Other Events:

• Reference Number: *
• _MARNM: Sly, Smith
• _UID: 9108D5F346F2C24DB55FBF8C540299564CD1

Notes:

Things to do:
1. send for homestead application and or land records.
2. Stump farms?
3. Subsistance farms?
4. R R in Lincoln county?
5. History of Lincoln county (Historical society?)
6. local mail delivery?
7. Bay County newspapers? property sales, etc.
8. 1860's Gold rush in Montana - became a state in 1864.
9. 1880's railroad crossed Montana
10. Divorce Papers?
11. Land records for May Sherman in Eureka
12. Land records for Elizabeth Smith

Timeline:
1858 15 Dec Elizabeth born Adams Co. Indiana to James and Nancy Daugherty Close
1860 US Census Madison, Allen, Indiana age 1 with parents and sister, Eliza age 2 and half brother George age 11
1862 Decatur, Adams, Indiana
1865-1869 Siblings born Indiana
1870 US Census Root twp, Adams, Indiana with parents, James & Nancy Close
1877 Elisabeth married Loren Sly Hinton, Mecosta, MI
1878 Sister Diantha married Sylvester, Allen, MI
1880 US Census Eliz & Loren Sly Freemont, Isabella, MI, with child Carrie age 1
1894 MI State Census Elizabeth Sly Marr with 3 children, Pinconning Village, Bay, MI
1900 Eliz Sly & Richard Smith marr Rockford, Winnebago, Wis
1910 Census Eliz & Richard Smith Lincoln Co, Montana
1919 8 Jul Libby died of breast cancer in Eureka, Lincoln Co., Montana (death cert gives cause of death as Uterine Carcinoma)

1900 Census, Michigan - searched all of Bay County, Pinconning twp and found no Smith, Libby or Richard nor did I find any Slys

After her husband, Lorian Sly, left for the gold fields (about 1888) during a recession, Elizabeth Sly took in roomers to make ends meet. After a few letters from Lorian, she never heard from him again. Elizabeth (Close) Sly eventually married Richard Smith, one of the roomers, (between 1894 and 1901) and moved to Montana near Eureka to homestead. Elizabeth (Libby) and Richard Smith raised her grand daughter, Bertha Sherman. Libby raised vegetables and strawberries to sell to the neighbors. She also sold cottage cheese, eggs, milk, chicken, cookies, etc. She was well liked by everyone. Richard Smith was a bricklayer, then a ditch tender of the irrigation ditch (circa 1916). It is said that little by little he lost most of his land through lawsuits he initiated. The homestead burned and he lived in the little cabin on the property. It is said that he was onery, but Bertha remembers him as kind to her. The land was eventually bought by Fred and Maye Alverson. She was a cousin to Bertha Sherman. Richard Smith died in Eureka, Montana. The following was taken from a letter dated 19 February, 1970, to Marilyn Parker from Maye Alverson, (daughter of Jennie Close Butler who was a sister to Elizabeth Close Sly Smith.) " Dick Smith's place was built on a piece of land that was not his and when he went to prove up, found it out. So he bought 3 acres from a Henry Wedymeyer. When Dick got too bad, he moved to town with one of their old neighbors and I think some one took what they wanted out of the house and touched a match to it, as it was burned. So nothing was left." "When Dick was buried, I was surprised as he was a real good looking man. He always wore a mustach and the undertaker shaved it off. The reason he wore a mustach, he had a big birth mark on his upper lip. And he was so clean." " Old Dick wasn't too gifted in work. It was always Aunt Lib that did the work. Even worked out at cooking. It's still a wonder to me how things and people got by in those days. (Lib for Elizabeth). At one point Elizabeth lived in a boxcar while picking huckleberries and cranberries in a cranberry bog.
Elizabeth (Close) Sly Smith was diagnosed with cancer at the Mayo Clinic and Bertha often administered Morphine to her grandma to make the pain bearable. Elizabeth died in July 1919.

"The Story of the Tobacco Plains Country,
the Autobiography of a Community"
Page 164 is in a chapter on "Fortine Area Homesteads." It says, "Among many other Michiganders who homesteaded in this vicinity were Dick Smith and his wife, and Mrs. Smith's son and daughter, Ernest and May Sly. For years Dick Smith was the community "radical"--always fighting the capitalist lumber companies and writing accusing letters to his Congressmen: "Just sore at everybody in the world," as Harry Weydemeyer puts it. Mrs. Smith died and her son and daughter went west, but Dick stayed on, living alone at his homestead, and died there at a ripe old age, still kicking."

Boom and Bust: Montana's Homestead Era By Gary Glynn
Although the homestead era in Montana lasted for more than 70 years, the vast majority of those who homesteaded in the state did so during a ten-year period beginning in 1908. The original Homestead Act was signed by Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862. The new law stipulated that any head of household over 21 years old could stake out a 160 acre farm on government land with only a $10 filing fee. If the farmer lived on the homestead for five years and improved the property, he or she would receive title to it. Several different variations on the Homestead Act were passed over the years, and depending on which one a farmer filed under, he could receive 160, 320, or as much as 640 acres.
Despite giving away land for free, the Homestead Act proved to be a failure in the arid West, where even 640 acres was simply not enough land to enable a farmer to succeed. It was an invitation to disaster.
Nevertheless, to many the promise of free land was irresistible. By 1900, half a million families had moved West to homestead. It wasn't until the early 1900s that large numbers of would-be farmers began arriving in Montana, lured by a slick advertising campaign paid for by railroad magnate James J. Hill, the man who controlled the Great Northern, the Burlington and Northern Pacific railroads. Hill knew that customers for his railroads were hard to find in sparsely populated Montana, and he realized that with the help of the Homestead Act, he could convert the empty plains of Montana into a potential gold mine for his railroad empire. All he had to do was convince farmers that the dry plains of Montana were rich farmland.
By 1908 his campaign to bring thousands of small farmers into Montana was in full swing. Hill had thousands of brochures distributed throughout the United States and Western Europe extolling the virtues of the Great Plains as a farmer's paradise. Hill also promoted the "Campbell System" of dry-land agriculture, devised by South Dakota farmer Hardy Webster Campbell. Campbell stated that with deep plowing and scientific agricultural methods, the plains of Montana could produce tremendous yields of grain. Hill also hired another agricultural expert Professor Thomas Shaw, who described eastern Montana as a farmer's paradise. By 1910, Shaw was operating 45 experimental farms in Montana, and the favorable results of his experiments were widely publicized.
Along with promoting the promise of free land in an agricultural paradise, Hill announced cut-rate fares on his railroad to entice farmers to move to the state. His promises of free land, cheap transportation, and rich soil appealed to many people, and Montana's Homestead Boom was on.
Most of the newcomers were Americans, but thousands were Germans and Scandinavians drawn by Hill's European advertising campaign. The cowboys and miners of the state, who had flooded into Montana during earlier booms, watched the trainloads of newcomers arriving, and derisively nicknamed them "honyockers."
By 1908 the boom was in full swing, and every westbound train brought new homesteaders. They erected tar paper shacks and hitched up their plows, eager to make their fortune in the golden fields of wheat. The Great Falls land office averaged 1000 to 1500 homestead filings a month in 1910, and agriculture surpassed mining as the state's number one industry for the first time. At least 40,000 homesteaders filed claims in the state during the first twenty years of this century, and new farming communities began springing up all over the eastern plains.
For several years it appeared as if the small farmers would succeed and prosper. A period of unusually high rainfall blessed the new farmers, and the freshly plowed prairies produced record crops of wheat. When James J. Hill passed away in 1916, it looked as if his plan to populate the empty plain of eastern Montana with homesteaders had paid off.
The one thing that James J. Hill and his agricultural experts had not counted on was drought, and periodic droughts are a fact of life on the Great Plains. The spring rains failed to appear in 1917, and by the summer of 1918 the drought was widespread. Suddenly, thousands of Montana's homesteaders were in serious trouble. Their crops burned up in the fields, and the nonstop winds blew the carefully plowed and powdered topsoil away. Finally, hordes of grasshoppers arrived to complete the devastation. Many farmers found themselves unable to pay their bills, and by the summer of 1919 thousands had been forced from their farms. The same railroads which had brought the homesteaders into Montana now carried them away. The banks and seed merchants and implement dealers, all of whom had fueled the homestead boom with easy credit, declared bankruptcy in record numbers. Although the Homestead Act remained in effect until 1935, the homestead boom had ended in Montana by 1918.
The steamboat trade, with its expense and limitations, dropped off sharply in the mid- 1880s, as the first railroads reached Montana and opened up to passenger service. "Emigrant cars," specially designed for the prospective settler, afforded dismal and cramped accommodations to those with enough money to pay for the cost of trip. Passengers in emigrant cars were often forced to spend their journeys sitting upright on uncushioned, backless benches. On many trains, the management offered thin straw mattresses (at a cost of $3.00 each), which could be laid on the floor beneath the benches. One settler remembered, "My mother had a real hard time getting any sleep on the train. Anytime she laid down under the benches, her feet stuck out into the aisle, and the conductor would come along and kick her." Privacy in the cars was minimal, with no dividing partitions and a common toilet and cookstove for as many as 30 emigrants. Wealthier settlers could rent out entire boxcars, in which to transport not only their family members, but also their household goods, farming equipment, and up to six heads of cattle.

Bay County, Michigan land records? The date is before Libby and Richard Smith's marriage?
Smith Libby J Sec 32 T 15N R 4E 80 acres Land office 04 (East Saginaw) Document #639 signing date 1874/04/10

1860 United States Federal Census Record about James Close
Name: James Close
Age in 1860: 33
Birth Year: abt 1827
Birthplace: Ohio
Home in 1860: Madison, Allen, Indiana
Gender: Male
Post Office: Fort Wayne
Value of real estate: $300 farmer
Household Members: Name Age
James Close 33
Nancey Close 23
George Close 11
Eliza Close 2
Elizabeth Close 1
1880 United States Federal Census Elizabeth Sly
Name: Elizabeth Sly
Home in 1880: Fremont, Isabella, Michigan
Age: 21
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1859
BirthPlace: Indiana
Relation to head-of-household: Wife
Spouses's Name: Loren A.
Father's birthplace: OH
Mother's birthplace: OH
Occupation: Keeping House
Marital status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Female
Household Members: Name Age
Loren A. Sly 26
Elizabeth Sly 21
Carey A. Sly 1
Laura Bronk 10 nurse

The 1894 statecensus, Michigan, Bay Co. Pinconning Village, dated June 8, 1894 (film #915292) page 206 family 822:
Smith,Richard, age 30 M Board, single, carpenter bp Indiana, father bp Canada, mother bp Indiana
15 years in state.
Sly, Elizabeth. age 35 F wife marr, 3 children, 3 living, bp Indiana, fath bp Canada, mo bp Indiana
15 years in state
Sly, Carrie age 15 F daug single, bp Michigan, father bp Indiana, mother bp Indiana
Sly, Addie M age 12 F daug single, bp Michigan, father bp Indiana, mother bp Indiana
Sly, Earnest age 10 M son single, bp Michigan father bp Indiana, mother bp Indiana

1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Elizabeth Smith
Age in 1910: 51
Birth Year: abt 1859
Birthplace: Indiana
Home in 1910: School District 10, Lincoln, Montana
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Richard Smith
Father's Birthplace: Ohio
Mother's Birthplace: Ohio
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
Richard Smith 49
Elizabeth Smith 51
Bertha I Sherman 7


Marr: film # 1004849, Book A, page 53 "Marriages, Mich, Mecosta County" #787

Montana Death Index, 1860-2007
Name: Elizabeth Smith
Age: 61
Estimated birth year: abt 1858
Gender: Female
Death Date: 8 Jul 1919
Index Number: Lin 34

findagrave.com
Elizabeth Smith
Birth: 1858
Death: Jul. 8, 1919
Burial:
Tobacco Valley Cemetery
Eureka
Lincoln County
Montana, USA
Created by: Jim Lee
Record added: Nov 19, 2009
Find A Grave Memorial# 44563149
Elizabeth Libby Close Sly
Birth: Dec. 25, 1858
Adams County
Indiana, USA
Death: Jul. 8, 1919
Eureka
Lincoln County
Montana, USA
Elizabeth married Loren Sly on Sept 23, 1873 in Michigan.
Loren disappeared sometime in between 1888 to 1898.
Elizabeth married Richard Smith on July 14, 1900 in Illinois.
Parents:
James Close (abt 1827 - Unk)
Nancy Ann Daughterty-Close
(abt 1836 - Dec 8, 1910)
Family links:
Spouse:
Loren Alvanus Sly (1853
Burial:
Tobacco Valley Cemetery
Eureka
Lincoln County
Montana, USA
Created by: RMW
Record added: Jun 01, 2012
Find A Grave Memorial# 91113262

Elizabeth married Alvannah Loren SLY on 23 Sep 1877 in Hinton, Mecosta, Michigan, United States. Alvannah (son of William Wesley SLY and Elizabeth MORRIS) was born about 1854 in Michigan, United States; died after 1888 in United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Elizabeth married Richard SMITH on 14 Jul 1900 in Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois, United States. Richard (son of Jessie Marshall Smith and Charity Ann Ryckman) was born in 1861 in Canada; died on 1 Feb 1932 in , Lincoln, Montana, United States; was buried in Tobacco Plains Cemetery, Eureka, Lincoln, Montana, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 9A71CEB69D7C1C4DA11B664821586D47A87C

Notes:

Carrie Sly
in the Michigan, County Marriage Records, 1822-1940
Name: Carrie Sly
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Birth Date: abt 1878
Marriage Date: 3 Dec 1896
Marriage Place: Pinconning, Bay, Michigan, USA
Father: L. Sly
Spouse: Fred A. Fletcher
Film Number: 000947222

http://www.mifamilyhistory.org/isabella/cenvital.html
Isabella County, Michigan Birth Records:
Child No. Birth Date Name (if any,and color other than white) Sex Birth Place Full Name of Each Residence Birth Place Occupation of Father Date of Record
1668 Nov 30, 1878 Clara Sly F Mecosta Co. Loren Sly Fremont Michigan Farmer May 20, 1879 Elizabeth Sly Indiana

Funeral service card states Carrie Ann Fletcher born Nov 30, 1876, Ausable, Michigan.

