Tribune) “Funeral services for James Sidney Willis, age 35, a former resident of the Davenport region, were held Thursday at the Methodist chapel in Daisy, with the Kettle Falls Masonic lodge in charge. Thursday afternoon services were held in the Egypt Lutheran church, north of Davenport, and the body was interred in the Frans Cemetery north of town. Mr Willis was born in London, England, and came to America when 12 years old. He lived in this county for many years and for eight years had been a mail contractor on the Myers Falls-Miles route. He is survived by his widow, two sons, his father and step-mother and one sister.” (Davenport Times-Trib: 3-12-1931)

Griffin, Emma Reinbold; 1983 “Emma Reinbold Griffin, former Davenport resident, died Dec 7, (1983), at her Seattle apartment. She is survived by one daughter, Phyllis Goodwin of Edmonds, Wash.; three grandsons; six great grandchildren; one brother, William C Reinbold; two sisters, Mary Thompson and Anna Reinbold, all of Davenport. She was preceded in death by a son Dewey Griffin in 1981. Funeral was held Dec 10, with burial following in a Seattle cemetery.” (Davenport Times: 12-29-1983); {Per Reinbold Genealogy, Emma Reinbold was the eighth child of Matt Reinbold and his wife Christina Buehler Reinbold. Emma was born 5-21-1900. She married Charles Griffin (1902-1964). Two children were born to them, Dewey (1926) and Phyllis (1927).}

Reinbold, Jasper set wed date: “Mr and Mrs Donald F Reinbold have announced the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Cecelia, to Robert Jasper, son of Mr and Mrs Karl W Jasper of Spokane. Reinbold is in her final quarter at Eastern Washington University and will graduate with a degree in social work. Jasper is owner of the Western Onion Singing Messenger Service. The couple will be married Nov 20 at the Christ Lutheran Church.” (Davenport Times: 10-14-1982)

Reinbold’s Death Said Loss to Conservation. 1971 “When August Reinbold died last year, it was a blow not only to his family, but to soil conservation in Lincoln County and much of Eastern Washington. Lenn Dompier, Soil conservationist with the Davenport Reardan Soil and Water Conservation District, said that the late Mr Reinbold contributed immeasurably to the soil conservation of the area. It was with this contribution in mind that he and the SWCD staff prepared the accompanying pictorial resume of Gus Reinbold’s activities in this field. Dompier said that Reinbold was born in 1890 and began farming at an early age in the Egypt community where he was raised north of Davenport. Throughout his career as a farmer and alter as a commercial grass seed producer and dealer, he practiced and promoted many forms of soil conservation. August Reinbold was considered to be ‘Mr Grass’ to many farmers and ranchers throughout Eastern Washington, Dompier said. ‘Gus, as he was affectionately called by many of his friends, spent a considerable portion of his life selling the virtues of soil and water conservation. He was most happy when he was showing someone his grass demonstration plots or a field that had been seeded to grass and alfalfa.’ Dompier said that Reinbold was a leader in Eastern Washington in the techniques of establishing grass for soil conservation on steep and eroded lands. He said that Reinbold’s deep love for the soil and good understanding of what grass could and would do for it contributed to his success in erosion control. He knew the many different soil and moisture conditions in the area and the grasses that would best do the job under a given set of circumstances. Dompier said that much of Reinbold’s life was spent helping others establish and produce improved strains of grass. Much of his time was spent convincing farmers they should use more grasses and in showing them how to obtain a successful seeding. Dompier said the rewards of Gus’ efforts are evident throughout Lincoln County and much of Eastern Washington. These rewards, he added, are evident on both the land and in the farmers’ attitude towards the benefits which can be derived by planting grass. Reinbold was instrumental in organizing the Davenport-Reardan Soil and Water Conservation District for which Dompier works now. He also was one of the five original supervisors of the district, serving from 1944 to 1951. The other four farmers on the original board of supervisors were Joe Lindstrum, Thomas Landreth, Hale Simpson and Charlie Garber. Mr Simpson and Mr Garber are both deceased. IN 1949, Reinbold served as vice-president of the Washington Association of Conservation Districts. He was awarded a life time honorary membership in this same organization in 1951. The Washington State Junior Commerce presented Reinbold with a special service award for achievement in soil conservation in 1953. Mr and Mrs Reinbold were selected the Conservation Farmers of the year for the Davenport-Reardan SWCD in 1954. In making plans for conservation activities in Lincoln County for 1971 and the years ahead, Dompier said, Gus Reinbold will be greatly missed by those who have worked closely with him and who looked to him for advise and guidance many times. ‘Gus is going to be hard to replace,’ Dompier said, ‘but the contribution to conservation he left will endure for a long, long time’.” (Davenport Times: 1-21-1971) “The first board of supervisors of the Davenport-Reardan Soil and Water Conservation District are shown here. The picture was taken in 1947 and shown, from left, are Robert Newell and Glen Langley, SCS technicians; Joe Lindstrum, Hale Simpson, Thomas Landreth, August Reinbold and Charlie Garber. Shown in back are John Conrad, Richard Murbach, Howard Janett, Earl Williams and Ted Janett. Reinbold was one of the organizers of the Davenport-Reardan SWCD.” (photo caption in item, 1-21-1971) “Reinbold also spread his gospel of conservation to students in the area high schools. Here he tells about the different characteristics of grasses during the Sixth Grade Conservation Day in 1966 at the Harrington City Park.” (photo caption in item, 1-21-1971) “Gus Reinbold is shown in his grass seed plant in Davenport. He is holding two of the many sheaves of grass he always kept on hand so individuals and groups could observe and become acquainted with the various kinds of grasses adaptable to the area. His samples were seen by hundreds of people each year at the Lincoln County Fair.” (photo caption in item, 1-21-1971) “Many tours were conducted on Reinbold’s farm near Egypt. Soil Conservationist Lenn Dompier said that ‘Gus’ thoroughly enjoyed showing in groups his grass fields.” (photo caption in item, 1-21-1971) “Gus Reinbold is shown in the midst of his lift time interests ‘Soil and Grass’. Dompier said that Reinbold’s words at a time like this were, ‘Feel how alive this dirt is’.” (photo caption in item, 1-21-1971)

