This is my mom Janet’s Biological Maternal side. My mom has met two of her half-sisters and talked to one of her uncles and that is the only contact we have had with her maternal side. Thanks to Ancestry, I can find information, pictures, and some health info for her. I’m starting this page with their Great-Grandpa William Terpening. Pictured below are the three generations after William. I’m still looking for a picture of Williams’s wife Gussie to put into the top right box. Top right is William’s daughter Helen Pauline Terpening 1910-1997, bottom left is William’s granddaughter Shirly Ann Burton/Sutherland 1936-2004, bottom right is William’s great-grandaughter my mom Janet (living).
~~1870~~
Gussie Mae Krause Smith was born on August 3, 1877, in Smithton, Pettis County, Missouri to Sidney “Sid” Smith and Anna “Annie” Kruse
~~1880~~
William Alfred “Pat” Terpening was the seventh born on January 3, 1882, in Kelley Township, Warren County, Illinois, to Harrison and Martha Nicolina Armstrong Terpening.
Kelley Township is in the red box. Notice Terpening Cemetery in the bottom left corner of the red box. Monmouth and Galesburg are on the bottom left and right of the map.
~Side notes back in 2006-2010 Eric and I moved to Monmouth not knowing that each of us had many relatives born in Warren County and neighboring Knox County, Illinois. Eric started his career in Galesburg, Knox County. We have really good friends in that area.
Interesting Monmouth Side Notes:
-The great lawman Wyatt Earp was born in Monmouth in 1848.
-Abraham Lincoln visited in 1858. This photo of him was taken in Monmouth two days before he debated Stephan Douglas.
-In 1918 President Ronald Reagan’s family moved from Galesburg to Monmouth when he was a child.
~~1890~~
Some of William’s first jobs. This one states that William is a hustler. It looks like he was able to work many different jobs.
William at 16 years old.
~~1900~~
| Name | Relation | Race | Sex | Birth Month | Birth Year | Age | Marital Status | Years Married | Children Born/ Living | Birth Place | Father’s Birthplace | Mother’s Birthplace | Occupation | Can Read/ Write |
| Bruner, Hardin | Head | W | M | Mar | 1871 | 29 | M | 8 | IL | KY | IL | Farming | Y,Y,Y | |
| Mary | Wife | W | F | Nov | 1869 | 30 | M | 8 | 1/1 | IL | Englund | Englund | Y,Y,Y | |
| Alma | Daughter | W | F | Nov | 1895 | 4 | S | IL | IL | IL | ||||
| Terpening, William | Servant | W | M | Jan | 1881 | 20 | S | IL | IL | IL | Farm Laborer | Y,Y,Y | ||
| Babcock, Draper | Head | W | M | Dec | 1827 | 72 | M | 32 | MA | MA | MA | Y,Y,Y | ||
| Mary E | Wife | W | F | July | 1830 | 69 | M | 32 | 4/4 | NY | VT | NH | Y,Y,Y | |
| Holt, Katherine | Sister | W | F | Oct | 1837 | 62 | M | 38 | 3/0 | MA | MA | MA | Y,Y,Y | |
| Kruse, Gussie | Servant | W | F | Aug | 1877 | 22 | S | MO | IL | MO | Housework | Y,Y,Y |
In the top half of this 1900 census, we see William working on Hardin Bruner’s farm. William is 20 years old. William’s future wife Gussie is living and working at Draper Babcock’s house on Broadway in Monmouth with Draper’s wife and sister.
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On October 14, 1903, William Alfred Terpening 23, married Miss Gussie Mae Smith-Kruse 26, from Smithton, Missouri, in Warren County, Illinois.
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(Random horse and wagon photo)
William and Gussie moved from Warren County, Illinois to Gillett Arkansas sometime between 1903-1905. Gillett is a small town and still has a population of under 1,000 residents. Back in the day, it was known for its rice harvest and timber industry. With all the farming opportunities it was the perfect place for Germans, Russians, and German-Russian immigrants.
