More Diamond Mountain photos

The following are additional photos of the Diamond Mountain homestead I have not yet posted.

1926- Diamond Mountain Homestead
Isabrand Sander, Margret M Hanson, Asher, Mary M Sander, Birda holding son,
FRONT Virginia Merkley looking at her mother
From the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

Asher and Ray/Roy Merkley, 1929
Diamond Mountain and dog, Six
From the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

1931- Buffie Hatch and Virginia Merkley on Calico
up at Diamond Mountain.
From the personal albums of Tamera Lund

"Asher on the way with sheep to Diamond Mountain,
May 22, 1936"
From the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

Asher with nieces and nephews at Diamond Mountain
(Aird Merkley is recognized on far right)
From the personal albums of Tamera Lund

Homesteading on Diamond Mountain
Sander girls in photo
From the personal albums of Shannon Andersen

"Keturah's Diamond Mountain Cabin"
(Likely grown Sanders girls and Virginia M Hacking, 2nd from right)
From the personal albums of Tamera Lund

Merkley Mother's Day photo

"Mother's Day, 1918"
Keturah, Helen, Margret, Mary kneeling

Nelson Jr & Keturah with group of youth photo

The following is a photo of what appears to be a youth group convened on the property of Nelson Jr and Keturah's home in Vernal, UT.

Most of these are unfortunately unidentified, but it appears to be dated around 1909, based on costume clues and ages of those identified.

Youth gathering at Merkley homestead
From the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

Those that I CAN identify belong to the Merkley family, off on the far right by the tree, and social butterfly Erza Merkley in the very center back row where the white sheet drapes down to the right.

Here's a zoomed in version of those that I can identify:

From the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

BACK: Nelson Merkley Jr

Mary Merkley just in front of him with Keturah Merkley between her and the tree

Margret Merkley in front of them with Asher Merkley next to her and leaning against the tree.

And this is a shot in the dark, but I'd say that fellow directly in front of Margret Merkley with the hat on looks an awful lot like Franklin Lewis, Asher's future brother-in-law.  I might be wrong, but then again he did live in the area and was a youth at that time, comparable in age to Asher's older brother, Ezra.

Family Summary- Nelson Merkley Jr & Keturah Thurman Peterson

The following is a brief summary for the family union of:

Nelson Merkley Jr.

and

Keturah Thurman Peterson

Nelson Merkley Jr.
b. 24 Mar 1857- Carson Valley, Nevada, to Nelson Merkley Sr and Sarah Jane Sanders Merkley
d. 18 Apr 1924- Vernal, Uintah, Utah

Keturah "Kate" Thurman Peterson
b. 8 Oct 1867- Hart Co, Kentucky, to Mary Elizabeth Thurman (and adopted by Peter Peterson)*
d. 2 May 1950- Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Nelson Merkley Jr. married "Kate" Peterson on 9 Jun 1884 in Vernal, Uintah, Utah (later solemnized in the Logan temple in Logan, Cache, Utah in 1889)*


Born to this union were the following:

Ellis Merkley
b. 2 May 1885- Vernal, Uintah, Utah
m. 17 Jun 1908- Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah to Jean Eleanor Gerber
d. 22 Mar 1976- Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Ezra Thurman Merkley
b. 23 Sept 1887- Vernal, Uintah, Utah
m. 15 Nov 1913- Vernal, Uintah, Utah to Alice Hacking
d. 18 Jan 1919- Vernal, Uintah, Utah

Helen Merkley
b. 9 Apr 1890- Vernal, Uintah, Utah
m. 29 Jun 1910- Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah to Byron Owen Colton
d. 22 Oct 1961- Roosevelt, Duchesne, Utah

Milton Merkley
b. 30 Apr 1893- ASSUMED Vernal, Uintah, Utah*
d. 9 May 1893- ASSUMED Vernal, Uintah, Utah*

Sarah Merkley
b. 20 Apr 1894- ASSUMED Vernal, Uintah, Utah*
d. 30 Apr 1894- ASSUMED Vernal, Uintah, Utah*

Mary Elizabeth Merkley
b. 25 Aug 1896- Vernal, Uintah, Utah
m. 6 Sept 1917- Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah to Isabrand Sander Jr.
d. 24 Oct 1974- Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Asher Merkley
b. 19 Jul 1899- Vernal, Uintah, Utah
m. 2 Aug 1920- Vernal, Uintah, Utah to Birda Lewis
d. 14 Feb 1974- Vernal, Uintah, Utah