“Davenport Seed Company. Re-Opening February 15, 1971. Grasses. Alfalfa. Will mix seed with rice hulls by order. Reinbold Bros. Lawrence, Milton and Willard.” (Advertisement: Davenport Times: 1971)

Zion Lutheran 1977 “Zion Lutheran. The new voice and face in the Lutheran Church office on Thursdays will be that of Mrs Don, Nona, Reinbold. Nona will be working part time in the church office each week on Thursday afternoon. This will be her first day on the job and Bernice Fisher, who has been in the office for much of the last two years, will be showing Nona the office routine. This weekend there will be the district convention at Parkland. Glen Reinbold will represent Zion and Don Jantz will also attend as an observer. Bill Reinbold will represent Christ Lutheran. The Board of Education met Wednesday to make final arrangements for the Vacation Bible School. The school will be held for one week this year, June 20-24. Zion and Christ will be working together again this year. Jan Ziemer will be the superintendent. Anyone from the age of first grade to junior high is invited to come to the school. Saturday night, several churches of the area will begin the services at both Ft Spokane and Porcupine. Pastor Williamsen will be the first speaker on Saturday evening. Some of the young people are talking about the Exodus. The Exodus, not the movie, will be held the weekend of June 17-19. This is a hike and retreat for the young, confirmed people of junior and high school age. Those who are planning on the trip are to contact Pastor Williamsen to make reservations.” (Davenport Times: 6-09-1977)

Lutherans Observe 90^th Anniversary; 1980: “More than 150 members, former members and friends gathered at Christ Lutheran Church on Sunday, Oct 5 to celebrate the 90^th anniversary of the congregation. Former pastors F J Ahrendt of Spokane and M A P Keller of Woodburn, OR, joined Pastor Stanley Williamsen in the morning communion service. Special music was presented throughout the service and the afternoon festivities by the Davenport String Quartet comprised of Elaine Maskenthine, Norma and Willard Zellmer, and Steve Whiteside, with Rosalie Williamsen as accompanist. The former Egypt Girls Choir, Diane Martin, Carol Reinbold, Nancy Johnson, Linda Miller and Ellen Brodin, sang several selections as did the Sunday School children. Tim Reinbold accompanied himself on guitar as he sang two solos. A potluck dinner at noon and an hour of fellowship were followed by an afternoon program consisting of music, greetings, church history and projected pictures. Following the conclusion of the activities, special anniversary cakes made by Nona Reinbold and Diane Martin were served. Christ Lutheran, a small rural church in the Egypt Community, was built in 1906 and is one of the features in ‘Early Churches of Washington’, a newly published book by Arnold and Esther Pearson. The most honored person present was Anna Reinbold who was 14 months old when the church was built. The congregation received a letter of congratulations from President Jimmy Carter.” (Davenport Times: 10-09-1980; front page with church photo)

