Early Oregon Cousins – Albert Daniel Davis

Albert Daniel Davis was one of John Howard Bond's 1^st cousins. That makes him my 1st cousin 3 times removed.

Albert was born in Mahaska County Iowa 19 Mar 1851, the son of Nelson and Elizabeth (Bond) Davis. He was just 2 years old when the family traveled the Oregon Trail to go to the Oregon Territory. His older brother William and his two sisters, Rebecca and Susan also were on this journey. His father was elected as the captain of the train. After arriving in Oregon in the early part of October his parents settled a Donation Land Claim 20 Oct 1853 in Lane County in what became a part of the city of Springfield.

When the 1860 census was taken there were 13 people in the household: Albert and his parents, 6 brothers and sisters, his grandmother and 2 aunts and an uncle. Albert was listed as 9 years old and had attended school. By 1870 the household was down to 12 people, Albert, his parents and 9 younger brothers and sisters. Albert was now 19, worked on the farm, but still had attended school within the previous year. His aunt Rebecca (Bond) Davis and 5 of her children were living next door.

It was nearly 2 years later, 25 Jun 1872, when Albert's mother died. It wasn't long before their family moved to Washington Territory. Albert married Melvina Efferiah “Effie” Long on 24 May 1874 in Pomeroy in Garfield County Washington Territory. Albert and Effie had one child before Effie died 16 Jan 1878. About a year and a half later Albert married Naomi Elizabeth Baldwin on 1 Jun 1879 in Pomeroy. On the 1880 census they were living in Columbia County, Washington Territory. Albert's daughter from his first marriage was living with them. His occupation was blacksmith. 

Albert and Naomi had 8 children. Sadly Albert was killed in a logging accident 13 Oct 1900 before their last child, Edna, was born 31 Dec 1900. He was buried in Pomeroy City Cemetery.

The headline for Albert's obituary in the Pomeroy Gazette newspaper read: Broke His Neck.

Monday Mystery Photo - #4

Here is the mystery photo for today, 30 Oct 2017.

This is an unidentified photo from my father's, (Lester Albertson) collection. I believe it was originally from his mother's photos, Lucie (Smalley) Albertson. Some of the surnames from her family include Smalley, Shipman, Hemphill and Chase. But she also may have collected photos from the Albertson family.

The image is about 1.75 inches by 2.5 inches, pasted onto cardboard about 3.5 inches by 5 inches. The photographer was Churchley of Portland, Oregon. Historical records show the photographer at the address printed on the photo from 1900 through 1911.

My Albertson Grandparents in Color

Most of the photos of my grandparents that I have posted have been in black and white, since most of the photos during their lives were black and white. However I do have a few that are in color, so want to share them today. These were taken after they moved to Eugene so would be between 1946 and 1948.

Oran Jesse Albertson 1882 - 1948

Lucie Rachel (Smalley) Albertson 1886 - 1960

Places From the Past – Goodland, Kansas

Goodland Kansas was the county seat for Sherman County where some of my Smalley and Albertson families settled in the 1880s. I had at least one ancestor living there until the mid 1950s. These are photos from some old postcards.

This one was probably about 1890.

This one is several years later.

Who Were John Howard Bond's 1st Cousins?

Why should I care who they were? Because all of his 1^st cousins were my relatives also. From my research I found 49 1^st cousins on his father's side and 44 on his mother's side. There were 5 who were double cousins that showed on each side so the total number of 1^st cousins was 88.

First cousins share grandparents. John Howard Bond was my gt-grandfather, so his grandparents were my 3^rd gt-grandparents. The gt-grandchildren of any of John's 1^st cousins are my 4^th cousins, since we would share 3^rd gt-grandparents.

On Ancestry DNA there are over 1000 matches to me that Ancestry has classified as 4^th cousins. These designations certainly aren't precise, but it gives a range. So it is likely that some of John's 1^st cousins are ancestors of a portion of these matches.

Ancestry DNA has a feature called DNA Circles. There is a DNA Circle for John Howard's grandfather, John Bond, which includes me. Because the circles require the members to have a tree on Ancestry's site I can see who they are descended from. Among the 17 members of the Circle, 10 are descendants of John Howard's 1^st cousins. There are 5 different cousins represented: Sarah (Tong) Wise, Martha (Davis) Gustin, Albert Daniel Davis, James Nelson Davis, and Martha (Davis) Alkire. So my plan is to write about these 5 cousins over the next week or so.

365 Days

Today, 26 Oct 2017, is the day I am posting my 365^th blog post. At the beginning of 2017, I made a goal to post something everyday for the year. This is not the fulfillment of my goal as only 299 of the 365 have been done this year, because the year is not over. So there are still 66 to go.

That means that I wrote 66 in the previous 6 years that I have had my blog. I looked at my statistics and discovered I had not posted very often in most of those years:

2011 – 14

2012 – 3

2013 – 5

2014 – 25

2015 – 7

2016 – 12

I am feeling good that I have accomplished so much during this year and hope that I will be able to continue throughout the rest of this year and who knows how much longer. It has been an enjoyable, but sometimes stressful, endeavor. I know that I have learned and relearned a lot about my family by doing this writing and posting. I trust that at least some of them have been helpful to my family members and friends who have been reading them.

Finding An Uncle in Cottage Grove

Here is another copy of an article I wrote a number of years ago, 2006, to be exact. This time I am adding a photo of Melvin, which was graciously shared with me by cousin Robert Bond.

