Fred and Christine Charlotte (Maschke) Hinz's only daughter, Wilhelmina, was born in Germany in 1848.  She married Edward C. Gast before the Hinz family moved to America.  U.S. Census records from 1900 indicate the family immigrated about 1883, but the death certificate for Edward A. Gast lists his birth in Covert, Michigan on November 4, 1882.  At the time of their immigration Edward and Wilhelmina would have been traveling with; Gustav (ten years old), Emma (seven), Martha (two), and Margaret/Grace (one).  A passenger list from April 30, 1882 for the S.S. Nurnberg lists an Eduard, Wilhelmine, Christof, Emma, Martha, and Margarethe Gast arriving together in Baltimore from Bremen, Germany.  While the ages of the passengers in this list are not all exact matches, this has a high probability of being the same Gast family described on this site.  The remaining four sons, Edward, Jr., Albert, Henry, and Frederick, were born in St. Joseph, Michigan.

Wilhelmina Hinz Gast died from cancer in the home of her daughter, Martha Dwan, in Benton Harbor at 3:30 PM on Thursday, April 28, 1920.  Funeral services were held on the following Saturday at the Dwan home.  Minnie Gast was laid to rest with her husband Edward in the mausoleum at St. Joseph City (Lakeview) Cemetery. [1]

Edward Carl Gast was born in Germany on May 7, 1844.  He married Wilhelmina Hinz in Germany where they had four children; Gustav, Emma, Martha, and Margaret/Grace.  In April of 1882 they immigrated to the United States and settled in Saint Joseph, Michigan where they had four more sons.  On October 15, 1888 Edward completed the naturalization process and was officially a U. S. citizen.  The 1892 Berrien County Directory lists Edward Gast as a pattern maker for St. Joseph Iron Works.  Edward was a charter member of St. Peter's Evangelical Church, helping to organize the congregation and to build the original church building.  He was also a charter member of the Knights of the Maccabees in St. Joseph.  Edward ran for the office of First Ward City Council Supervisor in 1908, but was defeated by the incumbent, Thomas Walker, by a mere seventeen votes.

 

On January 21, 1916 Edward was stricken with a stroke of paralysis while resting on a couch in his home in the early evening.  Early reports gave hope of a gradual recovery, but his condition did not improve.  Edward died at his home on Tuesday, March 28, 1916 at 9:15 AM.  He had been in excellent health until two months prior to his passing.  Funeral services were held on Thursday at St. Peter's Church with the Rev. F. W. Buehler officiating.  Edward was interred in the mausoleum at St. Joseph City (Lakeview) Cemetery.  His death notice and funeral notice were both printed on the first page of the Herald-Palladium, the local newspaper. [2]

 

Agnes Schneider was born on June 2, 1876 in Chicago, Illinois to August and Marie (Mess) Schneider.  She became Mrs. Gustav Gast on December 31, 1900 and they had two children; Carmon Marie, and Wilbur Edward Gast.  Agnes was a member of the First Congregational Church of St. Joseph.  She was also a member of The Mary Preston Circle of the church, the Spanish American War Veterans Auxiliary, and the St. Joseph Order of the Eastern Star.  In her later years, Agnes lived with the family of her son Wilbur in Battle Creek, Michigan.  Agnes was 92 years old when she died on March 12, 1969.  She had been a patient at Battle Creek Community Hospital for the five days preceding her death.  Funeral services were held at the First Congregational Church in St. Joseph with the Dr. George Fisk, pastor of the church, officiating.  Agnes was buried with Gustav and Carmon in Crystal Springs Cemetery in Benton Harbor. [4]

 

2 Gustav Henry Gast: 1872 - 1930
  +Agnes Schneider: 1876 - 1969
  3 Carmon Marie Gast: 17 Dec 1905 - 10 Jul 1943

 

Carmon Marie Gast was born in St. Joseph, Michigan on December 17, 1905.  She attended the St. Joseph public schools.  Carmon died on July 10, 1943 at the American Legion Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan where she had been a patient for about a week.  She was 37 years old.  Her funeral was conducted at the First Congregational Church by the Rev. G. E. Maggart.  Carmon was buried in Crystal Springs Cemetery in Benton Harbor. [5]

 

2 Gustav Henry Gast: 1872 - 1930
  +Agnes Schneider: 1876 - 1969
  3 Wilbur Edward Gast: 22 Apr 1908 - 20 Aug 1991
    +Elizabeth Marion Abbey: 1 Sep 1911 - 24 Feb 1988
    4 Joann Gast: 1931 - 1931
    4 Lois Ann Gast: 1933 - 1965
    4 John Henry Gast: 1934 - 1997

 

Wilbur Edward Gast was born in St. Joseph, Michigan on April 22, 1908 to Gustav and Agnes Gast.  He married Elizabeth Marion Abbey on June 2, 1929 at the parsonage of The First Christian Church in South Bend, Indiana with the Rev. Elmer Ward Cole officiating.  The 1940 U.S. Census lists Wilbur as an Account Trust Officer at a bank.  Wilbur died on August 20, 1991 and was buried with Elizabeth and his daughters in Battle Creek Memorial Park Cemetery. [6]

 

Elizabeth Marion Abbey was born on September 1, 1911 in Michigan to J. Lynn and Lillian J. Abbey.  She married Wilbur Edward Gast on June 2, 1929 in South Bend, Indiana.  They lived in Battle Creek, Michigan.  Wilbur and Elizabeth had two daughters, Joann and Lois Ann Gast, and a son, John Henry Gast.  Elizabeth died on February 24, 1988 and was buried with her daughters in Memorial Park Cemetery in Battle Creek, Michigan. [7]

 

1 Wilhelmina Hinz: 1848 - 1920
  +Edward C. Gast: 1844 - 1916
  2 Emma L. Gast: 3 Nov 1875 - 7 Jan 1924
    +Archie James Hinkle: 13 Dec 1874 - 15 Feb 1953
    3 Floyd A. Hinkle: 1900 - 1958
    3 Gerald A. Hinkle: 1903 - 1904
    3 Gladys M. Hinkle: 1903 - 1957
    3 Mary L. Hinkle: 1911 - 1988

 

Emma L. Gast was born in Germany on November 3, 1875.  While she does not appear in any U.S. Census records with her parents, she lists Edward Gast as her father on her marriage license.  She married James Archie Hinkle on November 24, 1897 and they had a son, Floyd, and two daughters; Gladys and Mary.  Emma appears with Archie and infant Floyd in the 1900 census in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  In 1907 the family moved to Elkhart, Indiana.  Emma is listed in the 1910 and 1920 U.S. Censuses, living with the family in Elkhart.  In 1923 Emma's health took a turn for the worse.  She spent several months at the end of the year in a bed-ridden state.  Emma Hinkle died on Monday, January 7, 1924 at 11:00 P.M.  Funeral services were conducted by a Christian Science reader on the following Thursday at the Charles Walley Funeral Home in Elkhart.  Emma was buried in Crystal Springs Cemetery in Benton Harbor. [8]

 