Reinbold Families Gather for Picnic: 1980 “More than 150 family members gathered Sunday for the 33^rd annual Reinbold picnic. Relatives form as far away as Spokane, Okanogan, Seattle, Yakima, Richland, Endicott, Yelm, Clatskanie, OR, and Boise, Idaho, were present for the potluck dinner. The first picnic was held at Comstock Park in Spokane in 1947. This year’s picnic was held at the Ft Spokane picnic grounds near the Egypt homes of the first Reinbold pioneer settlers. Frank Reinbold, this year’s president, awarded the following prizes. Oldest mother—Anna Reinbold, 91; Oldest Man—Simon Reinbold; Youngest Mother—Barbara Trickler; Youngest Child—Jennie Luiten, infant daughter of Joyce and Doug Luiten; person traveling the greatest distance—Marvel Reinbold’s grandson from Boise, Idaho; Mother with the most children present—Joyce Appel with five. The second edition of the family genealogy book was completed and available for distribution. Both editions, 1971 and 1980, were assembled by Nancy Johnson. As the final business of the day, the Reinbolds and their kin elected next year’s officers for the annual picnic’s organization. President is Adolphe Reinbold, vice president is Tony Appel, secretary is Joyce Luiten, and treasurer is Don Zeimantz. Next year the family plans to gather again on the third Sunday of July at the Ft Spokane picnic grounds.” (Davenport Times: 7-24-1980)

Kikbacks by Walt Kik. 1984. “Reinbold Aids Farmers. Who was the good guy of long ago that couldn’t stand seeing some of his farm friends going down the drain? It was Fred Reinbold. During the darkest days of that great depression, Fred was the local manager of an oil company in Davenport. Ed Kruger, Lynn Gunning, and myself ran out of money at about the same time. We had every reason to walk off our farms, and join the soup lines, but that sounded distasteful to us, so we learned to live from one crises to the next. The final blow came when non gasoline got to our farms unless it was paid for. Without fossil fuel, we could not produce wheat that nobody wanted. Fred Reinbold called up on a Monday morning, stating he was bringing his boss out to try and convince him we were farmers that some day would pay for stuff like gasoline and oil. I was topless when I approached the oil executive’s car. Fred’s boss looked me over, and asked, ‘Did you have to hock your shirt to keep alive?’ Upon leaving, I remember Fred saying to his boss, All Walt needs is a little more gas ‘til fall.’ After the empty report I gave Fred, and his boss, they drove over to Ed Kruger’s farm, then back to Lynn Gunning’s place for more monetary evaluations. Little did we know at that time that Fred’s boss turned thumbs down on extending more gasoline credit to us. Before any gas was allowed to leave in our direction, Fred had to sign a note. By so doing, he put his own pay check on the line as security for three helpless farmers. In those pre-diesel days, gas was delivered in a primitive way. Guy Canfield, a well know gas delivery man, worked at Fred’s plant. He would back up the company’s pint size truck to fill my six 55 gallon barrels. The tank on the truck had a short unloading faucet sticking out. A long rod that held a slug of rings was bolted on the back bed. Counting the gallons was done Chinese style. Every time a five gallon bucket was filled, Guy would slide one of those rings over to the other side of the truck. Then he would dump the bucket that was loaded with gasoline into the barrels. When the barrels were filled, Guy would then count the rings that were moved across the rod, and multiply that number by five. The final penciled in figures were the number of gallons delivered. Later, through the process of mental evolution, Mr Canfield figured out how to measure delivered gallons more easily. He notched gallon markings on a stick that was a little longer than the barrels. Buckets of gasoline could then be emptied without counting. It was a simple matter of sticking the marked stick into each barrel. The wetness would show the number of gallons that got dumped. This mark advancement, brought forth a more accurate gallon count. Because sometime while visiting, Guy would forget to slide a ring across.” (Kikbacks by Walt Kid; Davenport Times: 1-19-1984)

