Documents of Alford E. Ullom's First Family

A Work in Progress: It’s like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle, fitting in one piece at a time and wondering at the lovely picture of our kin when they finally reveal themselves. 

Alford E. Ullom (1847-1928) +  1st. Samantha Jane Pitman (1848-1891)
son of Lorenzo Dow Ullom (1821-1908) + Hannah Emerick (1824-1911)
daughter of 
Findagrave #25885749

Marriage Record
Name: Alfred Ullom
Gender: Male
Marriage Date: 23 Dec 1869
Marriage Place: LaSalle Co, IL, USA
Spouse Name: Samantha Pittman
Spouse Gender: Female
Spouse: Illinois, Marriage Index, 1860-1920
Retrieved from Ancestry.com
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1870 US Census
Ullom, Alfred, 23 yrs, male, white, occupation - farmer; birthplace-WV, marriage month - Dec.
----- Samantha, 21 yrs, female, white, occupation - keeping house; birthplace-WV, marriage month - Dec.
Source: 1870 US Federal Census for Evans Twp, Marshall Co, Illinois. Line # 30. Retrieved from Ancestry.com
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1880 US Fed Census
Ullom, Alfred, White, male, 33 yrs, married, farmer,  birthplace-VA, father's birthplace-VA, mother's birthplace-VA
----- Samantha J., white, female, 32 yrs, wife, married, housekeeper, birthplace-OH; father's birthplace-OH; mother's birthplace-OH.
------ Clarence, white, male, 10 yrs, son, single, at school, birthplace-IL; father's birthplace-VA; mother's birthplace-OH
------ Albertus, white, male, 8 yrs, son, single, school, birthplace-IL
----- James E., white, male, 6 yrs, son, single, school, birthplace-IL
----- Hannah, white, female, 1 yr. daughter, single, birthplace-IL
Source: 1880 US Federal Census, #152, Drum Creek Twp., Montgomery Co, Kansas, USA, 2 Jun, 1880. Line 6. Retrieved from Ancestry.com
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1885 Kansas State Census Collection
A. Ulm, 37 yrs, male, white, married, birthplace- VA; from to KS - IL
Samantha Ulm, 37 yrs. female, white, married, birthplace - OH; from to KS - IL
Clarence Ulm, 14 yrs, female, white, single, birthplace - IL, from to KS - IL
Albert Ulm, 12 yrs, male, white
J. E. Ulm, 10 yrs, male, white
Hanah Ulm, 6 yrs, female, white
Belinda Ulm, 3 yrs, female, white
Source: Kansas State Census Collection 1855-1925. Coffeyville, Montgomery Co, KS. 1885 Line # 23. Retrieved from Ancestry.com
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FARMERS HOME, 115 West Eighth St, Coffeyville, KS

Source: City Directory, Coffeyville, KS, 1901. Received from Carl Rauch, Montgomery County, KS Historical Society. 

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1. Clarence Ullom (1870-1935)  + 1st. Mary (aka. Mildred) ? ( - )
son of Alford Ullom + Samantha J. Pitman
daughter of 
2nd: Hettie Emerick 2nd: daughter of  (according to a Hettie Himmelrick's obituary on Findagrave, she married a Clarence Ullom in 1898 and he died in 1944. I found a divorce degree for them in Salem, Oregon in 1911 and she retained custody of Uriah, however, I believe whomever gave the information to my grandmother about Clarence marrying Hettie, may have gotten the wrong Clarence, for I found one on Findagrave who died in 1944 as her obituary states. Also, our Clarence has a middle name that begins with an L and the other one has a middle name that begins with a R.) 
3rd: 
4th: Ella McKenna, daughter of John & Carrie (Sorenson) Spuder

children: 
1a. Hazel Ullom (1929-____)
2a. Uriah Orville Ullom (1900-1967) - (I believe he is the child of another Clarence Ullom). 

