Lottie Lewis & Allen Hodson

Lottie Lewis was one of Birda's half-sisters.

She married Allen K Hodson* (of Ashley Precinct, UT) on 28 Dec 1898 in Ashley(Vernal?), UT

Thus, she became Lottie Lewis Hodson.

*The name is also commonly found spelled as "Hodgson".

Allen Hodson and Lottie Lewis
Photoshopped together by me
Found in the personal albums of Dallas Workman

 Marriage License:

SOURCE: familysearch.org
Film # 0481100

 Newspaper notice:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1899, Jan 5, p.1

Newspaper notice transcribed:
"One of Millward's young lords carried off one of our young ladies starting last Wednesday on the voyage of life.  The benedict is Heber Carrol and the blushing bride, Miss Lottie Lewis.  We wish them a pleasant journey."

Newspaper correction: 

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1899, Jan 12, p.2

Newspaper correction transcribed:

"Ever since the Express came from press last week Heber Carroll has been endeavoring to coax his wife home, but as Al Hodson had the license and not Carroll, as reported by our Fourth ward correspondent, Heber found his task a hopeless one and concluded to console himself by spending the winter in the Uintah Stake Academy."

1900 Census:

SOURCE: familysearch.org

I include the 1900 census here as it gives interesting clues just a year or two after their marriage.  If the census was taken door-to-door, this implies that on one side of their newlywed nest was Lottie's married half-sister, Annie Carroll, and on the other side was the rest of the Carroll clan, namely Edmund and Ester Carroll- WHO ALSO happened to be the witnesses present who signed on Lottie and Allen's marriage license... interesting little tidbit, yes?

Allen unfortunately died just a few years later in 1904, so it's a miracle to have the little bits of information we do about their nuptials and where they lived during this early timeframe.

Death info on William Lewis

William Harrison Lewis was a half brother to Birda.

He came through Siney Lewis Sr. and his second wife, Elizabeth Blair.

Unfortunately, no known photo of William exists.

:(

According to this document the following dates apply:

BIRTH: 9 Dec 1879- Holladay, Salt Lake, Utah*

DEATH: 3/4 May 1896- Vernal, Uintah, Utah*

He was 16 years old when he died.

Newspaper notice:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1896, May 7, p.4

Newspaper notice transcribed:

"... A young man in Fourth Ward by the name of Lewis 16 years old, died Sunday of typhoid pneumonia..."

The reason I can tie this notice to "Willie" Lewis is due to the following written history that indicates his existence, as well of that of his sister, Lottie:

From the written document, "Memories of my Father, Siney Lewis Sr." written by his daughter, Mary Hatch on 18 Jun 1958, and found in the personal documents of Glen Hatch, there is this indication:

"(p.1)... Shortly after we moved to Midway, Betty died and left two children.  Four other children had died before and Lottie and William were the children she left.  Father brought little Willie to Mother where he lived until his death at 16 years old...

(p.2)... During our first year in Vernal, we lost our dear brother, Willie, at 16 years old.  (He was Betty's son.)  He was never well and strong.  He had what they called inflammatory rheumatism- a very painful thing, and he suffered constantly.  It was then that Father, in his sorrow, wondered if we had done the right thing in moving to Vernal..."

Another document written by Mary Hatch, "My Life" (written 25 Dec 1956) found in the personal albums of Glen Hatch, recalled this detail as well (p.12):

"...The next fall, after we moved to Vernal, we lost Willie at the age of 16.  He never was a healthy child.  I can still see his round, pale face.  I wasn’t old enough to think much about his sickness, but I remember a strange incident at the time of his death.  It was thought that he had passed away.  Father and several others were by his bed when, all of a sudden, he raised up.  He said, “He had been on the other side, that he had seen his mother and Jesus and that he was going to them, that he wasn’t permitted to stay here any longer.”  He said many strange things, then passed away.  As he lay there so still and white, I’d slip around to the back of the sofa that he was on and peek over and watch and think- why did they put money on his eyes, why couldn’t he breathe, etc.  A new experience had come into my life.  I wasn’t too sad.  It isn’t meant that children grieve too much..."

Headstone:

SOURCE: billiongraves.com

Death certificates are not available in Utah until 1904, so unfortunately there is no further paper trail I can find on Willie to this point.  Dang.

