- St. Louis architect named to design new Missourian building (4/30/24)
- Writing parking tickets with a friendly smile (4/23/24)2
- Mayor Ford, Kiwanis light up Capaha Park's diamond (4/16/24)1
- The rise and fall of Capaha Park's wooden grandstand (4/9/24)
- Death of Judge Pat Dyer, prosecutor of the famous peonage case here in 1906 (4/2/24)2
- A third steamer Cape Girardeau was christened 100 years ago (3/26/24)
- Cape Girardeau christens its namesake (3/19/24)
Ransom brothers reunite
Casey Ransom, 1940. (G.D. Fronabarger ~ Southeast Missourian archive)
In last week's blog I teased readers with the promise of the story of the Ransom brothers -- Chauncey "Casey" and Sherrell H. The latter's name is a bit confusing. He was alternately known as S.H., Sherrell H. and Sherman H. Ransom and even Pierre Ransom "Pierce" Kingsley.
The brothers were born in Michigan, but spent most of their lives apart, until they were reunited in Cape Girardeau in 1922.
Both led separate lives as actors on the vaudeville stage, although their paths did cross once during their professional careers.
Eventually, Casey would meet a girl in Cape Girardeau and settle down. Likewise, S.H./Pierce married and resided in Alton, Illinois.
Published March 8, 1922, in the Southeast Missourian:
BROTHERS HAVE REUNION HERE
CASEY RANSOM'S 'PAST' IS OUT
HIS REAL NAME IS CHAUNCEY
Mr. and Mrs. C.V. Ransom, 319 Good Hope St., are enjoying a visit from S.H. Ransom and wife of Alton, Illinois, this being the first time the brothers have met in 15 years.
The Ransom brothers were born at Cross Village, Michigan, their mother dying when they were small. Their father married again, and being reared by a stepmother was not to their liking, so early in life both of them ran away from home to make their own way in the world.
The story of their lives, as related by the brothers to a reporter for The Missourian, Tuesday afternoon, is an interesting one.
S.H. Ransom, the older of the brothers, departed from home when he was 17 years old, leaving a team of horses standing out in a field, where he had been working. The younger brother, known here as Casey, but whose correct name is Chauncey (something new to all Girardeans), was also at work in the fields but remained at work.
S.H. Made his way to the West, enlisting in the United States Cavalry. He was stationed at Vancouver Barracks, Washington, across the river from Portland, Oregon. He spent nearly four years there, and following his release, went into vaudeville. That work appealed to him so strongly that he followed it for about 25 years, finally abandoning it two years ago, when he entered the secret service of the Illinois Central railroad, in which he is now occupied at Alton.
Got the wanderlust
C.V., the younger brother, was 14 years old when S.H. left home, so the wanderlust soon began to stir in him and three years later he also ran away. He had not heard from his brother since he left home and probably had no idea that he ever would see him again.
But, as circumstances will happen, one night, some 10 to 12 years later, he met face to face with his brother on stage. He recognized his brother, introduced himself and a happier pair never met, according to both.
It happened this way: S.H. Ransom had been playing in the northwest of this country and in Canada, while C.V. had been in Central Canada. Casey was playing with a troupe, which made a trip into Michigan and when the troupe reached Sault Ste. Marie, it picked up a new actor, who was acting under the name of Pierce Kingsley.
C.V. Ransom was playing under the nom de plume of Casey, so neither knew the correct name of the other. They played together on the stage that night and when the curtain descended for the end of the performance both returned to the dressing room to remove their "make up."
As S.H. got back to "normalcy" Casey glanced at him and immediately saw a resemblance to his brother, who had left home so many years before. He walked over to his brother, asked him his correct name and where he was raised.
Happy meeting
"Why my real name is Sherrell H. Ransom and my birthplace was Cross Village, Michigan," said the elder Ransom. "And who may you be?" he asked. "I am Chauncey V. Ransom, your younger brother," returned Casey.
Both brothers admit that they had never experienced a happier event in their lives and never shed more tears than they did for joy on that occasion. They then called in the entire show troupe and held a jubilee.
The brothers played together for a season following their meeting, but then again separated, not meeting until two y ears later. That meeting took place on a depot platform at Enid, Oklahoma. S.H. was then married and recalls introducing his wife and canary bird to Casey as his family. The canary was "playing a part" in the show and Mrs. Ransom would let no one, but herself, handle the bird. She was carrying it in a cage at the time.