Margaret Jane Merkley
b. 14 Apr 1902- Vernal, Uintah, Utah
m. 28 Apr 1927- Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah to Rulon Kershaw Hansen
d. 13 Mar 1989- Monroeville City, Allegheny, Pennsylvania (buried in SLC, UT)

Kate Merkley
b. 27 Nov 1907- Vernal, Uintah, Utah
d. 27 Nov 1907- Vernal, Uintah, Utah (stillborn)

Nelson Merkley Jr and Kate P Merkley family
Asher, Margret, Ezra, Mary, Nelson Jr, Kate, Ellis, Helen
From the personal albums of Lois Chatfield

Confirming documents for dates and places on all of these family members can be found within the posts on this blog.

*Visual copies of documentation for these life events have not yet been found.  Dates are based on family histories, newspaper clippings (such as obituaries), and database searches on familysearch.org that all seem to agree on or refer to the same dates and locations.

Rulon and Margret encouraging baby steps

Margret M Hansen was one of Asher's younger sisters.

The following photos is one of my favorites, 

pertaining to her husband Rulon, Margret, and their first baby, Lois.

"Lois on her walk out in the woods, Rulon fears she will fall"
From the personal albums of Ellen Fletcher

Nelson Jr and Keturah Merkley family photos

 The following are a series of photos taken of Asher's parents and their siblings probably around the year 1916.

Nelson Merkley Jr & Keturah Peterson Merkley family
From the personal albums of Lois Chatfield

Enlarged version of photo above
BACK: Asher, Ezra, Nelson Jr, Ellis
FRONT: Margret, Mary, Keturah, Helen
From the personal albums of Lois Chatfield
Also found in albums of Tamera Lund

Nelson & Keturah Merkley extending family
BACK: Ezra & Alice, Ellis, Asher, Jean, Nelson Jr & Keturah, Byron Colton holding Merrill, Helen
FRONT Lorna, Aird, baby Thurman, Harold, Mary Elizabeth Merkley, Ruth Colton standing, Margret Merkley, Lula Colton standing.
From the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak
Also found in albums of Bryce Merkley and Delores Horton

"Ruth Colton, Harold M, Aird M, Thurman M, Lula Colton, Merrill Colton, Lorna Merkley (Ezra's daughter) about 1916"
From the personal albums of Delores Horton

Lula Colton blocking Harold M, Ruth Colton, Aird M with baby Thurman M, Lorna M, Merrill Colton
Grandchildren of Nelson Jr and Keturah Merkley
From the personal albums of Delores Horton

Nelson Merkley Jr and company

Nelson Merkley Jr was Asher's father.

The following are a handful of photos of Nelson Jr in various situations.

"Nelson Jr, Byron Colton with
Merrill Colton in front, Asher Merkley"
From the personal albums of Sarah Nielsen

"Nelson Jr and a steer"
From the personal albums of Sarah Nielsen

"Nelson Merkley Jr in the snow"
From the personal albums of Lois Chatfield,
Also from albums of Delores Horton

"Charlie and Nelson Jr- brothers"
From the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak

"Margret Merkley, little Ellen Murray, Nelson Jr, about 1921"
From the personal albums of David Ahrnsbrak
(This was posted earlier, but I couldn't resist a repost)

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...

Death info on Rulon Hansen

Rulon Kershaw Hansen was Asher's brother-in-law.
He married Asher's younger sister, Margret.

Rulon Hansen
From the personal albums of Becky Stewart

According to these documents the following dates apply:

BIRTH: 20 Dec 1902- Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

DEATH: 3 Sept 1950- Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

He was 47 years old when he died.

