Friday, March 22, 2019

The Children of John and Susan (Wilson) Campbell

As I wrote earlier this week, John and Susan (Wilson) Campbell disappeared into the ether about 1895. They left four children behind:

Howard Campbell was born on 15 January 1890 in Mystic, Iowa. When the 1895 Iowa state census was taken he lived with his maternal grandparents, Adam and Margaret (Scott) Wilson in Mystic. His grandfather died in 1906 and his grandmother in 1911.

Howard registered for the World War I draft on 5 June 1917. At the time he worked for Lodwick Brothers as a coal miner. The company operated several mines in Mystic and were one of the top coal producers in the state. Howard was drafted on 27 May 1918 and served as a private in Battery F, 337 Field Artillery. His unit was attached to the 163rd Field Artillery Brigade, 88th Division. The division trained at Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa. Then transferred to France between 8 August and 9 September 1918. Once in France, the artillery units were sent to Bordeaux for training. On 14 September the 88th division was placed under the command of the 4th French Army and moved by rail to the Hericourt training area near Belfort. On 23 September they relieved the 38th French Division in the center sector of Haute-Alsace. The division held this sector until 2 November when it was placed under the 4th American Corps and moved to the Lagney area as part of the 2nd Army Reserve where it was located when armistice was declared. The division participated in no major operations while in France. Howard was honorably discharged 5 February 1919.

When the 1920 census was enumerated Howard lived in the Cedar Falls precinct of King County, Washington and worked as a laborer at a mine. Howard worked as a construction laborer in 1940 and lived in a rented home on South 8th Avenue with several other men. He died on 7 March 1951 and was interred in Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park in Seattle. He never married.

Howard Campbell headstone; courtesy of Find A Grave
volunteer, Karen Sipe

John Campbell (Crawford) was born on 17 March 1891 in Mystic, Iowa. When the 1900 census was enumerated, he lived in Thurston, Washington, with his father's sister, Mary, and her husband, John Crawford. He and his sister were enumerated as their children and with the Crawford surname. John's aunt died sometime before the 1910 census was taken as her husband lived alone and his marital status was listed as widower.

John, using the Crawford surname as he did for the remainder of his life, boarded at a large rooming house in Tacoma operated by George Miller and worked as a laborer for a railroad. However, the 1911 Olympia city directed listed him at the same address as his uncle.

He married Edith Elizabeth Eggleston on 8 November 1916 in North Yakima. She was the daughter of Thomas Eggleston and Minnie Bombard and had been born in Franklin County, New York. She and her family moved to Washington State between 1910 and 1916. John registered for the World War I draft in 1917. He worked as a mixer for Pacific Coast Gypsum Co. and claimed an exemption from the draft on the grounds that he had a crippled wife to support. John and Edith never had children and moved to Everett, Washington, by 1930. They lived there until their deaths. Edith died on 23 November 1967 and John on 29 December 1968. Both were interred at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Everett.

John Campbell/Crawford headstone; courtesy of Find A Grave volunteer,
Graving with Jenn

Margaret Campbell was born on 8 December 1892 in Mystic, Iowa. When the 1895 Iowa state census was taken she lived with her maternal grandparents, Adam and Margaret (Scott) Wilson in Mystic. Her grandfather died in 1906 and Margaret continued to live with her grandmother until her marriage.

On 17 January 1911 Margaret married Bernhardt Thoms (also known as Benjamin George Thomas) in Mystic. An article published on the same day in the Centerville Daily Citizen, described their marriage:

"Mr. Ben Thomas, formerly a miner at Mystic but now residing in Kansas, came back to Appanoose County and claimed as his bride Miss Margaret Campbell, with whom he became acquainted during his residence at Mystic and the happy couple left for their future home in Kansas. The ceremony was performed by the Esquire R. Henderson at his office. Mrs. Amanda Murray, of Mystic, who accompanied the young couple recalled that Esquire Henderson, when Mayor of Centerville had married herself and her husband, now deceased, eighteen years ago but that as his honor has officiated at more than 1,000 marriages he could not now easily remember the event. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were of prepossessing appearance and doubtless many friends are interested in their happiness."

Margaret and Ben had two children:
  1. Leslie Howard Thomas born on 24 October 1911 in Harrington, Kansas.
  2. Doris Bernice Thomas born on 2 November 1913 in Marshall, Iowa.
By 1920 Margaret and Ben apparently parted company. She and her daughter, Doris, were living in Seattle with Jack and Louise Allan. She was listed as a sister-in-law of Mr. Allan's, but I have not yet been able to find how Jack and Louise fit into the family group. Meanwhile, on 13 January 1920 Ben Thomas lived in Ames with his widowed mother and son, Leslie. Ben was hired by Northern Pacific Railway on 15 April 1920 as a first class carpenter in Seattle.

On 19 February 1930, Margaret Wilson (Campbell) Thomas married Fred Leonard Campbell in Olympia. He was a divorcee with two teenaged daughters. This marriage lasted less than a decade as Margaret married John William Westcott on 11 December 1939 in Pierce County, Washington. John worked as a crane man for Northern Pacific Railway and was divorced. They remained in Pierce County the rest of their lives. John died on 8 February 1977 and Margaret on 27 February 1983. Both were interred at Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood, Washington.

Margaret Wilson (Campbell) Thomas Campbell Westcott headstone; courtesy
of Find A Grave volunteer, Kathy Stroope Veasey

Marion Campbell (Crawford)

Marion Campbell was born on 22 December 1894 in Mahaska County, Iowa. She was the youngest child of John and Susan (Wilson) Campbell. By 1895 her family had split up and she and her brother, John, were sent to live with their paternal aunt, Mary (Campbell) Crawford and her husband, John. Marion was enumerated in the 1900 census living in Olympia, Washington as the daughter of John and Mary Crawford. She used the Crawford surname as her maiden name for the remainder of her life.

Her aunt died before 1910 and when that decennial census was taken she lived in the home of Harvey and May Bechtel as their ward in Tumwater, Washington.

She married Charles Washington Fowler on 6 March 1918 in Tacoma, Washington. He was the son of William R. and Ola (Odell) Fowler and was born on 14 January 1889 in West Plains, Missouri. In 1920 the couple lived with Charles' parents in Tacoma and Charles worked as a barber while Marion worked at the Mars Candy factory as a dipper helper.

When the 1930 census was taken, Charles and Marion lived in a home they owned, valued at $1,200. Charles still worked as a barber, but Marion no longer worked. Their marriage broke up sometime before 1934 as Marion married George Anthony Craig on 9 April 1934 in Pierce County, Washington.

George was born on 11 August 1888 in New Castle, Washington, and was the son of William and Mary J. (Dales) Craig. His father, William, immigrated to the U.S. about 1883 from England. George's first wife, May Curran, died on 27 March 1934, leaving him with a 16-year-old daughter. He worked as a shipping clerk for a grocery wholesaler.

Marion died on 8 February 1937 in Tacoma, Washington, and was interred at Mountain View Memorial Park in Lakewood, Washington.

Marion (Campbell/Crawford) Fowler Craig headstone; courtesy of Find A
Grave volunteer, Tara Finnie Curley

George Craig married Dora Erma (Colvin) Manwaring Weber on 6 August 1937. She had been widowed twice previously and had a son from each marriage. George Craig died on 14 April 1975 in Pierce County, Washington, and was interred beside his parents at the New Tacoma Cemetery in University Place, Washington.

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What Happened to John and Susan (Wilson) Campbell? 

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