David Mooseman and the Merkley family

While doing some Merkley research, I came across these two photos:

David Mooseman photo (front and back)
Front label: "Cheese to Mrs. Merkley"
Back transcribed: "David Mooseman, Announced over Radio,
Argomist, War with Isabrand, Marrie(d) F C Powell,
Work at Pentagon, Graduated AC Logan"
Found in the personal albums of Sarah Nielsen

"David Moseman- not a brother but raised by Merkleys"
From the personal albums of Sarah Nielsen

I then came across the 1920 census that mentioned him too!  Now I was getting curious...

SOURCE: familysearch.org
Page cropped and highlighted by me

Listed with the Nelson Jr and Keturah Merkley family is a "David E Moseman".  A hired man, aged 24 (so about the same age as Asher's sister, Mary, and about 3-4 years older than Asher), from Utah, engaged in farm labor.  He doesn't show up on any other census related to the Merkleys.  Hmm...

So I started some more investigating based on the scrawled out pencil notes from the back of the first photo, and found out the following clues on him.

WWI military card:

SOURCE: ancestry.com
(More particular source info on bottom of image)

WWI registration card:

SOURCE: ancestry.com
(More particular source info on bottom of image)

These two cards have his name spelled out as "David D Moosman" and indicate that he was born in Escalante, UT, that he served abroad in WWI when he was 22 years old (but towards the end of the war), was unmarried, and that he was self-employed in farming in Uintah County.  They also give more particulars about his wartime experience, but don't mention much about his service with Isabrand (... Isabrand being the future husband to Asher's sister, Mary.)


Local newspaper article:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1920, May 21, p.1

The second paragraph mentions David Moseman's name as one involved in the newly organized Dairy Association for the Ashley Valley.

Marriage record information:

SOURCE: ancestry.com/ Western State Marriage Record Index

I'm terribly lazy and just took a screenshot of the information instead of scouting out an actual copy of the document.  But all the pertinent information is here: He's a "Jr", he married an "Efcy Irene Powell" in Logan, UT on 1 Jun 1923.

College Yearbook:

SOURCE: "Buzzer" USU yearbook, 1925, p 43
Utah State Archives, SLC, UT
Senior page with photos and listed names

Closeup:

SOURCE: "Buzzer" USU yearbook, 1925, p 43
Utah State Archives, SLC, UT
David Mooseman photo closeup

He did in fact go to Agricultural College in Logan (now known as Utah State University), as can be seen in the following photos.  This page tells us he was a senior at USU in 1925, from Vernal, Utah.  Emphasizing in "Dairying" and a member of Phi Kappa Phi.

Phi Kappa Phi page:

SOURCE: "Buzzer" USU yearbook, 1925, p?
Utah State Archives, SLC, UT

This is the Phi Kappa Phi page, with David Mooseman on the top center.

Sorry the quality is so bad- the Archives department wouldn't let me scan anything- only fuzzy photos.  :(

Photo closeup:

SOURCE: "Buzzer" USU yearbook, 1925, p?
Utah State Archives, SLC, UT

Apparently sometime after graduating, David and his wife moved to Northern California, as he is listed in various phone directories:

SOURCE: ancestry.com
(More particular source info on bottom of image)
This is just one of many.  More listings can be found at ancestry.com

1930 Census:

SOURCE: ancestry.com
(More particular source info on bottom of image)

This census informs us that David and Efcy have a growing family with them, that they're renting, we know Efcy's parents are English, and we have more info on his job description at the time.

1940 Census:

SOURCE: ancestry.com
(More particular source info on bottom of image)

The 1940 census shows that he's stabilized a bit more with his job, owns a house, and now has 3 children in the family.  The ages of the kids indicate that they moved to CA when kid #2 was a toddler.

Although they lived in California, they still made it a priority to get back home to Utah to visit friends and family:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1940, Aug 1, p.4

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1945, July 5, p.1

1945 is the last I can find record of him, so all the "announced over radio" and "worked at the Pentagon" business I couldn't find much on.