Archie James Hinkle was born on December 13, 1874 in Delaware, Ohio to Ashley and Mary Hinkle.  He married Emma L. Gast on November 24, 1897 in St. Peter's Church in St. Joseph, Michigan.  Their marriage license lists Archie's brother Harry Hinkle, and Emma's sister Martha as witnesses.  The ceremony was performed by Pastor J. L. Kling.  After Emma died, Archie married Eva Hogue Merritt in South Bend, Indiana on July 11, 1926.  In the 1930 census, Archie, Eva, and Floyd are listed as living together in Niles, Michigan.  Archie died in February of 1953 in Sumnerville, a small village between Niles and Dowagiac, Michigan.  At the time of his death, Archie was the owner of a filling station in Sumnerville.  He was buried with Emma in Crystal Springs Cemetery in Benton Harbor.  Eva died in 1966 and was buried in the Eau Claire (Michigan) Cemetery. [9]

 

2 Emma L. Gast: 1875 - 1924
  +Archie James Hinkle: 1874 - 1953
  3 Floyd Archie Hinkle: 14 Apr 1900 - 1 Nov 1958
    +Ellen B. Tirrell: 1 Nov 1906 - 25 Nov 1925
    +Hazel E. Wyant: ~1911 - 12 Nov 1977
    4 Mary Louise Hinkle: Unknown

 

Floyd Archie Hinkle was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan on April 14, 1900.  He is listed as an infant with Archie and Emma in the 1900 U.S. Census.  Floyd married Ellen B. Tirrell on November 22, 1924 but she died just after their first wedding anniversary.

 

Floyd is listed in the 1930 census living with his father and step-mother in Niles, Michigan.  Later, he married Hazel E. Wyant and they lived in Niles, Eau Claire, and then Hartford, Michigan.  Floyd became the Standard Oil Dealer in Hartford where he worked for twenty-eight years before retiring.  After retirement, Floyd and Hazel moved to Naples, Florida.  Floyd worked for Ingram Chevrolet in Naples.  He died on Sunday, November 1, 1958 at Naples Community Hospital.  The Rev. Tracy Day Spencer of the Naples First Presbyterian Church conducted services at the Richard A. Pittman Funeral Chapel on November 5 and Floyd was buried in Crest Lawn Cemetery.  Pallbearers included Charles McCrone, Lloyd Hill, Warren Stamp, Burless Stallons, S. W. Shuart, and Robert Martin. [10]

 

Ellen B. Tirrell was born on November 1, 1906 in Michigan to Leslie and Arley Tirrell.  Her father was the inventor and patent holder for several pieces of chemical spraying equipment and was a co-founder of the Tirrell Manufacturing Company in Bridgman, Michigan, the predecessor of the Gast Manufacturing Company.  Ellen married Floyd A. Hinkle on November 22, 1924.  Unfortunately, she contracted tuberculosis about two months after her marriage.  Ellen died on November 25, 1925 at age 19 at her parent's home.  She was buried in the New Troy Cemetery in Weesaw Township, Berrien County, Michigan. [11]

 

Hazel Ester Wyant was born around 1911 in Michigan to Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Wyant.  She married Floyd A. Hinkle and they lived in Hartford, Michigan where they raised a daughter.  After Floyd's death in 1958, Hazel lived in Naples, Florida until around 1972, when she moved to Palm Springs, California.  In Palm Springs, Hazel was employed as an apartment manager for Sam Pascal, Inc.  She died in Palm Springs on November 12, 1977.  Funeral services were held on Wednesday, November 16 from the Wiefels & Son Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Jack Morrow, pastor of Desert Chapel, officiating.  Hazel was buried with Floyd in the Crest Lawn Cemetery in Naples, Florida. [12]

 

2 Emma L. Gast: 1875 - 1924
  +Archie James Hinkle: 1874 - 1953
  3 Gerald A. Hinkle: 1903 - 9 Nov 1904

 

Cemetery records indicate that Gerald A. Hinkle was born to Archie and Emma Hinkle in Michigan on April 16, 1903.  This would have made Gerald a twin brother to Gladys M. Hinkle.  Gerald died at 10:00 AM in Benton Harbor, Michigan on Wednesday, November 9, 1904 after a long illness.  Gerald was buried in Crystal Springs Cemetery. [13]

 

2 Emma L. Gast: 1875 - 1924
  +Archie James Hinkle: 1874 - 1953
  3 Gladys M. Hinkle: 17 Apr 1903 - 21 Feb 1957
    +Norman B. Sage: 2 Oct 1902 - 17 Aug 1947
    4 Norman J. Sage: ~1929 - Living?
    +Joseph Dana Cramer: 21 Aug 1888 - 4 Oct 1955

 

Gladys M. Hinkle was born to Archie and Emma Hinkle in Michigan on April 17, 1903.  She lived most of her life in Elkhart, Indiana.  Gladys married Norman B. Sage in the 1920s and they had a son, Norman J. Sage, around 1929.  After Norman Sr. died in 1947, Gladys married J. Dana Cramer on October 24, 1953 in Elkhart.  Gladys died at General Hospital in Elkhart on Thursday, February 21, 1957 after a three-month illness.  Funeral services were held at the Walley Funeral Home on the following Monday with the Rev. Elmer Baker of the First Congregational Church officiating.  Gladys was buried in Grace Lawn Cemetery in Elkhart. [14]

 

Norman B. Sage was born on October 2, 1902 in Elkhart, Indiana to Franklin and Jennie Sage.  He was a prominent realtor in the Elkhart area.  Norman married Gladys M. Hinkle on May 2, 1926.  He was a member of the local Elks Lodge and the Christiana County Club.  On Sunday, August 17, 1947 Norman drowned while swimming in the St. Joseph River with other family members.  He was noted as being an excellent swimmer.  Witness accounts said the there was no outcry and the rest of the party assumed Norman had returned to the house.  Upon finding his clothes at the house, they returned to the river and found him.  Artificial respiration was deployed for about twenty-five minutes to no avail.  An autopsy revealed that he had also suffered a heart attack, presumably while swimming.  His obituary was printed on the front page of the Elkhart Truth on Monday, August 18 and on page two on August 23, 1947.  Private funeral services were held the following Wednesday at the Sage home with the Rev. Russell B. Kern of the Trinity Methodist Church officiating.  Burial followed in Grace Lawn Cemetery. [15]

 

Joseph Dana Cramer was born on August 21, 1888 in Martinsville, Indiana to Dayton and Katherine Dana Cramer.  Mr. Cramer managed the Chase Bag Company in Goshen, Indiana until he retired in January of 1955.  He married Joyce M. Kinney in Elkhart in 1917, but she passed away in 1926.  He then married Myra E. Neidig in 1928, also in Elkhart.  Myra died in 1944.  Joseph married Gladys M. Hinkle Sage on October 24, 1953.  He died unexpectedly at his home shortly after midnight on Tuesday, October 4, 1955.  His obituary was printed on page two of the Elkhart Truth on October 4 and October 5, 1955.  Funeral services were held on Thursday at the First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Andrew Hardie officiating.  Burial was in Voilett Cemetery in Goshen. [16]

