MARINETTE (NBC 26) — Ed and Christie Barlament, known for finding treasures underwater as divers, stumbled upon what they call a "land treasure" while exploring their new 1890s home: a medical journal belonging to Dr. Charles Gray Catto, a World War I flying ace.
A remarkable life
Historical records show Dr. Charles Gray Catto was born Nov. 7, 1896, in Dallas, Texas, and died June 24, 1972, in Waco, Texas. The son of British immigrant John Catto, Charles was studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland when World War I began.
He joined the Royal Flying Corps on June 5, 1917. Flying the Sopwith Camel with 45 Squadron, Catto served in Italy and France and scored six victories, earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross during World War I.
After the war ended, he resumed his medical studies at Edinburgh, graduated in 1922, and became a doctor. He was later elected mayor of Waco, Texas, on April 20, 1937.
Present-day discovery
"Ed the Diver" was able to track down Catto's living descendants thanks to what he calls Christie's "sleuth magic."
Dr. Catto's daughter, Mary Shipley, was a volunteer at the Marinette County Historical Museum and was married to William Shipley. Mary moved to Marinette in 1967 and had three daughters: Nan Williams of Abrams, Susan Berg of Pulaski, and Sandra Folska of Shoreview, Minnesota.
When Susan Berg was contacted about the journal, Christie said her reaction was overwhelming.
"I don't know how it could have gotten there," Berg told Christie over a Facebook Messenger text. "That is not my childhood home address but that is definitely my grandfather's! He was a doctor in Waco, TX, but my mom and dad ended up in Marinette where my sisters and I were raised. Incredible. I'm just shocked!"
A return decades in the making
Christie says plans have been made for Mary's daughters to visit her and Ed on Dec. 28 to personally receive their grandfather's prized journal, creating a meaningful moment as the artifact returns to the family who treasured it.
What's in the journal?
Ed says the journal contains 41 pages of medical procedures and prices from the early 20th century, with the last entry dated March 21, 1935. It also lists medical practices and costs from nearly 90 years ago, with procedures for feet, scalp, bladder, pregnancy, appendix and other treatments.
The planned Dec. 28 return will mark the end of one chapter for the journal and the beginning of another as it goes back to the Catto family, carrying with it the legacy of a remarkable man who served his country in war and his community in peace.
