Branching Out – Connections to Cottage Grove – Part 5

One of my connections to Cottage Grove lived here from 1932 to 1972. So he was living here when I moved to Cottage Grove in 1961. But he had moved to Eugene before I started researching my family history in the mid-1980s. He was the son of my grandmother’s oldest sister, so he and my mother were 1st cousins and that makes me his 1st cousin once removed.

This photo is of his parents, George and Margaret (Bond) Pullen and probably their two oldest children, taken about 1903.

According to his obituary from the Eugene Register Guard, Perry LeRoy “Roy” Pullen was born in Halsey in 1909. His grandparents, John and Mary Bond, were enumerated on the 1910 census in the Halsey precinct. Perry was listed with his parents on that census in Halsey, living on 5th Street. Apparently the Pullen family did not stay in the Halsey area because they are listed on the 1920 census in Pleasant Hill precinct and he was listed there as Leroy P Pullen, age 10.

Before the 1930 census was taken, two major events happened in Leroy’s life. In June of 1928 his father died and in September of 1929 he was married to Pearl Johnson. It is evident this marriage did not last as Leroy married Dorothea Cranmer on Christmas Eve in 1932. The 1940 census noted he was living in Cottage Grove in 1935 but had moved out to the Culp Creek area by 1940. Another major event happened in Roy’s life in May of 1948 when his 11 year old son drowned in the Bohemia Lumber Company mill pond at Culp Creek.

He found a new interest in the early 1950s when he joined the Cottage Grove Riding Club. He apparently became quite involved and was a board member during the mid 1960s. One of his daughters was rodeo queen in 1957 and his other daughter was a rodeo princess in 1964. He moved to Eugene in the 1970s and later in the early 1990s to Arlington, Oregon, where one of his daughters lived. He was called back to Cottage Grove in 1994 when he was the grand marshal for the Cottage Grove Rodeo.

It was the next year, February of 1995, when Perry or Roy died. Although he died at Arlington, his memorial service was held at Cottage Grove. As I had done enough family research by that time, I realized he was a cousin when I read his obituary in the newspaper. So I did attend his service and introduced myself to some of the family to let them know that we were related.

It seems a little sad that we can have relatives living in the same town and not realize it at the time. So again I had another connection to Cottage Grove and because of his interests it was a connection to the Cottage Grove Riding Club.

Branching Out – Connections to Cottage Grove – Part 4

During February 2022 I have been following the monthly theme of Branching Out from 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks by Amy Johnson Crow.

On 9 Feb 2022, I returned home from my 5th tri-weekly chemotherapy treatment and checked the email from Ancestry.com about hints for my family tree. One of the hints was about Frank Bond, the son of my gt-granduncle, Austin Bond. So I began following these hints. The email hint was for the 1940 census. Those living in his household at that time were: his wife Madge and 3 of his children Melvin, Lloyd and Norma. They were living in Rowland Precinct, Linn County, Oregon, the same location where Dale and Delma Drinkard lived. I posted on 10 Feb how Dale was connected to Cottage Grove.

Then I thought as I read more of the hints, how appropriate. A newspaper article showed that Norma married William Bruce Telford in Eugene, Lane County on 14 Feb 1948. She was working as a telephone operator in Eugene and William had been working in Junction City, Oregon for Chevrolet in the parts department.

Why was that article appropriate. It noted their new home would be 1216 South 6th St., Cottage Grove, Oregon. In the 1945 Eugene City Directory, living at 1200 South 6th St, were Harry Skelton and his first wife Mary Jane. After Mary Jane died in 1963, I became Harry’s wife in the 1970s and we first lived at that house. However by 1948 Harry and Mary Jane had moved to another location in the Cottage Grove area and he did not move back there until after Mary Jane’s death, so were not really neighbors of the Telford family, except that both lived in the Cottage Grove area.

I feel bad that I did not begin my genealogical researching until after Norma, my 2nd cousin once removed, had died. Then I never took the time to contact William before his death. But there was definitely a Cottage Grove connection with these relatives of mine.

52 Ancestors 2020 – 18 – Where There's a Will– Mary “Polly” (Bond) Lemaster

I started to write about Mary for the past two weeks' themes, but decided I wanted to do Aunt Hannah and Uncle Charles instead. I discovered that Mary did make a will so I could write about her for this topic, even if her birthday was in the wrong week.

Mary, who often used the common nickname “Polly”, was my 3^rd great-grandaunt. She was the daughter of Solomon and Anna (Allen) Bond and a younger sister of my 3^rd great-grandfather, John Bond.

Mary was born 17 Apr 1802 in Kentucky. This was most likely Henry County, because her father Solomon (of Shelby County) purchased land in Henry County in 1801.

I suspect that she was the 16 to 25 year old female in Solomon's household in the 1820 census because her marriage to Wesley Lemaster in Henry County, Kentucky, did not take place until 27 Oct 1820. Then she would be the 20 to 29 year old in the household of Wesley Lemasters on the 1830 census in Henry County.

