| Notes |
- Biography
RALPH ANGUS STEADMAN, (known as Angus) was born in Velisca, Iowa on
November 9, 1894, the son of Joe Steadman and Grace Crocker Steadman. At that time,
his father, Joe, was an engineer on the Union Pacific Railroad. When they left Iowa, they
moved to Moncton, New Brunswick, then to Kearney, Nebr"sim, where Joe was an
insurance salesman and Grace became Dean of Music at Kearney Teacher's College.
While his folks lived in Kearney, Angus worked for the Diamond Match
Company in California, but with the start of World War J, he returned to the Midwest,
and enlisted in the Calvary. He went to OCS and graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant. He
taught equitation in the Calvary until transferring to the 101h Field Artillery, 3rd Division,
where he was sent to Douglas, Arizona before being sent overseas.
While in Kearney, he met Margaret Dick, daughter of the President ofKeamey
Teachers College. They were mamed in Douglas Arizonajust two months before Angus
was sbipped overseas, to be gone for two years.
The 10'" Field Artillery, 31<1 Division was in five major engagements in France and
Germany. Duringlhat time, Angus was awarded the Silver Star for bmvery in action. At
the end of the hostilities, he was stationed in the Anny ofOc<:upation in Germany, before
finally being sent home.
When he returned home, he and Margaret homesteaded in Wyoming, and proved
up on a homestead there. They retumed to Madison, Wisconsin, whCTe Margaret's
parents were living and while Angus took a degree in Rural Engineering in the
Agricultural School, Margaret taught music in an elementary school. Following his
graduation, they moved to Wauwatosa, where Angus taught Agriculture in the high
school.
Following Angus' father's stroke, Grace Stndman was asked to move from
Kearney, Nebraska to Mansfield, Pennsylvania to head up the music department at the
Teacher's Col!ege. When Angus and Margaret moved to Pennsylvania to be with his
folks, they bought a farm (known as the Sanitarium Farm, 10 miles outside Mansfield)
where Joe raised chicken;; and Angus fanned.
With the depression, Angus returned to teaching and taught in the high school in
Hershey, Pennsylvania for two years, moved back to Madison, Wisconsin for refresher
courses, before moving back to Mansfield to return to the farm.
While back at the farm, Angus took an associa;e degree in Civil Engineering from
Cornell University in Ithaca, New York:. TIris led to his being hired by the REA to design
and build tbe electric lines thru the counties in Pennsylvania. lk, in tum., hired two
graduating engineers from Cornell University - Don Chaffee and Don Gordon - to wor.k
on the project with him. At that time, the "headquarters" were in a small wooden
building located where the present REA building now stands.
In 1939, when the project was completed in Pennsylvania, he was interviewed in
New York City for two different jobs, and after being told to "name his O"Wll salary",
accepted one which would take him to North Carolina. to install REA lines there. Just
before he was to leave for North Carolina, he had a major heart attack, but insisted on
going anyway. He was there for 6 months, and with the help of Don Gordon, was able to
finish the project
When he returned home, he realized that he could not continue to work, and spent
the remainder of his time tied to his bed. He passed away in February 1941 and is buried
with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery, Washington D.C.,
http://tri-countyrec.coopwebbuilder.com/sites/tri-countyrec.coopwebbuilder.com/files/about_angus_steadman.pdf
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New Brunswick Families
1894 - 1941 (46 years)