52Ancestors52Weeks Week 27 and 28 Themes Free and Transportation: ........ Anna and Emma King Took a Protracted Sojourn on the Majestic to Begin a New Life in California

 

Anna Levers King in front of her home (possibly the home in Grass Valley, California). Turn of the century.  The 1900 US Census lists the family as living on Auburn Street.  

      In my previous post I talked about why Charles John King (my Great Great Grandfather) left Cornwall England at the end of April, 1894.  He had felt the need to leave the country after landing in some financial trouble that he was not able to resolve under English bankruptcy laws.  America seemed his only hope. Once he arrived in the United States, he worked quickly to get his wife, Anna Levers King and their six year old daughter, Emma (my Great Grandmother) on a steamer ship to join him and start over in Northern California.  They would be free of their financial troubles in Cornwall, and would be able to start a new life.  Their "Protracted Sojourn" (an extended visit; a status for those immigrating) ended up being for the rest of their lives, as they eventually called the United States their new country and permanent home. 

  

   Ancestry.com New York, U.S. Arriving and Passenger and Crew Lists 1820-1857

  Mrs. A. King aged 32 Wife...Emma aged 6 Child...Citizens of England...Intended Destination, N.Y.....they were intending a Protracted Sojourn (abbreviated P.S.)....and were traveling in the 2nd Cabin (second class, also known by then as Cabin Class, was meant for travelers of the middle class.  First Class was on the uppermost top three decks.  Cabin Class was on the second highest deck, and Third Class, or Steerage, was in the lower decks and was reserved for immigrants). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Teutonic).  

  Anna and Emma came with either 4 or 5 pieces of baggage.  Inside their baggage were china plates and gold gilt frames that are still in the family.  They arrived in New York on September 6, 1894, just 3 months after Charles landed in the United States. 

The HMS Majestic (Public Domain)

  The Majestic was a steam ship built by Harland and Wolf and launched in 1889.  It  was a part of the British shipping company White Star Line.  The trip for Anna and Emma was  much nicer and faster than the one that Charles took just a few months earlier on the Guion ship Alaska.  As he recorded in his journal,  "I have been thinking a great deal about my darling wife and child and I have concluded that it will be very much better for them when they come to take passage on a fast boat for it seems to one that to save a day only of this dreary monotonous life is a distinct gain." Their trip was only 7 days long, compared to Charles' voyage which was two weeks long.   http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=maje1. 

  In 1891 the Majestic had  made the crossing in 5 days, 18 hours and 8 minutes in the bid to win the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing.  She held the honor for two weeks, as her sister ship, the Teutonic, recorded a faster time.  A year later, the City of Paris regained the Riband it had won earlier before the Majestic made her attempt.  The Majestic and the Teutonic were originally built for speed.  Eventually the company would build newer ships built for luxury and comfort. 

  An interesting side note:  In 1895 (just several months after Anna and Emma's voyage) the White Star Line assigned Captain Edward Smith to the Majestic, and he served as Captain for the next 9 years.  The end of his career came, of course, as Captain of the maiden voyage of the Titanic when he went down with the ship after it was hit by an iceberg on April 15, 1912. The Majestic, which had been in reserve at that time, was put back into service as a passenger liner after the Titanic was lost.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Majestic_(1889)

  I don't know how the Kings got from New York to San Francisco, but it was most likely by transcontinental train.  I am also not sure how Charles King funded his trip to America, or Anna and Emma's trip on a newer, faster ship, as he was declared a "bankrupt" by the English courts in the spring of 1894.  Family or friends in Cornwall must have helped in some way.  Anna and Emma traveled in relative comfort in Second Class accommodations with other middle class citizens.  Once they were in San Francisco, Charles started his construction business.  He most likely needed capital to begin building.  I am pretty sure he did not engage in speculation building, as he did in Cornwall.  We just don't know the financial details as there are no records left.  Discussing finances was also not considered "polite" in our family.  But, in the end, the Kings lived a comfortable life as a result of Charles' success as a builder. 

Emma Lavinia King (right) as a young girl.  Unknown friend. Date around early 1900's. 

  The picture below is from the King Album and shows what must be Charles' construction crew at a work site, exact location unknown. Lester Hayes took the picture, so this was probably taken before or after he married Emma  (before 1910).  This picture was taken after the 1906 earthquake.  The building frenzy after the disaster would certainly have boosted Charles' construction business. 

Enlarged portion. C.J. King may be on the far right, bottom. 

The completed home; picture taken by Lester Hayes.  Photograph from the King Album. 

  Over the next several years, Charles and Anna would live between San Francisco  at 1900 Golden Gate Avenue, and  Grass Valley, California where Anna's sister Elfreda Levers George lived.  He built beautiful homes in Grass Valley as well.   They eventually moved to a small rural area in Santa Clara, California,  where they bought land that had fruit trees.  The 1930 Census lists their address as R1 220 Grant Road.  They called it "The Ranch".  