When considering writing about family who died before we were born, often there are no family traditions about that individual. So, it requires research to find information. Beginners are taught to use basic sources, which include vital records, cemeteries, obituaries and census. But sometimes extra information is found that makes that individual more interesting. When, by accident, I found in the newspaper that “Uncle Melvin” once lived in Cottage Grove, he became the subject of this report.

My great-granduncle, Melvin Clarence Bond, was the youngest brother of my great-grandfather, John Howard Bond. Melvin was the son of Solomon Bond and Huldah Hayes. I believe he was born in Linn County, Oregon on August 15, 1869 (although his death certificate says 1868.)

By the time of the 1870 agricultural census Melvin’s father had a farm of 407 acres. The main crops were wheat and oats and they did have farm animals: horses, cows, sheep and swine. Melvin was listed as a one year old on the population schedule of that 1870 census in the Peoria Precinct. Four older brothers and two older sisters were enumerated with him and his parents. Two older sisters and an older brother had already married and left home.

While Melvin was still a toddler, a rather drastic change came to their neighborhood, as the Oregon and California Railroad laid their track in the summer of 1871, along the edge of the Bond farm. I can imagine that Melvin could have heard the train go by every day as that became a major transportation route from Portland to Eugene.

Aunts and uncles lived nearby and Uncles Ebenezer Hayes and Seth Whipple Hayes platted a new town, which was named Halsey. Still as a young boy, Melvin experienced death in the family, when in 1876, two of his older sisters died and his uncle Seth Whipple Hayes was murdered. His deceased married sister’s baby daughter came to live with their family, so now Melvin wasn’t the youngest in the household anymore. On the 1880 census the family consisted of Melvin, shown as age 10, with his parents, the next three older brothers and his 5 year old niece. Since the 1885 census only gives the number, not the names of those in Solomon’s household, we believe that Melvin was one of the two males between age 10 and 21. Others were two brothers, his mother and his niece.

I don’t yet have information about how Melvin met his wife, but it is likely he was working for the Southern Pacific Railroad in Springfield where her family lived. Lane County Marriage Records show that M. C. Bond and Fanny Burton were married June 14, 1893 at the house of Adolphus Burton by Rev. C. C. Sperry. It is probable that C. C. Sperry was Carpus Clark Sperry, a Baptist minister, who was in the North Brownsville Precinct in Linn County by the 1900 census. Melvin’s father, Solomon Bond, was one of the witnesses. Was this in Springfield? Melvin’s obituary states they were married in Coburg, but Fanny’s gives the location as Springfield. Since Adolphus Burton was in Springfield on the 1880 census, that seems to be the correct location.

It was in August of 1894 that we find the next record about Melvin. The Eugene City Guard reported the following for the Cottage Grove area: “Frank Wooley, agent of the Southern Pacific railroad here for the past five and one-half years, was replaced Friday by a Mr. Bond from the Springfield branch.” Melvin had some hard work in that first month as a fire broke out at the Bohemia Hotel, near the depot. The newspaper reported: that some of railroad cars had to be moved and “Agent Bond also moved almost everything from the depot.” Fortunately there was a lack of wind, and a number of willing workers so the fire was prevented from spreading.

Now Melvin and Fanny were a part of Cottage Grove society. Their first child, Lawrence, was born in October. The newspaper reported that in December Fanny’s sister came to visit and then Fanny went back to Springfield with her. By the next summer, Melvin and Fanny and the baby are reported to be taking a vacation at Yaquina Bay. The newspaper described Melvin as “the genial and popular agent of the S.P. Railroad office.” A timetable from January of 1895 shows that Cottage Grove had two passenger trains each way, so Melvin was probably kept busy.

Sometime before the next census was taken in June of 1900, Melvin and family moved south along the railroad line to Merlin in Josephine County. Merlin was located about ten miles north of Grants Pass. Melvin’s occupation was shown as telegraph operator. His family had grown by one as there were now two sons, Lawrence age 4 and Guy age 2. Melvin’s next older brother, Harvey, was also working as a telegraph operator that year at Leland, the next station north of Merlin, about ten miles away. Their father Solomon had died in February of that year and his obituary listed these two sons as living in southern Oregon. The estate record listed them as living in Josephine County, Oregon. So all these records agree.

But Melvin did not stay at Merlin. His mother’s obituary in July, 1903, listed Melvin as living in Coburg. The 1905 Lane County Census showed him in Coburg as a railroad agent. By 1908 Melvin had changed occupations, as he now was a dry goods merchant.

Two major events happened in their family in 1908 while they were living in Coburg. On October 27^th, there was a blessed event when Melvin and Fanny’s third son, Merle, was born. But a tragic incident happened about a month later, on November 28^th, when their oldest son, fourteen year old Lawrence, was killed in a hunting accident.

In April, 1909, Melvin purchased 164.92 acres from the Federal Government, located in Douglas County, a few miles west of Riddle. However, he and his family were enumerated on the 1910 census in Coburg, on Skinner Street, and he was listed as a retail merchant.

It was probably about 1912 when the family moved again. Melvin returned to work for the Southern Pacific Railroad at the depot in Sutherlin. Their son, Guy, married Maydream Mclean in 1919 in Coos County, Oregon. So, Melvin, Fanny and their youngest son, Merle, were left in Sutherlin and they were enumerated there on the 1920 census.

