Biography of William H. Manser, M. D.

William H. Manser, M. D.,had that splendid satisfaction which comes to the man who found himself in a congenial vocation early in life and had steadily broadened and improved his service and capacity for doing good. Dr. Manser is now the oldest physician in point of continnous service at Burden, where he had practiced thirty-three years. Though of New England ancestry, the Mansers having located in Massachusetts in Colonial times, Dr. Manser is a native of old Virginia, born at Beckley in what was then simply Western Virginia and as a result of the Civil war became the State of West Virginia. … Read more

Walls, Mary Susan (Susie) Clemens Mrs. – Obituary

Mary Susan (Susie) Walls, died at the age of 89, January 3, 1981, at the Woodland Convalescent Center in Woodland, Washington. Born in Bolt, West Virginia, October 22, 1891, she was the daughter of William Thomas and Mary Frances (Cook) Clemens. She came to Wallowa County from West Virginia in 1907 and in 1914 married Russell E. Walls in Wallowa. He died in 1970. Mrs. Walls was a member of the Methodist Church and a house wife who was known for her baking. Graveside services were at 2 p.m. Tuesday, January 6, in the Wallowa Cemetery with the Rev. Don … Read more

Slave Narrative of Nan Stewart

Interviewer: Sarah Probst Person Interviewed: Nan Stewart Location: Ohio Place of Birth: Charleston, West Virginia Date of Birth: February 1850 Age: 87 Sarah Probst, Reporter Audrey Meighen, Author-Editor Jun 9, 1937 Folklore Meigs County, District Three [HW: Middeport] “I’se bawned Charl’stun, West Virginia in February 1850.” “My mammy’s name? Hur name wuz Kath’run Paine an’ she wuz bawned down Jackson County, Virginia. My pappy wuz John James, a coopah an’ he wuz bawned at Rock Creek, West Virginia. He cum’d ovah heah with Lightburn’s Retreat. Dey all crossed de ribah at Buffington Island. Yes, I had two bruthahs and three … Read more

Clemens, James Clinton – Obituary

Wallowa, Wallowa County, Oregon Rites held for James C. Clemens Funeral services were yesterday (Wednesday) at 2 p.m. at the Wallowa Methodist church for James Clinton Clemens who passed away in a La Grande hospital Sunday, September 22, 1963 following a lengthy illness. The Rev. Darwin Secord officiated and interment was in the Wallowa cemetery. The deceased was born in Raleigh County, West Virginia 74 years ago and had lived in Wallowa and vicinity for 62 years. On June 30, 1911 he was married to Pearl Williams who preceded him in death on November 21, 1957. Among his survivors are … Read more

McGraw, Elizabeth – Obituary

Wallowa, Wallowa County, Oregon Elizabeth McGraw Passes Away Mrs. Elizabeth McGraw, who resided at Wallowa with her daughter, Mrs. Lester Jackson, suffered a stroke Saturday morning, March 17, 1951 from which she never regained consciousness and passed away quietly at 1:04 p.m.. Elizabeth Almeda McGraw was born at Arnett West Virginia March 29, 1875, and was one of eleven children born to James Perry and Julia Ann Cook. She was married to Lewis Marshall McGraw of McGraws, West Virginia on March 7, 1894 at the home of her parents in Arnett, West Virginia. To this union seven children were born. … Read more

Crawford, Margaret Mrs. – Obituary

Mrs. William R. (Margaret) Crawford, of Walla Walla, sister of Roy and Will Collins, of Wallowa, passed away in a Walla Walla hospital February 21, 1955. Other survivors are her husband, four daughters, four sons, two sister, three brothers, 23 grandchildren and one great grandchild. She was born June 14, 1890 in Raleigh, West Virginia, and had lived in and near Walla Walla about 24 years. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at the chapel of the Marshall Funeral home in Walla Walla with interment in the Mountain View cemetery. The Rev. Dallas E. French of the … Read more

West Virginia Naturalization Records

Naturalization Certificate

Naturalization to become a U.S. citizen was a two-part process: the Declaration of Intent to Naturalize, or First Papers, and the Naturalization Record (including the Naturalization Petition), or Final Papers. The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen. No centralized files existed before 1906. In 1906 federal forms replaced the various formats that had been used by the various courts. Copies were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), creating a central file for naturalization papers. The INS is now known as the U.S. Citizenship … Read more