Business Card:
THE ARLINGTON GRAND APARTMENTS
2825 So. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA.
phone 24818    
C. L. ULLOM
steam heat                                    
modern                                          
newly furnished
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1916 Certificate of Marriage for Clarence Ullom
Place of Marriage, County of Clarke, Town of Vancouver, Washington
GROOM - Clarence Ullom
Residence - 234 - 10th Street
Age - 45 yrs, white, No. of marriages - 3, birthplace - IL, Occupation-Banker,
Name of Father - Alfred Ullom, birthplace of Father - WV
Maiden Name of Mother - Samatha Pittman, birthplace of Mother - Bellaire, OH
BRIDE - Ella McKenna
Residence - 235 - 10th
age-43 yrs, white, Birthplace - MN, Occupation - waitress. Name of Father - John Spuder, birthplace of father - MN, Maiden Name of Mother - Carrie Sorenson, birthplace of mother - MN,
Maiden Name of Bride, if She was Previously Married - Ella Spuder
I hereby certify that Clarence Ullom and Ella McKenna were joined in marriage by me in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington, at Vancouver, this 24 day of April, 1916. E.L. Burrdut, Clergy, Vancouver.
Signature of Witnesses - Ethel Henderson, Hotel By__, Portland, OR and Mrs. C. L. Benedict, Vancouver, WA.Source: Retrieved from Ancestry.com
* * * * * * * * * *
2. Albertus "Bert" Ullom (1872-1944)
son of Alford Ullom + Samantha J. Pitman

child: Gwendlyn Ullom

Indiana State Board of Health
Bureau of Vital Statistics Certificate of Death #27880
1. Place of Death - Marian County
City - Indianapolis
Address - 2419 Park Ave
2. Usual Residence (Home of Deceased)
State-Indiana, County-Marian, City-Indianapolis
Street No.-2419 Park
If veteran, name war - no
3. Full name - Albertus Ullom, male, white, married, Wife-Elizabeth A. Haldick? (68 yrs.)
Birthdate-7-24-1872, age 72 yrs. 1 mo. 25 days.
Birthplace - Putnam Co., IL
Usual Occupation - Brick mason
Father - Alford Ullom, Father's birthplace - Wetzel Co, West Virginia
Mother - Samantha ?, Mother's birthplace - PA;
Informant - Elizabeth A. Ullom, 2419 Park Ave
Burial, Crown Hill, 9/22/44, Indianapolis,
Date of Death - 9-19-1944
Source: Retrieved from Ancestry.com

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3. James "Jim" Edward Ullom (1874-1948) + Jesse Main
son of Alford Ullom + Samantha J. Pitman
daughter of Fred L. Main + 

Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

children:
Robert "Bob" Ullom
Edna Ullom
Dorothy Jean Ullom

Newspaper Clipping: 

PRESIDENT AND LOCAL MANAGER OF FIRM LOCATED IN NEW HOME: J.E. ULLOM
J.E. Ullom has for the past five years been manager of the E. W. Steinhart company, distributor for the Cadillac and Dodge Brothers automobiles. It is largely through the untiring effort of Mr. Ullom and the success that he has acquired in Terre Haute that the officials of the E. W. Steinhart companies of Indiana at Indianapolis, determined to erect the new $150,000 structure, which will be formally opened this week. 

Source: unknown newspaper clipping.

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Obituary: 

MISS EDNA ULLOM SUCCUMBS TO INJURY

Popular Young Woman Dies As Result of Auto Accident Here Sunday Evening.

Edna Ullom, 19 years old, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Ullom, 2023 South Seventh Street, died at the Union hospital at 11 o'clock Wednesday night from injuries sustained in an automobile accident last Sunday night. The immediate cause of death was pneumonia, developing from injury to the lungs.

Miss Ullom was riding with Floyd Dix, near Mt. Pleasant church, when the automobile ran into a ditch and was overturned, catching Miss Ullom beneath the weight of the machine. Dr. A. H. Caffee of this city and other automobilists were on the scene shortly after the accident and rendered assistance. Dix was not injured.

The injured young woman was brought to the home of her parents and later was removed to the hospital. An x-ray examination Monday afternoon disclosed the serious nature of the injuries and at that time it was stated that Miss Ullom had but a slight chance for recovery.

Miss Ullom was active in the affairs of the city's younger social set. She was a junior at the Indiana State Normal school and a member of the Alpha sorority. Besides the parents she is survived by a brother, Robert, and a sister, Dorothy. 

Miss Ullom was preparing to enter the University of Wisconsin within a few weeks. She was talented and accomplished and her tragic injury and death were the source of grief  among her many friends and acquaintances. 

She was loved and admired for her high womanly qualities. At the hospital her room was banked with flowers, and Thursday a stream of sympathetic callers visited the Ullom residence to express their sentiments to the stricken parents.

Source: unknown newspaper clipping.
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Obituary:  

SIMPLE SERVICES FOR EDNA ULLOM

Impressive Tribute Paid in Last Rites for Young Woman.