Melvin became a widower in 1924 when Fanny died after an illness of several years. Fanny’s obituary noted that she had attended the University of Oregon and the state Normal School at Monmouth and had taught school for several years before her marriage. She was a member of the Baptist Church and the Sutherlin Lodge of Rebekahs. Seemingly Fanny had a good reputation as the local newspaper, the Sutherlin Sun, published that “she was a woman with a kind and sympathetic nature, friendly with all and a good neighbor and true friend.” After the funeral at Sutherlin, she was buried at the Coburg IOOF Cemetery, next to her son Lawrence.

On the 4^th of July in 1927, Melvin remarried to Edith Stephens. Edith was born in 1890 and had moved to Douglas County as a small child. Merle was still living at home with Melvin and Edith when the 1930 census was taken.

It was Christmas Eve in 1931 when Melvin died. The death certificate stated that he had last worked on the 23^rd, although his obituary implied he had been seriously ill for awhile. Again the Sutherlin Sun newspaper was complimentary, as it stated about Melvin: “Always courteous and obliging and ready to give assistance to any community enterprise, his passing is sincerely regretted by every resident of this community.” They noted the facts that he had served on the city council for ten years and was a member of the Baptist Church, Woodmen of the World and the Odd Fellows. Melvin was also buried at the Coburg IOOF Cemetery. His widow Edith remained in the Roseburg area for over forty years until her death at age 85 on the 15^th of July, 1975.

Writing about a family member helped me to get to “know” them better. It helped me see the “holes” in my research so I could focus my efforts to complete this report. Still, most of this report was based on those basic genealogical materials, so all researchers could do it. Why not find someone who interests you and start writing.

Early Oregon Cousins – James Monroe Bond

Again I am posting a copy from the article previously published in 2011 in Trees From the Grove, the Cottage Grove Genealogical Society periodical. James Monroe Bond was a 1^st cousin of James Howard Bond, my gt-grandfather, so was my 1^st cousin 3 times removed.

Cousin James Monroe Bond was the third son of William and Hannah (Hayes) Bond, born 17 November 1847 in Marion County, Iowa. His oldest brother, Daniel born in 1842, had died sometime before the 1850 census was taken, so Seth age 5 and James age 3 were the two children in the household with their parents in Marion County, Iowa on 10 September 1850. It was the next month when another son, Ebenezer, joined the family.

William’s family, including their three young boys, left Iowa in 1853 with a number of other relatives and traveled the long route over the Oregon Trail heading to the Oregon Territory. James was almost 5 ½ when they left in April. I wonder if James was old enough to realize that his mother was expecting another child. But he certainly would have been aware when on August 24^th the train traveled to Lees encampment in the Blue Mountains and a baby sister, named Emma Augusta, was born. The train “layed by” the next day and continued their travel on the 26^th. By September 14^th they had arrived at Summit Prairie on the slopes of Mt. Hood and it was there that James’ mother Hannah died. A number of years later his cousin Harvey related that Emma was cared for by her Hayes grandparents and the three boys were cared for by William’s brother Solomon and his wife Huldah, who was Hannah’s younger sister.

James’ father William did settle on a Donation Land Claim of 110 acres in Linn County in September 1855. On the 1860 census taken in June, William Bond was listed as a farmer in Linn County, post office Harrisburgh, with three sons: Seth 15, James 13 and Ebenezer 10. Emma was listed on the census with her grandmother Hayes.

Just two years later, 1862, brought a big change to the family when in September William married Talitha (Belknap) Starr, a widow with eight children. It appears that William’s family moved to the Alpine area in Benton County where Talitha and her first husband had their Donation Land Claim. It’s probable that Emma also moved there. But sadly, sometime within the next year, at age 9, Emma died from scarlet fever and was buried in the Simpson Chapel Cemetery, also known as the Alpine Cemetery. William and Talitha had one child together, a daughter, Irene Grace, born in August 1864. But then less than a year later, Talitha again became a widow when William died in May 1865 and he was also buried in Simpson Chapel Cemetery.

Now James was not quite 18 and had lost both parents. After his brother Seth had his 21^st birthday in October of 1866, Seth was appointed by the Benton County Court as guardian of his two younger brother, James and Ebenezer, who were still minors. They each had a one-fourth interest in the land in Linn County left by their father.

But the next month, just before his 19^th birthday, on 11 November 1866, at Simpson Chapel, James married Sarah Starr, the 15 year old daughter of Talitha. Nine months later, 27 August 1867, James and Sarah’s first child, Emma Augusta (named after James’ deceased sister) was born.

It was probably the next year, in 1868 that James and Sarah moved to California. By the 1870 census James and Sarah, with two children, were living in San Joaquin Township, Stanislaus County, California, Crows Landing post office. James was a farmer and his brother Seth, a school teacher, was living next door. Bureau of Land Management records show that James M. Bond purchased 160 acres of government land in Stanislaus County in 1873. A biography published in 1905 stated that they moved farther south, near Lemoore, California, in 1877.

By the 1880 census, James and Sarah and their six children, Emma, William, Ernest, Elmer, Frank and Walter, were living in Lemoore Township, Tulare County, California, along with his brother Ebenezer and his wife, Ebenezer’s brother-in-law and a servant. This area became Kings County in 1893. Both James and Ebenezer were farmers. Seth was also in Tulare County at Visalia, teaching school. The Great Register for Tulare County in 1890 showed James Monroe Bond, age 43, born in Iowa, had registered to vote in Lemoore Precinct on 12 September. Ebenezer registered 17 October.

