Leah Nadine Driggs, p 2
Temporary Storage for Webpage Building
(Note: Webpage in preparation)
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Webpage Credits
Thanks go to
Obituary of Danny’s Aunt Juanita
The obituary of Danny’s aunt shown below provides quite a bit of family member information. The obituary comes from the following website:
http://www.southwhidbeyrecord.com/portals-code/obits.cgi paper=85&submit=&name=&skip=70
Spilman,
Juanita Sunday,
23 May 2004South
Whidbey Record South Whidbey WA
D. Juanita Spilman of Clinton died May 23, 2004. She was born in Goble, Ore. on Aug. 7, 1923, where she spent her childhood. Her family moved to Finley in 1935, and she graduated from Kennewick High School in 1941.
She married her first husband, Glenn Ruffcorn, and raised her family in Kennewick and Walla Walla. She married her second husband, LeRoy Spilman, in 1970 and relocated to Richland. After her retirement from WPPSS, she and LeRoy relocated to Whidbey Island in 1989.
According to family, Mrs. Spilman was a warm and loving person who will be greatly missed for her wit, laughter and gentle caring nature. She found great joy in family gatherings and sharing herself with her grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by an infant son, Dwight; brother Stafrin Grimshaw; parents Jesse and Ivanilla Grimshaw; and sister Winona Trutter.
She is survived by her husband, LeRoy Spilman; sons Sidney Ruffcorn and wife, Jennifer, Spokane, Evett Ruffcorn and wife, Susan, of Kenmore, Ronald Ruffcorn and wife, Debbie, of Lynnwood; daughter, Becky Ward and husband, Robert, of Clinton; brothers Robert Grimshaw of Yakima and Don Grimshaw of Pasco; sister Jessie Blair of Baker City, Ore.; grandchildren Janelle Wilson, Ryan Ruffcorn, Andrea Krause, Mahonia Ruffcorn, Linnaea Ruffcorn, Melody Ward, Robert Ward, Ian Ward and Hannah Ruffcorn; and four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at Visser Funeral Home in Langley on May 29 at 2 p.m.
A private family interment to follow at a later date at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in Kennewick.
Letter from Edwin A. Grimshaw Collection
Letter from Edwin A. GrimshawCollection (in preparation)
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#Grimshaw, John, Omaha, NE, (EAG-41)
3258 Harrison
Omaha, NE 68147
Grimshaw to Grimshaw,
Received your letter some time ago, and so far do not believe we are related, other than way back when.
Enjoyed going thru your family tree, also. I will list the Grimshaws and home town, who are sons of my relatives, so you wont have to write them.
Mrs. Ray Grimshaw = Moses Lake, Washington
Troy Grimshaw = Portland, Oregon
Laurel Grimshaw = Portland, Oregon
Vern Grimshaw =- Hacienda Hts., California
Richard Grimshaw = Omaha, Ne
Daniel Grimshaw = Omaha, Ne
Mrs. Vertis (Dorothy) Grimshaw = Omaha, Ne
Robert Grimshaw = Kennewick, Washington
Don Grimshaw = Kennewick, Washington
Write again sometime.
Sincerely,
John Grimshaw
WEBSTER JOHN GRIMSHAW
Charles Wesley Grimshaw, 2nd child of Zephaniah and Arsenath Noakes, were married in 1845, and living in Osmond, Pierce county, Nebraska. They had children as follows: Cerena, Susanna, William Charles, Lucretia, Henry, Charles, and Webster John (my grandfather) born November 14, 1858.
Webster married Leah Ann Thompson around 1883, and had three boys and three girls. Arthur, Mabel, Fern, Cora, Jesse, and Raymond (my father). All the children were born in Nebraska, except Raymond. In 1894, Webster and Leah Ann moved to Elkton, Missouri where Raymond was born. In 1896. It was there that Leah Ann died 23 Sept 1898. Could
have been complications from child birth, because records show that a baby boy, Ralph, died at three months and Leah Anns headstone shows both names.
Picture here of Webster and children taken at funeral (#024-Pre 1900)
Will have picture of her headstone later
Jesse, Fern, Cora,Arthur, Webster, Raymond (just 2yrs)
A short time later Webster and family moved to Joplin, Missouri. Websters trade being a builder and a carpenter, so moved where he could find work. After a year, he moved to Pawnee, Oklahoma, leaving some of the children in Joplin. He finally built a house in Pawnee and brought the children there.