Anna Levers King "Granna" (pronounced Gran-ay) possibly at the Ranch.  Date late 30's.  

Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Margaret Elizabeth Hayes Hansen->Emma Lavinia King Hayes Van Duzer->Charles King and Anna Levers King

  

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 26 Theme Conflict: The Mystery is Solved....Bankruptcy At St. Austell and Claims By the Relatives

 

  Several weeks ago I posted an excerpt from my Great Great Grandfather's journal which he titled "Having Reference to My Trip to America" (April 10, 2021).  He wrote about his trip across the Atlantic on the ship "Alaska" and the hurried and unusual preparations that he went through to complete his trip in April and May of 1894.  The family never knew why he made the trip; it was just never talked about.  Charles John King was always remembered as a very moral person by his family,  so what ever happened back in St. Austell Cornwall must have been a situation where he was presented with little choice and he needed to leave the country quickly and to avoid scandal.  The mystery was always "what exactly happened?" I believe I have uncovered the answer.  

The theme for this week is conflict.  Conflict seems to be a part of the human experience, whether through war, legal conflicts or bad relationships.  This story involves legal conflicts (bankruptcy), family conflicts over money owed and more importantly,  moral conflicts.  This story must be taken in context of the times, and not examined through the lens of our current times.  What seemed an impossible situation in 1894 might now been regarded as something a Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 filing might take care of.  The consequences of bankruptcy these days might not ruin your reputation or land you in jail, as it did well over 100 years ago.  

  In April of this year I took advantage of FaceBook (once again!) and the closed group Cornish Ancestors.  I had been going through Charles John King's journal that my cousin Pam had been transcribing.  C. J.  originally wrote many of his entries on the back of old receipt pages.  My question to the group was... what  did the "Dr. to C.J. King" mean?   I received several replies right away.  Basically, the dr. refers to debtor to or drawn to. This meant "owed to", so this was an invoice for work done.  But, that was not the end of this story.....

  

  One of the posters replied with a little newspaper snippet from the Royal Cornwall Gazette and dated the 21 of June, 1894 (see top picture).  It had to do with a Charles John King, builder, in St. Austell.  I realized that this was my Great Great Grandfather, and that he had left the country because he was facing bankruptcy.  So, a family mystery was on its way to being solved in a matter of 20 minutes. 

  I have since corresponded with the original poster of the newspaper article, a very nice woman named Ruth from London who lives between Heathrow Airport and Hampton Court Palace.  She gave me another article to read and some wonderful Cornish resources to do some more research through. We even got into the Devon origins of C.J. King and his family.  So, with Ruth's help and another look on FindMyPast I now have three newspaper articles that explain exactly what circumstances made Charles John King leave his country, his business, and his family. He left rather quickly, and under disguise...

This is the first article, dated April 20, 1894,  was found in the St. Austell Star (FindMyPast).

  So, after C.J. returned from his service in the 11th Royal Engineers (which involved an expedition up the Nile to rescue General Charles Gordon) he came back to England, married Anna Levers, settled in St. Austell and began his construction business (he had apprenticed as a carpenter as a young man).  It looks like he engaged in some speculation and got the worse end of the bargain.  Perhaps he became involved with people who took advantage of him, took bad advice or as someone with a new business just didn't know how to manage the money side of things.  Either way, he had to "furnish his account" at a later date to see if he could make things right.  After he was examined by the Bankruptcy Court he chose to leave the country and left (according to his journal) at "3 o clock pm Thursday, April 26th, 1894".  While he waited in Liverpool he "called into a barbershop" and had a shave and haircut to disguise his appearance.   In June of 1894 the examination by the Truro Bankruptcy Court was adjourned, as the debtor had "gone abroad"  and a warrant was secured for his arrest. 

  I found another article in the St. Austell Star, written on July 20, 1894,  that summarized what happened after C.J. King had left the country.  This involved his wife's family and how his actions affected their lives.  The article is long, and didn't copy well, so I have transcribed it below...

  BANKRUPTCY AT ST. AUSTELL   Claims By the Relatives

  The case of C. J. King, builder, of St. Austell came before his Honour, Judge Granger, at Truro Bankruptcy Court on Saturday last.

  The Official Receiver (Mr. G. Appleby Jenkins) stated that the receiving order was made on March 8th last.  On April 14th the public examination was opened, and adjourned in order that the bankrupt might produce a goods and cash account.  But subsequently the debtor absconded, and the examination was adjourned sine die.   Two proofs had been sent in, one by Mrs. Levers, and the other by Miss Lavinia Levers, but he thought it necessary to reject them.  Rule 22 in the schedule of the Bankruptcy Act directed the trustee to examine every proof, and accept, reject, or require further evidence to support it.  If he rejected, he had to state his grounds for doing so.  Under Rule 24, if a creditor was dissatisfied with the decision of the trustee, he might apply to the Court to have the decision of the trustee  reversed or varied.  He communicated with Mrs. Levers, and found she had no receipts for the sums she alleged was due to her.  When publicly examined bankrupt stated he had no books showing his transactions with Mrs. and Miss Levers, but he stated the latter had receipts for the money she had lent him.--Mr. R. Dobell appeared for Mrs. and Miss Levers, mother-in-law and sister-in-law respectively of the debtor.  He asked the judge to reverse or vary the decision of the Official Receiver respecting the proof of Mrs. Levers, amounting to L177 (?) on the ground that she had sufficient evidence in her possession to prove that the money was due.  When Mrs. Levers heard from the Official Receiver she seemed to have acted on bad advice.  Bankrupt, with his wife and child, had lived in Mrs. Lever's house, and had borrowed money from her at various times.  There were no I O U's or promissory notes as evidence of the loans, but he would put in books containing entries in the handwriting of Mrs.Levers of the amounts lent, and making up the total claimed. 

