I don’t have many memories of my grandfather, as we moved across the country when I was only 5 years old, so I mostly remember my grandfather as an adult, and – I’ll regret it for the rest of my life – I didn’t see him as often as I should have. In the few memories I do have, I remember him being one of the kindest, loving, no-nonsense people I’ve ever known. He loved to play baseball.He was a master carpenter, and (fortunately) I have a couple of pieces that he made: a knick-knack shelf and a side table. These were made before I was even born (and that was a while ago), so there’s some quality craftsmanship for you.
In my quest to “Do-Over” my genealogy research, I’m putting together timelines to help me see what I have and (more importantly) what I’m missing. Here’s what I’ve got so far:
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Jul 1921 | Edward John Lanctot is born in Casper, Natrona, Wyoming | Birth certificate |
| 1925 | Lived in Yankton, Yankton, South Dakota | 1925 SD state Census |
| 1930 | Lived at 500 E. 8th Street, Yankton, South Dakota | 1930 U.S. Census |
| abt 1934 | Attended Sacred Heart Catholic School in Yankton, South Dakota | Oral interview with Maxine (Slowey) Lanctot |
| 1935 | Lived in Yankton, South Dakota | 1935 SD state census |
| 1940 | Lived at 705 Pine Street, Yankton, South Dakota | 1940 U.S. Census |
| 1940 | Enlisted in the South Dakota National Guard, 147th Field Artillery, Battery E and are mobilized to Fort Ord for training | Newspaper clippings from scrapbooks |
| 29 Jan 1941 | U.S. Army Motor Vehicle Operator's Permit No. 2074813 issued to PFC E.J. Lanctot | Copy of original permit |
| Jul 1944 | Resides at Ft. McDowell, Camp Reynolds, Angel Island, San Francisco, California | Oral interview with Maxine (Slowey) Lanctot |
| 14 Aug 1944 | Edward John Lanctot and Clare Maxine Slowey are married at Sacred Heart Church in Yankton, South Dakota | Marriage certificate; marriage notice |
| Sep 1944 | Lived in Little Rock, Arkansas | Oral interview with Maxine (Slowey) Lanctot |
| Mar 1945 | Granted emergency furlough from Camp Blanding, Florida due to death of Maxine's little brother | Newspaper clipping |
| 1950 | Re-enlisted with the South Dakota National Guard to serve in the Korean War | * |
| 1953-2011 | Purchased house in Portland, Oregon | Oral interview with Maxine (Slowey) Lanctot |
| 1973-1976 | Industrial Education teacher at Benjamin Franklin High School, Portland, Oregon | Benjamin Franklin H.S. Yearbook |
| 8 Jul 2011 | Edward John Lanctot dies in Portland, Oregon | Obituary; personal knowledge |
| 13 Jul 2011 | Burial in Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon | Personal knowledge |
There are a lot of gaps in my timeline (obviously). These are blanks I’ll need to fill in my talking to family and finding documentation. I know that after he was discharged from the National Guard following World War II in 1945, he re-enlisted with the National Guard in 1950 to participate in the Korean War. I have attempted to get a copy of his service record from the National 
Personnel Records Center (NPRC), but was told that it had been destroyed by the fire in 1973, making it one of the “B” files. Fortunately, NARA is working on cleaning and preserving the damaged records, and I can only hope that one day soon my request can finally be fulfilled.
In the meantime, I will continue to add things to my master to-do list, including following up with NARA for those records.
Genealogy Snapshot
Name: Edward John Lanctot
Parents: Louis Phelisa Lanctot and Mary Alice Schneider
Spouse: Maxine Slowey
Surnames: Lanctot, Schneider
Relationship to Jenny: Maternal Grandfather
- Edward John Lanctot
- Jenny’s dad
- Jenny