Marked by the simplicity and sincerity that has always been evidenced in her life, the funeral of Miss Edna Ullom, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Edward Ullom was held yesterday afternoon at the home, 2023 South Seventh Street. Amid banked flowers that came as tributes to a wonderful personality and character, surrounded by friends and relatives bearing the shock bravely, impressive services were held, followed with burial in Highland Lawn cemetery.
Miss Ullom's death Wednesday night at the Union hospital, coming from complications which developed from injuries sustained Sunday evening in an automobile accident ended what physicians and nurses termed one of the pluckiest fights for life they have known. At no time did she complain nor show in any manner the suffering -- a superbly cheerful spirit carrying her bravely through long hours.
All these things were expressed by the Rev. John Herring of the First Congregational Church in the tribute, he conducted the funeral service. "Abide with Me" sung by Mrs. Clay Ladd and Mrs. Walter Hoffsinger, was requested by the parents. George Kadel, college chum of Floyd E. Dix, who was with Miss Ullom in the accident, sang "One Sweetly Solemn Thought."
At the cemetery the final services were held and the casket was lowered by six young friends of Miss Ullom, who acted at pallbearers -- Charles Haupt, Jr., Howard Cheney, Frank Ranahan, Raymond Armstrong, Charles Boland, and William Cooke.
Attended Normal School.
Miss Ullom was born Sept. 22, 1902, at Wilmington, ILL. where she attended school through 1914. The family came to Terre Haute in 1915 and in the spring of 1916, she was graduated from Fairbanks school. That fall she entered the Normal high school and was graduated in 1920, after which she took up the studies of the home economics course of the Indiana State Normal with the intention of specializing so that she might teach. While at the college she became a member of the Alpha Sorority.
Surviving in the immediate family are the parents, a brother, Robert, and a sister, Dorothy Jean. Other relatives here for the funeral were her grandfather, Fred L. Main, of Siloam Springs, Ark.; Mrs. and Mrs. Bert Ullom and daughter Gwendolyn, Indianapolis; Mr. & Mrs. John Karstedt, Indianapolis; Mrs. Hannah Warner, Mrs. Ollie Nixon, and Mr. & Mrs. John S. White, Chicago. Close friends from out of town included: Misses Margaret Tanner and Elizabeth Butler, Joliet, ILL.; Miss Charlotte Curry, attending Wisconsin University and Raymond Armstrong from the University of Illinois.
Miss Ullom was preparing to enter the University of Wisconsin within a few weeks. She was talented and accomplished and her tragic injury and death were the source of grief among her many friends and acquaintances.
She was loved and admired for her high womanly qualities. At the hospital her room was banked with flowers, and Thursday a stream of sympathetic callers visited the Ullom residence to express their sentiments to the stricken parents.
Source: Unknown newspaper clipping. 1921. 


* * * * * * * * * *
4. Hannah Ullom (1879-1943) + Ernest Preston Warner (1850- 1918) 
daughter of Alford Ullom + Samantha J. Pitman
son of 

See a letter written by Hannah here. 
See Hannah's Heirship Proof Letter.

Obituary:

YACHTSMAN, NOTED IN MIDDLE WEST, DIES

Ernest Preston Warner, husband of Hannah Warner, a resident of San Diego for several years at 3907 Goldfinch street, died Monday in Los Angeles, while under the care of a specialist. Mr. Warner was a well-known sportsman of the Middle West, being a member of the Chicago Yacht Club and was the owner of the yacht "Alice," which was many time a winner in the races conducted on Lake Michigan by the Yacht Club. Mr. Warner was born April 4, 1850; in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Funeral services will be held today at 3 pm, at Pierce Brothers' chapel in Los Angeles.

Source: unknown newspaper clipping dated Feb. 4, 1918, 3:40 am. Received from Louise LaRue.

* * * * * * * * * *

5. Belinda "Lina" Ullom (1881-____) + John Karstedt 

daughter of Alford E. Ullom + Samantha J. Pitman

son of 

Soft Gingerbread Recipe

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6. Olivia "Ollie" Ullom (1885-1946) +  James Hutton Nixon 

daughter of Alford E. Ullom + Samantha J. Pitman

son of

* * * * * * * * * *

7. Samantha Jane Ullom (1891)
daughter of Alford Ullom + Samantha Pitman

* * * * * * * * * *
More to Read:
Documents of Lorenzo Dow Ullom, Sr. Family
Alfred Ullom's Biography
Documents of Alford Ullom's 2nd Family

The Emerick vs. Astor Affair. 