  

  Emma  Levers stated that for  many years she had carried on a small business in St. Austell.  Eight years ago bankrupt married her daughter.  He lived with the witness, and had things from her shop, which she entered in her book.  For board and lodgings he promised to pay her 10s a week, and on those accounts L26 (?) was due to her.  Bankrupt borrowed money from her for the purpose of his business as follows:--From 1889-91, L89 (?) , from June 21st, 1892 to November 21, 1893 L61 (?), and the total due to her was L177 (?), upon which she had not charged interest.---In answer to questions by the Official Receiver, witness said the entries of the money lent were made when the sums were handed over, but there was no agreement as to when bankrupt should pay her back. The bankrupt suggested that she should file her proof.  He had now absconded, but his wife and child were still with her. --The Official Receiver said there was a warrant out for debtor's arrest. --His Honour considered the circumstances very unsatisfactory, there being no properly kept books.  The items in the book produced appeared to have been jotted down as a sort of after thought, and it did not seem a book in which large sums of this sort would have been entered.--Mr. Dobell remarked that the witness had stated the entries were made from time to time.--His Honour said if things were once admitted there would not be a single bankruptcy in which the relatives would not put up a claim.  If relatives were so foolish as to advance money over a series of years without proper receipts or acknowledgement, they would bear the brunt of it.  He was disposed to agree with the Official Receiver that the evidence of loan was insufficient. --Mr. Dobell submitted that the claim was bona fide, and should be allowed in bankruptcy.--His Honour stated that stricter proof was, if anything, necessary in bankruptcy than in ordinary proceedings.--Mr. Dobell asked whether allowances would be made for sustenance, but his Honour said it was evident they were all living together, and he should think they had a common purse.  Therefore, he did not think he could separate them.

  Miss Lavinia Levers claimed L118 (?)--Mr. Dobell stated that the sum represented money lent to the bankrupt out of her deposits at the Post Office Savings Bank, and receipts were produced for this amount.

  Miss Levers was called to give evidence of the loans, but her mother persisted in prompting her, and was eventually ordered out of court.  Witness deposed that the bankrupt had only paid L1 of the money he owed to her.  She was being questioned by the Official Receiver on her transactions with her brother, when she suddenly left the court to join her mother in one of the ante-rooms.  

  Mr. Dobell subsequently ascertained from her that the withdrawal of the amounts could be proved from her (Miss Lever's) account at the Post Office Savings Bank, and on Mr. Dobell's application on adjournment was granted by his Honour in order that that might be done.

  His Honour upheld the Official Receiver in the rejection of Mrs. Levers' proof. 

***

I was unable to find any more news stories that told how this story played out.  I do know that my Great Great Grandmother Anna Levers King, and my Great Grandmother, Emma Lavinia King, left Liverpool England on the ship Majestic and arrived in New York on September 26, 1894 where they were reunited with Charles. 

   Charles and Anna eventually made their way to San Francisco, California where Charles started a new construction business and became a very prolific and successful builder in the Bay Area as well as in Grass Valley, California.  Many of his homes are still standing today.  His previous troubles in St. Austell did not seem to have followed him to his new life.  I do not know how his relationships with his in laws faired, but I do know that Lavinia (his sister-in-law) remained close to Anna and Emma.  My Great Grandmother Emma was involved in Lavinia's trust when she died in 1937.  I have several pictures of Lavinia and her husband Harry Trist that were shared with the King family, as well as Christmas cards. So, the lines of communication were kept open there.   I am not sure when Emma Levers passed away, or what her relationship with Charles was after his move to America.  The whole situation must have been very  hard on Anna.   

Photograph of a store front taken in St. Austell.  Possibly Harry Trist (left), Lavinia Levers Trist in the middle and Emma Levers on far right. 

Picture enlarged.

    I came across this photograph in the King files.  It looks like a store with living quarters above.  I did some research on Lavinia's husband Harry Trist and came up with a 1911 England Census.  It listed his occupation as a dealer connected with a grocery business.  He was living with his wife Lavinia on Eastbourne Road, St. Austell. This may be a picture of the store, with Harry and Lavinia out front.  The older woman on the step could be her mother, Emma.  This picture was probably taken before 1911.  Harry and Lavinia married in 1897.  I was curious to see if this building might still be standing.  With the magic of Google Maps Street View, this is what I found. 

