Claire Garvin Dunn states that Dave Bristow was John Bristow's only son. Dave married William Downey's half-sister, Margaret ("Maggie" Miles) and lived two houses up from James William Garvin, just beyond the curved intersection and Black Lake Road, (called the 4-rod road) where Benders lived in the 1930s. They had no children and Claire states she knew of no other relatives.
In Mary Boyle Downey's "Dickens Birthday Book" William Downey, age 80 (year 1919) that his birthday was 19 May 1838. 1838 + 80 = 1918. The certificate from the Catholic Church in Toronto said William Downey was born 8 May 1838 to Mary Wilson Downey. If this is true, then William Downey was 81 years old in 1919. He died 28 Aug 1920, says Mary Boyle Downey. Jessie Downey Fay said he died 29 Aug 1920.
William Downey, Jr. must have been in Lander, Wyoming, in 1919 to visit his youngest son, George, and Mary Boyle Downey at the Hudson, Wyoming ranch. This was the year that William Downey wanted to know how the hay loft was doing after George had placed large cables around the barn to keep it from falling down. William Downey had been a seaman on the St Lawrence river and the Great Lakes many years of his life. He was very strong. At the age of 81, he did a hand-over-hand on a rope hanging from the hay loft to elevate himself to the hay loft so he could see the inside of the second story of the barn. He was satisfied with the cable and the stability of the barn. He then proceded to place his legs straight out from his body and come down the rope, again hand-over-hand.
Re- William Downey, Jr. written by Aunte Jessie Downey Fay:
My father was William Downey, Jr., born in Brockville, Ontario, Canada (just across the St. Lawrence River from Morristown, New York.). His father was a carpenter and joiner and while working on the Tin Cap Schoolhouse (just back of Brockville) he fell from the building and was killed. Someone was asked to go tell his wife but by some error she had not been told of his death, and when the body was brought home to her, she was taken with convulsions which lasted for several days and until after her little son was born, which she named for his father, William Downey. The mother was cared for by kind neighbors. A family by the name of Burns was particularly kind and kept up the aquaintance with father. After a few years (1846), his mother married an army captain, John Miles.
Father's Mother's maiden name was Mary Wilson but he never knew what family of Wilsons he belonged to. I am writing to see if in the year 1838 there was money deposited in this bank for Mrs. William Downey and who the person was who deposited it. (There was no reply to this letter from the bank.) I have been told there was money deposited for her by some one of her family and it never was used and probably at a later date was taken back. My father (William Downey, Jr.) was born 18 May 1838. (The birth letter from the Catholic Church shows he was born on the 8th of May, 1838).
Willaim Downey, Jr. came to Morristown, New York when a child 8 or 9 years old and lived his entire life here. He died in 1920 without knowing anything of his family.
Father (William Downey, Jr.) was born in Brockville, Ontario, Canada. He came to this country, U.S.A., when he was 8 years old. He came with a Frenchman named Roshette who lived in a cabin somewhere near the village on the Mill road. Mr. Roshette lived alone and felt that Billy should have a home, perhaps with some of the surrounding farm families.
So it happened one day in harvest time that the threshing machine was at the Pringal place and Mr. Roshette said for Billy to go over there where the men of the neighborhood were threshing and see if some one of them might take Billy home with them. So Billy went, and I really think Mr. Roshette had told him to ask if there were any of the men that needed a boy to help them. However, there was a Mr. John Bristow there, and one of the men spoke up and said, "John, here is the boy you have been waiting for." Just a little way off there was a field of grain and also some pigs running around loose and John Bristow said, "Let's see if you can get those pigs out of the grain." At that, Billy, eager to please, scampered after the pigs and got them even though he was a little barefooted boy and there were plenty of thistles. There was a lot of loud laughter and joking among the men, saying he is your boy, John. He is your boy!
However, at the end of the day and the men went home, John Bristow took Billy home with him and he was their adopted son and all the older people knew him as Billy Downey.
The Bristow farm still belongs to the Downey family through Carl and Jessie Downey Fay. My father always remembered the girl, Mary Hindmarsh, who at that time was working for the Bristows. She evidently did not like the idea of adding Billy to the family and said to Mr Bristow, "I don't know why you brought that little devil here." Many years later I've heard my father laugh and tell her of it. My father married her youngest sister, Sarah Hindmarsh. Original signed J.E.F. (Jessie E. Fay)
Note: from James Chapin Downey, grandson of George Ralph Downey a brother to Jessie Downey Fay.
In 1964, I, James Chapin Downey, did visit the Fay family, meeting quite a number of the family members during the 3- to 4-day visit. I took pictures of the farm buildings spoken of in the preceeding written by Aunt Jessie. The John Bristow farm was obtained by William Downey, Jr., then the Carl Fay family. I was able to stay in the farm house, to see the kitchen, the stairs leading to the upstairs bedroom, the living room, the rest of the house that my Great-Gramdfather and Great Grandmother worked and lived in. What a blessing!