Documents of Lorenzo Dow Ullom, Sr. Family

A Work in Progress: I love it when we all get together and share bits of information that each of us have. It’s like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle, fitting in one piece at a time and wondering at the lovely picture of our kin when they finally reveal themselves. 

Lorenzo Dow Ullom, Sr. (1821-1908) + Hannah Emerick (1821-1908)
son of Stephen Ullom (1796-?)+ Esther Ullom (1796-1858)
daughter of 
Findagrave #55570209

1850 US Census:
Lorenzo D. Ulm, 29 yrs, male, farmer, birthplace-PA, cannot read
Hannah, 21 yrs female, birthplace-PA, cannot read
Eliza Jane, 6 yrs, female, birthplace-PA
Alfred, 4 yrs, male, birthplace-PA
Owen, 1 yr, male, birthplace-PA
Source: 1850 US Federal Census, District 64, Wetzel Co, Virginia. Line #19. Retrieved from Ancestry.com
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1860 US Census
Lorenzo D. Ulm, 38 yrs, male, farmer, real estate - $350, Personal Estate - $244, birthplace- PA,
Hannah ", 36 yrs, female, birthplace- PA,
Elsy Jane ", 15 yrs, female, birthplace - VA, attended school - yes, 
Alfred ", 13 yrs, male, birthplace - VA, attended school - yes,
Owen W. ", 10 yrs. male, birthplace - VA, attended school - yes,
Margaret ", 9 yrs, female, birthplace - VA, attended school - yes,
Maria ", 6 yrs, female, birthplace - VA, attended school - yes,
Amanda ", 5 yrs, female, birthplace - VA,
Henderson ", 1 yr, male, birthplace - VA,
Source: 1860 US Federal Census. Wetzel, Virginia. Line #20. Retrieved from Ancestry.com
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Civil War Record: 
Ullom, Lorenzo D.
Battle Unit Name - 6th Regiment, West Virginia Infantry
Side - Union
Company - N
Location - West Virginia
Function - Infantry
Soldier's Rank In - Private
Soldier's Rank Out - Private
Alternate Name - Lorenzo D. Ullum
Source: National Park Service, Soldiers and Sailors Database, The Civil War, Film No. M507 Roll 12.  Retrieved from website:
https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=D9081FDB-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A
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1870 US Census
Ullom, L. D., 48 yrs, male, white, farmer, value of real estate - $4200, value of personal estate - $1145, birthplace-PA, male citizen over 21-yes.
-------, Hannah, 46 yrs, female, white, keep house, birthplace-PA, father of foreign birth-yes, cannot read or write,
------, Owen W. 20 yrs, male white, work on farm, birthplace-VA., cannot read or write,
------, Maggie, 18 yrs, female, white, work out, birthplace-VA., cannot read or write,
------, Maria, 16 yrs, female, white, birthplace-VA.
------, Amanda, 14 yrs, female, white, at home, birthplace-VA., attended school, 
------, Henderson, 10 yrs, male, white, birthplace-VA., attended school, 
------, Lorenzo, Jr. 8 yrs, male, white, birthplace-VA., attended school, 
------, Mary, 2 yrs, female, white, birthplace-IL.
Source: 1870 US Federal Census. Hope, LaSalle Co, IL. Line # 22. Retrieved from Ancestry.com
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1880 US Census
Ullum, L.D., white, male, 58 yrs, married,  farmer, birthplace-PA,
------, Hannah, white, female, 56 yrs., wife, married, keeping house, birthplace-PA,
------, John H. white, male, 20 yrs, son, single, birthplace-VA, 
------, Lorenzo, white, male, 18 yrs, son, single , attended school, birthplace-VA,
------, Maria, white, female, 13 yrs, daughter, single, attended school, birthplace-VA,
Source: 1880 US Federal Census, District 119, Wall Twp, Ford Co, IL. 16 Jun 1880. Line #10. Retrieved from Ancestry.com
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1900 Census
Ullom, Lorenzo D. head, white, male, birth month-Oct, birth year - 1821, 78 yrs, married-56 yrs, birthplace-PA, father's birthplace-PA, mother's birthplace-PA; occupation - landlord, can read, write, speak English - yes
----- Hanah, wife, white, female, birth month-June, birth year - 1824, 75 yrs, married-56 yrs., 10 children-7 living, birthplace-PA; father's birthplace- Holand?, mother's birthplace-PA; can read - no, can write-no, speak English - yes.
Source: 1900 US Federal Census, District 0065, Lyman Twp., Ford Co, ILL. 4 Jun, 1900. Line #45, Retrieved from Ancestry.com
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War Pension:
Date of Filing - 17 Aug 1908
Name of Soldier - Ullom, Lorenzo D.
Name of Dependent: Widow, Ullom, Hannah
Widow - # 903102
Service: N 6" W. Va. Inf.
Application No. - 903102
Certificate No. - 682248
State From Which Filed. - IL.
Source: US Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. Retrieved from Ancestry.com
-----------

