Ellis & Jean postcards

Ellis was Asher's eldest brother.

Ellis Merkley
From the personal albums of Delores Horton, Aug 2012

A few postcards survive between Ellis and his special flame, Jean, when he was serving in the Southern States mission between 1906-1908.  

"Jean Gerber, 1908"
From the personal albums of Delores Horton, Aug 2012

The following are from the personal albums of of Delores Horton, scanned between Sept 2013- April 2014.  Some of the postcards are images of both the front and back of the card, scanned and arranged as a single image.  They have been transcribed below each image to the best of my ability, correcting spelling wherein I was aware.

Heber, June 11, 1906

Here I am in Heber.  Have come up to stay a week or two and then I am going home.  I am roaming so much I don't know when I'll get my mail but I'll write in a day or two.

Best wishes,

Jean

July 8, 1907 (2:30pm)

Dear Jean,

I am now in the depot at Chattanooga and have a few minutes to wait before our train leaves for Atlanta.  I drop you this card to let you know all is fine with me.  I have had a good time so far on my trip but find it hot as love in July.  I am very glad my labors are in Ohio.  I expect a letter to meet me in Atlanta so I will write you again soon.  If you see spots on this card it is sweat not tears so don't you cry.  Be good, keep smiling.

From one who often thinks of Jean

(Stamped: 3 Sept 1907)

Hello Ellis

Dear Ellis-

[Thought] you would like this picture.  Might be of interest to a Vernalite so far away.  I tell you this house is something to be proud of and we all feel thankful for it.  We are all quite well. [Mable?] is feeling pretty well today, in fact for a few days I [thought] I would write tonight but too many children to tend so will try tomorrow.  

With love,

Jean

(no written message, but dated around 1 Nov 1907, addressed to Jean, mailed from Ohio)

Maeser, Utah

Feb 18, 1908

Dear Ellis:

Yours of tenth reached me last night.  Delighted was I?  Well I guess yes.  So you really, truely, surely, intent to come home and that very soon?  You can rest assured that one little girl is having palpitation of the heart.

Wonder if this will reach you ere you depart?  Well if it does or if it don't I am doin' it.  I sorta want to address you at Cinti once again so here goes.

By the by, those valentines ha ha!  They are just too cute for any use.  Such unique affairs, and so expensive of a.. you know. 

I sincerely hope Bro. B. gets well immediately, for his sake for your sake, for my sake.  Don't you?

Say be we had [some] a jolly sleigh ride and dance, Leap Year.  We girls took the boys to a party.  The only regretful remorse was the aftermath occasioned by late hours, I mean early- 4:30 and on.  That isn't bad for Mutual Officers and Pres of Stake D.B. is it?

What if Bro. Bills doesn't get well son, that wicked 'if' makes me stand still often.

Sweetheart I am O so tired tonight so I'll not try to write more.  Remember I am just the same to you.  Will tell you all the stories of two years before many day now.

Lovingly Jean

XXXX

Where shall I send this?

Cincinnati, Ohio

Feb 28 '08

To the Girl I soon will meet

Dear Jean, In [haste] I write you these lines to let you know I soon will be on my way.  I am to go to Chicago on business on the first (Sunday) And will be there perhaps one day and then west I go.  I will likely have Chicago the second and go to Denver.  That will mean the night of the third I will get to Denver.  However this may be one day to fast.  Which I think it is.  I rather expect to get to Denver on the evening of the fourth.  That night if I catch my train out I will be able to get the 2 p.m. train on the Uintah over to Dragon.  Then the stage will bring me in to Vernal on the sixth.  Now I will try and let you know more [definite] so you can meet me if you wish to in the south side of the town.  If all goes well I may send you a wire from Dragon and you get Ezra to come with you to see that all goes well and meet me so I will not have to walk home from town.  By the way don't meet me in the city.  The poeple will think I want to take your life.  And may get me arrested for setting a bad example to the young people.  However I trust that will come out ok.  I am well and happy and hope to see you not long after you get this letter.  I am very busy and have now got to go and see Elder Bills [off] on the train to Columbus.  All are dandy.  I will explain more to you when I speak to you face to face.  Keep smiling and "May God Bless You".  Wishes to You From [Your] wandering sweetheart Who loves You Still, 

Ellis

XXXXX XXXXXX

Keturah's quilt

The following photos are of an inherited quilt with a history to it.

Apparently, this quilt came across the plains with Keturah Thurman Peterson as a young girl.  Her daughter, Mary M Sander, took this quilt off of Keturah's bed after she passed away and passed it down her family line.  Upon last inquiry, this quilt was in the possession of J. Haugosen.

Pretty, isn't it?