I have not yet located them on the 1840 census, but they were still in Henry County in 1850. Wesley was a 58 year old farmer and Mary was 48 and the real estate value was $10,000. The slave schedule showed they owned 4 slaves, 3 males: age 65, 37, 26 and 1 female age 32. It was 17 Mar 1858 when Wesley died and Mary became a widow.

Sometime before the 1860 census, her brother William with his wife Elizabeth and daughters Nancy and Mary moved into her household. This census showed that William had real estate valued at $5000 while Mary had $4800 plus personal property of $7000. This personal property would be most likely the 3 slaves shown on the slave schedule. They may be a family as there was a male age 50, a female age 42 and another female age 1. Both Mary and William showed their occupation as farmer and the household also included a 22 year old laborer born in Holland.

When Mary/Polly died, she was buried at Hendronsville Cemetery located on Lake Jericho Road, Pendleton, Henry County, Kentucky. Find A Grave lists Mary's death as 12 Mar 1879, but she is listed on the 1880 Mortality Schedule in the Jericho Mag. District as Pollie Lemaster, a widow, dying in Mar from consumption. However her will was proved at the April term in 1879. This indicates that the 1879 date is probably correct.

But since the theme is about wills and I stated she had a will, lets look at that.

Mary, using the name Polly Lamaster, wrote her will in June of 1876, 3 years before her death. Since she had no children, I was interested to see who she would designate as her heirs. The first person she listed was “Margaret Estes of color, who has lived with me for more than forty years.” Margaret was to receive the house and 4 ½ acres of land in Jericho where Polly lived and the furniture for her life. Polly specified that it was to be “free from the control of her husband or any other person.” Then Polly also made a bequest to Margaret of $300. After Margaret died, the house and land, or their proceeds, were to go to Margaret's two grandchildren: Margaret Belle Reed and James W Reed. Polly also specified that Margaret Belle would get the “high bedstead, one feather bed, four pillows, one bolster and a sufficiency of other bedclothes to furnish the bed and keep her warm.” James was to get the other large Bedstead and items to keep him warm.

Then Polly made a bequest to Lewis Estes, Margaret's husband, of $100 and all the remaining furniture after Margaret died. Also he could stay in the house if he so desired.

Then Polly made more bequests. She left Wesly Tanner the family Bible and $500. She didn't forget her family who had lived with her in 1860, although her brother William had died the previous year. She left money to William's widow and daughters Mary and Nancy and then the balance of her estate was to be divided between the four daughters, her nieces, Elizabeth Turner, Sarah Bain [sic], Nancy Graham and Mary Bond.

But that wasn't the end of Polly's will making, as she did a codicil the next year in June 1876. She had to revoke the bequest to Wesly Tanner since he had died in the meantime. She gave the family Bible to Mary Bond and more money. She also raised the amount of money to go to “Margaret Estes of color” to $500.

All of this raised the question in my mind, who was Margaret Estes? If she had lived with Mary/Polly for 40 years she must be one of those enumerated on the slave schedule. There was 1 female in 1850, age 32, and a female in 1860, age 42. Then the Civil War and emancipation happened. I haven't been able to locate Mary/Polly in 1870, but I did find Margaret. She was listed as Margaret Estes age 53 with Lewis and an 11 year old daughter Anna, living in Jericho, Henry County, Kentucky. She was listed as Margaret Reed, age 62, on the 1880 census in Jericho with Luis Estes and apparently her grandchildren Elizabeth age 5 and James age 4 and Jacob Reed age 25, a widower.

Margaret's occupation was servant, so I hope that she had benefited from the bequest in Mary/Polly's will.

52 Ancestors 2020 – 17 – Land – Charles Bond

Charles Bond did own land. His obituary in 1912 noted that he was living on the “old home place owned by his father a mile northeast of Halsey.” It was the same farm where he had been born in 1860. This photo taken about 1909, shared with me by my cousin Robert Bond, shows Charles' home.

Charles was the executor for his mother's will when she died in 1903. The inventory of her estate noted that she had 160 acres as her half of their Donation Land Claim, but they excluded 2 acres on the east side previously sold and also “18 acres where the buildings stand on said premises heretofore sold to C. S. Bond.”

Charles Seth Bond, my great-granduncle, was born on 23 April 1860 in Linn County, Oregon, the son of Solomon and Huldah (Hayes) Bond, my 2^nd great-grandparents. I wrote about his older sister Susan 3 weeks ago and explained that where the family lived was called Pine Precinct on the 1860 census and Peoria Precinct on the 1870 census. Charles just made it onto the 1860 census being marked as age 2/12, but was age 10 for the next census. The town of Halsey was formed after the Oregon and California Railroad was built on the western edge of the Bond property in 1871. I can think that Charles, at age 11, would have enjoyed watching the building of the railroad. When the 1880 census was taken Charles was 20 years old, single, and his occupation was farmer.

