#4 Favorite Photo. Grandma on the horse, Jerry

 #4-2021. Favorite Photo

With the genealogy collections that I have inherited, there are MANY pictures.  Choosing a “Favorite Photo” is a challenge.  And difficult because there are too many excellent, interesting pictures that brought up memories and stories.  

This picture of my grandmother, Della Rae Kurtz Shaffner, bring up questions, research and memories.  And I have always looked at wishing for more...

Della Rae Kurtz Shaffner, and Jerry

Donnee Shaffner Stibal wrote on the album page, "Jerry and Grandma.  She rode him from Custer, Mont to Dillon”.  Donnee was the granddaughter of Della & John, and worked with Grandpa to label pictures as well as write some of the family history.  I am sure there is more to the story that Grandpa told her.  I wish I had that information!

Della & John married in 1913 in Dillon, Montana; returning to Sims, North Dakota were he was the telegrapher.  The first son was born in 1914 in North Dakota.  The second son, Walter, was born in Dillon, Montana in 1917.  

What I do know, is that Jerry is the horse purchased by Grandpa, John F. Shaffner in North Dakota.  I have the original bill of sale. He final payment of $10.00  was made on 18 January 1915.  Jerry was a Hamiltonian gelding that gave the family many memories.

He applied for a homestead in Beaverhead County, Montana on 21 October 1915 and filing for additional acreage on 9 Feb 1916, meanwhile still living in North Dakota.  Della spent the summer while proving it up.  The first summer, Della & George lived in a tent.  I am not sure when the first cabin was built.     

I do know that Grandpa served as a telegrapher in Custer, Montana.  He left the employ of Great Northern Railway in June of 1917.  He went to work for the Oregon Short Line Railroad in November of 1917.  

What year did Della ride the horse from Custer to Dillon?  Maybe 1917.  The mileage would have been about 320 miles.  How many days?   Where was George?  Where did she stay at night?

And where was the picture taken?

#3-2021. Namesake. Middle Names in the Shaffner Family

 #3-2021.  Namesake  Middle Names

Donald Kurtz, Walter Fanoit, George Blanchard and Dean Fletcher Shaffner

estimated in the 1930's

My grandfather and grandmother, John Shaffner and Della Rae Kurtz had 4 sons.   The middle names of their sons was a family surname, except for one.

The oldest George, born in 1914, was given the surname Blanchard.  No one knows where that name came from.  I am not even sure George knew and certainly his children didn’t.  Nor did anyone ask before he died.

The second son, Walter, born in 1917, was given the middle name of Fanoit (Fainot).  This was also John’s middle name but it was the surname of his great great grandfather, George Fredric Fanoit who immigrated from France in 1752.  (Information from Family Bible)

The third son, Donald, born in 1919, was given the middle, Kurtz.  Kurtz was the his mother, Della Rae’s maiden name.

The fourth son, Dean, born in 1924, was given the middle name of Fletcher.  Fletcher was the maiden name of his mother, Elizabeth Deborah Fletcher.  

But where did Blanchard come from?  Since I have began researching the family genealogy and history, I have always been on the lookout for the name Blanchard.  Was it a neighbor?  (None in neighborhood in census reports).  Was it a co-worker?  A family friend?

I did find the name Blanchard as the captain of the ship that brought Della Rae’s grandfather to the United States in 1842.  Peter Paul Deewall immigrated from Ludweiler, Germany leaving behind his mother, step-father and step-sisters.  The family story indicates he left in the middle of the night, posing as the driver of the wagon carrying his friends. (Which I have discovered were related to him).  I have yet to find paperwork indicating that he left Germany legally.  Do you suppose he left illegally and the ship captain covered for him?  Peter Paul died in 1890, Della Rae was born in 1886, her mother, Mary Etta Deewall was born in 1849 and died in 1940.  I can’t help but wonder if there is a family story involving the ship captain.  I will continue to research my theory.

#2-2021. Legend. Albert Gallatin Lloyd

 #2 Family Legend.  52 Ancestors in a Year

Albert Gallatin Lloyd or A. G. Lloyd

Albert Gallatin Lloyd was born in 1836 in St. Joseph, Missouri.  His family emigrated to Oregon when he was 9 years old.  Growing up in Oregon he joined the Munson’s  Co. “I”, “1st” Oregon Mounted Volunteers, First Regiment under General Nesmith in 1855 to fight in the Yakima Indian Wars.  Serving as Corporal, A. G. traveled in southeast Washington discovering Walla Walla County.  In 1858 he married Lois H. Jasper who was 16 years old at the time of their marriage.  A. G. was 21 years old.  They took up a homestead near Waitsburg, Washington on 9 August 1859, Albert and his brother Calvin trailed 180 head cattle from the Williamette Valley in 1859 to claim the land, quickly building a crude hut, with a door but no windows.  He went back to Oregon to fetch his wife and baby boy, John Calvin.  

