Joshua was a circus performer for Ringling Brothers

A Pretty Home Wedding

Of large social interest was the wedding of Joshua O Casswell and Miss Zelma Hoyt at home of the bride's brother in Irvington Wednesday evening, the Rev. John D. Rice officiating. The guests were relatives and intimate friends
of the families of the contracting parties, and the function could not have been more nicely appointed.
The groom is the son of Mr. & Mrs. R. H. Casswell, 739 Vanderbuilt Street,hence a member of one of our most highly respected families, and he is a young man with splendid sterling qualities and friends by the score. The bride is a talented winsome young lady, and is the daughter of Mr . & Mrs. A.E. Walker of Irvington. They will reside in University Park.

Josh was the tenth child born to R.H. and Elizabeth Casswell. He was the youngest of the four boys in the family. Fun loving and spirited , Josh was sometimes a concern to his family. In a postcard sent to an older son
then living near Portland, OR, his mother had written"Please look out for Josh."
But he didn't always get things his way, as was evident in a story told by Lucille Casswell Heckman, Josh's niece.
"My sister, Lyall, and I were living with Grandmother and Grandfather Casswell. Uncle Josh was about seventeen years old at the time. One day, Lyall and I went out playing in the fields. We spotted an old apple
orchard, trees loaded with fruit. We knew Grandma would love some, but we thought it was too far to go back to the house for bags.We decided to take off our bloomers and tie knots in the bottom of the legs.We filled those
bloomers as full as we could get them, and hauled the fruit home. Uncle Josh came in the kitchen just as we were unloading the apples to wash. 'You can just throw that stuff away,' he said. 'I'm not eating any fruit that's been carried in some girl's bloomers!' Grandma kept on washing anyway . In those days you didn't throw anything away, and I think she was happy to have them. Besides, I never did see Uncle Josh turn down any of the apple pies that year."
A few days before his 23rd birthday, Josh married his first wife , Zelma Hoyte. They had two sons, Dave and Tom. The marriage didn't last, and the two boys left with their mother.

Josh's second wife was somewhat of a match for him.She didn't put up with his drinking, and one day my parents arrived at their house to see Uncle Josh running out the door with an airborn set of china in hot pursuit.
Maude stayed longer than Zelma, but eventually had her fill and left, too.
They had no children.

His third, and last, wife, Elsie, had children from a previous marriage. Their marriage was rocky as well. Uncle Josh was a fun person, he just couldn't solve his problem with alcohol, and no one else could live with it. Elsie left him after a few years, too.

Josh worked at various jobs. Off and on, he worked in the ship yards in Portland, Oregon. He loved to sing, but later in life lost his voice to throat cancer. He had a voice box installed, which was facinating for me as a young girl to listen to.
Joshua Oxford Bassett Casswell died in the early1960's. He is buried in Riverview Cemetary in Sellwood, Oregon, near his parents.

In the summer of 1996, Jack Day, Josh's nephew, located one of Josh's grandson's, Tom Casswell, who is living in California.