William Abner Coker
Male, #17941, (2 Jun 1913 - 26 Nov 1977)
Virginia Lee Boyles
Female, #17942, (29 Apr 1917 - 20 Mar 2008)
Katheryn Larue Coker
Female, #17943, (7 Oct 1915 - 25 Oct 2006)
| Birth* | 7 Oct 1915 | Katheryn was born at Roanoke, Randolph Co., Alabama, on 7 Oct 1915. |
| Death of Father | 18 Aug 1929 | Her father Abner Coker died on 18 Aug 1929. |
| Marriage* | 8 Nov 1958 | She married Glover Emerson Bryant on 8 Nov 1958 at age 43. |
| Married Name | 8 Nov 1958 | As of 8 Nov 1958, her married name was Bryant. |
| Residence* | 1978 | Katheryn resided at LaGrange, Troup Co., Georgia, in 1978. |
| Death of Spouse | Apr 1979 | Her husband Glover Emerson Bryant died in Apr 1979 at LaGrange, Troup Co., Georgia. |
| Death of Mother | Jul 1983 | Her mother Coral Lee Carlisle died in Jul 1983 at LaGrange, Troup Co., Georgia.1 |
| Death* | 25 Oct 2006 | She died at LaGrange, Troup Co., Georgia, on 25 Oct 2006 at age 91.1 |
Glover Emerson Bryant
Male, #17944, (17 Jun 1895 - Apr 1979)
Earl Kermit Coker
Male, #17945, (23 Jul 1918 - 6 Dec 1993)
Family | |
| Children | - Emily Patricia Coker
- Susan Carol Coker
|
Ella Mondorah Haralson
Female, #17947, (31 Oct 1867 - 2 Dec 1891)
| Birth* | 31 Oct 1867 | Ella was born at Alabama on 31 Oct 1867. |
| 1870 Census | 25 Aug 1870 | Sarah, Ella and William listed as a household member living with James Fletcher Haralson on the 1870 Census at Miller Valley PO, Clay Co., Alabama. 26 m-p. 268 hh 164. |
| 1880 Census | 1880 | Ella, Fanetta, Sarah, Alice and Clara was listed as a daughter in James Fletcher Haralson's household on the 1880 Census at DeKalb Co., Alabama. 31 m-ED59 sht 14 ln 35 twp 7 range 6. |
| Death of Father | 16 Jan 1891 | Her father James Fletcher Haralson died on 16 Jan 1891 at Vance, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death* | 2 Dec 1891 | She died at Vance, Lewis Co., Washington, on 2 Dec 1891 at age 24. |
William Elias Haralson
Male, #17948, (17 Jan 1870 - 21 Apr 1894)
| Birth* | 17 Jan 1870 | William was born at Alabama on 17 Jan 1870. |
| 1870 Census | 25 Aug 1870 | Sarah, Ella and William listed as a household member living with James Fletcher Haralson on the 1870 Census at Miller Valley PO, Clay Co., Alabama. 26 m-p. 268 hh 164. |
| 1880 Census | 1880 | William was listed as a son in James Fletcher Haralson's household on the 1880 Census at DeKalb Co., Alabama. 31 m-ED59 sht 14 ln 35 twp 7 range 6. |
| Death of Father | 16 Jan 1891 | His father James Fletcher Haralson died on 16 Jan 1891 at Vance, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death* | 21 Apr 1894 | He died at Vance, Lewis Co., Washington, on 21 Apr 1894 at age 24. |
| Biography* | | William Elias Haralson was born and raised in Alabama. When he was 16 years old, his parents decided to move west, ending up in Chehalis, WA. Willie was 19 when his father became ill with La Grippe and it fell to him to get the family moved to the Island in Cora P. O. District, near Vance, now Randle, in the Big Bottom area of the Cowlitz River in Washington. Over a three week period in the fall of 1890, William used a team of oxen to haul household goods from where the family was camped on the Cowlitz River about eleven miles below what is now the Nesika Bridge to the house which his father had had built on the Island in the Cowlitz River.1 Since William's father could no longer walk, he rode the pony, Beaver, and the family put on two suits of clothes and carried pails and packages weighing about twenty pounds each and walked four miles to the Island. The family then crossed the slough by canoe to the Island arriving the evening of October 11, 1890 in the pouring rain.1 During the next week, William sowed four acres of timothy.1 The family also began slashing down vine maples and, as there was time, William returned to where the family had camped to bring in the remainder of the household goods.1
William turned 21 the day after his father died. Ten months later, William's older sister died. Less than a year and a half later, William's younger sister, Sarah Leslie Haralson, died. Rev. William J. Rule, a Methodist circuit rider who met the family in January of 1894, described William as "big bodied," thoughtful and a comfort to his mother.2 Then William contracted tuberculosis.2 One of the things that was weighing on William's mind was how to ensure that the family did not lose the land after all that had happened. The early Big Bottom settlers held their lands by squatters' rights.3 In 1892, the first official U. S. Government survey was completed for the Big Bottom area and President Benjamin Harrison signed papers allowing settlers to claim their land as homesteads.3 On his deathbed, William told his mother how "prove up" the claim so that her land would become a homestead and, with this burden lifted, he died.2 William was 24 years old. |
Citations
- Mrs. J. (Clara Haralson) Moorcroft, "The Pioneering Experiences of James Fletcher Haralson and his wife - Sarah Jane Culpepper," three typed sheets, 27 Feb 1960
- Rev. William J. Rule, Riding the Upper Cowlitz Circuit, 1893 -- 1896
- Walker Allison Tompkins, "The Big Bottom (Lewis County) 1833-1933," 1933
Fanetta Missouri Haralson
Female, #17949, (31 Jan 1872 - circa 1883)
Sarah Leslie Haralson
Female, #17950, (7 May 1873 - 18 May 1893)
Clara LeBertha Haralson
Female, #17951, (27 Feb 1876 - 25 Feb 1964)
| Birth* | 27 Feb 1876 | Clara was born at Gadsden, Etowah Co., Alabama, on 27 Feb 1876. |