What do you think?  Eastbourne Road is pretty short, and this house was the only one that really looked similar.  

The trim on top of the building is the same as are the windows...

 In his journal, Charles wrote that his leaving was due to "no fault of our own", and that he had "done what I could to avoid the calamity that had overtaken us."  In the context of the time period  when Charles was accused of  being bankrupt,  debtors were looked down upon as either scoundrels or impoverished unfortunates. It was even viewed as a moral failure in England.  People were expected to keep their affairs in order and and deviance from upright economic standing was considered a personal fault. People who were unable to pay back their debts had their property confiscated and assigned to the creditor, or they were imprisoned.  Bankruptcy could essentially ruin a person for life.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_Act_of_1800.

  So, the only way to resolve this conflict for Charles was to leave the country and start fresh in California.  His life story reflects a person who strived to work hard at his craft  and to possibly prove to his relatives in St. Austell that he could make a success of his life and he was not a moral failure, despite any previous mistakes he made.   I don't know if he payed back his in laws or not, but as he became more successful in San Francisco, he probably had the means to do so and did.  We will probably never know, as he kept to the promise he made in his journal..."I think it is wise to dwell no longer on the events that transpired at this time".  It seems he did not. 

His obituary described him as a churchman throughout his life and that he lived the principals and faith of a Christian gentleman.  He did not let past grievances and mistakes dictate how he lived the rest of his life. 

  

Relationship Reference:  Me-> Margaret Hansen Boothby->Margaret Elizabeth Hayes Hansen->Emma Lavinia King Hayes VanDuzer->Anna Levers and Charles King.

Anna Levers King->Emma Craze Levers.   Emma had three daughters with Francis Levers:  Elfreda, Caroline Lavinia and Anna.  

Friday's Featured Photo

   "La Leva 1907 Cortemilia"

From the Brondolo Bertanasco Capra  file.  Unknown group of young men from Cortemilia, Italy. 

Enlarged

Cortemilia is just a short 8 miles away from Vesime, Italy, home of the Brondolos and Bertanoscos.  There must be a relative in this picture somewhere! (Update:  Second row from top, second man in on left.  Possibly, or probably, Frank Brondolo, born in 1901). 

Update....my sister Stephanie did some digging into the term La Leva.  Leva is translated into conscription or draft.  In general, Italian conscription was mandatory from 1860-1923 and conscription laws varied based on location and time period during these times.   The ufficio di leva (draft office) in each town was required to send a list of males between the ages of 17 and 20 to the consiglio di leva (draft board) .  The lista di leva records can be found for all male ancestors born after 1855 and earlier in some areas of the north. These lists can be an extremely useful source of information, as they contain quite a bit of vital information.   (The Family Tree Italian Genealogy Guide: How to Trace Your Family Tree in Italy by Melanie Holtz 2017).  

  So, knowing that Cortemilia is in the province of Cuneo in the norther Italian region of Piedmont should be a wonderful starting place for more in depth Italian family research.  I haven't even begun to work on Italian genealogy!  This picture is a great starting place.  A relative may be on the lista di leva for this area and may be a part of this group.  But why are do they have flowers in their lapels?? And what does that flag say??  

  Relationship Reference:  Me->Dale Boothby->Tersilla Palmina Brondolo Boothby->Pietro Brondolo and Caterina Bertanosco 

Frank Henry Brondolo was the son of Pietro Brondolo and Caterina Bertanosco.  He was Terry (Nino)'s brother.  We called him Uncle Frank.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 25 Theme: Groups....... Rainbow Girls Grand Assembly Panoramic Picture Taken in San Francisco 100 Years Ago

Tersilla Brondolo on the far left.  San Francisco, early to mid 20's. This is the left side of a long panoramic picture with dimensions of  33" x 8 1/2".  

 

Dena Infeld (6th from the right) and Dottie (first on right). Muriel may be third from the right.  This is the far right side of the panoramic picture. 

The middle of the panorama picture.  This may have been a Grand Assembly. 

The complete picture.

  Humans are generally social creatures, that is, we tend to form or join groups. These groups can be familial or by choice. The theme for this week is Groups.  I have had this panoramic picture of my paternal grandmother, Tersilla Brondolo (Boothby) for awhile now.  It was taken in San Francisco in the early to mid 20's and features a large group of Rainbow Girls.  They may be past and present as there are so many girls  varying in age, or this may be from a Grand Assembly.   What I love most about this picture is the fact that my grandmother is on the far left, and Dena Infeld is on the far right.  They would become sisters-in-law in the future and they became as close as real sisters for the remainder of their lives.  Also included in the picture is another life long family friend, Dottie (Close).  Another family friend, Muriel, may be third from the right. Two other friends not identified may be Mary and Alma.   My Grandmother (we called her "Nino") referred to Aunt Dena as her "sister of the heart".  She kept her Rainbow friends as a part of her family for the remainder of her life and then they in turn became a part of my family's memories growing up.  

