William Walter Simons
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William Walter Simons
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William Walter was born on August 10, 1879 in Weston, Umitilla County, Oregon.
His parents, Elizabeth and George Simons, were en route to Washington Territory
along with his Uncle Frank, hoping to make a homestead claim. They spent the
winter in Weston. When spring weather allowed, the family moved farther north to
Steptoe. They spent 1880 there. By March, a little brother was born – Harry
Sidney. Two weeks later, George and Elizabeth moved with William and his little
brother to the Brents area, nearby the Columbia river.
Walter’s
first home in Washington Territory was a small log house with an earthen floor.
One story says that one day a rattlesnake could be heard whirring its rattles.
Jenny picked up her two children, put them on the bed, then proceeded to hunt
down and kill the snake.
The family
was able to build a larger log home by 1883. The community of Brents was growing
and there were more families to give a hand in raising a house.
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William Walter Family Front (L>R): Jack, William, Lillian, Lorin Back (L>R): Wilda, Orville, Vivien, Roy |
The Simonses had a large family and William would have learned to work along
side his dad at an early age, ploughing and planting, riding and tending to the
horses, birthing and butchering, all the work of the frontier family.
In 1892, the
first school house was built near Uncle Frank’s home. William would have been
twelve years old at the time. Whether he attended that school is not known.
However, in the 1900 census, Milton (age 10) and his older brothers were all
listed as a farm labourer while the girls and the boys under 10 were listed as
at school, so it might be assumed that William never attended school.
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Eda Lundstrum Simons |
On December 31, 1902, William Walter married Lillian Burgess in Lincoln County.
According to the 1910 Federal census, William and Lillian had three children –
Vivian, age six, Orville, age four, and Wilda age two. They were living in the
Sherman district at the time.
By the 1920
Federal census, William and Lillian were living in School District 63 in Teton,
Montana. Orville, age 14, Wilda, age 12, and Roy, age 8, were listed as living at home.
Despite census records, however, we know that William and Lillian's second
youngest son, Lorin, was born on June 11, 1912, which would make him 8 at the
time of the census. A death record for a Roy M. Simons (William and
Lillian's son?) lists a date of birth of April 17, 1910. If this is indeed
the same Roy Simons, he would have been 10 by the time of the 1920 census.
William and Lillian also had another son, Jack. His date of birth is
unknown.
Some time
after the birth of their youngest child, William and Lillian divorced.
William ultimately moved to Hellgate, Washington and eventually married Eda
Lundstrum Blakley on May 28, 1932 in Spokane. For some period of time,
William and Eda lived on the banks of the Columbia River, in the Martin Canyon.
William Walter Simons died on July 9,1949 in Spokane at the age of 69.
His widow Eda remained in the Creston area for the rest of her days.
Return to the story of George and Elizabeth Jeannettte.
Continue reading about the other children of George and Jeannette:
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1 Margaret Simons. Grandma’s Memories.
