Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Yet Another Crawford Family History, This Time From Aunt Mary Crawford Coulter

As we begin to share information between the Crawford researchers, I am sure there will be more of these.  This is a story written by my mother's older sister, Mary. It adds a little more information to Aunt Alice's story and certainly continues on from Aunt Nancy's chronicle of the Crawford from Kentucky.   (Follow the link to re-read these stories.)

 Picture of Aunt Mary as a young lady (she lived to be 97 years old).

Crawford History
The Crawfords sold their farm in Emmett Valley and came to Long Valley in 1911.  They moved on the Hay Maker place.  They lived there several years then move on the Jess CANTRALL place.  They lived there a few years then they sold and went to California to a Colony [He went to San Bernardino.  I can't remember if he came by bus or train but he joined a Socialist Colony on the Mojave Desert between Lancaster and San Bernardino, a little place called Llano del Rio], but didn't stay there long.  Dad Crawford wanted to go to Canada but Mom wanted to move back close to her children. 

When Dad went to California he left enough money to by our tickets, nine children and Mom.  So Mom knew she wasn't about to stay in California so she took the money and bought a Model T Ford and loaded it down with nine kids and beds and hit out for California.  That was the way we came back with Dad too.  We camped on the road and worked several days to get money enough to get back on. 

As soon as we landed Dad went to work for Dunn brothers then he work for Boise Payette Company in Crawford nook.  He soon worked up to a real good job.  He made around $2500 to $3500 a month.  He saved so he could buy another farm.  He worked around McCall for Brown and in Round Valley on top of the Smith Ferry hill.  Then he bought 10 acres in Emmett Valley and moved down in fall of 1921. 

In Jan he traded the 10 areas in Emmett on 312 acres in Round Valley and he moved in Jan back to Round Valley.  He fixed the old ranch up.  Piped water from top of the hill into the house, put in a bath room, put in carbite lights, and painted it all white.  He fixed it real nice.  He and Mom made several trips to California and Oregon.  They built a tourist cabin in Cascade and moved to town off the farm and lived in Cascade several years.  Then they sold the cabins and moved to Emmett. 

They bought a home out by the mill.  Then they sold that and went in pardoners with Will and bought a place near the bridge on river side in Emmett and built small house and lived there.  He had the nicest gardens in Emmett.  He lived there until his death in July 26 1943.

Mother died April 7 1954.  They came to Idaho in 1894 and to Long Valley in 1911.  We lived at Thunder City, Alpha, McCall, Smith Ferry, and Round Valley.

Dad had a very nice Ranch in Round Valley, a large nice house.  It was insulated with saw dust.  Very warm roomy house.  Nice large kitchen and old fashion ice box with lots of ice in the old fashion ice house on the farm, a milk house, and barn full of mild cows.  He had four good teams of horses.



There was a log cabin on the lower part of the place that was homey sitting in a lovely spot.  I think "of it lots cause I and my boy friends use to walk by and the pretty wild roses grew all around it and lots of wild animals around it too.  One night late, my boy friend and I was waling by the log cabin and a screech owl let a holler out of him and nearly scared us to death.  He didn't go back by his home, he stayed all night."

"Cash went visiting at Nubs one night and they got to talking about cougars so Cash went out to the barn stolled a horse, road him home then got his horse and took their horse back but he didn't tie him up just like they had if so they know what he had done." 

Before he bought his ranch in Round Valley he went to Cheales, Washington and started a butcher shop but didn't keep it very long.

At one time he owned land at Fruitland Idaho but didn't keep it very long.

Cash drove up in yard one night on the ranch and some thing jumped off a stump and run.  He thought it was a cougar.  He also drove Dad's new Overland right through the gate.  He was going to scare us in the car but when he put on the brakes he did not have any, so he lifted up the gate on top of the car. 


We had some good saddle horses.   Dad bought Walt a little red Ford.  Alice, Walt, and I had a real good time in it.  I wish ever one had as good time as we had and I wish ever one had as good a Dad as we had.




Name:     Mary M. Crawford
Gender:     Female
Spouse:     Warren Jacob Coulton
Spouse Gender:     Male
Marriage Date:     May 29, 1926
Marriage Location:     Cascade, Valley Co., Idaho
Source:     This record can be found in the marriage book at the County Courthouse located in Valley Co., ID in Volume 1 on Page 229.

Name:     Mary Kelley
SSN:     518-30-0697
Last Residence:     83629  Horseshoe Bend, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
Born:     11 Feb 1906
Died:     13 Jan 2004
State (Year) SSN issued:     Idaho (Before 1951)

Obituary

1/15/2004
Mary Coulter Kelley

Mary Coulter Kelley, 97, died Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2004 at her daughters home in Banks. Graveside services will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, 2004 at the Emmett Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the Potter Funeral Chapel in Emmett. Mary was born on Feb. 11, 1906 in Emmett, to Elisha and Christina Crawford. The family moved to Round Valley, where she graduated from the eighth grade. At the age of 15 she started cooking in the logging camps where she met Warren Coulter. They were married on May 29, 1926. Warren died on Aug. 24, 1960. Mary cooked at different restaurants and took care of several elderly people. She moved to Star, Idaho, where she joined the Old Fiddlers, as she loved music and dancing. There she met Art Kelley, and they were married at Donnelly, Idaho on July 13, 1978. They lived in Meridian, Idaho until Art passed away on June 23, 1994. She was preceded in death by five brothers and seven sisters. She leaves behind six children, Donald Coulter of Lewiston, Delbert (Bud) Coulter of Garden Valley, Marie Church of Banks, Albert (Buz) Coulter of Horseshoe Bend, Kenneth Coulter of Emmett and Clayton (Butch) Coulter of Montour; 15 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren. She will be missed by all who loved and knew her.

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