November 27, 1995

Dear Dr. Eardley,

What a nice surprise to get your letter.  And what a coincidence; you see, my father, John K. Eardley, is known as "Jack" and my second son, who is the ripe old age of 4 months, is Robert.

This is what I know of the Eardleys on our branch of the tree:

I believe that my father's grandfather, Jesse Charles Eardley was a prominent engineer in Chicago.  His son, my grandfather, John Kenneth, was involved in both World Wars so his records should be available through the V.A.

My father was born in Chicago in 1923 but his family moved to Arizona and then to New Mexico when he was still quite young.  My father, John Kenneth Eardley Jr. had a brother, George, who never married and, to our knowledge, never had any children.  Dad married my mother, Betty Berger, in Arizona when he was only twenty.  They decided to move to Southern California in 1952.

I am the only son.  My folks also had three daughters, the first lost soon after birth, but the other two have grown up and now have families of their own in Seattle and Albuquerque.  I left California in 1978 for a job opportunity here in Nevada and have loved living here ever since.

My wife, Catherine, and I have two sons, Michael Paul (2) and Robert Isaiah (4 months).  So we're doing our part to continue the Eardley line.

Reno, Nevada is the only place I have ever lived where I have been aware of other Eardleys.  James Eardley is a well-respected individual in this community.  He is presently Chairman of the Board of Regents for the University of Nevada, Reno.  He has also held many other positions of distinction here in Reno.  We have mutual friends but we actually have not met.

I understand there is also an Eardley family in Elko, Nevada.  Oh, yes, one other item of curiosity, one of my past employees once brought me an article from a Mormon periodical which showed an old photograph of a musical group known as the Eardley Band.  Evidently the photo is part of the Mormon's historical archives.

Again, thanks for all your hard work.

Sincerely,
Kenneth Michael Eardley

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