Wahmaskie, A Lower Chinook Indian Genealogy

Wahmaskie, born in 1821 and died between 1866-1871, was a Lower Chinook Indian who married James Huckquist, a white man of likely Swedish ancestry, born about 1826. She was alive when the 1851 treaty and the 1855 assembly were conducted. In January of 1906, James Huckquist of Bay Center, a member of the Lower Chinook Indians, provided to Charles E. McChesney, supervisor of Indian schools, an official sworn statement concerning Wahmaskie, listed as Statement No. 1. James and Wahmaskie had issue:

1. Dixie James, son, born about 1857, died 6 Feb 1909 (certificate #1473). He married Adaline Pellard about 1897. In the 1900 census, Adaline is listed as having had 5 children, all 5 alive. Enumerated below her name were the additional children by 2 previous marriages: Josephine and Sophia Johnson, and Daisy and Cora Walters (I will provide information on Adaline two other families below). All 4 of these children were listed as 1/2 white, while Frances had 1/4 white. Dixie and Frances were listed as members of the “Humtuloops” (Humptulips Tribe of Chehalis). Adaline’s mother was listed as a member of the Shoalwater Bay tribe. In the 1910 census, Adaline mother was listed as Chinook and her father as white. Dixie gave Statement No. 7 to McChesney. Dixie and Adaline had issue:
   1. Frances James, born May 1900, and died 21 Jul 1931 in Tacoma, Washington. Received payment in 1914 Lower Chinook Annuity Roll of $87.43. She married Frank Payne. In her obituary she is listed as having 7 sisters: Mrs. Elenore Chenois of Hoquiam, Mrs. Marie Ross of Los Angeles, Mrs. Fred Borg (Daisy Walters) of Hoquiam, Mrs. Sophie (Johnson) Yerkes and Mrs. Clarence (Cora Walters) Johns of Taholah, Mrs. Ellen Baker of Hoquiam, and Mrs. Josephine (Johnson) Elliott of Astoria. Frances and Frank had the following issue:
      1. Bertha Evelyn Payne, born 9 Jan 1925. Married 18 Jun 1955 at the Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen to George Frederick Irwin. They divorced 7 Aug 1995 in Grays Harbor County, Washington. Her birth was listed in the record of births for the Unenrolled Indians of the Taholah Indian Agency.
      2. Frank Payne, Jr., born 27 Dec 1929. Married Susie Ann Ware Miller on 7 Jul 1961 in Aberdeen and divorced on 24 Jul 1970 in Grays Harbor County. His birth was listed in the record of births for the Unenrolled Indians of the Taholah Indian Agency.
   2. Eleanor James, born 1902-1904 and died in 1963, received payment in 1914 Lower Chinook Annuity Roll of $87.43. Married Clyde Chenois, as his second wife, in 1923. in 1953, Clyde was one of five tribesmen who sued the Washington State department of game and fisheries which had attempted to stop the Chenois family from fishing on Chenois creek estuary. Eleanor was listed in the 1940 census as head of household with Elberta, Margaret and Bernice. This family was listed as non-resident Quinaialt Indians in 1927 census, they were residing on allotment number 168 during that census.
      1. Alberta Adeline Chenois, born 5 May 1924 in Quinault, Washington, died 23 Apr 1990 in Humboldt County, California. She married first to Carl C. Colegrove who was born 12 Oct 1914 to Francis (Hupa) and Ellen Colegrove (Yurok), died 26 Apr 1944 in Aberdeen, Washington. Carl was a member of the Yurok Tribe. She married second, 15 Oct 1947 to Boyd Saux
      2. Margaret Marie Chenois, born 3 Dec 1926 in Aberdeen, Washington, died 27 Feb 1997 in Pacific County, Washington. She married Frederick William Saux before 1951 and they had Donald Melvin (1951-1951) and Frederick William (1970-1970)
      3. Bernice E. Chenois, born 5 Mar 1929 in Aberdeen, Washington, died 17 Feb 2017 in Aberdeen, Washington. She married Ira Guy Cultee, Sr.
   3. Marie James, born 1909, received payment in 1914 Lower Chinook Annuity Roll of $87.43. Marie married first, Orville W. Ross (1907-1989), son of Charles W. Ross and Pearl Edna Peer, divorced, and then second, Ernest Wilson on 11 Sep 1937 at Montesano, Washington. Ernest was the son of Clarence Wilson and Elsie Hawks.
      • Betty M. Ross, born 23 May 1926 in Aberdeen, Washington, died 1 Oct 2007 in Van Buren, Arkansas, at the age of 81. (See obituary.) She married first, 9 Sep 1943, to Dale Stump, and they had Pamela R. and Richard A. in Hoquiam, Washington. Betty married second, _______ Hanson. No children by her second marriage. Alice Betty Marie Ross birth was recorded in the census roll of the Taholah Indian Agency in Washington for Unenrolled Indians.

