Morgrage, Richard Joseph

Male 1896 - 1956  (59 years)


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  • Name Morgrage, Richard Joseph  [1
    Birth 27 Sep 1896  Castine, Hancock, Maine Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Gender Male 
    Death 29 May 1956  Augusta, ME Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Burial Castine, Hancock, Maine Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Notes 
    • [dunbar_tree.FTW]

      His granddaughter Jill reports:
      Richard Joseph Morgrage, Sr., Born 27 Sep 1896 in Castine, ME; died 29 May 1956 in Augusta, ME. Buried in Castine
      Cemetery In Castine, ME. Occupation: Newspaper Journalist (Pen Name: "Upson Downs"). Education Eastern Me. Conference Seminary 1914 & Eastern State Normal School, Castine. Religion: Methodist.
      From Newspaper clipping (Kennebec Journal January 30, 1945) on Richard & Madge's 25th Anniversary it stated as follows: He (Richard) graduated from the Eastern ME Conference Seminary in 1914, and the Eastern State Normal school in Castine and did
      special work at the University of ME. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1917 and served until 1919 being an instructor of aviation at Tours, France. At the close of the war he taught school in various ME communities and was also engaged in newspaper
      work for several years. At the outbreak of World War Two he enlisted in 1942 in the Navy and was a Petty Officer in charge of a YP on anti-sub-marine patrol serving for a year.
      **************************
      Richard Joseph Morgrage, Sr. graduated from Public Schools in Castine, ME. In 1914 he graduated from East ME Conference Seminary and from East State Normal School at Castine, ME in 1916. (School prepared men and women for teaching careers)
      For four years he was associated with the ME Unemployment Compensation Commission, for two years as information specialist with the War Manpower Commission and when the employment service was returned to the state he was retained in a similar capacity
      by the Commission, handling it's public relations program.
      He was a veteran of both World Wars, serving with the Army Air Force in France in World War One, and commanded a Navy YP antisubmarine patrol ship in World War Two. He received a Citation from the United States Army for exceptionally humanitarian and
      conspicuous services at ______________, France, awarded and signed by John J. Pershing Commander an Chief.
      Following his discharge after World War One, he served successively as a teacher in Old Town, ME, Union, ME, Lincoln ME elementary and grammar schools. He was sub-master at the Williams School in Chelsea, MA. He was principal of the Senior High in
      Monticello, ME in 1928. He also was superintendent of schools in Winterport and Frankfort, ME. In 1924 he resigned from school work and for three years was a political reporter for the Boston Evening Transcript.
      Returning to ME, he was a reporter for the Bangor Daily Commercial, later going to Bar Harbor, ME as managing editor for the Bar Harbor Times. In 1931 he joined the editorial staff of the Bangor Daily News, first as it's Aroostook County
      representative, later being transferred to the home office where he served in various capacities on its editorial staff. In 1937 he was granted leave of absence by the News, and joined the Associated Press Staff for the legislative session at the State
      House in Augusta, ME. Just prior to the outbreak of World War II he edited and broadcasted newscasts twice daily from Station WABT in Bangor, ME.
      After his release from active duty in World War Two, he was employed as a postal clerk in the Bangor Post Office, as dispatcher, and edited a twice-daily program of local and statewide news for station WLBZ in Bangor, ME.
      In 1948 under Governor Frederick G. Payne, Richard was appointed Executive Secretary of The State of ME. He took his office January 6, 1949 when Governor Payne took office. While living in Augusta, he also was associated (on part time basis) with the
      Kennebec Journal News Paper as a member of the editorial staff. He worked for the Kennebec Journal up until the day he died.
      Richard Joseph Morgrage, Sr. military service was as follows: he served in two world wars, in the Air Force during the first and as an anti-sub patrol ship commander in the second. I found one list of his military as follows; "He enlisted December 12,
      1917 heading for Ft. Slocum, New York arriving there December 13, 1917. December 21 or 20th, 1917 he left
