Happy 100th Birthday Grandma Marian!

Marian - 1st Communion

Marian - 16 Yrs Old

Today, my grandmother would have been 100 years old.  She lived a long and interesting life.  She saw the best of times during her childhood and some of the worst of times during her teenage years. She experienced the trauma of war as a younger mother and worried sister.  Grandma was a young mother, grandmother and great grandmother and unfortunately, a young widow.  She lived in interesting times!

Marian with Elaine, Norma & Pauline

 Helen Marian Gage Johnson was born in a farmhouse in Mapleton, Monona Co., IA on 10 June 1920 to Ora Silas Gage and Florence Christine Shawver.  By that time, her parents owned the farm they lived on in near Mapleton, IA and she had an older brother, Orland who had been born in 1918.  Her brother John Bernard followed in 1922, then Elaine, Pauline, Norma, Don, Byron, Duane and Gary.  She was the oldest sister amongst a family of ten children and she took that role very much to heart.  Grandma talked often of those younger years.  She often said that she squabbled more with Orland but Bernard or Bun as the family called him was her playmate and there were a lot of wonderful memories of playing around the farm.  Of course, there were chores, but I expect to Grandma Marian, that was merely a part of life.  There was a point as the younger siblings came along that her mother gave her charge of one of the younger ones…for Grandma that was Don.  Grandma told me of her learning to take care of her baby brother and I think that she loved all of her siblings, but she always had an extra soft spot for Don as he did for her.  Grandma talked about those younger years where she talked about having the privileges of parents who had a comfortable life.  She had store bought dresses and pretty things and her childhood was without care.  That changed after the depression hit. By 1932, her parents had to make a hard choice.  They weren’t able to make enough money to make the mortgage payment.  Rather than take the chance of having the property foreclosed on and causing a financial loss for their friends, Ora and Florence signed the land over to Lou Brenner and shipped their things to South Dakota and took the trip north to the unknown in Philip, SD.

Florence with Norma, Elaine, Pauline & Marian

Marian - 1 Yr Old

On paper, I am sure that the rental property looked like a decent opportunity.  There was enough land to raise crops and a house.  However, what looked like good land from Mapleton, Iowa was not good land in Philip, South Dakota.  Philip is located near the Badlands and was probably very poor farmland in the best of times, 1933 was not the best of times.  It was especially important to Grandma Florence that her children continue their schooling.  It was a hardship!   During that winter, Orland and Bun spent time in the cellar cutting seed potatoes for planting and soon after both boys became terribly sick with pneumonia.  While Bun recovered, Orland got much worse.  He ended up with severe pleurisy and abscesses in his lungs.  His parents were told at one point that he would not make it through the night.  Orland had been about 160 pounds and was down to 120 pounds and had lost all his hair.  The younger boys had problems with whooping cough and croup.  Nothing seemed to go well nor was it getting any better.  Once again, the family took off for “greener” pastures.

Loggie that Family lived in up on Hatter Creek

Chicken Coop made into a house in North Dakota

When I think of traveling across Montana in November with six children in a Model T, it boggles my mind.  Grandma Marian remembered it as being one of the happier times of her childhood.  They stopped at her Uncle George’s near Jordan, MT and they spent Thanksgiving there.  I have been to the Shawver ranch in Montana and I am not sure how they made it there.  When I was there, it rained and the trip out to the ranch was almost cancelled because of the road being washed out, and that was in August.  However, Grandma remembered the trip as riding horses with her cousins, going to dances at the neighbors and having fun!  When they left Jordan to head to Idaho, I suspect that Grandma Marian left the last of her childhood behind.  This was the early winter of 1934 and as a 14-year-old and oldest sister, I am sure she felt a lot of responsibility.  As they traveled across Montana, Bernard remembered stopping and building a fire so Grandma Florence could make meals.  The meals always involved eggs…as that is what they had (from Uncle George’s ranch).  They made it to Dover, ID and the family was in a rental while Granddad Gage scoped around with some neighbors (Harve Hespen and Louis Becker) and Orland was finally able to return to the family in early February.  By late spring, Grandad Gage had bought some land on what we know today as Hatter Creek near Princeton, ID.  Within a short time, they built what the family referred to as the “loggie”.  Schooling was still very important and between working for a local family to take care of children and boarding at the Ursaline Academy in Moscow, ID, Grandma Marian wasn’t home too much.  She was trying to do her best to help with expenses in the family.  Because of illness and moving…the oldest three Gage siblings all graduated in 1939 from Potlatch High School.  Bernard was amongst the youngest in the class with Orland and Grandma likely the oldest.  