| 1880 Census | 1880 | Ella, Fanetta, Sarah, Alice and Clara was listed as a daughter in James Fletcher Haralson's household on the 1880 Census at DeKalb Co., Alabama. 31 m-ED59 sht 14 ln 35 twp 7 range 6. |
| Death of Father | 16 Jan 1891 | Her father James Fletcher Haralson died on 16 Jan 1891 at Vance, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Marriage* | 16 Mar 1893 | She married Job William Moorcroft at Sarah Haralson home near, Vance, Lewis Co., Washington, on 16 Mar 1893 at age 17. |
| Married Name | 16 Mar 1893 | As of 16 Mar 1893, her married name was Moorcroft. |
| Birth of Son | 14 Apr 1894 | Her son Ralph Everett Moorcroft was born on 14 Apr 1894 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death of Mother | 24 Jul 1925 | Her mother Sarah Jane Culpepper died on 24 Jul 1925 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death of Spouse | 14 Sep 1953 | Her husband Job William Moorcroft died on 14 Sep 1953 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death* | 25 Feb 1964 | She died at Kelso, Cowlitz Co., Washington, on 25 Feb 1964 at age 87. |
| Biography* | | Clara was born in Alabama; but, when she was ten years old, her parents moved the family west, to the Territory of Washington. Clara's father had claimed land in the Big Bottom valley of the Cowlitz River and had the land cleared and a house built for the family. Washington became a state in 1889 and, in October of 1890, since no road had yet been built into the valley, the family packed in on foot and by canoe to their new home.
Clara was 14 when her father died and her oldest sister died a few months later. Clara's mother and oldest brother got the family settled on their land. The first schoolhouse in the valley was built of hand-hewn cedar logs on the Job William "Joe" Moorcroft place near Mountain View and this is where Clara and her younger sister and brother along with Clifford, Charles, Albert, Addie and Ora Blankenship and Walter, Leona, and LeilaYoung and George Charles, Bird Walter and Florence Stevenson were taught by Miss Zona Dodge. 1
When Clara turned 16, she was courted by "Joe" Moorcroft. Clara later recalled this experience:2
One Sunday afternoon my boy-friend and I went horseback riding on two Indian ponies or Cayuses as the Indians call them... It took my boy-friend at least two hours to round them up for our trip. We crossed the river in an Indian canoe to get on the trail. This was long years ago when I was only sweet-sixteen and he was a young Irish bachelor.... In those days the girls and women rode side-saddle and never thought of riding astride as they do now. I was riding on a man's saddle; but sitting as if it were a side-saddle. This was not very comfortable to sit in sideways.
We went on and on for some miles and had started back for home when suddenly, my old grey mare ran away with me.... We came to a place where a fallen fir tree was leaning against a rock cliff above the trail. There was just room enough to pass under by ducking ones head. By this time my horse was going like the wind and my boy-friend, later my husband, felt sure I would get my head knocked off as my horse passed under the tree. As it happened, I ducked my head at just the right time to pass under the tree; somehow I managed to stay on the horse and in the saddle, too.... When Joe caught up with me he was surely frightened.
The experience apparently did not deter Clara and she would later write:
In the year of 1893 - March 16th at 4:00 p.m; on a Thursday - Joseph Moorcroft and I were married at the home of my mother (Mrs. Sarah Culpepper Haralson.)3
The couple settled down to raise a family near Randle, WA. Together, Clara and Joe planted and did the other chores necessary to run the farm and keep the cattle and other livestock fed. Life in the valley was not easy, within ten years, all but Clara's mother and her youngest brother died and Clara, Joe and their children survived a major flood and other calamities. Clara wrote to A. S. Koons, the manager of the Montgomery Ward store in Portland, OR about one such incident. For Christmas of 1897, for $19.50, Joe had purchased a sewing machine for Clara and Clara recalled the experience:4
In those days we were far removed from towns and all conveniences. Chehalis, 70 miles away, was the nearest town and could be reached only over rough corduroy roads, composed mostly of logs and poles which had been thrown in the mud holes so that wagons could be pulled through safely. I had no sewing machine, and with two little children and such a promising future ahead of us in this new pioneering country, I was in dire need of one. My husband decided this would be the finest gift he could give me for Christmas, so he made out an order to Montgomery Ward in Chicago.
In due time, we received notice that my machine had been shipped to Chehalis. In a few days we started on our journey to Chehalis to pick up my new machine and several other supplies we needed. My mother and young son were with my husband and myself. My husband was the only one outside on the wagon seat. The rest of us rode inside our covered wagon.
We spent one day in town to purchase and load our supplies and the Montgomery Ward sewing machine, which was in a crate 12 inches higher than our wagon box. Among our groceries and other supplies was a cross-cut saw which my husband had stood on edge in the wagon. The next morning we started for home.