This was the very house that got my attention around the Thanksgiving Dinner table as I listened to my Grandfather, George Downey, tell about his experiences as a young boy on the farm. One story was more outstanding to me than some of the other stories.
It was very early in the morning on as cold winter day. George Downey would be the first out of bed to build a fire in the kitchen stove. George had completed the fire building, the lids were on the stove, the damper was open to let a good draft through the fire box, and George was sitting on the stairs waiting for the fire to heat up enough to adjust the damper.
A loud knock of three bangs came to the kitchen door just in front of George. It was the custom at that time that children did not answer the door to a knocking visitor. George called up the stairs, "Father, someone is at the door." George could hear his father walk on the upstairs floor and start down the stairs toward the kitchen back door. His father was wearing long heavey underwear and had slipped his trousers on to answer the door. He had placed one suspender over his left sholder and just starting to move the right suspender toward his right shoulder when again a very loud knock with three bangs came to the door again.
George said his father, William, replied halfway down the stairs with a loud gruff voice, "I'm coming, I'm coming!"
William Downey opened the door to face the newly fallen snow without any footprints, no person, no nothing to be seen to greet him after all of that loud knocking and banging of the door. Now, that really startled the family! What is this all about???
George checked his rat traps around the house and barn. All were in place without any disturbance. The cows in the barn were all peaceful without problems. The horses were as they always were in the early morning wanting their oats but with no unusual fuss. All was calm in the house and barn. So who or what was doing all of the knocking on the kitchen door?? Nobody and nothing! Even the snow was undisturbed.
About noon that day the neighbor boy rode his saddle horse from house to house telling the neighbors that his father had passed away early that morning. Several of the neighbors told the boy of knocking at their doors early in the morning. It was just concluded by those having the experience that the boy's father was making his rounds to his friends and neighbors of his farewell.
This story was paramount in my mind and still is at the age 69 about my two grandfathers hearing the knock of the dead saying good-bye with a profound three loud knocks on the kitchen door while the cook stove fire began to heat the room.
The love in my heart for these two men and their families is a witness to me of life eternal. There is no death. Only a parting from our bodies until the resurection. Some have said, "Death is no more than taking off your 'Earth Suit' and going home to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ until the resurection when our bodies will be again united with us forever."
17. Sarah Hindmarsh
OBITUARY: SARAH HINDMARSH DOWNEY
MRS. DOWNEY PASSED AWAY FRIDAY NIGHT -- 29 NOVEMBER 1935 -- AGE 95, Oct 12
Morristown-- Mrs Sarah Downey died at 10:45 o'clock Friday night at the home of her daughter Mrs. Carl Fay of the Edwardsville Road. She had been confined to bed with illness the past six weeks.
Mrs. Downey was born in Morristown, a daughter of Joseph S. and Mary Dalton Hindmarsh. She had always lived in the town of Morristown and was a devout member of the Presbyterian Church.
Surviving her are three sons and four daughters, namely: George of Hudson, Wyoming; Robert of Lyons Falls, New York; and William of Morristown; Mrs John Shields of Ogdensburg, and Mrs Carl Fay, Mrs James Garvin, and Mrs Frank Toye, all of Morristown.
Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at the home of her Daughter, Mrs. Fay, at 2 o'clock, The Rev. William McKirdy, officiating. Interment will be at Morristown Cemetery.
Mrs. Downey was an esteemed resident and her death will bring deep regret to her wide circle of friends in this section.
18. Dominic Sylvester Boyle Sr.
Donna Jean Boyle's record shows Dominic Sylvester Boyle Sr. -172, birth 23
August 1843 as having died 3 March 1897 where as this record shows death date
as being 3 Sept 1897. As of today, 4 Sept 1994, I do not know which date is
more correct.In 1964 or 1965, I James Chapin Downey, went to Welston, Jackson, Ohio to find
my Dominic Sylvester Boyle Sr's grave and any record I could find about him. I
looked at both the Welston Cemetary, and the Cathlic Church Cemetary, looking
at available records and looking at every headstone at the Welston Cemetary
without finding his grave. The sexton said the records were burned in the fire
distroying the building there at the Cemetary. The sexton did not advise me to
walk up and down the rows of headstones looking for my great-grandfather
because of the cotton mouth snakes. I had already walked up and down the rows
of headstones between the hours of 6 am and 8 am when the sexton arrived for
his daily activities. After going to the Cathlic cemetary and returning to the
sexton, I asked him if there were any other cemetaries in the area that Grandpa
might be buaried. He said there was a very old cemetary west of town on a
little mound that was very heavely grown over by underbrush. He said it would
be imposable to find most of the headstones because of overgrowth and cotton
moth snakes. So I went to Katheryn Linch's home Steightsville for a visit.March 17, 1999 Donna Jean Boyle of 1006 West Fremont Ave of Riverton, Wyoming - wrote the following:
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
Let me give you a little bit of history. Dominic Boyle was born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland, on August 23, 1843. Anna Lenor McGoff was born in County Mayo, Ireland, on December 25, 1846. The potato famine hit Ireland in 1846, so both the Boyle and McGoff families immigrated to Scotland. In 1863, Dominic married Anna in Scotland, and they had two children there, Ellen and John. In 1870, this family of four, with Dominic's single brother John, immigrated to the United States.