  

  

  I am not sure about the date that this group picture was taken.  Nino looks like she may be in her very early teens...so this picture may have been taken around 1924-25.  She was born March 31, 1911 in Vesime, Italy and came to San Francisco in 1917.     

The four circled young girls were Dottie (far right), possibly Muriel (third from right) and Dena Infeld (Brondolo) sixth from the right. The circled girl on the left may be Mary or Alma?  Aunt Dena was born August 7, 1913 in San Francisco. Nino introduced Dena to a very handsome Frank Brondolo (Nino's older brother) and they eventually married.  Uncle Frank was a Mason.  

  Aunt Dena was honored as the oldest living Rainbow Girl at a Rainbow Grand Assembly sometime right before her death in 2006.  She was paraded around the assembly hall in a golf cart while the girls stood and applauded for her!  Her Masonic ties through Rainbow and later Eastern Star were a big part of her entire life. 

  Dena Infeld Brondolo (top left), Nino (middle), Muriel (far right, top), Dottie (bottom right) and then Little Mary (bottom left).  These were Nino's life long friends.  This photograph was taken sometime in the 80's.   Little Mary was not part of the Rainbow Girls, as she was Catholic.  At that time the Catholic Church didn't allow members to join any Masonic groups. But, she was a part of this close knit group all the same.  

  I have fond memories of growing up knowing these women, although I don't recall their last names except for Dottie (Close).  I always knew them by their first names...and they all loved to have fun whether it was playing cards, dancing, going to dinner or just talking, talking, talking. Dottie became legally blind in her later years, and my sister and I learned to play poker and Kings Corners using large print playing cards during our weekly summer visits with Nino and Dottie in Sonoma, California.  Muriel and Dottie lived in the same mobile home park (Valley of the Moon) as Nino did.  It seemed like the perfect place to retire!  

  Another sweet memory; When Dottie began going blind Nino learned Braille to help her out.  When Nino was dying, Dottie used to come over every day and take a nap with her.  They were very close, and loved each other very much.  I remember that Dottie had a very loving and big heart that extended from her foster children to all who knew her. 

  Nino's Rainbow Girls connections were both familial and chosen, and they lasted all of her life! 

  I wondered about where this picture was taken in San Francisco.   Speaking of groups,  I belong to a FaceBook group which shares information and pictures from San Francisco from 1915 on.  I have found this group to be a treasure trove of information, so I posted these pictures and asked the group to help me locate where this photo was taken.  The general consensus was that the picture was taken in front of the Main Library at 200 Larkin Street in the early to mid 20's.  The library was built in 1917 and was refurbished after the earthquake of 1989 and then reopened in 2003 as the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.  You can see where the three large doors are, with the two windows on either side. The street lamps are still there, also.  I believe the older wooden doors were eventually replaced with glass doors. 

The current resident of this building:  The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco 200 Larkin Street.  

 How was this picture taken?  Someone on the FaceBook group mentioned a Cirkut Camera that was popular for taking large group photos at this time.  I did some research, and found a picture of the camera similar to what was probably used. 

According to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirkut_(camera) ) the Cirkut was a rotating panoramic camera of the type known as  "full rotation".  It was patented in 1904 and was manufactured up until 1949.  The camera worked by pivoting horizontally  (along a vertical axis) while a roll of film moved across the film plane. These panoramic cameras were the precursors to our current IPhone panorama cameras! 

  So, if you have long, panoramic pictures of distant relatives in large groups, this was how it was done! 

Relationship Reference:  Me->Dale Richard Boothby->Tersilla Brondolo Boothby 

*Frank Brondolo (Nino's older brother) married Dena Infeld in San Francisco, California.  

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 24 Theme Father's Day: Josiah Thomas Boothby Was Fondly Remembered by the Heppner Gazette Times in 1915

Written on the back "Josiah T. Boothby Lexington, Oregon Please return" Photo in my family collection.  

M.S Eastman was working as a photographer in Portland and Cascade Locks (on the Columbia River) beginning in 1891 (historicphotoarchive.com/oregon). 

    Josiah Thomas Boothby was my paternal Great Grandfather.  Growing up I never knew his name or anything about his life.  I knew a great deal about my maternal side of the family but this man and his story was a mystery.  And then I began my genealogy research a few years ago.  My paternal Grandmother  Terry Boothby fortunately possessed a few pictures of this side of the family which I was given after her death. So, I had three pictures of Josiah and an initial search of census records to go on.  

   The first picture (above) was probably taken in Josiah's mid 30's in the early 1890's, as Melton (or Milton) S. Eastman did not begin his photography business until 1891.  It is hard to tell, however.  Josiah looks younger to me than mid 30's and the striped jacket was a popular style in the 1880's.  So, I'm really not sure when this picture was actually taken.  I do see that Josiah still had most of his hair on top.   