Reinbold 1990 “A Generation Recalled. Milt Reinbold pauses at his grandparents’ graves. The homestead in the background has dwindled; even the family cemetery has little space left.” (caption on photo; staff photo by Dan Pelle) “A Farm Grows Old. Four Generations of Reinbolds have grown wheat in Lincoln County, but now the homestead is shrinking and the family is scattering. Lincoln County.—At the family cemetery in a brown wheat filed 20 miles from the nearest highway, Milt Reinbold brushed the dust off his grandparents’ tombstone. Rows of Reinbold markers stood like soldiers, guarding the nearby 108-year-old homestead from fading into history. ‘All the old guys are laid to rest out here,’ said Reinbold, cinching down his plaid hat against the prairie wind. ‘They didn’t do everything right, but they worked hard correcting it.’ Reinbold and his children are descendants of one of Eastern Washington’s earliest conservationists, and heirs to one of the few remaining centennial farms in Lincoln County. These are the aging homesteads that grandparents and great grandparents once worked with draw horses and a plow. But as Reinbold approaches his 69^th birthday, the future of the homestead is in doubt. Reinbold’s three children have gone into other businesses, and a nephew who is farming the last 800 acres has abandoned some of the conservation practices for which the Reinbolds were best known. Even the cemetery is filled to near capacity, and it’s unlikely that Reinbold and his children will be buried there, he said. The old sheep barn is the only original building left standing at the homestead. The plight of the Reinbold farm in many ways tells the story of hundreds of third- and fourth-generation wheat farms in Eastern Washington. The pool of potential heirs has disappeared as opportunities on the farm have decreased. Reinbold’s relatives number in the hundreds, but only a handful are active wheat farmers. The rest include heart surgeons, college professors, lawyers and homemakers. For this reason, the Reinbold family’s prominent role in Eastern Washington agriculture is waning. This loss of influence, ironically, comes at a time when many of the conservation issues that the Reinbold ancestors championed through the years are coming to the forefront. Wheat farmers are facing increased pressure to be more accountable for the agricultural chemicals they put on the soil, and the farming methods they use. Many would like farmers to decrease the amount of chemicals and employ farming practices that replace nutrients naturally and conserve the soil. These changes may improve the environment, but Milt Reinbold, who tried such methods before they became a favorite topic of environmentalists, doesn’t have much faith that they will result in any sort of windfall that could help restore the family farm. ‘I farmed 40 years and during that time I always thought things (farm life) would get better, but it never changed much,’ Reinbold said. Doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better.’ Whatever the future brings for wheat farmers, the Reinbolds have secured a place in Eastern Washington agricultural history. Reinbold’s grandparents were among the fist to homestead near Fort Spokane, the historic settlement at the convergence of the Spokane and Columbia rivers. They also were among the first farmers in Lincoln County to use mule-powered combines and modern soil conservation techniques, and were pioneers in the use of organic fertilization and man-made fertilizers. In 1882, Reinbold’s grandfather, Andrew Reinbold, and an uncle walked 670 miles from Miles City, Montana, to Fort Spokane. They later were joined by five brothers and a sister from southern Germany. ‘Reinbold country stood out,’ said Walt Kik, an 80-year-old retired Davenport farmer and columnist for the Davenport Times newspaper. ‘Those Reinbolds were interested in doing things differently on their farm.’ Specifically, Milt Reinbold’s German-speaking grandmother, Elizabeth, taught her children that it was wrong to spoil the land. ‘In Germany, where they farmed for thousands of years, the people learned that if you don’t take care of the soil, it becomes depleted and unproductive,’ said Lenn Dompier, a retired Soil Conservation Service manager who has known three generations of Reinbolds. ‘Elizabeth trained her sons in this way.’ Elizabeth married Andrew Reinbold in 1885 on the day she got off a train in Sprague, Wash. She was 24. The two settled on a 160-acre homestead near Egypt, now a ghost town but once a thriving community 20 miles north of Davenport. The marriage was short-lived; Andrew died of pneumonia in 1891, leaving Elizabeth with their two boys, Andrew Jr and August. Elizabeth’s brothers-in-law farmed her land for a few years before urging her to sell and return to Germany. When she refused, they quit working her land, hoping to starve her out, Milt Reinbold said. If the brothers had succeeded it might have caused the loss of tons of topsoil in later years, as August Reinbold helped found the county’s first Soil Conservation Service district. Elizabeth and her boys survived by milking cows and selling vegetables and butter to soldiers at Fort Spokane. When August turned 13, the family resumed farming under Elizabeth’s instruction. In 1907, family records say, Elizabeth’s farm became one of the fist in the county to idle the land after the fall harvest, leaving the wheat stubble standing through the new year. Known today as ‘summer fallow,’ this process preserves moisture for subsequent crops and