Our Uncle Philip's story is yet unfinished although he passed away of edema of the brain and senility at the Oregon State Hospital December 02, 1936 in Salem Oregon. Many of our family members have read the series of articles appearing in the Oregonian concerning the deplorable conditions at the hospital but very few are aware that an article also appeared in the New York Times. 

Philip was born in Buckhorn Illinois and at eleven years of age walked across the plains to Oregon. Philip graduated with a Bachelors Degree of Liberal Science in 1875 and a copy of his Diploma is Extant.  Shortly after his graduation he purchased 80 acres of land i the Garfield District. (Near Estacada) He cleared and improved 30 acres of the land and planted an orchard of plum trees.

Philip was a tall man and was reserved and very few knew that his middle name was not Edward but Edmond the same as his father.  He preferred to read and study, he was devoutly religious and lived a simple life.  In his declining years he began to exhibit anger and to hear voices in his head.  He was shortly committed to the Oregon State Hospital in 1927 where he stayed until his death in 1936.

Rusty Brown along with Jim & Sharon spent several years gathering death certificate and found that Philip "Edmond" Linn had passed away in Oregon State Hospital.  In 2004 an article appeared on the internet written by Cappi Lynn from the Salem Statesmen Journal regarding the Copper Canisters of Cremains that were exhumed from around a leaking fountain circle at the Oregon State Hospital.  Cappi Lynn was contacted and in his reply he furnished Rusty, Jim and Sharon the necessary information to contact the authorities at the hospital. Letters were written to the Authorities at the Hospital and after almost one year we received the wanted response, Uncle Philip ashes were found in storage.  The cremains of our late Uncle Philip were picked up from the Oregon State Hospital by Rusty, Jim & Sharon.

NOW the rest of the Story.....The New York Times also ran the article on the unclaimed copper canisters from the Oregon State Hospital and we were contacted, interviewed and photographs were taken of the copper canister, Rusty, Jim and Sharon.  The interview and photographs were taken by Mr Bill Diadato and his assistant from New York. A book is being planned about the people that remained unclaimed for so many years. We were the 4th of many people to be interviewed.

Details and more information will be available at the reunion.  Please come to the Reunion and ask questions and be a part of the planning of the final resting place for our Uncle's ashes.

The summaries that follow are notes from the past showing the history and evolution of the Corporation known as the The Philip E. Linn Descendants.
 
Our Family gathering began some 87 years ago as a reunion for the descendants that traveled the Oregon Trail from Mt. Sterling Ill. To Eagle Creek, Or.  As our history states we were one of the early settlers in Oregon, before public cemeteries had evolved here.  At that time only  Linn family members were allowed to be buried in the Wade family Cemetery located on the Donation Land Claim belonging to William Nash Wade.

    
            
In 1905, W.H.H. Wade son of William Nash Wade sold his land and moved away but before selling he deeded the 105 foot square plot of land where the cemetery property was located to 3 trustees.  Granville Linn, John K Ely Benjamin F. Bullard.  In 1930's the successor trustees were Merle Wade, John K Ely, Maurice Bullard, In 1986 Wayne Wade became a successor trustee.  In 1983 at the Family Reunion the incorporation known as the Philip E. Linn Descendants was adopted by unanimous consent.  This incorporation took the place of the trustee system. By 1994 the corporation was legally recognized by the State of Oregon.

The concerns to protect our family graveyard echo back to our ancestors. With the acquisition of Albert Shanklands papers we found it interesting to note that Aunt Effie (Shankland) Jones left in her will money to provide for the care and maintenance of the Cemetery.  What follows is a few notes from a letter that Albert Shankland wrote to Ellsworth. (2/17/1959).                                  
  

Albert's Concerns for the preservation of the graveyard even extended to our Ancestral home in Mt.. Sterling Illinois.  In 1975, just 1Year before his death, Albert Shankland was contracting with a resident of Mt.. Sterling for the clean up of the Family graveyard there. 
The pictures you see are of the Mt.. Sterling Graveyard in 1971.

Currently we have set up a Cemetery Maintenance Committee the current chairman is Robert Bullard.  There is a small amount of maintenance to be done, because of the continued care by the volunteers through out the years and the private donations made by the members, we have taken great care of our cemetery.  
 
Here are a few notes concerning Legal Issues.... from Albert's the Letter to Ellsworth in 1959...
 

These notes from the past reflect the importance of standing for your rights and emphasize that our continued diligence in protecting our property rights is our responsibility.
 
In deeding the property in 1983 to Clackamas County we (the Philip E. Linn Families) preserved 4 points of rights.

1. "Trustees have the right and privilege to erect an identifying sign."
2. "Trustees have the right to retain the existing non-conforming grave markers."
3. "Trustees have the right to authorize and assign burial sites"
4. "Trustees have the right to determine the amount, if any of burial fees."

A Picture of the Philip Linn Family Cemetery  in Estacada, Oregon 1999

Mr Maurice Bullard, with suggestions from family members set up the Corporation known as The Philip E. Linn Descendants.  He put together the corporate papers and had them filed with the State.