It was four years later, 21 Sep 1884, when Charles changed his marital status as he married Minnie Gourley. I find it interesting that about 10 years later, Minnie's sister Ada married Charles' nephew, Edwin Cummings. Can you imagine their children trying to figure out their relationship? For Minnie and Charles did have 2 children. Bessie was born in 1886 and Lela in 1894. So their family was enumerated on the 1900 census, living with Charles' mother Huldah. His father had died in 1899. Also in the household in 1900 was Minnie's younger brother George.

This family photo, also shared by Robert Bond, was probably taken about 1904.

The family was enumerated on the 1910 census, Bessie and Lela were now 23 and 16. The household again contained other relatives, this time Clarice Gourley, a niece, and Charles' widowed oldest sister, Lydia (Bond) Clark. This is the last time I find them all together as Charles died in 1912 and Minnie in 1913.

It was 23 Sep 1912 when Charles died. His cause of death is rather confusing. A family history stated that he was killed by a normally friendly bull in the pasture on his farm. His death certificate showed the cause of death as apoplexy. An obituary in an Albany newspaper stated that “his death was due to the rupture of a blood vessel produced from over-exertion while working on his farm.” A Eugene newspaper gave the following account: “Chas. Bond....died yesterday as the result of an injury sustained while working in his hog pen. While holding one of the porkers his left arm and hand were severely wrenched and a physician was called. Mr. Bond's injuries were not thought serious at first.….but a few minutes later he expired. It is supposed that a blood vessel was ruptured or else the shock may have caused heart failure.” For whatever reason, Charles died and was buried in the Halsey Pioneer Cemetery.

Although he died in 1912, he was listed in a 1913 Linn County, Oregon, directory on the tax list. It showed he owned property at Halsey valued at $5505. So again I say Charles did own land.

52 Ancestors 2020 – 14 – Water – Susan Augusta (Bond) Bridgefarmer

Why did I choose Susan for the theme water? Well, she did marry a man whose name included a bridge.

Susan, my great-grandaunt, was the daughter of Solomon and Huldah (Hayes) Bond and was probably born in Marion County, Iowa, since her parents and older siblings were enumerated there in the 1850 census. She was born 2 Apr 1852, so would have celebrated her first birthday before the family left on 12 Apr 1853 to travel to the Oregon Territory “out west.” I can wonder if she took her first steps before or after they left on the wagon train. Her mother must have watched Susan carefully as the wagons had to cross many rivers on their 5 month journey.

A little after a year after they arrived in the Oregon Territory her parents settled a land claim in Linn County. Presently (April 2020) this land has a subdivision at the edge of Halsey, Oregon. Since Halsey was not established until the Oregon and California Railroad was built through that area in 1871, the 1860 census lists the location as Pine Precinct and the 1870 census calls it Peoria Precinct. However it was the same place. Susan was 8 years old on the 1860 census and was marked as having attended school within the past year. By 1870 she was 18 and still had been attending school. Since Susan was the oldest child still living at home in 1870 I suspect that she was a good help to her mother with the six younger children, the youngest only a year old.

It would have been a big change on 6 Oct 1872 when 20 year old Susan married 40 year old Alanson Bridgefarmer. They were married by C. C. Sperry, a Baptist minister. Susan's grandfather Bond and her Uncle George were also Baptist ministers. However her new husband was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church so in her new role as a wife, I expect she then became a Methodist. She also moved about 6 miles north to the farm of her husband which was about a mile southeast of Tangent.

Ten months after her marriage, Susan's first child was born, Imogene Huldah Bridgefarmer. Two more children were born before the 1880 census: David Solomon and Anna May. Also in their household was 23 year old Melissa Garland, a daughter of Alanson's deceased sister. Hopefully Melissa could help Susan with the household duties and care of the children.

Susan and Alanson had two more children before her death on 2 Dec 1886: Ella Florence and William Austin. Susan was buried at the Halsey Pioneer Cemetery, Linn County, Oregon, where her parents were also buried when they died near the turn of the century. It seems sad when a child dies before their parents.

In her obituary published in an Albany, Oregon, newspaper on 10 Dec 1886 it concluded with these words: “A most estimable woman, a loving wife and mother, her loss is a great one to her family and as well to the community generally.”

52 Ancestors 2019 – 8 – Family Photo – Perry Solomon Bond

It is so great when relatives share family photos. I am very thankful for their generosity. Today I want to share two different photos of my grandmother's brother, Perry Solomon Bond.

The first one was shared with me by cousin Dave Howard. This photo was cropped from a photo taken at the home of Austin Bond, Perry's uncle,  about 1906.

In 1906 Perry would have been 25 years old, as he was born 18 Feb 1882. He was the oldest son, and 3^rd child of 5 of John Howard and Mary Ann (O'Neal) Bond. He was born in the Creswell area, Lane County, Oregon. When he was about 12, the family moved to Lone Rock, Gilliam County, in north central Oregon. The 1900 census listed Perry's occupation as sheepherder. In about 1905 Perry and his brother Roy moved with their parents back to the Willamette Valley, in the Halsey area of Linn County. It was about 10 years later when the four of them moved farther south to Glide in Douglas County, Oregon, where they purchased a prune ranch.