Carrie Ann and Fred Fletcher lived in Michigan. They stayed there when Carrie's mother and stepfather, Libby and Dick Smith, came west to Montana.They were still in Michigan when Milton Sherman left Montana and returned to Michigan about 1905. They probably kept in touch with him. Later they also came west to Montana near Eureka where Fred was the Mill pond tender on Flathead Lake. In 1912 the family moved into the "Love Cabin" near the homestead of Carrie's sister, Elizabeth Smith. Later moved to a lot in Eureka, Montana which was owned by May Sly.

1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Fred Fletcher
Home in 1900: Whitney, Arenac, Michigan
Age: 25
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1875 April
Birthplace: Michigan
Relationship to head-of-house: Head
Spouse's Name: Carrie
Race: White
Occupation: fisherman
Household Members: Name Age
Fred Fletcher 25
Carrie Fletcher 21 2 children, 1 living married 4 years
Dortha M Fletcher 10/12

1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Carrie Fletcher
Age in 1910: 31
Birth Year: abt 1879
Birthplace: Michigan
Home in 1910: Flathead, Flathead, Montana
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Wife [Daughter]
Marital Status: Married
Father's Name: Fredirick Fletcher
Father's Birthplace: Indiana
Mother's Birthplace: Indiana
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
Fredirick Fletcher 36 Sailor of tugboat
Carrie Fletcher 31 6 children, 5 living
Dorothy Fletcher 10
Bernice Fletcher 8
Earnest Fletcher 6
George Fletcher 4
Brewster Fletcher 3

1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Carrie A Fletcher
Age: 41
Birth Year: abt 1879
Birthplace: Michigan
Home in 1920: Port Angeles, Clallam, Washington
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Father's Birthplace: United States [United States of America]
Mother's Birthplace: Indiana
Home Owned: Rent
Able to Read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Household Members: Name Age
Carrie A Fletcher 41
Effie B O Brien 18
Ernest W Fletcher 16
George D Fletcher 14
Brewster J Fletcher 12
Leroy W Fletcher 6
Luella J O Brien 0 [8/12]


1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Fred Fletcher
Home in 1920: Eureka, Lincoln, Montana
Age: 45 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1875
Birthplace: Michigan
Relation to Head of House: Roomer
Father's Birth Place: New York
Mother's Birth Place: Canada
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 794
Household Members: Name Age
William Butter 49 (should be Butler)
Dintha Butter 55
G C Grimes 35
Fred Fletcher 45 (no job)

1930 United States Federal Census
Name: Carrie Fletcher
Gender: Female
Birth Year: abt 1879
Birthplace: Michigan
Race: White
Home in 1930: Port Angeles, Clallam, Washington
Marital Status: Widowed
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birthplace: Indiana
Mother's Birthplace: Indiana
Household Members: Name Age
Carrie Fletcher 51 laundress at a laundry

Washington, Select Death Certificates, 1907-1960 about Carrie Ann Fletcher
Name: Carrie Ann Fletcher
[Carrie Ann Sly]
Gender: Female
Age: 80
Estimated birth year: abt 1877
Death Date: 3 Jul 1957
Death Place: Port Orchard, Kitsap, Washington
Father: Clarence V. Sly
Mother: Elizabeth
FHL Film Number: 2033736
Reference ID: 13430

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current about Carrie A. Fletcher
Name: Carrie A. Fletcher
Birth Date: 1878
Death Date: 1957
Cemetery: Discovery Bay Cemetery
Burial Place: Maynard, Jefferson County, Washington
URL: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-...

Clara married Fred Warren FLETCHER on 3 Dec 1896 in Pinconning, Bay, Michigan. Fred (son of George D FLETCHER and Synthy Galm) was born in Apr 1875 in Lowas City, , Michigan; died between 1920-30. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Also Known As: May
• Reference Number: *
• _MARNM: Sherman, Lamb
• _UID: BC8E4DCBA85B074B8A6691067B6D96D08C16

Notes:

Time line for Adie Mae Sly Sherman Lamb
1881 3 May born Oscoda Iosco, MI
1897 8th grade graduate Pinconning, Bay, Michigan
1900 US Census Mae living with Aunt Torisa Close Pierce, Milton, Rock, WI
1902 17 Feb,Mae married Milton Kellum Sherman, Tawas City, Iosco, MI
1902 Mae & Milton Sherman moved with her parents to Eureka, Lincoln, Montana
1903 2 Mar daughter, Bertha Sherman born
1906 Milton left Mae and Bertha and returned to Michigan, Mae went with Aunt Carrie Fletcher to Port Angeles, then
waitressed in Davenport Hotel in Spokane WA
1908 23 Dec married James Leroy Lamb, lived in Lacrosse, Washington
1911 moved to farm 1 mile E of Diamond, WA, then moved into town of Diamond
1953 16 Jan Died in Auto Accident in Spokane, Spokane,Wash

*Washington Death Index, 1940-1996 Washington Death Index, 1940-1996
Name: Addia M Lamb
Place of Death: Spokane
Date of Death: 16 Jan 1953
Age: 71
Gender: F
Certificate: 1692

COLFAX GAZETTE, COLFAX, WASHINGTON, JANUARY 5, 1912.
Pg 3
LACROSSE.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Lamb of Diamond
are visiting friends here since
last Thursday. Mr. Lamb returned
Saturday and Mrs. L. will remain
another week.


Note from Marge Collis:
I enjoyed reading this very much. I seem to remember Roy saying his grandmother worked in Nome, Alaska, as a phone operator? Was that somewhere in the story also? I know he loved his grandmother, and had fun times with her. She took him fishing - which she apparently loved doing? Perhaps, she just thought HE needed the experience, being the oldest, and needed some 1 on 1 attention, I don't know - whatever it was, he had wonderful memories of his Grandmother.

Grandma and Grandpa lamb lived in Diamond Washington on a hill back from the mercantile on the main road that goes to Endicott. Thera was just outside of Colfax 1.5 miles toward Endicott. The house there that Bertha and Russell lived in has been torn down.
Addie Sly (Slyh), graduated 7 June, 1897, from Pinconning School, Bay City, Bay County, Michigan.
!NOTE: The following was told to Marilyn Parker by Bertha Sherman Collis, 13 Jan 1970:
"Elizabeth Close married Loren (Lorian) Sly and probably lived at Fort Wayne, Indiana when her children were young. Lorian walked with a limp. He left during the panic of 1893 (or near that time), to go to the gold fields. He wrote 2 or 3 letters, but was not heard from again. It was not made clear whether his wife, Elizabeth, moved to Tawas City before or after he left. She took in roomers to make ends meet. Richard Smith was a logger and boarded with her as he felt widows needed the money. They later were married. Addie Mae met and married Milton K. Sherman against her mother, Elizabeth's will. Elizabeth and Grandpa Dick were moving to Montana and wanted Addie to go with them and Milton to follow. They could then be married out west. Instead Addie and Milton were married in Tawas City. She went west with her family and Milton followed. They lived in the little cabin close to Addie's parents. Milton left when Bertha was about 2 years old. Bertha knew nothing more about her father"
!NOTE: The following was taken from a letter dated New Year's 1970, to Marilyn Parker from Maye Alverson:
"I always thought if Dick Smith had been a different man, your grandparents (Mae and Milton Sherman) would have made a go of it. But you would have had to know Dick to understand. He sure never made Aunt Lib happy. But that is a long gone story now and so are all those connected with it." The following was taken from a letter dated 19 Feb, 1970, to Marilyn Parker from Maye Alverson. (72 year old step daughter of Jennie Close Butler who was a sister to Elizabeth Close Sly Smith.) "Mae and Milton might have got along but Dick never got along with anyone. One night he shot at Milton through the wall and put two shots above his head. Poor old Dick was always on the outs with his neighbors, wouldn't let them use his road and such. Roads were pretty hard come by in those days." "Dick always seemed to be good to Bertha. She must have been quite small when Mae left her with Aunt Lib. When Mae left here, she went with Carrie Fletcher to Port Angeles. From there I lost track." "When Milton and Mae separated, he sold his re-leasement to Dan Alverson, Fred's father (Maye Alverson's father-in-law). It has been in the Alverson name until about 10 years ago. When Mrs. Burr Alverson remarried to a man by the name of Anderson. It was known as Alverson and Anderson for several years. Yes, Fred did own Dick's (Richard Smith) old place until about 5 years ago. He sold to a friend and his brother-in-law. They in turn made the meadow into a lake. It's on Terriaul Creek. Made a nice lake, but the neighbors fish it out, so Henry don't get much use of that as they live out on the flats at Iowa Flats as it's called". "Both of the Andersons are dead now and that place is owned by a young couple by the name of Arle Burk. Jack A. got $19,000 for it. Times do change. Acreage has gone sky high since the Libby Dam Project has started. Fred sold his for $40 per acre and now could easily get $75. And over near the recreation zone on the Kootenai, the land is going as high as $125 per acre." "Ernest Sly built a place on Glen Lake and it still stands and people live in it. I wouldn't be surprised but what Dad built the chimney on it as he has built so many in this country, also fireplaces. You can't get into Glen Lake only on one lot that the county owns but was taken over by the Fish and Game commission. The Lake now is so much larger than your grandmother knew it as the water from Grave Creek-Terriault Creek runs in it and it's used all over the valley and is known as the Glen Lake Irrigation Ditch.
The following information was taken from a letter dated January 28, 1970, to Marilyn Parker from Mrs. M. O. Chambers, (Great Aunt Tillie, Milton Kellum Sherman's sister) " Mae Sly worked at the Elliot House Hotel. It included a restaurant and bar. She was a waitress. I seem to remember that her parents worked for the Elliots also. Milton Kellum Sherman and Mae Sly were married in Oscoda, Michigan. However, the marriage was registered in Tawas City, the county seat. Mae Sly was a very beautiful girl. She had most of the young men in a whirl for sure. However, Milton won her. When her parents decided to move to Montana, Mae insisted on going too. Milton, being so mad about her, gave in and went along. Milton was always a very calm, quiet man, would never argue or quarrel with any one. What happened between Mae and Milton I never heard. I do know he loved her and Bertha very much. When he came home, I was only about 6 or 7 years of age, but I remember he had a picture of Bertha at about age 1 or 2. He had that picture enlarged and it hung in our parlor. Several times I have gone into the parlor and found him standing there before that picture with tears running down his face. In all the years, I have never known Milton to be anything but kind and gentle to everyone. A real good man." "Now about his work and living. While he remained in the Oscoda area, he worked for the most part as a lumberman as did most of the other men in those days (unless they were in business). Later, about 1916, he moved to Detroit and he worked in a factory. After the War (1st WW), he moved out to Auburn, Michigan, a farming community not too far from Detroit, and became a farmer. He moved to the farm in Manton, Michigan area sometime in the 30's, I think, staying there until his death in July, 1953."
Extract from a letter dated March 6, 1970 to Bertha Sherman Collis from Bacil B. Sherman, (youngest child of Milton Kellum Sherman). "When I was younger, I used to travel quite a little. Dad asked me to try to locate you, but I had no success in any way."
When Milton went to Michigan about 1905, it is said that he wanted Mae to go with him, but she wouldn't. She went to town to find work as a waitress and left Bertha with Grandma Libby and Dick Smith, Addie Mae`s mother and step-father. She worked in Montana, Washington and perhaps Alaska. When she married "Roy" Lamb, she hated to take Bertha from her home with the Smiths.
"Mae" and Roy lived in Lacrosse, Washington until Oct., 1911, when they moved to a farm one mile East of Diamond, Washington, where they lived twenty-nine years until her death. In 1919, Libby Smith died, so Bertha came to live with her mother and step-father (she considered him her father as she knew no other.)

(the following note accompanied each framed piece of quilt that I sent to each of my children, grandchildren and sisters and brother, stan)
This piece of quilt is from a "Grandmother's Flower Garden" quilt top made in the 1940's by my grandmother, Addie Mae (Sly) Sherman Lamb. She is the mother of my mother, Bertha (Sherman) Collis. Mae, as she was called, was born 3 May 1881 in Michigan. She moved as a newly wed with her husband, Milton Sherman, to Kalispell, Montana, where my mother was born. Milton left Montana and returned to Michigan when Bertha was about 2 years old. He asked for Mae and Bertha to accompany him, but to no avail. She left Montana to look for work in Alaska and Washington. She later married James Leroy Lamb and moved to Diamond, Washington, where she lived out her life. She was killed in a car accident while on a shopping trip to Spokane, Washington on 16 January, 1953.
As I quilted this small piece of her quilt top, I couldn't help but think of her loving fingers making the small delicate stitches. How appropriate that it should be called 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' as she loved her garden. Perhaps some of the fabrics were from her dresses. She also loved fishing in the stream near her home in Diamond. When Scott was living in Moscow, Idaho, just across the Washington border from Diamond, we took a drive over there. We looked around and found the spot where her house used to be. We met a man about my age named Norman Kuntze, who used to go fishing with Grandma. He just happened to have her fishing pole and retrieved it from his garage and gave it to us. Scott now has it as he too was doing some fishing at that time. I hope you enjoy this small piece in memory of her. I wish I had known her.
Love, Marilyn Parker

PS. I remember with fondness the 1 dollar bill she would send to each of us on our birthday. One time a large box arrived at our house. It was full of fancy dress up clothes. My did Darlyne and I have fun with those.

(email from Stan after I sent him a framed piece of Addie Mae's quilt)Thanks for the quilt. Roy and I were the last of the family to see grandma. We went to wash in 1949 or 50. I remember as a little boy she would fix sliced oranges for breakfast. Guess what she served when Roy and I visited. She sure looked good for her age. It was a shock to me when she was killed.

