Mary Pearl Hulse Weaver

(Mary Pearl Hulse – about 1895. She would have been about 15 years old.)

Mary was born on October 12th of 1879 in Fort Collins, Colorado to Abijah M. and Mary Elizabeth (Harris) Hulse. She was the sixth of seven children and the only girl of the bunch.  By the time Mary was born, her two oldest brothers were already grown and gone.

When Mary Pearl was only eight months old, the 1880 United States Federal Census was taken.  Even though she was born in Colorado, the family was living on a farm near Monroe, Nebraska in Saline county.  Her uncles, Joseph Hulse and Perry Hulse, both had farms nearby.  I imagine a big family with lots of cousins running around, the women cooking meals in their houses, probably soddy’s, or sometimes on open fires in the yard while the men helped each other in the fields.  Corn was a thriving crop in Nebraska in the 1880’s.  I wonder if that was one of the Hulse men’s crops?

Whatever the case, by 1884 Mary’s family was in northeastern Oregon.  Family stories relate that Mary was just a baby when her family traveled from Colorado to the Wallowa country in Oregon by covered wagon.

Mary was four when her youngest brother, Edgar Herbert Hulse, was born on the 30th of August.  He was born in Enterprise, Oregon in Wallowa county.

Mary’s father died when she was sixteen years old. He had been taken to the asylum in Salem, Oregon where he died just two weeks later.  I hope to find more information on what happened and why he was there.  I believe by then Mary and her little brother, Edgar, were the only two children left at home. It must have been a hard time for the family.  I have not been able to find a census record for them during this time.

On May 8th, 1899, when Mary Pearl was nineteen, she married Elijah “Lige” Daniel Weaver and went from being a farmer’s daughter to being a farmer’s wife. Lige was thirty three years old. Quite the age difference! The couple immediately went to live on Lige’s homestead in the Lower Valley outside of Wallowa where they lived until after Lige passed away. They raised dairy cows and a very large family, thirteen kids all told, including two sets of twins.

Just a little over a year after the couple married, they welcomed their first son, Ellis Leslie Weaver to the family.   More children quickly followed, 11 boys and 3 girls.

• Ellis Leslie – born on June 3rd, 1900
• Ivan – born December 30, 1901 and died January 1, 1902
• Edna Winifred – born on November 25th, 1902 (my own great-grandmother!)
• Ronald Jay – born on December 7th, 1904
• Blanche Violet – born on February 1st, 1907
• Wayne Robert – born on February 19th, 1909
• Lloyd Wallace “Chuck” – born on February 20th, 1911
• Wilbur Gregory – born on April 21st, 1913
• Kenneth Weldon – born on April 11th, 1915
• Selby Granville and Shelby – twins born on September 20th, 1917 (Shelby died as an infant)
• Leona “Myrtle” Marie – born on July 14th, 1919
• Martin Tucker “Doc” – twin of Marshall, born on October 20th, 1922
• Marshall Thomas – twin of Martin, born on October 20th, 1922

Several family members remember being told that Grandma Weaver actually carried three sets of twins but one set died at childbirth of shortly thereafter. I’m sure that is probably true, but because I can’t find anything solid about them, I haven’t put them on the list of children.  If that story is correct, then there would have been 15 kids.

Mary Pearl always remained a small person with a tiny waist, even after all of those babies!

Lige and Mary’s oldest son, Ellis, had epilepsy.  In that era, there was not any consistent treatment for this and many times, especially if a family was poor, it was recommended that the patient be placed in an institution. The family thought that this would be the best thing, that Ellis would get the help that he needed.  Unfortunately this is not what happened, and this part may be hard to read but it is a part of our family’s history.

Ellis was taken to the asylum in Salem.  In the institution the treatment for epilepsy was electric shock treatment. Without going into detail, suffice it to say that poor Ellis, at age 20, was admitted to an insane asylum for a seizure disorder and the treatment made him insane. It’s an incredibly sad and hard story. I cannot imagine what the family went through emotionally because of this. Ellis was never able to return home, living out the rest of his years, until the age of 37, in the institution.  He passed away on December 25th, 1937 and is buried in the Wallowa Cemetery.

Lige passed away on the 3rd of March, 1928, leaving Mary Pearl a widow at the young age of 48 years.  The boys stepped up and helped to keep the farm running.

When the depression hit, they could no longer hang on to the farm.  Mary Pearl then moved to a small house in town where she lived for the rest of her life.