1910 - US Census. Line #68.  Hannah was living with her son Alford and his 2nd wife, Tacy in Streator, LaSalle Co, IL. Grandchildren: Ellsworth, B. Frank, Lawrence, Mabel, Ronald, John H. Her Birthplace was PA. Her father's birthplace was Holland, Her mother's birthplace was Holland. She cannot read or write. 

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1929 Illinois Roll of Honor.
Name - Ullom, Lorenzo D.
War -
Company -
Unit -
Volume - 1
Page - 655
County - Ford
Cemetery - St. Mary
Source: 1929 Illinois Roll of Honor, Illinois State Archives, Retrieved from website: Cyberdrive Illinois, https://www.ilsos.gov/isaveterans/honor1929Search.do
* * * * * * * * * * 
1. Elizabeth Jane ULLOM (1844-1924) + 1st. Jesse Phillips
daughter of Lorenzo D. Ullom, Sr. + Hannah Emerick 
1st: son of 
2nd: Isaac Smith 
2nd: son of 

Obituary:

Born in Wheeling, W.Va. She died at her home in Be. . . . . 16, 1924. She had been a . . . sufferer with rheumatism for years and about two weeks ago fell and fractured her hip and never recovered from the accident. Deceased came to Illinois with her parents in 1864 and in 1876 was married to Jesse Phillips, to which union one daughter, now Mrs. Rose Scarborough, was born. In 1890 she was married the second time to Isaac Smith, who died some years ago. She leaves one daughter, Mrs. Wm. Scarborough of Arrow. . . one grandchild, Mrs. Otis Mayhew of near Sabina, and one great-grandchild, Vera Maxene Mayhew, also three sisters -- Mrs. Amanda Brown of Paxton, Mrs. Wm. Carbaugh and Mrs. Maria Caldwell of Streator, and two brothers-- Alfred Ullom of Elkhart, Kan., and Henderson Ullom of Anselmo, Neb. The funeral was held at the Christian church in Bellflower, the Rev. Linkletter, her pastor, officiating, with burial in Bellflower cemetery. The pallbearers were J.D. Dawson, Chas. Melton, Albert Dotson, Frank Houghham, J. W. Carlyle and Frank Hensley. The singers were Mrs. Bess Kumler, Albert Kleinbeck and Mr. and Mrs. Robt. Short.

Source: unknown newspaper clipping
* * * * * * * * * *
2. Alford Elonza Ullom (1847-1928) =

see "Documents of Alford Ullom 1st Family"

see "Documents of Alford Ullom's 2nd Family"

* * * * * * * * * *  
3. Owen W. Ullom (1849-1896)

* * * * * * * * * *
4.  Margaret Ullom Carbaugh (1852-1924)

* * * * * * * * * *
5. Alice Maria Ullom Caldwell (1854-1933)

Birth Index: 
Name: Mariar Ullom
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthdate: 4 May 1854
Birthplace: Fish Creek Twp., Wetzel Co, West Virginia, USA
Birth County: Wetzel
Father: Lorenzo Ullom
Mother: Hannah Ullom
Source: West Virginia, Births Index, 1804-1938. FHL Film Number 839973. Received from Ancestry.com
* * * * * * * * * *
6. Amanda Ullom Brown (1856-1942)

* * * * * * * * * *
7. John "Henderson" Ullom (1860 - ) 

* * * * * * * * * *
8. Lorenzo D. Ullom, Jr. (1862-1917)

Illinois Marriage Record:
Groom's Name: Lorenzo D. Ullum (Ullom, Jr.)
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Birth Date: abt. 1866
Father: Lorenzo D. Ullum (Ullom, Sr.)
Mother: Hannah Himmilbrink (Emerick)
Bride's Name: Theresa Belle Scott
Gender: Female
Age: 17
Birth Date: abt. 1877
Marriage Date: 30 Jan 1894
Marriage Place: Kankakee, IL, USA
Father: Clark Scott
Mother: Emma Eaton

