William E. Cassada (aka William E. Casada, William E. Cassity, William E. Cassady, William E. Cassidy) DOB 1791 in Chesterfield County, SC to John William Cassada and Zilpha Oates. DOD 1845 in Yancey County, NC. He died Married Jane Harrison (DOB 10/25/1799 in NC to Joseph Harrison and Margaret Hill; DOD 10/3/1883 in Buncombe County, NC). They had a son named Nathaniel Van Buren Cassada (aka Nathaniel Van Buren Casada, Nate Cassada) born 6/24/1838 in Buncombe County, NC. He married Ailsey Mahala Brown (DOB 8/1/1841 in Buncombe County, NC; DOD 9/29/1927 in Leicester, Buncombe County, NC). Nate Van Buren Cassada died 9/30/1868 in Buncombe County, NC. They had William Van Cassada (DOB 12/9/1866 in Madison County, NC; DOD 12/24/1972 in Buncombe County, NC) married Mary Catherine Sluder (DOB 12/12/1870 in Buncombe County, NC; DOD 10/9/1959 in Clarkston, DeKalb County, GA). They had Howard Owen Casada, Sr. (DOB 5/18/1898 in Asheville, Buncombe County, NC; DOD 12/5/1984 in Hampton, VA) and Marie Lettie Anderson (DOB 5/2/1905 in Hancock, Hancock County, ME; DOD 12/24/1941 in Portsmouth, Norfolk County, VA). They had Howard Owen Casada, Jr.
Howard Owen Casada, Jr. was born 4/6/1931 in Maine. In 1935, he and his family moved to Norfolk, VA. He graduated from Norview High School, Chesapeake Blvd, Norfolk, VA in 1948. He graduated from University of South Carolina, Columbia, Richland County, SC in 1953 with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He became a Marine after graduation.
On 8/21/1959 he married Mary Ann Lewis at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Patuxent River, St. Mary’s County, Maryland. They had a baby the next month or so. They moved to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Kern County, California in November, 1959 at 512 B Essex Street, China Lake, CA.
On 9/22/1960 he was killed in a jet crash.
NAWS China Lake is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately 150 miles north of Los Angeles. Traveling along State Route 395 north; tourists come to a turn off on the right for Ridgecrest, CA; but beyond Ridgecrest are two little communities known to many as China Lake and Inyokern. China Lake is actually on the dry lake bed of the China Lake Naval Weapons Center. Chinese prospectors harvested borax from the dry lake bed approximately 1.5 miles south of Paxton Ranch. The operation was known locally as “The Little Chinese Borax Works”. This led to the area being called China Lake. At the onset of World War II, the Dept of the Navy located their new Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in Inyokern. The military base was eventually moved to a location 12 miles east where the city of Ridgecrest was born as a commercial support center for the base. The primary objective of NAWS China Lake is to support the United States Navy. However, since this military field is so varied, the base was built with a specific purpose – maintaining, testing and evaluating operations. NAWS China Lake is one of the most important military bases run by the US Navy. It is split in three major parts – two different ranges and a main place for other buildings. They spread on about 2,796 square miles.
Howard Owen Casada, Jr. was a pilot of a supersonic jet fighter on a Sidewinder missile test flight when his F-104 interceptor crashed on Josephine Peak, located about 12 miles north of La Cañada in Angeles National Forest & San Gabriel National Monument near Los Angeles. Josephine Peak was named for the daughter of local rancher Phil Beque, Josephine Peak (elevation 5,558) is the first prominent San Gabriel summit that greets hikers coming from L.A. on the Angeles Crest Highway.
His wife, Mary Ann Lewis, was born in 1938 to Grace Elizabeth Morgan. I couldn’t find record of her father. Her mother later married Henry Edward Nawotka and finally, Louie Hadden Manly. Mary Ann would marry a second time to Richard William McCabe.
My relationship to this young man is distant. He’s my 3rd cousin two times removed. Our common ancestor goes back to William E. Cassada and Jane Harrison. They had a daughter named Rachel Pauline Cassada who married Samuel Bruce Ensley and I’m descended from them.
I never could discover if the 18 month old child was a boy or girl as some of the death notices said boy and some said girl. Interesting story but another reason why it got my attention was they were married on my birthday! It’s so sad to read how this handsome and educated young man with a wife and baby died at 29 yrs old. In looking up the photo of Josephine Peak, the maps and history, I found there is a well known trail to the peak of Josephine Mountain. I had to wonder if there is any memorial for Howard Owen Casada, Jr. or if the hikers know his story and his sacrifice for his country?
Sharon's Scrapbook 