Individual 1753: Edward Hampton McGinnis

Individual Record 1753

Name} McGinnis, Edward Hampton (Ed)

Family History} Hancock

Title}

Race} White

Sex} Male

Birth: Date} Fam 29 Dec 1923

Place} Arbuckle, Colusa, California

Marr.: Date} Fam 1 Jun 1946

Place} Napa, Napa, California (Link)

Death: Date} Exa 31 Mar 2003

Place} Napa, Napa, California

Burial: Date} Exa 4 Apr 2003

Place} Monticello Cemetery, Spanish Flat, Napa, California

Grave Marker} Yes

Source 1}	808 = 1930 USA cen
Source 2}	541 = Death record
Source 3}	809 = Obituary
Source 4}	1310=Cemetery rec
Source 5}	1315=Geog history
Source 6}	1321=Family history
Source 7}
Source 8}
Source 9}
Source 10}

Parents: } Edward Valentine McGinnis & Irma Florence Samuels
Relationship No.} 368

1st Household No.}

Occupation 1} Road worker
Occupation 2} Farm worker
Occupation 3} Mine worker

Religion/Church}

Spouses: First} Restricted information
Total Number of} 1?

Notes: Ed lived his early years in the town of Monticello in Napa County, California. He remembered working hard on farms and in mines during the Depression, with minimum safety precautions and few fringe benefits. After graduating from high school in 1941, Ed went to work firing the retort at the Skaggs Springs mercury mine. Later he worked as a carpenter and laborer at the Reed mercury mine — which operated just before and during World War II when there was a demand for fulminate of mercury. His father also worked at the Reed mine in the blacksmith shop, sharpening drill bits.

In 1943 Ed began his service with the U.S. Army in the Aleutian Islands. He was then in the 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment. Less than a year later they came back and became the forerunner of the 10th Mountain Division, the ski troops at Leadville, Colorado. Ed was transferred out of that Division on account of the back problem he had up in the Aleutians before they left. The Division went to Italy and had a lot of casualties. Ed was lucky and remained in Leadville for about a year before he was transferred out into limited service. He spent the rest of the time guarding German prisoners of war at Camp Hale — at Leadville and Greeley, Colorado.

In 1946 after the war Ed returned to his home in Monticello and lived there until it was destroyed in 1956 by the construction of Lake Berryessa. Ed said that that event tears everybody up that lived there — everything was either torn down, used for lumber, or burned. Take a dozer in there and push 'em in a pile and set 'em on fire.

Ed worked for the Napa County Road Department at Lake Berryessa for over 36 years. He sometimes went to the Manhattan Mine for loads of slag — until the owner stopped us from hauling some of that slag. He said, 'Hey, fellows, you can't haul any more of that; there's gold in it.'

Ed enjoyed his retirement years at his home on the Capell Valley Road in Napa County, near Lake Berryessa. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing — and was a master gardener. Ed passed on in 2003 at age 78¼. He is buried at Monticello block 3 lot 3 plot 7.

Time of Birth}

Time of Death}

Fraternal/Social}

Baptism Date}

Place}

Confirm. Date}

Photo} None

Immigr'n Date} N/A

Port} N/A

Education: Grade} High school graduate

Military: Service} U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division infantry

Health Condition}
Cause of Death}