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. 

  

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 22 In the Military: Decoration Day Musings and Josiah S. Boothby's Request for a Civil War Pension in 1882

   This faded photo is of my Great Great Grandfather on my paternal side, Josiah Stewart Boothby. It was probably taken around 1894 when he served in the Oregon State Legislature in Salem, Oregon.  I have written several stories of his life in Heppner and Lexington Oregon around the turn of the century, but the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing prompt for this week brought me back to his story, and specifically to his Civil War military experience.  And since it is Memorial Day today as I write this, I also wondered about the origins of our current Memorial Day.  I learned some things I never knew! 

  Memorial Day was originally known as "Decoration Day" and originated in the years following the Civil War.  It officially became a federal holiday in 1971.  The Civil War ended in the spring of 1865 and had claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history.  The result was the creation of the country's first national cemeteries, where, by the late 1860's, various towns and cities began holding springtime tributes to fallen soldiers.  Flowers were laid on graves and prayers were recited. 

A woman visits the grave of William LeQuek in Woodlawn National Cemetery on Decoration Day in the 19th century. Photo courtesy of the LOC/cecildaily.com

  Some records show that one of the earliest commemorations was organized by a group of formally enslaved people in Charleston, South Carolina less than a month after the Confederacy surrendered in 1865.  They memorialized Union soldiers who perished at a makeshift prison at the Washington Racehorse and Jockey Club in Charleston by giving the soldiers a proper burial (they exhumed their bodies from the mass grave behind the grandstands and reburied them in a new cemetery).  On May 1, 1865, they then organized a parade around the racetrack, as black children carried bouquets. This  was organized a year before other U.S. cities began their observances, and three years before the first national observance.  This is a fascinating story and the author David W. Blight published a book in 2001 called Race and Reunion The Civil War in American Memory detailing his findings.  Even then, the memories of the war began to become segregated and this poignant story was eventually lost to the majority of the country.  

https://www.history.com/news/memorial-day-civil-war-slavery-charleston

  

   This is the pension record of Josiah Boothby (US Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1943 Ancestry.com). At the time he was married to his second wife, Susan Jane Yates Boothby, who received a pension as a widow after Josiah's death in 1905.  Josiah's experience in the war left him with failing health that would effect him for the rest of his life.  I found his affidavit on a webpage put together by a Boothby cousin (sersale.org).   She transcribed the letter as it was written, poor spelling and all. The transcribed letter now can be found on Josiah's Find A Grave memorial. 

   Josiah had served in the 7th Regiment, Missouri Infantry with Company F under Captain William B. Collins.  His obituary  states that he also served under Colonel Stevens, General Logan and General Grant, and that he participated in 22 regular battles.  The obituary states that 1,200 men started out in his regiment and about 134 officers and men were left when the was ended.  Part of his service was at the battle, capture and siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi in the spring of 1863.  

  His petition describes his illnesses as pleurisy, scurvy, diarrhea and then kidney and bladder infections.  It is hard to imagine the hardships these soldiers had to endure on and off  the many battlefields during the war.  Was serving in this war worth it to him? I often wonder what Josiah's motivation was for joining the Union army.  Was he politically motivated with an interest in preserving the Union? Did he even have antislavery views?  He was living in Willow Springs, Kansas in July of 1860 (Year: 1860; Census Place: Willow Springs, Douglas, Kansas Territory; Page: 137) and was 37 years old.  He was working as a farmer.  There was a severe drought in 1860, and the drought led him to Alexandria, Missouri where he and his family lived until the outbreak of the war in 1861.  I did some quick research on Willow Springs during the 1860's and learned that it was also the home of Methodists, Quakers and the German Brethren who took an early stand against slavery. Perhaps he carried his community's beliefs with him to Missouri.  So, whatever his motivation, he was mustered in on June 1, 1861 (U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865 Ancestry.com) and fought for the Union.  

  (https://www.kshs.org/preserve/pdfs/douglascounty_willowsprings.pdf)

Josiah's petition for Civil War benefits in his own handwriting.  Shared by Mimi Boothby (sersale.org)

   Here is the transcription of Josiah's petition for a pension, written after the letter from his commanding officer (below) (transcription done by sersale.org)......

Independence Polk County Oregon

December 17th, 1882

Hon Comitioner of Pentions.