Some time later, her daughter, Myrtle and husband Francis Armon, were able to rent the old family homestead so the Weaver family was able to spend more time there.  There is a pond on the property that is still known as Weaver Pond.

On the 1940 census, “Pearl” is sixty years old and working as a Practical Nurse for a private party.

Mary Pearl Weaver holding her great-grandson, Tommy Sannar. Circa 1941

Mary Pearl Weaver – age 62 – 1942

1942 Weaver Family Reunion on the Old Homestead

My dad, Tom Sannar, remembers riding the train with his great-grandma several times.  He says that during the war, when all the men were gone, Grandma Weaver liked to go places. Apparently she loved to shop in the dime stores and Dad remembers riding the train with her all the way from La Grande to Enterprise just to go shopping at the Five-and-Dime. He says that she was a “Gad-About”.  🙂

When the boys came back from the war, Martin, or “Doc” as we all knew him, was never the same. He was a very sweet and gentle soul and the war was too much for him.  He was shell shocked, which is now called PTSD, but severe. He never came out of it. Even though his mind was no longer right, he was still a gentle soul. There was a time when he was taken to an institution, but that scared Mary to death because of what had happened to Ellis.  She would not allow him to stay there and went and brought him home instead.  I remember him at family reunions when I was a kid, sitting by himself, drinking his “near-beer”, and talking and giggling to himself.

My dad also told me about a time when his family had moved from the logging camp at Mount Emily into a house in La Grande.  Grandma Weaver came to stay for a few days.  They had a wood burning stove in the living room that, without thinking, his mom had thrown some old batteries into.  Grandma Weaver was getting up in years and she walked fairly slow.  She was coming along in front of the wood stove when those batteries exploded. She sure moved fast then!

Mary Pearl passed away on March 16th, 1955 in La Grande, Oregon.  She was 75 years old.

Mary Pearl is buried in the cemetery in Wallowa, Oregon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, I know that some of you remember her. Please share your memories of Grandma Weaver so that we can all know more about who she was.   Thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Mary Pearl Hulse Weaver is my 2nd great-grandmother on my dad’s side of the family.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Memories of Mary Pearl

“My Sweet Grandmother..she was the only one I had since my Grandmother Boyd died before I was born..I spent many nights with her and in the same bed..she would be talking with me sharing life stories (how I wish I could hear them again)as I have forgotten most..and then..she was snoring..lol..she was a tiny little thing..short and spry..and didn’t sit still for long..one story I’ll always remember is the time she and I rode the bus to LaGrande..I had spent the night again..Mom had just bought me a new red coat..and as Grandma and I were walking out of her house to catch the bus a big dog came after me and grabbed the hem of my new coat and ripped it..she swung her purse and hit him hard..he never bothered us again..” ~ Janice Weaver McLaughlin

“I remembered her being left handed and how fast she could do things with her left hand. Being little I thought it really strange that she was using the wrong hand :)” ~ Lynda Weaver Mattson

“My mother shared some things about Grandma Weaver.  She had a tiny waist.
Their house burned down and the family lived in a tent out Bear Creek for a time, if my memory is accurate.  At some point during that time, my grandmother, Blanche, a widow & one of Mary Pearl’s daughters, had my mom, Wanda, live with Mary Pearl so Blanche could work in La Grande.” ~ Lorrie Goebel Wade

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Memories of Elijah and Mary Pearls Children

“Kenneth was a fantastic carpenter. He was building a metal airplane at one point. Us kids would go out and sit in, pretending we were flying. He never finished that one but later he built a wooden plane. It was gorgeous when it was finished. He never flew it but sold it to someone who did.”  ~ Tom Sannar

“Selby was my dad. He was a barber in LaGrande.” ~ Dawn Rogers

” I remember many family get togethers as a small child. All the music and so much fun. I think often of those times. I feel totally blessed to have been brought up around the complete Weaver Family. Those days are surely missed.  I love it all and still have a deep feeling of closeness to all.” ~ Sherry Ireland

Edna Winifred (Weaver) Kennison Coleman

(Edna Coleman – July 6th, 1969, 66 years old, Wallowa, Oregon)

Edna Winifred Weaver was born on November 25th, 1902 in Wallowa, Oregon to Elijah and Mary Pearl (Hulse) Weaver.  She was the third born of thirteen children, though an older brother, Ivan, only lived a few days.