Dominic and Anna lived 29 years in Ohio where Dominic and his brother John worked in the coal mines. Younger brother John Boyle married Mary Beerman and they had nine (9) children. Anna had ten (10) more children before Dominic died on black lung in 1897, Wellston, Ohio. They also buried five children in Ohio!
In 1899, jobs in the coal mines were getting scarce in Ohio, so Anna's oldest son John and her son-in-law, William Hotchkiss urged widow Anna Boyle to move the family west to find work in the mines of the Union Pacific Railroad. Making the train journey were: Anna Lenor McGoff Boyle (age 53); Son John Boyle (age 33); daughter Anna Boyle Hotchkiss (age 28) with her husband, William Hotchkiss and their two sons, Errol and Donald; son Charles Francis Boyle (age 25); son Dominic Boyle (age 23) with his wife Bessie and their daughter Maymie; daughter Margaret Boyle (age 18); son Edward Boyle (age 17); and daughter Mary Agnes Boyle (age 13). THEY ARRIVED IN KEMMERER, WYOMING, IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER, 1899 - ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO! The John Boyle family remained in Ohio, but the families remained close for one generation.
OBITURARY: ANNA LENOR MC GOFF - 1921
THE RIVERTON REVIEW
WED., SEPT. 7, 1921
PAGE 4, COLUMN 2Mrs. Anna Boyle, nee McGoff, widow of Dominick Boyle, died last Frideay
morning, August 26, at her home on Ohio Avenue, and was buried Sunday August
28th at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Services were held in the Church of the
Ascension by the Rev. Wm. Keavey."Lead Kindly Light" and Fading Still Fading" were the songs by the Choir.
After the services the cortege proceeded to the cemetery where interment was
made.Ten pall bearers were Messrs, Chas. Beaman, James Winchester, Lee Groves, Bryce
Freeman, Sr., Harry Farthing, and Ferd Wise, Sr. Undertaker J. P. McKenna had
charge.Mrs. Boyle was born in Mayo County, Ireland, on Christmas Day, 1846, from where
she went to Scotland at the age of seven. Here she grew into womanshood and
became the wife of Dominick Boyle.They came to America where they lived in Jackson, Ohio, until twenty-four years
ago, when Mr. Boyle died. For the last twenty-two years, she resided with her
children in different parts of Wyoming. Last living with her son John in
Hudson.She is survived by the following children: Mrs. Wm. Hotchkiss, Mrs. George
Downey, Dominick and John Boyle, all of Hudson, Charles of Gunn; Edward of Gebo
and Mrs. Alec Kirk of Greybull.there are twenty-one grand children. TWO SISTERS AND THREE BROTHERS survive
her, all residing in Kentucky.
OBITUARY: CARRIE ELLA CHAPIN
Carrie Ella Fisher was born February 25th, 1860, in Plano, Illinois. Herdeath
occurred at Fairmont, Nebraska, November 25,1919, having attained to fifty-nine
years and nine months.In the spring of 1876 she moved with her parents to a farm near Fairmont.
After teaching school for a year she was married to Frederick M. Chapin in
1977. For about twenty years farming continued to be the special interest of
this new home, Mrs. Chapin experienceing all the losses and disappointments
and hardships of those days with loyailty and courage. Three children were
born into their home, Mrs. Harriet Akin of Fairmont, Mason I. Chapin of
Riverton, Wyoming, and Guy E. Chapin of Oklahoma City. The two boys had been
privileged to visit their mother several months before she passed away as had a
sister and other relatives. These visits added much to the happiness and satis
faction of Mrs. Chapin in her last weeks.After moving to Fairmont from the farm, business interests occupied the home,
Mrs. Chapin herself showing considerable business ability and entering into it
to a limited extent.Her general ability, her genius for life and for friendship are indicated in
her relation to and work in the C.Gongregational Church, the Eastern Star and
Royal Neighbor lodges, the P.E.O. Society and Stephen Bennett Chapter of the
D.A.R., being a charter member in the last named order.As suggestive of her human interest and practical work, she spent the earlier
years of her life in town in nursing and at a time when return for such labor
was little and the need was great. Perhaps the best years of her life and the
most self-denying, next to the twenty years which she gave to her own home and
children, were the some fifteen or twenty years that she gave to the nursing
and care of her aged father and mother. It seemed always her work and missioon
to give and to give her best and her all, which was herself. This she did
without lstint and without complaint. She loved much, therefore she gave much.