Marian & Frank - 1939

It was a short time after graduation when Grandma met Frank Johnson…a friend of a boyfriend who had come up to Idaho after serving in the CCC’s (Civilian Conservation Corps).  One thing led to another and they were engaged in July (at the birth of her youngest brother, Gary) and married in October.  Soon after, the young couple headed to North Dakota which is where Grandpa Frank was from.  My Dad arrived in July of 1940, Shirley in October 1941, and Anne in November 1942.  Life was harder in North Dakota.  As a young wife, she struggled to take care of her father-in-law and sister-in-law.  Grandpa Frank worked whatever job that he could get, sometimes working as many as 4 jobs.  They bought a chicken coop and made a home with two rooms.  When work was tough to get, they were living on $ 17 a month of social security that her father-in-law received.  Grandma found it was cheaper to buy syrup for sugar than actual sugar.

I am not sure if she was just fed up…or missing home terribly but in January of 1943, her parents bought her a train ticket and she went back to Hatter Creek for a visit with her two toddlers and colicky baby.  Knowing my grandmother, she had decided that the family needed to move to Idaho where there were jobs to be had.  It was the first time that my great grandparents saw their oldest three grandchildren.  I am sure it was quite an occasion.  Grandpa Frank could not convince his father to come west, but within a few months, he joined them in Idaho.  

In the next few years, the young couple bought the old Hatter Creek school and made a home out of it and two more daughters arrived in the family, Mary Kay in 1944 and Frances in 1946.  Grandma Marian had 5 children within six years.  In 1952, they bought the old farm up on Mountain Home (north of Potlatch) and raised their family.  Life was never easy and there were always monetary challenges as well as family stress.  After their children were out of the house, they moved to Oregon City, OR for a new start and later moved to Canby, OR.  Grandpa Frank never had very good health and he died in 1975.  Soon after, Grandma Marian’s parents, Ora and Florence moved to Canby, OR.  I am not sure who was helping who at this point, but I know that the support was important.  Between work and taking care of her family, life was busy and fulfilling for Grandma Marian.  After the death of her parents in 1990 and 1991, life began to change.  Grandma Marian helped where she could but the family near her was working and involved in their own busy lives.  By that point, her oldest three were all retired and urging her to move back to Idaho. So in 2001, Grandma Marian moved to Idaho and began another chapter.  

Mother's Day - 2011

Grandma Marian was an intensely curious and intelligent worman.  In her youth, there were few opportunities to further her eduation.  After her move to Lewiston, ID, she embraced learning to use the computer, scanning and emailing relatives and friends.  She joined my Mom and I in our efforts at genealogical research and shared her stories and memories.  Grandma enjoyed being around her brothers and getting to know many of her Shawver cousins who lived nearby.  It was wonderful for us (the families of the Gene, Shirley & Anne) to have the opportunity to spend the time with her.  We had a wonderful 90th birthday party for her and I think she was flabbergasted at the fact that we had 150 people who came.  All of her siblings were there, her children, most of her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Cousins from Montana, neices and nephews as well as her last surviving aunt.  It was a wonderful celebration that she thoroughly enjoyed.  Grandma Marian made it to one last reunion the next year.  It is a fond memory that at the dinner table at our house a few days before, she argued with her brother for almost 30 minutes about the name of some teacher they had back in South Dakota.  I suspect that she is up there arguing with him again as he recently passed away after his 100th birthday.  I miss her but am so glad that I had the opportunity to truly know her and feel as I didn't leave anything unsaid.  We love her and miss her....but am sure she is happy with her family up above and looking over us always!  Here are a few favorite photos!

Marian with siblings - 2010

Marian with children and spouses

Marian

Marian with Ora and Orland

Marian with great grandchildren - 2000

 

Goodbye Uncle Orland!

Orland with Marian - abt 1920

We lost Uncle Orland last week.  Ever since I have been trying to verbalize my thoughts.  Orland lived a long and full life and at a 100 years age had experienced much of what life has to offer.  We were unusually close, partly because he was my godfather and my parents always had a close relationship.  We became closer when Orland started using a computer because I was his tech support…it has been a few years since I got a phone call and heard his voice saying “Carm, I got a problem!