But that wasn't all Perry found there, for he married Frances Smith 27 May 1916. His brother Roy married her sister Grace in 1917. Perry's mother died in 1918 and his father in 1919. Apparently he continued to work on the fruit ranch as he was listed there with his wife and children on the 1920 and 1930 censuses. But he did do some moving around as he was listed as a farmer in Junction City, Oregon in the 1921 city directory. By the 1940 census they had moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon, and the census indicated they had been living in Roseburg in 1935. At the time of his death, 5 Jun 1969, Perry was living in Springfield, Oregon.

Perry and Frances had 5 children, 2 sons and 3 daughters: Helen, John, Edith, Mary Jane, and Dale. His obituary stated that he had 23 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren. His descendants may remember him as he appeared in this photo of Frances and Perry in their later years, which was shared with me by cousin Robert Bond.

52 Ancestors 2019 – 7 – Love – William Henry Bond

Why am I writing about William Henry Bond for week 7's theme? It's because I “love” the fact that his land is shown on a land ownership map.

I suspect this theme is due to Valentine's Day. So that would be romantic love. But the word love can have different meanings. I asked Google to define love and received three answers: first 2 nouns and then a verb.

1. An intense feeling of deep affection.
2. A great interest and pleasure in something.
3. Feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to (someone).

So I have decided to use definition 2, because I have a great interest and pleasure in learning about all my relatives. Therefore I have chosen William from this week's “Aunts & Uncles Birthday Calendar” (https://www.joanneskelton.com/ui32.htm) to share about today.

William Henry Bond was my great-granduncle, an older brother of my great-grandfather, John Howard Bond. William was born 15 Feb 1847, in Iowa, to Solomon and Huldah (Hayes) Bond. I found him on the 1850 census as a 3 year old living with his parents in Marion County, Iowa. He would have been 6 years old in 1853 when he participated in the great adventure of traveling in a wagon train to the Oregon Country over the Oregon Trail. It was the next year when his parents settled a 320 acre Donation Land Claim at the edge of the current city of Halsey, Oregon. Since Halsey had not been established yet, the 1860 census listed William, now 13, in Pine Precinct, Linn County, Oregon.

Before the next census was taken, William married Sarah C. Kirk, 17 Oct 1867. The marriage record shows that the wedding took place at the home of William's uncle, Seth Whipple Hayes, who lived nearby. Sarah was the oldest daughter of Madison and Elmira Kirk who probably came to Oregon on the ”lost” wagon train in 1853. In 1860 their family was living in nearby Brownsville. At the 1870 census William and Sarah were located in the Peoria Precinct in Linn County (this was the same area which was called Pine in 1860) with their oldest child, Jasper.

The 1880 census for William and Sarah has been a mystery to me, since I have been unable to find them there. In 1880, Sarah's widowed father, Madison, was living in Centerville, in Umatilla County, Oregon, in the northeastern part of the state. The United States government issued a patent on 15 Aug 1882 to the heirs of Madison Kirk for a 160 acre homestead in Section 22, Range 34 East, Township 4 North, which was the approximate location of Centerville, about 12 miles northeast of Pendleton.

William Bond received a patent 10 years later, 10 Jun 1892, for a 160 acre homestead in Section 13, Range 33 East, Township 4 North, which was about 1 mile southeast of the small town of Helix. This would have been less than 5 miles from the Kirk homestead. This is what was shown on the land ownership map of Umatilla County, from 1914.

William and Sarah were enumerated on the 1900 census in Helix Precinct, Umatilla County, Oregon, with their 23 year old son Elmer and 2 younger children, Hattie and Royal. Their oldest son Jasper was then in Monticello in Cowlitz County, Washington, and their daughter Susan was married to Lewis Shipp and living in Alta Precinct in Umatilla County.

I did find them in them in the 1910 census, still living in the Helix Precinct, with their youngest son Royal, now 14. Their daughter Hattie and her husband James Cushman were also living with them. Susan was now a widow with 2 young children as her husband had died 26 Jun 1909 of tuberculosis and she had moved to Dalles City in Wasco County. Then Hattie died of tuberculosis on 5 Nov 1910, leaving a baby son Ronald.

It was about 3 years later when William died, 10 Aug 1913, at Long Beach, California. Because he still owned the property in Oregon there was a large probate file in Umatilla County. As no will was found, it was an intestate file and the papers list his surviving heirs: widow Sarah Bond, Helix; daughter Susan Shipp, Long Beach; son Royal Bond, age 19, Helix; and grandson Ronald Cushman, son of now deceased daughter Hattie Cushman. Susan, Royal and Ronald each were granted an undivided 1/3 interest in the homestead, subject to the dower interest of the widow, Sarah Bond. I also “love” it when there is a large probate file to read.

52 Ancestors 2019 – 4 – I'd Like to Meet – George Washington Bond

This week's theme is “I'd like to meet.” I looked at the birthday calendar and chose “Uncle George.” His birthday probably was not during this week, but I am unsure which day in January it was, so decided he would be my subject.