It was early November, and the fall rains had set in. We had been traveling with our horses and wagon for most of a week, and were within six miles of home, with the heavy rains and darkness surrounding us, when suddenly the outside edge of the road broke off and the wagon turned completely over. My husband was thrown clear of the wagon. The rest of us were not so fortunate. We were underneath the overturned wagon--but surely, God must have been looking over us. That wonderful sewing machine crate was just the right height to hold the wagon-bed up enough so that I could slip out on my stomach. My husband and I scraped away enough dirt with our hands to pull out my mother and son. They were in grave danger of being suffocated, for the groceries and the cross-cut saw were slipping down on them, shutting out their air.
Much water has run under the bridge since this incident, but I am still using the sewing machine, which sews as well as it ever did through these 62 years. I will treasure this machine the rest of my life, as it was the means of saving our lives....
Clara was later a member of a Ladies Aid group and she wrote the following for a meeting in July of 1914 during which each member was to donate a dollar to the group after telling how the money was earned:
TEN HOLE-LY GRAIN SACKS
Ten hole-ly grain sacks--and they are all mine, Attacked the first one with vim, and then there were nine.
Nine more sacks, which I berate-- Decided I'd do that one anyway; then there were eight.
Eight more--there sides ripped and uneven, Counted them again and found only seven.
Seven more of the horrid old things to fix, Counted them over again, and oh! Joy! there were only six.
Six more! Will I ever survive? But I patched the old thing and that left--was it but five?
Five gunny sacks--mouse eaten and tore, Put some fancy stitches in that one--then there were four.
Four sacks more before I am free, Won't I be glad when there are only three.
Three more to fix--will I ever be thru? 'Twill not seem very many when I have only two.
Two sacks left--both looking so bum, Shut my eyes and grab--then there is one.
One sack left--couldn't have no fun, Took that one with me; then there were none.
Clara was 77 when she lost her husband of 60 years. She wrote several articles about pioneering life in the Big Bottom valley and she celebrated her 87th birthday in Glenoma, WA.5 Clara died a year later, just two days short of her 88th birthday. |
Citations
- Walker Allison Tompkins, "The Big Bottom (Lewis County) 1833-1933," 1933
- "I Rode a Runaway Horse" typed sheet
- Mrs. "Joe" (Clara Haralson) Moorcroft, "Clara Haralson and Joseph Moorcroft: Our 'Start' when we got Married" typed sheet, July 1961
- Mrs. "Joe" (Clara Haralson) Moorcroft, "Washington State Pioneer Tells How Wards Sewing Machine Saved Three Lives in 1897," For-Ward Feb 1960, p. 7
- "Mrs. Joseph Moorcroft, Pioneer To Celebrate 87th Birthday" Daily Chronicle 27 Feb 1963, p. 5
Job William Moorcroft
Male, #17952, (12 Apr 1860 - 14 Sep 1953)
| Name Variation | | He was also known as Joe. |
| Birth* | 12 Apr 1860 | Job was born at co. Longford, Leinster, Ireland, on 12 Apr 1860. |
| Marriage* | 16 Mar 1893 | He married Clara LeBertha Haralson at Sarah Haralson home near, Vance, Lewis Co., Washington, on 16 Mar 1893 at age 32. |
| Birth of Son | 14 Apr 1894 | His son Ralph Everett Moorcroft was born on 14 Apr 1894 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death* | 14 Sep 1953 | He died at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington, on 14 Sep 1953 at age 93. |
| Burial* | | His body was interred at Silver Creek Cemetery, Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Biography* | | Job William Moorcroft was one of the pioneers of the Big Bottom of the upper Cowlitz River in Lewis Co., WA. Big Bottom is an area which runs along a 30 mile stretch of the upper Cowlitz River from Tumwater Falls to Clear Fork.1 What is now the state of Washington originally belonged to Britain and Indians from the area are known to have taken wolverine, marmoset, lynx, beaver, bear and deer skins and furs to the Hudson's Bay Company trading post at Jackson's Prairie from 1833.2 The area then was included as part of the Oregon Territory.
A separate Washington Territory was created March 3, 1853. Lewis County was named for Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. When James Longmire and William Packwood came through the Big Bottom area in 1854, looking for a low route from the Puget Sound to the Oregon Trail, they found a Cowlitz Indian village.1 The low route was not found and the area was left mostly undisturbed until 1882 when William Joerk (now York), a German merchant from the upper Sacramento River in California, trekked north and found only two Indian families remaining; the rest had been wiped out by smallpox.1
York returned in 1883 and became Big Bottom's first white settler.1 A few other white men followed and finally, in 1886, L. A. Davis, brought his wife into the valley.2 This was the same year that Joe Moorcroft arrived.1
James Haralson also came that year and claimed land but did not bring his family in until 1890 after he had the land cleared and a house built. Washington became a state November 11, 1889. All the settlers started from scratch, clearing and leveling the land for planting and building houses and a 36 mile road which met the road at Mossy Rock and in 1893 the first wagon was driven into the Big Bottom on its own wheels.2
After the Haralson family settled in the valley, Joe courted Clara Haralson and they were married in 1893. Clara later wrote:3
Joe took me to his "homestead" about one mile from "Mama's" home - where he had built a nice little house from "split" cedar lumber; which he had planed by hand. The house had a living room with a "rock" fireplace - one bedroom - and a lean-to kitchen with a dish-cupboard built with the cedar lumber. In fact, he had made all of the furniture, himself - of cedar boards. There was a hand-made bedstead with a straw tick for a mattress; and a pair of pillows made of "cat-o-nine tails" which he had gathered from the lake that was on his land. To make this stuffing for the pillows; he gathered the "heads" from the stalks of the "cat-o-nine tails;" then, pulverized them - and this was then used in place of feathers. (They were so slippery, one could hardly keep a pillow under his head). Two "bachelor" chairs which he had made were so high - I was unable to sit on them; when I wanted to sit-down, I would sit on the floor.