Back Left:  Don, Duane, Byron, Pauline, Marian, Orland, Bernard
Front Left:  Norma, Florence, Ora & Elaine - 65th Wedding Anniversary of Florence & Ora - 1983

Orland was the oldest of ten children.  You might say that he took that role seriously as being the oldest brother and son to my great grandparents.  He was born in Mapleton, IA and lived there on the family farm until he was 14 years old.  Orland spent a lot of time working with his grandfather (George Christian Shawver) as well as his own father.  That time was precious to Orland and those memories were some he treasured his entire life. 

My Baptism - 1967 - Orland & Patti

My close connection with Orland goes back to my baptism.  Orland and his daughter Patti were my godparents.  I always received cards and gifts from Orland and Patti and they have been both been a treasured part of my life.  In the late 90’s Orland discovered the computer and utilized both my Mom and I as tech support.  I spent many hours with him showing him how to scan photos, work with Excel, use Word and anything else that came to mind.  In fact, I spent a lot of time with both Orland and my grandmother, Marian doing the same type of activities.  When I hear someone tell me that they are too old to work with computers, I know better because Orland and Grandma proved otherwise.  I also heard a lot of stories about his childhood and life.  There were many times during my research that I have had a question and was able to ask both Orland and my grandmother for information.  After my grandmother moved back to Idaho in 2001, it was so much fun to listen to the two of them visit and squabble like the siblings they were.  Mom and I even had to make arrangements when we were both gone on a vacation in 2004.  We told Orland that if he had an issue, he was to call my brother.  We also warned my brother that a call might be coming.  Sure enough, Orland had to call Bub…I remember seeing my nephew chatting with someone on the computer when he was about 10.  I found out that it was Orland.  Alex complained that his typing was really slow and I told him to give him a break – the last time he had a typing class was probably when graduated from high school in 1939.

I have been so lucky to have had a very close relationship with my great uncle.  We became friends as well as family.  I was so lucky to hear many stories that I am sure that I will use in my blogs to come.  I am going to do my best not to mourn his loss.  He lived a long and healthy life full of friends and family.  Orland was fortunate to grow up in a very close family that remained close until his passing last week.  I know that he had a tremendous amount of respect for his parents.  Orland like to tell the story that after his father died at 98 years of age, there was an unopened package of underwear in his drawer that his mother gave him.  Orland took them home and put them in his drawer unopened.  He said that “he still wasn’t man enough to wear his father’s underwear!”  When Orland came home from World War II or Korea (I don’t remember which one)  he bought his mother a rose.  That rose was moved every time my great grandparents moved which was several times.  After they passed, Orland moved the rose to his yard in a place of honor.  The last time I visited with Orland for any period of time was at his 100^th birthday party.  I showed him some pictures from negatives that included a photo of his parents.  Orland had the sweetest smile on his face, remembering his parents.

Orland's 100th birthday - Carmen & Eugene Johnson
pictured with Orland - 2018

So our family and his friends are going to say goodbye to Orland in a few days.  Some won’t be able to be there but everyone will miss him at the family reunions and all the other family occasions that we have had through the years.  When you look at his lifespan it is pretty remarkable.  Orland’s parents were born in the 1890’s, grandparents in the 1850’s and 1860’s and he knew his great grandmother who was born in 1844.  Orland was born in 1918 and he had several great, great, great nieces and nephews and some of them are old enough to remember him.  He leaves behind his daughter and grandchildren and a whole lot more whose lives he touched in so many ways.  Orland was the last living World War II veteran in our family and truly was a member of the “Greatest Generation!”  

Orland with brothers Duane (left) & Byron (right) at National Guard Reunion

Orland holding Patti and Eileen & Mike - 1949

Bernard & Orland - Returning from WWII

Gravestone Pics - George William Shawver & Elizabeth Matilda Legg

My great great grandfather moved to Iowa and later Nebraska in the late 1800's.  He likely wasn't there when his parents both died in 1900.  When he visited West Virginia in 1930, he took this photo of his parent's gravestone and it is in a photo album of photos taken during that trip back to West Virginia.