The Social Security Death index indicates that David died on 27 Jun 1982 in California, likely around the Berkeley, Alameda area.  I don't have anything tangible to back that up with other than that, but if I come across something in the future, I'll post it there. OR, if anyone out there has more to add to this story I'm happy to update as the information comes.  :)

Photos of Siney Jr, Frank, and Charlie

Birda had three older brothers: Siney Jr, Frank, and Charlie.

The following are a handful of photos of them together, from the personal albums of Dallas Workman, unless otherwise indicated.

"Frank standing, Charlie sitting"
From personal albums of Patty Stewart

"Lewis men- BACK Charles, Siney Sr
FRONT Siney Jr, Franklin"

"Frank, Charles, and Siney Lewis Jr"

"Siney Jr, Charles, and Frank- taken in 1955"

"Siney Jr, Charles, Frank"
From personal albums of Bryce Merkley
(sorry about the quality- it was a xeroxed photo I scanned...)

Merkley Homestead

Asher Merkley grew up on his family's homestead in Vernal, UT.

Many photos exist at varying times of this property, including those that follow here.

They are from the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak unless otherwise stated.

This house was likely built in two phases, as was customary for frontier living.
The image directly below is your basic two-room home: a public room for entertaining (i.e. a living room) and a private room (the family bedroom), and when time and expenses allowed, the house was usually added onto in the back (with an indoor kitchen, bedrooms, and eventually an indoor bathroom.)
In THIS case, the addition portion became the front of the house over time, which is why this first photo does not match the other shots of the homestead that follow it.

"Merkley farm homestead-
Nelson Sr seated far left, Nelson Jr seated on right of door"
Very likely Keturah and their oldest children surrounding Nelson Jr
(kids are likely baby Helen, Ellis, and Ezra)
Other people are likely descendants of Nelson Sr who lived nearby

"Merkley homestead- likely: Nelson Jr, Ezra, Helen, Ellis, Keturah holding Mary?"
From personal albums of Delores Horton

"Merkley homestead"
From personal albums of Lois Chatfield
Little girls unknown, but likely family?

"Merkley homestead"

"Merkley homestead backyard and granary-
Keturah coming out of shed"

"Asher and his dog- 1916"

"Nelson Merkley Jr homestead"
Pretty sure that's Margret (Asher's sister) on the right
and likely Helen or Mary on the left.

"Debris from tree that was 35 years old-
Merkley homestead- taken by Asher"

"Merkley homestead"
From the personal albums of Doug Merkley

"Merkley Homestead"
A painting done by David Ahrnsbrak
Owned by the family of Jane Haugsoen
(Further details are included on the back of the painting,
but I didn't want to include them here for privacy reasons)

"Merkley homestead in 2012"
(From the same perspective as very first photo)
Taken by me on a reconnaissance mission in 2012
With my own son modeling for scale

Leonora L Watkins & Edward W Evans

Leonora Lewis Watkins was Birda's eldest sister.

She married Edward William Evans (of Vernal, UT) on 24 Feb 1904 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Thus, she became Leonora Lewis Watkins Evans.

This was a second marriage for both of them, with death unfortunately claiming Nonie's husband (Alfred Watkins) in 1896 and Will's wife (Louise Burton Evans) in 1902.

Nonie and Will Evans
From personal albums of Bryce Merkley
Cropped and photoshopped together by me.

Marriage licence:

SOURCE: familysearch.org

 No additional news sources of their marriage could be found as the 1904 edition of the "Vernal Express" is missing.  If anything ever materializes, I will post it here.

Click HERE for a link to a story preceding their marriage found in the Vernal Express 6 months before in 1903.

Evans house fire

Lenora L W Evans was Birda's eldest sister.