 

2 Emma L. Gast: 1875 - 1924
  +Archie James Hinkle: 1874 - 1953
  3 Mary L. Hinkle: 6 Aug 1911 - 1 Nov 1988
    +William J. Alford: 17 Jul 1907 - 30 Aug 1974
    4 Kathleen E. Alford: Unknown
    4 Timothy J. Alford: Unknown
    4 Patrick L. Alford: Unknown

 

Mary L. Hinkle was born to Archie and Emma Hinkle in Elkhart, Indiana on August 6, 1911.  After her mother dies in 1924, she went to live with her sister and brother-in-law, Norman and Gladys (Hinkle) Sage.  She was a winter resident of St. Petersburg, Florida from 1928 to 1931.  A teen-ager at the time, she enrolled at St. Petersburg Junior College to study biology.  She returned to Indiana to marry William J. Alford in 1941 and raise a family.  They lived in Elkhart and then South Bend.  Mary had a career as a medical technologist, but volunteering was a major part of her life.  In addition to working as a volunteer for the Red Cross in South Bend, she initiated the Reading for the Blind-Dyslexic Service.  After William died, Mary continued to live in South Bend until she returned to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1978.

 

Soon after moving to St. Petersburg, Mary quickly made her experience available to the local Red Cross chapter.  After two years as Chairman of Volunteers and then Chairman of the Volunteer Personnel Committee, she was appointed the position of Chairman of Disaster Volunteers in 1984 - just in time for Hurricane Elena the following year.  When the hurricane forced the evacuation of thousands of people into South Pinellas County shelters, Mary was the first volunteer called in.  During a 55-hour crisis, she alerted people who had agreed to serve during disasters, then went after new volunteers, eventually turning to professional nursing organizations to beg for more help.  When the crisis was over, her work was still not done: She had to send out letters thanking those who had helped.  For her work, the chapter's board of directors presented her with a marble and bronze plaque in November of 1985 and passed a resolution of its appreciation.  After moving to Seminole, Florida in 1986, Mary cut back on her Red Cross work, but still found time to spend a day a week at the St. Petersburg Free Clinic as a receptionist.  She also served as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels and the Largo Library.  Mary was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in St. Petersburg.

 

Mary Alford died on Tuesday, November 1, 1988 in Seminole, Florida in a fatal traffic accident that occurred near her residence.  Her obituary was printed in the St. Petersburg Times on November 4, 1988.  It also appeared on page B6 of the Elkhart Truth and on page C5 of The South Bend Tribune on the same day.  A memorial service was held at Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home on the following Friday.  A Funeral Mass was held at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Holy Cross Catholic Church.  Final services were in South Bend, Indiana with burial in St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger, Indiana. [17]

 

William J. Alford was born on July 17, 1907 in Dublin, Ireland.  In 1930, he immigrated to the United States and located in the South Bend area.  William married Mary L. Hinkle on November 21, 1941 in South Bend, Indiana.  During World War II, he served as a Captain in the Army Air Corps.  William retired from a career at the Midland Engineering Company, where he held the position of Controller.  He was a member of the Hibernians: Council 593, the Knights of Columbus, and the Holy Name Society of St. Matthew Cathedral.  William died at his home on Friday, August 30, 1974, after an extended illness.  His obituary was printed on page 28 of The South Bend Tribune on August 30, and on page 36 on September 1, 1974.  Funeral services were held on Tuesday, September 3, 1974 at St. Matthew Cathedral with Rev. Edmond Murray officiating.  Burial followed in St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park. [18]

 

1 Wilhelmina Hinz: 1848 - 1920
  +Edward C. Gast: 1844 - 1916
  2 Martha Marie Gast: 25 June 1879 - 25 Jan 1939
    +James U. Dwan: 26 May 1874 - 17 Jan 1970
    3 Marian M. Dwan: 1906 - 1998

 

Martha Marie Gast was born in Germany on June 25, 1879.  She married James Dwan on October 5, 1899 and they had a daughter Marion Dwan.  Martha's mother, Minnie, was listed in the 1920 census as living with the family shortly before she died.  Martha Dwan was a prominent member of St. John's Catholic Church, its Altar Society, and the Order of the Maccabees.  In December of 1938, she fell down the stairs in her home, sustaining a concussion and fractured ribs.  Martha died on Wednesday, January 25, 1939.  While she does not appear in any U.S. Census records with her parents' family, Edward Gast and Wilhelmina Hinz are listed as her parents on her entry in Michigan Deaths and Burials 1800-1995.  Her obituary also lists Albert, Henry, and Fred Gast as her brothers.  Martha was buried in Calvary Cemetery the following Saturday. [19]

 

James U. Dwan was born in Niles, Michigan on May 26, 1874.  He moved to Benton Harbor around 1894 and married Martha Marie Gast on October 5, 1899.  James Dwan was a well-known businessman in the Twin Cities area.  He built the luxurious Hotel Dwan and Mineral Bathhouse in Benton Harbor with his brother Edward Dwan in 1912 and ran it for several years.  He was also involved with several other businesses in St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, and Holland, Michigan.  Mr. Dwan was honored by the Benton Harbor American Legion Post 105 on his 85th birthday for a life-time of community service.  He was a member of St. John's Catholic Church and the Benton Harbor Elks Lodge No. 544.  James U. Dwan died in Mercy Hospital on the evening of January 17, 1970 at the age of 95.  He was buried with Martha in Calvary Cemetery. [20]

 

1 Wilhelmina Hinz: 1848 - 1920
  +Edward C. Gast: 1844 - 1916
  2 Grace Marie Gast: ~Mar 1881 - 9 Sep 1921
    +Wilbur Griffith Miller: 31 Dec 1878 - 10 Sep 1949
    3 James A. Miller: 1916 - 1995

 

Grace Marie Gast was born in Germany in March of 1881.  She is listed as a witness at the respective marriages of her brother Gustav, and sister Martha.  Grace is also listed as living with the family under the name Margaret in the 1900 U. S. Census.  On May 5, 1909, Grace Marie Gast married Wilbur Griffith Miller in St. Joseph, Michigan.  Mrs. Wilbur Miller of Lansing is listed as one of the surviving daughters in Wilhelmina Hinz Gast's obituary.  The 1920 census shows the couple living in Lansing, Michigan with a son, James A. Miller.  Mrs. Wilbur Miller died on Friday morning, September 9, 1921 at Mercy Hospital in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  Funeral services were held on the following Sunday at the home of her sister, Mrs. James Dwan.  The Rev. Percy V. Dawe of the St. Joseph Congregational Church rendered the eulogy and Grace was buried in Crystal Springs Cemetery in Benton Harbor. [23]

 

Wilbur Griffith Miller was born on December 30, 1878 in Michigan to John D. and Abbey McLaughlin Miller.  Wilbur married Grace Marie Gast on May 5, 1909 in St. Joseph, Michigan.  Their marriage license lists Wilbur's occupation as a machinist.  His 1918 World War I Draft Card lists him as a lathe foreman for the Reliance Engineering Company.  After Grace died, Wilbur remarried on September 18, 1926 with Jessie Elvira Blodgett in Munger (Bay County), Michigan and moved back to Benton Harbor.  Wilbur was a long-standing member of the Benton Harbor Elks Lodge No. 544, as well as the Lakeshore Masonic Lodge and the First Congregational Church.  He retired from the Seranac Machine Company in 1945.