Neither one of these photos is all that cheerful.  I suspect that no one likes to see a picture of a gravestone unless you are interested in genealogy.  However, if you are interested in genealogy, there are two things missing as far as I am concerned.  Those two things are the maiden name of the woman and full dates on the gravestone.  Doesn't seem that important to most...but sometimes it is very difficult to figure out what the maiden name is for a particular ancestor.  Perhaps there wasn't a marriage record available, or no one had a Bible record.  It makes it so much easier to have the maiden name already on the stone.  This caused quite a discussion for my mother and I many years ago.  We decided that women should always have their maiden name on their gravestones because it not only acknowledges the family they were born into but also their own family history.  Plus it would make it so much easier on later generations.  So, when my mother passed away - her maiden name was on her gravestone.

This couple would be my 3rd great grandparents.  The handwriting on the photo is from my great grandmother, Florence Shawver Gage.  The typewritten description also comes from her.  She decided to redo some of her photo albums once upon a time, taught herself to type and typed up the descriptions.  You might call her an early "scrapbooker!"

George William Shawver was born 15 Nov 1824 at Mill Creek Mountain, Greenbrier Co., WV (It was still VA when he was born) and he died 9 Mar 1900 in Prosperity, Raleigh Co., WV.  He was married to Elizabeth Matilda Legg on 02 Nov 1848 in Fayette Co., WV (VA).  She was born 16 May 1830 in Leander, Fayette Co., VA (WV) and she died just a few weeks before her husband on 12 Feb 1900 in Prosperity, Raleigh Co., WV.  He was the son of Robert Shawver and Mary Jane Callison and she was the daughter of Thomas Henderson Legg and Elizabeth Nutter.

I don't know when the photo was taken, but I suspect it was around 1890 or so.  My younger relations have commented that he looks friendly enough but she looks rather sour.  Have to remind the younger generations that she probably didn't have many teeth left...and they probably had to sit there for a few minutes to take a photo.  She couldn't really hide behind the beard!

Ancestral Characters...

I enjoy watching programs like “Who Do You Think You Are” and Henry Louis Gates series “Finding Your Roots!”  I was bitten by the genealogy bug many years ago….probably even when I was a child because I loved listening to the stories of my grandparents and various other relatives.  The guests find that their family mysteries are seemingly solved with a short TV episode, although I must say they are missing out on all of the fun.

Genealogy is a journey!  There are a lot of interesting stops along the way, but always something new on the horizon.  There are even walls that may take years to tear down if ever.  Every few years there seems to be some new tools to add to the treasure chest.  Like those programs, I am picking and choosing some “interesting ancestors.”  My great great grandfather who had 17 children.  He was married to one sister, ran off with another sister and after she died, married a “widow” who turned out to be a divorcee.  In the early 1900’s, this was somewhat of a scandal.  Here are the blogs I wrote about George Christian Shawver:

George Christian Shawver - 1st Family

George Christian Shawver - 2nd Family

George Christian Shawver - 3rd Family

My 10th great grandfather has all of the credentials of a hero and significant figure in history.  He was the first man to navigate Boston harbor.  That probably doesn’t sound all that important to today’s generations but to someone in 1630 it was significant.  Ships could navigate in a safe passage in and out of Boston, which could arguably be called one of the most important cities in Colonial America.  He really was one of the more important people of his generation.

John Gallop - 10th Great Grandfather

John Gallop - The rest of the story

I have Mayflower ancestors that came on that first ship. Elizabeth Tilley was a teenager whose parents died during that first winter and she ended up marrying one the two bachelors who made the trip, namely John Howland.  There are a lot descendants who can claim ancestry to John Howland and Elizabeth Tilley.  (Mayflower Ancestry - Part 1)

Then there is John Billington.  He was considered to be the troublemaker of the group causing constant tension among the passengers.  His two boys nearly blew up the ship during the journey playing with flint around gun powder.  John Billington also turned out to be the first man hung for murder in the new world.  (Mayflower Ancestry - Part 2)

William White was one of the nearly ⅓ of the passengers who died that first winter.  There is a lot to be admired anyone who undertook the journey on the Mayflower.  These people didn’t know what they would face and took the hazardous trip to be able to practice their religious beliefs without the interference of a government.  William White’s wife, Susanna ended up marrying the first governor of the colony, Edward Winslow..who turns out to be my 9th great grandfather’s older brother.  (Mayflower Ancestry - Part 3)  Kenelm was quite an interesting fellow as well…(Coffin Make in New England)