Memories from Barbara about Grandma Lamb: Barbara felt she was special to Grandma. Grandma would put leftover bacon on the butter dish. She also remembered the sliced oranges with powdered sugar. She had a back room with many windows but not heat. She would warm bricks and wrap them in a towel for their beds. She was always doing handwork; Tatting, crocheting, knitting. She worked in her rock garden and had mostly flowers. Barb remembers going to the general store with Dad and Grandpa. The school was a dance studio last time she visited. Grandma wanted to come visit when we moved to California, but Grandpa said, "wait until I retire." For whatever reason, they never came.

bother, "Earnest Slyh" living in Rutland, Dane, WI as servant?
1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Addie M Sley
Home in 1900: Milton, Rock, Wisconsin
Age: 19
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1881
Birthplace: Michigan
Relationship to head-of-house: Niece
Race: White
Occupation:
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
David A Peirce 45 Harness born in Germany came to USA 1862
Torisa Peirce 35 married 10 years (had 4 children, 2 are living)
Bertha A Peirce 13 born Kansas
Rosa N Peirce 9 born Colorado
Addie M Sley 19

1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Addie M Lamb
Age in 1910: 29
Birth Year: abt 1881
Birthplace: Michigan
Home in 1910: La Crosse, Whitman, Washington
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: James L Lamb
Father's Birthplace: United States [United States of America]
Mother's Birthplace: United States [United States of America]
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
James L Lamb 25
Addie M Lamb 29

1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Mae Lamb [Mae Titcomb]
Age: 36
Birth Year: abt 1884
Birthplace: Michigan
Home in 1920: Diamond, Whitman, Washington
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Roy Lamb
Father's Birthplace: Indiana
Mother's Birthplace: Indiana
Able to Read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
Roy Lamb 35
Mae Lamb 36
Bertha Sherman 16


1930 United States Federal Census
Name: Addie M Lamb [Addie N Lamb]
Gender: Female
Birth Year: abt 1883
Birthplace: Michigan
Race: White
Home in 1930: Diamond, Whitman, Washington View Map
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Wife
Spouse's Name: James L Lamb
Father's Birthplace: Indiana
Mother's Birthplace: Indiana
Occupation: Education: Military service: Rent/home value: Age at first marriage: Parents' birthplace:
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
James L Lamb 43
Addie M Lamb 47

1940 United States Federal Census
Name: James L Lamb
Respondent: Yes
Age: 56
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1884
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: Illinois
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1940: Diamond, Whitman, Washington i
Farm: No
Inferred Residence in 1935: Diamond, Whitman, Washington
Residence in 1935: Same House
Sheet Number: 3A
Number of Household in Order of Visitation: 47
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
James L Lamb 56 caretaker wheat warehouse
Addie M Lamb 58

Addie married Milton Kellum SHERMAN on 17 Feb 1902 in Tawas City, Iosco, Michigan, United States. Milton (son of James Milton SHERMAN and Martha Madora SMITH) was born on 26 Nov 1880 in Malahide, Elgin, Ontario, Canada; died on 25 Feb 1953 in Manton, Wexford, Michigan, United States; was buried in Caldwell Twp Cemetery Missaukee Co,Michigan, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Addie married James Leroy LAMB on 23 Dec 1908 in Lacrosse, Whitman, Washington, United States. James (son of Harvey Thomas LAMB and Emma Hamilton Traylor) was born on 21 Feb 1885 in Palmer, Christian, Illinois, United States; died on 31 Jul 1955 in Colfax, Whitman, Washington, United States; was buried in Colfax Cem, Colfax, Whitman, Washington, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Occupation: Logger, trapper, lemon rancher, carpenter
• _UID: FE982C1C80CE4248A3A10CCCBD0221944625

Notes:

Mack City could be Mackinaw City, Cheboygan, Michigan; or Mackinac Island, Mackinac, Michigan.

Monecito Memorial Park

The following was taken from a letter dated 17 May, 1977, to Marilyn Parker from Olive Sly Huff, daughter of Ernest Sly. "Papa (Ernest) always said that he was 5 years old when his father (Lorn Sly) left for the West and that he really didn't remember him. Papa was born in 1883, so his father would have left Michigan in 1888. Dick Smith was a roomer (boarder) in Elizabeth Sly's home . According to law, if a person disappeared and was not heard from for seven years, they were legally dead. So Dick and Elizabeth probably married in about 1895 in Michigan."

This could be our Earnest as Addie Mae was living with Aunt Torisa in Wisconsin in1900 census
1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Earnest Slyh
Home in 1900: Rutland, Dane, Wisconsin
Age: 17
Birth Date: Jul 1882
Birthplace: Michigan
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relationship to Head of House: Servant
Marital Status: Single
Occupation:
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
Fred H Rogers 23
Eddith M Rogers 20
Ruth Rogers 3/12
Earnest Slyh 17 servant, farm labor, went to school 4 months of year


Earnest and Reba and 2 children are listed in the 1910 federal census in Lincoln County, Montana on April 20th. In 1910 Earnest Sly is said to have left Montana with his wife Blanch's brother to work on a cattle ranch in East Oregon. Blanche and the children and her mother followed by train in the fall of 1910. In the 1920's, Ernest Sly was logging and trapping in Washington and Oregon. Later he moved to San Bernadino, California and farmed 5 acres of lemons.

1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Earnest W Sly
Age in 1910: 29 [27]
Estimated birth year: abt 1881 [abt 1883]
Birthplace: Michigan
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: United States of America
Mother's Birth Place: Indiana
Spouse's name: Blanch R
Home in 1910: Glen Lake School District, Lincoln, Montana
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
Earnest W Sly 29
Blanch R Sly 24 bp Oregon
Bertha Lois Sly 2 daughter BP Montana
Roba Susan Sly 6/12 (Reba) daughter BP Montana
Edwin J Holbrook 34 boarder (brother in law?) BP Iowa


World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Record about Earnest Wain Sly
Name: Earnest Wain Sly
City: Scotts Mills
County: Marion
State: Oregon
Birth Date: 26 Jul 1883
Race: White
Roll: 1852135
DraftBoard: 2
Serial # 1521 order # A1375 Medium build, medium height, grey eyes, black hair, farmer, married to Blanch Sly
12 Sep 1917

1920 United States Federal Census
Name: E W Shy [E W Sly]
Home in 1920: Scotts Mills, Marion, Oregon
Age: 36 years
Estimated birth year: abt 1884
Birthplace: Michigan
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Blanche
Father's Birth Place: Indiana
Mother's Birth Place: Indiana
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Rent
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 1184
Household Members: Name Age
E W Shy 36
Blanche Shy 33 BP Oregon, father BP Massachusetts, Mother BP Wisconsin
Olive Shy 11
Reba Shy 10
Walter Shy 6
Mokkla Holbrook 72 Mother in law , widow, BP Wisconsin, (parents BP both Maine)

1930 United Staes Federal Census
Name: Ernest W Sly
Home in 1930: Redlands, San Bernardino, California
Age: 46
Estimated birth year: abt 1884
Birthplace: Michigan
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's name: Blanche R
Race: White
Occupation: Carpenter, Education: Military Service: no Rent/home value: Age at first marriage: Parents' birthplace: Household Members: Name Age
Ernest W Sly 46
Blanche R Sly 44
Walter E Sly 17 Farm labor
Evangeline Sly 8
Fred Miller 29 Farm labor

Ernest married Blanch Rebecca HOLBROOK on 30 Jun 1907 in Kalispell, Lincoln, Montana, United States. Blanch (daughter of Henry Waterman HOLBROOK and Mahala Ellis Neal) was born on 25 Jan 1886 in Pine Valley, Baker, Oregon, United States; died on 9 May 1964 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino, California, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 34C4893B58F8F74E93A0FA4EDFDE826A7543

Other Events:

• _UID: F218E4D10B9C3249A15F2B1E938EA8A4977D

Notes:

Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908

Name: Dorothy May Fletcher
Birth Date: 2 Jul 1899
Birth Place: Milton, Rock, Wisconsin
Gender: Female
Race: White
Father's Name: Fred Fletcher
Father's Birth Place: Lowas City, Michigan
Mother's Name: Carrie A Slyh
Mother's Birth Place: Michigan
FHL Film Number: 1305582

Other Events:

• _UID: 9674A69BBA95524898CBED02024A5DD50454

Notes:

!NOTE: Effie Berniece married Robert Walther in about 1927. She lived in Bay City, MI in 1970's.

Family/Spouse: Hugh O'BRIEN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Effie married Robert WALTHER in 1927. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: A8F560DD2D67724C902488E53FEBD3509AD5

Notes:

!NOTE: He died when he was lost in the Woods in the 1930's 12 miles from Eugene near Dexter, OR


1930 United States Federal Census

Name: Geo D Fletcher
Age in 1930: 24
Gender: Male
Birth Year: abt 1906
Birthplace: Michigan
Race: White
Home in 1930: Lost Valley, Lane, Oregon
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's Name: Florence Fletcher
Father's Birthplace: Wisconsin
Mother's Birthplace: Michigan
Household Members:
Name Age
Geo D Fletcher 24
Florence Fletcher 21

Other Events:

• _UID: 40569E1BB36D2240B05751360D9ADEB397FA

Notes:

U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963 about Ernest W Fletcher
Name: Ernest W Fletcher
Birth Date: 13 Oct 1903
Death Date: 10 May 1959
Cemetery: 15th And Naval
Cemetery Location: Bremerton, Washington

Ivy Green Cemetary

!NOTE: All children were in Leiviston Idaho. Ernest died of heart attact
Washington, Select Death Certificates, 1907-1960 about Ernest W. Fletcher
Name: Ernest W. Fletcher
Gender: Male
Age: 55
Estimated birth year: abt 1904
Death Date: 10 May 1959
Death Place: Bremerton, Kitsap, Washington
Father: Fred Fletcher
Mother: Corrie Sly
FHL Film Number: 2033963
Reference ID: 10039

1920 United States Federal Census about Ernest W Fletcher
Name: Ernest W Fletcher
Age: 16
Birth Year: abt 1904
Birthplace: Michigan
Home in 1920: Port Angeles, Clallam, Washington
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital Status: Single
Father's Birthplace: Michigan
Mother's name: Carrie A Fletcher
Mother's Birthplace: Michigan
Able to Read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Carrie A Fletche r 41
Effie B O Brien 18
Ernest W Fletcher 16
George D Fletcher 14
Brewster J Fletcher 12
Leroy W Fletcher 6
Luella J O Brien 0 [8/12]


Washington, Deaths, 1883-1960

Name: Ernest W Fletcher
Gender: Male
Birth Date: abt 1904
Death Date: 10 May 1959
Age at Death: 55
Death Location: Bremerton, Kitsap, Washington
Father: Fred Fletcher
Mother: Corrie Sly
Record Source: Washington State Death Records

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 8EAE83382BFE924EBB5BE2745514A952D08D

Notes:

1920 United States Federal Census about Leroy W Fletcher
Name: Leroy W Fletcher
Age: 6
Birth Year: abt 1914
Birthplace: Montana
Home in 1920: Port Angeles, Clallam, Washington
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Son
Marital Status: Single
Father's Birthplace: Michigan
Mother's name: Carrie A Fletcher
Mother's Birthplace: Michigan
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Carrie A Fletcher 41
Effie B O Brien 18
Ernest W Fletcher 16
George D Fletcher 14
Brewster J Fletcher 12
Leroy W Fletcher 6
Luella J O Brien 0[8/12]

1930 United States Federal Census about William L Fletcher
Name: William L Fletcher
Gender: Male
Birth Year: abt 1913
Birthplace: Montana
Race: White
Home in 1930: Oscoda, Iosco, Michigan
Marital Status: Single
Relation to Head of House: Son
Father's Name: Fred A Fletcher
Father's Birthplace: Michigan
Mother's Birthplace: United States
Household Members:
Name Age
Fred A Fletcher 55 bn Michigan father bn New York, Mother bn Canada English, fisherman great lakes
Effie B Brooks 28 daughter Michigan, married, Telephone operator
William L Fletcher 17 son bn Montana fisherman great lakes
Ruth J Fletcher 23 niece

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Physical Description: 5'2", light brown hair, hazel brown eyes, heavy set
• FamilySearch Id: 5 foot 3, light brown hair, med build,
• FamilySearch Id: KFFK-QHG
• Occupation: Supervisor- Drivers Lisc Dept of Motor Vehicles for CA
• Reference Number: *
• Religion: Nazarene, Sacramento, Sacramento, California, United States
• _MARNM: Collis
• _UID: CC42A326D290344E91B6EDDD17737D9467E8

Notes:

BERTHA IRENE SHERMAN

Bertha was born in Kalispell, Montana, on 2 March, 1903. Her mother, Addie May Sly, and father, Milton K. Sherman, had met in Michigan where May was a waitress in the restaurant of the Elliot House Hotel. Milton and his brothers were loggers. Milton's sister, Matilda, wrote, "May Sly was a very beautiful girl. She had most of the young men in a whirl for sure. However, Milton won her. I recall that her parents worked for the Elliots also." May and Milton married February 17, 1902 in Oscoda, Michigan. The marriage was registered in Tawas City, the county seat. Matilda (or Tillie as she was called) continues, "When May's parents decided to move to Montana, May insisted on going too. Milton, being so mad about her, gave in and went along. Milton was always a very calm, quiet man. He would never argue or quarrel with any one."

May's parents spoken of here are her mother, Elizabeth, and step father, Richard Smith. Elizabeth Close had married Loren Sly in Michigan in 1877. Addie May was the second of their three children. Loren left for the Gold fields about 1888 during a recession. The family received a few letters then heard no more from him. Elizabeth took in roomers to make ends meet after her husband disappeared. Richard Smith was one of those roomers. He was a logger and said he liked to take a room with a widow to help her out. Although Elizabeth was not officially a widow, she was raising her three children by herself. Richard Smith and Elizabeth were married in Michigan about 1900.

Elizabeth (Libby) and Richard Smith moved to Montana in 1902 and took up a homestead near Eureka. May and Milton went with them and also filed for homestead land. They lived in what was called the "Love Cottage". Bertha's father, Milton, left when Bertha was about 2 years old, and according to Bertha, she never heard from nor saw him again. Maye Alverson, a step cousin to Bertha, wrote that someone had taken a shot at Milton while he sat in his home. The suspected person was Richard Smith, who supposedly did not care for Milton. Richard Smith was often upset with one or another of the neighbors and eventually lost much of his land through unsuccessful law suits.