 

Wilbur Griffith Miller died on September 10, 1949 at Mercy Hospital after a three month heart ailment.  A large number of mourners filled the funeral chapel when the Rev. Howard A. Blanning of the First Congregational Church conducted funeral services.  Past Grand Master Roscoe J. Burra of the Lake Shore Masonic Lodge, acting as chaplain, gave the Masonic funeral oration.  Wilbur was buried with Grace in Crystal Springs Cemetery.  Casket bearers included; Arthur Jennings, Nathan L. Dodson, Edward (unreadable), Harold Morse, Millard Larke, and Gale Smith.  Jessie raised Wilbur's son, James, as her own until her death in April of 1986. [24]

 

After the death of his wife, Mary (McCrina) Miller, James was married to Madeline Phillips.  James A. Miller died on Sunday, July 23, 1995 at Berrien General Hospital in Berrien Center, Michigan.  Funeral services were held on Wednesday at the Dey-Florin Chapel in St. Joseph.  He was buried in Crystal Springs Cemetery in Benton Harbor. [25]

 

Mary Teresa McCrina was born on April 6, 1918 in Coburn, Pennsylvania to Frank and Edna (Keen) McCrina.  She graduated from Williamsport (PA) High School and then from Bucknell University in 1940.  Mary served in the U. S. Signal Corps and was stationed in Chicago.  She married James Miller on July 6, 1943.  Mary continued her teaching position at Williamsport High School while her husband completed his obligation to the U. S. Army.  She served several years as her class reporter for the Bucknell University alumni magazine, writing updates about the lives of her and her fellow Bucknellian classmates.  The Frank and Edna Keen McCrina Memorial Scholarship at Bucknell University was established through a bequest from Mary McCrina Miller in memory of her parents.  Preferences for the scholarship are given to students majoring in the humanities.  In 1969, Mr. and Mrs. James Miller were living in Benton Harbor when their only daughter, Martha Dwan Miller, married Carlton Wesley Depner.  She was a volunteer for the Department of Social Services and a member of the Ossoli Club.  Mary died at home on October 3, 1989.  Her body was donated to the University of Michigan Medical School and a memorial service was held later at the First Congregational Church where she was a member.  A marker was placed in the Fairview Cemetery in Milheim, Pennsylvania. [26]

 

Madeline Phillips was born October 23, 1916 in Benton Harbor to Oscar and Elsie Phillips.  She graduated from Benton Harbor High School, teaching dance in the area in her early years.  Much of her childhood was spent at the House of David, often found riding their float in the Blossom Parade as her father was a police officer for them for over forty years.  She then moved to Chicago and commuted to Sister Lakes on weekends with her family for many years.  Later she built a home with her first husband, Solan Emery on the Islands of Paw Paw Lake.  In the late 1980's, she married James A. Miller.  Madeline died on December 31, 2008 and was cremated.  Her ashes were buried next to her parents in Crystal Springs Cemetery in Benton Harbor. [27]

 

1 Wilhelmina Hinz: 1848 - 1920
  +Edward C. Gast: 1844 - 1916
  2 Edward August Gast: 4 Nov 1882 - 24 Jul 1933
    +Clara Anna Wilson: 19 Oct 1884 - 05 Feb 1963
    3 Edward W. Gast: 1912 - 1986
    3 Harold Myron Gast: 1917 - 1979

 

Edward August Gast was born on November 4, 1882 in Covert, Michigan.  He was the first member of the Gast family to be born in the United States.  Edward married Clara Anna Wilson in Chicago (Cook County), Illinois on June 4, 1906.  They made their home in St. Joseph, Michigan where Edward began his business career as a clerk in the E. S. Gurran Drug Store.  Together with Charles Schaefer, Edward founded the Gast Drug Company.  He continued in the pharmaceutical business until around 1923.  Edward was also prominent in local Republican politics.  He was appointed to the position of Postmaster by U. S. Congressman John C. Ketcham on February 16, 1922.  Edward served eight years as the Postmaster in the St. Joseph Post Office.  He was active in many civic projects, notably the Blossom Festival, the Twin Cities Civic Music Association, and the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club.  Edward served as president of the Rotary Club and was a member of the board of directors of Mercy Hospital.  He was also a member of the local Masonic and Elks Lodges, as well as the Berrien Hills Country Club.

 

Edward died on Monday, July 24, 1933 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head while at home.  He had reportedly been despondent over his failing health.  Funeral services were conducted the following Wednesday at the First Congregational Church.  The Rev. George Horst, pastor of the church, officiated.  Burial was in Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph. [28]

 

Clara Anna Wilson was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 19, 1884 to Frederick W. and Mary Wilson.  She married Edward August Gast in Chicago, Illinois on June 4, 1906 and they had two sons, Edward W. and Harold Myron Gast (Myron was also the name of Clara's younger brother).  Clara was a member of the Knights of the Maccabees and the St. Joseph Order of the Eastern Star.  Clara died in the Alma Masonic Home in Alma (Gratiot County), Michigan on Tuesday, February 5, 1963.  She was 78.  Funeral services were held on the following Friday at the Kerlikowske, Starks & Beatty Funeral Home with the Rev. Frank O. Kruger of the First Christian Church, Benton Harbor, officiating.  A group of employees from Theisen-Clemens Co. formed an honor guard outside the funeral home.  Casket bearers were George, A. Karl, and Robert Gast, Jim Miller, and Wilbur and Clarence Wendt.  Clara was buried in Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph. [29]

 

2 Edward August Gast: 1882 - 1933
  +Clara Anna Wilson: 1884 - 1963
  3 Edward W. Gast: 17 Feb 1912 - 30 Apr 1986
    +Sue N. McCaw: 30 Sep 1919 - 28 Oct 1988
    4 Edward Harold Gast: 1938 - 1993
    4 Paul Charles Gast: Living
    4 Kathryn A. Gast: Living
    +Lorraine Margaret O'Neill: 6 Dec 1918 - 28 Jun 1982

 

Edward W. Gast was born to Edward and Clara Gast on February 17, 1912 in Michigan.  He served as best man at his brother's wedding in 1940.  The 1940 U. S. Census lists him as living in South Bend, Indiana with his wife, Sue, and sons; Edward (age two), and Paul Charles (infant).  They would later have a daughter before divorcing.  At some point, it appears, Edward moved to St. Joseph, Michigan.  In a newspaper article in the Benton Harbor News Palladium on November 10, 1971 Edward was announced as a candidate for the St. Joseph Elks Lodge No. 541.  His cousin Robert H. Gast was listed as a sponsor.  Edward died on April 30, 1986 and he was buried in Oakridge-Glen Oak Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois. [30]

 