In recent years she has taken great interest and comfort in her grandchildren,
of whom there are six, giving to them of her love and wisdom, deppened and
ripened through a varied experience. Loving life and work and friends as she
did, she hoped did, she hoed almost to the last for strength and years in which
to live her own life and do as her desires and ability prompted. When,
however, after two and a half years of constant, patient suffering, she
realized that his was not to be, she expressed her faith in the Divine goodness
and will and her readiness to go.Flowers and friends and schoo children passing her window were her daily
comforters and helped pass the weary hours."To give is to have." Then she should have an abundance of enduring
possessions."What is excellent, as God lives, is permanent.
Hearts are dust.
Heart's loves remain.
Heart's loves will meet thee again."The funeral services were held at the Congregational church on Thanksgiving
Day, November 27th. The well filled church was indicative of the respect in
which the deceased was held by the community and of their deep sympathy for
those who morn most her going.Besides her husband and three children, she leaves a sister, Mrs Ira Allen of
Sandwich, Illinois, and a brother George R. Fisher of Yorkville, Illinois.
Those attending the service from out of town were George R. Fisher, Yorkville,
Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Guy E. Chapin of Oklahoma City; Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Chapin
of Oklahoma City; W. W. Parish of Exeter, Mrs. Landy Clark of Lincoln, Mrs.
Mary Akin and Miss Benta Akin of Fairbury. F. M. Chapin and Children.______________________________________________________________________________
This is the note found wrapped around a tintype photo graph of two young girls,
"Mother (Carrie Ella Fisher) on right and cousin ?Janice? (Jennie) Fisher
Brown, Uncle Mason Fisher's daughter. Taken on Grandpa Fisher's (Oliver
Persons Fisher) trip east just
before they moved to Nebraska." Comment: We can0ot read with clarity the name
of the cousin. There are some letters from cousin Jennie in the records. It
appears that the cousin is the daughter of Isaac Mason Fisher who is an uncle
to Mason Isaac Chapin.
FROM THE DOUGLAS (WYOMING) ENTERPRISE (NEWSPAPER) Tuesday, November 30, 1948
Caption under photograph of Thomas Strange Cook:
This week we visited Mr. Tom Cook. The town of Douglas and Tom Cook's residence here are almost synonymous, the former public official, miner, blacksmith and exponent of other trades and occupations arriving in the community a year before the town became official. He still is very active in community affairs. (Enterprise photo)
Interview:
Tom Cook
One year before the Northwestern railroad reached Douglas, a young miner came into the county. Years have passed, 62 in all, and he still is active in the community.
Tom Cook was working in mines at Moingona, Iowa, when the president of the Northwestern railroad selected Cook and four other men to come to Wyoming to prospect for coal for the railroad.
With a span of mules, a wagon and drilling tools, the crew came as far into Wyoming as 10 miles northeast of Lusk, the end of the railroad. The grade into Lusk has been washed out and it was necessary to grade up the dirt again and install a bridge.
The crew stopped over in Lusk, then a tent town, composed mostly of establishments moved in from the mining town of Silver Creek.
The next morning the men moved to Shawnee Creek where they started sinking the shaft for the coal mine. The prospected with test drills until they found the deepest location for the coal so that the water could drain to the mouth of the shaft. A six-foot vein of coal was found at 120 feet and a four-foot vein of better quality coal 15 feet deeper.
Finally the shaft was completed and mining operations started. A number of carloads of coal went to Nebraska but the Northwestern railroad never was able to use any of the coal in its locomotives. Its loose composition resulted in flaming sparks when in the locomotive fireboxes.
The job eneded when the son of the engineer at the mine went to sleep, allowing the boiler to go dry. The introduction of cold water into the overheated boiler resulted in an explosion.
From Shawnee Creek, Tom and his brother, A. D. Cook, after working on a railroad section crew, were engaged to sink a 100-foot slope shaft 18 miles northwest of Douglas. The bonus pay failed to materialize and the brothers then left the mining business.
Various ventures and occupations were undertaken following retirement from mining. At various times Tom Cook worked in a meat shop, operated the pump engine for the water plant, was a partner with Frank George in a blacksmith shop and was a public employee.
In the blacksmith shop, located in the section between the present Burlington and Northwestern railroads, the partners built the first two sheep wagons to be constructed in this section. They used as a pattern two sheep wagons built in the east and being taken to Casper.
The launching of the town's water plant and Mr. Cook's employment as engineer for the pump was synonymous. The first pumping station was located at the park at the edge of town. A few years later it was moved to its present location.
Douglas' first band was organized in 1888 by Tom and A. D. Cook. Liking music, they were affiliated with the community's musical organizations and Tom Cook apears in the picture of the 1916 Eagles band which is reproduced this week as the "Do You Remember" feature. His first instrument was a B-flat Cornet. The first band played for Douglas' first state fair in 1905. He also helped organize the first baseball team here and played first base with the aggregation.