Source: Illinois, County Marriage Records, 1800-1940, Film No.: 001839994. Retrieved from Ancestry.com

* * * * * * * * * *
9. Mary (1868-____)

* * * * * * * * * *
10. ? 
* * * * * * * * * *

More to Read:
* The Emerick vs. Astor Affair. 
* "Stephen and Esther Ullom." A Brief History of the Ullom's. By Florence Mitchell Weimer, Waynesburg, PA, 1963. p. 88. Internet Archive.

Transcribed by Dolores J. Rush, Updated: 20 Jul 2021

Charity Scrivner Holder, New Santa Fe, Missouri

We recently attended the New Santa Fe, Missouri Christian Church Historical Marker Dedication on the Old Santa Fe Trail (f. 1821) and met new-to-us cousins. My guy is the bearded fellow. 

I discovered a couple of years ago that a John and Charity (Scrivner) Holder were buried in the New Santa Fe Christian Church cemetery on Find-a-grave.com and contacted a member of the New Santa Fe Historical Society's Trail Center. I wanted to know if there were any relatives still in the area and sure enough, she introduced me, via email, to one. He's in his 80s and we have communicated via email ever since. He's been undergoing chemo, so we haven't been able to meet until now and what a good time we had getting acquainted in person, along with his wife.

He told us a little about himself and about Doris Collier's Scrivner genealogy which David has since purchased. We figured that Charity and John were my husband's 4th great-aunt and uncle. David is a direct descendant of the Scrivner family of Cole County, MO. through his paternal line [Norman Rush, Nanny Marie (Rush) Rush, Cora Lee (Sullens) Rush,  Nannie Cynthia (Scrivner) Sullens,  William J. Scrivner and so on, back through time]. 

I grew up southeast of New Santa Fe, MO. and attended VBS at the Christian Church there one summer. My mother attended a rummage sale there  also, and bought a big shiny slide for us kids. Dad set it next to our red swing set in the back yard. We had it for many years until mom decided we were too old for it and sold it. 

New Santa Fe on the Santa Fe Trail was usually the first camping stop after leaving Independence, MO. that morning.  Pioneers pulled their wagons up to the 4 o'clock house, got out, made camp, and walked or rode a horse into "town" to purchase the last necessities they needed before crossing the border (present-day State Line Road) into the Kansas territory the next morning. After  1858, the next stop was ten miles across a flat prairie to the Mahaffie Farm (the Stage Coach line didn't officially open until 1863).  

Growing up there, I never knew the area was part of our ancestral family history, more than I ever imagined. For instance, I learned that the 1838 forced removal of the Pottawatomi from Indiana (Trail of Death) crossed just north of the home of my 3rd great-grandparents in Christian County, Illinois when they were living there at the end of a hot and dusty September and that these same trail-weary and cold Indians and their government agents (approximately 1000 people altogether) plus horses, cattle and wagons camped on the western side of the Big Blue River after crossing it at the beginning of November. Today that camping spot is in present-day Minor Park and is south of Red Bridge Road and east of Holmes in Kansas City, MO.  There is a marker on the bluff above the river that marks the spot near their crossing on the Santa Fe Trail and a DAR marker further up the hill, west of the railroad tracks, marking the swales of the Trail. The Trail angled southwest across present-day Minor Park Golf Course, across present-day Holmes Road to the 4-0'clock house situated between present-day St. Thomas More Catholic Church and Avila University.  

I never knew that my 3rd great-grandfather probably camped there one night with a group of militia men on their way to  Miami County, Kansas one hot August night in 1856. Or that the Congregational missionary, Rev. Samuel Adair, was a first cousin to Lucinda (Henderson) Mahaffie and brother-in-law to a man who despised my 3rd great-grandfather because he was a Justice of the Peace in that part of the territory and he couldn't be bought to join his cause nor look the other way. Nor did I ever dream that my future husband's relatives lived in the parsonage across the road from the New Santa Fe Christian church. 

Here's the new marker for the New Santa Fe Christian Church. If you wish to read more about the history of the church, please click here to read Diane's story and here for the video she compiled to play in the narthex of the hosting congregation which had purchased the "new" New Santa Fe Christian Church building to worship in. 