The first Sickness I had while in the Service. was, westren Mo. it was plurice in left side. was teated by the rigtmantle surgon.  That was December 61.  May 1862 while Camped neared Corinth Miss. was taken down with Chills and fever and Camp Direah. was treated in Camp Hospitle by the regt Surgon in about too weekes got well enouhf to go to my Company. in 1863 while on the march around Vixburge and near rayon Miss. about the first of May of that yeare. was taken with Dierah and Scurvey kept on duty until I gave out completely breaking down in my back.  Was taken to field Hospitle Stade thare for Several dayes don't remmeber but think Som ten dayes.  The surgon Said my kidneys and Blader was badly afected. and wanted to Send me to a Hospitle Boat.  I told him I thought that I wold com around all rite in a few days.  So he let me go to my companey.  I did not think at the time that I had Contracted a lifetime disease.  I lost all my teath in cocequence of the Scurvey.  Tho I hav not Said aney thing about the Scurvy in making out my Claim for a Pention.  Soon after the capture of Vixburg I had a nother atact of the Same Complaint of kidneys as before. was treated in my one tent. by the regtmat Surgon.  From that on untill I was Discharged from the Survis.  was treated a number of times in my one regtmental Quarters. as time wore on from the time I was Discharged until the presant time has bin groing worse. as I grow older I Cant remember the names of aney of my regtmatal surgons.  Tho the last one. was a hired Sitasan Surgon. I hav tride to giv the Departmant as Presisie acount of the times and pases of MY Direant Sickness as my Best recolection would Serve me. 

Very Truly youre obediant Survant

 Josiah S. Boothby

"This is a letter from his commanding officer.  The spelling was better, but his handwriting is awful"  (sersale.org).....

State of Iowa; Lee County

I WBCollins having been duly sworn on my oath say I am the same WBCollins who was Captain Company "F" 7th Mo fifth fols(?) and am personally and ultimately acquainted with Josiah S Boothby late of said Company "F" 7th Regt Mo fols(?) and now I understand the said Boothby resides in Independence Oregon that on or about the 5th day of May A.D. 1863 the said Boothby while in the field was taken down with affection of disease of the kidneys and bladder and as I now remember was prior to that time a few days complaining and left the Company and regiment then in the field near Raymond Mississippi. that said disease as I believe was brought about the the exposure incident to the Campaign.  that I was in command of said Company at that time and remember of this severe sickness but do not remember the details and particulars thereof or of the length of time he was absent from the company-that when he enlisted he was apparently stout and healthy.  That I have no interest in his application for pension and reside at Keokuk Lee County, Iowa

  WB Collins

Subsented and sworn to before me WB Collins this 1st day of July AD 1880 whom I certify to be the identical person he represents himself to be as I believe from his appearance and statements and have no interest in the above application for pension witness my hand and seal of official

SS James

Clerk of District Court

in and for Lee County Iowa

Josiah Stewart Boothby's Death Certificate (Ancestry.com).  He died from uremia caused by degenerated kidneys (chronic kidney disease) in 1905. 

    I will write more on Josiah's life in another blog post. But for today, it is enough to reflect on his military service and sacrifice as I also think about the many nuanced origins of  Decoration Day.  He did not lose his life during this conflict (we honor those who have lost their life in service on Memorial Day) but  he certainly paid with his health.  He died in 1905 after end stage kidney disease which also caused him to lose his eyesight.  He lived to be 81 years old.  

  Decoration Day was begun to help our nation heal its wounds from the War.  People told and retold their own stories, honored fallen heroes and reconciled with former enemies.  On this day, May 31, 2021, at this moment in history, let's remember to listen to everyone's stories. 

Relationship Reference: Me->Dale Boothby->Sterl Boothby->Josiah T. Boothby->Josiah Stewart Boothby

Friday's Featured Photo

 

    Today's picture is from the Levers/King file and is of an unknown wedding party.  This was probably taken in Cornwall, circa 1920's.  I would love to know who the lovely bride was! 

An enlarged version.  

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 21 Theme At the Cemetery: Meeting Josiah S. Boothby and Other Boothby Relatives at the Penland Cemetery

Headstone of Josiah Stewart Boothby Penland Cemetery Lexington, Oregon.  Photo by Patti Alden

                                    

   Have you ever planned a trip with your husband, with the express purpose of secretly squeezing in a visit to a cemetery?  We had been camping and exploring the Painted Hills and the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument area of eastern Oregon for a week or so in October of 2017.  We were 550 miles from our home in northern Nevada.  In the middle of our trip I opened Google Maps on my Ipad and began talking out loud.  "But, Sweetie, Heppner and Lexington are only 2 1/2 hours away! And who knows when we will ever get back up here again?" That was my sneaky plan all along, and luckily my husband thought it would be a great adventure to drive north from our RV home base in Dayville, Oregon to find the Penland Cemetery.  "My Great Great Grandfather is up there.  I know exactly where he's buried according to Find A Grave.  I'll never get a chance to see him again.  I have to go there!" And off we went. 