He took time out from his busy life to return to Nebraska where he was married at Chadron. Mrs. Cook died in 1917 and in 1919 he was united with Miss Ada Brown who lived until two years ago.
Douglas was tiny village when Mr. Cook arrived. He remembers Bill Barlow's Budget, a blacksmith shop, a saloon, church, and a small general store. All moved to the present location of the town when the railroad arrived.
Mr. Cook still remains extremely active and has been custodian at the Masonic Temple. On the afternoon he entertained the Enterprixe he was making plans to go to the Congregational Church where he made the coffee for the annual Turkey dinner.
He resides with his daughter, Miss Florence Cook, who has taught music here for many years.
Miss Cook relates that she should be considered a native Douglasite although Iowa is her official birthplace. Her mother returned to Iowa to be with her family for the event.
She studied music for years at the conservatory at Yankton, S.D., studied in New York City, Berkeley, and at Northwestern university.
Until her stepmother's health started to fail, Miss Cook maintained her own apartment and her proudest achievement is the raising of her nephew, Don Jamieson, whose mother died when he was seven. Don made his home with his aunt until his marriage and now, with his wife, the former Eva Schlister, and a small son, reside at Powell.
In connection with her music work, Miss Cook has been the director of the Congregational Church choir for many years.
She worked two night as relief at the telephone office, and avocation started during the war. She told that she liked the diversion immensely but would not care to do it as a full-time occupation. Her music lessons and the care of the home occupy much of her time.
She is a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, the Order of Eastern Star, and the Jolly Thirteen Sewing club.
The Temple work has been done from a parish record by some project or something else. The name listed in the IGI is: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. So, the birth place listed by each Cook child is correct according to the family records.
The following is recorded from the "Pages From Converse County's Past" published in 1986. Carolyn and I baught two of these publications in 1997 for $10 each.
COOK, ARCHIBALD and FLORENCE H. COOK, TOM and NELLIE. Written by Annetta Smith Walker.
Archibald David and Tom Cook were born in Scotland to John and Margaret Johnstone Cook. Tom on January 19, 1861 and A.D. on October 31, 1862. John, a coal miner, brought his family to America in 1868. They settled 1in Mildred, Pennsylvania. The boys heeded the admonition to "go west, young man, go west" when their father was hurt in a mining accident.
A.D. Cook maried Florence H. Hartman on August 19, 1880. Florence was born at Van Buren, Ohio. She came, at the age of four, to Boone County, Iowa, in 1864 with her parents, Amos William and Eleanor Trout Hartman. There she received her education and taught at Moingonia, Iowa. Archie was busy working for a general store in Moingonia but when the Black Hills gold strike occured, he took part in the excitement, making the trip by way of the old stage route from Sidney, Nebraska. Two years later he returned to Iowa to enter the employ of the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley R.R. prospecting for coal in Iowa and further west at a salary of $100 a month.
I am going to let my grandmother, Florence H. Hartman Cook, tell their story of early day Converse County which was published in the Douglas Enterprise, Tuesday, June 23, 1936.
"A new coal mine was opened on Shawnee Creek, three miles from the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley R.R. Archie and Tom Cook signed a contract with the company to drive entry. Tom was there before us, as a log cabin had to be built for us by the company. It was small and poorly built, mud being used instead of plaster. Near dusk we saw our first herd of antelope from the train windows, hundreds of them. We thought the hill was moving. It was October 30, 1886, when we arrived at Shawnee Station with our small children, Arthur and Ethel, and a few boxes of household goods. We were taken to camp in a lumber wagon, sitting on our trunks. The camp consisted of a country store, selling only staple groceries and camp supplies, a bunkhouse for the single men, a boarding house and six cabins for the families who were all from our hometown in Boone County, Iowa.
"At the boarding house we ate our first 'Wyoming potatoes,' dumplings and slumgulleon.' During our stay of eighteen months we enjoyed eating fresh antelope and deer, hunting them from a lumber wagon, jolting over sagebrush and gullies. The sunshine was so bright and warm that we did not realize until later that it was Wyoming's coldest winter, although the range cattle died by the hundreds around our camp.
"During the blizzards we had to hang our surplus carpets and blankets on the walls to keep out the snow. During one of the worst storms a passenger train was snowed in near Shawnee for about a week. The crew managed to get through to us for aid and it taxed the larders of the camp to feed them. We cooked meat and made biscuits for hours each day. We supposed it was western hospitality we were giving and it was like finding money, when months later, the railroad company paid us ten cents for every biscuit sandwich.
"During the winter, Tom met my sister, Nellie, at Chadron, Nebraska, and were married on December 18, 1886. The men were all at work but the women and children greeted them in true western style as they arrived. There was a shortage of dishpans afterwards, due to the children's enthusiasm with the drum sticks. We had no school nor church, but neither were there saloons nor gambling houses.
"For recreation we roamed the hills and chald buttes, being interested in the rock formations, pine trees and shrubs, so different from our Iowa rolling prairies. The wild flowers, too, were a joy to us.
