United Methodist Church

Mom told me that my Grandparents John Dewey and Leona were members of the United Methodist church so while we were in Colfax I toke some pictures. The building looked too new to me to have been around back when they were living in Colfax so I'm assuming that it ether really is there church and it survived this long or more likely they ether tore it down since it was old and rebuilt on the same lot or tore the old one down and moved to this location. The funny thing was that the road to the right goes strait up to the Colfax cemetery where the 6 people that I posted about in last weeks posts.

I took these pictures for information to contact the church in the future for more information.

Colfax Cemetery 2013

My Mom and I visited the Colfax Cemetery last month and took pictures.

 

View From Colfax Cemetery

 

 

SHAFERS

Shafer Grave Marker

(Not quite sure why Frank would pay for such a big marker for a family plot when its only himself, his wife and stillborn baby Gerald.)

Gerald Shafer's Grave Marker

Frank A & Margaretha Shafer's Grave Marker

 

GRIMM

 

William Grimm's Grave Marker

 

Ida Grimm Ramsey Grave Marker

Ervin Minard Evans Gravestone Front

On the Front says "Here rests a woodman of the world." It also says Dum Tacet Clamat which I entered into Google and found this:

Treestones are basically grave markers in the shape of a tree. Often they will look like tree stumps or logs. Some will have branches. They are usually associated with the Woodmen of the World, and their various associated groups, although using tree-shaped grave markers pre-dates the organization. The treestones of Woodmen will usually include their symbols, and they might be inscribed with “Dum Tacet Clamet” (“though silent he speaks”), or “here rests a Woodman of the World.” Trees, branches and leaves are common symbols of nature in cemeteries.

According to Douglas Keister’s Stories in Stone, treestones were derived from the Victorian rusticity movement, and at one time could be ordered from the Sears and Roebuck catalog.
http://cemeteries.wordpress.com/category/woodmen/

And this:
The metal medalion from a gravestone in the Beth Israel Cemetery at Portland, Oregon, marks the grave of a member of the Woodman of the World Organization.

The organization was founded by Joseph Cullen Root.  “During a Sunday sermon in Lyons, Iowa, Root heard the pastor tell a parable about the good that came from woodmen clearing away the forest to build homes, communities, and security for their families. He adopted the term Woodmen.”
The influence of that sermon can also been seen in the metal marker above that has the symbols of the organization – axe, beetle (a sledge hammer or maul) and wedge – symbolizing industry, power and progress.  The Latin phrase DUM TACET CLAMAT which means “though silent, he speaks” adorns the medalion.

Root wanted to make sure that after the death of the breadwinner that the family would be protected through a death benefit payout, which was one of the goals of providing insurance to the members of the society.
http://gravelyspeaking.com/2012/04/26/dum-tacet-clamat/

Ervin Minard Evans Gravestone Back

Ervin Minard & Ida Grimm's Grave Markers

Ervin Minard & Ida Grimm & William Grimm's Grave Marker

William, Ida's Father's flat marker is on the middle right of the picture. Ervin of course is the tall log and Ida's is in front (the side of) Ervins marker.

Colfax, Washington

Found this on Wikipedia and thought that it would give a better picture of what Colfax was like since both of my Maternal Grandparents lived there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colfax,_Washington

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Colfax is a city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. It is situated amidst wheat-covered hills in a valley at the confluence of the Palouse River's north and south forks. Route 195, which forms the town's main street, intersects with Route 26 here; in the past, Colfax also lay at the junction of three railway lines. It is the Whitman CountyGR6 seat and was named after Grant's Vice President, Schuyler Colfax. The population was 2,844 at the 2000 census

History
Palouse Indians were the first known human inhabitants of the Colfax area. White settlers arrived in the summer of 1870, and soon built a sawmill. A flour mill and other businesses followed, and Colfax soon grew into a prosperous town. Originally, pioneer citizen James Perkin called the settlement "Belleville" in honor of his girlfriend; when he found a new love, he changed the town's name to Colfax.[1]

Colfax was officially incorporated on November 29, 1881. In 1889-1890, the town vied with several other finalists to become the site of a new agricultural college, present-day Washington State University; the honor, however, ultimately fell to nearby Pullman.

The population reached 3,500 in 1903, and has hovered near 3,000 ever since.[2]

Colfax notables
Either born, raised, or made Colfax their home.