He had borrowed a cook-stove from a bachelor neighbor as he had had bad-luck with his - when he tried to bring it from Chehalis, Washington - by horseback. He had gone to Chehalis and purchased the cookstove, and a wash-tub, and wash-board and a broom. We had everything packed on his horse when she decided to "buck" everything off. The cast-iron stove got broken into many pieces, so he left it in Chehalis to be repaired.... We used a 5-gallon kerosene oil-can - cut on the long side, for a wash-boiler to heat water on the stove, to wash the clothes.
We planted a vegetable garden and also a "plot" of rutabagas for cattle-feed for ensilage which was used years later. We cut the timothy-grass for hay; and used the "old-time" hand scythe. I helped with that, also. We "shocked" the hay; and, hauled it in to a good-sized barn which he had made with cedar posts and long cedar-boards which stood on end. To haul the hay in - to the barn -- we laid two small poles down - three feet apart. We nailed shakes to them leaving enough room on the ends (for handles). We would then pile as much hay as would stay on; and with Joe at one end, and I at the other - we would head for the barn. (A slow-but-sure way to haul our hay).
At one end of the barn - Joe had built "stanchions" where he fed his "beef-cattle." He had begun to raise a herd before we were married. He and another bachelor neighbor had gone to Oregon and each had purchased several head of cattle - and shipped them by boat to (at that time Monticello) but now called Longview. From there, they drove them on foot to their homesteads in the upper-Big Bottom Valley.
That first-fall we went to Chehalis and picked hops - to buy our winter-supplies and clothes. People in those pioneering-days depended on hop-picking for a money crop. So ended our first year on the homestead....
In 1896, Cowlitz River flooded and Joe had to release the farm animals and pack his wife, two year old son and three week old daughter on a horse and quickly move them to higher ground. Clara wrote:4
We unloaded at the neighbor's door and everything was confusion and excitement. Their house and barn were on higher ground so the water wasn't over six inches on the floor. The men put chunks of wood on the floor and laid planks on them for us to walk on. There was very little sleep and rest that night with the flood waters gurgling around the house.
The neighbor had put his little pigs on the front porch, thinking he would have them above the water, but the water rose over the porch, so most of them were drowned while fighting and squealing for dry places. Everyone in the valley lost nearly all of their cattle and sheep. In fact, all of their stock--even the horses that were in the pastures drowned. A farmer below us on the lower ground had his barn washed against his house. When morning came his porch was full of dead cattle and horses.
Their house was built of logs, and the water rose so high, they were forced to go upstairs; they expected the house to go most any minute, as the water had risen almost to the second floor. One family were all drowned except the husband and father. The mother and five children lost their lives and only two bodies were ever found.
When morning came, those that had Indian canoes were out to hunt and rescue those in danger. Some, they found in trees where the waters came so fast they were cut off from their homes. The flood waters stayed on for four or five days; then the weather turned bitterly cold, and the ground being full of water froze 8" deep.
When we returned to our home we found the house had almost washed away. The rock fireplace was what had held it fast. One end of the house had floated up and the mud was 6" deep on the floors. The soiled clothes that were in the bedroom were scattered all over the floor. When we tried to pick them up we found they were frozen solid to the floor. We couldn't find a stick of wood in the shed or on the place.
Most of our cattle were dead--only seven head survived, and they had climbed on top of the hay mow. All of our potatoes and apples had been washed away. It looked so very discouraging to see everything gone. Two dozen lovely Plymouth-Rock hens; which we had, were frozen on the floor under the roosts where they had drowned in their sleep.