George Washington Bond was my 2^nd gt-grandfather, Solomon Bond's older brother. They were less than 2 years apart in age, so I expect they spent time together.

George was born on the frontier, in northern Kentucky, just 201 years ago in 1818, the son of John and Sarah (Chastain) Bond. While he was still quite young, in about 1822, the family moved to Indiana and then in less than 10 years, about 1829, they moved again to Illinois. It was there on 1 March 1838 that he married his 1^st cousin, Elizabeth Stillwell. I wonder if they were warned that there might be a problem with marriage to such a close relative.

By 1840 George and Elizabeth and many of their relatives were living in Iowa Territory. As there were 2 males aged between 20 and 29 in the household, I expect that George's older brother William was living with them there in Jefferson County. After the Baptist Church of Knoxville in Marion County was organized in 1845, Elder G. W. Bond was one of the first ministers there. Uncle George and his family were living in Iowa when it became a state in 1846. In 1847 his younger brother, James, traveled with his wife and family as a missionary to the Oregon country where he was accidentally killed in 1849.

When they took the census in 1850 in Marion County Iowa, Uncle George listed his occupation as Missionary Baptist preacher. I would have liked to hear one of his sermons. George and Elizabeth had 5 living children at that census. Two of these children, Ben Frank and Sarah, were marked as deaf & dumb. It was probably in the next year that George's grandfather, Solomon Bond, died as his will was recorded in 1851 in neighboring Mahaska County.

But one of my favorite things about Uncle George happened in 1853. He and Elizabeth and their 5 children, as well as George's parents and many, many other relatives, including my 2^nd gt-grandparents, traveled over the Oregon Trail to the Willamette Valley of the Oregon Territory. I am especially thankful that Uncle George kept a journal of that trip, writing one line per day, He used many geographical references, so I was able to follow their journey on a map.

Along with his parents, 2 brothers and 4 sisters, the family took advantage of the Oregon Donation Land Claim act and received land in Oregon. George settled in Lane County in the Eugene-Springfield area, about 20 miles from my present location. The Baptist Annals of Oregon (pg 19) tells about George:

“In 1856, one of the missionaries, Rev. G. W. Bond, was aided to buy a horse, as he had previously been compelled to travel on foot, often, in the winter, wading long distances in water from three or four inches to a foot in depth on the sloppy prairies to his appointments. He would pull off his shoes and socks, wade through, redress his feet, and march on, singing his favorite songs; and this on a salary of from $50 to $100 a year!”

He continued preaching for the Baptist church and was the pastor in Eugene from 1858 to 1868. It was a little over 10 years later, that he died from heart trouble 9 January 1880 and was buried at the Pioneer Cemetery in Eugene. His obituary from the Eugene City Guard 17 January 1880 included this: “Elder Bond was a man of spotless character, and unquestioned integrity. By his virtues he commanded the respect of all.” There was another obituary published in the State Journal in Eugene on the same date and it gave tribute to him also: “As a christian he was honored and beloved by his brethren and respected by the entire community. His religion was something more than a profession of his life; it was a fact in his whole life.”

Uncle George Bond truly was someone that I would have liked to meet.

There is a page about Uncle George on my personal genealogy website:

https://www.joanneskelton.com/p30.htm#i743

It also includes a link to my transcription of the journal entries of the trip to Oregon.

https://www.joanneskelton.com/e158.htm

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 19 – Mother's Day

I skipped week 18, but here is week 19 – Mother's Day.

All the females in my family tree have this one thing in common. They were all mothers. Also they were all grandmothers. I like this photo shared with me by my cousin, Robert Bond, of my 2^nd gt-grandmother, Huldah (Hayes) Bond, showing her with 5 of her grandchildren. It was taken about 1901 and I believe the grandchildren were, beginning at the left corner and going clockwise around her: Lela Bond, daughter of Charles; Lawrence Bond, son of Melvin; Leland Bond, son of Harvey; Guy Bond, son of Melvin and Bessie Bond, daughter of Charles.

Another thing that all the women on my family tree have in common is that they are all daughters. But for some of them I have been unable to establish who they are the daughter of. On my website, www.joanneskelton.com, I have a menu item named “special people.” In that category is a section called “earliest ancestors.” In that long list are a number of women without any identified parents.

Last year I discovered that even if I had recorded parents for an ancestor, maybe I did not have good documentation for that connection. One of my Bond cousins was attempting to join the DAR through an ancestor of Huldah's mother and the documentation was not enough to connect Huldah to her parents.

Why did I believe that Huldah was the daughter of Seth Hayes and Lydia Jewett?

• I had a published family history, Little Otter to Lost River, about Huldah's mother-in-law's family and on page 69 it stated “Solomon Bond...was married to Huldah Hayes,...daughter of Seth and Lydia Jewett Hayes...”
• I had a booklet compiled for the Bond family reunion in 1963 which stated they were her parents.
• The Genealogical Material in Oregon Donation Land Claims, Supplement to Volume I, Volume V, stated on page 45, “BOND, Solomon, ….m Huldah Hayes, dau of Seth and Lydia Jewell Hayes.”
• I had a photocopy of a family history of the Hayes family which stated Huldah was the daughter of Seth and Lydia.
• I had a copy of the Geauga County Ohio marriage record for Seth and Lydia.

