The Rhine Family: Ferman Washington Rhine (39) On the Move

The Rhine family is believed to have immigrated to America from Germany and the name was originally spelled Rhines.  Ferman was born on March 25, 1902 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 had become 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 Ferman noticed that many of the big 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.

Ferman Washington Rhine

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 throughout the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.

Ferman and Katie raised five children.  They were Betty Jean, Clifford Jack, Mildred Ruth, Shirley Belle, and Robert Dale.  The family continued to move and traveled from Wichita, Kansas to Ontario, California to Kansas City, Kansas to Bethel, Kansas to Piper, Kansas to Wolcott, Kansas and back to Kansas City.  They stayed in Kansas City until 1947 when Ferman and his son Jack were having trouble finding jobs, so again the family packed up and moved to Pomona, California.  However, Ferman and Jack still could not find gainful employment so after three months in California living with Katie's mother, the family moved back to Kansas City, Kansas.

L to R:  Mildred, Ferman, Jack, Katie and Jean.  Bob and Shirley are in Front.

Ferman bought four and a half acres and the family lived in a ten until their permanent house could be built.  Finally the family had settled down.