"Santa Fe Christian Church
In 1869, families living in the southwestern part of the county (Jackson County, MO) organized the Santa Fe Christian Church in the town of New Santa Fe. Some pivotal charter members included: William A. McKinney, William Rippeto, Joel Lipscomb, Marcus Gill, John M. Wells, and Isaac Weeks.
The congregation originally met at the schoolhouse in New Santa Fe. A white-framed church was dedicated on the land in 1892.
By the 1960s, the church was one of the last buildings standing in the town of New Santa Fe. In November 1969, a fire damaged part of the church. The newer members held a meeting without including everyone and voted to raze the church. An injunction to stop the demolition was filed in February 1971 and was approved; however, the church was bulldozed before the order could be enforced.
Most of the original church is under the current parking lot on the southeastern edge of the cemetery. A small part of the chimney and the outline of the baptismal font are still visible today inside the cemetery's gates. Santa Fe Christian Church 
Marker placed by the Historical Society of New Santa Fe." 

Update! More to Read: 
1. "Santa Fe Christian Church's Final Homecoming Celebration" By Mary Wilson. Jackson County Advocate Newspaper Blog. Grandview, MO., Friday, October 13, 2017

Here's my contribution to the event -- a coloring sheet of the old church that had been torn down:

Update: Bill Crotty passed away 13 February 2019. His Findagrave memorial 

and Obituary. 

Article written by Dolores J. Rush, Updated: 9/20/2022.

Treasured Memories

Jesus, sing along with me, "Precious Memories, how they linger . . ."

Jesus, do you remember where you slept when you were a boy and later as a man? Can you picture it in your mind, remember all the details of that place?  The sights, the sounds, the smells, the feel of your blankets and lumps where you lay? 

I went to my grandmother's last night as I lay in my bed at home, nestled under a quilt grandma Maurine made for my high school graduation.

My inner eye and I roamed around in my grandmother's basement where we slept as kids during our summer break from school (we sometimes stayed a month during our three month break) and during our Christmas break (two weeks) and then upstairs in her second bedroom when I was sixteen. Do you remember that Jesus? I felt so grown up as I was allowed to visit my grandparents by myself and to travel to Dodge City, Kansas by train where they picked me up. Thank you for being with me, protecting me along the way. My mother never said anything, but I'm sure she was anxious until I made it there and they assured her I was okay when we called her from their house. I was excited and homesick all at the same time.

I miss grandma and Papa. Jesus, do you remember when I called him that? He was Papa until I think I was in high school and felt I was too old for such a childish name for him. I miss being able to visit them, but last night, I pushed past my emotions and looked around the rooms in my memory while I lay snugly under my quilt.

Will you come along with me as I remember grandma's basement? It was a wide open space, except for where the stairs came down into the third end of the room.  Grandma had grandpa build a little storage room under the stairs and shelves on the left side of the stair wall for her pretties. She would rotate them as she got tired of looking at them or when the seasons or holidays changed. On the right side of the stairs there were the white metal cupboards they removed from the kitchen in the old house before it was sold and moved into town.

Grandma told me they began housekeeping in a 2-room house, which was still standing the last time I was down at the farm, then they purchased a two story house in Elkhart, Kansas and moved it to their farm in the 1940s. On the plains of the Oklahoma panhandle and southwestern Kansas where wood for building was scarce, my mom said it was a common practice to remove whole buildings to a new site. After 20 years of living in that house, Grandpa decided to have a 2-bedroom ranch house built over a basement in 1962-63, thinking it would be easier for Grandma to keep house. 

Do you remember Jesus, that Grandma loved that old house as much I did? I don't know why she loved it, but I did because it was full of interesting nooks and crannies. It had a lot of character. 

As I lay in bed, I swept my mind's eye around the room, feeling cozy and loved under my quilt. Beside me a few feet away, was Grandpa's office desk and chair. We kids loved that chair, do you remember why Jesus? We loved to sit in that wooden arts and crafts chair and spin each other just for the fun of it until mom would yell down the stairs and chase us out-of-doors to play. On the left side of Grandpa's desk was a bookcase where he kept his farm books mostly. After awhile, Grandpa brought home a huge metal safe to keep their photos and accounting books in. It was on the wall on the right side of the desk.