The following 1903 article was the closest thing I could find in relation to her marriage to Edward William Evans in 1904 (as the 1904 year of the "Vernal Express" is missing.)  Considering the story aspect of it all, I felt it deserved it's own post.

News article:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1903, Aug 29, p.2

News article transcribed:
A Big Blaze
The residence of E.W. Evans was totally destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon together with some furniture, bedding, etc.  The origin of the fire was due to a defective flue and started in the upper part of the building.
The fire was discovered by one of the children from the outside of the building, who ran in and communicated the startling news to Mrs. Lenora Watkins who with the children were the only occupants of the place at the time.  Mrs. Watkins at once started the children for assistance to the neighbors, but the fire had already gained such headway that it was apparent that nothing could be done to save the building.
With commendable nerve Mrs. Watkins and the children rushed about moving what furniture and utensils they were able to handle from the kitchen which was directly underneath the seat of the conflagration.  Several neighbors arrived on the scene and set about the task of removing the furniture from the parlor, the most of which was saved.
All of the winter bedding, clothes, etc, upstairs were lost and the greater part of the kitchen furniture.  At the time the fire was discovered two of the children were bathing in one of the rooms, and they were force to leave minus clothes, shoes, and all, which were destroyed.  A box of clothes which Mr. Evans had recently had made for the children, went with the rest.  Mr. Evans states that he estimates the total loss at $1,500 covered by an insurance policy of $600.
R.S. Collett, agent for the company in which the policy was carried, went down Thursday evening to inspect the ruins in the interest of his company.
*Spelling and punctuation adjusted.


This event happened about 6 months before they married, and as Nonie was watching his kids in his house, it leads me to conclude that she was either being neighborly and this tragic fire united them together more intimately, or that they were fond of each other this far advanced of their marriage and she was practicing a prospective maternal role with his previous family of children when this all went down.

Older Asher and Birda

The following are photos of Asher and Birda in their later years:

"Asher and Birda 1949 Mother's Day"
From personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

"Asher and Birda"
From personal albums of Doug Merkley

"Birda and Asher closeup"
From personal albums of Doug Merkley
(We also get part of their son Bryce's head in this shot)
*This may have been cropped from a larger image...

"Birda and Asher by side of house"
From personal albums of Bryce Merkley

"Asher and Birda by tree"
From personal albums of Bryce Merkley

Birda and Jennie

Birda was the 2nd to youngest in her family, with Jennie being the youngest.  As the tail end of a long line of kids, these two got along famously, and were very dear to each other.

"Jennie and Birda Lewis"
From personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

"Birda Lewis, Jennie Lewis, George Fisher, and unknown-
on way to Dinosaur National Monument, 1916"
From personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

"Jennie and Birda with branches, Feb 1968"
From personal albums of Bryce Merkley

Photos on Margret Merkley Hansen

Margret Merkley Hansen was Asher's youngest sister.

The following are my current compilation of photos pertaining more specifically towards her.

"Margret Merkley standing in background with nieces & nephews,
L-R Sarah & Ward Merkley (sibs), Aird & Harold Merkley (sibs)
Vernal, UT, maybe 1913"
From personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

"Circa 1900- Margret Merkley on left,
girl on right unknown"
From personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

Margret Merkley Hansen
From the personal albums of Lois Chatfield

"Keturah, Margret, and little Ellen"
From the personal albums of Lois Chatfield

"Birthday party for Marg and Aunt Marg, June 10"
From the personal albums of Sarah Nielsen
(Margret is on the far right, white-haired Keturah is in middle holding a baby.
Margret and her niece of the same name apparently shared the same birthdate.)

"Margret Hansen with Daniel*, 1944"
From personal albums of Ellen Fletcher
(*Not quite sure who Daniel is...)

"Margret Hansen in SLC"
From personal albums of Lois Chatfield

p.s. From the people I've talked to in collecting photos, Margret preferred her name spelled "Margret" rather than "Margaret".  Please correct me if I'm wrong...