Ralph was born in Rockford, IL to McKinley R. Harbaugh and Elizabeth Finlayson. He was the only son; he had two sisters, an older sister Loretta and a younger sister Katherine. He grew to become an attractive, tall, lanky young man reminiscent in later days of a "Jimmy Stewart-type," both in looks and demeanor. He learned the candymaking business from his father "Mack" and filled notebooks with hundreds of special, delicious, sugary recipes. He became a tool and dye maker when the family moved to Kenosha. WI circa 1915 working for the Brass Co.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in WWI, and was stationed somewhere in France. He sketched a drawing of of a French country barn where he and several other men slept and appended these words to the drawing:
"This is a sketch of my "Billet", showing the elevator "de le ladder", also a type French card. This is drawn fairly true to proportions. The little room with the double doors is not used for billeting, but contains straw. The double, or split, doors are very common over here even in the homes. All you have to do to complete the picture is to use your imagination and picture 21 yanks crawling and scowling out of there blankets every morning at Reveille. I sleep in the right hand corner of the loft and usually come down that ladder in just 4 jumps, especially if I happen to be up there when they are lining up for Mess. Artistically yours, Ralph".
He married twice, first to a lady named Rose, and to them was born one child, a daughter, Phyllis----Phyllis married one time and had one son, Robert. He moved to California in the 1930's. Ralph married Rachel (Brinkerhoff) Olson, a divorcee, September 14, 1951, and settled down in a quaint little duplex in Los Angeles at 4045 Veselich for the rest of his life. He took care of his mother Elizabeth until she died in 1948. Ralph had a quaint sense of humor; he had a green thumb and grew beautiful flowers and a deep green dichondra lawn. Ralph and his wife Rachel loved to go camping, and were experts on setting up a inviting little campsites wherever they found themselves. He never lost his charm.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in WWI, and was stationed somewhere in France. He sketched a drawing of of a French country barn where he and several other men slept and appended these words to the drawing:
"This is a sketch of my "Billet", showing the elevator "de le ladder", also a type French card. This is drawn fairly true to proportions. The little room with the double doors is not used for billeting, but contains straw. The double, or split, doors are very common over here even in the homes. All you have to do to complete the picture is to use your imagination and picture 21 yanks crawling and scowling out of there blankets every morning at Reveille. I sleep in the right hand corner of the loft and usually come down that ladder in just 4 jumps, especially if I happen to be up there when they are lining up for Mess. Artistically yours, Ralph".
He married twice, first to a lady named Rose, and to them was born one child, a daughter, Phyllis----Phyllis married one time and had one son, Robert. He moved to California in the 1930's. Ralph married Rachel (Brinkerhoff) Olson, a divorcee, September 14, 1951, and settled down in a quaint little duplex in Los Angeles at 4045 Veselich for the rest of his life. He took care of his mother Elizabeth until she died in 1948. Ralph had a quaint sense of humor; he had a green thumb and grew beautiful flowers and a deep green dichondra lawn. Ralph and his wife Rachel loved to go camping, and were experts on setting up a inviting little campsites wherever they found themselves. He never lost his charm.
Ralph was born in Rockford, IL to McKinley R. Harbaugh and Elizabeth Finlayson. He was the only son; he had two sisters, an older sister Loretta and a younger sister Katherine. He grew to become an attractive, tall, lanky young man reminiscent in later days of a "Jimmy Stewart-type," both in looks and demeanor. He learned the candymaking business from his father "Mack" and filled notebooks with hundreds of special, delicious, sugary recipes. He became a tool and dye maker when the family moved to Kenosha. WI circa 1915 working for the Brass Co.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in WWI, and was stationed somewhere in France. He sketched a drawing of of a French country barn where he and several other men slept and appended these words to the drawing:
"This is a sketch of my "Billet", showing the elevator "de le ladder", also a type French card. This is drawn fairly true to proportions. The little room with the double doors is not used for billeting, but contains straw. The double, or split, doors are very common over here even in the homes. All you have to do to complete the picture is to use your imagination and picture 21 yanks crawling and scowling out of there blankets every morning at Reveille. I sleep in the right hand corner of the loft and usually come down that ladder in just 4 jumps, especially if I happen to be up there when they are lining up for Mess. Artistically yours, Ralph".
He married twice, first to a lady named Rose, and to them was born one child, a daughter, Phyllis----Phyllis married one time and had one son, Robert. He moved to California in the 1930's. Ralph married Rachel (Brinkerhoff) Olson, a divorcee, September 14, 1951, and settled down in a quaint little duplex in Los Angeles at 4045 Veselich for the rest of his life. He took care of his mother Elizabeth until she died in 1948. Ralph had a quaint sense of humor; he had a green thumb and grew beautiful flowers and a deep green dichondra lawn. Ralph and his wife Rachel loved to go camping, and were experts on setting up a inviting little campsites wherever they found themselves. He never lost his charm.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in WWI, and was stationed somewhere in France. He sketched a drawing of of a French country barn where he and several other men slept and appended these words to the drawing:
"This is a sketch of my "Billet", showing the elevator "de le ladder", also a type French card. This is drawn fairly true to proportions. The little room with the double doors is not used for billeting, but contains straw. The double, or split, doors are very common over here even in the homes. All you have to do to complete the picture is to use your imagination and picture 21 yanks crawling and scowling out of there blankets every morning at Reveille. I sleep in the right hand corner of the loft and usually come down that ladder in just 4 jumps, especially if I happen to be up there when they are lining up for Mess. Artistically yours, Ralph".
He married twice, first to a lady named Rose, and to them was born one child, a daughter, Phyllis----Phyllis married one time and had one son, Robert. He moved to California in the 1930's. Ralph married Rachel (Brinkerhoff) Olson, a divorcee, September 14, 1951, and settled down in a quaint little duplex in Los Angeles at 4045 Veselich for the rest of his life. He took care of his mother Elizabeth until she died in 1948. Ralph had a quaint sense of humor; he had a green thumb and grew beautiful flowers and a deep green dichondra lawn. Ralph and his wife Rachel loved to go camping, and were experts on setting up a inviting little campsites wherever they found themselves. He never lost his charm.
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