Nina Sue McCaw was born around 1921 in Indiana to Blish and Mary (Myers) McCaw.  Her father appears in the City Directory for Indianapolis in 1922, but not afterward.  She married Edward W. Gast around 1937 and they had two sons and a daughter.  The 1940 U. S. Census shows them living in South Bend, Indiana.  Unfortunately, the marriage ended in divorce as she later married Paul V. Jackey and they had three more sons.  Nina died in South Bend on October 28, 1988.   She was buried in Riverview Cemetery in South Bend. [31]

 

Lorraine Margaret O'Neill was born in Chicago on December 6, 1918.  She married Edward W. Gast on February 9, 1949 in LaPorte County, Indiana.  In December of 1973, Mrs. Edward W. Gast, of 2900 Cleveland, was admitted to Memorial Hospital in St. Joseph, Michigan.  Lorraine died on June 28, 1982 in St. Joseph.  She was buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois. [32]

 

 

2 Edward August Gast: 1882 - 1933
  +Clara Anna Wilson: 1884 - 1963
  3 Harold Myron Gast: 13 Feb 1917 - 30 Jul 1979
    +Dorothy E. Wendt: 9 Apr 1922 - 13 Jul 2009
    4 Linda Gast: Unknown
    4 Clara Gast: Unknown
    4 Harold Edward Gast: Unknown

 

Harold Myron Gast was born to Edward and Clara Gast in 1917 in Michigan.  He graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1934.  Harold married Dorothy E. Wendt on November 16, 1940.  In 1944, Harold graduated from the Naval Training School for diesel students located at the Naval Air Technical Training Center, Navy Pier in Chicago as a Fireman, first class.  He and Dorothy settled in Benton Harbor and raised two daughters and a son.  Harold died on July 30, 1979 and was buried in Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph. [33]

 

Dorothy E. Wendt was born on April 9, 1922, in St. Joseph, to Adam and Melinda (Ferus) Wendt.  She had two brothers, Clarence and Wilbur, and two sisters, Phyllis and Marilyn.  Dorothy married Harold Myron Gast on November 16, 1940 at the First Congregational Church in St. Joseph, Michigan.  She loved spending time in her flower garden and bird watching.  Dorothy loved to be on the go, whether on weekend trips camping in Baldwin, visiting family and friends or going to the church mission house on Crystal Lake in Frankfort, Michigan.  She was a licensed daycare provider for over 60 years and spent over 30 years as a Sunday school teacher, choir member and the financial secretary at Riverview Park Christian Church.  She also was a member of the Lady Maccabees.  Dorothy died on July 13, 2009 and was buried with her husband in Riverview Cemetery. [34]

 

Albert Karl (A. K.) Gast was born in November 1884.  On October 2, 1915 he married Maitland Piper in Washington, D.C.  Albert was the founder and president of the Star Shade Cutter Company, a firm that produces machines used for cutting window shades.  He established the business in 1907 and registered several patents for inventions pertaining to his company's products.  The company is still in business, and is still family-owned.

 

A. K. died on Monday, August 13, 1956 and was buried in Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph, Michigan on Thursday after a private funeral.  The Rev. Wayne E. Weiz of St. Peter's Evangelical and Reformed Church officiated.  Casket bearers included Elmer Cress, Fred Palenske, Charles Gore, Warren Correll, Nathan Preston, and John Preston. [35]

 

Geraldine Maitland Piper Gertman was born on August 25, 1887 in Pennsylvania to Gerald and Minnie (Deith) Piper.  She married Albert Karl Gast in Washington D. C. on October 2, 1915.  Her engagement announcement was published in the Washington Post on June 13, 1915.  A. K. and Maitland lived in Ohio after they were married.  The 1920 U. S. Census lists them, along with Florence and George, as living with her mother and step-father in Washington D. C.  Eventually they settled in St. Joseph, Michigan in the early 1920's.  Their last two children were born in Michigan.  In February of 1940 Maitland attended the graduation of her oldest daughter, Florence, from George Washington University in Washington D. C.  Maitland died at home in St. Joseph on May 23, 1963 and was buried with Albert in Riverview Cemetery. [36]

 

2 Albert Karl Gast: 1884 - 1956
  +Maitland Piper: 1887 - 1963
  3 George Gertman Gast: 09 May 1919 - 13 Nov 1999
    +Wilma Lucille Gruner: 30 Aug 1920 - 1 Aug 1981
    4 Georgia Ann Gast: Living
    4 Michael Philip Gast: Living
    4 David Albert Gast: Living
    +Janet Patricia O'Green Chinery: 26 Feb 1930 - 23 Oct 2002

 

George Gertman Gast was born to Albert and Maitland Gast on May 9, 1919 in Defiance, Ohio.  He graduated from St. Joseph (Michigan) High School and then the University of Illinois.  George enlisted in the U. S. Army in Kalamazoo, Michigan on July 16, 1941.  His enlistment records indicate he had completed four years of college, was single with no dependents, and had an occupation of actor.  George first served in the Military Police at Fort Dix, New Jersey.  Service notes later published in the News-Palladium in 1942 indicate he completed flight training as was serving with the Army Air Force.  He received an honorable discharge in October of 1945 and returned to St. Joseph with his wife, the former Wilma Lucille Gruner, whom he had married in 1943.  In St. Joseph, George and Wilma raised three children and he was a co-owner of the Star Shade Cutter Company.  George was a life-member of the St. Joseph Elks Lodge No. 541.  He was also a member of the Berrien Hills Country Club.  After Wilma died, George married Janet P. Chinery.  He died on November 13, 1999.  Funeral services were held at the Kerley & Starks Funeral Home in St. Joseph and George Gertman Gast was buried in Riverview Cemetery. [38]

 

Wilma Lucille Gruner was born on August 30, 1920 to Mr. and Mrs. Carl Gruner.  She married George Gertman Gast in early 1943 and they had three children.  Wilma died on August 1, 1981 and was buried in Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph, Michigan. [39]

 

Janet Patricia O'Green was born on February 26, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois to Harold and Florence O'Green.  She married Randall Nye Chinery and had two daughters and a son.  Later Janet married George Gertman Gast.  She died on October 23, 2002 in Alpena, Michigan and was buried in Riverview Cemetery in St. Joseph. [40]

 

2 Albert Karl Gast: 1884 - 1956
  +Maitland Piper: 1887 - 1963
  3 Albert Karl Gast, Jr.: 19 Jun 1922 - 7 Jul 2019
    +Mary J. Goode: 5 Sep 1923 – 1 Feb 2019
    4 Margaret M. Gast: Living
    4 Karla J. Gast: Living
    4 Elizabeth G. Gast: Living
    4 Mary F. Gast: Living
    4 Andrea K. Gast: Living

 

Albert K. Gast, Jr. was born to Albert and Maitland Gast in Michigan on June 19, 1922.  He served in the U. S. Army Air Corp during World War II.  Albert received training as a hydraulics specialist in Amarillo, Texas and Chanute Field, Illinois.  In 1948 he and his brother, George, were ushers at the wedding of their younger sister, Martha.