Gillett Arkansas
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William and Gussie had their first child on December 22, 1905, in Gillett, Arkansas. On Estella’s certificate, she lists her mother as Gussie Mae Kruse and her last name should be Smith. This is a delayed birth certificate and shows that Estelle’s aunt Mrs. C E Nichols 75, was in Pinellas, Florida.
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William 26, and Gussie 30, have a boy they named Clarence Lee. He was born on September 23, 1907, at 9:15pm, in Gillett, Arkansas. This is Clarence’s delayed birth certificate. It also shows that by 1942, William was living in Freewater, Oregon. William lists Gussies maiden name as Smith as it should be.
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The family moved again heading back to William’s hometown in Warren County, Illinois. Gillett Arkansas was prone to prairie fires and floods. This could be one of the reasons for the move back home.
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Williams’s brother-in-law/cousin Arthur, cousin Alvin, and their friend George bought land in Yellowstone Valley. This might be near the future location William moves to. More to come on that.
~~1910~~
William and Gussie welcomed baby number three, Helen Pauline Terpening. She was born on January 3, 1910 in Galesburg, Knox County, Illinois. This is the youngest photo I have of her. Next time I visit my friend in Galesburg I will go see if she has a birth certificate. It has not been uploaded online yet. For reference, Helen is my Great Grandma.
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| Name | Relation | Sex | Race | Age | Marital Status | Years Married | Children Born/ Living | Birthplace | Father’s Birthplace | Mother’s Birthplace | Occupation | Industry | Owned Home/Rent |
| Terpening, William | Head | M | W | 29 | M1 | 6 | IL | IL | IL | Farmer | General Farm | Rented | |
| Gussie | Wife | F | W | 32 | M1 | 6 | 3/3 | MO | IL | MO | |||
| Marie | Daughter | F | W | 4 | S | AR | IL | MO | |||||
| Clarence | Son | M | W | 2 | S | AR | IL | MO | |||||
| Helen | Daughter | F | W | 7/12 | S | IL | IL | MO |
In the census of 1910 William and Gussie are living in Coldbrook, Warren County, Illinois. William was farming and Gussie was taking care of three children under the age of 4.
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Sometime between 1910 and 1915, the family moved again, this time to Broadview, Musselshell County, Montana. Being that William was a farmer, they probably still moved by horse and wagon, or possibly by the new Milwalkie Railroad
Broadview, Musselshell County, Montana. The schoolhouse is in the middle of the picture.
Same view of the town with the town’s water tower on the left.
Excerpt from History of the Upper Musseshell County
~Side History~ This info is not representative of any relative just info on the times. Lewistown had the nearest land office to the Musselshell. The homesteader had to travel to the Fergus County Seat to file his quarter section with the government. On his trip to Lewistown via the old Montana train, or the Milwaukee after 1909, he finished the local newspaper and wrote a hurried note home telling his wife to start packing. He also decided what items he would need to plant a crop before going to the Midwest to gather his family and belongings, and to find several neighbors to share an immigrant car to return to the Musselshell. The railroads and the homesteaders changed the complexion of Meagher County to a considerable extent. In essence, the railroads opened eastern Meagher County to settlement whereas the western half of the county was characterized by mountains and had only one major valley, Smith River. White Sulphur Springs, which had prophecized and begged for a railroad since the 1880s, was not satisfied until the Yellowstone Park and White Sulphur Springs railroad was built by the Ringling Bros, circus family in 1910. The lack of a railroad hampered settlements around White Sulphur Springs. Overall, the county population increased from 2,526 to 4,190 between 1900 and 1910. The eastern half of the county accounted for most of the gain. The western area increased from 1,625 to 1,926 people. At the same time, the eastern half of the county had a population boom, increasing from 901 to 2,264 people. At the turn of the nineteenth century, there were 21 million horses in the U.S. and only about 4,000 automobiles. By 1915, the carriage industry had been decisively overtaken by the automobile industry, but as late as 1935, there were still about 3,000 buggies manufactured each year for use in rural areas.
~Side Note, my paternal Grandfather was born in Lewistown, Fergus County, Montana in 1914, close to the time the Terpenings moved to Montana. I wonder if their paths ever crossed over that decade??