reduces erosion, conservationist Dompier said. Surviving the Great Depression. In the early 1930s, the Great Depression wiped out many farmers as banks called in their loans and repossessed farms. But once more, diversification and innovation saved Elizabeth and her family. The extended family, which included August Reinbold’s son, Milt, and four other children, raised rules during those days. They sold animals to Hawaiian sugar cane growers, and to local wheat farmers. ‘There was always a need for a good mule,’ said Milt Reinbold, who now lives in Davenport. Elizabeth died in 1939, but not before seeing her son conduct one of the county’s earliest tests for soil erosion. August went to the family cemetery, dug a hole and measured the depth of topsoil, comparing it to the measurement from an adjoining wheat field. The results were startling. The topsoil from the cemetery, which had never been farmed, measured 30 inches deep. The wheat field, which was being farmed year after year, had 16 inches. Alarmed by the test, August became the county’s leading advocate for soil conservation. He was named ‘Washington Conservation Farmer of 1953.’ August was one of the fist to seed prairie grasses between harvests, typing down soil against cloudbursts and windstorms. He spent his own money growing test plots,’ said Dompier. For all his efforts, though, August could not stop soil erosion. Tests in 1967 showed the topsoil depth just outside the cemetery at 9 inches, according to the book. A test hasn’t been done since, Milt Reinbold said. August retired form active farming in 1946, leaving the farm business to Milt and his brothers. A 1940 graduate of Davenport High School, Milt Reinbold entered World War II as a B-29 engine mechanic. Returning home, he and his bride, Jean Chase, lived on the homestead for four years. ‘I decided to come back from the war and get rich farming,’ said Reinbold, who cut off a finger chopping wood the first year back from duty. ‘I don’t think I ever made it.’ Machines bring a revolution. As early as 1910, the Reinbold family toyed with new innovations by acquiring a ground-powered combine pulled by 33 mules. But then Reinbold returned form the war, the machine revolution was in full swing. The Reinbold brothers used the 1939 Caterpillar tractor around-the-clock. Efficient, modern equipment enabled them to farm various parcels from Egypt to Harrington, 35 miles away. At its peak, the Reinbold farm had 200 head of cattle, 50 dairy cows. The brothers worked 6,000 acres, much of it pasture, before the cattle ranch was sold in 1977. Man-made fertilizers ushered in the next revolution. Quick to use the chemicals, Milt Reinbold found that they produced high yields. The Chemicals eventually replaced sweet clover that Reinbold had grown for several years to naturally fertilize the soil with nitrogen and other nutrients. Reinbold recalled that some landlords at that time would not permit their tenant farmers to use fertilizers, saying it would sterilize the soil. Now he wonders if maybe they were right. ‘There’s no question we raised 10 bushels more per acre on fertilizers,’ said Reinbold, who was president of the Lincoln County Wheat Growers Association in the 1960s. ‘But really all we did was farm for the chemical company. We increased yield per acre, had a surplus and then the price of wheat came down. We probably would have been better off if we had kept raising 35-bushel (per acre) wheat, and got more money per bushel.’ That debate continues today, and one member of the Reinbold family is in the middle of it. Orlin Reinbold, Milt’s youngest son and general manager of the Davenport Seed Co., acknowledges that his view on farming methods is more radical than some farmers. ‘Farmers have to be good stewards of land they own,’ Orlin said from his office, where 75 varieties of prairie grasses are displayed on the wall. They can’t be impacting some entity downstream, or downwind, or some aquifer that flows under their land. But, in the end, it’s the farmer that has to be responsible for his land.’ Orlin, a 1973 graduate of Washington State University, is a fourth-generation Reinbold. Like many young people who grew up on the farm, Orlin was lured off the tractor by other opportunities. He chose to take over a tiny seed business, which August founded, and expand it into a $7 million-a-year operation. But, even that venture is now out of Reinbold hands. The company was sold last week to Warren’s Turf Inc. of Illinois, though Orlin continues to manage the firm. With Orlin in the office and Milt retired, the original Reinbold homestead has since dwindled to about 800 acres. That’s small compared with the average Lincoln County farm size of 2,200 acres, US Census Bureau figures show. The homestead, which no longer raises chickens, dairy cows and pigs, is leased to Milt’s nephew. Last year, he burned his wheat stubble after harvest, a practice that eliminates a few tiring trips on the tractor, but also decreases organic matter and hardens the soil, making it vulnerable to heavy soil erosion. It also angered Milt Reinbold. He has since made it clear to the nephew how he wants the homestead farmed, but Reinbold worries that once he dies, the ideas passed down from Elizabeth and August may recede into history. ‘Farmers now are in a big hurry,’ Reinbold said, before closing the gate to the cemetery. ‘Everybody tries to get everything done too fast’.” (contributed by family; Spokesman-Review: Sunday, April 29, 1990; item also contain a photo of Orlin Reinbold with grass seed.)