But the family picked up and started again. In 1961, Clara wrote:5
SO PASSED the years; and Joe lived to the good age of 93 years and "passed on" in September 1953. I am now left-alone to mourn like a turtle-dove on the corner of the house-top. WE had a good life together - for 60 years. I am now 85 years of age. |
Citations
- Walker Allison Tompkins, "The Big Bottom (Lewis County) 1833-1933," 1933
- Walker Allison Tompkins, "The Big Bottom (Lewis County) 1833-1933," 1933
- Mrs. "Joe" (Clara Haralson) Moorcroft, "Clara Haralson and Joseph Moorcroft: Our 'Start' when we got Married" typed sheet, July 1961
- Mrs. J. (Clara Haralson) Moorcroft "The 'Great Flood of '96' on the Cowlitz River in Eastern Lewis Co., State of Washington" typed sheet
- Mrs. "Joe" (Clara Haralson) Moorcroft, "Clara Haralson and Joseph Moorcroft: Our 'Start' when we got Married" (typed sheet, July 1961)
Alice Lenora Haralson
Female, #17953, (24 May 1878 - 25 Feb 1902)
| Birth* | 24 May 1878 | Alice was born at Gadsden, Etowah Co., Alabama, on 24 May 1878. |
| 1880 Census | 1880 | Ella, Fanetta, Sarah, Alice and Clara was listed as a daughter in James Fletcher Haralson's household on the 1880 Census at DeKalb Co., Alabama. 31 m-ED59 sht 14 ln 35 twp 7 range 6. |
| Death of Father | 16 Jan 1891 | Her father James Fletcher Haralson died on 16 Jan 1891 at Vance, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| 1900 Census | 7 Jun 1900 | Alice was listed as a daughter in Sarah Jane Culpepper's household on the 1900 Census at Big Bottom Precinct, Lewis Co., Washington. 56 f-ED 125 sheet 3. |
| Death* | 25 Feb 1902 | She died at Lewis Co., Washington, on 25 Feb 1902 at age 23. |
Jonathan Asbury Haralson
Male, #17954, (17 Jul 1880 - 22 Dec 1950)
| Birth* | 17 Jul 1880 | Jonathan was born at DeKalb Co., Alabama, on 17 Jul 1880. |
| Death of Father | 16 Jan 1891 | His father James Fletcher Haralson died on 16 Jan 1891 at Vance, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| 1900 Census* | 7 Jun 1900 | Jonathan was listed as a son in Sarah Jane Culpepper's household on the 1900 Census at Big Bottom Precinct, Lewis Co., Washington. 56 f-ED 125 sheet 3. |
| Marriage* | | He married Rebecca Coleman at Washington. |
| Birth of Son | say 1908 | His son Infant Son Haralson was born say 1908 at Washington. |
| Birth of Son | 1916 | His son William E. Haralson was born in 1916 at Washington. |
| Birth of Son | 13 Apr 1918 | His son Wesley Dewitt Haralson was born on 13 Apr 1918 at Glenoma, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Birth of Son | 1920 | His son Douglas Haralson was born in 1920 at Washington. |
| Death of Mother | 24 Jul 1925 | His mother Sarah Jane Culpepper died on 24 Jul 1925 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death of Son | say 1926 | His son Infant (?) Haralson died say 1926. |
| Birth of Son | say 1926 | His son Infant (?) Haralson was born say 1926 at Washington. |
| Death of Son | 11 Sep 1927 | His son William E. Haralson died on 11 Sep 1927 at Washington. |
| Death of Son | 27 Aug 1929 | His son Douglas Haralson died on 27 Aug 1929 at Washington. |
| Death* | 22 Dec 1950 | He died at Glenoma, Lewis Co., Washington, on 22 Dec 1950 at age 70. |
| Biography* | | Jonathan was born in Alabama; but, when he was five and one-half years old, his parents moved the family west, to the Territory of Washington. He was ten years old when his father died. Jonathan's mother and oldest brother got the family settled on their land in the Big Bottom of the upper Cowlitz River in Lewis Co., WA. The first schoolhouse in the valley was built of hand-hewn cedar logs on the Job William "Joe" Moorcroft place near Mountain View and this is where Jonathan and his older sisters, Clara and Alice, went to school with Clifford, Charles, Albert, Addie and Ora Blankenship and Walter, Leona, and Leila Young and George Charles, Bird Walter and Florence Stevenson. The group was taught by Miss Zona Dodge. 1 Jonathan survived the 'Great Flood of '96' on the Cowlitz River and went on to settle down and raise a family in Washington. He died in 1950 at the age of 70. |
Citations
- Walker Allison Tompkins, "The Big Bottom (Lewis County) 1833-1933," 1933
Rebecca Coleman
Female, #17955, (say 1882 - )
Ralph Everett Moorcroft
Male, #17956, (14 Apr 1894 - Jan 1985)
| Birth* | 14 Apr 1894 | Ralph was born at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington, on 14 Apr 1894. |
| Marriage* | 27 Dec 1918 | He married Rhoda Marcum at Chehalis, Lewis Co., Washington, on 27 Dec 1918 at age 24. |
| Birth of Son | 6 Sep 1919 | His son Joseph William Moorcroft was born on 6 Sep 1919 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Birth of Son | 10 Sep 1920 | His son John Marcum Moorcroft was born on 10 Sep 1920 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Birth of Son | 6 Nov 1922 | His son Infant (?) Moorcroft was born on 6 Nov 1922 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death of Son | 6 Nov 1922 | His son Infant (?) Moorcroft died on 6 Nov 1922 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death of Father | 14 Sep 1953 | His father Job William Moorcroft died on 14 Sep 1953 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death of Mother | 25 Feb 1964 | His mother Clara LeBertha Haralson died on 25 Feb 1964 at Kelso, Cowlitz Co., Washington. |
| Death of Spouse | Dec 1980 | His wife Rhoda Marcum died in Dec 1980 at Puyallup, Pierce Co., Washington.1 |
| Death of Son | Sep 1981 | His son Joseph William Moorcroft died in Sep 1981 at Anchorage, Anchorage Co., Alaska.1 |
| Death* | Jan 1985 | He died at Packwood, Lewis Co., Washington, in Jan 1985 at age 90.1 |
| Biography* | | Ralph Everett Moorcroft was the son of Job William "Joe" and Clara LeBertha (Haralson) Moorcroft. He was born in the Big Bottom Valley of the Cowlitz River in the state of Washington. His mother wrote:2
On April 14th, 1894 - our son, Ralph was born.... In the spring of 1895, when Ralph was a year old, we took him with us to plant our garden. He played around while we did our garden-work. That night he became very sick - had cramps, and cried and screamed. We did everything we could think of; but could find no relief. Also, there was no doctor nearer than Chehalis, which was 70 miles away. Finally, near morning, he went to sleep. When I changed his diaper in the morning, it was filled with pure-black dirt. While we were busy with our gardening - he had eaten 'his peck of dirt'. That summer when I wanted fresh vegetables for the day -- I would tie a cord around his ankle and the other end to the dining room table-leg - so that he would be safe while I was gone, and of course - I would go as fast as I could run.