Webster met a lady and they were to get married, but she said “No, as long as there were children in the house.” The three older ones were able to care for themselves, so moved out. Cora went to live with friends, and my father, Raymond, was sent to an orphanage, I know not where or for how long. Jesse was taken by a couple to help with the farming.
Around 1909, Webster was living in Oklahoma City, and had a brick yard. Made his own bricks, and built several schools and churches there. My brother, Vern, and two sisters, Enid and Wava, and myself, made a trip through all the states that our ancestors lived in. We have pictures of the brickyard and one of the schools that he built. The school is still being used. Pictures below:
#003-Pre 1900 Brickyard in use Webster sitting on left
#005 University Heights school under construction.
Webster presumed to be in the center.
In 1911, Jesse ended up working for Silas Hugh Thomas in Gracemont, Oklahoma, for $1.00 a day, and room and board. He also brought Raymond to live and work there. Raymond would have been around 15 years of age.
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Silas Hugh Thomas, b. 1/28/1874, married Minnie Jane Johnson, b. 8/04/1872, m. 8/02/1899. Minnie Jane was native American, being half Cherokee. Which we are all very proud of. One thing I regret very much is not talking to her about her young life and her parents. I can remember when I was young, being native American was looked down on and no one admitted it.
Picture #026 here: Silas Hugh, Minnie Jane, Vertis, Ivanilla, Golda (my Mother) and Daisy
I believe my father, Raymond, who never had a mother or a family in his young life, spent many happy times with the Thomas family. Having picnics, games, and trips with horse and wagon.
Picture #027 A picnic outing—Golda, Ivanilla, Daisy, Vertis, Hugh, Minnie Jane, and Raymond, with his arm around the only mother he Had ever known.
Picture #018 Horse and wagon: Daisy, Hugh, Minnie Jane, Vertis Standing: Raymond, Ivanilla, Golda
Picture #32 Croquet: Friend, Ivanilla, friend, Golda, friend, Minnie Jane, Hugh, friend. Kneeling: Daisy, Vertis
In July of 1913, Jesse left for Billings, Montana, on hearing about homesteads in that area. He worked for a year on a couple of places and then went to Warren, Montana, in the southeast part of the state. There he filed a claim on a homestead. A year later, Hugh Thomas and family left Gracemont for Montana also, and filed a claim bordering the one that Jesse had.
There were seven people on that long journey. Hugh, Minnie Jane, Golda, Ivanilla, Daisy, Vertis, and Raymond Grimshaw. I dont know how they made it in that touring car. Note picture below of one camping spot on the trip, taken in Wyoming.
#033 Vertis, Daisy, Hugh, Minnie Jane, Ivanilla, and Golda ( Looks like only one tent )
On arriving in Warren, they built a cabin from railroad ties. Must have been a very rough life. I and my brother and sisters drove around where the cabin once stood, everything barren, but for grasses and rocks. There did not look like there had been any trees for fire wood.
The following was used previously but later replaced.
Nadine Grimshaw Driggs History
Webster John Grimshaw b. 10/14/1858, m. Leah Ann Thompson b. 3/26/1863 on 3/22/1883. Photos of Webster and Leah Ann Grimshaw are shown in Figure 1. All children were thought to have been born in Missouri. Children were Arthur, Mable, Fern, Cora, Jesse, and Raymond, not in that order. Raymond was the youngest, though, and was just two when his mother died.
Figure 1. Photos of Webster John Grimshaw and his wife, Leah Ann Thompson. Date of photos is unknown.
Figure 2. Family photo of Webster and Leah Grimshaw’s family. Taken at the funeral of Leah shortly after her death on March 22, 1833.
(I have a picture taken the day of his mothers funeral, showing the whole family, except Mable)
Webster could not care for them correctly, so they were separated and put in different homes. The two youngest were in an orphanage for awhile, until Silas Hugh and Minnie Jane Thomas took Jesse and Raymond to live with them. That is where they stayed.
Figure 3. Picture to go with Jesse and Raymond Grimshaw foster home.
(I have a picture to go with this also). At this time they were living in Gracemont , OK, where they all went to school (picture).
Sometime in 1916, Silas Hugh decided to relocate from Oklahoma to Montana, so they all started out in a touring car for that long trip Figure 4. I can imagine all the hardships they must have encountered.
Figure 4. (picture of them at their camp in Wyoming, showing family, car and a tent).
(to be continued…)
Webpage History
Webpage posted December 2004.