Egypt is Setting For Centennial-1990 “Christ Lutheran Church members continue to celebrate the Egypt church’s 100^th anniversary June 24 with special events. That Sunday worship will be held at 11 a.m. and past ministers including Rev F J Ahrendt and Rev Stanley Williamson will attend. Memorabilia will again be on display in the basement of the church and anyone wishing to share items can bring them that day. Following the service an old fashion potluck picnic will be held, feature ice cream and games for all. Coffee, lemonade and table service will be provided. Everyone is invited to attend the event. Christ Lutheran Church, located 16 miles north of Davenport on Highway #25, was established in 1890.” (Davenport Times: 6-14-1990; photo caption: “Christ Lutheran Church members will continue their celebration of its 100^th anniversary with a special service and activities June 24. Above, Herman Reinbold, an elder of the church, stands in front of the structure. The church is located 16 miles north of Davenport on Highway #25.”)

Reinbolds Have Reaped Abundance; Since 1882 in Lincoln County: “The Davenport (Lincoln County) telephone directory looks pretty much like the directory of any small American town. But under ‘R’ it tells a story. There, with Christian names from Adolph through Simon, the name Reinbold appears 18 times, four with town addresses and 14 with farm designations. Reinbolds were farming in the Davenport vicinity long before the telephone book was there to carry an impressive listing of the family name. But the story of Davenport and the Reinbolds goes back a lot farther than the day when Jacob and Andrew, their burdens on a led pack horse, finished their long walk from Montana by taking up homesteads in the Egypt community north of Cottonwood (now Davenport). The story really begins with Mathias Reinbold. Mathias Reinbold lived and died in Baden, Germany, but he had a longing to go to a section of America about which he had heard tales of abundant production. With a family of 14 children typing him to his native land he knew a long pioneering trek was not for him, but he inspired nine of his children with his dream of living in the basin carved out by the Columbia River in the northwestern part of America. Thus, seven sons and two daughters started the long journey to the United States. Unlike many immigrants, who headed for almost any place in America, the Reinbolds had a specific destination in mind—the Columbia River. It took two years of doing general farm work, railroad construction work, and any odd jobs that came to hand before the first of them crossed the continent and reached their destination. Jacob and Andrew Reinbold quit their railroading jobs in Montana, bought a pack horse, and walked the remaining distance, some 800 miles, to their long-sought destination. There, at Cottonwood, they were told of land still available for homesteading north of the Egypt post office. In the year of 1882 they harvested the first Reinbold crop from the land of their father’s dreams. One son and one daughter of the nine Reinbolds did not live to reach the Columbia River area. But six sons and one daughter did. Jacob and Andrew encouraged their sister and brothers in the east to come west and located homesteads for them. Those first pioneering years were tough. Crops were planted with grub hoes and harvested by hand, but the Reinbolds had an unswerving faith that the country would fulfill their father’s visions of it if they would give to it unstintingly their toil and managing abilities. And the land did fulfill its promise! Through the years came more acres and, of course, more Reinbolds. Machinery improvements made it possible for one man to farm more ground and this, too, led to increased holdings. The story of their farms and farming is only a part of the story of the Reinbolds. The greater portion is that of the people themselves. A strong, healthy, happy group of people who are Reinbolds by either name or descent. From the first generation they have assumed positions of leadership in the community. The elder Simon became vice president of the Lincoln County State Bank. Of the second generation, August, Herman, Chris and the younger Simon have served on community and county agricultural committees. Two Granges in Lincoln County now have Reinbolds as masters. Norman Reinbold is master of the North Star Grange, which is practically all Reinbold in membership, and Frank Reinbold is master of the Community Grange. Herman and Adolph Reinbold are both past masters of the North Star Grange. Described by a former Lincoln County agent as ‘amongst the best of farmers in our community,’ the Reinbolds more than keep pace in a rapidly changing world. Many of the third generation are college trained and thus better equipped to meet farm problems as they become more complex. The fourth generation youngsters of the family come in for their share of the spotlight, too. The family is proud of Fred’s daughter, Barbara, who has trained her pony, Nick, to do tricks. Barbara and Nick have appeared in local fairs. Honors for 4-H work have come to other Reinbold youngsters and last year Mary Lou Boleneus, a third-generation descendant, went to the 4-H Club Congress in Chicago as a result of her accomplishments in her sewing project. The church is a part of the family life. It isn’t just a place to go on Sunday, but to them is a way of life. And the church where they worship is also a part of the family for it was organized by the early pioneers in 1891 and the present building was constructed by them in 1904. There, in this building built by their own labors, for nearly a half century Reinbolds have rejoiced at weddings, sorrowed at funerals, and given their thanks to God for the blessings and abundances provided them. Like all families everywhere they have a strong pride in their name. They were considerably piqued upon learning of a post office in Iowa with the name of Reinbold which prevented the post office which once operated at Egypt from bearing their name. With the roots of the family deep in Lincoln County and their place in the community well established, the Reinbolds are secure upon the land. But in 1938 August Reinbold made a discovery that dramatically illustrated to him that man’s possession of the land is only a stewardship, not a permanent ownership. And, like all stewardships, it must be vigorously protected if it is to be preserved. By 1938 talk of soil conservation had been in the air for several years but most farmers had yet to be impressed with its necessity. The seven pioneering Reinbolds had unwittingly created an exhibit A in the case of soil conservation vs. soil depletion when they set aside a family cemetery acreage which they never plowed. Digging there in 1938, August discovered the topsoil to be 30 inches deep, while in his fields adjoining the cemetery the topsoil was then only 16 inches deep. ‘If my father and I in less than two generations had taken half of the topsoil, what kind of a future was I bequeathing to my children?’ asked August Reinbold, who, from the day the appalling soil loss became apparent to him, has been preaching the gospel of soil conservation and putting his preaching into practice on his own lands. August is typical of the second-generation Reinbolds. He has now, in theory at least, retired from active farming and moved into a comfortable home in Davenport. But a Reinbold never really leaves the land and August is currently busy giving counsel and guidance to his sons who are farming his ranch and also putting in some time in the fields himself. In telling the story of the Reinbold lands around the cemetery that have only half of their topsoil left, August Reinbold is actually telling the story of soil depletion of not only the Reinbold lands but also the lands of their neighbors, the lands of Pacific northwest, and the lands of the entire nation. The Reinbolds have given their soil equally as good and , in many instances, better care than most wheat region farmers. So their soil loss is not exceptionally large but is actually probably somewhat smaller than the average. ‘The Reinbolds have never been backward farmers. They have used the latest methods available from the state college and other scientific sources and their yields are as good or better than the average in the big Bend area,’ says Wesley Spencer, district conservationist. August Reinbold is by no means the only family member who is actively fighting the soil preservation battle. Not all are soil conservation district members, but all of them who are now on the farm are practicing soil conservation techniques in their farming methods. Many of them are soil conservation district members and August is a supervisor of the Davenport-Reardan district. Typical of the conservation practiced by the Reinbolds who are actively engaged in farming are the methods used by Simon Reinbold on his farm south of Davenport. He started utilizing his stubble in 1939 and his fields are now the kind of picture a soil conservationist dreams about. When asked about his stubble utilization program Simon gave it a full endorsement, but he made it plain that farmers who think it will perform overnight magic are bound for a sharp disappointment. ‘The only result I saw the first year was a lowered yield. The second year was the same story. But by the third year results began to show. So, the man who quits burning his stubble and goes in for stubble mulch methods has to make up his mind to take reduced yields for at least two or three years,’ advises Simon. Even after all the years he has been utilizing his stubble Simon says it is hard to keep his faith sometimes. ‘When somebody who burns his fields clean laughs at me for all the extra expense I go to handling stubble, tells me he’ll make a bigger crop than mine and then does it, it’s a little tough to keep working this stubble,’ says Simon. It’s when a man is discouraged that August Reinbold likes to give him a bit of moral support and the assurance that he’s working his fields the way they were meant to be worked. ‘When you get discouraged, Simon, always remember you’re farming the land, not mining it.’ August speaks of soil conservation with all the fervor of a revivalist minister at a camp meeting. ‘What has happened to our lands is a tragedy. The old-timers used to tell us we never had to worry about topsoil as the subsoil would turn into topsoil as it came closer to the surface. The comparison between the topsoil depth in the cemetery and in our fields shows how wrong they were. None of us yet knows what a real soil conservation job is, but we are doing our best to lay a foundation so that some day the real job will be done,’ says August in summing up his views on conservation. Simon Reinbold has developed a system for handling his stubble mulch that gives him good results. The half of his ground that has been in crop is disked to a depth of six or seven inches in the fall, harrowed twice in the spring and then disked again. Then, the next time that piece of ground is harvested it is subsoiled in the fall and plowed with a moldboard plow in the spring. It is worked with a Gooley spring tooth to pull the straw out on top. Thus, every four years the ground is plowed. On June 15 this year the Reinbolds held a gathering of the clan at Manito park in Spokane. There, nearly 300 descendants of the original pioneers gathered to visit, play games, and enjoy all the things a large family does at a reunion. And there, treated with the respect and deference due them, were Mrs Will Reinbold and Mrs Jacob Reinbold, only living first-generation members. A sociologist examining the case history of the Reinbold family could no doubt find a multitude of reasons for the prosperity and success of this large family which is able to boast that not a single member has ever been hailed into a court of any sort. But it doesn’t take a professional sociologist to hit upon the secret of this family’s success—the willingness of all its members to earn their living by honest toil performed in an intelligent manner. The Reinbolds were lucky a small country post office that has since gone out of existence wasn’t named after them. They deserve to be remembered by a far better memorial than that. And they will be, for what could be a better memorial than their descendants down the years living well and happily on acres that have been carefully preserved for them under the stewardship of the present and succeeding generations?” The Washington Farmer: by John E Smithmeyer, Staff Member. (undated; submitted by family)