"In the evenings the families visited together playing Pedro and High Five by kerosene lamps. The men must have been more amused than interested in the games as most of their wives had never seen a deck of cards before and could not understand why a one-spot counted more than a two-spot.
"Douglas was already on the map and was our trading place. After the doctor would hold a clinic for the whole camp, pulling teeth, prescribing for minor ails, he was paid his regular office fees.
"Early in the spring Archie and Tom built us each a better cabin, peeling the logs, using plaster, dirt roof and good flooring. Housekeeping was easier.
"There were rumors of an Indian uprising. The men made light of it, but we were still tenderfeet so we moved the children's trundle bed into the corner behind our bed, and kept the axe beside the pillows.
"The mine closed for the summer, and both the Cook families camped at Irvine while Archie and Tom worked for the section boss, Fred Hilebrand, Sr. Irvine was a tie camp then, and Alex Cunningham was running a store there for C.H. King of Douglas.
"Our keenest remembrance of our stay there was the hot sun, the swarms of rattlesnakes, and assisting at the birth of Carl Hildebrand without a doctor's supervision. Carl, when grown up, became a noted bronco buster at our state fairs and at other rodeo gatherings.
"At Shawnee camp that winter we wanted to celebrate Christmas with a community tree. Trees has never been so easy to get, but trimmings? Neither Lusk nor Douglas (Wyoming) had trimmings for sale, not even popcorn, cranberries, candles, not even oranges and apples, not even toys left when we tried to buy. So we contented ourselves with hanging up stockings filled with cookies.
"We had not yet learned of the pioneer's best book, Montgomery Ward's catalogue. The Douglas stores had nothing finer than cambric in white goods and Nellie and Florence ripped up their fine white dresses for material and lace for baby dresses for her first child.
"The mine closed for good in January 1888, and we left our homes and four of the families moved to Douglas, the two Cooks, Tom McPherson, and Jim Peyton. They, or their descendants still live there. (1936)
"Archie worked on the streets until he was employed in a meat market owned by Floyd Lockwood, who was from our old home in Iowa. We were happy to attend church and Sunday School again, and to send Arthur to school. His first teacher was Attorney William F. Mecum. Two years later Miss Mary Cooper was Ethel's first grade teacher. Our water, for all purposes, was hauled from the Platte River and cost us 35 cents a barrel. We became experts in saving water. We had no ice for a few years. Except for the abundant game and the wild small fruits, the living expenses were high, as there were no gardens.
"We remeber only one tree, a cottonwood beside a well on Second Street. A few doors north Mr. Olivereau had a few shrubs and flowers in his back yard. His daughter, Mrs. Harry Pollard, and children, are still living in Douglas (1936). We had no green grass, but our streets all sparkled with bits of broken bottles from the 13 saloons we were reported to have had at that time. It is not probable that our good citizens needed all these liquid refreshments, even with only unfiltered river water to drink, but our cattle country was full of cowboys who made frequent visits to town.
"Our marshal, John W. Overman, used to appoint specal officers at such times to help him. Archie was helping him arrest a man one night. They were chasing him through a vacant lot and to frighten him Overman fired near his feet just as he ran into a clothes line. His fall knocked him unconscious for a minute and the marshal thought he had killed him with his shot. He was so shaken that the crowd joked about it for years.
"July 4, 1889, we were invited to a country picnic at the Natural Bridge given by the ranchers on Lower LaPrele Creek and it was our first view of Wyoming ranches. In the evening we ate supper at the George Powell Ranch, where he already was trying out fruit trees for an orchard. That night we attended a country dance at Captain and Mrs. O'Brien's. People came from miles around. The beds were covered with sleeping babies, just as Owen Wister described it in 'The Virginian.' Even the pretty school marm was there and those O'Brian boys could call the changes in the square dances more musically than we hear them called now on our radios.
"That day we met people who later retired,, moved to town and were our neighbors and friends. There were no fences in the early days and the herds of range cattle driven past the town to the shipping pens were a menace to our small children.
"When Wyoming gave her women the franchise, Nellie and Florence voted but felt we had no knowledge of the issues nor did we know the candidates. A few years later when Archie was on the county ticket seven times in succession and then on the state ticket twice, we lost all our scruples and voted the Republican ticket straight every time. Bread and butter for the children seemed more important than conscience. We never locked our doors when we went hunting or fishing for a few days, nor did we ever find a ranch home locked when the family was absent. Our husbands were always playing in the band during those meetings. Our last three children, Douglas C., Beatrice, and Nell, were born in Douglas, as were Tom and Nellie's three girls, Florence, Donna and Eleanor. When Archie's work for the government compelled us to leave Douglas in 1922, we moved away parting from our family and friends with sincere regret.
"We are thankful for the 30 years we lived there and glad that three of our children, Tud Cook, Mrs. Ben J. Steffen, and Mrs. William J. Smith, and their children are still a part of that community. When we hear the song, 'The Hills of Home,' to us it always means Douglas, Wyoming."