*These dates are derived not only from indications in the newspaper, but from the information provided through billiongraves.com (see link in the source info below the headstone image) and family group records.  The only discrepancy is that the newspaper would date his death as May 3, while the billiongraves records and family records state it was May 4.  Birth location was derived from information provided on a family group record, though I haven't been able to find evidence of this elsewhere.  A possible source would be through: LDS Midway Ward #6408, p.62, line 1546.  I will have to confirm this at a later date...

Ellis & Jean Merkley- 60 years together

Ellis Merkley was Asher's older brother.

Ellis and his wife, Jean, celebrated over 60 years of marriage- this post covers that hallmark.

Photos and documents are all from the personal albums of Delores Horton unless otherwise stated.  Articles are not transcribed, but can be read/examined by enlarging the article images.

Jean and Ellis

Anniversary Invitation:

*For some reason this image has decided to become blurry when posted.
For those interested in a better copy, please contact me...

Milestone article:

NO SOURCE- likely Deseret News or Salt Lake Tribune, 1968
Found in the personal albums of Delores Horton

 Anniversary notice:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1968, Jun 27, p.10

"Ellis and Jean in their home, 60 years married"

"Jean and Ellis Merkley- 60th Wedding Anniversary, 1968"

Grandmother Merkley's home

Keturah Merkley was Asher's mother.

The following are photos of her home in later years and the surrounding garden, which many of her grandchildren speak fondly of.

The following excerpt comes from the history of Keturah P Merkley, a written document found in the personal albums of Sarah Nielsen (written by Sarah Nielsen):

"... Nelson died April 18, 1924, in the old home in Ashley Valley.  In a year or two Kate and Ellen moved into town (Vernal) to a home Kate had had built.  They lived there until 1940 when they moved to Heber..."

The following excerpt comes from the written document, "Memories of Birda L Merkley" (p2) written by Bryce Merkley and found in the personal albums of Bryce Merkley, regarding the building of this home:

"... Upon Nelson Jr.'s death, Keturah continued living in her home for a while.  Asher had decided to build a new home for Birda.  They had chosen a location at about 1000 West Main Street.  They had hauled in cobble rock to build a foundation and had logged lumber out of the mountains and had them sawed into "sawed logs" which meant they used solid timber to form the walls for the house.  About this time Nelson Jr. passed away and so the family decided that Asher should take over the farm, the homestead, and the "sawed logs" should be taken to a site at 141 West 1st South in Vernal to build Keturah a new home...."

"Grandmother Merkley's Home, Vernal, Utah"
From the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

"1931"
Back states: "Merkley home in Vernal after grandfather's death"
From the personal albums of Sarah Nielsen

"Grandmother Merkley's Home" (and garden)
From the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

"1933"
Back states: "L-R Dorothy Ann Whitbeck, Carolyn Sander, Kathleen Merkley, June Sander-
in Grandmother Merkley's flower garden"
From the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

"Kate, Ellen, and bunch of kids, 1936"
From the personal albums of Ellen Fletcher

"Sander girls at Diamond Mountain-
Buffy with Carolyn in front, Kathryn with June in front"
From the personal albums of Jane Haugsoen
*Due to the amount of vegetation, I doubt this was taken at Diamond Mtn
but instead taken from Keturah's flower garden.

"LEFT Buffie with Carolyn in front, Kathryn with June in front"
Appears to be on side property of Keutrah's home
From the personal albums of Shannon Andersen

"Keturah's home in Vernal"
From the personal albums of Delores Horton

Georgia L McClelland & Francis J Fuller

Georgia Lewis McClelland was Birda's older sister.

After divorcing her husband, H Linn McClelland, between 1935-1940,

She remarried Francis Joseph Fuller on 7 Jan 1949 in San Francisco, California.

Thus, she became Georgia Lewis McClelland Fuller... at least for a time...

No photos of Georgia and Francis can be procured at this time.

:(

California Marriage Index, 1949-1959:

SOURCE: ancestry.com
Further source info is located in lower highlighted box on image

This union is still a mystery to me as family records and civil records indicate that it did indeed occur, but on Georgia's obituary she is listed as "Georgia McClelland" and on Francis' obituary Georgia is not mentioned, even as a surviving spouse.  It leads me to assume that between 1949 and 1957 (when Francis died) that their marriage ended, and she reverted back to her initially married name.

Dates and reasons are foggy on both divorces for Georgia, and without clarity from surviving descendants it's been difficult to assemble this picture together.  Further investigation into California Marriage/Divorce Records should help clear things up, but until finances or public records become available to sort this out, it will remain a mystery...