Ralph's young life continued to be eventful. His mother wrote about the "Great Flood of '96" on the Cowlitz River:3
The fall months of 1896 had been so beautiful and October was sunny and warm.... The days went, and by October 21st we had the most of the fall work well in hand; but the apples were yet to pick, and on the 21st Joseph, my husband, and our small son, Ralph, began picking the apples....
On November 15th the Chinook winds from the West began a soft 'zephyr-like' breeze--so warm the snow began melting fast. In the evening just before darkness fell, our neighbor that lived one-half mile from us, near the river, came and said "you folks must hurry and get out of here as the river is rising fast." We had a young team of horses and a colt. Joe went to the barn--saddled one of the horses, opened the barn door, and turned the other horses and the cattle loose. Our saddled horse was young and very nervous, so my husband held him while I climbed on and tied the sack of clothes behind the saddle. He handed me our three weeks old baby girl to hold in my arms--put our young son on his neck and held him by one foot so that he would not fall off.... It was almost dark now and the water was coming down through the fields and rising so fast that by the time we were to the road it was above my husband's ankles. When we got to the neighbors farm, Joe pulled at the big farm gate to open it. The water was now up to his knees and the current was very strong. During the process of pulling on the gate, he had to let loose of our son's foot--our son fell backward into the swift water. My husband had to move fast to grab him before he was washed away....
Ralph's mother wrote of another incident which happened a year later:4
In a few days we started on our journey to Chehalis to pick up my new [sewing] machine and several other supplies we needed. My mother and young son were with my husband and myself. My husband was the only one outside on the wagon seat. The rest of us rode inside our covered wagon. We spent one day in town to purchase and load our supplies and the Montgomery Ward sewing machine, which was in a crate 12 inches higher than our wagon box. Among our groceries and other supplies was a cross-cut saw which my husband had stood on edge in the wagon.
The next morning we started for home. It was early November, and the fall rains had set in. We had been traveling with our horses and wagon for most of a week, and were within six miles of home, with the heavy rains and darkness surrounding us, when suddenly the outside edge of the road broke off and the wagon turned completely over. My husband was thrown clear of the wagon. The rest of us were not so fortunate. We were underneath the overturned wagon--but surely, God must have been looking over us. That wonderful sewing machine crate was just the right height to hold the wagon-bed up enough so that I could slip out on my stomach. My husband and I scraped away enough dirt with our hands to pull out my mother and son. They were in grave danger of being suffocated, for the groceries and the cross-cut saw were slipping down on them, shutting out their air....
Ralph managed to survive his inauspicious beginnings and, in 1918, he married Rhoda Marcum and they settled down to raise a family in Randle, WA. Ralph died in 1985 at the age of 90. |
Citations
- U.S. Social Security Administration, compiler, Social Security Death Index (SSDI), Online database at Ancestry.com.
http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/vital/ssdi/main.htm
- Mrs. "Joe" (Clara Haralson) Moorcroft, "Clara Haralson and Joseph Moorcroft: Our 'Start' when we got Married" typed sheet, July 1961
- Mrs. J. (Clara Haralson) Moorcroft, "The "Great Flood of '96" on the Cowlitz River in Eastern Lewis Co., State of Washington," typed sheet
- Mrs. J. (Clara Haralson) Moorcroft, "Washington State Pioneer Tells How Wards Sewing Machine Saved Three Lives in 1897," For-Ward , February 1960, p. 7
Rhoda Marcum
Female, #17957, (12 Aug 1898 - Dec 1980)
| Birth* | 12 Aug 1898 | Rhoda was born at Dingess, Mingo Co., West Virginia, on 12 Aug 1898. |
| Marriage* | 27 Dec 1918 | She married Ralph Everett Moorcroft at Chehalis, Lewis Co., Washington, on 27 Dec 1918 at age 20. |
| Married Name | 27 Dec 1918 | As of 27 Dec 1918, her married name was Moorcroft. |
| Birth of Son | 6 Sep 1919 | Her son Joseph William Moorcroft was born on 6 Sep 1919 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Birth of Son | 10 Sep 1920 | Her son John Marcum Moorcroft was born on 10 Sep 1920 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death of Son | 6 Nov 1922 | Her son Infant (?) Moorcroft died on 6 Nov 1922 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Birth of Son | 6 Nov 1922 | Her son Infant (?) Moorcroft was born on 6 Nov 1922 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death* | Dec 1980 | She died at Puyallup, Pierce Co., Washington, in Dec 1980 at age 82.1 |
