Preparing for the Reunion

As I prepare to meet and share with family from near and far, I am going through my photos, newspaper articles, and obituaries/funeral notes.  I've come across my that I have already scanned and identified, but there are many that I have no clue who they are and why I have them in my collections.  I find paternal (Logues) mixed with the maternal (Crawfords).  Take the picture below.  It was in my mother's stuff and I think she said it was a picture of her mother.  I don't know.  It was terribly damaged but I managed to repair it a little.  Any of you family members out there know for sure if this is Christina Ellen Tuttle Crawford?

My mother, Rachel Crawford Logue, was born at home and never had a birth certificate.  When she approached Social Security time, she realized that she needed to have documentation of her birth.  Thus began a long adventure of trying to find records that would satisfy the government for proof of her birth.  Following is a picture of her sister, Mary Coulter's family Bible that she used as one form of proof.

Though she had 10 children, they would only take one of their birth certificates as proof of her birth.  And since the US Census is not made public for 75 years, she could not use the 1920 US Census, where she is listed with her parents as 6 years old (she was born in December of 1913 and the census was earlier in the year, 1920, so she would have been 6 instead of 7).  And she never graduated from school - in fact I'm not sure she made it passed the 5th grade because her mother did not like schools.

Here's another picture I'm not sure who it is - nice looking gentleman though.  Looks like a photo taken of a picture hanging on someone's wall.  Any idea who it might be?

I have lots of snapshots of various cousins, many that my mother and sister identified for me, but some that I have no idea who they might be.  I hope to take them with me and see if anyone can help name them. 

 

Here's pictures of my uncle Ernest (Buster) and his wife, Mildred, but I'm not sure who the child is - since there is only one, it is possibly their oldest, Alonzo, who was born in December 1929.

This is another gathering of the Crawford bunch - 1943 after my grandfather, Elisha Jordan Crawford's funeral.

And this is Grandma with her seven (7) girls that same day:

And with her five (5) boys:

Another picture of the sisters together, probably after their mother passed in 1954:

And finally, Grandma with some of her children- any ideas which? Could be the youngest eight - Cash, baby Rachel, Dora, and Buster at back, Mary, Walter, Alice and ? in front.  Or the oldest 8, or there could be grandchildren mixed in (Mom had nieces and nephews older than she, since there is 24 years between she and her oldest sister). 

Well, have a wedding to go to, so will close this for now and add more at a later date.  Good hunting.

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.

Crawford Family Reunion?

My mother was the youngest of 13 children - the Elisha and Christina Crawford clan - and I've recently been contacted by some cousins who are interested in putting together a family reunion of descendants of these 13 siblings.  I am not aware of any reunion of that proportion since the siblings were all together in Julia Davis Park in 1960 - and my mother was almost 50 years old then.

None of the 13 are still living (the last, Mary Crawford Coulter Kelly, passed away in 2004 at 97 years of age), and many of the children of these 13 are gone already, too  - we are talking about 51 years, after all.  But the grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and even great-great-great-grandchildren are scattered all over the country (and the world?).

So you can imagine that we have quite a task ahead of us, getting these people found, sorted out, contacted and plans made.  Our intent is to have a get-together this summer with at least one descendant from each of the 13 to start this planning. We have already started sharing our databases, which I guess is the very first step.  I now plan on making calls and emails to family members where I have missing siblings, spouses, or  children - so much work to do.  But all of this is on the maternal side of my family tree and only one generation back then 4 to ?  forward.  I guess my time and concentration on the paternal side and all branches 2 generations out may be minimal for a while.

And, if you are one of the people we seek, be sure to contact us (you can make a comment to this blog and leave your email - I will not make it visible unless you request it) with your interest in helping out on this journey.

Again, here are the 13 Crawford siblings, with dates:

Nancy Jane Crawford Gifford - 11 Jan 1889 to 28 Nov 1980 -  91yrs
Will (William/Willis) Jacob Crawford - 15 Jul 1890 to 19 Jul 1966 -  76yrs
Joseph (Joe) Crawford - 29 Jan 1892 to 29 Oct 1967 - 75yrs
Della Crawford Lappin - 1 Aug 1894 to 15 Nov 1975 - 81yrs
Hattie Frances Crawford Dealy - 31 Aug 1898 to 16 Nov 1986 - 88yrs
Emma Evelyn Crawford LaFranier Haines - 16 Mar 1900 to 15 Mar 1972 - 71yrs
Alice Belle Crawford Marshall - 16 May 1902 to 7 Jan 1989 - 86yrs
Walter Lee Crawford - 29 Jan 1904 to 17 Feb 1973 - 69yrs
Mary Marie Crawford Coulter Kelley - 11 Feb 1906 to 13 Jan 2004 - 97yrs
Ernest 'Buster' Crawford - 24 Nov 1907 to 9 Apr 1964 - 56yrs
Dorothy 'Dora' Verna Crawford Olan Wills - 4 Oct 1909 to 14 Jan 1980 - 91yrs
Cash Norman Crawford - 6 Sep 1911 to 27 Mar 1969 - 57yrs
Rachel Helen Crawford Logue - 6 Dec 1913 to 15 Sep 1993 - 79yrs