Obituary:

SOURCE: Deseret News 1950, Sept 4, p.8A

Obituary transcribed:
Funeral Rites For Broker To Be Held Wednesday
Funeral services for Rulon Kershaw Hansen, 47, 2122 Garfield Ave., Salt Lake City, real estate broker who died Sunday in a Salt Lake City hospital, will be conducted Wednesday at 12:30 p.m., in the Beacon Ward chapel, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2051 Ramona Ave.
Mr. Hansen was born Dec. 20, 1902, in Salt Lake City, a son of Nelson James and Henrietta Kershaw Hansen.  He married Margret Jane Merkley, April 28, 1927, in the Salt Lake Temple.
He received his early education in Salt Lake City, after which he moved to Vernal.  He and his wife made their home in Alamosa, Colo., for several years.
In 1935 Mr. Hansen moved to Farmington, N.M., to become manager of a J.C. Penney store.  Where there he was president of the Chamber of Commerce and Lions Club and at one time was a ward bishop.
In Salt Lake City he has been active in the Park Stake Sunday School superintendency and in the presidency of the high priest group in Beacon Ward.
He has been owner of the Olympus Realty Company for the past four years.
Survivors include his wife and mother, two sons, and a daughter, Ruel Merkley, David Nelson, and Lois Rose Hansen, all of Salt Lake City; five sisters, Mrs. Florence Childs and Mrs. Ruby Jacobsen of Orem, Mrs. Grace Young and Mrs. Evelyn Hansen of Vernal, and Mrs. Norma Gardner of Billings, Mont.
Friends may call at 260 East South Temple St. Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
*Spelling corrected wherein I was aware.

Funeral notice:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1950, Sept 7, p.4

Funeral notice transcribed:
Mr. and Mrs. Kermit Young, Mrs. N.J. Hansen and Mrs. Evelyn Evans attended the funeral services of Rulon Hansen held in the Beacon ward chapel Wednesday in Salt Lake City.

Death Certificate:

SOURCE: Utah State Archives

Photo from the personal albums of Sarah Neilsen
Cropped from a larger photo

Margret Merkley & Rulon Hansen

Margret Jane Merkley was Asher's youngest sister.

She married Rulon Hansen (of Alamosa, CO) in the Salt Lake Temple (Salt Lake City, UT) on 28 April 1927.

Thus, she became Margret Jane Merkley Hansen.

Photo from the personal albums of Ellen Fletcher.

Newspaper notice:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1927, Apr 29, p.8

Newspaper notice transcribed:
Hansen-Merkley
Mrs. Nelson Merkley announces the marriage of her daughter Margret.... J to Rulon Kershaw Hansen of Alamose, Colo, in the Salt Lake Temple, Thursday, April 28.  Mr. Hansen is the son of Mr. and Mrs. N.J. Hansen of Vernal.  The young couple will make their home in Alamosa.  Miss Merkley, for several years, has been a teacher at the Vernal Central school.  Mr. Hansen is an employee of J.C. Penney Co. and was formerly a resident of Vernal where he was in charge of the shoe department of the Ashley Co-op.
*Punctuation adjusted by me, and extra repetitive line omitted.

Marriage License:

SOURCE: familysearch.org

Death info on Margret J. Merkley Hansen

Margret Jane Merkley Hansen was Asher's younger sister.

"Young Margret Merkley"
From personal albums of Delores Horton

According to this document, the following dates apply:

BIRTH: 14 Apr 1902- Vernal, Uintah, Utah

DEATH: 13 Mar 1989- Monroeville City, Allegheny, Pennsylvania*

She was almost 87 years old when she died.

Obituary:

SOURCE: Deseret News 1989, Mar 15-16, p.B5

Obituary transcribed:
Margret Hansen
Margret Jane Merkley Hansen passed away March 13, 1989.
She was born April 14, 1902 in Vernal, a daughter of Nelson and Keturah Petersen Merkley.  Attended Vernal schools, B.Y.U., and Utah State University.  Taught school in Vernal.  Married Rulon Kershaw Hansen in the Salt Lake LDS Temple, April 28, 1927.  Lived in Alamosa, Colorado; Farmington, New Mexico; Clearfield and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Survived by a daughter, Lois Chatfield, Orem; son, David, Murrysville, Pennsylvania; 11 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren, and a sister, Ellen M. Fletcher.  Preceded in death by her husband and one son, Reed*.
Bought Ivanhoe Apartment Building, September 1, 1950, paid for it and ran it until a year before her death.
Funeral services Friday, March 17, 1 p.m., Russon Brothers Mortuary, 255 South Second East.  Salt Lake City, where friends may call Thursday March 16, 6-8 p.m. and Friday, one hour prior to services.
*The name here should be Ruel, not Reed

Funeral program:

From the personal albums of Sarah Neilsen

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

* Family records indicate that she died while staying with her son in Pennsylvania, but she was buried in Utah.