Doug and Rhea get together

Doug is the eldest son of Asher and Birda.

This video was put together rather hastily for a Christmas surprise this year.  I'd collected the photos and interview footage in previous months and years before, and I'd always MEANT to assemble something up this avenue, but never got around to it.  I'm glad I finally did.  :)

Doug & Rhea get together from Sare & Jamo on Vimeo.

Password hint:

What is the name of Doug & Rhea's baby of the family? 

(Caps sensitive)

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

Lewis House Fires

The Siney Sr and Elizabeth C Lewis household had the misfortune of suffering through more than one house fire.  The post covers their life history in that context.

The following is an excerpt from the Life History of Mary (Lewis) Hatch (written by herself, and found in the personal albums of Glen Hatch) regarding one of the house fires they experienced:

"...Another disastrous thing that came to us when I was a child was our home being destroyed by fire.  Houses in those days were more or less fire traps- logs with factory stretched over them.  All homes were about the same then, to freshen and clean them, the factory was whitewashed occasionally.  This would cause the factory on the ceiling to bag down with the weight of the whitewash on it.  If we could go into a house like that now, we would never forget it.  As soon as material became available, Mother started to persuade Father to lathe and plaster the house, but like all men, he’d say, “I can’t see anything wrong with it.”

Every morning, Father would get up early, make a big fire in the kitchen stove, then go out to do his other chores.  We children were in the front of the house dressing.  I could smell smoke.  I looked out a little south window and could see the smoke coming out of the crack over the door.  I screamed, “The house is on fire.” I ran to the door leading into the kitchen, threw it open, and the flames darted at me like a great red tongue.  We were all out of there in less than two minutes.

Children don’t suffer too much from events like that and it’s a good thing.  It’s the parents.  I stayed at Nonie’s, Mother and Father went down to Siney’s until the house could be rebuilt.  To have to start from the bottom- no dishes, no dishtowels or sheets or towels, no cooking utensils and, worst of all, no money to buy more.  The poverty and hardships people went through!..."

Newspaper article: 

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1906, Nov 10, p.1

Newspaper article:

CRUEL FLAMES!

LEWIS FAMILY LEFT HOMELESS AGAIN.

For the Third Time Within Two Years, Fire Destroys Belongings of Siney Lewis.

For the third time in the brief period of two years Siney Lewis has been burned out.

The conflagration occurred Thursday night, or more correctly speaking, very early Friday morning.  The cause of the fire was undoubtedly a few pieces of kindling wood, placed on the kitchen stove to dry.  The heat form the range it is thought, ignited these, from them fire was communicated to the floor, the flames making great headway before the inmates of the house awakened.

Every possible effort was made to save the contents of the house and extinguish the flames, but without success, so far as the latter part of the proposition was concerned, as the building was totally destroyed.  Most of the contents of the front part of the house were removed but those of the kitchen were entirely lost.

Two of the children were almost suffocated and had a narrow escape.  This is the third heavy loss Mr. Lewis has suffered from fire.  The first fire occurred two years ago, when the steam thresher set his stack afire, causing the loss of all his hay, grain, stables, stackyards etc, later on his house with all his household effects were totally destroyed by fire and now comes this fire, for the second time rendering the family homeless.  The house had just received the finishing touches and the family confidently expected to enjoy their home this winter.  It is needless to say the family are justly entitled to substantial public sympathy.

*Spelling and punctuation corrected wherein I was aware.

Newspaper follow-up:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1906, Nov 24, p.3

Newspaper follow-up transcribed:

Siney Lewis wishes to thank those who came to the assistance of his family, and have made it possible for them to build another house this winter.

Newspaper follow-up, II:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1907, Jan 5, p.1

Newspaper follow-up, II, transcribed:
The county commissioners have appropriated 1,000 feet of lumber to assist Siney Lewis in the erection of a new home.


From the "History of Charley Lewis" (recorded by Charles Lewis himself to his daughter Lenore in 1975 who transcribed the document found in the personal albums of Patty Stewart) we have this account:

"... The first fire we had I was about 8 or 9 years old.  I was sleeping on the floor right next to Frank.  He was on a cot.  In the night I heard something popping and sounding like a fire burning and it woke me up.  As I looked into the other room, into the kitchen, I could see the fire just coming up over the edge of the door.

 It scared me so that I woke Frank up right then.  He woke the rest of the family.  We started getting things out of the house as fast as we could and one of the neighbors came over, but the house was so engulfed in smoke and fire that we didn’t get very much out of the house.

 It started by Mother putting some kindling on the back of the stove to dry it so it would be dried by morning.  There was enough fire in the stove that it ignited the wood and that caused the fire.  It burned the house down.  That was the first fire.