My father’s great grandfather (Washington Abraham Johnson) was a 1st cousin to Pres. Andrew Johnson which is interesting enough.  However, his younger brother Nicholas Johnson was interesting in his own way.  If you talk to his family members, Nicholas disappeared after the Civil War and ran off to California abandoning his wife and children as well as aged father.  I am not sure I will ever find what happened  to him. (Nicholas Johnson - Man of Mystery)

There are a lot more characters in my ancestry.  I had ancestors who were among the first settlers here and as far as I can find, I don’t have an ancestor who arrived any later than 1810.  I have been very lucky, I have known 3 great grandmothers, 2 grandmothers, 2 grandfathers, and a great grandfather.  Every one of these people have made me who I am.  I am not like most of those celebrities in those TV shows because I do know a lot about my history.  When I began doing research more formally, I did it with my mother. Mom was my best resource for stories about her family and many years ago she took the initiative on long ago conversation with her father in law to give us a great starting point on his family. We lost Mom back in 2005 - I know she is breaking down all those brick walls...sure wish she could tell me what she has learned. This is my favorite picture of my Mom...in her signature red, her favorite color.

Revisiting Rebecca Jane Pitsenbarger

My 2nd great grandmother died 112 years ago in 1904.  My great grandmother was only 7 years old when she died...Grandma Florence was one of 5 children who lost their mother to tuberculosis.  Since, I have never been able to get a death certificate because they weren't available at that time, I have never been absolutely positive that it was tuberculosis or pneumonia.  Either way, I know that she died quickly at the age of 34 years of age.  There has always been a little bit of mystery about Frankie.  She was born Rebecca Jane Pitsenbarger on 28 Jan 1870 in Shawverville, WV.  She was the daughter of William Pitsenbarger and Mary Amick, the youngest of nine children.

All I knew for a long time was her name and a bit about her siblings.  There was some note that she had married a Moffat but nothing more than that.  For the past several years, I have thought that this Moffat might have been a just a story.  There was a mention in Grandma's notes and one in Uncle George's notes (her older brother.)  There was so much that we tried to piece together.  My Mom and I worked on the trying to figure out all of the characters in the story and I continued after she died. There has been bits of pieces that have come to surface that I could research on my computer on the internet.   It turned out that Frankie's parents were actually first cousins.  There was something that always stuck in my mind - wondering what the connection was.  William Pitsenbarger's mother's name was Elizabeth Amick (m. Peter Pitsenbarger)  and his wife's name was Mary "Polly" Amick.  At the time, I didn't think that was that common of a name.  Now I know better.  It turned out that Mary Amick was the daughter of Jacob Amick and Rachel Shroyer and it turned out that Jacob and Elizabeth Amick were siblings.  They were the children of Henry Amick and Elizabeth Barbara Niemand.  It was a discovery for me that that particular branch of my family tree didn't branch as much as I would have liked.  I had earlier figured out that Frankie ran off with her sister's husband.  The story that I had heard was that she had come from West Virginia to help her sister out with her children.  There was the story about the Moffat.  First of all, did he really exist?  Did she marry him in West Virginia or was it in Iowa?  A few weeks ago, I discovered the answer to both of those questions.

Within the past year, Ancestry has added birth and marriage records for Iowa.  Other than census records and some burial records - Iowa had been pretty difficult to research from a distance.  I had gotten some mistaken information in my data file and I was trying to fix the mistakes.  I had Frankie's father as William Delatus Pitsenbarger.  There was a lot of similar information but I had figured out that they were two completely different people.  The Delatus name didn't fit.  So, in the process, I was trying to removed the incorrect information and found a marriage record that listed William Pitsenbarger in Iowa for his daughter, Rebecca Jane Pitsenbarger with a husband listed as William Henry Moffat.

They married on 21 Apr 1889 in Woodbury, Iowa.  So, now I have a different mystery.  What happened to William Henry Moffat...did he die..did he abandon Frankie or did she abandon him?  Sometime between April 1889 and early 1891, Rebecca Jane "Frankie" left with her brother in law for the Tacoma, WA leaving her sister behind with four children and a 5th child on the way.  It turned out the Frankie was also pregnant and she and her sister actually delivered their children one day apart.  I can't seem to be sure that I have been able to find any more info about William Henry Moffat...there are a few records in Canada that could be the same person.  Right now it is impossible to tell...so I have a new mystery to look at.