Hawley, Benjamin P. Mrs. – Obituary

Mrs. B.P. Hawley Passes Suddenly Mrs. Benjamin P. Hawley, for 28 years a resident of Wallowa county, and who, with Mr. Hawley, last Oct. 19 celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary, died suddenly at their home at the east edge of town Saturday afternoon about 3 o’clock. Funeral services were held at the Christian church, of which denomination Mrs. Hawley had been a member for 58 years, Tuesday afternoon with Rev. R.N. Olson, pastor, officiating, assisted by Rev. Lester Jones of Enterprise. Rev. Olson brought a sympathetic and comforting message on the text found in Psalms 116:15 “Precious in the sight … Read more

Womack, Nellie May Pack – Obituary

Bear Creek, Wallowa County, Oregon Mrs. William Womack passed away at the family home on Bear Creek, near Wallowa, Sunday, June 10, 1934. Funeral services were held Tuesday in the Christian church at Wallowa, conducted by the Re. C. n. Trout, and burial was in the Wallowa cemetery. Nellie May Pack was born at Prosperity, West Virginia, July 25, 1889, the daughter of of John and Lucy pack. The family moved to Oregon in 1898 and remained in this state until 1903 when they moved to Roswell, Idaho. The daughter was married there, January 3, 1912, to William Womack and … Read more

Daniels, Montie Creigh – Obituary

Wallowa, Wallowa County, Oregon Daniels Services Held Montie Creigh Daniels Passed away Tuesday Morning, March 21, 1972 in a nursing home in Kennewick. He had been in failing health for sometime and was a residents of a Kennewick nursing home. Montie Creigh Daniels was born March 24, 1883 at Beckley, West Va., son of Governor and Nancy Daniels, and he came to Wallowa County as a young man. On Oct. 27, 1904 he and Martha Ann Anderson were married at Wallowa. He was a retired rancher and was a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Daniels are survived by two … Read more

Carper, Boyd Clement – Obituary

Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon Boyd Clement Carper passed away at the Enterprise hospital on Feb. 20 after a lingering illness. Mr. Carper was born Oct. 2, 1872,in Fayette county, West Virginia, the second child of H. and Margaret Carper. His early life was spent near his birthplace. On Oct. 2, 1897, he was united in marriage to Leatha Anne Sannar in Beckly, West Virginia. They came to Promise, Ore., in the spring of 1898 where they made their home for 40 years with the exception of a brief residence of four months in Idaho in 1908. They moved to Wallowa … Read more

Carper, Joseph K. – Obituary

Services Held For Joe Carper Funeral Services were held at Centralia, Washington, Saturday, March 13, for Joseph K. Carper, former resident of Promise for many years. Mr. Carper passed away at the Swedish hospital in Seattle March 10, where he had been confined for a month. Mr. Carper was born in Raleigh County, West Virginia, on September 21, 1865, the son of George Washington and Delilah Carper. His father was a minister and came west in the 90’s moving into the La Grande and John Day country. Joe Carper was married when he was 17 years old and came west … Read more

Daniels, Nancy C. Mrs. – Obituary

Wallowa, Wallowa County, Oregon Pioneer Resident Answers Call Mrs. Nancy C. Daniels, pioneer resident of the county for 46 years, died August 30 at the Good Samaritan hospital in Portland, where she had been a patient about two weeks. The body was brought by C.L. Booth to Wallowa for burial. Funeral services, conducted by Rev. Edgar A. Pollock, were held in the Methodist church in Wallowa Sunday afternoon. Music was by the same quartet who had sung at the funeral of Mr. Daniels, who passed away in 1920, Mr. and Mrs. K.W. McKenzie and Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Eddleman, accompanied … Read more

Carper, Charles P. – Obituary

Promise, Wallowa County, Oregon Early Promise Resident Dies Charles P. Carper, resident of Promise for 42 years, died at La Grande, Monday, May 24, 1937, after an illness of over a year. Funeral services were held at the cemetery in Promise, Tuesday, and were attended by a large gathering of relatives and friends, Rev. Albert Kribs, pastor of the Christina church of Elgin, gave the address. Six of Mr. Carper’s sons were pall bearers, Harold, Robert, Ralph, Melvin, Roy and Orville Carper. Mr. Carper was a son of Washington Carper, one of the first of the many who came to … Read more

Thompson, Julia Mrs. – Obituary

Mrs. Julia Thompson passes away Monday. Julia Scarbrough was born in Rock Creek, Raleigh County, West Virginia, May 6, 1858, and passed away at her home in Wallowa on March 2, 1931, at the age of 72 years, 9 months, and 26 days. She was the youngest child of a family of eleven children and the last remaining one. She was married to Perry H. Thompson on May 20, 1879. To this union were born eleven children; E.Z., Joe, Al, John and Willie of Wallowa; Mrs. Belle Trump of Milton, Oregon; Ed and Clownie of Enterprise, Ore.; E.S. of La … Read more