Karl worked for, and co-owned, the Star Shade Cutter Company for fifty-three years.  He was a proud member of the Riverview Park Christian Church, where he taught Adult Sunday School and was involved in many other church activities.  Karl was active in the St. Joseph Rotary Club, the Syndicate Investment Club and the Public Housing Commis-sion of St. Joseph.  While Karl enjoyed playing basketball in his younger years, his favorite hobby was golf.  He was a member of Berrien Hills Country Club and The Point O’ Woods Country Club, where he was the last living Charter Member.  What Karl loved more than anything, however, was his family.  He loved being surrounded by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren laughing and making memories.

Karl “AK” Gast, Jr., passed away on Sunday, July 7, 2019 at Caretel Inns of Lakeland in St. Joseph, Michigan.  A Celebration of Life Service was held on Sunday, July 28, 2019 at the Starks & Menchinger Chapel in St. Joseph with the Rev. David Stout officiating.  A private family burial was held at a later date at Riverview Cemetery. [41]

 

Mary Jane Goode was born to Grover and Margaret (Tribble) Goode in Dallas, Texas on September 5, 1923.  After graduating from Amarillo (Texas) High School she attended nursing school in Amarillo, Texas.  It was there that she met and married Albert Karl Gast, Jr.  Upon his return from the service in 1946, they relocated to his hometown of St. Joseph, Michigan, where they raised five daughters.

Throughout her life, Mary was involved in the Riverview Park Christian Church where she served in various capacities, such as; an elder, Sunday school teacher, youth leader as well as on the church board.  During her life, she was actively involved in other community organizations including the Indian Hills Garden Club, Civic Benefit, Planned Parenthood and the Girl Scouts.  Her greatest passion and accomplishment was founding Hospice at Home in 1981, the first hospice in Berrien County.

Mary “Jane” Gast passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on February 1, 2019.  A Celebration of Life Service was held on Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at the Starks & Menchinger Chapel, in St. Joseph with the Rev. David Stout officiating.  Burial followed in Riverview cemetery in St. Joseph . [42]

 

2 Albert Karl Gast: 1884 - 1956
  +Maitland Piper: 1887 - 1963
  3 Martha Maitland Gast: 16 Jul 1925 - 4 Jul 2016
    +William A. Thomas, Jr.: 11 Jul 1919 - 27 Jan 2000
    4 Christopher M. Thomas: Living
    4 Peter C. Thomas: Living
    4 Martha Thomas: Living
    4 Catherine Thomas: Living
    4 Anne Thomas: Living
    4 William N. Thomas: Living
    4 Rebekah Thomas: Living

 

Martha Maitland ‘Mickey’ Gast was born to Albert and Maitland (Piper) Gast on July 16, 1925 in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  She graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1943, attended Michigan State College and earned a B.A. from St. Mary’s College, South Bend, Indiana.  She entered the work world as a reporter with the Herald Press where she worked until her marriage in 1948.  In 1948 Martha married William A. Thomas, Jr. at the Annie Banyon Memorial Chapel of the First Congregational Church in St. Joseph.  Together, they raised seven children.  Mickey and Bill complemented their child rearing with travel and sailing up and down the Michigan coastline and the North Channel with close friends, Liz and Dean Hudnutt and Fred and Cindy Grootendorst.

She was an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in St. Joseph where she wor-shipped and strengthened her faith.  She belonged to the St. Joseph River Yacht Club where she was lovingly embraced by the next generation.  She actively participated in numerous community activities, including the Berrien County Bicentennial Commission, Civic Benefit, Cotillion, Indian Hills Garden Club and various bridge clubs. Mickey persevered through breast cancer, leukemia, and multiple orthopedic issues steeling herself for the journey to age 90.

Maitland Gast Thomas, died on July 4, 2016 in St. Joseph, Michigan in the home where she was raised.  A Celebration of Life was be held on Tuesday, July 19 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in St. Joseph, Michigan. [43]

 

William A. Thomas, Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois to Dr. William A. Thomas and Ruth Newberry Thomas on July 11, 1919.  After attending the University of Chicago for medical studies, he enlisted in the Unites States Marine Corp.  William served in several South Pacific campaigns performing radar duties.  After his time in the military, William settled in St. Joseph, Michigan.  In 1948 he married Martha Maitland Gast at the First Congregational Church of St. Joseph.  At the time of the wedding, he was employed at the Nineteen Hundred Corporation (Whirlpool) where he was a Process Engineer until his retirement in 1984.  William Alexander Thomas died on January 27, 2000. [44]

 

1 Wilhelmina Hinz: 1848 - 1920
  +Edward C. Gast: 1844 - 1916
  2 Henry H. Gast: 06 Sep 1887 - 11 Jul 1954
    +Marguerite Hinds: ~1892 - Unknown
    3 Robert H. Gast: 1913 - 1991
    3 Charles E. Gast: 1915 - 1959
    +Enid May (Barnhardt) Kammerer: 9 Jul 1891 - 14 May 1973

 

Henry H. Gast was born to Edward and Minnie Gast on September 6, 1887.  He married Marguerite Hinds on November 25, 1912.  On January 15, 1934 Henry filed for divorce from Marguerite, claiming she had deserted him in 1919.  He later married Enid Kammerer on November 18, 1936.  Henry was a prominently known salesman at the Twin City Chevrolet automobile dealership for twenty-two years.  He was also a life member of the St. Joseph Elks Lodge.

Henry died at his home on July 11, 1954.  Funeral services were held at the Kerlikowske chapel in St. Joseph with the Rev. W. W. Wetz of St. Peter's Evangelical Church officiating.  Henry was buried in Riverview Cemetery.  Edward Cudmore, Vern Arent, C. A. Schultz, William Berry, Sr., Chester Marshall and Jay Warden served as casket bearers.  Charles Archutt, Claude Baker, Harvey Seasongood, Jack Beistle, Charles Sanders and Jack Johnson were listed as honorary casket bearers. [45]

 

Marguerite Hinds was the wife of Henry H. Gast.  She was born around 1892.  Marguerite married Henry Gast on November 25, 1912.  They had two sons; Robert H. and Charles E. Gast.  Marguerite is not listed with the family in the 1930 U.S. Census.  When her son Charles was married in 1936, her name appeared in a post-nuptial article as a honeymoon destination in Chicago for the newlyweds.  In the obituary of her son Charles, in 1959, Mrs. Arthur Friedman of Chicago is listed as his surviving mother. [46]

 

Enid May Barnhardt was born in Ontario, Canada on July 9, 1891.  She immigrated to the United States in 1920.  Enid and Henry married on November 18, 1936.  Enid had four daughters from previous marriages; Lorraine, Ardelle, and Marjorie Crane, and Patricia Kammerer.  Enid died on May 14, 1973 while visiting her daughter Marjorie in Stuart, Florida.  Funeral Services were held on Friday, May 18, 1973 at Kerly & Starks Funeral Home with Rev. George Horst officiating.  She was buried in Riverview Cemetery. [47]

 

