Mother's Good Night Kiss

What this sheet music lacks in cover graphic pizzazz is made up for with the back story. The composer and lyricist (Samuel Phelps Totten and T.J. O'Connor) autographed this 1922 piece in Chehalis, Washington, a twin city to Centralia, Washington, where my great-grandmother Jennie Hoss lived. As the only real musical member of the family in 1922, I'm sure it was she who acquired this piece.

The very first bit of sheet of music I scanned and posted here was another Totten work.

Since he was so local, I became interested in Totten, and tracked down his obituary on page 13 in the June 14, 1970 issue of the Daily Olympian.

So many connections. The Liberty Theater later became the Olympic Theater, which is how I remember it. Today the site is home to the Washington Center for Performing Arts.  I spent more than one summer week at Camp Thunderbird. And Marlene Selene was one of my high school classmates.

Apparently Mr. Totten was instrumental in leading the Washington State Employees' Retirement Board in the early years. Quite a career switch! He's the gentleman on the far right. The man standing third from left is John J. O'Connell, who made an unsuccessful bid for Governor in 1968.

I discovered Samuel P. Totten was buried near my office in Tumwater. So on this very rainy day I paid a visit to the cemetery and paid my respects. I actually have an uncle and aunt buried nearby!

Small world.

Buttons - State Campaign - 1968

Governor John O'Connell, Democrat

In 1968 three term Washington State Attorney General John J. O'Connell made an attempt to unseat incumbent Gov. Dan Evans. I like the way the designer of this button used the now outdated voter lever in place of an apostrophe.

Although Dan Evans enjoyed the nickname "Straight Arrow" in his 12 years as Governor of Washington State, I must say I recall all three of his gubernatorial campaigns, 1964-1972, as being quite nasty. In fact, in his last campaign he employed serial killer Ted Bundy.