CLAYTON ART STELTING, Art Stelting was born and raised in Clayton to Ruth and Jim Stelting. His given name is Clayton. That is what is known as true dedication.
Not long after Allens Siding was renamed Clayton the Steltings set up their house hold on the other side of the tracks. Clayton was young and the countryside was being cleared of trees, making room for farms and ranches. It was desolate but homesteaders were slowly making progress and Clayton was showing signs of life with the Washington Brick and Lime in full swing before the the end of the 19th century. Following is the life's story of Jim and Ruth Stelting.
This family photo identified by Clark & Debbie Satre. L-R. Ester Olson, Ruth's Sister & Art's Aunt, Anna Satre Olson, Art's Grand Mother, behind Anna, Art's Grand Father Martin Olson, Front right, Art's Dad, Ernest James Stelting, In front Ruth Stelting next to Art's Dad. The woman in back center is Edna Rohweder, Art's Aunt and wife of Art's Uncle Oliver Olson, Martin Granvoll, first cousin to Ruth, & Earlene Granvoll wife of Martin. The man hiding is probably Tom Humes, Esther's Husband. In addition this cozy little family had their parents, the boys had their Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunts and Uncles to pamper them. Ruth was born in Clayton in 1901 as was A Satre. Jim was born in Tennessee in 1897. The family soon moved to Clayton.
Martin Olson house where Ruth Olson Stelting was born. This house was located where Owl Fence is today, at the corner of Williams Valley Road and Highway 395.
Ester Olson, ?, Anna Satre Olson, Ruth Stelting, Martin Olson, ?.
Sure enough, the young man, double barrel Shotgun, Old Blue and Dad ready for the hunt.
Nice going Art. We are attaching this certificate because only a very rare few ever heard of one let alone seen one.
OUT OF THE FRYING PAN, INTO THE FIRE: The last day of school in 1942 was June 6th.. June 7th Art spent with his parents. The following day he joined the US Marine Corp.
Following his enlistment in Spokane, Private Clayton Stelting received his orders to proceed to report for duty as per the following specific instructions.
Following Boot camp Private Stelting got his promotion to Private First Class and appointment to HEADQUARTERS THIRD AMPHIBIAN TRACTOR BATTALION. THIRD MARINE DIV. Upon shipping out of San Diego, they were destined for New Guinea, in the South Pacific. That was the hot bed. When asked what his job was being in an Amphibian Tractor Battallion he replied, "I piloted Heavy Duty Landing Crafts, transporting heavy equipmeng ashore during invasion of the Islands, "I had the best job in the whole war. I'd just bring tanks, trucks and artillery ashore, one trip right after another until we mopped up."
Talagi. Calm today but not yesterday
From the chain of Islands, Makin to Iwo Jima, from Corrigador to Guadalcanal and so many little dots in the vast Ocean.
Even as late as 1944 the battles raged.
When Johnny comes marching home again. When Art got mustered out he looked forward to a long rest and spending time with his dear Mom & Dad. As he rolled out of bed the next morning, ready for a leisurely day. The phone rang. It was his Dad calling from the Brick Plant less than a hundred yards away. His Dad asked, "How would you like to come over and drive truck for us today, we're short a man." Art worked there for a full two years.
The day the Stelting family and in fact the entire community finally arrived. Arthur Stelting, HOME FROM THE WAR.
This professional photo was taken of Art as he proceeded to install the first dial telephone in Spokane, WA. Following a couple years working at WB&L in Clayton, Art spent the entire balance of his working career with the local telephone company.
|
Ruth had her precious House of her Lord as her sanctuary. And the Clayton Community Church had Ruth Stelting. Down through the decades while Pastors came and went, Congregations regularly changed but there was one constant, Ruth Stelting.
Art was a natural at tending to his little brother Marvin but all the love in the world couldn't stop Spinal Meningitis from taking little Marvin's life.
On the reverse side it reads, "Guess who?" We can only imagine its Art. He seldom looks the same from one picture to the next.
This is not the first showing of this photo. Bands were very popular and are till this day.
Here is the Deer Park, WA, graduating class of 1942. Rarely do graduates face the stark reality of going to war upon receiving their diploma. Three who joined the service were Charles Beers, Miles King, both the Army Air Corp and Art Stelting the United States Marine Corps.
 
When WW II broke out a large number of our young men enlisted immediately. The Clayton Mercantile assembled this display in the front window with a picture of each who had joined in the battle to perserve our freedom. Sadly the men's faces can't be seen. A very high percentage returned home unscathed. Two of which were Art Stelting and Silvio Costa. Silvio had joined the Marines in advance of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In Art's album are many Silvio photos and news articles which leads us to believe there was a certain closness between them. Even though there two years difference in joining, they still served in identical theatres of the war. The South Pacific. Here are a few insights on Silvio.
The very yound lad, Silvio Costa. He spent the entire war fighting behind enemy lines. Stealing ashore under dark of night. Appearing just long enough to put the fear of God in the enemy's hearts. Sometimes as couriers dashing from one command post to the next like a whisper. Silvio came home on leave, you could read in his eyes, he was still fighting.
 
Art Stelting's medal memory box hangs on the wall at his home on Loon Lake. The top Eagle, Globe and Anchor was on Art's Garrison Cap. The next 2 are shoulder pins The top left ribbon is for Combat Action. The one on the right is the Presidental Unit Citation. The star signifies that Art was present when it was awarded. The medal on the left is for good conduct. The next is an Asiatic Pacific Medal. The 4 stars stand for Bougainville, Treasury Island, Guam, and Iwo Jima. The middle medal is for the American Theater Campaign. The next one is the World War II victory medal. The far right one is the Guamanian Presentation Medal. Under the medals, the patch on the left is for the Third Marine Division. Next is the Sharpshooter medal. To the right the medal shows that Art was prificient with a bayonet, pistol and machine gun. The next patch on the left is the Fleet Marine Force, which the 3rd Division was part of. To the right are Art's Sergeant stripes. The diamond shaped patch is for an honorable discharge which all branches received. The white circle pin was given only to Marines with an honorable discharge. The document under Art's picture shows that Art crossed the Equator. Art's Dogtag is under his Honorable Discharge pin.
Ruth Stelting and Kap Westby join hands during the war years. While the boys were fighting the parents were praying. All three of our gallant boys above came home.
A glorious feeling, together in Hawaii on their way home after WW II is OVER!
Art and his wife Donna on the left, in a travel trailer in Colfax, WA.
There is nothing like a Deer hunt to settle your nerves after a few years fighting on the Battlefield.
Carl Lindh in Kansas at Boot Camp during WW II.
|