Fragmentary Notes

(adapted from a letter I wrote today)

(snip) I was incorrect in saying yesterday that Marion was the wife of the Joseph Wittmann Frank and I met in the '80's. I thought I should write to say that Marion was that Joseph's step-mother...(!)

It's a complicated tree to say the least and I often get things confused.

Marion was the third wife of Joseph van Beuren Wittmann (1907-1969). Joseph's somewhat early death left your mother's friend Marion a widow. 

I don't know anything more about Marion. I wish we had your mother to talk to...

Marion had been married before and had a son by that first marriage. He was: David Ambler Sowles (1933-1963). Poor David died while on a climbing expedition in the Canton of Valais.

Coincidentally, I know that general terrain both by reputation and my own somewhat limited experience. While I was a student in Villars, Frank & I went to climb near the Weisshorn where David died. It is poignant for me to consider this circumstance. Frank and I attempted to climb the Monte Rosa in 1967, just a few peaks away.

I can imagine that your mother (note: Mimi Seavey (van Beuren) and Marion would have discussed their Swiss connections.

On Marion's side, she and Joseph sailed for Naples in 1949 and spent several months abroad. It was during this period that they married. 

Cutting to the Walnut Grove story...

The extended Arizona/Walnut Grove debacle had ended for the Wittmanns  as follows:

August 29, 1918

widow Brodie sells out to in-law relative Wittmann
this widow being our Mary Louise who wrote the famous letter...

By then, interim mining activity on the van Beuren Yavapai County claims had pretty much ceased. There had many sites that were worked sporadically over the years... by the Brodies for the van Beurens.
eg:  as noted in the Arizona Republic 22 Dec 1936.  Nonetheless, Marion and her husband set up house (probably) in two places: Somewhere in the east and then in Phoenix where Joseph ran a hotel-motel operation

It is rather poignant to think that Joseph and Marion returned to live in Phoenix. All prior Wittmann/van Beuren kept NJ/NY as their primary residences.

Here is postcard image of the Wittmann motel in its early days:

https://www.geni.com/photo/view?album_type=photos_of_me&id=6000000020467336373&photo_id=6000000109910112959&position=1

I hope the link works.. I uploaded the image some years back.

It's interesting to me that  Joseph Wittmann's son-in-law is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kimball

Private

who, in his early days ran unsuccessfully for the AZ senate seat vs. John McCain (!)

Kimball founded Project Vote Smart: Private

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote_Smart 

He seems to have retired from a leadership role.

but I digress... :)

Love,

Mike

I leave you with this photo of Frank I snapped on the summit ridge of the Monte Rosa:
https://www.geni.com/photo/view?album_type=photos_of_me&id=6000000019182514151&photo_id=6000000029512194064&position=5 

That's the Matterhorn in the background below us...