  In my research I  found an obituary written in 1915 in the Heppner Gazette Times that described my Great Grandfather's  personality, character and what kind of father he was.  That obituary rounded out his life for me.  I feel like I know a little bit more about him beyond the basic facts.  So, on this Father's Day 2021 I am sharing Josiah Thomas Boothby's story. 

But first, the basic facts...

  Josiah T. (he went by Josiah T., J.T. and sometimes Thomas) was born in Illinois in 1856 to his parents Josiah Stewart Boothby and Elizabeth (Peyton) Boothby.  He was most likely born in Coles County, Illinois.  In 1860 J.T. was the youngest of four Boothby children:  Charlotte Samantha, John Collins , Mary Jane Boothby and then Josiah T.  The 1860 US Census enumerated the family when they were living in Willow Springs, Kansas Territory.  Josiah T.'s father Josiah Stewart was making a living as a farmer at the time, before he enlisted in the Civil War.  

  The 1870 Census enumerated the family back in Okaw Township, Coles County, Illinois.  Elizabeth Peyton had passed away in February of 1867 when Josiah T. was 11 years old and was buried in the Smith Cemetery in North Okaw Township.  She was 47 years old.  Josiah Stewart married Susan Yates and they had their first child together, Grant Boothby, who was 2 years old at the time of the census.  Josiah T.  was listed as Thomas on this census, and was 13 years old.  His brother John was 19 and was working as a farmer, and Jane was 16.  I am unable to find any more information about Charlotte Samantha after 1870.   

  The 1880 Census enumerated the family in Monmouth, Polk County, Oregon on the 14th day of June.  Josiah Stewart was working as a baker (he arrived in Oregon with "three nickels to his name" in 1879) and was living with his wife Susan, as well as their children Grant (aged 12) and Luella (aged 6).  Also living with Josiah and Susan was Josiah T., who was listed as Josiah T. Boothby, aged 23.  His occupation was not listed, although by this time he was probably working in some capacity in Monmouth.    Also listed on this census (and 3 dwellings down from Josiah Stewart)  was the family of Thomas Boothby.  This Thomas Boothby was Reason Thomas Boothby, who was the son of Reason Rounds Boothby.  Reason Rounds was the older brother of Josiah Stewart and had already come to Oregon  in October of 1849 with the Waller family via wagon train. (Christians on the Oregon Trail Churches of Christ and Christian Churches in Early Oregon 1842-1882 by Jerry Rushford College Press Publishing Co. Joplin Missouri Copyright 1997).  I will do a separate post on the Reason Rounds family in Oregon at a later date. 

   There is no 1890 US Census available, so I have to surmise that Josiah lived and worked in Heppner and Lexington Oregon around the mid 1880's through the 1890's.  His father arrived in Lexington by 1883 and made his living by cattle ranching and wheat farming (The Illustrated History of Umatilla and Morrow Counties, Oregon by William Parsons and W.S Shiach 1902 pg. 542).  He had sold his farm in Lexington to Josiah around the time of Josiah's marriage in 1898.  Josiah T. was 42 years old when he married. 

Josiah Thomas Boothby, probably taken either before or around the time of his marriage to Lillie Mae in 1898.  He now has the "Boothby hairline".  Photo in my family collection. 

  In 1898 Josiah T. married Lillie Mae Hayman Horner, and the 1900 Census had them living in Lexington, Oregon where Josiah continued his work as a farmer.  His father and step mother were still living in Lexington at the time.  Josiah and Lillie Mae had three boys of their own together:  Thomas Josiah (born in Lexington, Oregon in 1899),  Sterl Kenneth (born in Kent, Oregon in 1907) and Harold Glen (born in Grass Valley, Oregon in 1908).  Josiah was also the step father to Lillie Mae's children born during her previous marriage to Silas Horner:  Marion M., Ceola May, Harry Richard, and Clyde Dale Horner.  Josiah continued working as a farmer during the family's time in Kent, Oregon.  I am not sure what kind of farming he was engaged in, but the area is known for dry land wheat farming, growing barley and cattle ranching.  His step son Harry Richard Horner stayed in Kent, married and was a wheat farmer by the 1920 US Census.  It is probably safe to say that the Boothby family was primarily engaged in dry land wheat farming. 

Wheat harvest 1904 shared by the Sherman County Historical Society on Facebook July 17, 2020

  By the 1910 US Census Josiah was 54 years old and living in the Grass Valley precinct of Sherman County, Oregon.  He was working as a farmer in the area.  He was living with Lillie Mae, Thomas, Kenneth and Harold as well as Harry and Clyde Horner.  I can imagine that household was a busy one, with the ages of all the children living at home ranging from 17 years to 1 1/2 years.  

U.S. Indexed Land Ownership Maps 1860-1918 for J T Boothby Oregon, Sherman, 1913 from Ancestry.com

By 1913, Josiah was leasing land from O.P. King outside of Grass Valley (see plot 14 above).  I am not sure when Josiah and Lillie Mae moved, but when he passed away in 1915 he was living in The Dalles, Oregon (right on the Columbia River) and was interested in purchasing an orchard in Rufus, Oregon. 