Albert Gallatin and Lois Jasper Lloyd

Albert G. Lloyd trailed the cattle from the Williamette Valley, driving them over the Cascade mountains by the Barlow route, south of Mount Hood.  Of this band of cattle, 34 were full-blooded Durham cows.  The hard winter of ’61 and ’62 and froze the ground to a depth of a foot and three to four feet of snow fell.  Feed became scare and only 11 head of his cattle were saved.  

His legend began when he allowed the Palouse Indians to camp on his ground as they traveled back and forth to the mountains.  The friendship with the Indians developed throughout the years.  In return for being allowed to camp and well as being a friend of the Indians; they gifted Albert and his family with many items.  Gifts of baskets, purses, bags, and clothing.  The Lloyd”s often gave them food.  They lived peacefully among the Indians as their farm and family grew.  The Indians respected the Lloyd family for their generosity.  

The collection of artifacts can be seen at the Fort Walla Walla Museum in Walla Walla, Washington. Or online at https://www.fwwm.org

Albert G. Lloyd was elected to the Washington Territory Legislature in 1874.

President Cleveland appointed him as Register of the Walla Walla Land Office.  He was appointed in February of 1894 and confirmed by the Senate.  He took office in April of 1894.

RETIREMENT OF REGISTER LLOYD - Hundreds of citizens of Columbia County will be sorry to learn of the contemplated retirement of Albert G. Lloyd as register of the U. S. land office for this district.  Mr. Lloyd probably has fewer personal enemies in Eastern Washington than any other man in public life, and how the charges against him came about is not known.  The dispatches from Washington only state that the charges have been sustained to the satisfaction of the commissioner of the general land office, and that they are based principally upon the statement that Mr. Lloyd is not actively engaged in the performance of his duties, having left it to his clerks, one of whom, - Mr. E. C. Ross-is a republican.  It is understood, how truthfully we do not know, that a land office inspector visited Walla Walla recently and reported unfavorably.  The office pays $1778.65 per year.  Mr. Lloyd is one of our oldest pioneer citizens, having arrived on the Pacific coast fifty years ago and a resident of Walla Walla county for thirty-six years.  He fought in the Indian wars of 1855-56, and has always been noted for bravery, liberality and enterprise. (Original newspaper clipping). I have no idea which newspaper this article came from but I have found similar stories in The Seattle Post Intelligence on 20 January 1896 as well as the Spokesman Review.

All pictures and documents are from the Lloyd genealogy collection, Sydney Gabel

2021-#1. Beginning. 52 Ancestors in a Year

I am not sure where genealogy passion began in my family, but definitely my mother, Helen Lloyd Shaffner, had an interest & passion for her family history.  It was my mother who collected and inherited information.  I grew up hearing stories about her ancestors and placing flowers on graves.  So it was natural that I listened and eventually discovered I had a passion for genealogy.  Although I wish I had listened, written down what was told and asked more questions.  

The one who told the stories, and collected the memorabilia, thus creating my interest.

Helen Lloyd Shaffner

I believe her collection began with my 3rd great grandparents, Nancy Walker Lloyd and her husband John Lloyd.  This couple married in 1823 in Caswell County, North Carolina, moved to Clay County, Missouri in 1824 and went to Oregon in 1845.  But along the way, memorabilia and family history was kept and shared with their family & descendants.  

I enjoy the treasure of letters that they wrote back to their family in North Carolina & Tennessee telling of their life, in Missouri, their trip on the Oregon Trail to Oregon and after arriving in Oregon.  They kept letters written to them by those family members too.  The letters are filled with information of births, marriages & deaths that occurred since they last wrote.  They included prices of things they bought and sold.  My mother’s collection included pictures, many that have the names on them and she created family group sheets from information she searched for.  Her inherited collection contained information from her great aunts, Gillian Ann and Angeline.  There were newspaper articles, funeral cards, obituaries and paper with hand written information.  Although there were never any mention of where they obtained that information, such as the name of the newspaper, when it was printed or where they got the birth/date/marriage dates.  When I did ask Mom a question about it, she would reply; “Well Aunt Gilla said…”.  In other words, don’t question Aunt Gilla’s information!  I inherited the collection when she passed away 20 years ago.  