In the book: "The Story of the Tobacco Plains Country, the Autobiography of a Community," Page 164 in a chapter on "Fortine Area Homesteads." It says, "Among many other Michiganders who homesteaded in this vicinity were Dick Smith and his wife, and Mrs. Smith's son and daughter, Ernest and May Sly. For years Dick Smith was the community "radical"--always fighting the capitalist lumber companies and writing accusing letters to his Congressmen: "Just sore at everybody in the world," as Harry Weydemeyer puts it. Mrs. Smith died and her son and daughter went west, but Dick stayed on, living alone at his homestead, and died there at a ripe old age, still kicking."

Milton decided he could not stay any longer. It is said that when Milton left, he asked May to come with him, but she refused. I later learned that Milton had returned to his parent's home in Michigan. His sister, my Aunt Tillie, wrote," What happened between May and Milton I never heard. I do know he loved May and Bertha very much. When he came home, I was only about 6 or 7 years of age, but I remember he had a picture of Bertha at about 1 and a half or 2 years of age. He had that picture enlarged and it hung in our parlor. Several times I have gone into the parlor and found him standing there before that picture with tears running down his face." Maye Alverson wrote that Milton had sent money and gifts to Bertha which never reached her. Perhaps her step-father, Richard (Dick), had intercepted them. Bertha said that Grandpa Dick was never anything but kind to her and she loved him.

After Milton and May separated, May went to Spokane, Washington to look for work. She worked as a waitress in one or another hotel there. She left Bertha in the care of her grandparents, Libby and Dick Smith. Bertha had fond memories of her time with her Grandmother. She remembered playing on the kitchen floor with an egg beater and a bowl, beating imaginary eggs while her grandmother prepared a meal. Bertha had diphtheria when she was four years old and lived in a little house in Eureka Montana. It's not clear whether she was living with her mother or grandmother at that time. When Bertha's mother, May, married James Leroy Lamb in 1908, they wanted Bertha to come live with them in Diamond, Washington, but Grandmother Libby felt she couldn't part with her, so Bertha continued living with her grandmother. Periodically she would visit her mother and step father. Roy had graduated from college with a business degree. He was a bookkeeper when he married May, but he didn't like it. He later became a road overseer. Later he managed the warehouse near the railroad.

Bertha attended Therriault (pronounced Tarry-o) School in Eureka, Montana The school was held in a log cabin close the 'Love Cabin' previously belonging to her father. The school and 'Love Cabin' were about 3 miles from the Smith's homestead. As the Smith homestead was several miles from school and any neighbors, Bertha would often ride her horse to school. At times she would be the only child at school. I'm sure she was a lonely child, but perhaps didn't know any different. She did have her animals for friends and playmates.

It was a hard life in the far Northwestern corner of Montana. Richard was never a good provider. Libby was a hard worker.and had a strawberry patch and vegetable garden. She would sell eggs and vegetables to the neighbors to make ends meet. She would even hire out as a cook.

Hunting was a necessity to provide food for the winter. There would be a deer hanging in the shed all winter. It was so cold that the deer would freeze, and a saw would be used to cut off a chunk of meat for dinner. Bertha learned to can the deer meet in the oven. She also learned to shoot a gun at a young age and was a good shot. There wasn't much opportunity to shoot a gun when she lived in Sacramento and in fact there were no guns in the home, but she liked to target practice when she would visit her daughter and son in law, Barbara and Tom Alexander, in Arizona.

In 1917 Bertha started Lincoln High School in Eureka, Montana. She lived with her Grandma in a rented house next door to her Aunt Carrie Fletcher and her family. The Fletchers lived in a house they built on a lot owned by Bertha's mother. Bertha was a regular Tom boy, according to her, and she played "Follow the Leader" with the Fletcher boys all over the mill pond and the lumber yard. Uncle Fred Fletcher was the tender at the dam but never stopped them even though it was a danger as the logs bobbed and rolled as they jumped from one to another. What fun they had. At one time Uncle Fred was a diver repairing boats on Flathead Lake and as a child, Bertha would go visit them where they lived in Somers, Montana. At that time so many children bothered her, so Aunt Carrie let her go into the cellar and kept the other kids away. She stated, "I guess I had spent to much time alone that I couldn't stand the commotion." It seems she outgrew that by the time she was in high school.

Bertha's Grandmother, Libby, had breast cancer, and said to have been caused from falling down a well. Libby went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, New York, but they could not cure the cancer and prescribed morphine for the pain. Libby was there during the flue epidemic of 1918 and Bertha had the flu and was alone in the house in Eureka. In the spring of 1919, Libby's illness and the resulting pain became very bad, and she kept asking for Bertha. Bertha quit school to tend to her. A couple of times May came to care for Libby, but when she wasn't there, Bertha nursed her and administered morphine shots to ease the pain. At times Ernest Fletcher would give Bertha a break and he would care for Libby. She died the 8th of July in 1919 when Bertha was just sixteen.

After her grandmother's death, Bertha went to live with her mother and stepfather in Diamond, Washington. They had no children of their own. Bertha told me that she didn't know why, but she assumed that her parent's wouldn't want her to live with them. Perhaps she felt rejected as she had visited but had not really lived with her mother since the age of two. In retrospect Bertha stated that her stepfather, Roy Lamb, "was very tolerant and understanding of what must have been a very bratty and spoiled sixteen year old. Anyway, I have only pleasant and affectionate memories of him." Roy was very good to her and they developed a very close relationship. Bertha and her mother also became very close after she moved back home. Bertha was still an only child and longed for brothers and sisters.

For whatever reason, Bertha decided she wanted to go to catholic school. She attended St. John's Academy, a Catholic girl's boarding school for a year and a half. She had met Russell by then and Barbara said that Russell told Bertha she needed to give up Catholic School or him. She moved back with Roy and May.
Bertha was a good student and she loved learning. She took Latin in school which served her well throughout her life, as she had a good vocabulary and a good understanding of words. She loved working crossword puzzles. She attended Colfax High School, where she graduated 23 May 1922. She was an officer and treasurer in the Campfire Girls-Tenega. Campfire girls were first organized in 1910 as the first non sectarian organization for girl in the the United States.

Bertha attended State Normal School at Cheney, Washington, in 1923. She started teaching in September 1923 at Harp School in Mount Hope, just out of Spokane, Washington. She had met Russell Collis at a fair when she was 15. They were married 14 Oct 1923. Bertha quit teaching at the end of that school year as she was pregnant with Roy. She never went back to teaching again. She would have been a wonderful teacher. She was smart and patient and loving.

When Bertha and Russell moved to Sacramento in May 1941, Bertha worked at the Libby McNeil Cannery on Stockton Boulevard, canning apricots, and peaches. The next summer she worked at Bercut Richards canning tomatoes. It was tiring hard work, but she was used to hard work. She had been a stay at home, but work at home mom throughout the early years of marriage; she had cooked for road crews in Colfax while they were living there. She had helped roof a house when 8 months pregnant with Barbara.

Bertha was an active member of the Nazarene church on 21st and S Streets. It was a strict religion which discouraged dancing, makeup, jewelry, and movies. She wrote many poems embracing religious themes. She was Sunday school superintendent and at one time printed the Sunday bulletin on the mimeograph machine; a messy job. She took her children to church by herself as Russell only attended on Easter and Christmas. He would often cook dinner while we were at church and after dinner, we would take a ride. There were many such trips around the area. One by one her children quit attending as they reached their teenage years. Eventually Bertha quit attending.

Bertha began working for the State of California, Department of Motor Vehicles on 15 Dec 1942 and remained there until she retired in April 1965 as a Supervisor in the Division of Drivers License. She was 62 years old. She was a finger print specialist in analyzing and comparing finger prints. She was well liked and well thought of in the department. As she got older, she seldom drove the car as Russell took her where she wanted to go. They even went grocery shopping together. They were compatible and excepting of their differences and strengths.

Bertha was quick to figure things out. She was always ready to fix things. I can remember her taking apart the toaster or iron and putting them back together again and they worked. That was in the days when you fixed what you had rather than throwing it out and buying a new one. We had an old electric curling iron as I remember. You had to be really careful not to get it too hot or you would burn your hair and it would break off. She was always working on some kind of hand work; knitting, crocheting, tatting, and sewing. She made most of our clothing when we were young and taught us to sew at a very young age. She could create any garment you could show her. Every Easter we would have a new homemade out fit to wear to church. She knitted many Barbie doll sweaters for her first grandchildren. As she aged, she developed arthritis in her hands and no longer did handwork. She wrote lots of poetry, much of it of a religious nature, but some with a bit humor also. She was a lady of many talents. My most vivid memories of her were of the times I would have a bad dream in the night. I would creep into my parent's room and stand or kneel beside her bed. She would wake up and take me into bed with her until I was ready to go back to my own bed. When I was young, Stan, Darlyne and I slept in the same room. One night I woke up and saw Stan standing beside my bed; and yet when I looked over at his bed, he was fast asleep in it. The person standing beside my bed disappeared into my parent's closet in the nest room. I was scared out of my whits. My parents got up and searched all through their closet and even into the attic opening in the ceiling of their closet. No one could be found. I was sure that someone was there. They were so patient with me even in the middle of the night, knowing it was a bad dream.

One cold night in January of 1953 Bertha received a telephone call during the night. Her mother had been in an automobile accident and was killed instantly from a ruptured aorta and spleen. The car she was riding in and another car had collided in a snowstorm just south of Spokane, Washington. She had been shopping with other women from her home town area. (See addendum 6).It was a terrible shock. I woke up to Bertha's screaming. Roy had always promised to bring May down to Sacramento to see her daughter and grandchildren. Now that was no longer an option and Roy was devastated. Bertha and Russell drove up to be with Roy. It was a sad reunion. Roy, May's husband, came to visit us in Sacramento with a neighbor boy, Norman Kuntz after her death. Norman was about 16 at the time and probably helped with the driving. Roy was so lonely. Roy died July 31, 1955. Bertha and Russell took a trip to Diamond to settle his affairs.

When Bertha retired, she and Russell fulfilled one of her lifelong dreams of seeing New England in the fall with all of the beautiful colors. They sold their home, bought an Airstream trailer and traveled across the United States. While they were gone, I found some of her treasures that she had stored at Darlyne and Bill's house. Among her papers, I found May Sly and Milton Sherman's marriage certificate stating they were married in Bay County Michigan. I called the operator and told her I was looking for Milton Sherman and explained the reason. She gave me the names and phone numbers for all of the Shermans in that area. One of the persons I called gave me the name and number of Tillie Sherman Chambers who was a sister to Milton. Milton had died in 1953 of a heart attack. That was the same year but about a month after May's death. Aunt Tillie told me that Milton had come home and married Zoë Sharrow in 1908. Milton and Zoë had four children; 3 boys and a girl.

Another of Bertha's desires was fulfilled even though she hadn't known it. The family discussed whether Bertha should be informed of the news of her new family since she had a serious heart condition. Stan said that we had no choice. She needed to be told. When Bertha and Russell returned from their year long trip across the States, I broke the news to her that she had 3 half brothers and a half sister. She was so excited! She could hardly wait to talk to them on the telephone. She had a conversation with Joe, the oldest brother and wrote to the cousin who was involved in researching the genealogy of the family. She decided to fly back to Michigan to meet them. We knew it was risky due to her heart condition. She had had a heart attack in Florida and was confined to the trailer for quite some time. Russell did not wish to go as he was not comfortable meeting so many new people. We talked about the risk, but they decided she should go and the new family in Michigan was anxious to meet her.

When she got to Michigan, a cousin, Vernon Sherman, arranged for a large Sherman family reunion. Milton's sister, Tillie, his wife, Zoey, and all of Milton's children and their families attended. There were also many cousins. Bertha loved it all and had a wonderful visit. (See Addendum 18 - letter from Vernon Sherman).

After a couple of days in Michigan, Bertha felt lots of pain in her legs and back. She knew something was not right. She ended up in the hospital in Traverse City, Michigan. Russell, accompanied by his oldest son, Roy, flew back to Michigan to be with her. Despite his reticence, he met all the Sherman family. They were very good to him and he liked them. Bertha was in the hospital for about a week. Surgery was performed to remove the embolism, but it was too late. She died in the hospital June 30, 1970. Her body was shipped back to Sacramento for burial at Eastlawn South. (See addendum 7). Joe, her half brother, and his wife Lora came to visit us in Sacramento a while later. It was nice for the family to meet him. We met his daughter Norma and her husband, Bud, and their children also, but never met the rest of the family.

Some of Bertha's Legacies:

·She loved all nature, from the most delicate flower to the high majestic peaks.
·She was a conservationist before it was popular to be one. We could never throw even a bit of paper on the ground.
·She cared about all humans, from the intellectual to the down trodden.
·She had a deep spirituality.
·She loved a good joke.
·She was a good shot with a gun.
·She had a good command of the language with a large vocabulary. She felt the Latin she took in high school accounted
for this. She loved doing crossword puzzles.
·She knew and loved poetry. Just a word would prick her memory and she would recite a long loved poem. She wrote
poems both spiritual and humorous.
·One of her favorite sayings was; "Necessity is the mother of invention." Another regarding attitude was; "You can catch
more flies with honey than with vinegar."
·She insisted in honesty and truthfulness in all things minor and major. We could never bring anything home that wasn't
ours. She would say quietly and calmly, "It isn't yours, go put it back where you found it."
·She was an excellent seamstress and had always wanted to take dressmaking courses. She could look at a picture of a
dress or outfit and create one like it.
·Her hands were always busy with knitting, crocheting, tatting or other handwork.
·She was not an exceptional housekeeper. One of her favorite sayings was, "It will never be noticed on a galloping
horse."
·She always took a position against gossip, but was not concerned if she was the butt of the gossip. She would say, "If
they're talking about me, then they're not talking about someone else."
·She loved life and lived it.
·She had often stated that she only had three desires: "To live to see her family raised; to see New England in the fall;
and to have brothers and sisters." She fulfilled all three of them.


One of her sayings,"When they are little they step on your toes. When they are big they step on your heart!"