According to his obituary, James “felt that he was called to minister to the sick.” He studied nursing and then about 1890 he entered the California Eclectic Medical College in San Francisco and graduated in 1893. He practiced a year there and then moved to Hanford, Kings County, California, where he was listed on the 1900 census as a physician and surgeon. Seven of his ten children were living at home: Elmer 26 (also a physician and surgeon) Frank 23, Walter 21, Edith 17, Jessie 15, Charles 11, and Harry 8. Enumerated next to them was James’s oldest son, William 30, a farmer, with his wife and three children.

James ran a sanitarium in Hanford until 1906 (the year of the San Francisco earthquake) when the family moved to Arizona and he opened a sanitarium in the Phoenix area. They were listed there on the 1910 census with James as physician at the Arizona Sanitarium, which was a Seventh Day Adventist institution. Sarah and their married daughter Edith Dillon 28 were nurses and Edith’s husband was listed as a minister for the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Three of the younger of the now eleven children were also in the household: Jessie 25, Harry 19 and Mildred Grace 11. The biography stated about James, “both the doctor and his wife are enthusiastic Seventh Day Adventists and have reared their family in the same belief.”

About 1911 James moved back to California and worked as chaplain and associate physician at the Healdsburg Medical Home in Sonoma County. His youngest son, Harry Cecil, died in 1912 and was buried at Oak Mound Cemetery in Healdsburg. His daughter, Edith (Bond) Dillon died in Arizona in 1913 and was also buried at Oak Mound. When James died 22 March 1914 in Healdsburg, he was buried at Oak Mound Cemetery and all three did not have markers.

Sarah was listed as a widow, occupation practical nurse, living with her daughter Emma Wheeler and doctor son-in-law in Fresno, California, on the 1920 census. Sarah’s obituary stated that she had married her brother-in-law Ebenezer after he became a widower, then she again became a widow when he died. She died 23 May 1936.

Early Oregon Cousins - James Madison Bond

I included this James, the son of George and Elizabeth (Stillwell) Bond, in 2011 when I wrote an article for the Cottage Grove Genealogical Society periodical, Trees From the Grove,  about his uncle James Bond and his cousin James Monroe Bond, as they were the 3 James Bonds who were included in my database. This is a copy of what I wrote then.

Cousin James Madison Bond was born 23 October 1849 in Marion County, Iowa. He was the 6^th child of his parents George Washington and Elizabeth (Stillwell) Bond and was shown with his parents and 4 surviving older siblings on the 1850 census in Marion County. It is probable that James was named for the former president of the United States since his father was named George Washington Bond and some of James' brothers were William Harrison and Benjamin Franklin.

James was about 3 ½ years old when the family left Iowa in April of 1853 and traveled over the Oregon Trail to Oregon Territory. According to his father's journal the family got to the “Willamit valy” on 21 September 1853. In less than a month his parents had settled a Donation Land Claim in Lane County on 16 October 1853, so it was probably there that James could celebrate his 4^th birthday. The land claim was located on the north side of the Willamette River, across from Skinner's Butte. On the 1860 census the George Bond family was enumerated in Spencer Precinct, Lane County, Oregon. By then there were 8 children in the family. By the 1870 census, the precinct was named Springfield, although they were most probably in the same location. James' oldest brother, William Harrison, had moved to Powell's Valley Precinct in the Portland area and was teaching school and his next brother, Benjamin Franklin, had been committed to the insane asylum in East Portland. Two younger children had been born so there were still 8 children in the family.

The year 1880 would have been sad for their family since James' father died in January from heart trouble and his two youngest siblings died from typhoid fever, Charles in March at age 16 and Mary in May at age 19. James' two older sisters had already married, so in the 1880 census, James at age 30 was living with his three younger brothers and his widowed mother.

According to his obituary James moved to Linn County in 1884. He probably lived close to his uncle Solomon Bond in the Halsey area. It was 18 January 1887 when James married Mary Jane Windom, a niece of Mrs. Solomon Bond. Just over six months later, 27 June 1887, Mary died at their home near Halsey. It was the next year, 14 March 1888, when James was married for the second time. His wife was Rhoda Keeney, the daughter of Elias Keeney, an early settler in the Brownsville area of Linn County.

By the 1900 census James is shown as a 50 year old farmer in the Halsey Precinct, Linn County, Oregon, with his wife Rhoda, age 37, their two daughters: Zelma age 11 and Elfa age 9, and two of James' younger brothers: Joseph and George. It is uncertain why their son Ruel was not enumerated with the family, but he was included with his two sisters in the 1905 census. James' brothers were not living with the family then. Early in 1910, James' eldest daughter, Zelma married Claude Davis. So the 1910 census shows James, Rhoda, Elfa, Ruel and brother George still living in Halsey Precinct, on the Halsey and Brownsville Road.