At the age of 18, on October 28th, 1921, Edna married Harry Kennison in Enterprise, Oregon.  The couple made their home in Wallowa’s Lower Valley where Harry worked building roads.  He was one of the road builders on the Minam Canyon road that links Wallowa county with Union county.

This great picture of Harry and Edna was taken in 1922 in Shaniko, Oregon.  Harry was doing road work down there, so they were living in this sheep wagon.

On the 4th of July, 1923, Harry and Edna’s first child was born, my grandmother, Shirley Marcilee Kennison.   Edna was 20 years old.  A Dr. Gregory delivered the baby, but Edna had been so toxemic that she was unable to wear shoes for several months before the birth.  The baby was born and she was fine but Edna wasn’t doing very well, so the doctor stayed with them at their home for a few days after the birth to help Edna recover.

Son Harry Elvyn Kennison, Jr.  came along in 1926, and the couple’s youngest daughter, Laurena Winifred Kennison in 1930.

On December 14th, 1934 the family’s life was to change forever when Harry had a sudden heart attack and passed away at the age of only 31 years.  My grandmother, Shirley, was the oldest child.  She was 11 when her dad died and had to run by herself on a dark night to bring the doctor back to their home.  That story always broke my heart a little bit each time I heard it.

 

After Harry passed away, the family was very poor and got some type of assistance from the county.  It was not at all the same as the welfare system is today and was apparently random items brought to their home from time to time.  One of the items that the family was given at one point was bed sheets.  Their house has a dirt floor, which was not so uncommon in those times and I always heard stories how Grandma’s dirt floor was always swept so clean and hard packed that you could eat off of it.  Well, the family didn’t need any sheets, so Edna took them and hung them up on the walls and the ceiling to help keep the dirt out.  She was very resourceful, from all accounts that I have heard.

Edna’s parents gave the a milk cow, but they had no place to keep it at their home, so it stayed at her parents house.  Shirley, being the oldest, was sent over to her grandparents to milk that cow every morning.  There is a family story that her two young uncles, the twins Doc and Marshall, (who were younger than Shirley), thought that the cow should be theirs instead. One morning when Shirley went to milk, the three of them got in a fist fight.  Apparently she came home with a black eye but the boys were the worst for the wear!

On February 5th, 1940, at the age of 37, Edna married Trell Haney Coleman in Union, Oregon.  From all accounts, Trell was a wonderful man and the family adored him.

(Edna and Trell Coleman, July 1963, Wallowa, Oregon.)

They were married for 29 years before Trell passed away on June 29th, 1969.  Edna followed less than a year later on April 29th, 1970.  She is buried in the Cemetery at Wallowa.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wallowa County Cheiftan Newspaper
Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon,
dated Thursday May 7, 1970
Edna Coleman Services Held
Mrs. Edna Winnifred Coleman of Wallowa passed away on Wednesday, April 29, 1970 in a La Grande hospital where whe had been a patient for ten days.
She was the daughter of Elijah and Mary Weaver and was born Nov. 25, 1902 at Wallowa where she had lived all of her life. On Oct. 28, 1921 she was married at Enterprise to Harry Kennison who passed away Dec. 14, 1934. On Feb. 5, 1940 she was married at Enterprise to Trell Coleman who passed away June 29, 1969.
Her survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Alvin (Shirley) Sannar and Mrs. Ray (Laurena) Vance, both of Ketchikan, Alaska; one son, Harry Kennison of Baker and one stepson, Edward Coleman of Enterprise; two sisters, Mrs. Chas. (Blanche) Schaeffer of Wallowa, and Mrs. Francis (Myrtle) Armon of Perry; five brothers, Wayne Weaver of Pagosa Springs, Colo., Lloyd and Martin Weaver, both of Wallowa, Kenneth Weaver of Yakutat, Alaska, and Selby Weaver of LaGrande; and seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Memorial services were held Monday at 2 p.m. at the Wallowa Christian Church, conducted by the Bollman Funeral Home with Rev. Gary Johnson officiating. Mrs. Wanda Sorweide was organist, and Mrs. Catherine DeBoie sang “In The Still of The Night” and “In The Garden.”
Casket bearers were: Keith L. Weaver, Beryl Weaver, Gregory Weaver, Lowell Armon, Dallas Armon and Mike Holloran. Interment was in the Wallowa Cemetery.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please pass on any stories about Edna and her life so that I can add them here.  I know some of you remember her~!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This is my Aunt Edna..Dad’s sister..and all of you that attended Wallowa High School..Trell Coleman was our favorite janitor!!! Such a kind caring man..” ~ Janice Weaver McLaughlin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I remember the house being sparkling clean when Grandma and Grandpa Coleman lived there. The yard was bumpy with night crawler holes and had wooden sidewalks out the front and back doors. They grew the best tasting raspberries ever and grandma always kept gingersnaps for us kids. Grandpa was always gentle and kind, smiling as I tagged along with him when he was puttering around outside. He would always take me to see his dog Brownie, a German shorthair who was kept tied because he would run off chasing birds. He would stand on top of his doghouse watching us come across the yard. I loved going to visit! I think I was only 7 or 8 when grandpa died. Grandma was always sad after that.”

