CRESWELL – Al January, 76, a fifth-generation Lane County resident who was a familiar figure walking the streets of Creswell or organizing classic car shows in the area, died Sunday, March 10, while in hospice care at his home, surrounded by his wife Kathy and family.
January and his twin brother Ed were featured in a June 24, 2022 article in The Chronicle where he talked about being the “family historian” and his deep roots in the state.
“Al, the self-proclaimed family historian, has traced their lineage to another set of twins who lived on the East Coast before the Gold Rush. Their relative, Jonathan January, followed gold all the way to San Francisco and eventually traversed the Jessie Applegate trail up to Oregon. Their first homestead was in the heart of modern-day Cottage Grove, where they owned and operated a grain mill.
“Al is a collector of family history, along with antiques, stamps, coins and cars. “Have you ever seen a half-dime?” he asked me. “I have this one from 1854, when January first came to Oregon.” Jonathan January is recorded on one of the first Oregon censuses before the state was incorporated by the U.S. Government.”
Born June 24, 1947, and after growing up in Springfield, the twin brothers took different paths. Both men served in the military during the Vietnam era. Al was in the U.S. Air Force, and Ed was in the U.S. Army.
A love of cars was a consistent theme in Al January’s life. He once estimated that he and his brother have collected and traded several hundred cars throughout their time on the road.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced yet by the family.
