The Crandall Family Association was formed in 1986 primarily for the descendants of Elisha Kenyon Crandall (1832-1912) of Charlestown, RI. This is the line of your Homepage & Newsletter Editor. A very primitive newsletter, called ... from the CRANDALL CORNER, was started at that time, and the organization held two biennial reunions at the home of my aunt, Edna (Crandall) MASHL in Charlestown in 1987 and 1989.

We advertised these reunions, and the second became much larger than the first!!

Then, when your Editor realized that there was no marker at the Elder John CRANDALL cemetery in Westerly, Rhode Island, he began to raise funds for the erection of such a monument. This was a long and slow process. At that time your Editor did not have the "expertise" that he has now to raise funds. The membership was small.

We "advertised" that we were thinking of erecting a monument, and slowly funds came in. Negotiations were necessary with Irving and Arlene CRANDALL, the tenants of Elder John's home in Westerly.

Irving proposed that a piece of "Westerly red" granite right from the homestead be used as the marker. He picked out a viable stone -- it's about 4' x 4'. We next approached local engravers to have it engraved. The prices were out of line with the amount of money we had.

I have a friend in Catskill, NY who is a stone cutter and engraver, and I had him give me a price. He was willing to do it at cost, but then the monument had to be taken from Westerly to Catskill and back again. This was still much less expensive than using the local engraver. W.W. Henderson & Son of Catskill, NY did the engraving, and Irving (with some help) actually erected the monument.

That monument was dedicated on Memorial Day in 1991, and drew a nice crowd. Our "fame" was expanding, and so was our membership.

My brother, David E. CRANDALL, Sr., offered to have the 1991 reunion at his home, The Simeon Crandall Homestead, in Charlestown. Many more people attended that reunion — many from the western U.S. The organization was "on its way" ...

Funds were solicited for another monument for Benjamin⁴ CRANDALL, a Revolutionary War veteran. That marker was erected on Memorial Day 1992.

My brother offered to have the 1993 reunion also. However, at that reunion it became obvious that "we" were getting to big for 1) the CFA to be led by one man [ME!!], and 2) to continue to have the reunions at a private home!

By this time, I had also continued accepting monument funds for a final marker at the cemetery to list the names of all others known to be buried there. It is felt that there are 27 graves there in the cemetery, but the names of only about ¾ of the people buried there are known for sure.

That stone was erected in September 1994. Comolli Granite Co. of Westerly did the engraving for this stone.

I called for help, and a committee was formed, and the organization began to be formed. It is now an incorporated organization, and Russel W. KENYON of Pittsfield, MA was the first president of the newly formed C.F.A.

We had our "first annual" reunion at the Quonochontaug Grange Hall in Charlestown, RI on 22 July 1995. About 100 people attended. It was a "smashing success", and everyone is looking forward to all of our next scheduled reunions!