~ Susan Sannar Pawley, great-granddaughter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I remember going to visit them several times as a child. They were both such nice people. While my parents (Keith & Sally Weaver) were visiting I and my siblings would play in their big shaded yard. Such great memories!” ~ Shannon Weaver Erm, great-niece 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Edna is my great-grandmother, the mother of Shirley Marcilee (Kennison) Sannar.)

 

Harry is buried in the cemetery at Wallowa, Oregon

Samuel James Weaver

Samuel James Weaver was a soldier during the American Revolution, serving as a Minute Man as well as several different enlistments.

Samuel was born on November 26th, 1755 to Daniel and Anna (Stout) Weaver in Cumberland, Virginia.  The times were very turbulent during Samuel’s childhood;  the Cherokee-English wars were going on, and the American’s were strongly opposed to English rule.   Samuel would only have been 10 years old when the American Revolution began.  Stories say that he was a giant of a man, reaching 7’4″ tall.

We know that Samuel was drafted into service just a few weeks before the fall of Charleston in April of 1780.  Here is some information from the National Archives that was transcribed from his Revolutionary War Soldiers Pension Application, dated the 15th of April, 1836.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Laurel County, State of Kentucky

On the 15th day of April, 1836, personally appeared before Abraham Hunter, a Justice of the Peace for Laurel Cty appeared Samuel Weaver a resident of said county now aged 81 who being justly and duly sworn according to law doth on his Oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June of 1832

That a few weeks before the fall of Charleston in South Carolina in the Revolutionary War, in the state of North Carolina, Surrey County, he was drafted to serve for three months, and was placed under Jacob Camplin as Capt and was marched from thence toward Charleston in S.C. but on the way he was detached from the Company to guard the baggage wagons.

His Capt marched on to Charleston and in the siege was wounded in the knee –  upon his return he was selected to return with him home to Surry County and wait upon him and he did so and at the end of his term of service (3 months) he was discharged by Capt Camplin in Surry County his discharge was in writing but which he has long since lost. He does not now recollect the name of his Col. or Maj. – neither does he remember his Lt. or Ensign. In the Company he belonged to he remembers the name of Matthew Peggs – he recollects his name particularly as he was told by his Capt that during the siege of Charleston he stopped shooting and lit his pipe.  Four days after his discharge he volunteered for three months in the Militia of said state in Surry County for three months under Capt Wm. Bostic from there he was marched to Hillsborough in N.C. the place of Rendivou, (rendezvous?), from thence he was marched to join Genl. Marion in S.C.   After remaining with Marion a little upwards of four weeks he was marched back to N.C. and when his term expired and but a short distance from Moravian Towns he recd a written discharge from his Capt which he has long since lost – He does not remember the name of his Col. or Majors. After his return but after serving under Hostin as will be explained he enrolled himself as a Minute Man for and during the war under Capt. Camplin aforesaid and he was repeatedly called out under him in scouting parties against the Tories.  This time his service under this engagement was almost every month, and sometimes after and during the War near three years or perhaps a little upward.  During this time he performed his service in N.C. on the Yadkin and Broad River – Deep River and Haw River.  On these trips he got several discharges, which he has lost.  The Col. or Majors if any, he does not remember.  Previous to this he volunteered and went in to Virginia and served a trip of between four and five weeks under Capt George Hastin (afterward called Col. Hastin) of Henry County, Va.  This trip was to go to the battle of Gilford in N.C. but when the reached the battle ground in about five or six miles, they met the American troops retreating.  The way this happened he was an a visit to Va. at an Uncle _______ Harstin (?) – Whether he was a Capt or a Col. he does not remember, but supposes he was a Col as he was the Commander and had near six or seven hundred men under him. – He recd a discharge (long since lost) from Hastin and not exceeding two weeks he entered the Minute service as ap. (?) For this trip he volunteered for no particular time but served as long as he was required.  He would further state that there were two men of his own name who were drafted as he understood in the _____ of N.C.  One of them lived in Surry county, the other he does not recollect in what county he lived neither does he know in whose command they were in but one of them deserted and joined the enemy at Savannah, Georgia.  He mentions this, for fear it might be supposed he was this man.  He would further state that shortly after the close of the war he recd of Capt Camplin a written discharge for his service as a Minute Man as ap. – After this he moved to Tennessee, Washington county, and volunteered to serve an expedition under Capt John Wood under Col Sevier (formerly Gov. of Ten) in the Cherokee Nation of Indians. The time he served he does not remember  –  but he remembers when they started, roasting ears were not full enough to use, and when he returned, corn was generally gathered and cribed.  During this trip a treaty was made with the Cherokee’s at Little River in Ten. He does not remember whether he got a discharge; but was marched home by his Capt and discharged.