I am now the 5th generation (maybe the 6th generation) to maintain and keep the family history.

During those generations a lot of memorabilia has been collected.  I have file cabinets and boxes of pictures.  What do I do with it all?  I am slowly trying to digitize information.  But I can’t throw out the original papers.  I have had the letters digitized and donated to the Fort Walla Walla Museum in Walla Walla, Washington.  I have donated items to the Waitsburg Historical Society.  I will continue to donate where applicable.  

But how did I begin?  I began with no knowledge, a box full of files & pictures. I was also collecting snip-its of information on Leroy’s ( my husband) family.  By collecting death and marriage certificates we were able to connect his family to records in Warenburg, Russia.  His family has Germans from Russia heritage, no stories and limited memorabilia. Finding more ancestors & information in Russia was amazing.

Approximately 48 years of collecting, and research, I am still learning!  I have taken classes, joined genealogy groups, traveled for research and discovered a passion.  Helping others find their ancestors and heritage is fun and also helps me learn more about research.  

And a hobby that keeps me busy, off the streets and busy while “shelter in place” during a pandemic!    

#29-2020 Newsworthy. John Shaffner-telegrapher

John F. Shaffner

1926

Telegrapher at Union Pacific Depot in Dillon, Montana

John F. Shaffner (my grandfather) secured a position as a student telegrapher in September of 1907 with the Pennsylvania Railroad when he was 20 years old.  By December of 1907 he was classified as a "telegrapher".  Grandpa wrote that in the years following the turn of the 18th century, the country was in a real panic, jobs were scarce and wages were low.  Work day was usually 10-12 hours usually from 7 to 6.  He had worked as a printer previously earning $2 a day.  When he became an apprentice, his wage was increased to $3.00 a day.  John's first position as a telegrapher was at a tower a few miles out of Muncy, Pennsylvania and that is where he began to court Della Kurtz who would later become his wife.  He worked for the railroad for 5 years (until February of 1912) and then a short time (5 months) for Congressman Lafferty from Oregon.  He was anxious to go west so wrote to the Northern Pacific asking for a job and was offered a position on any division between St. Paul and the west coast.  He chose the Yellowstone division and was even a pass to Glendive, Montana.  When he got there he was put on a train for Sims, North Dakota where he remained for 2-3 years.  He began with the Yellowstone Division in September of 1912 and worked until June 1917.  When he moved to   Dillon he began with the Oregon Short Line and then the Union Pacific Railroad.  He worked as a telegrapher until 1944, for 33 years.

A telegrapher often got the news before the newspapers did.  Grandpa stated they were not connected with any newspaper, they didn't make public announcements, unless it was an emergency.  He remembers getting the news of inaugurations, when Pearl Harbor was bombed, when Woodrow Wilson was elected President.  When they got the news of Pearl Harbor attack, it was announced to people that were around the depot.  Since there was no television, the baseball scores were sent by telegraphy.  He would get the scores and give them to the theater which would announce them to the audience.  He stated there were telephones but the news and such all came in by telegraphy.  

John F. Shaffner

1989

Donnee Stibal (John's granddaughter) wrote in his scrapbook beside the picture that Grandpa was cleaning house and wanted to give it to the museum for the old depot where he originally typed with it.  She took him down to turn over to them.  John Burrows understood the Morse code when Grandpa typed out a message to him.  She thought the typewriter was made of iron as it was heavy.   Grandpa typed letters on it until not too many years ago.

Donating his Typewriter

The newspaper article in the Dillon Tribune

21 November 1989

Page 10, image 10

#28-2020 Multiples Lloyd twins

Lloyd Twins

Albert G. Lloyd and his wife Lois Hammond Jasper Lloyd had a set of twins in 1877 in Waitsburg, Washington.  Clara and Fredy were born 6 October 1877.   

Fredy died first on 12 November 1877. The next day Clara died on November 13th.

Lois planted a rose bush besides the grave.  The one that was carried in a prairie schooner from Missouri to Oregon.  And then transplanted to Dillon, Montana and then to Huntley, Montana.

The twins are buried at the City Cemetery in Waitsburg, Washington in Block 56, Lot 2, Space 1.

I do not know if the twins were born premature or if they were sick.  There maybe a newspaper mention of the funeral but there was no information in the family file.

