Person:Eugene van Dorn (1)

Information from Olive Mary Rich Hovdey 1995: Eugene "Rich" was born in Cottonwood, Idaho, delivered by his grandmother Lizzie Hunter Rich. The birth was difficult and his mother developed many problems developing into cancer in later years. He was sent to spend summers at the Rich Ranch with grandma to give his mom a rest. "He was a very handsome boy clear up to his graduation from Washington State at Pullman. Rich was my "Big Brother" figure for many summers, he had a mop of dark curly hair and big brown eyes and a happy and fun disposition. Everyone adored him, especially his Grandpa Frank. Although his father Van owned a drug store and delicatessen in Spokane, he invested in the famous "Sunshine Mine" at Kellogg, Idaho, and hit it very rich sometime between 1936-40. After the death of Rich's father, Van, from kidney failure about 1945/46, Rich and wife Sally moved into Van and Olive's home, where she lived with them in an appartment that they built for her. (She lived there until her death in 1950.) When Rich died in the fall of 1962,( of sclerosis of the liver) Sally had to take out bankruptcy to pay for his funeral, ect. She took a job as a companion to an elderly wealthy lady widow in Spokane, and soon no one, not even Aunt Helen with whom she had been quite close, could locate her, or her son Ned.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 E Rich Van Dorn, in Washington, United States. Death Records.

   born 1 May 1907 in Idaho
   died 31 Oct 1962 in Spokane, Spokane, Washington
   parents: Orville E Van Dorn and Olive Jane Rich

2. ↑ Eugene Rich Van Dorn, in Find A Grave.