*1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Bertha I Hserman [Bertha I Sherman]
Age in 1910: 7
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1903
BirthPlace: Montana
Relation to Head of House: Granddaughter
Father's Birth Place: Austria
Mother's Birth Place: Michigan
Home in 1910: School District 10, Lincoln, Montana
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Gender: Female
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
Richard Smith 44
Elizabeth Smith 31
Bertha I Hserman 7 ( Should be Sherman)

1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Bertha Sherman [Bertha Shorman]
Home in 1920: Diamond, Whitman, Washington
Age: 16 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1904
Birthplace: Montana [Washington]
Relation to Head of House: Stepdaughter
Father's Birth Place: Michigan
Mother's Name: Mae
Mother's Birth Place: Michigan
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Sex: Female
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 887
Household Members: Name Age
Roy Lamb 35
Mae Lamb 36
Bertha Sherman 16

Bertha married Ernest Russell COLLIS on 14 Oct 1923 in Spokane, Spokane, Washington, United States. Ernest (son of Walter Winner COLLIS and Laura Susan GRIGSBY) was born on 31 Dec 1896 in Brentwood, Contra Costa, California, United States; died on 26 Jun 1976 in Sacramento, Sacramento, California, United States; was buried in Eastlawn Southgate, Sacramento, Sacramento, California, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: A7083D62E827CC4689457FDCF405C60A6119

Olive married Lawrence J. BACON in 1926. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Olive married Albert Frederick Joseph HUFF in 1958. Albert was born in 1917; died in 1990. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 7DDF135D0A01C54BBA6F8782CD64CFDDF6E4

Reba married John FORSYTH in 1934. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Reba married Louis ARIANA in 1962. Louis was born on 24 Apr 1897; died in Jan 1978 in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 5FAD0B600C82E242985AA157F2120B83A51F

Notes:

Died in a motorcycle accident at age 21, not married.

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: CAC4A601D72B054E8DA6AA06EBC22A2C7098

Notes:

!NOTE: Juanita married Jess Boyd, then Victor Thompson. She had 5 children. She lived in Port Angeles, Washington in 1970's

Family/Spouse: Jess BOYD. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Victor THOMPSON. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 58287B66FA972C4DB2CED63FCF8D101D89F3

Notes:

!NOTE: Mona married name, Mona Gordon

Family/Spouse: GORDON. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 550042D4C50F074FB0486808B11DE9B66A51

Other Events:

• _UID: C802C2731678CF42B7A2730B98312787EC80

Notes:

!NOTE: Shirley married Leonard Stuart

Family/Spouse: Leonard STUART. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: AAE153A06941BB459C899612923E1525FFB9

Notes:

!NOTE: Marcus married and had 1 daughter, Kathy. He lived in Bremerton Washington and worked for IBM.

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Physical Description: dark brown hair
• FamilySearch Id: KFF2-VML
• _UID: 881C75C6D5913D43960631BA0CDB3393F9E8

Notes:

!NOTE: Roy attended grammar school and one year of high school in Colfax, Washington. He attended one year at Sacramento Sr. High School before joining the armed services during World War II, on 13 March 1943. He was a cannoneer with the 705 Tank Destroyer Battallion. He served in Rhyneland, Ardennes, Central Europe, Normandy, and their battallion was surrounded in the Battle of the Bulge. He received his high school doploma by passing the tests after being discharged 11 Dec, 1945. He was later a volunteer in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, stationed in Newfoundland, Canada, as a truck driver hauling petroleum. He worked for the State of California between the two armed services and later returned to the State of California as a supervisor for the Electronics Data Processing area of Cal-Trans. He retired from State service in 1981. He lived in the Arden area of Sacramento. He liked gardening and had quite a knack for it. He also liked to work in his wood shop.

MEMORIES OF WALTER LEROY COLLIS
(as told to Marilyn Parker, June 4, 1988)

I remember little of the ranch in Brentwood; just going through the orchard between Grandma Collis' and our little shack, Grandpa sitting in the rocking chair on the porch with tears rolling down his cheeks because he hurt so bad. Yet Grandpa always had time to play with me. Whenever I'd come, he'd hold me on his lap.

I can remember Grandma chasing him around, telling him, "Walter! do this." Boy! He'd move. She was just a little tiny squirt. We used to gather around the piano and sing the old traditional stuff on Christmas Eve. Money was tight so we would go out and cut down a tree whether it was pine or whatever, and decorate it with homemade decorations. I remember stringing popcorn, making chains and paper decorations.

Grandpa Collis was a big man, religious, a blacksmith, 6 feet 1 inch on one foot and 6 feet 2 inches on the other; A big man with big arms. He wouldn't hurt a fly. He fell across a ladder picking fruit and developed cancer of the bladder.

After grandpa died, the Bank of America took the ranch. Dad (Russell) was so angry at the B of A. He put Grandma's organ on the burn pile along with other items without asking anyone whether they wanted anything. Grandma went to live with her son, in Oakland. Dad took the family and went to Oregon to homestead on land and built a log cabin just West of Scapoose near Portland. Winner was a timekeeper in a fibreboard plant near there about '32 or '33. We weren't there very long and left everything and went to Diamond, Washington. I liked to go to Jack Sweat's market on Main Street there. It was a combination grocery, hardware, Post Office. There was a big pot bellied stove. The farmers would sit around it and talk. We boys would go in and tease them. They'd roust us out and then we'd sneak back in. Chickens hung by their feet. Dried beans and other goods were in barrells. You would reach into the pickle barrell and grab one.

Dad worked with Grandpa Lamb, who ran the grain elevator. Grandpa was a banker but didn't like banking. Grandpa Lamb got a fever and lost all of his hair. He did not have one hair on his whole body. He was embarrassed and always wore a hat, even at the dinner table.

Dad left Diamond to manage a warehouse in Thera, halfway between Diamond and Endicott. There were wheat fields all around and the railroad ran right beside the warehouse. The family lived in a rent free apartment in the warehouse. I remember skating up and down the warehouse. I went to the one room schoolhouse across the street from the warehouse. when that school closed we went to school in Endicott about 13 miles away.

Dad had a difficult time showing his affection for his children. He seldom punished his children, but sometimes we needed it. At about age 9 or 10, I got mad at Dad and set the wheat field by the warehouse on fire. Dad beat me and he cried every time he hit me.

When the folks would go to the barn dances, we kids would get stuck on blankets behind the stove. We boys would sneak out when no one was watching.

Grandpa Lamb offered Dad the ranch about 3 miles out of Colfax (on the way to Endicott and Diamond) to farm. The ranch was owned by Grandpa Lamb and his sister Melba. A new highway was being built by the ranch and Mom started cooking for the highway crew. We kids ate after the crew had finished. I would watch the crew drill and dynamite. One cold night one of the crew threw a box of dynamite on the fire. It scared the heck out of me as I expected it to explode. It didn't. It burned great.

I went to Martha Washington High School in Colfax and lettered in track. I took the East Washington District in broadjumping. I liked school. I didn't like grammar or history, but I liked math, geography, and science. I was good at it and got A's in the subjects I liked but I would go fishing at the Palouse River or the Creek when I didn't like it.

I worked on ranches for $1 a day, cleaning barns, feeding cattle, or herding the horses or cows in. A show cost 5 cents, and overalls cost 10 cents. You could get a handful of licorice sticks for 1 cent. You would reach your hand in the jar and grab a handful and you would always have to let go of some to get your hand out of the jar. We could go to a matinee when we could get a nickle. It was sure hard to get a penny in those days. We didn't throw them around like the kids do now. Mom always saw to it we had clothes and food even though we didn't have much money.

One Halloween we took a wagon all apart and put it together again on top of a farmer's barn. The farmer probably tied a rope to it and rolled it down. Many times for entertainment we would go in the barn and walk the rafters trying to knock the other person off onto the floor 15 feet below. Sometimes there was hay on the floor, sometimes not.

When we walked to school in Colfax, Laura would want to walk on the rail on the car bridge over the Palouse River. She carried the flashlight. I would walk beside her because the river was running high and rough. She started to fall and I grabbed for her . The flashlight hit me in the mouth and broke off one of my front teeth. We had to walk over the bridge or the railroad trestle. The trestle was shorter, so we often walked it. Mom would have killed us if she had known, as there was nowhere to go if a train came.

Dad went to work in the creamery with Ted Ackerman. Ted left the creamery, leased farm land, then bought it. He did very well financially. Dad wasn't a go-getter. He took things as they came. He was happy with a moderate home life. He was a great dad and would have fought the devil himself for any of his kids.

Uncle Pete and Aunt Gladyce were living in California. Pete was a hardwood floor layer in Oakland and then went to work at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento as a mechanic.

I remember that Grandpa's old ranch was still there in Brentwood when we came to Sacramento in 1941. We lived with Aunt Gladyce and Pete. Dad went to work for McClellan but didn't like the work. This was just after WWII started. He quit. They told him that he couldn't quit. Dad asked, "who's going to stop me?" They said they'd draft him. He said, "then draft me, you'll have to support all my kids". He quit and they never drafted him.

He went to work for Lyon Darwin Hardware in Oak Park. Some gal gave him a hard time so he quit that and went to work for Robinson's Construction. Redgate was a supervisor there and when Robinson's went out of business, Redgate went to work for another construction company. He would call Dad to come to work on other jobs. I was about 18 when Dad worked for Robinson`s. He was driving a company truck when he cut someone off on the road. The man yelled at Dad. He stopped the truck and got out with a pipe wrench. I said,"Dad, you're going to get us killed". Dad said, "I can take care of this." The man got in his truck and left. Dad had a temper. Dad wasn't big but always said, "It doesn't mean I'm not tough."

One day I bought gas at a Shell Station that we often traded at. I didn't have quite enough money, so the man had me leave a tire while I went home to get some more. Dad got mad that the man didn't trust me and went up and told the man to never keep my tire again.

I belonged to the YMCA, a christian club. They contracted out kids to work in the packing sheds in Courtland, and I got a job there. I worked for Western Union, delivering telegrams on a bicycle. Worked for Riverview Orchards, on the river highway, pruning pears. I went to work for a Sunset Tile Company as a tile setter just before I went into the service.

I met Charlie at Uncle Pete's. Charlie had a friend, Kenneth, who lived 2 doors down from Pete. Charlie and Frank Jacinto, a crippled boy, would come to visit Kenneth. We would do things together. Frank would steal candy bars. He would say he was going to. We never saw him take it, but he would come out with one. We were afraid of getting in trouble so we quit going around with him. He wound up in Folsom Prison.

Charlie and I rented a car and decided to go in the river through the big rocks. We got the car stuck in the rocks and had to have someone pull us out. We sure did not do the tires on the car any good. We used to go up to the mountains above Colfax. Charlie's Uncle had a cabin there. We panned for gold but didn't find much.

I went into the service in 1943 before I graduated from high school.
I was stationed at Trowbridge, southeast of London, England for 4 months. The Germans were dropping buzz bombs. They did a lot of damage but were not too accurate.We left Dover England on an LST, (Land Ship Tank). It would hold 4 tanks. We landed at Omaha Beach in Normandy. We drove our tanks off into the water and then up the beach with the Krouts firing at us. We established the beach and then started fighting between the hedgerows. Hedgerows are the mounds of dirt between each farm that have hedges planted on the top of the mounds to serve as fences. We'd sit on one side of the hedgerow and the enemy on the other. Every once in a while they would throw a hand grenade over. Pretty soon we would throw one. back. You could yell over that you needed a cigarette and they would throw a pack over to you. (or a bottle of beer.) Yet if you stuck your head up, they'd shoot it off. They were just doing their job. Our tank had a bulldozer to open a path through the hedgerow. We would fight from one hedgerow to the next. We gained very little ground. Saint Milloux, a pretty little town, was leveled. We crossed the Rhine River at Worms. We were attached to 101st airborne. We were routed to go to Bastogne, Belgium and were surrounded but never captured in the Battle of the Bulge. Supplies had to be brought in by aircraft. Dalton was flying there at the time, but I never knew it. After we got out of that, we traveled across Europe up into the Bavarian Alps along the southern route into Austria. We were not allowed to cross the Swiss border as that was a nuetral country. I was in the tank spearhead B, the second vehicle behind the jeep. We went through Austria almost to Vienna. A military government was established and I did guard duty. The northern route went into Berlin.

I then came back to La Harve, France (2nd largest city in Normandy) and went by light cruiser to Springfield, Massachusetts. From there I came to California to Beale Air Force Base just before the holidays. The war was over. I stayed in the reserves and was called back into service in the Air Force during the Korean War. I was stationed at McClellan Air Force Base with the barracks just this side of Marysville Boulevard (Splinter City). I would report in the morning and was told to go home. I slept at home rather in the barracks. Then I had to report in the evening again. I got tired of that, so I asked my friend in the office to get me shipped overseas. He asked me where I wanted to go. Korea? No! there was fighting over there. Alaska? No. It was too cold there. Havanna, Cuba, that sounded good but I was too late. Someone else beat me to it. The only thing left was the Northeast Air Command. I didn't know where it was, but I said, "sign me up." So I went to Newfoundland, trucking aviation gas.
When I got out of the service, I passed the GED test and the entrance exam to Cal., but I had too much to make up, so I didn't go. I went to Sacramento Junior College for 1 1/2 years. Then went to work for the State of California."

note from Tom Alexander: Dear Marilyn....Barb, and I too, would love to proof your manuscript. Your parents were the greatest!

About Roy. We had a few conversations about WW II and his role in it. Marilyn, he was a bonafide hero of great courage and honesty!!! He was the driver on his tank destroyer, which also served as a scout. That means his tank was out in front looking for the enemy, a very dangerously exposed place to be. He told me that when they spotted Germans he'd Kick the tank in reverse with his foot and fly out of the area as fast as the tank could go backwards, then when the sgt. thot it safe he'd have Roy turn it around and head for the CO to report their sighting.