1st.  He was born in Cumberland county, Va, the year he has stated.

2.  He has in his possession a record of his age.

3.  He lived in Cumberland or Rockingham county when the Revolution commenced and when called in to service he lived in Surry County, Va. Since, he lived in Ten. and Kentucky where he lives now.

4.  The manner he entered the service he has described – he was always a private and upon his own account.

5.  He recollects during the service he saw Genl Washington and Genl Marion – He would state that a few years since he remembered his Col and Genl but his memory is almost gone.  He hereby relinquishes whatever to a pension….(illegible)

The reason why he has not applied sooner is that he had a repugnance to have it said he was paid by the government and he was so advanced in years he thought it hardly worthwhile to apply.  

(Samuel Weaver’s mark here, Laurel County, Kentucky)

I, Abraham Hunter, a Justice of the Peace for the County of Laurel —-  that this day Samuel Weaver made Oath before me to the foregoing petition according to law.  I also certify that he is not able to attend court.  I also certify that his memory is frail and greatly impaired.  I also certify that he is a man of good character and I have no doubt this statement is true.  Given under my hand this 15th day of April 1836.

Abraham Hunter, Laurel County, Kentucky

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Samuel’s own account, he served under Col Francis Marion who was known as the “Swamp Fox”.  There is a famous story and painting depicting Col Marion inviting a British officer to share a meal of sweet potato’s served on a bark plate.  From what I was able to find, there is a strong possibility that our Samuel was the one who prepared this meal.

At the age of 27, Samuel married Mary Ann “Polly” Bollinger on October 7th, 1783 in Washington County, Tennessee.  The couple had 11 children and a long life together.

From what I understand, they moved to Laurel County, Kentucky when land was granted to Samuel for his service in the Revolutionary war.  The land was located in the Cane Creek section of southeastern Laurel County.  Apparently it was a large land holding stretching between the headwaters of Laurel River and Cane Creek.  Part of the  land, 200 acres,  was passed down to Joseph, the youngest of Samuel and Polly’s sons.  I believe the rest of the land may have been divided up between a few of the other children.

Samuel passed away on November 14th, 1842 at the age of 84.

He is buried in the Providence Cemetery in Laurel County, Kentucky.  The older headstone is his original.  A second headstone has been added.

(Samuel Weaver is my 5th great-grandfather. )

Darius and Sarah (Morris) Weaver

Darius Weaver was born about 1821 in Laurel county, Kentucky.  His parents were Hezekiah and Sarah “Sally” (Box) Weaver.  When Darius was 25 years old he married Sarah “Sally” Anna Morris on March 12th, 1846 in Kentucky. Sarah was born around 1830 and would have been about sixteen at the time of their marriage.

In 1848, the couple’s first daughter, Margaret, was born.  In the following years, other children joined the family until 1865 when my own great-great grandfather was born. The children were: Margaret, Mary, Malinda, William, John, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Elijah.

In all of the census’ from 1850 to 1880, Darius was listed as a farmer but there are some notes that a descendant of Darius shared on ancestery.com that mention that he was known as a “Mountain Preacher” with a fiery temper.  (Those notes will be included below.)

Sarah passed away about 1871, when she was only about forty or forty-one years-old. Sadly, I haven’t been able to find hardly any information about her, not even who her parents were. The only thing I’m fairly certain of is that she lived her entire life in Laurel County, Kentucky.