During the next decade Elfa married Jay W. Moore and Ruel went into the service in World War I. Apparently James and Rhoda moved to Corvallis since in May of 1918, the Corvallis Weekly Gazette-Times printed a letter sent from France by Ruel and stated that his parents were “living here on North 12^th street.” Ruel was killed in the battle of Chateau Theirry, France 18 July 1918. He is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Belleau, France. But his parents were not officially notified of his death until they received a telegram on the 20^th of September. Up till then they were hoping he had been taken prisoner. James and Rhoda moved to Albany, Linn County, Oregon and are listed there on the 1920 census. By the 1930 census, James and Rhoda are shown as living in the city of Newport in Lincoln County on the Oregon coast.

James and Rhoda were living back in Albany at 822 Walnut when James died of “chronic valvular heart disease” 9 April 1935. Rhoda died 8 September 1954 in Linn County and both are buried at Riverside Cemetery, Albany, Oregon.

Early Oregon Cousins – Ellen Cardine Bond and Emily Bond

I think of these as “unknown cousins.” They were 1^st cousins of my gt-grandfather, John Howard Bond, but he probably never knew them. They were both born before he was and probably also died before he was born in 1855.

The family information I received when beginning my research in the 1980s never mentioned these names as children of George and Elizabeth (Stillwell) Bond. Their names did not appear on any of the census records which I found for this family. Because the George Bond family had settled in the Eugene area in the fall of 1853, I did some research about the family at the Lane County Historical Museum in Eugene, Oregon in May 2008. They had in their files the following listing for the family birthdates. It was actually in the Harlow file, but as I wrote on 21 Apr 2017, one of George's daughters, Amanda Bond, had married Anderson Harlow. Here was where I discovered these two extra daughters, Ellen Cardine Bond born in 1840 and Emily Bond born in 1853, so they are on my website and now they are on my blog. They were my 1^st cousins 3 times removed.

You might notice that I have posted twice today. I am trying to play “catch up” because I missed yesterday and the day before (last Saturday and Sunday) as I was having a computer problem. I hope to post twice again tomorrow and then I will be back on schedule.

Monday Mystery Photo - #3

Here is the mystery photo for today, 23 Oct 2017.

This is an unidentified photo from my father's, (Lester Albertson) collection. I believe it was originally from his mother's photos, Lucie (Smalley) Albertson. Some of the surnames from her family include Smalley, Shipman, Hemphill and Chase.

It is small, the image about 2 inches by 2.75 inches, pasted onto cardboard about 3 inches by 4.25 inches. The photographer was James G. Crawford of Albany, Oregon. He worked there from 1886 to 1925. Does anyone know who this might be?

Death Certificates From the Past – Preston and Sarah (Bond) Murphy

Sarah (Bond) Murphy was my 1^st cousin once removed, the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Stillwell) Bond. George was the brother to my 2^nd gt-grandfather Solomon Bond. Both Sarah and Preston were deaf and met at the Oregon deaf school. They were married in 1874 and were married for over 50 years until Preston died the last of November 1930 and Sarah died a little over a month later 4 Jan 1931.

Early Oregon Cousins – Rachel (Monroe) Stoops

This is an article that I wrote which was published in the Cottage Grove Genealogical Society periodical, Trees From the Grove, 10 years ago, in 2007.  It concerned one of my 1st cousins 3 times removed, Rachel (Monroe) Stoops.

TRACING A TRAGIC INCIDENT

In beginning genealogy we are advised to “listen” to family tradition and do research to discover whether it is true. But often we find some of the more interesting stories by just doing research. I have been trying to use the approach that I research the whole family, including all the children and grandchildren of each direct ancestral couple. With the large size of some of the families, this gives numerous opportunities to discover these stories.

One of my discoveries came while researching one of the grandchildren of my third great-grandparents, Thomas and Sarah (Lollar) O’Neal. Their son, Commodore Perry O’Neal, known as Perry, was my second great-grandfather. His youngest sister was Rebecca, who married Alexander Monroe. Both families had come to Oregon in the Creswell area by 1880.

Following the whole family approach, I researched the easily available basics: the published Lane County Marriage Records at Cottage Grove Genealogical Society Library and my subscription on-line for census records and the Oregon death index. Finding possible names to research, I obtained copies of some of the family death certificates from a trip to the Oregon State Archives in Salem.

One of Rebecca’s daughters was Rachel, born in December 1871 in California and married August 29^th, 1889 to J. O. Stoops, a son of an early Pleasant Hill area settler. The 1900 census showed them as Oscar J. and Rachel Stoops with four children, living in Springfield, Lane County, Oregon. When I checked Rachel’s death certificate for her death on October 17^th, 1905, I found that she had died in Marshfield, Coos County, Oregon and the cause of death was “killed by J.A. Armitage.” What did this mean? More research seemed necessary.

A trip to the Knight Library at the University of Oregon at Eugene was the next step, since all of the known surviving newspapers from Oregon have been microfilmed and are available there. Checking first in the published inventory of available newspapers, I found that there was a paper from Marshfield for that time period. However, when I looked at the Library I found that it was not there that particular day. Was my trip wasted? I decided to check the newspapers from Eugene to determine if any mention of the “killing” was in it.

