The Rhine Family

Tracey Wetterman's mother was Shirley Belle Rhine.  Shirley's father was Ferman Washington Rhine and his wife Katie Leona Clubb.  Ferman's father was Joseph Warren Rhine.

     The Rhine family is believed to have immigrated to America from Germany and the name was originally spelled Rhines.  Most genealogists believe they came through Pennsylvania.  Joseph Warren Rhine was born about 1875 in Missouri.  His pioneer lifestyle was one of settling, moving on, and settling again.  He moved from Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas, then to Seattle, Washington, then back to Kansas City.

     Joseph met and married Arinda Flesher who had been born in Kansas City, Kansas.  Joseph and Arinda had several children.  Their oldest son was Joseph Jr., then Ferman Washington, Elbert, and one other son whose name is currently unknown.  This son drowned while the boys were playing in the bay outside of Seattle sometime before 1912.  Joseph eventually became an engineer for the Dole Packing House in Wichita, Kansas.

Ferman Washington Rhine 1900-1980

 

     Ferman was born on March 25, 1900 in Seattle, Washington and lived a life of hard work and manual labor.  He had grown up farming, but at different times of his life had worked in many varied positions.  He had hung awnings, washed windows, drove trucks, and finally became an auto mechanic.  When the W.P.A. (Works Program Administration) was formed by President Roosevelt during the Great Depression, he got a job driving trucks and helping to build Wyandotte County Lake outside of Kansas City, Kansas.  During this time he noticed that many of the big rig tractors had broken down and that no one seemed to know how to repair them.  He found the man in charge and told him that he could fix them.  He ended up becoming the Chief Mechanic for the whole project.
    After the completion of the Wyandotte County Lake, Ferman joined Auto Transport as a diesel mechanic and repaired eighteen wheelers.

    As a young man in Kansas, Ferman met Katie Leona Clubb.  They were married on March 16, 1921 in Wichita, Kansas.  Ferman and Katie made several trips between California and Kansas trying to find work through the late 1920s, 30s, and 40s having lived in Ontario, California, Bethel, Kansas, Piper, Kansas, Wolcott, Kansas, Pomona, California, and Dolph, Arkansas.
     Ferman and Katie raised five children.  They were Betty Jean, Clifford Jack, Mildred Ruth, Shirley Belle, and Robert Dale.  They stayed in Kansas City in late 1947 when Ferman and his son Jack were having trouble finding jobs, so again the family picked up and moved to Pomona, California.  However, Ferman and Jack still could not find gainful employment so after three months in California the family moved back to Kansas City, Kansas.
     Ferman bought four and a half acres and the family lived in a tent until their permanent house could be built.  Finally, the family had settled down.