Ruby Moorcroft
Female, #17958, (21 Oct 1896 - 9 Feb 1992)
| Birth* | 21 Oct 1896 | Ruby was born at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington, on 21 Oct 1896. |
| Marriage* | 18 Dec 1920 | She married Walter Randle at Washington on 18 Dec 1920 at age 24. |
| Married Name | 18 Dec 1920 | As of 18 Dec 1920, her married name was Randle. |
| Death of Father | 14 Sep 1953 | Her father Job William Moorcroft died on 14 Sep 1953 at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Death of Mother | 25 Feb 1964 | Her mother Clara LeBertha Haralson died on 25 Feb 1964 at Kelso, Cowlitz Co., Washington. |
| Death of Spouse | Sep 1983 | Her husband Walter Randle died in Sep 1983 at Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., California. |
| Death* | 9 Feb 1992 | She died at Beaumont, Riverside Co., California, on 9 Feb 1992 at age 95. |
Walter Randle
Male, #17959, (3 Jun 1897 - Sep 1983)
William E. Haralson
Male, #17960, (1916 - 11 Sep 1927)
| Birth* | 1916 | William was born at Washington in 1916. |
| Death* | 11 Sep 1927 | He died at Washington on 11 Sep 1927. |
Wesley Dewitt Haralson
Male, #17961, (13 Apr 1918 - 1 Oct 1991)
| Birth* | 13 Apr 1918 | Wesley was born at Glenoma, Lewis Co., Washington, on 13 Apr 1918. |
| Marriage* | 5 Dec 1941 | He married Bernice Marie Blake at Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai Co., Idaho, on 5 Dec 1941 at age 23.1 |
| Death of Father | 22 Dec 1950 | His father Jonathan Asbury Haralson died on 22 Dec 1950 at Glenoma, Lewis Co., Washington. |
| Residence* | 1963 | Wesley resided at Glenoma, Lewis Co., Washington, in 1963. |
| Death* | 1 Oct 1991 | He died on 1 Oct 1991 at age 73.2 |
| Burial* | say 4 Oct 1991 | His body was interred say 4 Oct 1991 at Silver Creek Cemetery, Randle, Lewis Co., Washington.3 |
Douglas Haralson
Male, #17963, (1920 - 27 Aug 1929)
| Birth* | 1920 | Douglas was born at Washington in 1920. |
| Death* | 27 Aug 1929 | He died at Washington on 27 Aug 1929. |
Alice Josephine Perry
Female, #17968, (3 Dec 1867 - 28 Feb 1941)
| Birth* | 3 Dec 1867 | Alice was born at Randolph Co., Alabama, on 3 Dec 1867. |
| 1880 Census | 14 Jun 1880 | Alice and Ella was listed as a daughter in John Wesley Perry's household on the 1880 Census at Louina, Randolph Co., Alabama. 31 m-Vol 20 ED 112 26 Beat 9. |
| Marriage* | | She married Thomas Jacob Rampy at Alabama. |
| Married Name | | Her married name was Rampy. |
| Birth of Son | 4 Oct 1887 | Her son C. P. Rampy was born on 4 Oct 1887 at Alabama. |
| Death of Son | 1888 | Her son C. P. Rampy died in 1888 at Alabama. |
| Birth of Son | 2 Feb 1892 | Her son James Freeman Rampy was born on 2 Feb 1892 at Alabama. |
| Birth of Son | 19 Apr 1894 | Her son Melvin Carl Rampy was born on 19 Apr 1894 at Texas. |
| Birth of Son | 11 Dec 1901 | Her son Infant Son Rampy was born on 11 Dec 1901 at Texas. |
| Death of Son | 11 Dec 1901 | Her son Infant Son Rampy died on 11 Dec 1901 at Texas. |
| Birth of Son | 3 Aug 1903 | Her son Olmyr Beacher Rampy was born on 3 Aug 1903 at Trent, Taylor Co., Texas. |
| Birth of Son | 23 Nov 1910 | Her son Infant Son Rampy was born on 23 Nov 1910 at Texas. |
| Death of Son | 23 Nov 1910 | Her son Infant Son Rampy died on 23 Nov 1910 at Texas. |
| Death of Father | 10 Oct 1911 | Her father John Wesley Perry died on 10 Oct 1911 at Potosi, Taylor Co., Texas. |
| Death of Mother | 18 Apr 1928 | Her mother Martha Louisa Dickinson Culpepper died on 18 Apr 1928 at Sweetwater, Nolan Co., Texas.1 |
| Death of Spouse | 3 May 1938 | Her husband Thomas Jacob Rampy died on 3 May 1938 at Clarendon, Donley Co., Texas. |
| Death* | 28 Feb 1941 | She died at Clarendon, Donley Co., Texas, on 28 Feb 1941 at age 73. |
| Burial* | | Her body was interred at Citizen's Cemetery, Clarendon, Donley Co., Texas. |
| Biography* | | Alice was the daughter of John Wesley and Martha Louisa Dickinson (Culpepper) Perry. She was born and raised in Randolph Co., AL probably to the west of Louina and what is now known as Wadley. This is where Alice was noted with her parents in the 1880 census records. The family is believed to have remained in Randolph Co., AL until the mid-1880's.
When Alice was approximately seventeen years old, she married Jake Rampy. Unfortunately, the 1890 census records were burned so it is not known if Alice and Jake accompanied the John Wesley Perry family to DeKalb Co., AL. Alice and Jake did move their family to Texas, first to Hunt Co., TX then to Taylor Co., TX and finally to Clarendon, Donley Co., TX where they were noted in 1920 census records. This is where Alice died in 1941 at the age of 73. |
Citations
- Location Mrs. A. T. (Kathleen Perry) Pickett letter 4 Jan 1979.