Death info on Joseph Francis Fuller

Joseph Francis Fuller was a brother-in-law to Birda.

He married Birda's older sister, Georgia (although they later were divorced.)

No photo for J.F. Fuller

:(

According to these documents the following dates apply:

BIRTH: 22/23 Sept 1889- ,, California*

DEATH: 2 Jan 1957- San Francisco, San Francisco, California

He was 67 years old when he died.

California Death Index:

SOURCE: ancestry.com
(See citations in bottom portion of image)

WWI draft card:

SOURCE: familysearch.org
*Included as it gives a derivative date of birth: 23 Sept 1889

 Obituary:

SOURCE: San Francisco Examiner 1957, Jan 4, Sec III, p.19
Obtained via email through the Magazines & Newspapers Center
of the San Francisco Public Library, request Feb 2014

Obituary transcribed:

FULLER- In San Francisco, Jan 2, 1957.  Francis Joseph Fuller, dearly beloved father of Mrs. Grace M. Eastburn of Mill Valley, Mrs. Dorothy J. Sparrow of Great Falls, Montana, Mrs. Doris Salopek and Frank G. Fuller, both of San Carlos, survived by seven grandchildren; a native of San Franciso, aged 67 years.

Friends are invited to attend funeral services Friday at 2 p.m. at the Crippen & Flynn Chapel, 1414 El Camino Real, Redwood City.  Interment, Alta Mesa Memorial Park.

As he died in California, it will be tricky for me to procure a copy of his death certificate to post here, although it would prove helpful in filling in some gaps.  As Georgia is not mentioned in his obituary (as surviving or preceding him in death) and Georgia's obituary does not list her last name as Fuller (but rather her previously married name of McClelland from her first marriage) it is assumed that although they married in CA in 1949 that the marriage did not last and dissolved sometime before his death in 1957.  I would love some clarity on this, but have not been able to find any yet.... to be continued, I suppose...

Charles and Crystal Lewis- 60th anniversary

Charles P Lewis was one of Birda's older brothers.

The following details Charles' 60 years of marriage to his wife, Crystal.

older Charlie and Crystal Lewis
From the personal albums of Patty Stewart 

Newspaper notice:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1972, Jun 22, p.3
Found also in the personal albums of Dallas Workman

Newspaper notice transcribed:

60th Anniversary Celebrated by Vernal Residents

The children of Charles and Crystal Lewis; Mrs. R.D. (Lenore) Nielson, Ret. Lt. Col. Charles Howard Lewis, and Mrs. Max (Patricia) Stewart, will celebrate their parents' 80th birthdays and 60th wedding anniversary with an open house at the Lewis home, 262 South Second West, June 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. All friends and relatives are invited.  No gifts please.

Birthday/Anniversary party notice:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1972, Jun 29, p.B5
Found in personal albums of Patty Stewart

Birthday/Anniversary party notice transcribed:

109 Guests Attend Birthday-Anniversary Celebration June 24

Mr. And Mrs. Charles P. Lewis celebrated their birthday-anniversary June 24.  They greeted 109 guests.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have worked in public and church works; Mr. Lewis was chorister in Glines Ward and 2nd Ward MIA, was scoutmaster of troop 232 Vernal 2nd Ward for several years when the troop earned the most awards of any troop in Uintah District.  He taught school 37 years, 22 of which were at Uintah High School where he taught art and other subjects.

One year at the University of Utah he was first trumpet in the University band.  He was leader of Uintah High School Band for two years and Vernal band for several years, was president of American Association of Retired Persons for five years and at present is a member of the Council on Aging.

Crystal P. Lewis taught school 15 years, was county librarian six years.  She taught LDS Sunday School 35 years.  She was class leader in both stake and ward Relief Society, taught Primary and MIA in Hawatha for two years.  She has been secretary of Sunday School, MIA, Relief Society and is now secretary of the AARP chapter 368.

She has held many offices in Daughters of Utah Pioneers, both in county and local camp since first organized.  At present, she is historian of Camp Vernal.  She has written about 20 individual histories or biographies of relatives and friends now on file at Salt Lake City Daughters of Utah Pioneers.

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are parents of three children, Lenore Nielson, Charles Howard Lewis and Pat Stewart.  They have 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

*Spelling corrected wherein I was aware.