Roy worked for Gen Patton and was part of his 3rd Army enroute to Germany from France when the Battle of the Bulge started. Ike ordered Patton to make a sharp left turn and relieve the trapped 101st at Bastogne. Patton said he'd be there in 3 days and his word was good. The 101st was almost down to fighting with sticks and stones a few men had no ammo, some only had 3 or 4 rounds. It was a magnificent military feat to stop and turn the 3rd army 90 degrees in the ice, snow and mud of France and Belgium in DEC. because of the difficulty of keeping the equipment moving in those conditions. If you can imagine, tanks and trucks slipping and sliding off the muddy roads and bogging down in ditches to be towed out and hustled on their way only to be bogged down again at the next turn in the road. Tanks were sliding sideways like race cars on a race track and beware anything in their way as they couldn't stop.

Roy's unit got to the outskirts of Bastogne slugging it out with the Germans while crashing thru their lines and saving the 101st from annihilation. If Roy's unit was ever attached to the 101st, he never mentioned it to me and I see no reason for his unit to be cut loose from Patton and turned over to Gen McCaulif's 101st.

Once, when trading war stories with each other, he told me they captured a few Germans, one of whom was rattling his mouth in German and getting on everyone's nerves. Roy told him 3 times to shutup. He didn't, so Roy shot him in the shoulder with his rifle. "That shut him up."

When passing thru a little town a bunch of kids came out approaching his tank. Tank destroyers have open tops and kids were known to approach them, then getting close they'd toss hand grenades inside killing the gunners and the sgt. tank commander. In Roy's case, his tank Cdr yelled at the kids a few times to go back. They didn't and he fired his machine gun over their heads. They kept coming and he cut them all down, then, with a broken heart, crumpled to the deck crying uncontrollably. (This story really gets to me).

Roy told me the thing that got to him most was picking up the dead US soldiers who, for the most part, were just 19 year old kids. Roy was probably 18 at the time. He never told me, but I know that was on his mind until he died. Those thots never leave anyone who has seen the dead and stuffed them in a baggie or covered them with a blanket in a final goodbye. Believe me, I know! I've no doubt Roy was under siege of PTS, but he handled it by himself, which tells us he was a courageous man who never whined about it. Roy was a real hero in my book!
( email From Tom Alexander, 3 Sep 2007)

California Birth Index, 1905-1995 Record
Name: Walter L Collis
Birth Date: 27 Sep 1924
Gender: Male
Mother's Maiden Name: Sherman
Birth County: Contra Costa

U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 Recordabout Walter L Collis
Name: Walter L Collis
Birth Year: 1924
Race: White, citizen
State: California
County or City: Sacramento
Enlistment Date: 6 Mar 1943
Enlistment State: California
Enlistment City: Sacramento
Branch: No branch assignment
Branch Code: No branch assignment
Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life
Education: 2 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Automobile Serviceman
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 50
Weight: 099

Social Security Death Index Walter L. Collis
Name: Walter L. Collis
SSN: 561-26-1253
Last Residence: 95815 Sacramento, Sacramento, California, United States
Born: 27 Sep 1924
Died: 21 May 1999
State (Year) SSN issued: California (Before 1951 )

Roy died in his chair at home from heart failure and was cremated.

U.S. Veterans Cemeteries, ca.1800-2006 Walter L Collis
Name: Walter L Collis
Service Info.: US ARMY
Birth Date: 27 Sep 1924
Death Date: 21 May 1999
Cemetery: Sunset Lawn Memorial Park
Cemetery Address: 4701 Marysville Blvd Sacramento, CA 95838

Walter married Marjorie Allyne CUPP on 1 May 1954 in Reno, Washoe, Nevada, United States. Marjorie (daughter of Ora Ivyl "Sparky" CUPP and Ruth Allyne CHATTERTON) was born on 1 Feb 1931 in Cushing, Payne, Oklahoma, United States; died on 12 Aug 2013 in Carmichael, Sacramento, California, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Physical Description: 5'2" light brown hair turned to silver white
• FamilySearch Id: M75P-CR1
• _MARNM: Just
• _UID: B23D3D09E354F045BFEA569B4A2130FED4DD

Notes:

New boyfriend (Um-er as Barb calls it) in 2007: Selmar Johansen (born Feb 1919, his daughter is LDS, Donna & Dayle Murray, live in Woodland, Dayle is a dentist. Another daughter Judy and husband Jim live next door to Laura and Selmer)




Discover Your Family Story
California Birth Index, 1905-1995 Record
Name: Laura May Collis
Birth Date: 10 Aug 1926
Gender: Female
Mother's Maiden Name: Sherman
Birth County: Sutter

Laura Mae Collis was born August 10, 1926, at Yuba City, Yuba County, CA. She is the 2nd child of six of Bertha Irene Sherman and Ernest Russell Collis. The family lived in Brentwood, California, but had gone to Yuba City to pick fruit. They moved back to the family ranch in Brentwood until the bank took it, for a $3000 debt owed by Grandma Collis after Grandpa Collis died.

Laura remembers Grandpa Collis had a built up shoe, perhaps about 4 inches. He was kind of crippled up. Grandma Collis was little, had white hair twisted into a little bun on top of her head. She was really sweet, gentle, loving; kind of like Aunt Gladyce.

When Bertha, Russell and their 3 children first moved from the ranch in Brentwood, they went to Oregon and built a log cabin. They didn't live there long, however. They then moved to Washington State, as Bertha's mother lived there in Diamond. They first lived in a little apartment in a warehouse in Thera. It was a building about 2 blocks long, between the highway and the railroad tracks. The farmers would bring their sacks of wheat to the warehouse and put them on the conveyor belt. When the sacks got to the top of the belt, the farmer would open the sack and the grain would fall in a pile into the railroad car. Dad would let the kids ride up the conveyor belt on the sacks and jump into the wheat when they got to the top. There was no bathroom in the little apartment. The bathroom was at the other end of the warehouse. When the children needed to use the bathroom, they would put on roller skates and skate down the entire length of the warehouse. There was little food during this time. Mother would often boil the wheat to eat.

They then moved to a ranch about 2 to 3 miles outside of Colfax, Washington. The ranch was left to Grandpa Lamb and his sisters when their parents died. When we lived in Colfax,Washington, it snowed a lot. Everything went in the slop bucket for the pigs, even the dish water. Dad strung a wire from the house to the barn so we wouldn't get lost during a blizzard. We still had to go feed the animals, and we could grab ahold of the wire during the blizzard and find the way back to the house without getting lost. The bus stop was up the hill, and on snowy days, Mom would have to push us up the hill to catch the bus. When the highway was built during the summer, Mom fed the highway crew lunch. Laura remembers washing dishes and cooking for the better part of the day. There was one big room with a big table. The stove and sink were in this room also. There was a little pantry off the dining room where Mom rolled out the pie crust. Dad used to come in from working on the farm, roll up his sleeves, and wash his hands and face in this dining room sink. Laura remembers driving the hay wagon, with Dad and Roy and the farm help pitching the hay.

They had a Jersey cow that the children had made into a pet. Every time one of the kids walked by, the cow would go through the fence to get out. Dad would get so mad. He said, "You've got to stop petting these cows. They are not pets".
Mom got really sick, possibly with diptheria, when they lived on the ranch and was in bed for a long time. Laura remembers being really scared. Laura, being the oldest girl was responsible for all the kids and house, and mother too. Dad was working so hard trying to take care of the ranch and working in town at the hardware store. We had one of those baby jumpers that hung in the doorway. Darlyne was in the jumper and got her hand caught in the wing of the hot wood stove and burned her wrist before we could get it out. Roy used to tie Laura to the tree outside the door and throw dirt clods at her. She hit him over the head with a cast iron frying pan and knocked him out. There weren't many friends around so the kids only had each other to play with and torment.

Dad called the square dances in the Grange Hall. There were benches lined around the wall where the kids sat. Mom and Dad were very good dancers, and Dad was an excellent caller. Laura doesn't ever remember going to church in Washington. They seldom went to town except to shop. The Grange Hall had dinners and dances. There was no money so people made their own entertainment.

Grandpa and Grandma Lamb were wonderful people. Grandpa Lamb had a huge big sled. He would pack all of us kids in the sled, hook it to his little coupe and pull us kids all over in the snow. He took us for a sleigh ride. He had no hair, but once in a while one would grow on the top of his head. Which ever one of us kids was sitting on his lap at the time, he would let us take the tweezers and pull it out. He was about 6 foot 2 inches tall, and Grandma was about 4 foot 2. She was really sweet. She loved to fish and he hated it. She couldn't drive, so he would drive her and Laura to the crawdad hole teaming with crawdads. Grandma would put a crawdad on the hook and fish for catfish. Laura said they tasted like mud and she still can't eat catfish. Grandpa would let them sit there all day and then he would come back and get them. Grandma liked gardening but most of all liked her grandchildren. She loved them to come and would read them a story, take a walk or just talk to them or take them fishing. She textured her walls by using a round tuffy, dipping it in different colors of paints and painting the walls with it. The Collis family left Washington for California in1941 when the Lamb ranch sold.

Laura was an avid reader. Mother said she always had her nose in a book. She spent a lot of time in the library when they lived with Aunt Gladyce and Uncle Pete.

Charles Paul Just was born on the 27th of December 1925, in Sacramento, His mother was 45 years old and it was a difficult birth. He weighed only 2 pounds at birth and the doctors thought he wouldn't make it, so they gave their attention to trying to save his mother. Her sister-in-law, Nellie, said she rescued him from the wastebasket and saved his life. Charlie's mother kept him in the drawer of a dresser in the kitchen because he was so small. He didn't walk or talk until he was 2.

Charlie was the youngest of 8 children. One child died when she was 2 years old. 3 girls and 3 boys survived. His oldest brother, Charles Raymond died when Charlie was 6 years old. His earliest memories of his sisters were after they were all married. His sister Alice (Babe) died at age 28, when Charlie was about 20. His sister Ellen died 3 years later, and Edith died a few years after that. Only three of the eight children, Bob Charlie, and Margie survived past the age of 40. Their dad had wanted to be a farmer and ended up being a carpenter. They lived in many places in Sacramento, but lastly on 12th Avenue

Charlie spent many summers with his Aunt Nellie and Uncle Gene and cousin Laurence in Colfax, CA. They owned cabins and a restaurant there. Charlie and Lawrence would gold pan and explore. When Charlie went deer hunting and got a deer, he would go tell Aunt Nellie and she would go out and help him skin and clean it.

Charlie skipped school often. His parents were older by the time he was growing up and he pretty much did as he pleased, just as long as he got there by himself and got home by himself. His parents believed children were seen and not heard. His parents were uninvolved in any childhood activities. Consequently he was not a good student, sometimes got into mischief, and was even a time or two brought home by the sheriff. He used to go out hunting by the airport and shoot holes in the farmers water tanks. Of course they didn't like that. He had a little dog named Brownie, wonderful dog. At the Municiple Airport on Franklin Boulevard in Sacramento, an airplane started up. Brownie ran and jumped into the propeller. It killed the dog and broke the propeller. The incident made the front page of the newspaper. Someone told him he'd better get out of there before he ended up having to pay for the propeller. So he took off. Charlie rode all over on his bicycle. There used to be Indian burial mounds out by Sloughhouse. He had lots of Indian bones in his basement, not realizing exactly what they were.

During the summers of his Sophomore and Junior years of high school, Charlie worked for the forestry at fire camp in Auburn. They were short of fire fighters due to the war, so you could become a fire fighter at a fairly young age.
By the time Charlie came out of the service and was married, he became a better student and graduated with honors from Sacramento Junior College. Later one of his teachers, Miss Jones, saw him at the wedding of his friend, Ken Patton's, sister. When they told her that Ken was a teacher and Charlie was an attorney, She was surprised. She thought they would both end up in reform school. Obviously, she wasn't a very good teacher.
Charlie left high school in January of 1944, before graduating from McClatchy High School to serve in the Armed Forces. He enlisted in the Cadet Program, as an on-the-line trainee in the capacity of crew chief on a C 47 airplane. He served for 2 years until November of 1945. He was stationed in Texas, California, Colorado, and Douglas,Arizona.

Laura and Charlie met in the Spring of 1941 when the Collis family moved from Washington to California and temporarily moved in with Aunt Gladyce and Uncle Pete Ping. Eddie Bond, a friend of Charlie's, lived on the same street as Laura's Aunt Gladyce. Eventually Eddie became a friend of Laura's brother, Roy. Laura was 15 in 1941 and she and Roy would join in with the neighborhood kids in playing "kick the can" and other games. Charlie was usually there although he didn't live in the neighborhood. Laura thought Charlie was kind of cute. He was nice to her. He didn't smoke like most of the boys did. They were both kind of quiet and reserved.

Frank Jacinto was also a friend of Charlie and lived close to the house Laura's parents bought on 41st and Y Streets. Charlie and Frank used to come down to visit Roy. One time Laura took Barbara to the California State Fair on Stockton Boulevard. She knew Charlie was there with 'the boys". Laura and Barbara rode the Ferris Wheel looking all around for the boys until finally she spotted them and accidentally ran into them. Laura and Charlie didn't really date, but Charlie would ride his bicycle over to the house and they would stand around and talk. When Mom and Dad Collis would go for their usual Sunday afternoon drive, Charlie would be invited whenever he was there. Neither Charlie's nor Laura's families had much of a social life. They didn't go to friend's houses for dinner nor socialize in any way. Their
backgrounds were similar and they felt comfortable together. They each felt that they didn't have many social skills.

When Charlie was in fire camp, probably when Laura was 17, he wrote a letter to Laura saying he was, "coming home for the weekend, and Let's go to a movie". Laura had never been to a movie. Mom had never allowed it. She decided to just face Mom and said, "Charlie's coming home and he wants me to go to the movies!" Mom didn't object. They went to see "The Moon is Blue". The folks were really. Mom was actively involved in the restrictive Nazarene religion. Skating, swimming, dancing, was not allowed. There was really no dating, going out somewhere. Going to church was allowed and Charlie would go to church with Laura every Sunday and Wednesday night. Mostly it was just out for a drive, then sitting in the car, talking. When Mom heard them come home, she would turn on the porch light. If they sat out there too long, she would flick the porch light. Then if they didn't get the message, the door would open. If they still didn't get the message she'd be knocking on the car window. Mom and Dad Collis instilled something in their chidren to help them develop strength of character. Whether it was fear or the fear of dissapointing them or wanting to be a good example for the rest of the children in the family, it worked.