If you are interested in the whole story about George Christian Shawver and his family check out these three blogs.

George Christian Shawver - 1st family
George Christian Shawver - 2nd family
George Christian Shawver - 3rd family

and here is a bit more info on Frankie - My Pitsenbarger Ancestor.

All of this proves something...it is a good idea to go back and see what information might be new. You never know what you will find out when you revisit the information on one of your ancestors

Genealogy Wanderings - Dountain/Downtain

My great grandmother's family came from West Virginia. Most of her family lines were in West Virginia for all of the 19th century.  There are so many family relationships that sometimes it is easy to lose focus...because once you start looking it is almost like you go into a black hole and forget what your goal was.  This is one of the most complicated family relationships that I have.  I am directly related to Shawver, Nutter, Pitsenbarger, and Amick - and those families are intermarried and there are a lot of other names the fall into the mix like O'Dell

My great grandmother's younger brother was called Dewey Dountain Shawver.  I have many fond memories of him, because he was truly a character.  His son was called Dewey Dountain Shawver, Jr and there is now 4 generations of Dewey Dountain Shawver's.  Our family left West Virginia in the late 19th century - still one has to wonder where the name came from...because it is unusual.  I have found several with the name in the associated families...not sure if one of them is the source of the name.  Here are a few of these Dountain/Downtain cousins.

Isaac "Ike" Dountain Nutter is one of my earliest Dountain's.  He was born 11 Aug 1856 in Nutterville, Greenbriar Co., WV and died 21 May 1935.  His parents were John B. Nutter and Elizabeth Pitsenbarger.  John B. Nutter was the half brother of my 4th great grandmother, Elizabeth Nutter  (m. to Thomas Henderson Legg) and Elizabeth Pitsenbarger was the younger sister of my 3rd great grandfather, William Pitsenbarger.  Isaac Dountain Nutter was married to Mary Etta Walker and they had 5 children.

Levi Dountain Nutter was born March 1866 in Nicholas Co., WV and died 31 Oct 1931 in Nicholas Co., WV.  His parents were Charles W. Nutter and Sarah Pitsenbarger.  Charles Nutter's grandfather was David Nutter - my 5th great grandfather. Sarah Pitsenbarger's grandfather is my 5th great grandfather, Abraham Pitsenbarger.  They had 4 children.

Pascal Dountain Nutter was born 18 Aug 1896 in Greenbrier, WV and died 14 Nov 1955.  He was married to Rebecca May Trout.  His father was Johnson Floyd Nutter whose parents were John B Nutter and Elizabeth Pitsenberger.  (See above) His mother was Elbina Catherine Nutter, who parents were Charles W Nutter and Sarah Pitsenbarger.  They had 14 children including Pascal Dountain Nutter, Jr.

Adam Downtain Bailes was born 13 Sep 1857 in Mt Nebo, Nicholas Co., WV and died 14 Oct 1886 in Nicholas Co., WV.  He was married to Rachel Anna Pitsenbarger who was the sister of my second great grandmother, Rebecca Jane Pitsenbarger.  They had 2 children.

Paschal Downtain Nutter was born May 1861 Greenbrier Co., WV and died 13 Jan 1897 in Greenbrier Co., WV.  He was the son of Levi William Nutter and Margaret Backus.  Paschal is the grandson of my 5th great grandfather David Nutter and his second wife, Christina O'Dell. (I am descended from his first wife, Ruth Cottle.)  He was married to Caroline Richardson and they had 5 children.

Of course then there is my great great uncle, Dewey Dountain Shawver born 25 May 1899 in Decatur, Burt Co., NE and died 18 Oct 1995 in Moscow, Latah Co., ID.  He was the son of George Christian Shawver and Rebecca Jane Pitsenbarger. Dewey was married to Alice Davidson and they had three children, including Dewey Dountain Shawver Jr aka "DeweyD".  

I am not sure where the Dountain/Downtain name came from...but the name is interspersed with the Nutters and Pitsenbargers primarily but it also shows up in the O'Dell family which is closely tied with the Nutter family since David Nutter (my 5th great grandfather) married Christina O'Dell after the death of Ruth Cottle.  David and Ruth had 10 children and then David and his second wife had 7 more children.  Since the name mostly shows up among the descendants of David Nutter with the exception of Adam Downtain Bailes, it makes me think that there must have been local individual who was an important and/or beloved member of the community.  Perhaps someone can tell me who it might be.