Thomas Jacob Rampy
Male, #17969, (1 Feb 1866 - 3 May 1938)
| Name Variation | | He was also known as Jake. |
| Birth* | 1 Feb 1866 | Thomas was born at Randolph Co., Alabama, on 1 Feb 1866. |
| Marriage* | | He married Alice Josephine Perry at Alabama. |
| Birth of Son | 4 Oct 1887 | His son C. P. Rampy was born on 4 Oct 1887 at Alabama. |
| Death of Son | 1888 | His son C. P. Rampy died in 1888 at Alabama. |
| Birth of Son | 2 Feb 1892 | His son James Freeman Rampy was born on 2 Feb 1892 at Alabama. |
| Birth of Son | 19 Apr 1894 | His son Melvin Carl Rampy was born on 19 Apr 1894 at Texas. |
| Death of Son | 11 Dec 1901 | His son Infant Son Rampy died on 11 Dec 1901 at Texas. |
| Birth of Son | 11 Dec 1901 | His son Infant Son Rampy was born on 11 Dec 1901 at Texas. |
| Birth of Son | 3 Aug 1903 | His son Olmyr Beacher Rampy was born on 3 Aug 1903 at Trent, Taylor Co., Texas. |
| Death of Son | 23 Nov 1910 | His son Infant Son Rampy died on 23 Nov 1910 at Texas. |
| Birth of Son | 23 Nov 1910 | His son Infant Son Rampy was born on 23 Nov 1910 at Texas. |
| Death* | 3 May 1938 | He died at Clarendon, Donley Co., Texas, on 3 May 1938 at age 72. |
| Burial* | circa 5 May 1938 | His body was interred circa 5 May 1938 at Citizen's Cemetery, Clarendon, Donley Co., Texas. |
| Biography* | | (an unknown value.) |
James Henry Perry
Male, #17970, (23 Dec 1870 - 3 Dec 1919)
| Birth* | 23 Dec 1870 | James was born at Randolph Co., Alabama, on 23 Dec 1870.1 |
| 1880 Census | 14 Jun 1880 | Malcolm, James, Louis and Willard was listed as a son in John Wesley Perry's household on the 1880 Census at Louina, Randolph Co., Alabama. 31 m-Vol 20 ED 112 26 Beat 9. |
| Marriage* | 27 Dec 1897 | He married Carrie Etta Dean at Hunt Co., Texas, on 27 Dec 1897 at age 27.2 |
| Birth of Son | 2 Aug 1901 | His son Elbert John Perry was born on 2 Aug 1901 at Greenville, Hunt Co., Texas.3 |
| Birth of Son | 21 Jul 1904 | His son Hugh Freeman Perry was born on 21 Jul 1904 at Dunn, Scurry Co., Texas.4 |
| Death of Father | 10 Oct 1911 | His father John Wesley Perry died on 10 Oct 1911 at Potosi, Taylor Co., Texas. |
| Birth of Son | 3 Apr 1914 | His son William Elton Perry was born on 3 Apr 1914 at Dunn, Scurry Co., Texas.5 |
| Birth of Son | 20 Jun 1916 | His son Franklin Eras Perry was born on 20 Jun 1916 at Dunn, Scurry Co., Texas.6 |
| Death* | 3 Dec 1919 | He died at Amarillo, Potter Co., Texas, on 3 Dec 1919 at age 48. |
| Burial* | | His body was interred at Dunn City Cemetery, Dunn, Scurry Co., Texas.5 |
| Biography* | | James Henry Perry was the son of John Wesley and Martha Louisa Dickinson (Culpepper) Perry. He was born and raised in Randolph Co., AL probably to the west of Louina and what is now known as Wadley. This is where he was noted with his parents in the 1880 census records. The family is believed to have remained in Randolph Co., AL until the mid-1880's. Unfortunately, the 1890 census records were burned so it is not known if James accompanied his parents to DeKalb Co., AL.
At some point, James did move to Hunt Co., Texas and, in 1897, he married Carrie Etta Dean and they settled down to raise their family in Texas. In the early 1900's they moved their young family from Hunt Co., TX to Scurry Co., TX.7
In an article about his death 8 it was noted that James was in the process of moving from Clarendon, Donley Co., TX to Snyder, Scurry Co., TX when he was killed by a freight train in Amarillo, TX. The train that James was on had apparently stopped in a train yard to let a freight train pass and James had gone to the office to find out how long the train would remain in the yard. He was killed as he returned to his train.9 He was 48 years old. |
Citations
- Descendants of Martha Lee Culpepper, Chloe-Marion (Schmidt) Perry (Mrs. Gerald David Perry), e-mail: e-mail address, to Lew Griffin, 1997.
p. 2.
- Descendants of Martha Lee Culpepper, Chloe-Marion (Schmidt) Perry (Mrs. Gerald David Perry), e-mail: e-mail address, to Lew Griffin, 1997.
p. 2: Hunt Co, TX records Book I p 349 (Ft Worth Public Library).
- William Perry Garner family group sheets, William Perry Garner to Lew Griffin.
1 Jan 1981 p. 6.1.
- William Perry Garner family group sheets, William Perry Garner to Lew Griffin.
1 Jan 1981 p. 6.3.
- William Perry Garner family group sheets, William Perry Garner to Lew Griffin.
- William Perry Garner family group sheets, William Perry Garner to Lew Griffin.
4 Jan 1981 p. 6.7.
- Palmer W. Perry letter 6 Nov 1978
- "Man Killed in Santa Fe Yards Wednesday" Amarillo Daily News (Potter Co., TX) 4 Dec 1919, p. 3
- "Man Killed in Santa Fe Yards Wednesday" Amarillo Daily News (Potter Co., TX)