|
(Continued from page 4)
they would be down this week to see us I want you to come over on the 6 of August & we will rob my bees and eat honey and have a good old time. Your Ma and the children all sends respects to you all. Please write soon & tell me how you are getting along. Yours with respect God bless you all farewell. Signed, W W Jernigan & wife
[Spelling and punctuation have been copied as written. The original letter is in my possession.]
The "Ma and children" referred to in the letter are WW's second wife, Sarah Ann Riley, and their children. Rachel Susan's Mother was Sarah Jane Downs, WW's first wife. Sarah Jane Downs died when Rachel was a young girl.
From 1895 until 1920 Rachel Susan and Sam moved several times. Loda told stories of the family coming to Oregon by train and the first records show that they were located near McMinville, Oregon in November 1895. They resettled in eastern Oregon where they appear on the Sherman Co., Oregon 1900 Federal Census. Arthur was married there 14 Mar 1900. The family moved further west into the forest land on the eastern slope of Mt. Hood and land papers indicate that in 1907/8 Sam and their son James Lee Arthur each received a Homestead Certificate in Wasco County, Oregon, indicated they had been there for the previous five year necessary to claim land. Wasco County marriage records include listings for Lulu and Claude.
Verbal family history says life was not easy for Sam, Susan and the 8 children. They "lived off the land", raised horses, logged timber and did some mining. Elvis, Loda, Lulu and Lelia attended the one room school house near the homestead and the teacher boarded with the family for a time. One story tells of the boys tracking a herd of seven deer until they had killed them all for the family winter meat supply. Loda told stories of his father giving one of the boys one rifle cartridge and telling him to go out and get meat for the family evening meal. If the boy didn't find game or missed his shot there would be no meat.
The family appears on the White Salmon District, Klickitat Co., Washington 1910 Federal Census and land papers show the family owned some land near the area. Sam and the boys cut timber on their land and worked in local lumber mills. By 1920 the family had scattered with William, Claude, Elvis and Loda living in Multnomah Co., Oregon. William worked for the Portland Electric Railroad Company. Claude owned a construction business. After Elvis and Loda returned from W.W.I navy duty Elvis owned and operated a Chinese restaurant and owned a car dealership. Loda made his living as a brick mason, concrete finisher and as a general contractor. Arthur and Lelia and their families continued to live in White Salmon and Lewis worked as a logger on the Klamath Indian Reservation near Klamath Falls, Oregon. Lula lived near Falls City, Oregon with her family.
Rachel Susan died 6 Jan 1915 at the Portland, OR, home of her son William. She was survived by her husband, all eight of her children, two brothers and a sister; Tom Jernigan of White Salmon, Grant Jernigan and Mrs. Jane Coose both of Dalles, OR. She is buried at White Salmon in the Mt Scott Park Cemetery.
|
|