Dinsmore Alter, astronomer and meteorologist
Yakima Canutt, rodeo champion and Hollywood stuntman
William La Follette, politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Washington
Abe Goff, politician, Republican U.S. House of Representatives from Idaho
John A. Kitzhaber, Governor of Oregon, 1995-2002.
Morten Lauridsen, composer of classical music
Virgil T. McCroskey, 1876-1970, an amateur conservationist who created two state parks: Steptoe Butte state park in Washington and Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park in Idaho. A pharmacist until 1920, McCroskey owned the Elk Drugstore on Main Street, the facade of which still bears his name.
Kate Bigelow Montague, (5 May 1885 - 30 October 1984) A novelist, author, and journalist. She also made amateur travel films of primarily southeast Asia, Europe and North America ca. the mid to late 1930s.[3]
Robert Osborne, Hollywood historian and journalist, prime-time host of Turner Classic Movies. As a teenager, he worked at The Rose, a long-defunct movie theater in downtown Colfax, and broke both arms while putting Elizabeth Taylor's name on the marquee.[4]

Geography and Climate

Colfax is surrounded by steep aeolian hills, often harboring wheatfields; this one lies just outside town on the south sideColfax is located in southeastern Washington at 46°53′3″N, 117°21′49″W (46.884033, -117.363668)GR1, at an elevation of 1962 feet. The nearest cities are Spokane and Lewiston/Clarkston. The area is geologically interesting, lying in the midst of the fertile Palouse country, with the Rocky Mountains to the east, the Channeled Scablands to the west, and the Snake River to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.3 km² (1.7 mi²). 4.3 km² (1.7 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water. The Palouse River, confined for flood control to a concrete bed that reduces it to an eighteen-inch-wide stream during the dry season, runs through the middle of town, parallel to Main Street.

Colfax has a four-season climate, with hot, dry summers, cold winters, and a rainy season that generally runs from autumn til spring. The annual rainfall averages less than 20 inches a year. This climate, together with the deep, rich palouse topsoil, makes for near-ideal wheat growing conditions.



Community resources

Tourist attractions
The Codger Pole is a chainsaw-carved monument by master carver Jonathan LaBenne. It is located on Main Street and commemorates a 1988 rematch, 50 years after the original 1938 game, between archrival football teams from Colfax High School and St. John. At 65 feet tall, it is the largest sculpture of its type in the world, and consists of portraits, carved into five upended red cedar logs, of the 51 players involved. The players are shown in old age but are wearing the football uniforms of the thirties.
The Perkins House, on Perkins Avenue, is a meticulously restored Victorian home built in 1886. The original owner was James Perkins, a leading pioneer citizen. The Perkins family occupied the home until 1968, by which time it was sadly dilapidated and slated for demolition. In 1970, the Whitman County Historical Society assumed ownership and began restoring the house, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Behind the house is a log cabin, built in 1870, where Perkins lived for sixteen years. This cabin is the oldest standing structure in Whitman County. The house is open for tours from May to September, on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Colfax Golf Course and Country Club is a nine-hole course beside the river on North Palouse River Road.
McDonald Park, located immediately north of the golf course, consists of playing fields surrounded by a paved walking/jogging path. Regional baseball and softball tournaments are hosted here.
The Colfax Trail is a three-mile path converted from a disused railway line. It begins at a gravel quarry off Highway 26, just beyond the town's western limit, and follows the Palouse River westward, traversing cow pastures, pine woods, wetlands, and basalt cliffs.

Public services, businesses, and churches
Among the town's other amenities are a public school, a library, and a hospital, several city parks, a skateboard park, and a swimming pool. As the county seat, Colfax is also home to the Whitman County Courthouse and the Whitman County Jail. The local government consists of a seven-member City Council and a mayor (currently Norma Becker, serving her fifth term).

There is a small assortment of businesses, including building and farm supply stores, a medium-sized grocery (Rosauers), a pharmacy, a fitness center, a florist, a coffee stall, four gift shops, a pawn shop, and ten restaurants. Local service-based businesses include lawyers, dentists, auto mechanics, banks, and retirement homes.

Switchboard.com lists nine churches in Colfax, including one Catholic Church , one Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka LDS or Mormon), and various Protestant and non-denominational churches.

A weekly newspaper called Whitman County Gazette is published in Colfax.


Annual Events
Palouse Plowing Bee and Palouse Empire Threshing Bee– held respectively on the third weekend in April and the first weekend after Labor Day. Farmers demonstrate traditional plowing and harvesting methods in a 15-acre field five miles west of town.
Perkins House Ice Cream Social – Held on the last Sunday in June on the lawn of the Perkins House; ice cream, pie, live Dixieland music, displays, and free house tours.

The Palouse River, south fork, in downtown Colfax. This photo was taken in September, at the end of the dry seasonConcrete River Days – A summer festival held on the second weekend in July, with a parade, sidewalk sales, and many outdoor activities; so named because the Palouse riverbed in downtown Colfax has been lined with concrete for the sake of flood control, and the water descends into a narrow central channel during the dry season.
Palouse Empire Fair – Held in early September five miles west of town; a midway, a rodeo, live music, and barns full of livestock and handicrafts.
Lighted Christmas Parade– a night parade held in downtown Colfax, Mill Street, on the first Tuesday in December. Festive floats, free candy, special programs at the public library, and Santa Claus.

Demographics
As of the 2000 censusGR2, there were 2,844 people, 1,191 households, and 740 families residing in the city. The population density was 657.5/km² (1,705.6/mi²). There were 1,357 housing units at an average density of 313.7/km² (813.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.16% White, 0.25% African American, 0.84% Native American, 2.07% Asian, 0.60% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population.