The October 18^th edition of the Morning Register had it on the front page with the headline: “DOUBLE TRAGEDY AT MARSHFIELD: Both Victims Were Residents of Eugene Several Years Ago, J. A. Armitage Kills Mrs. J. O. Stoops, With Whom He was Infatuated, and Then Ends His own Life---Was Under Peace Bonds for Threatening Woman.” The article gave some of the details. It stated that Mr. Armitage had taken a rifle and revolver and broke into the Stoops home through a window. Mrs. Stoops and her children had taken refuge upstairs. Having taken a gun with her, she shot Mr. Armitage when he came up the stairs, wounding him. He continued up the stairs and grabbed her and shot her with his pistol. He had dropped the rifle and Rachel’s thirteen year old daughter picked it up and hit him on the head to try to save her mother. After he had killed Rachel, Mr. Armitage left the house and went back to his home where he shot himself. The article related that he had been bound over a few weeks before in the sum of $800 to keep the peace because he had threatened Rachel’s life. It also gave the details that Rachel left a husband and five children and Mr. Armitage left a wife and grown family at Eugene.

Then I wondered if a coroner’s inquest had been held. The County Records Inventory on the website for the Oregon State Archives stated that Coos County had inquest records that included 1905 at their Courthouse in Coquille. Since I was already planning a trip to Coos Bay the first weekend in November for a genealogical conference I decided to try to include a side trip to Coquille. I telephoned the County Clerk’s Office at the Courthouse and asked if those inquest records would be available for researching. The person who answered the telephone did not know at first, but asked someone and said it was possible. She asked for the names and said she would check and let me know if they had them, so I would not have to make a special trip for nothing. It was a few days later that there was a message on my voice mail that the records were there and they would have them for me when I arrived on Friday, November 5^th.

Reading the inquest record for Rachel Stoops was a sad experience. It was held later in the evening on the same day that she was killed.

Her husband was called as the first witness. He verified her identity as the 32 year old daughter of Rebbeca O’Neil and Alexander Monroe. He stated that she had told him that Mr. Armitage had threatened her life two months before, in August. Then their fifteen year old son, Frank, was called, but he had been at school so could not give any information about what had happened.

I found the testimony of their daughter, thirteen year old Lulu, the most troubling. She and her mother and the two year old baby were the only ones at home that afternoon. Lulu stated the following: We were up stairs and mama was sewing, and first we knew was when we heard him break in the window, and then mama got up and creamed[sic—screamed] and she grabbed for her gun and ran to the stairs and he was headed up the stairs and mama shot at him and then he fell backwards down the stairs and then he got up and came up the stairs again and she had shot at him as he was coming up and then she grabbed a chair and hit him over the head with a chair and then he commenced to shoot at her and then I picked up his gun and I hit him over the head with it three times and he grabbed the gun away from me, and he started down stairs and then mama fell, and I did not know anything more about him, until I heard a man say he heard him over there and that he was dying….I ran to the window and hollowed to Mrs. Margelt to come that mama was shot and she said she would go and get Mrs. Richardson and she went for her and they came down and Mrs. Richardson was the first one to the house and then Mrs. Bargelt came and then Mr. Carter came. She explained that Mr. Armitage had got into the house through the window, breaking it in. When asked what he said after he had broken in, she said: “When he started up the stairs, he said, Now I’ve got you.” She continued her story: he took his pistol out of his pocket after he came upstairs. He grabbed hold of her [Rachel] and had his arm around her neck and then he commenced to shoot her but I am not sure where he shot her. They questioned Lulu about whether he had tried to do anything to her after her mother had been shot. She told them He started to shoot me, but he must have been too weak I think…He pointed the pistol at me, he tried to pull the trigger but he could’nt. Then Mr. Armitage left.

J. O. Stoops was recalled as a witness and explained that he had left the previous day to go up the Coos River and was there when he received the news about his wife. The Stoops family had lived at Marshfield for three years as had Mr. Armitage. They had known each other, being neighbors, before moving there.

Next, some of the neighbors were called to testify. Then Lulu was called again to clarify her testimony. When asked what she said during the incident, Lulu answered: No sir nothing was said, I was screaming all the time.

The inquest concluded with the testimony of the City Marshall and the doctor who examined the body. The verdict of the jury at the inquest was: “Rachel Stoops.came to her death by gunshot wounds inflicted by James A Armitage, in her home in Marshfield Oregon between the hours of 3 and 4 oclock P.M. on the 17^th day of October 1905.”

At a later trip to the Knight Library, a weekly Marshfield newspaper was available, so I found and copied another story of this murder. Their headline on page one of the October 21^st paper (taken from Wednesday’s Daily): “SHOCKING DOUBLE TRAGEDY. J. A. Armitage Kills Mrs. J. O. Stoops and Then Himself.” On page five was a second article (taken from Thursday’s Daily): “ELEVEN SHOTS WERE FIRED. More Particulars of Tuesday’s Ghastly Tragedy.”

From research I discovered a story of a tragic incident. It appears that Rachel was involved in a case of stalking. She had obtained a type of restraining order against her adversary, but as sometimes happens today, a hundred years later; this did not prevent her death. Now, for me anyway, Rachel will not be forgotten.

SOURCES

Myers, Jane and Arlene Smith, compilers, Lane County Oregon Marriage Records 1880-1889, Vol. III Cottage Grove, Oregon: Cottage Grove Genealogical Society, 1980.