If you would like to read more about Dewey Shawver's siblings and parents...check out:

George Christian Shawver - 1st Family

George Christian Shawver - 2nd Family

George Christian Shawver - 3rd Family

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40 Miles From Town

One of my grandmother’s favorite memories was the visit to her Uncle George’s in 1934 as they were traveling to Idaho.  My great grandparents had sent their furniture on a train to Idaho and they were driving their Model T from Philip, SD to Dover, ID. This was a trip that was accomplished in 1934 without paved roads (or interstates) and in a vehicle that had few of the modern conveniences that we enjoy today.  Not only that, they had seven children in the vehicle as well.  So, in November 1934, my great grandparents made a stop at the George Shawver ranch.  The nearest town of any size was Jordan…and it is 40 miles away.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Jordan, MT and the George Shawver ranch (part of a family reunion).  This visit has convinced me that I am glad that my great grandparents went on to Idaho.  Not that it isn’t beautiful country – but it is very different than what I am used to.  We had a wonderful time visiting and meeting various family members.  This reunion was organized to mark the 100^th anniversary of the George and Clara “Midge” Shawver homestead.  One of the activities was to visit the original home place. So, as we traveled the road to ranch, I tried to picture what it must have been like to travel there in 1934 in November near Thanksgiving.  There was a concern that we wouldn’t be able to make the trip because they had a rainfall that morning.  This made me wonder if we were having that problem in the middle of the summer, what occurred in November?

Pictures I took along the drive to the ranch.

Uebra Post Office

They took us to the local post office that served the area.  It was an old cabin that wasn’t in top condition.  We found that the name of the post office was “Uebra!”  It turns out that whomever made the application for the post office had handwriting that was difficult to read…and instead of “Nebra” (for Nebraska) it came out as “Uebra!”  This little post office served about 10 families and the mail came in once a week.  Each family would travel to the post office once a week to get their mail…and in the case of the Shawver family it was about 10 miles on a horse…and for a number of years the postmistress was Clara Bacon Shawver aka “Aunt Midge” and later her daughter in law, Marguerite.

After we had stopped to learn the story of the post office, we moved on to the ranch.  The landscape reminded me of the badlands – lots of sandstone that had been shaped by the wind and rain.  I can understand why there are a lot of fossils found in the region.  We also saw a lot of areas that had hay bales scattered throughout. I asked the question later of how many cuttings of hay they got in a year (near Jordan).  We (Lewiston ID) generally get two and in some areas three cuttings – I was told that they got one cutting.  In land area, the ranch was very large.  I was told that they had 13 – 640 acre plots which equals 8,320 acres.   I know that this was a cattle ranch and I have pictures from my great grandmother of her brother, George, and his Charolais cattle, which I have been told were prize winning cattle.  When George & Midge first moved to the ranch, we were told that they lived in a dugout on the ridge for a few years.  I can understand that it was probably the easiest and most accessible form of shelter, but I certainly have a hard time imagining living in such a place.  They had also built a ranch house after a few years and that has been torn down to make way for a manufactured home.

The comment was made several times “I am glad the grandfolks came to Idaho,” however, I am sure many of my Montana Shawver cousins feel differently.  It is a beautiful landscape and being that remote would be ideal for many people.  It reminds me how different our lives are as Americans.  You have people who live in bustling cities and couldn’t imagine living somewhere so far from civilization and others who live in remote areas and couldn’t imagine living so close to so many people.

Shawver Ranch from above

Uncle Duane in front of the old barn

I remember meeting Uncle George when I was a little girl.  He had come out to Idaho for a celebration of my great grandparent’s 60^th wedding anniversary.  My great grandmother was one of 17 children and she was especially close with the 10 siblings that she grew up with.    I think at that point, only one of them had passed.  I think that it is rather remarkable how many times our families from near and far have gathered for a family reunion.  In our case, we drove the distance to Jordan, MT for the 100^th Anniversary of the homestead for George & Midge Shawver.  It was a little different for me…there were many new faces and I only had an inkling of who many of the cousins were. I am used to knowing nearly everyone at family reunions.  I think that we figured out that we had members from Jessie Shawver Gallup Bacon’s family, Dewey Shawver, Florence Shawver Gage (my line), Harold Shawver and of course many members of George & Midge Shawver’s family. 

