Claude Van Winkle

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Biography

Son of Orval Lewis Van Winkle and Alidore Reynolds. Family were early settlers in Perry County but Orval lost the last of his line's holdings in Bristow, Indiana for taxes. He worked as a farm laborer while Alidore cared for grandmother, Sarah Chewning Palmer Reynolds. Goldie and Margaret, Claude's older sisters were removed by authorities for unknown reasons and Alidore took Claude and a younger sister, Virginia, to Owensboro, Kentucky. Virginia died from complications from measles and Alidora asked for help from a charitable agency. They buried Virginia and then removed Claude to an orphanage. Despite the fact that the whereabouts of responsible family members were known, the Children's Aid Society farmed Claude out to a family who used him as an unpaid laborer. His schooling ended in fourth grade, did not attend church and social workers wrote negative reports recommending his removal to his family or a more suitable home. This was not done but at age 21, he returned to Indiana and located his sisters. He then moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut to work in the defense factories. There he met Ann Robison, married and moved to her home town in the 1940's.He worked for many years for Sears, retiring in the 1980's. He converted to Catholicism, became active in the church activities and cultivated a magnificent garden that attracted strangers to stop in and talk to him.

Sources

• Birth certificate, redacted documents from Kentucky Open records, miscellaneous newspaper articles and historical documents.