Reinbold Reunion Well Attended: 1993 “Because of cloudy skies and uncertain weather, the 46^th annual Reinbold Picnic and Reunion was held at the Egypt Club Hall July 18 with 43 people present. A potluck dinner and visiting were enjoyed by all present. After the dinner, President Mel Hein called the meeting to order. Roll call was taken from all the different family groups of the original settlers. From the Christine Reinbold Buehler family, there were three present. There were two present from the Matthias Reinbold Family. Christian Reinbold had 21 present from his branch. William Reinbold had eight people there, and there were 10 descendants of Christina Reinbold-Scheer. The rest of the original settlers did not have any people there. Organizers were not sure if they had died or if they forgot the date, but it was decided that if they were not there next year, it would mean an automatic election to an office. It was announced that this was the 110^th anniversary of the original Matthias Reinbold’s children’s coming to the United States, so some of the prizes given out followed that theme. The oldest lady present was Elsie Buck at 92 and the oldest man, Herman Reinbold at 79. The person with a birthday closest to the 110^th day of the year was Jennifer Hollis and the mother with the most descendants present was Hilda Thiringer. Bernadine Kittleson traveled the furthest at 550 miles. The most recently married couple was Gordon and Lucy Hein. Tim Hein was the past person to sign the guest book and Florence Reinbold was the person who admitted being the closest to 110 pounds. There seemed to be conflicts on the date of the picnic, so it was decided by an almost unanimous vote to move it next year to the second Sunday in July at the Fort Spokane picnic grounds, with dinner at noon. In another railroad type election, officers for 1994 were chosen as follows: President Ron Hollis, Vice President Dawn Glick, Secretary Hilda Thiringer, and JoAnn Buck volunteered to be treasurer again. Ice cream bars were passed around, followed by the hat to cover expenses. A round of applause was given to Mel Hein for all of his hard work. He acknowledged that his wife, Kathy, did most of it.” (Davenport Times: 8-19-1993)

Reinbolds named parade grand marshals, 1998.” The oldest living Reinbold and his wife will be guests of honor at Pioneer Days next week. Herman and Beulah Reinbold have been selected as this year’s grand marshals for the Davenport Pioneer Days Parade…” (Davenport Times: 7-16-1998, nice history, wedding and current photo)

Egypt 1897. “The Egypt district is attracting attention. Claims are looking good and the ore on these properties would create a sensation if they were remote from daily travel. The opal beds within five miles of Davenport are well worth an expenditure of a few hundred dollars to determine their extent. Brilliant gems, from ¼ to 3/8 carat, have been found on the surface and several stones can be seen in Davenport.” (Davenport Times of March 20, 1997 for 100 Yrs Ago reflecting LCT 3-19-1897)

See also Frans Cemetery, located in Sec 2 Twp 27 R 36, about 3 miles north of Egypt. Surnames of known graves include: Bair, Barnhart, Bell, Bevis, Blacker, Duncan, Englehart, Farley, Frans, Gurley, Harris, Herchimer, Hollis, Husselman, Jensen, McLaughlin, Mundell, Nichols, Rae, Ryall, Shook, Sillman, Simpson, Sutherlin, Thornburg, Willis and Zoehl.

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