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This is a very messy birth certificate but it belongs to William and Gussie’s fourth-born Marjorie Mae born on April 16, 1915, in Broadview Montana. On this certificate, Gussie puts her last name as Kruse instead of Smith. Does anyone know the backstory to that confusion? She seems to change every other certificate to Smith or Kruse. It also states that William was born in Galesburg, not Monmouth Illinois. Maybe Helen’s certificate will clear some of that up?
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Helen had a lot of perfect attendance records. Here is just one of them from April 1918. Helen attended school in District 5, Musselshell County, Montana.
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William’s 1918 Registration Card. William was of medium height, small build, blue eyes, and brown hair. You can see his signature on the bottom left.
~~1920~~
| Name | Relation | Home Owned/ Mortgage/ Rent | Sex | Race | Age | Marital Status | Attended School | Can Read/ Write | Birth- place | Father’s Birth- place | Mother’s Birth- place | Occupation/ Industry |
| Terpening, Charles W | Head | Rented | M | W | 71 | Married | Yes | IL | NY | NY | General Farming | |
| Mary | Wife | F | W | 66 | Married | Yes | Ireland | Ireland | Ireland | |||
| Lee B | Grandson | M | W | 16 | Yes | Yes | IL | IL | IL | |||
| Everett F | Grandson | M | W | 15 | Yes | Yes | IL | IL | IL | |||
| Terpening, William A | Head | Rented | M | W | 39 | Married | Yes | IL | IL | IL | General Farming | |
| Gussie | Wife | F | W | 42 | Married | Yes | MO | MO | MO | |||
| Marie E | Daughter | F | W | 13 | Yes | Yes | AR | IL | MO | |||
| Clarence L | Son | M | W | 12 | Yes | Yes | AR | IL | MO | |||
| Helen P | Daughter | F | W | 8 | Yes | IL | IL | MO | ||||
| Marjorie M | Daughter | F | W | 2 8/12 | MT | IL | MO |
In this 1920 census, we see the family is in District 5, Musselshell County, Montana. Living a few houses away is William’s great-uncle Charles W Terpening along with his wife Mary and their two grandsons (William’s cousins) Lee and Everett. William and Charles are farming. Marie, Clarence, Helen, Lee, and Everett are all attending school in District 5.
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Helen was a finalist in the county-wide spelling bee. July 1922
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Clarence graduates eighth grade, District 5 Broadview, Montana. July 1922
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Helen, Clarence, and their future brother-in-law Victor Hay compete in their April 1925 High School Meet. They are representing Broadview High School.
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I believe the school district would pay parents who had to drive some distance to get their children to school a monthly allowance. The parents took care of keeping the roads clean and making sure children and possibly others who lived nearby got to school. Williams $25 a month in 1925-26 is like $443 today.
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On October 31, 1927, William went up to Canada to help with their harvest. This is the temporary border crossing log. He worked at the F.V. Glenn farm in Vulcan, Alberta, Canada. He arrived there by car on the highway. His religion is listed as Evangelical. He had $30 on him (about $500 today).
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This picture was featured in the 1964 Billings Gazette but it shows what Clarence would have looked like in 1927. He is pictured with his basketball team. Clarence is on the top row on the left. I think he looks a lot like his father.
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After Helen graduated high school she decided to go to Eastern Montana Normal School. Now an archaic term, “normal school” was once a common name for a college that specialized in training teachers. The Montana State Normal School opened in Dillon in 1893.
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Helen gets to teach at the Osborn School in Montana.
This photo is not of Helen but this was the Osborn School in 1917.
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William’s 1928 pay for dragging roads
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William gets elected as the local farmers’ Union President. Helen and Marie attend a party for their future brother-in-law Victor Hay.
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Helen returns to school and Marie joins her for a short time. Everett Terpening is Williams’s cousin.
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Marjorie attends her school “tacky” party. How fun does that sound? I wish there were pictures.
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300 people attended to watch the Eastern Normal School Spring Festival and Dance
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Great article on Victor and Estella’s wedding.
Mr. Victor Hay 22, married Miss Estella Marie Terpening 23, on June 24, 1929, in Broadview, Montana. Their witnesses are Estella’s brother Clarence and his future wife Hazel Woodard.