In 1878, after Sarah had passed away, the family moved to Wallowa county, Oregon. I understand that his name is engraved on the pioneer arches on the lawn of the courthouse in Enterprise, Oregon. (I need to look for it next time I’m in Enterprise!)  Darius lived to be 73 years old.  He died on August 14th, 1894 and is buried in the Alder Slope Cemetery in Enterprise, Wallowa county, Oregon.  It’s said that not long before Darius passed away, he hid gold in the walls of his daughters house. It has never been found.

There is some confusion as to Darius’ name.  Some people have him listed as Darius Daniel, but Daniel was actually a brother.  The confusion seems to come in because of his headstone.   Here is what is written on a website called “Find A Grave” about it:

“According to Richard Brock who placed this headstone, he made an error and put the “Daniel” on, and attempted to scratch it off when realizing it. Daniel was actually Darius brother. Darius sister, after marrying a Brock, apparently named her son after her two brothers, Daniel and Darius resulting in Daniel Darius Brock, which possibly resulted in the name error.”

Darius shares a headstone with his daughter, Margaret Weaver Brock.

Now are you ready for all the good stuff?  When I’m able to find stories and little memories of someone, that’s where the magic happens.  This is where we get to catch a little glimpse of who our ancestors were, not just names and dates.  Sit back and enjoy these little tidbits about the “Fiery Mountain Preacher” who was my ancestor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(These notes where shared on ancestry.com by a man named Richard Carpenter. I thank him, and Ann Weaver Adair for giving us this glimpse into who Darius was!)

1. Records of Ann Weaver Adair (1990-2000). [In Papa’s notes, he is listed as “mountain preacher,” and as having a very strong temper. Once he tried to use his belt on his son, Bill, who apparently had a temper equally as strong, and who knocked him down. Darius went for his gun, then came to himself and replaced it].

2. Records of Ann Weaver Adair (1990-2000). [In Oregon, the youngest son of Darius, killed a Black Bear and sent the claw back to Arkansas. Darius urged my grandfather, Russell Weaver (his nephew) to join him in Oregon and offered to send money for the trip].

3. Records of Ann Weaver Adair (1990-2000). [On the way to Oregon, Darius hid his money in the coupling part of the wagon. It was believed that he had a good sum of money when he died, although the the children could never find it].

4. Records of Ann Weaver Adair (1990-2000). [Darius (age 91), his sister, Mrs. Brock (93) and their older brother, Daniel (94), spent their last days together. “The History of Wallowa County Oregon” is published by the County Museum Board and has information on the Weavers and Sassers].

5. Adair, Ann Weaver. Texas. (1996-2000). [Darius is mentioned as a Deacon of the Providence Church on pg. 12 of the “History of Laurel River Association of Missionary Baptist.” Darius made the trip to Oregon in 1878, starting from Arkansas on a trip that would take 6 months].

Obituary of Charlotte Weaver, his daughter:

1. Records of Ann Weaver Adair (1990-2000). [Obituary of Charlotte Weaver, daughter || A clipping from the ‘Stockman Enterprise.’ of Alder, Oregon, reporting the death of Charlotte Maccormick, daughter of Darius Weaver… “Charlotte Weaver was born in Laurel County, Kentucky, Nov 9, 1862, the daughter of Darius and Sally (Morris) Weaver. Her mother passed away when Charlotte was nine years old. In 1878, her father came to Oregon and settled in Alder, and the next year sent for his unmarried children. Charlotte and her two older brothers made the trip by wagon, entering the Valley over the old Smith Mountain Road.”]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Travelling back from Kentucky by train after selling the last of his landholdings there, Darius carried with him $5000 in gold pieces and the family bible.  Upon arriving at the end of the line ill, his daughter picked him up and took him to her home.  His belongings were set in an unfinished wall.  He died there, and was buried at Alder Slope Cemetery.  Years later, the old home was torn down, the family bible found inside the wall and returned.  The gold of course, was never found.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh wow.  Darius Weaver, Kentucky mountain Baptist preacher with a fiery temper. One of these days I will definitely be visiting those hills where he preached his fire and brimstone.

(Darius and Sarah Weaver are my 3rd great-grandparents. They are the parents of Elijah Daniel Weaver.)