It is likely that Dixie James had other marriages prior to Adaline based on the obituaries listing additional “sisters” of Frances Payne. In addition to those individuals, the 1880 census of Chinokville, Washington has the following children of a “Dixie.” Whether this is the same as Dixie James who doesn’t carry the name of his father nor mother, is still left up for additional research.

As mentioned above, Adaline Pellard had children by two previous marriages, she also had an additional 4th marriage after Dixie James had died. Adaline Pellard was born 7 May 1864 in Washington and died 13 Jun 1927 in Hoquiam, Washington. Her parents were Capt. Alexander Pellard and Ellen Joe. In January of 1906, Adeline (Pellard) James of Bay Center, a member of the Lower Chinook Indians, provided to Charles E. McChesney, supervisor of Indian schools, an official sworn statement concerning her own ancestry, listed as Statement No. 8. Her grandmother on her mother’s side was Cahlast, a Lower Chinook Indian woman who was alive in 1851. Cahlast had a sister, Selahwish, who also was alive in 1851. Adaline stated that she had a brother, Alexander Pellard (he resided in her household during the 1910 census as a widow), and another brother, Henry Pierce, of whom she had not heard from in 6-7 years.

Adaline married first, Henry Johnson, a white man. In the 1880 census of Brookfield Cannery, Wahkiakum. Henry, a 29-year-old white man, was working as a fisherman for Megler’s cannery at the time, and Adaline, age 16, was his wife. In the census she was listed as white. Her father Alexander and mother, Ellen, resided in the same house, and only her mother was listed as Indian. At that time, they had no children, however, they soon would over the next 4 years.