 ... The second fire they got the framework all up and [were] getting along there pretty well with it and the ceiling on the top there.  They had run the chimney right up [through] the house and got it too close to the wood.  That was the second fire.  It ignited right from the top of the house.  In a little while, the whole house was in flames.  I remember that Joe Carroll was one of the big helpers.  He had done a lot of the work and contributed some of the material.  He was Annie’s first husband...

 That was in the wintertime.  We had kind of dug out a big cellar at the back of the house that we used to keep our fruit and stuff in, and we had to use that a lot there for some of our living.  Siney had just got married and was living down [through] the fields and had built a house there [for] he and Lena.  We used to go down there to live quite a little bit, until our house was so that we could live in that.  Some of us slept in that cellar.  I remember distinctly when we were living down there we’d milk the cows up in the corral then take the milk down to Siney’s and separate it. I wasn’t big enough to carry the milk bucket so it would just slide along on the snow as I was carrying it along...."

Jennie L Hullinger- Mother of the Year

Jennie L Hullinger was Birda's younger sister.

Jennie Lewis Hullinger
From the personal albums of Charmain Runyon
Cropped from a larger image

The following article details how Jennie won the distinction of "Uintah Basin Mother of the Year" in 1972.  It gives a brief overview of her life and details the events of her receiving her award.

Newspaper article:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1972, Apr 20, p.1

As it's rather lengthy I won't transcribe it at this time, but by clicking on the newspaper image or downloading it, it is still easy enough to read.

Jennie holding daughter
From the personal albums of Charmain Runyon

Byron O Colton, newspaper bio

Byron O Colton was Asher's brother-in-law.

He married Asher's sister, Helen.

"Burnie" Colton
From personal albums of Sarah Neilsen

The following is a newspaper biography covering the general basis of his life up until it was written in 1935.  Due to the length of it I won't transcribe it at this time, but it is fairly easy to make the words out by clicking and enlarging the image itself.

Newspaper article:

SOURCE: Roosevelt Standard, 1935, Aug 29, p.1

Charles Lewis newspaper bio

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

Charles Lewis posing with artwork
From the personal albums of Patty Stewart

The following is a newspaper writeup of Charles' life in review and his contributions to the community as an art educator.  As it's rather lengthy, I won't transcribe it, but it does include some interesting details regarding his youth and references to his parents, Elizabeth Coleman Lewis and Siney Lewis Sr.  Feel free to read it at your leisure.

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1976, May 27, p.4

Ellis Merkley turns 90

Ellis Merkley was Asher's eldest brother.

He lived to the ripe old age of 91, and was thus very entitled to a 90th birthday party in 1975.

Birthday invitation:

From the personal albums of Delores Horton

 Honorary newspaper writeup:

SOURCE: Vernal Express 1975, Apr 24, p.4

Honorary newspaper writeup transcribed:
Ellis Merkley to be honored
Ellis Merkley, 1924 South 10th East, Salt Lake City, will be honored at an open house on Saturday, May 3 in honor of his 90th birthday anniversary.  The open-house will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. at 1722 Harvard Ave. and friends and relatives are invited to call.
Mr. Merkley, a native of Vernal, was born May 2, 1885, the oldest child of Nelson and Keturah Peterson Merkley.  All of his early years were spent in Vernal where he graduated from the Uintah Academy.  He later attended the LDS College in Salt Lake.  After filling a mission to the Southern States, he was married on June 17, 1908 to Jean Eleanor Gerber in the Salt Lake Temple.  They lived for several years in Vernal where they were both active in church and community affairs.
In 1932 the family moved to Salt Lake City where they have since resided.  Mr. Merkley is enjoying good health and drives his car almost every day to visit relative or to attend to other affairs.  Mrs. Merkley died December 26, 1972.  The couple were honored at open houses in observance of their fiftieth and sixtieth wedding anniversaries.
Six children are joining to honor the oldest living Merkley at this open house.  They are, Aird G., Dr. Harold E., and Mrs. Harlan W. (Geraldine) Clark, Salt Lake City; Thurman G., Portland, Oregon; Mrs. Eugene T. (Margret) Condie, Fremont, California; and Dr. Ralph G., Saratoga, California.  His posterity also includes 18 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.  Also joining in honoring Mr. Merkley will be a sister, Mrs. Rulon K. (Margret) Hansen, and Mrs. Clair (Ellen) Fletcher, both of Salt Lake City.

Photos from the 90th birthday gathering (all from the personal albums of Delores Horton):

Ellis Merkley, aged 90

Ellis with family- labeled below image

Party goers (Asher's eldest daughter, Virginia in red)
Evelyn Merkley (green?) Delores Horton (yellow)

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.  :)