Elijah Daniel Weaver

Elijah Daniel Weaver, known as “Lige” to his family and friends, was born July 25th, 1865 to Darius and Sarah Weaver in Laurel county, Kentucky. His father was a farmer.

Lige’s mother, Sarah, passed away when he was only 10 years old.  The family headed west, Lige’s father going ahead and sending for the children once he was settled in Wallowa county.  The kids arrived in June of 1879. One sister, Elizabeth, died along the trail.

When Lige was 33 years old, he married Mary Pearl Hulse.  The year was 1899.  They went to live on the homestead that he had taken in Lower Valley of Wallowa county near the head of the canyon,  where they lived for the rest of their lives.  In June of 1900, Lige and Mary’s first son, Ellis was born.  Many children followed, including my great-grandmother, Edna Winifred, for a total of thirteen.

Lige was 51 years old when the United States went to war against Germany in WWI.  He passed away at the age of 62 on March 3, 1928 and is buried in the Wallowa Cemetery.

You can get much more of a feel for who he was from his obituary that was published in the Wallowa County Chieftain. A huge thank you to my dad for giving me a copy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wallowa County Cheiftan
March 1928

Elijah D. Weaver, Resident of Wallowa County Last 49 Years, Passes Suddenly
Elijah Weaver, familiarly known to his wide aquaintanceship in the Wallowa county as
“Lige”, and one of this county’s original pioneers, died suddenly last Saturday morning at his home in Lower Valley at the age of 62 years, eight months and seven days. Although he had been in failing health for some time, the end came abruptly at 7:30 o’clock, at the home on the original homestead near the head of the canyon where he had spent the greater portion of his life.
Funeral services were held from the Methodist church in Wallowa last Monday afternoon, with Rev. G.H. Feese officiating. An exceptionally large concourse of friends and relatives gathered to pay their final tribute. Music was given by a quartet composed of Mrs. Wm. McKenzie, Mrs. Frank Bradley, H.M. Vaught and K.W. McKenzie with Mrs. Harold Hamstreet at the piano. Pall bearers were B.B. Oliver, L.T. Powers, Chas Bramlet, Chas. Johnson, Geo. Werst and Gordan Martin. Interment was in the Wallowa cemetery.
Mr. Weaver was born July 25, 1865 in Laurel county, Kentucky. His mother passed away when he was a lad and the father went West to seek a new home, finding it in Wallowa county. He then sent for his children and Elijah with an older brother and sister started west on an emigrant train. They were eight weeks enroute from Kentucky to Kelton, Utah, then the terminal of the railroad. Here they were met by Is Weaver, a cousin, who brought them by team over to Cove and thence to Alder Slope in Wallowa county where the father had established his home. They arrived June 7, 1879.
On May 8, 1899 Elijah was united in marriage to Miss Mary Pearl Hulse of Enterprise, and they went to live on the homestead of the bridegroom which he had taken in Lower Valley near the head of the canyon. Here he resided the remainder of his days. When the first road was built down through the canyon Mr. Weaver was one of the first to drive a team over it. He was also one of the county’s original sportsmen, having been a great hunter in his day.
In recent years he turned his attention to dairying and developed a strong herd of Jerseys, of which he recently disposed. Four years ago he was baptised by the Rev. Cox of Enterprise. The obituary, as read at the service Monday in part said:
“He was a believer in Christ and cherished his father’s well-worn Bible.”
“A place by the fireside is vacant,
“A voice we cherished is stilled,
“He is gone, though not forgotten,
“His place can never be filled. ”
Besides his widow, Mr. Weaver is survived by nine sons and three daughters; Mrs. Blanche Bassett of Winchester, Idaho. Mrs. Edna Kennison of Orchard, Wash., Ellis of Salem, and Jay, Wane, Lloyd, Wilbur, Kenneth, Marshall, Selby, Myrtle, and Martin of Wallowa. Also, two brothers and one sister survive, W.H. Weaver of Enterprise, J.M. Weaver of Walla Walla, and Mrs. Wm. McCormick of Enterprise. There are three grandchildren and a host of other relatives.
Attending the services Monday from out of the valley points were Mr. and Mrs. S.P. Kennison of Orchard, Wash., and Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Hulse of La Grande. All of the children were home with the exception of Ellis.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please, if anyone has a picture of Elijah, will you please pass that along?  I would love to have a photo of him here.

(Lige is my 2nd great-grandfather.  He is the father of Edna Winifred (Weaver) Kennison.)