But the DAR wanted better documentation showing Huldah was their daughter.

What were the obstacles for finding this?

• Her parents were Methodist so it was unlikely that church records documenting her birth could be found.
• Huldah was married in 1842, so she never appeared by name in the household of her parents on a census.
• The marriage record from 1842 in Iowa did not name parents.
• Huldah was born in Ohio in 1827, which was about 30 years before Ohio even enacted a law for birth registration.
• Although an abstract for early wills in Linn County Oregon where Seth died showed an heir as Huldah Boyd, a probable misreading for the name Bond, the original will record seems to have been lost.

What did I do? I made a trip to the Linn County Courthouse and requested a search for any probate records for Seth Hayes. I was so thankful when they telephoned me and said that a file had been found and I could have it emailed to me for just $3.00. Of course I paid it gratefully. When it arrived I was so glad to find that Huldah was among the heirs and did receive money from her father's estate. I shared this for the DAR application and now my cousin is a member.

I am confident that Huldah was the daughter of Seth and Lydia.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 13 – The Old Homestead

The theme for this week is “The Old Homestead.” It was during the Civil War, in May of 1862 when the United States Congress passed the Homestead Act. I believe that 6 of my ancestors chose to use that legislation and gain “free” land: 2 in Oregon, 3 in Kansas and 1 in Nebraska.

So who were my “Homesteaders”? I'll begin with those from Oregon. My 2^nd gt-grandfather, Commodore Perry O'Neal, received a patent dated 30 Jun 1891 for 164.53 acres located adjacent to land he had purchased in 1870. This was about 4 miles west of the town of Creswell in Lane County, Oregon. His son-in-law John Howard Bond, my gt-grandfather, received his patent about a year earlier, 28 May 1890, for 160 acres located about 2 miles northwest of Commodore Perry's land. John sold his land in 1893 and moved across the Cascade Mountains to Gilliam County Oregon where he stayed about 10 years before moving back to the Willamette Valley. Commodore Perry stayed on his land until his death in 1919. He had deeded his land to his 3 sons about 2 months before he died.

In Kansas, my gt-grandfather, Nathan Elias Albertson, received his patent 28 Sep 1893 for 160 acres in McPherson township, Sherman County Kansas. As I noted in a blog post about his homesteading last year, 9 Sep 2017, it was located about 10 miles southwest of the County Seat, Goodland Kansas.¹ Before the 1900 census he had moved to another township in the County, Washington Township, about 2 ½ miles west of the town of Edson Kansas.

Nathan's future daughter-in-law's (Lucie Rachel Smalley) grandfather, my 2^nd gt-grandfather, Joshua Rodney Shipman had a homestead also in Washington Township. His patent was dated 23 Sep 1893 for 159.28 acres, located about 2 ½ miles southwest of the town of Edson.

Lucie's other grandfather, another of my 2^nd gt-grandfathers, John Wilson Smalley received his patent 29 Apr 1893 for 160 acres in Itasca Township, Sherman County, Kansas. This was a mile east of Goodland and so was about 5 miles west of where Nathan lived in Washington Township.

It was one of my 3^rd gt-grandmothers who received the patent to a homestead in Nebraska, Lucy Irene Chase (the mother-in-law to Joshua Rodney Shipman.) Lucy's husband Timothy had originally filed for the homestead, but died in 1877 before it was finalized. She received the patent for 80 acres 30 Jun 1879 as his widow. This land was in Atlanta Township, Saline County Nebraska.

Knowing that some who filed for homesteads did not complete the process, I was glad to discover that at least 6 of my ancestors did the required work and were issued patents. Maybe I should also be thankful to the U.S. Congress for passing such a law so my family had the opportunity to be landowners.

1The blog post about Nathan Elias Albertson's homestead is at:

https://joannesgenealogyresearch.blogspot.com/2017/02/great-grandfatheralbertson-had.html

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 12 – Misfortune

The theme for this week is misfortune. It was in March in 1932 when a misfortune came to my mother's family. She had graduated from high school, but was dating my father and her home was still with her family: her parents, Julius and Florence (Bond) Falk and her siblings Lois, Erma, Violet and Gerald Falk.

This clipping from the Eugene Register Guard of 11 Mar 1932 describes what happened.

I found another clipping and learned that it was Violet who had discovered the fire about 4 o'clock when she went upstairs to rest, as she was not feeling well. Julius was gone at the time. This clipping stated that arrangements were underway to replace the house, which had been built 19 years before.

Another clipping was a Card of Thanks from the family to the community: “We wish to thank those who were so kind and thoughtful during the loss of our house. Words cannot express our gratitude to everyone who helped in removing the contents during the fire, and we wish to especially thank all who had contributed to our home since. Julius Falk and family.” 