2 Henry H. Gast: 1887 - 1954
  +Marguerite Hinds: ~1892 - Unknown
  3 Robert H. Gast: 09 Dec 1913 - 22 Apr 1991
    +June Thompson: 29 Apr 1919 - 5 Jun 1982
    4 Barbara J. Gast: Unknown
    4 Victoria A. Gast: Unknown

 

Robert Henry Gast was born to Henry and Marguerite Gast on December 9, 1913 in Danville, Illinois.  He married June Thompson on January 21, 1939 in South Bend, Indiana.  The couple was granted a divorce on May 20, 1940.  He was drafted into the U. S. Army in 1941 and spent a year in training at Fort Monmouth, N.Y.  Afterwards, Robert was transferred to the Signal Corps headquarters on Governor's Island in New York.  Robert later remarried (June) and, on D-Day, had a daughter, Barbara June Gast.  A service note published in the Benton Harbor News Palladium on February 3, 1945 stated that Sgt. Robert Gast was one of sixty soldiers on a work furlough to assist in a worker shortage at the Dayton Rubber Manufacturing Company.  After the war, Robert became a foreman at the Industrial Rubber Company in St. Joseph.  He retired from that position.  On October 3, 1964 Robert gave his daughter, Barbara, away at the altar when she married Edward Wise at the Zion Evangelical Reformed Church in St. Joseph.  In a newspaper article in the Benton Harbor News Palladium on November 10, 1971 Robert was listed as a sponsor for new members of the St. Joseph Elks Lodge 541.  His cousin, Edward W. Gast, was listed among the candidates.  Robert gave his daughter, Victoria, away at the altar when she married Raymond Russell, Jr. at the Zion Evangelical Reformed Church in St. Joseph on August 6, 1973.

Robert died from cancer on Monday, April 22, 1991 at Berrien General Hospital in Berrien Center, Michigan.  Funeral services were held on Wednesday at Kerley & Starks Funeral Home in St. Joseph. [48]

 

June Rose Thompson was born on April 29, 1919 in Churubusco, Indiana to Guy and Ida (Miller) Thompson.  She appears with her family in the 1920 U. S. Census in Smith Township, Whitley County, Indiana.  The family appears in the 1930 census in Coloma, Michigan.  June married Robert Henry Gast on January 21, 1939 in South Bend, Indiana.  A Michigan Death Certificate lists the death of a male infant on September 6, 1939 who had been born the previous day in Benton Harbor to Robert Gast and Jane Thompson.  Although the Benton Harbor News Palladium reported they were granted a divorce on May 20, 1940, Robert and June apparently remarried and had two daughters; Barbara June and Victoria Ann Gast.  Mrs. Robert H. Gast was listed in several local newspaper articles as being active in area charities and causes including the Michigan Heart Association.  She retired as a secretary from the Whirlpool Corporation in St. Joseph in 1976.  June was also a member of the Whirlpool Oldtimers Club and a board member of the YMCA.  June Rose Thompson Gast died on June 5, 1982 at Memorial Hospital in St. Joseph.  Her body was cremated and her ashes were interred in North Shore Memory Gardens. [49]

 

Mary Alice Warren was the first wife of Charles E. Gast.  She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. N. Warren of Benton Harbor.  Mary Alice and Charles were married in South Bend, Indiana on June 29, 1936.  When they divorced in 1939 Mary Alice reverted to her maiden name of Warren.  They had no children together.  No other information about Mary Alice has been located. [51]

 

Doris E. Mitchell was the second wife of Charles E. Gast.  Doris was a daughter of local fire chief William Hudson Mitchell.  She and Charles were married in South Bend, Indiana on September 25, 1939.  In the 1940 census she is listed as living with her parents.  Doris and Charles were granted a divorce in July of 1946.  At the time of her father's death in 1972, she was listed in the obituary as Mrs. Thomas Lupton.  No other information about her has been located. [52]

 

Mary Virginia Thomas was the third wife of Charles E. Gast.  Virginia was born to Clay and Rena Thomas on May 6, 1923 in Lyford, Indiana.  In the 1940 US Census she is listed with her parents, two sisters and one brother in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  In early August, 1946 she and Charles E. Gast filed for a marriage license.  They married over the following weekend.  In October of 1947, Virginia gave birth to the couple's only child, a daughter whom they named Sandra.  According to family accounts, Virginia moved to Texas after divorcing Charles in 1951, taking Sandra with her, and later remarried.  Mary Virginia Chapman died in Arlington, Texas on December 27, 2008 of natural causes.  No other information about her has been located at this time. [53]

 

Lois Gast was the fourth wife of Charles E. Gast.  She is listed on her husband's death certificate and in his obituary, but no other information about her has been found. [54]

 

1 Wilhelmina Hinz: 1848 - 1920
  +Edward C. Gast: 1844 - 1916
  2 Frederick William Gast: 09 Jan 1889 - 29 Feb 1956
    +Edna Mae Bassett: 01 Oct 1893 - Jan 1941
    3 Frederick Charles Gast: 1916 - 1987
    3 Garrett Ainsworth Gast: 1918 - 2010
    3 Graydon Gast: 1923 - 1988
    +Minnie Gross: Aug 1896 - 22 Dec 1956

 

The youngest son of Edward and Minnie Gast, Frederick Gast was born in January of 1889.  He met Edna Mae Bassett in St. Joseph in the summer of 1913.  They married in Anderson, Indiana on February 23, 1914.  Fred and Edna Mae lived in Bridgman, Michigan until shortly after the stock market crash of 1929.  In the 1920s Fred was the treasurer of the Bridgman State Bank and owned several other local businesses.  The great depression hit the family hard.  The bank and Fred's other businesses were closed.  With no means of income in Bridgman, the family moved to Chicago to live with one of Edna Mae's aunts.

Life did not improve and in 1931 the family relocated to Corbett, Oregon where Fred and Edna reopened and operated the Crown Pointe Chalet, a restaurant at the west end of the Columbia River Gorge.  The Chalet, was changed into an authentic German restaurant.  The Chalet provided the most authentic German food in the area.  According to family lore, the Chalet hosted officers and crew of the last German naval ship (a cruiser) to call in Portland before the Second World War.  Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed after just a couple of years due to the poor economic conditions and the family moved to Portland.

In the 1940 U. S. Census, Fred and his wife, Mae B. Gast, are listed as living in Portland, Oregon with their two youngest sons, Garrett and Graydon.  After Edna Mae died, Fred married Minnie B. Gross.  In Portland, Fred supported the family by holding a number of jobs; movie theater manager, life insurance agent, and Social Security Administration Administrator for Multnomah County, Oregon.  His last position was Comptroller for Poole, Maghonigal, and Dick, a local structural steel fabricator.

Fred died in his home in Portland, Oregon on February 29, 1956.  His remains were entombed at Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Mausoleum after his funeral on March 3, 1956. [55]

 

Edna Mae Bassett was born on October 2, 1893 in Indiana to Charles and Carrie Ann (Ainsworth) Bassett.  Her father's family lineage has been traced back to William Bassett and the founders of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts.  It is through the Bassett family that Gast decedents are directly related to Miles Standish and John Alden, signers of the Mayflower Compact.