  

    There is just something about visiting a place where a distant relative lived, and was eventually buried. There is an unexplainable pull or draw.  Do you think you might meet them walking down the street?  Perhaps you might feel their presence somewhere.  For me,  I just enjoy looking at scenes or places that my ancestors might have also looked at during their lifetime.  I imagine myself looking through their eyes.  It was their own unique place in the world and I want to feel like I am making a connection there. 

  That is exactly what I felt as we found ourselves south of the little town of Heppner, Oregon.  We drove north through the Umatilla National Forest on State Highway Route 207 for quite awhile until the trees abruptly thinned out and we were suddenly on top of prehistoric basalt lava flows as far as the eye could see.  Not a tree in sight. Just golden fallow wheat fields and green fall alfalfa fields growing in patches on the thin top layer of soil.  In between the flows were small valleys where the water found its way over thousands of years.  The road would follow the hills and valleys and when we got back up the hills out of the valleys it literally felt like we were on top of the world.  This was the landscape that my Great Great Grandfather saw.  

  

  We made it to the town of Heppner and took pictures of the Morrow County Courthouse (built with dark blue basalt)  and then found a pizza place for lunch (it was called "Two Old Hags Pizza" but served a great Hawaiian).  We drove around and found the local historical society which was closed for the season.  At least I know where that is now.  Then, we were off to the cemetery in nearby Lexington where Josiah S. Boothby was buried.  I couldn't wait to meet him!  I had emailed the nice man in the county office several days before we visited, and he said the gate was always open.  Google Maps took us right through sleepy little Lexington and out Cemetery Hill Road to the cemetery.  

The Penland Cemetery with Lexington in the background.  Photo taken October 2017 by Patti Alden

Yes, the gate was unlocked.  Penland Cemetery Gate Lexington, Oregon.  Picture taken October 2017 by Patti Alden

  It took a few minutes of searching and matching landmarks to find the headstone I was looking for.  I remember that the cemetery was so quiet.  All you could hear was the occasional breeze blowing by.  We did not see a  living soul anywhere.  We didn't hear a car drive by or  working farm equipment, or even a plane overhead.  I took a picture of the area directly across the street from the cemetery.  The October sun was still warm, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky.  It was a very moving experience.  

    I spent some time taking pictures, experiencing the calm and pondering the life of my Great Great Grandfather.   He was a Civil War Veteran, having served 3 years in the Union army, before coming to Lexington.  He was elected as a representative in the state legislature for Morrow County after moving to Oregon.  He worked as a farmer in the area, and survived the Heppner flood of 1903. I have previously written about the Heppner Flood in a February 23, 2021 post.   Josiah was a respected member of his church and community.  He had a total of seven children.  

  I did find one of his daughters in the Penland Cemetery, in the adjoining plot.   She was his last child, born in 1874 in Kansas to his second wife Susan Yates.  His daughter had come to Oregon with the Boothbys and married Charles Beymer who was a farmer originally  from Ohio.   Her name was Lulu E. (possibly Ella) Boothby Beymer, and she died shortly after giving birth to her second daughter in 1900.  She was 27 years old.  Both of her living daughters were raised separately by different family members.   

Lulu E. Boothby Beymer's headstone Penland Cemetery Lexington, Oregon.  Photo taken by Patti Alden

  It was a quiet trip back to our campsite, but punctuated by absolutely beautiful scenery of the Blue Mountains in the distance and the Umatilla Forest once again while the sun slowly set.  I felt like I was just a little bit closer to knowing my Boothby relatives.  In the last several years since that visit, I have found more information on my Oregon relatives.  My Great Great Grandmother Affa Woodcock Hayman was buried in an unmarked grave in the Heppner Cemetery (see my March 26, 2021 post).  I am planning another trip to the area to do more research, and of course, visit a cemetery or two.  But this time it won't be such a secret! 

Relationship Reference:  Me->Dale Boothby->Sterl Boothby->Josiah Thomas Boothby->Josiah Stewart Boothby