I have a letter that my mother wrote to my father about 2 weeks after the fire, on 24 Mar 1932, where she stated: “My Dad said that he offered the O. E. [Oregon Electric Railroad] man $125 for the house and they wanted to know if he couldn't give $150 for it. He'll hear from them next week about it I guess.” I had always been told that they moved an Oregon Electric Railroad house from the Cartney siding as the Railroad no longer needed an employee to live there. The siding was a little less than a mile from their home. 

I wish I had asked my mother more about it before she died. She did tell me that she was sorry that many of her keepsakes had been stored in the attic and had been destroyed so she couldn't show them to me.

I wonder if some of my cousins did find out from their parents more about the fire.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 11 – Lucky

The theme for week 11 on 52 Ancestors is Lucky. I consider my self lucky (or I prefer the term blessed) that with all the moving my family did, my earlier ancestors were at the right place at the right time to meet and marry and become the parents of my later ancestors.

For example, my 4 grandparents were born in 4 different states: Iowa, Kansas, Wisconsin and Oregon.

My paternal grandfather, Oran Jesse “OJ” Albertson, was born in Marshall County Iowa in 1882, but in 1887 the family moved to a homestead in Sherman County Kansas. My grandmother, Lucie Rachel Smalley, had been born in 1886 in Sherman County just after her family had moved there from Saline County Nebraska. It was in Sherman County that OJ and Lucie were married in 1906 and my father, Lester Oran Albertson, was born in 1907. The family moved to Linn County Oregon in 1911.

My maternal grandmother, Florence Edna Bond, was born in 1891 in the Willamette Valley, Lane County, Oregon. About 1894 the family went north to Gilliam County Oregon, but by 1905 they had moved back to the Valley to Linn County Oregon. My grandfather, Julius Adolph Falk, was born in 1880 about 2000 miles away in Iowa County Wisconsin. A number of his family moved to Iowa and then 6 brothers moved to Linn County Oregon between 1900 and 1910. Julius came by 1905 and it was in 1910 when he and Florence were married. My mother, Wilma Anna Falk, was born in Oregon in 1912 and because Lester and family had moved to the area in 1911, they eventually met and were married in 1933.

Sibling Saturday – Ivy Augusta Bond

At the beginning of this year I stated I would sometimes write about some of my ancestors' siblings. I want to try to do it on some Saturdays, so here is my first effort.

John and Ivy Stewart

Ivy Augusta Bond was an older sister of my grandmother, Florence Edna (Bond) Falk. I do have “Aunt Ivy” on my website: http://www.joanneskelton.com/p17.htm#i409

She was the second child of John Howard Bond and Mary Ann O'Neal, born 138 years ago today, 13 Jan 1880. I believe she was born in Lane County, in the area west of Creswell. When Ivy was a teenager, about 1894, the family moved north to Gilliam County Oregon in the vicinity of Lone Rock. On the 1900 census the family was living in Lone Rock and her father was working as a mail carrier. Ivy was 20 with no occupation listed.

It was just the next year, on 12 May 1901, when Ivy was married to John F. Stewart in neighboring Morrow County. The marriage certificate stated that Ivy was of Gilliam County and John was of Morrow County.

When the census was taken in April 1910, Ivy and John were living on Isabelle Street in Lone Rock in Gilliam County and now John was working as a U.S. Mail Carrier. By then they had 4 sons, Clifton, Cecil, Delwin and Rodger, ages 8 to 1 9/12. I expect they kept Ivy busy, especially since she was expecting their 5^th child. Vernon was born on the 3^rd of June 1910.

Then sometime before the end of 1912 the family moved to California, since Alma was born there 27 Dec 1912. It was almost 3 years later when their last child, Ada, was born 7 Nov 1915.

Soon after her father died in March 1919, her brother Roy filed a document with the court, listing the heirs and it included Mrs. Iva A. Stewart age about 38 years, residence Blythe, Riverside, California. Two years later when he filed the final account, she was shown as Mrs. Iva A. Stewart, age about 40 years, postoffice address, Cornville, Arizona. In the probate file I found the following receipt signed by “Mrs. J. F. Stewart” from Cottonwood, Arizona, in 1921. Apparently Cornville is about 5 miles east of Cottonwood and was an agricultural community in the 1920s.

It appears that the family moved to Arizona between 1920 and 1921 since they were still in California in Palo Verde Township in Riverside County when the 1920 census was taken. At that time John was a farmer on his own farm.

When the census was recorded in 1930 the family had moved again and they were in Inola Township, Rogers County, Oklahoma. This was a little more difficult to find, since the census index on Ancestry.com listed her name as Irma and his name as Julius. Looking at the image it really is John and Iva. The children's birthplaces were written as Kansas and Oklahoma, so I am not sure who gave the information since the children were born in Oregon and California. John was still working as a farmer, now on a rented farm.

It was some time between 1935 and 1940 when John and Ivy moved from Rogers County Oklahoma to Thurston County Washington. The 1940 census taken in April showed just John and Ivy living in Rochester Election Precinct where John was a farmer. This census gives us the added information that John had completed 7 grades in school and Ivy had completed 8. It was about a month later, 19 May 1940, when John died and was buried in Grand Mound Cemetery, Rochester, Washington.