Sydney Gabel at the graves in Waitsburg

Rose Bush

The rose bush at Sydney's in 2020

#27-2020. Solo. William R. Lloyd

#27-2020. Solo. William (Tony) Ray Lloyd--died Solo on the Prairie

William, the son of Albert Gallatin Lloyd and Lois H. Jasper, was born 10 June 1861 in Waitsburg, Washington.  A. G. & Lois had moved to Waitsburg in 1859.  In the family notes, it states that William was the second or third white child born in Walla Walla County.  

In the census of 1900, William was in the Fort Benton Township, Choteau, Montana.   He was a boarder, 39 years old. He was not married and his occupation is a gambler.  The head of the house where William was a boarder was Fred Thielbar who listed his occupation as saloon keeper.  The census was taken on 27th of June 1900.

What happened Tony after 1900?  I have not found other information on his life until he was found Solo on the prairie.

 TONY LLOYD FOUND DEAD 

March 3, 1905 

Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Lloyd received word Sunday that their son William R. Lloyd better known as Tony Lloyd had been found dead on the prairie about 40 miles from Harlem, Mont., on Saturday, Feb. 25.  He was found by a stage driver and had probably been dead three or four days.  Two jagged gashes in the neck indicated the cause of death while nearby was a dull pocket knife with blood which would indicate that Tony had met with foul play or had committed suicide.  No particulars have been received but the family do not believe it is suicide.  Wesley Lloyd left for Harlem Monday and will return with the body, arriving here Friday afternoon.  The funeral will take place from the farm home near this city, probably Saturday afternoon.  William R. Lloyd was 43 years of age and unmarried. (newspaper clipping from the "Waitsburg Times)

Milk River News-1 March 1905

Takes His Own Life

W. R. Lloyd Stabs Himself Fatally on the Prairie Near Hays

Word was brought to this city the middle of last week that a dead man was found one mile west of Hays, some forty odd miles south of here, and that the body was found on the old Mission road to Chinook, with two large gashes on each side of the throat, while an ordinary pocket knife was lying by the side of the corpse, plainly telling how the deed had been accomplished.  In the absence of the county corner, Justice of the Peace G. W. Vennum, left for the scence and by driving all night reached the place of suicide early Sunday morning.  The body was found by John Cochrane, while he was hunting cattle and the authorities were at once notified.  At the inquest several witnesses were examined and the body was identified as that of W. R. Lloyd, better known as "Toney", who had been engaged in doing some contract work at Zortman for Harry Kellar, and who was supposed to be on his way from Zortman to Forgart's ranch in the Bear paw mountains, where he had secured employment as a ranch hand.  Lloyd was 44 years of age and well known in and around the Little Rockies where had lived for some time.  His folks were located at Waitsburg, Wash., and two brothers arrived yesterday evening to take the body home with them for burial.  The coroner's jury composed of W. H. Granger, Jay T. Rhoads and Ernest Whetstone, all of Havre, brought in a verdict that the deceased came to his death by his own hand.  The body was brought to Harlem and will be shipped from here to Washington for burial.  

(Milk River Valley News, 1 March 1905)

Tony Lloyd of Zortmand, committed suicide in the hills west of Hays on Feb. 23.  Mr. Lloyd was well known in Zortman and Landusky. 
(Milk River Valley News "Harlem", 8 March 1905)

 FUNERAL OF WILLIAM R. LLOYD 

March 10, 1905

Wesley Lloyd returned from Harlem, Montana Friday, March 3rd bring the body of his brother, William R. Lloyd, an account of which was given in our last issue.  The funeral took place at 10 o'clock Saturday morning from the farm of his parents, Mr. And Mrs. A. G. Lloyd, two miles west of town.  The services were conducted by Rev. E. E. Hench of the First Presbyterian Church and the remains buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery.  A long line of relatives and friends of the family followed the remains to the grave. (newspaper clipping--and he was buried at the Cemetery Cemetery).  I presume the clipping was from the "Waitsburg Times", but there was nothing written on the clipping.

William R. Lloyd Funeral Card

William R. Lloyd's headstone

His headstone his shared with his brother Charles C. Lloyd

City Cemetery, Waitsburg, Washington

Block 56, Lot 3, Space 3

Did Tony die by suicide or was he murdered?  

The information and original funeral cards are in the file (which I inherited) of William R. Lloyd.  The genealogy information on this family line was collected by William's sister, Angeline and given to my mother.