   Metsker Maps "Metsker Map of Sherman County" Special Collections and Archives Research     Center   https://scarc.library.oregonstate.edu/omeka/items/show/29551  1934. 

 This gives you a good idea of the area that the Boothby family lived and worked in.  

Close up of the Metsker Map.  Route from The Dalles to Rufus. 

Close up of the Metsker Map.  Grass Valley in 1934.  Plot 14 is still there (right under Boardman on the road to Rutledge). 

Close up of the Metsker Map showing the relation of Grass Valley to Kent, Oregon. 
 

   Lillie Mae and Josiah Thomas taken close to 1915 (enlarged).  

The complete photo in my collection.  It is actually very small as the interior mat size is 3 x 6 inches. 

     

  During my research I found an obituary for Josiah Thomas, who sadly passed away October 11, 1915 at the age of 59 years.  This was printed in the Heppner Gazette Times October 28, 1915, and originally ran in The Dalles Weekly Chronicle.  Again, I am not sure how long the Boothby family lived in The Dalles, or what their connection to the town was. 

"Josiah Thomas Boothby, who was taken to Portland for an operation for cancer, passed away Monday at 1 p.m., and The Dalles lost one of her most respected and valuable citizens.  Mr. Boothby was 59 years of age.  For many years he had been a resident of this city.  In 1898 he was married to Lily May Hayman and from this union there were born three children, Thomas Josiah, aged 16; Kenneth Sterl, aged 9; and Harold Glen, aged 7.  The names of his step children are, Marion Horner of Oakland, Cal., Mrs. Ceola Heyler of Sheridan, Ore., Harry Horner of Kent, Ore., and Clyde Horner of The Dalles; also two grandchildren, children of Mrs. Heyler.  Mr. Boothby also leaves to mourn his loss a brother, John, and, his step mother of Lexington, Ore.  

 

 Mr. Boothby was a man who loved his family and always labored diligently to provide for them and make his home a happy one.  He made no distinction between his own children and his step children, but seemed to possess that rare spirit that made him love those about him and made them all love him.  Good cheer and sympathy was felt wherever Thomas Boothby was.  He was a good husband and loss is felt keenly by those who love him so dearly.  

  All The Dalles sympathize deeply with the family in their bereavement.  The funeral services were conducted from the Christian Church, the Rev. Leon L. Myers officiating. Taken from The Dalles Weekly Chronicle." 

  

  I was not able to find any information on his life in The Dalles, but through Facebook I was able to find out a little bit more about his later life living near the Colombia River.  Sherry Woods Kaseberg shared another shorter obituary with me May 29, 2021.   Sherry is a fourth generation Sherman County resident who shares her knowledge on a wonderful website:  shermancountyoregon.com  which is worth checking out.   She also is a member of the Facebook group Oregon Genealogy Network, which is where she shared the following:  

Sherman County Observer, Moro, Oregon October 22, 1915

J.T. Boothby, formerly a resident of this county, farming at Kent and also being interested in an orchard at Rufus, died at a hospital in Portland October 11, where he had been taken for treatment for cancer.  Funeral services were held from the Christian Church at The Dalles.  

  Rufus is approximately 26 miles from The Dalles, following the Columbia River going east.  Perhaps Josiah was looking for something easier to manage as he got older.  His boys were not quite old enough to be helping him on a daily basis and farming was a tough business to be in, and especially north central and eastern Oregon farming.  

  I can see why Josiah T. was such a good father and husband.  He lost his mother when he was 11 years old and finished growing up with a step mother and step siblings, so he understood the dynamics of that kind of family.   He grew up around extended family and understood the importance of family connections. He learned from his father's work ethic.  He married late in life, and by all appearances his marriage to Lillie Mae was a good one.  He worked hard to provide for all his children and give them a stable and happy home.  I can imagine that his death had a huge impact on his sons, especially my grandfather Sterl, who was only 9 years old when he lost his father.  Lillie Mae never remarried, but moved her boys to Newberg, Oregon where they finished their schooling before going to college.   I love the fact that he was also fondly remembered by the communities he lived in.   I wished I had known him in person, but I am also happy that I have his pictures and obituaries.  

Relationship Reference: Me->Dale Richard Boothby->Sterl Kenneth Boothby->Josiah Thomas Boothby

Friday's Featured Photo

 

  Today's photograph is one from my favorites file.  This is my Dad, Dale Richard Boothby.  Written on the back..."Dale Boothby Strawberry Lake June 1946 5 years". 

   Happy Father's Day! 

I miss you!  

Decoration Day Musings (continued) and How the Hansens Celebrated the Day in Grass Valley

 

  

Greenwood Memorial Gardens Cemetery picture courtesy of Hooper and Weaver Mortuary

Rough and Ready Highway, Grass Valley, California

  I posted several days ago about the origins of Decoration Day and my paternal Great Great Grandfather's military service in the Civil War.  I wrote from the perspective of someone who never knew the term "Decoration Day";  I have only known a holiday called Memorial Day that marked the end of the school year and the beginning of summer.  Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971.  As my family did not have any family members who lost their lives in any military conflicts we did not observe the day by attending parades or visiting gravesites to honor anyone.  It was a day off from school, and marked a time of transition from spring to summer.  