Ivy lived as a widow for a little over 13 years. She moved from Rochester to Centralia about 1944. It was there at her home in Centralia that she died 3 Aug 1953. She then was buried at the Grand Mound Cemetery at Rochester.

Ancestor Birthday – December 7 – Mary Ann O'Neal 1858-1918

Today is the third of my ancestors, all female, who were born on December 7. Mary Ann O'Neal was one of my gt-grandmothers. She was born 7 Dec 1858, the daughter of Commodore Perry and Margaret (England) O'Neal. There is quite a complete listing of the “facts” of her life on my website: http://www.joanneskelton.com/p11.htm#i261 

She was born in Davis County Iowa, moved to California in 1865 and then to Lane County Oregon the latter part of 1870. She married John Howard Bond at her home 18 Jun 1876. It was about 1894 when they moved to eastern Oregon in Gilliam County Oregon with their 5 children, Margaret “Maggie”, Ivy, Perry, Roy and my grandmother Florence. About 1905 they moved back to western Oregon to Linn County Oregon. They went farther south to Douglas County in about 1915. It was there she died 14 Jul 1918.

I have previously posted some photos of her, but will repost some of them today.

This is Mary as a child with her parents.

This is Mary with her parents and 3 brothers. This appears to be after she was married, probably the late 1880s or early 1890s.

This photo of her by herself is one of my favorites. The same photo was published in a Douglas County History with an article about her and John.

Ancestor Birthday - December 4th – Julius Adolph Falk 1880 - 1944

I am a day late posting about Grandpa Falk's birthday since it came on a Monday and that is the day I try to post a mystery photo, which I did yesterday.

Two years ago I wrote a post about Julius' birthday, 4 Dec 2015. Here is a copy of that:

It was on December 4th, 1880, in Avoca township, Iowa County, Wisconsin, when my maternal grandfather, Julius Adolph Falk was born. Both of his parents, Ludwig Falk and Anna Louisa (Boehm) Falk, were born in the Posen Province of Prussia. They were German speaking Protestants who had immigrated to the United States in 1858. Julius was their youngest son, with at least 11 older brothers and sisters and 4 older half-siblings. By 1905 Julius had moved to Linn County, Oregon, where he married Florence Edna Bond in 1910. He continued to live there on his farm with his family until his death in 1944.

With that post I included a photo of him on an old tractor. I really enjoy this picture. Here it is again.

Other posts that include him were

the photo of the 6 brothers who came to Oregon 23 Sep 2017,

http://joannesgenealogyresearch.blogspot.com/2017/09/6-falk-brothers-came-to-oregon.html

a post about his automobile 28 Nov 2016

http://joannesgenealogyresearch.blogspot.com/2016/11/did-grandfather-falk-have-car.html

his wedding photo on 22 Oct 2014,

http://joannesgenealogyresearch.blogspot.com/2014/10/wedding-wednesday-julius-falk-and.html

a map showing his Oregon property 13 Oct 2014,

http://joannesgenealogyresearch.blogspot.com/2014/10/mapping-monday-j-falk.html

and the church record showing his birth 5 Oct 2014.

http://joannesgenealogyresearch.blogspot.com/2014/10/church-record-sunday-julius-falk.html

You can read more about him on my website:

http://www.joanneskelton.com/p1.htm#i5

Death Certificates From the Past – William Bond and Amanda (Bond) Harlow

William and Amanda, who were siblings, were 1^st cousins of my gt-grandfather John Howard Bond, so were my 1^st cousins once removed. They were children of George and Elizabeth (Stillwell) Bond. George was the brother to my 2^nd gt-grandfather Solomon Bond.

These are the last ones of the death certificates for this family where I have copies. George and Elizabeth had 12 children and counting today I have posted copies of 5 certificates: Sarah (Bond) Murphy, Amanda (Bond) Harlow and John, George, and William Bond.

What about the other 7. Remember that Oregon did not require death certificates until the middle of 1903. Benjamin, Ellin, Emily, Joseph, Mary and Charles all died in Oregon before 1903. There is still one more: John. He moved away and died in New York state, so of course he doesn't have an Oregon death certificate.

Death Certificates From the Past – James Bond and George Bond

James and George Bond, who were brothers, were 1^st cousins of my gt-grandfather John Howard Bond, so were my 1^st cousins once removed. They were sons of George and Elizabeth (Stillwell) Bond. George was the brother to my 2^nd gt-grandfather Solomon Bond.

In beginning genealogy classes we were taught that death certificates usually are accurate for the date and place of death. There may be mistakes in other information, such as date of birth and names of parents. I believe the informants did a pretty good job about the names of the parents. However, either the informant or the person who wrote down the information had a problem with George's date of birth. It shows his age at death as 73 years, 1 month and 10 days. He died 24 Jun 1932. But they show his date of birth as 14 May 1932. The year is clearly wrong. It pays to not believe everything you read.