Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Col. Horace E. Christmas


This prominent attorney and citizen of Kemmerer, Wyoming, is a native of England, born in 1857, the son of Charles and Amelia (Bachelor) Christmas. The father, a capitalist and man of affairs, was born in Hampshire, Eng-land, and came to America in 1873, locating at Grand Haven, Mich., where he lived mostly in retirement but prosperously managed his own business, being a successful financier and hav-ing interests in London, Michigan and Minne-sota. He was a Republican in politics but would never accept public office though asked to do so, dying in 1883 at the age of 70 years, being a member of the Episcopal church and devoted to his home and the education of his children. His father was an English county squire and capitalist who died at the venerable age of ninety-two years and was buried at Lip-book, England. Mrs. Amelia (Bachelor) Christmas was born at Guilfort, England, in which land she was married and died in 1883, at Coopersville, Mich., and was buried at Grand Haven, aged sixty-five years, being a devoted member of the Episcopal church, in whose af-fairs she took an active part, and a model wife and mother, who left four sons and four daugh-ters, her own parents both dying early in life. Horace E. Christmas was educated at Ackender College, Hampshire, England, where he was graduated in 1873, thence coming with his par-ents to Grand Haven, Mich., where he was engaged in the lumber business for about three years after which he accepted a position as cashier of the American Express Co., at Grand Haven and remained in it until 1881, when he went to Omaha, Neb., with S. R. Callaway, the general manager of the Union Pacific Railroad, and took up the duties of clerk in the purchas-ing and supply department of the road, in which he continued until 1884 when he was made chief clerk of the coal department under D. 0.Clark. This position he held until 1891 when he became the assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Rock Springs, Wyo., and so continued until 1895. Meanwhile having studied law, he was admitted to practice in the Supreme and Dis-trict Courts in this year. Law was now his busi-ness and profession, and after a short practice of it at Rock Springs he moved to Kemmerer and has since resided there. Colonel Christmas is a Republican and has always refused to stand for any elective office, but was appointed post--master at Kemmerer. His fraternal affiliations are with the Knights of Pythias, the Woodmen of the World and the Eagles. He received a military training in England and has always been actively interested in military affairs. In Michigan he took a prominent and important part in the Second Regiment of the Michigan National Guard, later organizing the First Na-tional Guard of Wyoming of which he was colonel for five years. He held command (by courtesy) of the Seventh and Eighth United States Infantry at Fort Logan and Fort Rus-sell, Wyo., and has always brought enthusiasm as well as knowledge and skill to his military work, being a man of fine bearing and cour-teous pleasant manners. Colonel Christmas married in 1880, with Margaret J. Leggat, a native of Grand Haven, Mich., daughter of Robert and Cornelia (Avery) Leggat. Her father has large mining interests in Butte, Montana and her mother, now deceased, was buried at Grand Haven. Seven children enlarge and brighten this family circle, Robert, Charles A., John A., Frank M., Marian, Margaret and Marjorie

  • Back to Wyoming/Nebraska Genealogy