My grandmother would have enjoyed this family gathering so much.  It wasn’t hard for me to imagine her sitting there visiting her dear cousin Mary in person instead of email or the phone.  Mary was there for some brief periods and along with her sister, Clara. They are the last surviving children of George Shawver and Clara Bacon.  (Mary has just recently passed away.)  I couldn’t help think of that long ago trip that my great grandparents had made.  It was memorable time where the older children had the chance to go and play…whether it was horseback riding or a few local dances with some of the locals providing the music. 

Full house - when time to eat!

There were probably at least four generations of Shawver family members at that reunion in Jordan, MT.  I missed out on the group picture – had run back to town to get my computer.  (This time it wasn’t on purpose on my part )  There were members who were in their 80’s and even 90’s and young babies and even a pregnant momma.  As someone who spends a great deal of time studying family history, it is a visual tableau of what a family is.  For that special few days – it was a time to share stories and perhaps a few tall tales as well as pictures and a potluck to share a few special recipes.  It was everything that family reunion should be.

The handwritten tree - to try and explain the branches of the family who were present!

A Shawver Photo Album

There is a photograph album in our family coffers that include some photographs taken in 1930 back in West Virginia.  My great great grandfather, George Christian “Chris” Shawver, went back to West Virginia to visit family and some of the old places of his childhood.

Chris Shawver hadn’t been back to West Virginia since before 1890 when he moved west to Iowa.  I am sure if I went back home after being away for forty years, there would be a multitude of changes.  It would be bittersweet to go back – mostly for the people who are no longer there.  His parents had both died in 1900 (George William Shawver b. 15 Nov 1824 d. 9 Mar 1900 & Elizabeth Matilda Legg b. 16 May 1830 d. 12 Feb 1900)  Most of his siblings had either died or moved away.

• Robert Thomas Shawver b. 6 Nov 1849 d. 22 May 1907 m. Annetta T. Morrison
•  Melcena E Shawver b. 1 Apr 1851 d. 22 Dec 1903 m. William H. O’Dell Jr
•  Paul Harvey Shawver b. 14 Mar 1853 d. 2 Mar 1917 m. Mary Copeland King m. Mary Francis Fulcher
• John Morrison Shawver b. 14 Mar 155 d. 25 Nov 1938 m. Elizabeth Medora Boley
• Alvin Shawver b. abt 1855 d. aft 1870
•  Henry William D Shawver b. 6 Dec 1857 d. bef 1900 m Margaret Ellen Stowers
•  Daniel L Shawver b. 6 Mar 1859 d. 20 Oct 1861
•  Melvina Jane O L Shawver b. 25 Feb 1861 d. 20 Nov 1865
•  Ruth Elizabeth Shawver b. 5 Aug 1864 d. 17 Aug 1922 m. Mahlen Albert Mills m. Pleasant G Prater
• George Christian Shawver  (See below for story) b. 6 Aug 1867 d. 13 Apr 1931
• George Christian Shawver – 1^st Family 
• George Christian Shawver – 2^nd Family 
• George Christian Shawver – 3^rd Family

• Felix L A Shawver b. 10 May 1869 d. 19 Oct 1889
• Christina Signora Janet Lilly Shawver b. 10 Aug 1871 d. 11 Jul 1945 m. William Martin Rogers

The only one still alive and living in West Virginia was brother, John Morrison Shawver.  There are a few photographs of John A Shawver’s children (This was labeled by my great grandmother) and a unfortunately distant picture of Chris Shawver with his brother which I imagine is somewhere close to the home place.

One thing that this photo album prompted me to do was try to find out who some of these families were.  Considering that these photos were taken during the depression and in what is probably a very poor part of the country, it is like looking into the past. 

I can remember when my great grandparents used to visit with one of their siblings.  They dragged them around to just about every family who lived nearby….which usually included our house.  I have no idea how many places they would visit before they were finally able to take a break.  I suspect that this trip must have been a similar experience for Chris Shawver.  There are photos taken with the O’Dells,  Hanson's, Witt's, and the Shawver family…

and there are sad pictures of gravestones – of his parents and brothers. 

Sometimes going back isn’t the wonderful experience that we wish it could be!