Casey was leaving Enid after playing (in) a show for a week, for Dallas, Texas, to fill an engagement, so had nor more time than to greet his brother and sister-in-law and tell them goodbye.
The brothers did not meet again until S.H. arrived here Tuesday morning.
Casey Ransom has been in Cape Girardeau for the past 14 years, having drifted in here with a show troupe in 1908. He loved Cape Girardeau and someone else so well that he married and settled down here and now it would be a hard matter to get him out of the city.
He has been telling his brother the wonders of Cape Girardeau and showing them to him and has about convinced him to come here. Anyway, S.H. told the reporter that he was going to spend several days here and it is probable that he will return later to make his home. He owns several fine pleasure boats, which are now tied up at Alton and he said he would make a trip here later in them and probably put them in service.
I found no articles saying S.H. Ransom ever returned to Cape Girardeau. He continued to reside in Alton, Illinois, where he directed locals in stage performances. Along with operating his pleasure boats, he also painted stage scenery and "manufactured various goods of that nature, selling in all parts of the United States." He died in 1936 from injuries received in an automobile accident.
In reporting his death, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch identified Ransom as Pierce Kingsley.
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 27, 1936:
ALTON LITTLE THEATER HEAD
KILLED IN AUTO-BUS COLLISION
PIERCE KINGSLEY, SCENIC ARTIST AND
RETIRED ACTOR, RUNS INTO BACK
OF CARRIER
Pierce Kingsley, scenic artist, director of the Alton Little Theater Group and retired actor, was killed late yesterday when his automobile ran into the back of a Wood River-Alton bus which had stopped for a passenger a block east of the Big Four Railroad crossing of U .S. Highway No. 67, East Alton.
Kingsley, who was said to be in the 50s and who resided at 609 E. Broadway, Alton, died shortly after he had been removed, with some difficulty, from the wreckage of his car. His head and body were crushed. Harry Pratt and Charles Wilson of Alton, employees of his scenery shop, were cut and bruised and were taken to St. Joseph's Hospital. They were returning to Alton after working on Kingsley's motorboat at St. Louis.
In telling friends of his professional experiences, Kingsley had related that he played with George Arliss and W.C. Field.
S.H. Ransom was entombed in a mausoleum in Alton Cemetery next to his wife, Gladys May "Minnie" Nastelske Kingley, under the name Pierre Ransom "Pierce" Kingsley.
Casey Ransom's life in Cape Girardeau began when he married Alvina Osterloh, daughter of Henry and Anna Marie Metz Osterloh, in 1908. And although he worked at several jobs during his time here -- including municipal firefighter and grocer -- it is clear that he always considered himself an actor. Casey even tried his hand at film acting in 1940, when "Cape Girardeau's own movie" was made here. Fred Lynch did a blog about him in 2012.
Casey died June 11, 1955. Under "kind of business or industry" he was employed in, his death certificate says "grocer." But under "usual occupation," he was listed as "actor."
Published in the Southeast Missourian, June 13, 1955:
C.V. RANSOM, 78,
SUCCUMBS HERE
C.V. Ransom, 78, years old, who operated a store at 317 Good Hope St., for 27 years before retiring 11 years ago, died Saturday night at 6:40 at a hospital. He had been sick for a year and had been in the hospital on the last occasion since June 9.
Before coming to Cape Girardeau to reside 40 years ago, Mr. Ransom was associated with dramatic companies, having started in vaudeville at the age of 15. In a quarter century of such endeavor, he played many different parts, comedy as well as dramatic, and traveled extensively over the country, It was while a member of a stock company playing at the old Opera House in Cape Girardeau that he met his wife, the former Miss Alvina Osterloh, and they were married Oct. 25, 1908.
Chauncey V. (Van Auken -- his mother's maiden name. - Sharon) Ransom was born Sept. 13, 1876, in Alma, Michigan. He was a member of St. Vincent's Church and of the Knights of Columbus.
He is survived by his wife. (She died in 1976 at age 89. - Sharon)
Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday at St. Vincent's Church and interment will be in Lorimier Cemetery. The Rosary will be recited tonight at 7:30 at the Brinkopf-Howell Funeral Home by the Knights of Columbus and the Daughters of Isabella and at 8:15 by the parish. Pallbearers will be George Vandeven, Vernon Auer, James O'Neill, Joe Sciortino, Joe Wingert and Clarence Hagan.
Respond to this blog
Posting a comment requires a subscription.