Morning Register, Eugene, Oregon. 18 October 1905

Weekly Coast Mail, Marshfield, Oregon. 21 October 1905

Oregon. Coos County. Inquest Record. Rachel Stoops, October 17, 1905. Coos County Courthouse, Coquille, Oregon

Ancestor Birthday – October 18 – Florence Edna Bond 1891 – 1979

My grandmother, Florence Edna Bond, was born 18 October 1891 in Creswell area, Lane County Oregon to John Howard and Mary Ann (O'Neal) Bond. She was the youngest of 5 children, with 2 older brothers and 2 older sisters. When she was about 3 years old the family moved to Eastern Oregon, Lone Rock in Gilliam County. A little over 10 years later the family moved back to the Willamette Valley to the Halsey area in Linn County Oregon.

It was 27 Mar 1910 when Florence married Julius Adolph Falk. They moved to his farm between Halsey and Harrisburg, with a Harrisburg address. Their first child, Howard Ludwig Falk, was born late in November of 1910 and lived about 3 weeks before his death on 22 Dec 1910. It was a little over a year later when my mother, Wilma Anna Falk, was born 27 Jan 1912. The family increased with Lois in 1915, Erma in 1919, Violet in 1924, and Gerald in 1927. Florence became a widow when Julius died in 1944. She lived most of the rest of her life on the farm until she suffered a stroke in March 1979 and died in June of that year.

I have written about her before on my blog:

22 Oct 2014—Her wedding

4 Jan 2017—Attending England family reunion in 1929

6 Jan 2017—Attending Bond family reunion in 1939

7 Jan 2017—Attending Bond family reunion in 1949

13 May 2017—Mother's Day 4 generations

10 Sep 2017—Grandparents Day

It is good to remember her in many different ways.

Death Certificates from the Past - John and Nancy Tong

On 30 Apr 2017 I wrote about John Tong, one of my early Oregon cousins, a 1st cousin to my gt-grandfather John Howard Bond. John was married to Nancy Ann Heater. Last Friday, 13 Oct 2017, I visited the Oregon State Archives and was able to photograph the death certificates for these family members. It is great that the State Archives allows access to the certificates for those who died over 50 years ago.

Monday Mystery Photo - #2

Here is today's mystery photo. Again this is an unidentified photo from my father's, (Lester Albertson) collection. It is small, about 2.5 inches by 1.75 inches. It is pasted onto cardboard. This time the photographer's name is easier to read, it is Dunham, and the location is also readable, Goodland Kansas. This makes a lot of sense, since my father's parents, grandparents and gt-grandparents all lived in Goodland around 1900. With this additional information about the location I was able to use newspaper research and discovered that C. E. Dunham was a professional photographer who worked in Goodland from October 1898 until October of 1902. Now do these clues help anyone identify who this family might be?

Treasured Memories From the Past -- My Grandpa Was a Trapper

My Albertson grandparents lived on a farm about 4 miles from Halsey Oregon from 1914 until they moved to Eugene in 1946. Muddy Creek ran along the edge of the property, so there was an opportunity to make a little extra money by trapping.

Surnames of Joanne's Ancestors

4 Grand	8 Great	16 2nd Great	32 3rd Great
Albertson	Albertson	Albertson	Albertson
			Nicholson
		Marsh	Marsh
			Townsend
	Hockett	Hockett	Hockett
			Frazier
		Hartley	Hartley
			?
Smalley	Smalley	Smalley	Smalley
			Eakins
		Hemphill	Hemphill
			Milligan
	Shipman	Shipman	Shipman
			McCreary
		Chase	Chase
			Howe
Falk	Falk	Falk	Falk?
			?
		?	?
			?
	Boehm	Boehm	Boehm?
			?
		Leu	Leu?
			?
Bond	Bond	Bond	Bond
			Chastain
		Hayes	Hayes
			Jewett
	O'Neal	O'Neal	O'Neal
			Lollar
		England	England
			Walker

Treasured Memories From the Past - Up On Marys Peak

Some good person, probably my mother, Wilma (Falk) Albertson, wrote the date and location on the back of this photo. It was taken in May 1946 on Marys Peak. It was me and my brother, Joanne and Oran Albertson.

Marys Peak was a landmark that was important to me. I wrote the following for my book of childhood memories.

When I looked to the West I saw the Coast Range and its highest point, Marys Peak, at almost 4,100 feet. When we would turn off Highway 99E and head down the last two miles to our house, Marys Peak would be there almost like it was guiding the way. During the winter there would usually be some snow, like a cap on the top. And of course, many times fog or clouds would hide the top from our sight. I can remember that we took some trips up to the top of Marys Peak and if you used the field glasses you could almost see our house, or at least the area where it was.

My Mother Went Fishing Too

On Father's Day, June 18, 2017, I posted a photo of my father and his father with their fish. Then on August 9th, I posted "Fotos of Family and Fish." These were Albertson cousins of my father. But they were all male. So when I found this photo of my mother, Wilma (Falk) Albertson, and one of her fish, I decided I need to post it. I'm not sure of the date, but since it is black and white, was probably in the 1940s. I do remember the coat she was wearing.

This second photo was probably taken in the 1970s at the Prineville Reservoir in Oregon. It shows my father Lester Albertson, my mother Wilma (Falk) Albertson, and my brother, Oran Albertson in my brother's boat as they were heading out to go fishing.

Ancestor Unbirthday - abt 1802 or 1808 - Elizabeth Eakins

Elizabeth Eakins was my 3rd gt-grandmother. I believe she was born in Adams County Ohio in the early 1800's. I have some questions about her exact birth date. On Find a Grave, the submitter listed her birth date as 30 Jun 1800. However it also stated that the gravestone listed her death date as 26 Jul 1881 and her age as 79 yrs 26 ds. That would make the year of birth 1802. Due to the age and condition of the stone, it is difficult to be sure what it says.