Some of the members of that band she mentioned were Esmays, Cooks, Rices, Anthens, Steffens, Rouses, Ruhls, Schmidts. Harry Ruhl lived in Lost Springs for many years.
Florence always loved the Laramie Peak area and her dying request that her ashes be strewen among the wild flowers in the mountains south of Douglas where she had spent so many happy days on early-day camping trips was respected. On March 17, 1942, Archie joined her in death and his ashes, too, were brought to the mountain meadows.
Tom built his own home on North Third Street in Douglas with brick made in the kilns of Mr. Peters where he lived out his life. He was known for his work in the famous Florence Hardware sheepwagons, and was also a deputy sheriff for Sheriff Campbell during the Johnson County War. Many houses in Douglas were built by Tom Cook. Tom and Nellie's children were: Florence H., Donna (Chapin) and Eleanor (Jamieson). His beloved Nellie left him on April 17, 1917. On June 11, 1919 he married Ada B. Brown, daughter of Walter and Dora Bennett Brown. Ada was an early day teacher in the Douglas school. Ada died August 25, 1947. Tom died on September 8, 1950. by Annetta Smith Walker.
23. Eliza Eleanor "Nellie" Hartman
There needs to be some additional research in the Boone County, Iowa records concerning the family.
Some records show Florence and Nellie Hartman's parents as being Samual Hartman. The Converse County records show the Father of Florence and Nellie being Amos William Hartman and their mother being Eleanor Trout Hartman.
NAME: (Johann) John Nicklos Snyder changed his name from Schneider when he and Conrad B. Snyder opened a shoe store in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
A 5 x 7 photograph is available through Jim and Carolyn Downey.
Copied from the Scottsbluff Star-Harald Newspaper, Scottsbluff, Nebraska by
Carolyn Snyder Downey, June 8, 1971.Friday, January 6, 1922
JOHN NICHOLAS SNYDER ANSWERS FINAL CALL - Passes Away Yesterday Morning at Ripe Age of 85 years - Funeral Tomorrow Morning
John Nicholas Snyder passed away early yesterday morning, following an illness of small duration, he being 85 years 3 months and 3 days of age, and having been a resident of this city for some time. He leaves a wide circle of friends who grieved to learn of his passing.
The deceased was born in Bavaria, Germany in 1836, coming to this country with his parents in 1838, the family locating at Jefferson City, Missouri, then one of the frontier towns. At that place, in March, 1859, he was united in marriage to Barbara Krueger, the home being in Missouri throughout the Civil War, in which Mr. Snyder served actively for three years, bravely and with honor.
In 1871 the family moved to Oakland, Nebraska where they resided until 1891when they removed to Broken Bow, which was their home until moving to Scottsbluff. Seven children were born to the union, five of these together
with their faithful wives survive to morn the loss of losing husband and father. They are Peter, Jefferson City, Mo., John A. of Oconto, Nebr., Mrs. Margaret Uehling, of Uehling, Nebr., Andrew M. of Corvallis, Ore., and Conrad B. of Scottsbluff, all the children being here except Peter.The funeral services will be held in the Methodist church at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, Rev. Fintel officiating. Mr. Snyder and wife have been members of the Methodist church for the past 23 years.
IGI has temple ordinances as Baptism--21 Jul 1978, IFALL, and Endowment as 27 Jul 1978, IFALL. Strange, as we did his work for him on the dates shown under LDS Ordinance Data.
Carolyn Snyder Downey's grandmother (Della Slates Snyder) wrote the following. Carolyn has the information in Della's handwriting.
"Barbara and John Snyder lived about 12 miles from Jefferson City for about 14 years. Then they moved to a farm soutwest of Oakland, Nebraska, where they lived about 10 years. It is near this farm home in a little rural cemetery that Barbara's father, Bartholomus Krueger, is buried. This is on the tombstone: Bartholomus Krueger died August 20, 1881, age 65 years. This is Conrad's mother's father.
"Bartholomus Krueger and wife, Mary Dingle, came from Germany, spending six weeks on the ocean. They settled at Jefferson City, Missouri. They had four children: Adam, Barbara, John, and Maggie. In
25. Barbara Krueger
Copied from the Scottsbluff Star-Herald Newspaper, Scottsbluff, Nebraska by
Carolyn Snyder Downey, June 8, 1971.WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1929
MRS. JOHN SNYDER CLAIMED BY DEATH WHILE SHE SLEEPS
Infermities of old age bring on death for prominent Scottsbluff lady.
Mrs. Barbara Krueger Snyder, mother of Conrad B. Snyder, and wife of John B.
Snyder, deceased, passed away quietly Monday evening at her home 1820 Sixth
Ave. Death came as she slept and was not discovered until yesterday morning.