Remember the old living room furniture Grandma brought over from the old house – her scratchy old beige sofa, a braided area rug, an old blanket trunk, an old wooden kitchen chair with the black vinyl covered seat that wasn't fastened down and a end table arranged in a circle? In the corner, sat her old round oak dining room table. I loved that hefty pedestal table on huge claw feet and rollers as it could be pushed out from the wall a little if needed so all of us kids could crowd around (there was four of us and usually two or more cousins) to play games on it. Often times, when it was rainy or a blizzard blew in, we would play "house" down there. It was cool down there in the summer and warm in the winter. 

Then there was the three double iron beds that we each slept in. One was mom's squeaky bed from when she was a girl. My sisters usually claimed that one, but my brother refused to sleep with me after he said I kicked him out of bed several times in a row in my sleep. Jesus, knowing my brother, he was probably being onery to me and I kicked him out in self-defense, but since I was asleep, I don't remember it. Jesus, did you have any pesky little brothers? 

I remember the way the basement smelled, dusty. None of the basement walls or the floor were painted or sealed, so when we left, Grandma would cover the beds with plastic sheeting because that fine Oklahoma dirt would sift in through the basement windows, two on each wall whenever a storm would stir up.

Jesus, I felt so grown up as I lay in the upstairs bed in between the crisp white sheets where my parents usually slept when we came down during the Christmas holidays. Dad would take his two-week vacation time then and we would drive to our grandparents, usually during the night so that we kids slept on the way down in the back of the station wagon that mom and dad made up into a bed. Two at the top of the mattress and two at the bottom, with our legs and stocking feet meeting somewhere in the middle under the quilt. Sometimes I would just lay there, looking up at your beautiful night sky as the car rolled down the highway (eight hours one way). The sky didn't change much, but lower down, the telephone poles would flash by, one after the other. Thank you, Jesus, for that conjunction of Mars and Jupiter. There was much speculation that this was the star the wise men saw that year. Thank you for that precious memory.

Jesus, remember that new oak bedroom set that Grandma purchased in town when she moved into the new house for the second bedroom? The double bed was stationed under an aluminum drapery-framed window. Instead of opening from the bottom as our windows at home did, these slid open from the side. They were a wonder. My grandparents had air-conditioning, but sometimes they would shut it off during the night and open the windows to let in the fresh night-time breezes through the screen. Their air was dry, not humid like where we lived. The windows were shut before the heat of the day began. 

The walls were painted white and the trim around the windows and doors were stained oak to match the bedroom furniture. Opposite the bed on the right side, was another window that looked toward the back of the house where the cement patio was. I always wanted a covered concrete patio like theirs. Their back door was constantly in use, unlike the formal front door.  Thank you, Jesus, for providing a home for my family with a small covered concrete porch.

Across the room, at the end of the bed, was the clothes closet and the exit door to the hallway. There was a beige carpet on the floor that led out to the hallway. And, facing me, as I curled up in the bed, was the oak bureau with mirror. As a good hostess, grandma kept two drawers empty so visitors would have some place to stash their stuff and a closet full of hangers. I can remember waking up at the crack of dawn and watching the sun come up, sometimes falling back to sleep until I heard my grandparents stirring in their bedroom. Once, grandpa, laughing, came to shake me awake. I guess I was talking in my sleep about horses! Jesus, the things I did in my sleep! I was rather embarrassed! LOL! Jesus, did you do anything funny in your sleep?

Jesus, I want to tell you  thank you for allowing me to have a relationship with my grandparents. Many of my friend's grandparents lived too far away or some had died before they were born, so they didn't know what they were missing. Grandma Maurine and I were close like this (holding two fingers up side by side); she was my best bud and a kindred spirit. All through my growing up years we corresponded by letter throughout the year.

Do you remember, Jesus, when my grandparents asked you to come into their hearts, to wash them whiter than snow? I bet your angels were rejoicing in heaven the day they did. 

Grandma Maurine met Papa at a camp-meeting in Topeka, KS. I don't recall how my paternal grandmother met my grandfather, but they were married in a pastor's home before Sunday School began. I expect that's why I'm a believer today, because they influenced my parents and thus me to follow Christ.

Remember Timothy, Jesus? He had a godly grandmother too. It says so in 2 Timothy 1:5 --

"I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also."

Paul told him to guard the good deposit, all the good reading from the scriptures he received from his grandmother and his mother, from infancy up, and Paul's discipleship in evangelism.

I thank you Jesus, for the treasured memories of my grandparents. See you in heaven, Grandma Maurine and Papa John. Until then. . .

More to Read:

Memories of our Grandparents and Their Farms

Findagrave, # 15079870 and 15079845