Victor and Estelle would have four children,
Eva Arlene 1931-2019,
Marilyn M. 1935-,
Alfred L. 1942-,
and Ellen D. 1947-
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William and his fellow committee members couldn’t find a doctor to move to Broadview. July 31, 1929.
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I could not find a picture of the 1929 Grey School in Montana.
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~~1930~~
At some point, Montana changed the counties in District 5 and the family now lives in Golden Valley, County.
| Name | Relation | Home Data | Sex | Race | Age | Marital Status | Age @1st Marriage | At School | Can Read/ Write | Birth- place | Father’s Birth- place | Mother’s Birth- place | Occupation/ Industry |
| Terpening, Charles | Head | Own | M | W | 82 | Married | 25 | No | Yes | IL | NY | NY | General Farm |
| Mary | Wife | F | W | 75 | Married | 18 | No | Yes | N. Ireland | N. Ireland | N. Ireland | ||
| Terpening, Wm A | Head | Rent | M | W | 49 | Married | 22 | No | Yes | IL | IL | IL | General Farm |
| Gussie M | Wife | F | W | 50 | Married | 23 | No | Yes | MO | MO | MO | ||
| Helen P | Daughter | F | W | 19 | Single | Yes | IL | IL | MO | Public School Teacher | |||
| Marjorie M | Daughter | F | W | 14 | Single | Yes | Yes | MT | IL | MO |
We see the family may have moved towards Golden Valley, County, or Montana moved county lines during the Great Depression since they are still in District 5, and still neighbors of Charles Terpening. Many people left the rural areas during this period to find work and abandoned their farms. William and Gussie have been married for 27 years. William is still farming and most likely still Farmers Union President. Helen 19, is a public school teacher and Marjorie is 14 and in school. I wonder if Helen was Marjorie’s teacher?
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In 1930 we see Victor and Estella “Marie” living in Missoula. The directory says that Victor is a student and Marie is working as a maid.
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I love that they used to post these in the paper.
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All of Helen’s students passed their current grade and were able to go to the next grade putting them on the county’s honor roll.
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I think that William and Gussie started to move to Freewater Oregon around this time. Clarence and Helen visit with Victor and Estelle in Missoula. Helen will return to Normal College in Montana for her continued teaching education.
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Marjorie makes the Reed Point High School honor roll in 1933
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Marjorie plays Dean Willis in the play “I Will, I Won’t”.
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Marjorie graduated from Reed Point High School in May 1933
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Clarence Lee 26, married Miss Hazel Oclo Woodward 23, on October 1, 1933, in Broadview, Yellowstone County, Montana. Together they had four children Melba C. 1934-, Ward Willis 1935-2014, Beryl Vivian 1937-1937, and Willbann D. 1947.-
L-R Willbann, Melba, and Ward Terpening circa 1950.
~~~~~
Elbert Earnest Burton (aka Jerry Sutherland) 26, married Helen Pauline 24, on May 19, 1934, in Spokane, Washington. Elbert was working as a Forest Officer in Ritter, Oregon, and Helen was teaching in Freewater, Oregon. Together they had two children Shirley Ann Burton-Sutherland 1935-1997 and Thomas E. Burton-Sutherland 1939- living.
Shirley & Tom
~~~~~
Mr. Elsworth Clark Dyer 22, married Miss Marjorie Mae 19, on November 22, 1934, in Walla Walla, Washington. Together they had one daughter Alta 1936-.