When Charlie's brother, Bob, went into the service, Charlie inherited Bob's '35 Ford with a rumble seat. He would borrow his dad's T stamps for gas to get around. What fun for the kids, to ride in the rumble seat. Dad Just sold the Ford when Charlie went into the service in 1944. Laura and Charlie became engaged December 6, 1945, probably after a drive. They eloped on the 26th of January, 1946 by first taking a streetcar to the Greyhound bus station located in a really bad part of downtown Sacramento near 5th and I streets. They then took a Greyhound bus to Sparks, Nevada. They were married by a minister who pulled in his wife and a neighbor as witnesses. Charlie said, "They were married amongst strangers and have been living their lives that way, ever since." They chose Sparks because Charlie's sister Babe had eloped to Sparks and had stayed in an old railroad hotel there. Laura and Charlie stayed in the same hotel and said, "Think of the worst hotel you've ever stayed in, and then picture one worse.' They were smart enough to get out of there the next day and go to Reno. There were no big hotels, but the little hotel they stayed in in Reno was much nicer than Sparks. They had no money, but a few dimes. They went into one of the clubs. A lady was playing two machines. Laura watched her and the lady asked if she wanted to play one. Laura said she had a few dimes and put in a couple and hit a $37.50 Jackpot. The lady was quite mad, but Laura was quite delighted with her luck and didn't offer to share. That was a lot of money in those days. That was a highlight of their festivities. Someone took a picture of them on the bridge of the Truckee River. This is their only picture of their wedding trip. They had a picture taken in Sacramento a week later.
Laura had sent her parents a telegram from Reno saying that she and Charlie had eloped. Mom Collis was very angry when they came home. The reason is not really known. Perhaps her lack of insight into helping them to be married, perhaps in her concern over their future, or seeming lack thereof. At any rate she would always get up and go into the bedroom when Laura and Charlie came to visit. She would not talk to them. The newly weds were living with Charlie's parents at the time. Dad tried to talk to her, but she continued to go into the bedroom and not speak to them. Charlie finally talked to mom and told her that if she continued to act as she did, they wouldn't come to visit any more. That was the last time she did that. She finally accepted them. She later said that Charlie was wonderful. Laura and Charlie only lived with his parents a few months and then moved in with Charlie's sister, Edith. Laura was pregnant with Patricia, but before the baby was born, they moved in with Mom and Dad Collis. They moved into the back bedroom off the kitchen. Roy came home from the armed services and slept in the basement. Dad made a room down there. Patty was born and Laura and Charlie moved out to the family housing at Sacramento City College on Freeport Boulevard. Jimmy was born while they were there. Charlie was going to college and working nights at the Highway Patrol. Laura worked at the Department of Motor Vehicles as a key punch operator until Jim was born. Both the city college and the state college were on the same campus, so they lived there for four years while Charlie went to Junior College, then Sacramento State College..

One of the challenges of their early marriage was the time that Charlie wrecked their car. His burning the candle at both ends caught up to him and as he left for work, he was still sleeping. He ran a red light and crashed the Dodge he had bought and rebuilt with his mustering out pay, into two other cars. They had no insurance. Dad Just finally helped them pay off the debts of the two other cars. The worst part of the whole scenario was that a friend of Charlie's was a patrolman on the scene and gave Charlie a ticket for running a red light. They couldn't afford another car, so they got two bicycles. They went to the dump and got two broken down tailor tots. Charlie jury rigged the two tailor tots, for Patty and Jimmy, onto the back of the bikes. That was their transportation for quite a while.

Charlie was taking Education courses when he was a senior in college. He substituted at McClatchy High School and California Junior High and that convinced him that he didn't want to be a teacher. He changed to a pre-med major until he got into Chemestry. He worked harder at that class than all of the other classes and got a C.,so he changed to Law.
They finally moved to Berkeley to continue Charlie's education. Uncle Pete sold them his old Hudson. It had a tendancy to vapor lock (a wet clutch). The traffic on the road would back up for miles, as there was no freeway at that time. You would have to slow down for the traffic, and when you slowed down, you couldn't shift. They had to pull off the road and wait for early morning when there was no traffic. They first lived in some very awful government housing apartments in Albany. They later moved into a flat in a lovely old house in Alameda with great tall windows. Barbara and Tom were married by then and Tom was in the navy, stationed near by. They all lived together there with their children, Patty and Jimmy and Karen. Barbara and Charlie worked nights and Laura and Tom worked days. So the neighbors couldn't figure out who was with whom.

Times were very difficult financially through these college and law school years. Money was very tight. When they would go visit Charlie's parents in Sacramento, Charlie would ask his mother, "You don't happen to have any dirty old twenty dollar bills lying around, do you?" She always seemed to be able to find one. Mom and Dad Collis always brought a box or two of groceries when they came to visit on the weekends. Many times Laura said they would be down to their last twenty-five cents. Hamburger was 25 cents a pound. They hadn't had meat for awhile. They would buy a pound of hamburger because they knew Mom and Dad Collis were coming that weekend and would bring some groceries. A Godsend. When Patty got the chicken pox, Laura used up all her time off to be home with her. Then when Jimmy got the chicken pox there was no time off left, so they packed up the kids and took them to stay with Charlie's folks until they were well enough to go to child care. Without the help of their parents, Laura said they could not have made it.

There was no money for entertainment, so most of it was picnics in the park or at the river, camping, visiting Aunt Gladyce, lots of family gatherings. Most of the fun was with the family. There was a lot of struggle in their early years of marriage. Charlie graduated from Law School in 1953. They moved to Sacramento and Charlie's Dad, at age 83, built the first house they owned on Elvas Avenue. They adopted Carolyn, Charlie's neice. Carolyn's mother, Alice (called Babe), was Charlie's sister. When Carolyn was three years old her mother died. Carolyn went to live with her Aunt Ellen, another of Charlie's sisters. But Ellen died when Carolyn was 6 and Carolyn went to live with her grandma and grandpa Just, Charlie's parents. His parents were old by that time and Carolyn spent much time with Laura and Charlie, and finally came to live with them permanently when she was 10 years old.

Peggy was born about this time. Being 7 years younger than Jimmy, She had a lot more of her parent's time. Life was busy but with Charlie now working in his career as an attorney, life became a little less of a financial struggle.
They always had family time at night. They ate meals together and encouraged their children to talk. Charlie would read to the children every night. He was a very patient father. He would patiently help them with their homework even when they insisted it wasn't the right way. He would just wait until they were ready for his help. Many of the girls had friends who had a hard time growing up and spent a lot of time in the Just home. Laura and Charlie had a great influence in the lives of these youth as well as their own children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren.

They tried to instill a family closeness with their children. Holidays were important in their family. Their cabin at Strawberry on Highway 50 was a great gathering place for their family, and all of the family have great memories of being there. They always opened the cabin on Memorial Day, and closed it in October during the World Series. It was a great investment for their family unity.

Laura and Charlie bought and restored old homes in Sacramento for rentals for a while.
Laura loves to crochet and always has a project going. She took up oil painting for a while. Although Laura had worked through the years at various jobs and for quite some time for the Bank of America, she had really devoted her whole life to being a wife and mother. After the children were grown, on their own, and with families of their own, Laura decided she needed a diversion in her life and the opportunity arose to buy a beauty shop business to manage. Charlie fully supported her in this venture and even helped her remodel the shop. She rented out spaces to beauty operators. It was a very successful venture for 10 years.

They feel they can't claim credit for their accomplishments because so many people and incidents influenced their lives. "We make decisions in regards to our families and their needs". One accomplishment is the fact that they lived together relatively happily for 50 years, with health, a good family (all nice people), and a positive attitude.
Charlie loves moving rocks, and they bought the appropriate property in Auburn Lakes Trails. They feel the need to keep busy and prefer it to simply puttsing around. They have traveled to Europe (England, France), Tahiti. The Carribean, Mexico, They loved the small out of the way places and the feeling of history and wonderment of the areas, but they feel there are so many places to see in the United States., and even here in California. Their goal is to see some of these.
Laura admires Charlie's honesty, the support he gives her, and his ambition. He has many interests and activities. He is patient and think things through.

Her strength of character, her understanding and support for the things that he wants to do are the qualities in Laura that Charlie admires.
Their compatibility and common interests have led to 50 interesting and happy years.

Interview by Marilyn Parker, January 12, 1996

Laura has had back and hip pain for many years and was found to have a congenital problem with her spine. She had bladder cancer but had it taken care of in the early stage.

Date: Tue, May 24, 2011 9:52 pm (email from Peggy)
Today Mom had a consultation with a rheumatologist and he made a preliminary diagnosis of polymyositis, an autoimmune disease. They will do a muscle biopsy sometime tomorrow to confirm it. The biopsy requires general anesthesia, so she's spending one more night in the hospital, hopefully coming home tomorrow (Wednesday). Mom also had an MRI today, and that may provide more diagnostic information.
Treatment of polymyositis is with prednisone - high doses to start, then lowering the dose as the symptoms dissipate. Of course, prednisone has some unpleasant side effects, so Mom is struggling a bit with the information. And other medications may be part of the mix too, we'll have to see.
The Mayo Clinic has good information: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/polymyositis/DS00334
Thanks for all your good wishes, Mom really appreciates having such wonderful family and friends.

update: Dec 2011. Laura is doing much better and is planning to move home from Escaton on Douglass Blvd. to her Roseville home in mid Jan 2012. She now has diabitis and blood clots and still has polymyositis. She is still on Prednazone and blood thinner.

Subject: news about Mom - Laura Just Date: Mon, May 21, 2012 3:12 pm
Dear family, just wanted to let you know that Mom took a terrible fall Saturday, outside her home. She fell backwards onto the sidewalk, hitting her head and fracturing her skull. The impact caused serious bleeding in her brain which worsened overnight, although the medical staff did what they could to stop it. Mom is not expected to improve and is receiving comfort care. She is unconscious but the rest of her vital signs are good, so she could pass away quickly or it could take some time.
If you'd like to visit, right now she's at Kaiser Roseville, in room 1006. Please don't feel obligated, however; she is unconscious and totally unresponsive. If you'd rather keep your current memory of her we totally understand.
She will not be at Kaiser for long, so (after today) be sure to call the hospital before you go to be sure she's still there: (916) 784-4000. We're still planning the next steps, I'll send an update when that has been decided. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
Love, Peg .

Date: Wed, May 23, 2012 9:09 am
Dear family - Mom died peacefully this morning. We'll keep you posted as we make plans. Thank you to all who forwarded my earlier message, and to everyone who came by to visit.
Love, Peg

Laura married Charles Paul JUST on 26 Jan 1946 in Reno, Washoe, Nevada, United States. Charles (son of Charles Robert JUST and Ethel ANGUS) was born on 27 Dec 1925 in Sacramento, Sacramento, California, United States; died on 16 Oct 2004 in Roseville, Placer, California, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Physical Description: 5'5" light brown hair
• FamilySearch Id: M75P-CTZ
• Occupation: retired from Honeywell Corp.
• _MARNM: Alexander
• _UID: 234B56F37C0B26498E273FBA19B74683F42B

Notes:

California Birth Index, 1905-1995 Record
Name: Barbara Jean Collis
Birth Date: 20 Nov 1930
Gender: Female
Mother's Maiden Name: Sherman
Birth County: San Joaquin

Barbara Jean Collis was the third child born to Russell and Bertha Collis. She was born November 20, 1930. Her parents were living in Brentwood at the time but went to Dammeron Hospital in Stockton for Barbara's birth. Perhaps Russell was influenced by his cousin, Langley Collis, who was a doctor in Stockton, and Stockton is only about 30 miles from Brentwood along the Sacramento River. They were listed in the California Voter Registration in 1926-28 in Stockton, 5th Ward, 8th Precinct at Horace Ave and Anderson. Russell is listed as a bench hand Russell had worked there before as a pipe fitter and was familiar with the area. When traveling the levee road between Brentwood and Stockton, Bertha had to lean her head out of the car window and tell Russell which way to turn. Bertha couldn't decide between the name of Betty and Barbara (after Betty Davis and Barbara Stanwyck). She decided on Barbara. However, the recorder must have become tired of waiting because it was discovered later when Barbara was 14 and tried to get her work permit, that the birth certificate gave the name as Betty. It was officially changed back to Barbara.

In 1932, when Barbara was eighteen months old, her family moved to the state of Washington to a little town named Thera. Bertha's parents lived close by in Diamond. The family moved into an old converted grain warehouse where Russell became manager and was responsible for loading the sacks of wheat onto the elevator that took them up into the waiting boxcars. Russell would often let the children hitch a ride on top of the sacks of wheat as they ascended up to the boxcars. Barbara remembers rollerskating the length of that warehouse. This was an especially useful vehicle when needing to use the bathroom at the far end of the warehouse. For her 4th birthday her mother bought a doll and tied a string to it. Her mother gave Barbara the other end of the string. She had to follow that string which wandered back and forth through the warehouse, until she came to the doll.

Barbara remembers that sometime during her childhood she could not sleep on her left side or the pigs would bite her ears. Why? She's not sure.

Her mother told the story of the gypsies that traveled through the area. They tried to buy Barbara. Thank goodness the folks weren't that desperate for money. There is also the story that someone gave her the runt lamb of the flock., which she cared for and loved.

Barbara started the first grade in Endicott, near Thera. They lived in Thera about five years then moved to Colfax, Washington, where she finished first grade and continued through 5th grade. Barbara walked with her brother, Roy, and sister, Laura, about 3 miles down the road to school in Colfax. Sometimes unbeknownst to their mother, they walked the shortcut over the railroad trestle. When Barbara asked Roy what they would do if a train came, He replied, "We would drop down and hang below by our hands". Scary thought! After the first year a bus picked them up. When it snowed, Mom would have to go push them up the hill to the road where the bus was waiting. Barbara spent most of her young years on the farm in Colfax, then moved to Sacramento when she was 10 years old.

One day on her way to Rancho Market Barbara found $50 in the empty lot. Mom had always instilled in her children complete honesty and the idea to never keep anything that didn't belong to them. Barbara took the money to the Market and told them where she had found it. Later a sailor claimed it. It was his mustering out pay. He was so relieved to get it back, he gave her a $5 reward. That was a lot of money to a young kid at that time. and $50 was a lot of money to an adult.