      Ft. Slocum. December 30 or 31, 1917 he arrived at Camp Lee, Virginia. He left Camp Lee first of January 1918 for Camp Hancock near Augusta, Georgia. Last of April 1918 he left for Camp Green in Charlotte, North Carolina. He then left Camp Green first
      of July 1918 for Camp Upton on Long Island, New York. Camp Upton was a draft camp. He left for France July 6 or 7, 1918 and arrived somewhere about the 20th of July 1918. He returned to New York May 6th, 1919."
      >>>>>>>>>>SPECIAL NOTE<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
      I, Margaret Jill Goode, have several of the news articles my grandfather wrote, pictures from the state house years, and other documents that my grandmother gave me years ago. I have copies of sympathy letters from stateheads of ME that were sent to
      grandmother. All are in very good condition. I have a lot of old family pictures from years and years ago. I also believe that Matthew and Trudy Sprague have a set of tin type photos of family from England.
      **************************************************************
      Some of the years and newspapers and TV or radio station he worked for:
      1924 for 3 years: Political Reporter for the Boston Evening Transcript
      Then a reporter for the Bangor Daily Commercial.
      Later going to The Bar Harbor as managing editor for the Bar Harbor Times.
      1931 Editorial Staff of the Bangor Daily News first as its Aroostook County representative, later being transferred to the home office where he served in various capacities on its editorial staff.
      1937 he was granted leave of absence by the News, and joined the Associated Press staff for the legislative session at the State House in Augusta.
      Just before the outbreak of World War Two he edited and broadcast newscasts twice daily from Station WABI in Bangor.
      After his release from active duty in World War Two, he was employed as a postal clerk in Bangor Post Office, as dispatcher and edited a twice-daily program of local and statewide news for station WLBZ in Bangor.
      For more than 4 years he had been associated with the ME Unemployment Compensation Commission, for two years as information specialist with the War Manpower Commission and when the employment service was returned to the state he was retained in a
      similar capacity by the Commission, handling its public relations program.
      While living in Augusta he was associated on a part time basis at first, with the Kennebec Journal, as a member of the editorial staff.
      Dec 15, 1948 he was appointed by Gov-Elect Frederick G. Payne, (who was to take office January 6, 1949) as Gov Paynes Executive Secretary and to work with John H. Welch of Bangor, executive assistant to the Govenor.
      He married Madge Violet Milner, 30 Jan 1920 in at Madge's parents' home in Lincoln, ME, before The Rev. Theodore S. Ro.
    Person ID I1657  Bratt Family Tree
    Last Modified 17 Jul 2016 

    Father Morgrage, Franklin Cavis,   b. 22 Nov 1851, Castine, Hancock, Maine Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 21 Apr 1929, Foxcroft, ME Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 77 years) 
    Mother Conner, Ardelle M.,   b. 3 Apr 1856, Penobscot, Hancock, Maine Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 13 Jun 1936, Foxcroft, ME Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 80 years) 
    Marriage 21 Nov 1878  Castine, Hancock, Maine Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Family ID F631  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Milner, Madge Violet,   b. 2 Nov 1901, West Jonesport, ME Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 12 Apr 1983, Augusta, ME Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 81 years) 
    Marriage 30 Jan 1920  Lincoln, ME Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Children 
    +1. Morgrage, R.J. Jr
    +2. Morgrage, Jeanette Margaret,   b. 3 Apr 1928, Monticello, ME Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Mar 1998, Augusta, ME Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 69 years)
    +3. Morgrage, Elsie Mona,   b. 15 Jul 1931, Mount Desert, ME Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 18 May 1978, Augusta, ME Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 46 years)
    Family ID F901  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 22 Aug 2015 

  • Sources 
    1. [S9] Albert E. Myers, Dunbar family tree.
      Date of Import: Mar 1, 2003