One of ten children, Edna grew up in Anderson, Indiana where her father operated a jewelry store until he died suddenly in 1912.  Edna married Frederick Gast at her mother's home in Anderson, Indiana on Monday, February 23, 1914.  From the account in the Anderson Herald on the following Saturday, news of the marriage came as a surprise to local friends.  The couple had intended to keep the union secret until the following Monday, but the newspaper announcement preceded that by two days.  Fred and Edna Mae made their home in Bridgman, Michigan where they had three sons; Frederick C., Garrett A., and Graydon Gast.  In 1932 she moved to Oregon with her family and helped run the Crown Point Chalet as the family emerged from the grips of the depression.  The Chalet quickly became known for providing the most authentic German food in the area.  Head cook Edna Mae's specialty was a German Sauerbraten recipe that had been passed on to her from Wilhelmina Hinz Gast.  This recipe has since been passed on and enjoyed as the traditional dish for Gast family holiday dinners.

Edna's mother died while visiting the family in Portland in 1937.  Edna Mae Gast died in 1941 in Portland.  She is interred in a niche with her son Fred and his wife, Rosalind, in the mausoleum at River View Cemetery in Portland. [56]

 

Minnie Gross was born in August of 1896.  In the U. S. Census for 1900, she is listed as living with her widowed mother Francis and sister Bertha in Athena Town, Umatilla, Oregon.  She married Fred Gast sometime after 1940.  According to family accounts, Minnie's family owned a large wheat farm in northeastern Oregon and she held an interest in that farm well into her latter years.  Minnie died on December 22, 1956 and her remains were entombed with Fred's at Wilhelm's Portland Memorial Mausoleum. [57]

 

 

Rosalind Pauline Ferris was born on June 24, 1918 to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Longine Ferris in Portland.  She attended Grant High School.  Rosalind married Fred Gast in 1937 and they raised two sons.  As Mrs. Gast, she was appointed and elected to head several women's and civic organization, for a period of 14 years beginning in 1956 and continuing through 1970.

She was elected president in 1960 of the Oregon Federation of Women's Clubs, and was appointed during the 1960s by Oregon Governors.  Mark O. Hatfield and Tom McCall to the Oregon Council on Crime and Delinquency, the Governor's Committee for Children and Youth and the Governor's Advisory Committee on Arts and Humanities.

In 1963, Rosalind was selected as one of four panelists to appear with Secretary of State Dean Rusk on the premiere of the television series "Women on the Move," a show that addressed world affairs.  At the time she was first vice president of the Western States Conference of the General Federation of Women's Clubs.  Rosalind also was elected recording secretary of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, a nationwide organization, and served as president of the Salem Junior Women's Clubs, Portland Zenith Club, and Marion County Federation of Women's Clubs.  Her activities also included membership in the Japanese Garden Society, Portland President's Club and Portland Sorosis.

Rosalind died in a Portland hospital on August 26, 1985.  After funeral services, held at the Riverview Cemetery Chapel on Friday, August 30, her remains were interred in a niche at the Riverview Cemetery Mausoleum in Portland. [59]

 

2 Frederick William Gast: 1889 - 1956
  +Edna Mae Bassett: 1893 - 1941
  3 Garrett Ainsworth Gast: 28 Apr 1918 - 9 Jan 2010
  +Joan E. Huggins: 8 Apr 1921 – 18 Aug 2018
    4 Garry Graydon Gast: Living
    4 David Warren Gast: Living
    4 Betsy Gast: Living

 

The middle son of Fred and Edna Mae was Garrett Ainsworth Gast.  He was born April 28, 1918 in Bridgman, Michigan.  As a young teen, Garry won the Michigan State Junior Violin Championship.  When the Great Depression hit, he relocated with his family to Chicago, and then Portland, Oregon.  While attending Grant High School in Portland, Garry met Joan Huggins.  They married in 1942.  During World War II, Garrett was a Second Lieutenant stationed at Camp Hale, Colorado in the Tenth Mountain Division (ski troops).  Following the war he returned to Oregon and founded the Mount Hood Ski School.  In 1950 the family moved to Marin County, California where they raised their three children; Garrett Graydon, David Warren, and Betsy Gast.  An avid sailor, Garry then moved the family to Belvedere, California where he was an active member of the San Francisco Yacht Club.  Garry enjoyed a successful career in the furniture business as a manufacturer's representative from 1950 until he retired in 1981.  In 1989 he and Joan moved to Gig Harbor, Washington.  There, he was a 20-year member of the Canterwood Golf Club where played golf daily.  His last nine holes were played on January 4, 2010.  Garrett Ainsworth Gast died peacefully on January 9, 2010 at age ninety-one with his family at his side. [60]

 

Joan Elizabeth Huggins was born in Portland Oregon on April 8, 1921.  She was the eldest daughter of Chester and Hilda Huggins.  Joan met Garrett Gast while they were students in Grant High School in Portland.  They married in 1942.  After World War II Joan and Garrett moved back to Portland where they raised two sons and a daughter.  Joan, along with Garrett, was a member of the Cascade Ski Club and later help found the Mt. Hood Ski School.  After moving the family to Belvedere, California in 1959, Joan was active in the Women’s Auxiliary of the San Francisco Yacht Club for many years.  She was a volunteer at the Sunny Hills Orphanage and participated in a needlework club.  Joan also enjoyed painting, sewing and all kinds of crafts.  In 1989 Joan and Garrett moved to Gig Harbor, Washington where Joan joined the 9 Hole Girls golfing group at Canterwood Golf and Country Club.  After Garrett’s death, Joan lived independently.  In 2014 she moved to Orange County, California to be closer to family.  Joan Elizabeth Gast died peacefully, surrounded by her family, on August 18, 2018 at the age of 97. [61]

 

 

The youngest son of Fred and Edna Mae was Graydon Gast.  He was born on May 5, 1923 in Bridgman, Michigan.  When the Great Depression hit, he moved with his family to Chicago, then Oregon.  He was seventeen when his mother died from blood poisoning in 1940.  After graduating from high school, Graydon enrolled in the Navy.  Being placed as a gunnery officer, he lost hearing in one ear after a year of duty and was given an honorable discharge.  He began his private life working in a warehouse in Portland, Oregon.  When he was promoted to a sales position, he moved to Seattle, Washington.  It was in Seattle that Graydon met Rosemary Monley while on a blind date.  They married in 1948.  Graydon 'Dick' Gast died from an inoperable brain tumor on October 3, 1988.  His remains were cremated and a memorial marker was placed in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Petaluma, California. [62]

 

Rosemary Monley was the daughter of Howard and Katherine (Kelly) Monley of Grand Forks, North Dakota.  She was born on May 19, 1926 in Grand Forks.  Rosemary met Graydon Gast in Seattle on a blind date and they married in 1948.  They raised five daughters and two sons.  Rosemary was an active parishioner and choir member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Larkspur, California.  Rosemary Gast, age 75 years, died in Petaluma, California on Sunday, April 14, 2002, after a long illness due to Alzheimer's Disease.  Her remains were cremated and a memorial marker was placed in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Petaluma, California. [63]