She had attained the age of 86 years and old age was attributed as the cause of her death.With her husband she had come to Scottsbluff in June, 1916, and for the past 13 years had made her home in this city. Her husband, John N. Snyder, G. A. R. veteran, preceded her in death in 1922 and was buried at Fairview cemetery
beside whose remains she will be laid. Funeral arrangements have not been
completed pending word from her children.A friend to a host of Scottsbluff people, and a faithful member of the
Methodist church, her passing will be learned with sorrow. The sympathy of
all is extended the bereaved ones.The deceased was born in Cole County, near Jefferson City, Mo., May 2, 1843
and died at the age of 86 years, five months and five days. She was united in marriage in May 1859, seven children being born to the union, two of whom
preceded their parents in death.Surviving are four sons and one daughter: Conrad B, Snyder of Scottsbluff,
Peter of Jefferson City, Mo., Andrew M. of Corvallis, Ore., Johnl A. of Oconto, Nebraska; and Mrs Margaret Uehling, of Uehling, Nebr.
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TO HOLD FUNERAL FOR MRS. J. N. SNYDER AT 3:30 THIS AFTERNOONFuneral services for Mrs. John N. Snyder, mother of Conrad B. Snyder, who
passed away Monday evening at her home in this city, will be held this
afternoon at 3:30 from the First Methodist Church in charge of Rev. Roy N.
Spooner. Interment will be made at Fairview cemetery.Pallbearers will be: George L. Wilcox, Beach Coleman, J. C. McCreary, Harvey
Sams, J. B. Runyon and Claude Westervelt.
According to Gillette Slates (granddaughter-in-law) John went to Thermopolis, Wyoming, where he lived until just shortly before he died. He then returned to Scottsbluff.
According to Melvern Slates, he was born 15 June 1858.
27. Angeline Amos
TEMPLE DATA TAKEN FROM THE IGI, 11 MAY 1995 INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING:
B: 13 SEP 1985 LANGE
E: 16 OCT 1985 LANGE
SP: 23 NOV 1985 LANGE
28. John M. Crider
My records showed death date of 6 Feb 1906; Ancestral File showed 16 Feb.
According to Paul E. Larkam:
Moved as a small boy to Indianapolis, Indiana, by covered wagon. Later worked for 17 cents a day gathering corn. Joined Union Army at Laffeth, Indiana, Jan. 13. 1864 and served until the end of Civil War (1865). Was discharged from army, followed his mother and sister to Missouri and arrived May 2, 1866. Lived about six miles east of Oregon, Missouri, near the Norvell home for about two years. He started school under Prof. Cummins at Oregon, Missouri with second reader and learned fast. Went about two years. He met his future wife for the first time while sitting ujp all night over the corpse of a neighbor. Sarah Dunkle Norvell was the other party to be asked to sit up with the same corpse. (Often wonder if someone was not playing cupid.)
Sarah noted how still and soldier like he was. Horace in turn noted how fair complected she was and soon thought she was the best looking girl he ever knew. He fell in love almost at once. It wasn't long before he asked to let him see her home after church. She replied, "Ask father." So, he got permission from Uncle Jackie Norvell.
Source of information is from the following:
Tombstones in Maitland, Holt, Missouri, cemetery.
Norvell Family Ancestors Chart for James & Patrick Norvell
which was received by Carolyn Ruth Snyder Downey on October 13, 1993.Don & Alice Norvell
11825-21st Avenue S.W.
Seattle, WA 98146 Phone No. (206)244-2470The letter written October 11, 1993 by Don & Alice Norvell to
Mr. & Mrs. James C. Downey of Rexburg, Idaho reads as follows:I was so glad to make contact with you last night and enjoyed our conversation.
I am attaching a copy of my ancestors chart and I have taken the liberty to
start an ancestors chart based on the information I now have on your family.
If you would send me your family group sheets for the families shown on this
chart I would like to complete it and I will send you a copy of it.I am going to send your information to the people in Calif. that requested me
to try and locate you and see if you knew where the Family Bible that was
referred to in Mildred Ruth [CRIDER] Snyder 1938 DAR application (#321593) was
located. Their name and address is:
Philo & Sue Lund
68 Milland Dr.
Mill Valley, CA 94941 Phone No. (415)381-0820They may contact you or if you locate the Bible you can let them or me know.
Thanks for you consideration in this matter and I will look forward to meeting
you all in the near future. Sincerely Don NorvellTemple ordinances have been done two different times in two different temples,
according to IGI records. Downeys did it in the IFAlls temple 1978; someone
else did it in the SLake temple 1986. Mildred Crider Snyder has Sarah Dunkly
Norvell; others state Dunkle.September 12, 1996
Received sheets from Richard Larkam and according to his records, Sarah Dunkle Norvell was born 10 Jun 1847 and died 17 July 1927 and married Horace Greeley Larkam October 8, 1868.
IGI records show Sealed to Spouse also done in Salt Lake Temple, 7 Jan 1986.