A Wilson Family Tree
Notes for Elizabeth Belle Kanouse
The genealogical information for Wanda Irene Engle includes the following "Autobiography of Elizabeth Selvidge", from 1975:
At Hill City, Kansas about 1912, my father, John Kanouse sold Watkins products thru Graham County. Crop failure struck. Farmers couldn't pay bills. He drove team of horses to wagon equipped to carry products. Horses were loose in fensed yard. One, blind, fell thru cave roof. Had to get help to get him out. My father left to go to Oklahoma to help relatives gather crops earning $1.50 a day.
I was sick. Had typhoid fever. Rosie and Alma took sick with it later. Our mother was cooking at hotel. I was up and waiting on myself. Rosie had Hemorrhaging. Alma had absess on leg. Our doctor took her to our state hospital in Kansas City for surgery. She was eight years old.
We moved to Oklahoma to Grandpa Curtis's. He was post master in Teagarden, Okla. My father went to Kansas City to bring Alma home after surgery on her leg. We stayed at grandpa's over Christmas. Had turkey. Grandma, Bell Curtis, raised them. Sold most of them at 10ยข a lb. We left there near spring. Came down to Grandpa and Grandma Kanouse, Bill and Libby. Uncle Jay was their bachelor son. He was blacksmith in Camargo, Okla. My father got started farming east of town. Later we moved on farm near South Canadian River, then moved across river near Butler, Okla. We all worked in cotton. Went to school when we couldn't work picking cotton.
Henry Morgan and I married June 9, 1916. My sister, Rosie, and Elmer gathright married December 24, 1916 [sic]. We lived seven miles from Butler, also from Foss. Fern was born there. Wanda born southeast of Foss. We went to California and stayed one year, then Wanda was born when we went back to Oklahoma. Grandpa Morgan, after selling farm in Oklahoma, bought two homes in California, one near Hansen Station, big ranch house, nineteen rooms counting big pantry, and several closets. Seemed to be built for two families. Had stairway inside and one outside. Later they tore it down built a bungalow, lived there until they died except when we all went back to Oklahoma and stayed two years (wanda born there)
Grandpa Morgan had helped us to buy 5 acres with bungalow not finished. Henry had worked with his father helping him make what he had, when he sold out to come to California. Had sale day before Thanksgiving. A blizzard came next day. Folks had to stay with relatives. I took Fern, nearly two and a half, to friends, the Reids. They were out to lard to make pie for Thanksgiving. Made pie crust with cream. Blizzard to bad. Couldn't get to store. We didn't have a car then. Uncle Sam did, but had come to California few years before, also got us in notion to come to California. They lived on Lincoln Ave and Western. He had bought several pieces of property. We set the five acres to orange trees. Uncle Sam owned the five acres across Dale Ave and Ball road, southwest of Anaheim. We stayed one year. Went back to Oklahoma. Grandpa Morgan didn't sell his, about seven acres. We sold our five acres with bungalow type house. I was contented there. Grandma Morgan and Henry got homesick for Oklahoma, the reason we moved back there. Had a lot of bad luck. Crop practically failed. After two years we came back to California.
Henry started working for Orange County Nursery, then started planting and raising orange trees, then later all kins of trees. Later he and Veyna bought out the nursery. We bought ten acres at Katella and Magnolia, lived there sixteen years. Henry, jr. born there. Girls went to Alimitos Grammar school. Jr. went there to fifth. Girls went to Anaheim High School
My parents and sister, Gene, came out here from Gracemont, Okla. Stayed about two years. My father worked here, too hard for him. Went back. Mom and Gene stayed. She went to eighth grade and one year of high school, then went back there.
Gene married D. L. Spears back there. Had home in Oregon. Had four children. Was on vacation. Gene was killed in auto accident, also her son, Wayne, and bride of three days. All are buried on my mother's lots in Gracemont, Okla, D. L. lived, but totally disabled. Married Melva after two years.
Note: Some of the information in these pages is uncertain. Please let me know of errors or omissions using the email link above. ...Mike Wilson
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