There were 1,191 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years, well above the national average of 35.3--possibly due to the presence of several retirement communities. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,622, and the median income for a family was $47,589. Males had a median income of $32,188 versus $26,349 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,519. About 6.1% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

My Mother Margaretha Anna Stamm Shafer

Aileen Shafer is the Sister of John Dewey Shafer (my Grandfather) and the daughter of Margaretha Anna Stamm Shafer.

My Mother Margaretha Anna Stamm Shafer
Written by Aileen Kathryn Shafer Kinney

The Stamm family came from Schleitheim and there were Bechtold's in Schaffhausen. The man at the State house didn’t have any information but gave the name of Willie Bachtold who had the records in Schleitheim. Willie Bechtold’s house had records. A man named Eugene Stamm had the records.

Margaretha Anna Stamm lived in Schaffhausen, the house was white stucco and very neat. I remembered her telling me about her home. She said the cows lived underneath. She told me about coming in from the cold and her Mother put them on a shelf next to the fireplace. When we went to Europe we visited a home in Switzerland. It looked like what I expected from what my Mother had told me.

Mom’s family went to North America in April of 1881. They traveled in the hold of the ship. Her Mother got sick. Mom’s Mother and Father both died later and Mom was placed in a home for orphans. She told me that the food was terrible, that the people in charge ate very well though. She and her sister were put on a train with other orphans. They went to Illinois. There people toke them. Mom was taken by a woman. People in the community said she was a lady of ill repute and not a fit place for Mom and she went to live with an elderly lady who smoked a pipe. She was to week to light it and Mom had to light it for her. She said she learned to like tobacco.

After that she went to live with Uncle Jim and Aunt Zada. About that time Dads parents both died and he went to live with Uncle Jim (his oldest brother). They went to school together. They went to the Fifth Reader. That is what it was called then. They fell in love and lived in a small house, but later lived in a nice new one.

Uncle Jesse and Aunt Lilly (Dad’s Sister) came west and bought a place near Pullman. They did well and wrote to Mom and Dad to come ‘out west”. They decided to do that. Margaret was a baby. Mom said she carried her (on the train) on a pillow.

I was born at Colfax as were Jim and Frank before me. Then my dad wanted a larger farm so they bought one at Colfax and bought a larger place at La Crosse (600 acres). They raised wheat. It was a very old house, so when they could they built a big new house, 4 bed rooms, only one bath. It was on the main floor. So was Mom and Dads bedroom. They cooked and ate in the basement. The main floor kitchen was never used. There was an elevator and Jim and Elwyn (sp?) and Gwen and Don Kraus tried to ride in it.

Ruth and her family lived close by and helped farm. She was married to Winfield Kraus at Colfax. I remember Mama saying Ruth wanted a big home wedding and how hard it was with me as a baby. I loved playing with Gwen, Elwyn and Dan.

Then on Sunday Dewey, Bob and Winfield decided to go swimming. They went to Palouse falls. People swam under the falls. Winfield evidently got into a whirlpool and drowned. It was terrible. Ruth then moved to La Crosse and was Telephone Operator. Mom and Dad helped her quite a lot. The children spent a lot of time with us so I sort of grew up with them.

Dad was doing really well, but then some crooked guys sold him some fake Oil Well stock and he lost almost everything. He held a farm sale a bought the place at republic. We moved to Republic, a cattle ranch. On the train up there just before we got to Republic Mom said “Why did you bring me to this God Forsaken Place”?

I went to Karamin to the 5th and 6th grades. Then they closed the Karamin School and we went by School Bus to Republic. I rode horse back after toe cows in the evenings. When I was Senior Pauline and Fred talked Dad into moving to Mackey, Idaho, to raise potatoes. Dad sent the furniture and equipment by train and we drove down. Dewey and Leona and her two kids Gene and Betty all went to Mackey.

Things didn’t work out. The deal on the farm fell through so we didn’t stay. We didn’t go back to Republic. That is when Mom and Dad bought the farm at Greenbluff, My friends from Greenbluff called and wanted me to come up there for Graduation. They said that I would be Valedictorian, but the folks could not afford to send me there. I was promise a job at 5 cent and 10 cent store where a friend from Republic was manager, but it didn’t pay enough to pay for my room and board.

?D.A. Sullivan got a road job that went to Green Bluff. The men camped on the farm. They wanted to have mom feed them. So she said she would. I helped her. I made the desserts, pies and cakes. She cooked the rest of the meal. I usually waited on tables. Ralph Dayley (Dads cousin) was the boss. He liked to tease me. That was when I met Herman Kinney. He was on of the main ones. He drove a tractor. He fell for me. We were married later in Colfax. Mom and Dad sold the house and moved into an acreage on Market street. That is where my dad had a heart attack and passed away. Frank and Loraine lived next door. Mom sold the acreage and moved into a small house near Garland.

We moved to Spokane from Colville and brought a new duplex in Alice?. We wanted Mom to move in the other side, but my brothers objected. I could have taken care of her. They moved her in to Riverview Terrace, a retirement home. She lived there several years, then passed away from Heart Failure. The Doctor called, said her heart was just worn out. She was buried at Colfax next to my Dad and baby Brother Gerald.