In the early 1990s I received family group records from two different researchers who listed Elizabeth's birth date as 3 Jul 1808. On the 1850 census she was listed as age 43 which fits better with the 1808 date. On the 1860 census she was listed as age 52, again working well with the 1808 date. The 1870 census showed her age as 63. Since these 3 censuses are within a year of each other I believe I will use the 1808 date for now.

Elizabeth was the daughter of John and Hannah (Wright) Eakins. John listed her in his will of 1856 as Elizabeth Smalley since she was married to William Smalley in 1826. Apparently Elizabeth was the next to oldest child of John and Hannah. She had at least 10 brothers and sisters. Her youngest sister was Priscilla, who I wrote about yesterday.

From cemetery records, it appears that Elizabeth and William had at least 3 children who died as infants. I always wonder how this affected the mothers in these early times with so many deaths of children. However on the 1850 census there were 9 children listed and most of them lived past childhood.

Elizabeth became a widow in 1860 when William died on Dec 15th. She lived 20 more years until her death 26 Jul 1881. She was buried in Lawshe Cemetery, Adams County Ohio.

Are These all the same Priscilla?

WHO	WHAT	WHEN	WHERE
Age under 5	1830 US Census	1830	Meigs Twp, Adams Co, OH, hh of John Eakins
Age 10-14	1840 US Census	1840	Meigs Twp, Adams Co, OH, hh of John Eakins
Pricilla Akins, age 20	1850 US Census	1850.10.08	Meigs Twp, Adams Co, OH, hh of John Akins
Prisilla, daughter	named in will of John Eakins	1856.07.08	Meigs Twp, Adams Co, OH,
Prescilla Eakins Samuel Eakins (a boy)	coroner's inquest	1860.02.16	Meigs Twp, Adams Co, OH, home of John W Smalley (son of Elizabeth Eakins)
Priscilla Eakins, age 35 Samuel Eakins, age 12	1860 US Census	1860.06.05	Green Twp, Adams Co, OH, hh of Joseph McKee (married to Margaret Eakin)
Miss A. P. Eakins	marriage	1860.11.25	to Wm H. Adams of Green Twp, Adams Co, OH
Ann P. Adams, age 36	1870 US Census	1870.07.16	Brush Creek Twp, Wayne Co, IL hh of William H H Adams
Ann Priscilla Eakins Adams, age 38 y, 7 m, 5 d	death birthdate	1872.07.30 1834.01.25	Neal Cemetery, Shelby Co, IL (Find a Grave)
Samuel Lewis Eakins (son of Ann Priscilla Eakins)	death birthdate	1914.02.02 1850.07.02	New Liberty Cemetery, Marion Co, IL (Find a Grave)

Are there conflicts which need to be resolved?

What about age difference for Priscilla in 1850, 1860 and 1870?

In 1860 her granduncle Joseph may not have been aware of her correct age.

In 1870 she may have wanted to be closer to William in age, as he was 32

Find a Grave gives her birthdate as 1834.01.25, which would not agree with the 1830 census.

This date is calculated by the age shown at death, which would agree with 1870 census,

so could be her changing her age.

Find a Grave gives Samuel's birthdate as 1850.07.02. But he is not listed with her in the 1850 census which was taken in October.
The official date for the 1850 census was June 1, so he should not have been shown.
It is my conclusion that these all refer to the same person, Priscilla Eakins, daughter of John Eakins and Hannah Wright, born in Adams County, Ohio about 1829-30, died in Shelby County, Illinois in 1872.

Monday Mystery Photo - #1

Over the next several months I plan to post a mystery photo on some Mondays. It depends whether there is a birthday ancestor that day or not.

This is an unidentified photo from my father's, (Lester Albertson) collection. It is small,  about 2.5 inches by 1.75 inches. It is pasted onto cardboard. The photographer's name appears to be Dunham. I need some help. Does anyone know who this might be?

Ancestor Unbirthday - Abt 1751 - Elias Marsh

Yesterday, October 7th, I wrote about Joseph Marsh, who was the father of Elias Marsh, my 4th gt-grandfather. On September 7th, I wrote about Elias Marsh the son of today's Elias and on June 20th I wrote about Martha FitzRandolph, his wife, and on June 21st I wrote about their children. So I have gone most of the way all around this Elias so today he gets his own post.

In his father's will it named Elias as the oldest son. Since Joseph's first marriage to Martha Webster was 22 Aug 1750, it is probable that Elias was born sometime in 1751. As I wrote in his wife's post Elias and Martha FitzRandolph were married around 1777 in New Jersey. There was an Elias Marsh on the tax list for Woodbridge in Middlesex County New Jersey in 1779 and in 1787.

According to a FitzRandolph family history their family moved to Columbiana County, Ohio around 1804. They are shown in the Quaker records of the Salem Monthly Meeting in Columbiana County being received on certificate from the Rahway and Plainfield Meeting in New Jersey in 1806.

There was an Elias Marsh on the tax list in Columbiana County in 1809 and 1810. The FitzRandolph family history stated that Elias died in 1820. From some estate records in Columbiana County it showed that administrators were appointed in December of 1820 for Elias Marsh: Martha Marsh [probably his wife] and Elias Marsh [probably his son].