1. Josephine Johnson, born 20 Sep 1880 in Brookfield, Washington, died 4 Mar 1983 in Astoria, Oregon. She married 5 Apr 1906 in Astoria to Joseph Elliott, son of Jonathan Elliot and Lucy Agnes Ducheney. Lucy was a member of the Rondeau family of the unenrolled Indians of the Chinook tribe through her grandmother Kah-at-lin, a daughter of Com-com-ly and his Chehalis wife, and granddaughter of Com-Com-ly. Joseph Howe Elliot was born 23 Jan 1885 in Dahlia, Washington and died 19 May 1970 in Astoria. Joseph and Josehine had issue:
   1. Lula Marie Elliott, born 27 Oct 1906 in Wahkiakum County, Washington, died 5 Oct 1999 in Prescott, Arizona. She married John Henry Holland (1910-1993) on 26 Sep 1936 in Olympia, Washington. Surviving children at her death were John Holland of Prescott and Jeanette Wilwerding of Mesa, Arizona. She was enumerated #296 in the 1932 Taholah Indian Agency census as a Chinook with her parents.
   2. Sophia Mildred Elliott, born 25 Sep 1908 in Dahlia, died 28 Apr 2005. She married first 25 Dec 1929 in Clatsop County, Oregon, to Hugh Elwood Whitten (1902-1966) at the home of Thomas Fox. They would divorce before 1939 and then second to Magnus Bernhard Howe (1903-1982). Sophia was listed as a Quinaielt on the 1933 census roll for the Taholah Indian Agency where it shows her birth date. She was enrolled as #1644, her husband was not enrolled, indicating he was White. There were no children listed. The 1940 census lists Magnus and Sophie in Astoria with numerous children, most from Magnus first marriage. Magnus and Sophie would have Mildred P. Howe in 1939. I believe Mildred is the only child of Sophia.
   3. Carolyn Maxine Elliott, born 6 Oct 1910 in Dahlia, died 14 Jun 1999 in Clatsop County. She married first George Leslie VanValkinburg before 1931, second, Eden Johannes Carlson on 12 Dec 1949 at Astoria. In the 1933 census roll for the Taholah Indian Agency she is enrolled as #1570 as part of the Chinook tribe. At the time she and Leslie (he was not enrolled) had a daughter Donna Charlotte VanValkinburg who was enrolled as a Quinaialt-Chinook #1571. By 1940 they would add Dene and George L. Jr. to the family. Interestingly, in the Indian census of 1937 neither of the two younger children were enrolled. Carolyn would have one additional child with her first husband, Karen M. who appears in the 1950 census of Astoria as a 9 year old. In that census, Dene is Gloria D. They are all enumerated as white in the 1950 census. When her second husband, Eden, died on 24 Jan 2013 his obituary said that Carolyn has passed before him. It is not known where she is buried. The gravestone at Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton, Oregon, where a lot of the Carson family is buried, lists Eden and Carolyn’s second child Gloria Dene Dalgren.
   4. Marian Elvya Elliott, born 4 Feb 1914 in Dahlia, died 29 Apr 1995 in Contra Costa County, California. She married Paul A. Parker on 17 May 1938 in Seattle, Washington. In the 1940 census they would have a daughter Marline listed. in the 1950 Astoria Washington census they were had two daughters, Marleen R. Parker and Gloria J. Parker. Marian was enumerated #297 in the 1932 Taholah Indian Agency census as a Chinook with her parents.
   5. Emma Sereta Elliott, born 9 Jun 1918 in Dahlia, died 2 Jan 1947. She married in Pacific, Washington on 29 May 1939 to Donald Frederick Andrews. She married second, before 1942, Ernest O. Peterson (1921-1946). Both Emma and Ernest are buried in the Ocean View Cemetery in Astoria. Ernest and Emma had the following children, who resided with their Aunt Sophie M. Howe in the 1950 census: Judith A. Peterson, Joan M. Peterson, James E. Peterson, and Joseph C. Peterson. Emma was enumerated #298 in the 1932 Taholah Indian Agency census as a Chinook with her parents.
   6. Norma Charlotte Elliott, born 27 Dec 1921 in Astoria, died 13 May 2009 in Willamina, Oregon. She married 7 Nov 1942 in Stevenson, Washington, John Arthur Hebert (1919-1990). They had seven children, John A. Hebert, Jr., Joseph E. Hebert, Ernie Hebert, Lucy Hebert, Susan M. Wortman, Annie Scott, Josephine E. “Josie” Adams, and Joe Hebert. Norma married second Raymond Morse Sampson (1916-1999) on 5 Sep 1996 in Boiler Bay. She was enumerated #299 in the 1932 Taholah Indian Agency census as a Chinook with her parents.
2. Sophia Johnson, born 30 Jan 1883 in Hodges Landi, Washington, died 26 Jan 1950 in Tacoma, Washington. She married twice, first on 16 Jan 1907 at South Bend, Washington, Jason J. Millet (1875-1911), and they had Susie Millet, Agnes Pearl Millet, Jane Millet, Lavina Millett, and Chester James Millett. She married second Dudley Howard Yerkes (1881-1943) and they had Arthur Alexander Yerkes, Caesar James Yerkes, and Juanita Addeline Yerkes. Sophia was enumerated in the 1937 Taholah Indian Agency Census as a Quinaialt Indian. Her husband was not enrolled.

Adaline married second August Walters, sometime after 1883 and before 1891.They would have the following two children together:

1. Daisy Evelyn Walters, born 8 Jan 1892 in Victoria, British Columbia. Married twice, first to Robert West (1877-) on 22 Oct 1912 in Chehalis, Washington; and second, 18 Aug 1917 in Tacoma to Fred O. Borg (1890-1942). She appears to have had no children with either husband. Daisy was consistently enumerated under the US Indian census rolls 1915-1920 in which she was listed under the “Unenrolled Indians.”
2. Cora Madaline Walters, born in 1893 in Canada. Married three times. First, on 6 Feb 1914 at Bremerton, Washington to Archie William Foust/Fouse (1890-1917); second, on 28 Mar 1918 in Montesano, Washington to Roy Carlson (1894-1975) son of August Carlson and Mary Hengstler; and third, before 1930 to Clarence Johns (1892-1933). She was alive in 1937 when she was enumerated in the 1937 Indian Census as a widow. She had no children by any of the marriages. She was listed under the Census Indian rolls from 1915-1937.

Adaline married fourth, on 1 Feb 1915 in Bremerton, Washington, Charles Walter Lohre (1881-1919).

Adaline had a brother, Alexander Pellard , Jr., who also gave testimony in 1906. Statement No. 8a – Alexander Pellard, Jr. of Altoona