  My mother, Margaret Hansen Boothby, started an interesting conversation through email about what Memorial Day meant to her,  after reading my last post.  Here are her thoughts and her story.......

"When I was growing up this holiday was always referred to as "Decoration Day".  Flowers from Nana's (Emma King Hayes Van Duzer) garden were taken out to Greenwood Cemetery, the graves were weeded and raked, then the flowers put on the graves in canning jars.  It was a day of great reverence, not for fallen military heroes or relatives, but a day to honor family dead, at least in our family.  Many families took picnics to Greenwood and ate on the lawn close to their ancestors' graves but we never did that.  If the weather was good, we might have a picnic or eat outdoors.  ALL the stores were closed as were the bars.  Earlier in the month of May there was always a discussion as to whether or not the garden flowers would be 'ready by decoration day'.  Maybe our family was different in its celebrations of the day because there were no men who had died in any wars, at least that I know of...none whose graves we went to anyway."

  "The name of the holiday was changed.  Not everyone was happy about that!  My family and many others of the parents' and grandparents' generation always referred to it as Decoration Day."

  "Veterans Day in the fall was a different thing.  Then, all veterans, including living veterans and those who served but did not die in wartime were honored.  Gravesites were visited and cleaned again.  One year Grandma Hansen (Vere Burrows Hansen) insisted we go to Sylvan Cemetery to visit Grandfather Hansen's grave (John Hartwig Hansen), so I remembered that.  I had no idea what the Spanish American War was all about, but it was fun to visit the cemetery."

  As I research and write my family's stories, I find that everyone remembers things in their own unique way, from their own unique perspective.   But, all versions come together to make a complete story!  I think I have a more rounded, complete view of what Memorial Day means to my family.  I have two ancestors who served in the Civil War, one from my maternal side and one from my paternal side.  The end of that war brought about a way the country as a whole wanted to remember the sacrifice.  It evolved to include the unique way my mother's family and the community of Grass Valley marked the day.  It evolved to include how I viewed the day as I grew up.  

  As I continue my research I am struck with how neglected and forgotten many cemeteries have become.  I too want to get out my rake and garden gloves and attend to hidden headstones.  I would like to decorate with beautiful flowers from my garden!   I remember my visit to the Pine Grove Cemetery in Nevada City last fall and seeing someone sitting in the sun, eating her lunch and reading for a short while. I don't know if she was sitting by a family member's grave, or if she just wanted a quiet spot to spend her lunch break,  but  I thought that was a very nice way to spend a warm fall afternoon! 

   Perhaps my generation is missing something very special, there at the cemetery.  I have listed family members whose graves can be found at the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery in Grass Valley, as well as the Old Elm Ridge Cemetery.  If you have a chance, take some flowers with you, "decorate" and visit.  The Greenwood cemetery is still kept in beautiful condition, thanks to the Hooper and Weaver Mortuary.  Other cemeteries are in much poorer conditions.  You can join groups such as the Comstock Cemetery Foundation in Virginia City, Nevada or the Hillside Cemetery Preservation Foundation in Reno, Nevada to help preserve places where other family members are buried.  That is also a wonderful way to honor and remember our  Hayes/Hansen/Burrow family members.  Those cemeteries are still open for visitation if you are interested. 

Emma King Hayes Van Duzer's plot at Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, Grass Valley, California.  She is buried with her second husband, George F. Van Duzer.  The plot is located in Block 10, #74.  

Dorothy Ross Hayes Arthur is buried with her husband William Arthur at Greenwood Memorial  Cemetery, Grass Valley, California. The plot is located in the Garden of Devotion K-3.

  

Francis Charlotte Hayes Holman is buried next to her husband Joseph Holman at Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, Grass Valley, California.  The plot is located in the Garden of the Last Supper, Sect. 30, 31, Row 16. 

Margaret Elizabeth "Betty" Hayes Hansen is buried with her husband, Harold Lloyd Hansen in the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, Grass Valley, California.  The plot is in the Garden of Devotion, K-3. 

  

  Hulda Elizabeth Hansen is listed by Find A Grave as being buried in the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery,  but doesn't list where the plot is.  She was buried in April of 1905.  

Jack Klemmet Hansen is buried in Block 7, #49 (Nankervis Plot) at the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, Grass Valley, California. 

 Dale Richard Boothby is also buried at the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, Grass Valley, California.  His plot is located in the Garden of the Last Supper.  

John and Elfreda (Levers) George are buried in the Old Elm Ridge Cemetery on Kidder Avenue in Grass Valley, California. Elfreda was Emma Van Duzer's aunt, sister to her mother Anna Levers King.  The plot is located in Block B # 125,6 and 135,6. There are quite a few George family members in this cemetery.