Early Oregon Cousins – Sarah (Tong) Wise

On April 30, 2017 I wrote about John Tong, the son of James J. and Ann (Bond) Tong and the 1st cousin of John Howard Bond, my great-grandfather which made John Tong my 1st cousin 3 times removed. Today, November 1, is his sister's turn. Sarah was 4 years older than John, as she was born 4 Feb 1842. She was born in Mahaska County Iowa and by 1850 was living in Marion County Iowa next to her Uncle Solomon Bond's family. I can imagine that she played with Lydia Bond who was almost 2 years younger than Sarah. It was in 1852 that Sarah traveled over the Oregon Trail to go to the Oregon Territory. As the older sister, age 10, I wonder if she helped look after her 6 year old brother.

Her parents settled a Donation Land Claim in Clackamas County not far from the community of Clackamas. There 2 younger sisters were born, Rachel and Rebecca. Again I suspect she helped her mother with their care.

The year that Oregon became a state, in 1859 on the 1^st of September was when Sarah, age 17, married a nearby neighbor, George Wise, age 38.

They were living in Milwaukie Precinct of Clackamas County for the 1860 census which was taken in July. It was in December of 1860 when their first child, William Alexander Wise, was born. By the 1870 census, 5 more children had been born: Mary Elinor in 1862, John the last day of 1863, Martha Vilinda in 1865, George Bond in 1867 and Sarah Elizabeth in 1868. I hope that Mary Elinor was able to help her mother. George and Sarah and family were living next to her brother John's family on the 1870 census in Marshfield Precinct of Clackamas County.

It appears that they were in the same location for the 1880 census, but now there were 4 more children, James born in 1871, Robert in 1874, Rebecca in 1877 and Ruth in the first part of 1880. It was a little over 6 months later when Sarah died on 28 Jan 1881. She was buried at the Multnomah Park Cemetery in Portland Oregon. It must have been hard for that large family to cope with the death of their mother. It was a little over 5 years later when their father George died 11 Sep 1886 and was also buried at Multnomah Park Cemetery.