As a teenager Barbara was active in the youth group of the Nazarene church. She attended a church youth camp by Santa Cruz when she was about 16. During her high school years, she had the responsibility to care for her younger brother and two sisters after school as her mother was working. She never minded that responsibility as it just seemed her contribution as a family member. She worked at the Carnation Ice Cream Company restaurant on Stockton Boulevard, just up the street from our home. She told me a story about one time when she was waitressing and cooking. A man came in and ordered his meal. When he finished eating, she asked him what he would like for dessert. He said, "you". She said she wasn't dessert, she was the main course. He laughed and left her a $5 tip. Who but Barb could think that fast.

She graduated from Sacramento High School in 1948. Barbara worked for the Federal Veteran's Administration for a year after graduation from High School. She then attended Sacramento Jr. College, graduating with a AA degree in Social Science. After graduation she worked for the California Highway Patrol coding accident reports.

Barbara met Tom Alexander in March 1951 on a blind date. He came to Sacramento with her girlfriend's boyfriend. They went to the boy's house and he asked if he could mix her a drink. When she said, "No. Thank you," he said, "the only other thing we have is milk." She replied that she would have a glass of milk. They then went on a beerbust on the banks of the Sacramento river under a bridge.Tom was an eighteen year old sailor in the U S Navy.. The others at the party seemed to disperse here and there, so Barb and Tom lay on a blanket under the railroad trestle and talked. Tom was a complete gentleman. He did not make any passes and this appealed to Barbara. They courted through the mail as Tom was sent to sea near Japan and Korea shortly after they met. They married in March 1952. Right after the wedding, Tom was shipped over seas and Barbara worked and lived with her parents. Her mother didn't know that Tom was Catholic and was disappointed to find that out. It's hard to figure this out, since Mom at one time had attended Catholic school. Bertha loved Tom, however, and had a good relationship with him throughout the years.

When Tom's ship sailed back to California, Barbara went to Berkeley to meet him in November of 1952. Barbara was about 8 1/2 months pregnant. They drove back to Barbara's sister's house, (Laura and Charlie Just), and then Barbara's water broke. They had to turn around and go back to Oaknoll Hospital in Oakland, where their first child, Karen, was born. They found an army barrack at Mare Island to live in and stayed there for 3 months while the ship was in dry dock. They then lived in government housing in Berkeley for a while. Tom was shipped out so Barbara and the baby returned to Sacramento where Barbara lived in a cement block house with Laura and Charlie.

When Tom's ship came back into port, They moved into a beautiful stately old home in Alameda with Laura and Charlie. The home had been made into 2 apartments. Charlie was attending Law School at UC Berkeley. During the daytime, Barb would stay home with Karen and the two Just children, Charlie attended law school, Laura would go to work at the Bank, and Tom would usually be at sea. Laura worked at the bank. At night time Barbara would go to work, Chrlie would go to work, Laura would stay home with the children, and if Tom was not at sea, he would also be at home. The downstairs neighbors had difficulty keeping track of who was married to whom.

Tom was soon transferred to Hawaii, so Barb and Tom then moved to Hawaii. Hawaii was an expensive place to live and Barbara was pregnant with Kathy most of the time they were there. Hawaii is not a fun place to live while pregnant and poor. It seemed that whenever she hung the wash on the line to dry, it would rain. After rushing out to take it down a few times, Barbara learned to just leave it there to dry eventually. Their second child, Kathleen, was born in September of 1954 in Hawaii.

When Tom got out of the navy, they lived for a time in Sacramento on 24th Street and then moved to Phoenix because his father was sick. Linda, their third child was born there in December of 1955. They bought a house and then rented it out and moved back to Sacramento because Barbara was homesick and Tom was frustrated with his job. Karen attended first grade at a Catholic school on Y Street. They lived in Sacramento 6 months before moving to Milpitis because they had friends there who thought they could help Tom find a job that he would be happy in. They could not qualify financially for housing and so lived with their friends, Gene and Bernita, for 6 months. Tom worked for the city of Milpitis water department. Barbara babysat in exchange for rent.

Tom's dad developed a heart condition and because Tom was an only child and felt he needed to be support for his mother, they moved back to Phoenix into the house they owned at 8121 North 29th Drive. In 1955 Barbara worked at Goodyear Aerospace as a "girl Friday" for 28 engineers. She answered phones, typed, and filed. The company made blimps and componants for airplanes. She worked days for about nine months but with Tom working nights, it made life difficult, so she quit. She only made $50 per week and paid her babysitter $25 per week. Figure the math.

Michael Thomas, "Tommy", was born in Phoenix at Phoenix General Hospital in August 1960. Dr. Hatch was Barbara's doctor, but he didn't make it to the delivery. Dr. Hatch was a cowboy and Tom painted a picture of his two horses to pay the doctor bill.

Barbara was a stay at home mom until Tommy went to school then went to work for GE in 1967. Honeywell bought out GE and Barbara worked as an insurance adjuster with Honeywell information Systems in Phoenix until she retired in June of 1986.

In early 2005 Barbara and Tom were both diagnosed with aortic aneurisms. Tom's was in the groin area and was repaired with surgery in February. Barbara's was a little more complicated as she had a weak heart and they discovered the lump in her neck was a tangle of veins, which may have been congenital from birth. Barb underwent a heart catheterizaton test the 24th of Novemberat the test request of the med staff in Houston, the experts in this field, who wanted a look at her heart/aorta from the inside. Turns out Barb experienced a mini-stroke after the procedure and had to spend 4 days in the hospital. She shed all stroke symptoms and was feeling better every day, but with little energy. They went to Houston around mid NOV for consultation with Dr. Coselli, the leading expert in surgical procedures involving the aorta. Local surgeons would not touch the descending aorta where it is involved with the spine, hence, Houston comes into play as they have the trained and experienced teams and facilities readily available.
She recovered from the TIA very well, but they found that her left carotid artery iwas 50% blocked and she had a weak heart that pumped only 35% of the blood that it should. Barbara and Tom went to the specialist in Texas who said he could not operate as the risk was too great because her heart was weak and there was a great chance she could have a stroke or heart attack during surgery. Barbara's heart seemed to improve and she said she was feeling good and could do most everything that she wanted to do.

Barbara died on Friday, 26 June 2009. Even though we knew it a very real possibility with her many health problems, it still comes as a shock. She had been having a nagging pain in her back and Tom had questioned her thouroughly to see if she was all right. She did not want to go to the doctor and said she would be fine. Tom was gone to pick up some printing from the printers just a short time. When he returned home, he found her on the floor by his chair seemingly reaching for the phone. He was devastated that he was not there with her. Perhaps she picked her time. She seemed to have been preparing in retrospect. She had spent a most satisfying day with her family on Mother's Day. On Thursday, the day before she died, she called me (Marilyn) and we had a nice long talk. She asked me if I knew what glass eggs were. I told her all I could think of was the Ukranian painted eggs. She said she thought she should call and share this with me. When she was young, Mom would soft boil eggs, break them in a glass, (we supposed she didn't have any small bowls), add lemon juice and salt and pepper. They would then dip their toast in the egg. I remember the soft boiled egg with lemon juice but not in a glass. Perhaps by then Mom had small bowls. I still love them that way. Barbara wanted me to know that information. Looking back on our conversation, it seems a little ironic. She then called Darlyne and they had a nice talk.There were many little things that seemed to indicate her preparation. Basically, though, she had been preparing since the day she found out the dire circumstances of her health. She accepted it and lived every day the best she could. She didn't have a lot of strength and endurance, so she would clean a little and then rest a little. She was happy. She loved the way Tom took care of her. He would hold her hand when she walked anywhere to make sure she wouldn't fall. She and Tom gave each other a meaningful hug and kiss each morning; grateful for each day they could spend together. She was happy and upbeat her whole life.

The day before Barbara died, she told Tom that she had called each one of her sisters and daughters. I'm sure she knew that her time was close. She had had a pain behind her shoulder blade for the last week. It was getting stronger. Tom was concerned and asked her several time if she would go see the doctor. She insisted that she would not go to the doctor. They both knew the inevitable, that the annuerism in her aorta could give out at any time. Tom went to pick up some flyers from the printer and said he would only be gone for half an hour. When he returned home, he found her on her knees by his chair reaching for the phone. Although he knew it was in vain, he started CPR. That only pumped more blood out. The paramedics came and continued the CPR for a short time. The autopsy showed it was indeed the aortic annuerism that had given out. Barbara was 78 years old



28 JUL 2k5 Dear Marilyn & Ron....We just got back from the frozen north country and have finally warmed up a bit. 'Twas nice seeing the family in Puget Sound, SLO, Roseville and Cool. All seems well so far even tho Laura is still struggling, she does seem to be coping OK. The rest o' the mob is still the same and were glad of that. Also glad to hear things are going well on your mssion. Very nice that your weather is cooperating at this point and we wish you a successful completion and safe return home. Angus Augustus Menish, the boy angel, was perfect except that his internal organs were all jammed in his chest allowing no room for his lungs to expand. His situation was too severe for the med team at U of Washington to handle. He was taken off life support a day and half after birth permitting his reentry into heaven, his mission on earth accomplished. He came at a time of serious family strife and estrangement and the discovery of his affliction, while still in the womb, brought Linda's little family back together again, as it should be. He came. He did his job. He went back. And he went back with a load of earthly love from all his family. Linda is prepping a garden in her back yard in his memory and Barb and I bought a cherub statue for the garden. His parents will decide on his ashes in the future. We know you will be anxious to get home, but if you can swing it, be sure to drop in on us Desert Rats for a little visit. 'Twould be fun, again....Love....Barb 'n' Tom

Barbara married Samuel "Thomas" ALEXANDER on 8 Mar 1952 in Reno, Washoe, Nevada, United States. Samuel (son of Salvatore Augostino ALESSANDRA or ALEXANDER and Frances Paula Antoinette DIMARIA or DEMARIA) was born on 7 Nov 1932 in Rochester, Monroe, New York, United States; died on 30 Sep 2019 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona; was buried in Veterans Cemetery, Phoenix. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Physical Description: light brown hair, med build
• FamilySearch Id: M75P-CTD
• _UID: F2994380B2514D4EAACE6848012A0CD41F0C

Notes:

Stanley Richard Collis is the 4th child of Bertha and Russell Collis. He was born February 2, 1935 in Thera, Washington. Thera was just outside of Colfax 1.5 miles toward Endicott, and near Diamond. The family was living in a converted grain warehouse beside the railroad track at the time, as Russell was of the warehouse and in charge of loading the sacks of wheat onto the elevator which took them up and into the railroad cars. The warehouse has been long since been torn down.

Bertha and Russell and their children had previously lived in Brentwood, California, where Russell had been born and raised during his younger years. They moved to Washington when Russell's mother lost the ranch in Brentwood to Foreclosure. Bertha's mother and step-father lived in Diamond, Washinton, and that is where Bertha and Russell met. So when the ranch was lost, they returned to Washington.

When Stan was about 2 years of age, the family moved to Colfax and lived on the little ranch inherited by Roy Lamb, Bertha's step-father. This ranch was located 3 miles outside of Colfax on the road toward Diamond. Russell was working in the wheat fields and Bertha cooked for the workers and for the highway crew.

(From: Stanley Collis
To: marlparker@aol.com
Sent: Sun, Feb 6, 2011 10:41 am

Thanks. So far so good. Do you know when we moved from the grainery to the farm? Were you born on the farm? I actually remember the day we left the farm for California, but I don't remember much else except my playhill and the tractor. I droove it into a ditch. Dad put a can over the exhaust to keep rain out. It blew off when he started the tractor)

Stan was 6 years old when the family moved to Sacramento, California, where Russell's sister, Gladyce, lived. The farm had sold and there wasn't much work around Colfax. Stan attended Coloma School when they lived with Gladyce.

Stan attended elementary and junior high schools in Sacramento and graduated from Sacramento Senior High School in 1953. He attended Sacramento State College where he received his BA degree in Mathematics in 1963. He received a Master's degree in 1974 in Court Administration at the Institute for Court Management. He also is a fellow of the Institute for Court Management at Denver Colorado.
Stan served as a data processing procedure writer for the Fifth Army in Chicago Illinois. He worked for the State of California in various data processing roles for more than sixteen years before becoming a co-founder in System Dynamics Inc., a consulting firm specializing in criminal justice data processing. He developed the first on-line criminal justice information system in the country and served as a consultant to the F.B.I. in their development of the National Crime Information Center.
After serving three years as Chief of Criminal Justice Systems for the CIty/County of San Francisco, he took a position as Executive Assistant to the Presiding Judge of the San Francisco Superior Court. Then went to the San Mateo County Court. He retired in 1993 from the San Mateo County Court.
His hobbies were carpentry, skiing, and car building, but now mostly consist of golf and wine collecting.

Stan died quietly sitting in his chair at home at 9:00 on Wednesday, 23 November, 2016. The Hospice doctor had visited that morning and said he had only a couple more day. Stan had been in the hospital with aspiration Pneumonia and then spent a month in a nursing home to strengthen his legs. He had been home a month or 2 and found out he had throut cancer. there was no treatment given as he was already weak and had several health issues. No service of any kind will be held. He was cremated.

Note from Carol, Nov 24, 2016, "Stan passed away last night here at home. He was sitting peacefully in his favorite chair and quietly went to sleep. He had been home for two months from the rehabilitation facility and wanted to die at home. He was diagnosed with throat cancer last month, and his health seemed to decline rapidly. He was depressed that he wasn't going to get better. He did not want any service, so Julie and I are honoring his wishes. "

Stanley married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: 8611A8A760804E4C8262471E3CCA58EAF1A8

Family/Spouse: Patricia OLSEN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: D0BC128E60D46E4BAB7D3779A684AEC79072

Notes:

died at 8 months.

Other Events:

• _UID: ECC5A511B9D32740A98926063BDDAE1B99B4

Notes:

died at age 4

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• _UID: ED33710EAFDFA249BC9B8673087C52FC3A13

Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]