~~1940~~
| Name | Relation | Sex | Race | Age | Marital Status | Attending School | Highest Grade | Birth- place | City Living | County Living | State Living | Farm | Occupation/ Industry | Home Own/ Rented |
| Terpening, William A | Head | M | W | 59 | M | No | 8th | IL | Rural | Umitilla | WA | Yes | Janitor/ Public School | Rented |
| Gussie Mae | Wife | F | W | 62 | M | No | H-1 | MO | WA | |||||
| Hay, Victor | Head | M | W | 33 | M | No | C-4 | WI | Dodson | Phillips | MT | No | Teacher/ High School | Rented |
| Estella M | Wife | F | W | 34 | M | No | H-4 | AR | ||||||
| Eva Arlene | Daughter | F | W | 8 | S | No | 3 | MT | ||||||
| Marilyn M | Daughter | F | W | 5 | S | No | 0 | MT | ||||||
| Terpening, Clarence | Head | M | W | 32 | M | No | H-4 | AR | Rural | Yellowstone | MT | Yes | Farmer | Rented |
| Hazel | Wife | F | W | 29 | M | No | H-4 | MO | ||||||
| Melba | Daughter | F | W | 5 | S | No | 0 | MT | ||||||
| Ward | Son | M | W | 4 | S | No | 0 | MT | ||||||
| Burton, Elbert E | Head | M | W | 32 | M | No | H-4 | MO | Rural | Grant | OR | Service Man/ Electrician | Rented | |
| Helen P | Wife | F | W | 30 | M | No | C-2 | IL | ||||||
| Shirley A | Daughter | F | W | 4 | S | No | 0 | OR | ||||||
| Thomas E | Son | M | W | 1 | S | No | 0 | OR | ||||||
| Dyer, Clark | Head | M | W | 28 | M | No | H-2 | OR | Prect. 4 | Umatilla | OR | Farmer/ Fruit Farm | Rented | |
| Marjorie | Wife | F | W | 25 | M | No | H-4 | MT | Sorting/ Pack. House | |||||
| Alta | Daughter | F | W | 4 | S | No | 0 | OR |
Heads of houses are in bold. In the supplemental questionnaire, It said that William made $2300 and worked 52 weeks in the last year. He also finished S8 of schooling. He was also never in the military. Because of the time of year, the census was taken, school was not in session. William, Helen, and Marjorie’s families are living in Oregon. Estelle and Clarence’s families are living in Montana. William and Gussie have 7 grandkids under the age of 8.
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William’s 1942 Registration Card. It shows he is working for District 10, Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon. He is 5’9″, 180 pounds, with blue eyes, grey hair, with a ruddy complexion.
~~1950~~
| Name | Relation | Race | Sex | Age | Marital Status | Birthplace | Occupation/ Industry | Farm/ Acres |
| Terpening, William A | Head | W | M | 69 | Married | IL | Janitor/ Primary School | No |
| Gussie | Wife | W | F | 72 | Married | MO | ||
| Hay, Victor | Head | W | M | 43 | Married | WI | House Cleaner/ Private Home | No |
| E. Marie | Wife | W | F | 44 | Married | AR | ||
| Marilyn M | Daughter | W | F | 15 | Single | MT | ||
| Alfred L | Son | W | M | 8 | Single | OR | ||
| Ellen Dianne | Daughter | W | F | 3 | Single | OR | ||
| Mc Coy, E.Arlene | Daughter | W | F | 18 | Married | MT | ||
| Mc Coy, Daniel E | Grandson | W | M | Feb. | Single | WA | ||
| Terpening, Clarence | Head | W | M | 42 | Married | AR | Machinist/ Railroad | No |
| Hazel | Wife | W | F | 49* | Married | MO | ||
| Melba | Daughter | W | F | 15 | Single | MT | ||
| Ward | Son | W | M | 14 | Single | MT | Paperboy | |
| Willbann | Son | W | M | 2 | Single | MT | ||
| Sutherland, Jerry | Head | W | M | 42 | Married | MO | Lineman/ Telephone Co | No |
| Helen P. | Wife | W | F | 40 | Married | IL | Bookkeeper/ Telephone Co | |
| Shirley A. | Daughter | W | F | 14 | Single | OR | ||
| Thomas E. | Son | W | M | 11 | Single | OR | ||
| Dyer, E.Clark | Head | W | M | 38 | Married | WA | Police Man | No |
| Marjorie M | Wife | W | F | 35 | Married | MT | Manager/ Cafe | |
| Alta M. | Daughter | W | F | 14 | Single | OR |
William and Gussie are still in Rural, Umatilla County, Oregon. By 1950, no one was farming, Victor and Estelle had moved to Seattle. Clarence is working as a machinist at the Railroad. Elbert has changed his name to Jerry and his family’s last name to Sutherland. Haven’t found out why other than his mom’s second marriage was to a Sutherland. Marjorie and Clark are living in Umatilla County, Oregon. William and Gussie have 10 grandchildren and 1 great-grandson.
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1952 Directory shows Clark and Marjorie at their jobs in Umatilla County.
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After 17 years of marriage, Clark and Marjorie divorced on March 20, 1952
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Gussie Mae passed away on September 23, 1952, at the age of 75 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Milton Freewater, Walla Walla County, Oregon. If you know how she passed away, please let me know. I cannot read this doctor’s writing.
Milton-Freewater IOOF Cemetery Milton-Freewater, Umatilla County, Oregon
F.A.G.# 26416532 · View Source
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William passed away less than a year after Gussie. He was 72 years old. I have not been able to find his death certificate. He is buried at the Milton-Freewater IOOF Cemetery in Milton-Freewater, Umatilla County, Oregon,
There is an error in this obituary, William and Gussie moved to Montana in 1910-1915 so they did not live in Illinois for 50 years before moving to Montana.
F.A.G.# 26416537 · View Source
~~1960~~
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Marjorie 49, married Wiley Van Slyke 47, on May 25, 1964, in Moscow, Latah County, Idaho. Their witnesses were Clarence Eastep and Agnes Eastep.
~~1980~~
Clarence passed away on June 1, 1980, at the age of 72. He is buried at the
Eloy Memorial Park Eloy, Pinal County, Arizona
F.A.G# 43195855 · View Source
~~1990~~
Estella Marie Terperning Hay passed away on November 16, 1993, at the age of 87 of bronchitis with pneumonia and respiratory failure, in Edmonds, Washington. She is buried at the
Hillcrest Memorial Park Medford, Jackson County, Oregon
F.A.G.#131125378 · View Source
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Helen Pauline Terpening Burton-Sutherland passed away at the age of 87 on June 7, 1997, in Pendleton, Oregon. I’m not sure what she passed away from? Oregon doesn’t release death certificates to the public until 50 years have passed, so I will need to buy one. Stay tuned.
Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon
F.A.G.# 50661128 · View Source
~~2000~~
East Oregonian
Dec 10, 2009
Former Milton-Freewater resident Marjorie Mae Van Slyke, 94 of Walla Walla died Wednesday, Dec 2, 2009. at the Park Manor Rehabilitation Center in Walla Walla. At her request, no public services will be held.
Mrs Van Slyke was born April 16, 1915, in Broadview, Mont., to William and Gussie (Krause) Terpening. She grew up in Broadview and moved to Milton-Freewater when she was in junior high school. She attended Mclaughlin High School before moving back to Montana, where she graduated from high school.
She worked at Akers Fountain in Freewater, attended beauty school, and owned and operated Marge’s Beauty Shop, purchasing the business in the late 1940s. She married Wiley Lewis (Louie) Van Slyke in Moscow, Idaho, in 1964.
Survivors include her husband, Louie Van Slyke of Walla Walla; daughter Alta Mae Enbysk of Pendleton; two grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, and two sisters.
Munselle Rhodes Funeral Home was in charge of the service.
Milton-Freewater IOOF Cemetery Milton-Freewater, Umatilla County, Oregon,
F.A.G.#ID93071136 · View Source
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As always their story isn’t finished yet. Thank you for reading. Let me know if you have pictures, stories, or favorite memories of anyone on this page. I would love to add them
-Family members in Bold have their own page on this website where you can find more about their story.
-F.A.G# are FindaGrave.com reference numbers if you to start your own virtual cemetery through their app.
-I find most of my information in state or county books, family genealogy books, libraries, google searches, and personal stories and pictures given or sent to me
I do this to preserve our family history for us and future generations. I keep the website ad-free because who wants to see ads. I do take donations and I truly appreciate everyone who has donated so far. You know who you are 🙂 We have a Venmo set up now @Eric-Puryear-3 to make donations easier.
Thank you again for reading and remember if you count back 10 generations, it took 2,046 people to come together at separate times in history just to make you!
If the Genes Fit... 