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Georgia Estella (Peden) Churchill

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Stella was born on 20 Sep 1882 near Elkton, Hickory Co, MO. On Hosea's page is a photo of her and her mother and father.


Monthly Report Card - El Dorado Springs Public Schools.
                                   El Dorado Springs, Mo. Dec 2, 1890
Mrs. Peden: Stella has been absent 0 half days, and tardy 0 times during the month ending Nov. 21, 1890. Her work as a student has been Excellent, Her general deportment has been Excellent. In work, she lacks particularly in Orthography.
Minnie Shirley, Teacher

Promotion.   March 15, 1896
The pupil to whom this book belongs, not having completed the studies of her grade (or class) is retained in 7th grade.
M. M. Vickroy


Stella Churchill is supposed to be in this photo. I can't pick her out. On the chalk board is written "No. 2 Mrs Busbee" so it may be her 2nd grade class so that would date it about 1890. Teacher is identified as Minnie Shirley (Busbee). El Dorado Springs, MO. An 1890 Report Card signed by Minnie Shirley indicates the man may be superintendent J. Magee (or MaGhee).
Georgia Estella Peden's Hair Booklet

California Fig Syrup was a laxative containing about 6% alcohol.  The product was introduced about 1878 and the company established its headquarters in San Francisco, where it operated until it was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake.  At the time of the earthquake, they had nation-wide offices in New York and Louisville, Ky which probably took over production. Sometime later the entire concern was purchased by Sterling Products (Inc) who continued to produce it through the 1970s.

Based on this, this booklet must have been printed about 1890. It would have made Stella about 8 years old when she collected the hair. In Hosea's stuff are several watch chains woven out of hair.

Georgia Estella Peden's Hair Booklet circa 1890

A  booklet containing hair.

There are 12 roman numerals on the left side of the booklet written in pencil over the printing. Each is followed by a name. I'm entering them here just as they are spelled in the booklet. Some lines were blank.

I  Delia Frost
II Edith Hainline
III Jessie   "
IV -blank-
V Ethel       "
In Stella's 1950's address book, I found a person named Ethel M. Hainline with an address in El Dorado Springs. She was a notary public in 1949 and I have her signature on an affidavit of Billie Churchill's birth signed by Katherine Johannes.
VI Allie      "
VII  -blank-
VIII -blank
IX Grandpa Bryant
Allen Boone Bryant died 15 Jan 1869 Franklin, KY so if this is correct, this hair had been kept around for a while.
X  Sina Howell b 1846, Sumner, TN d ??
Possibly Sina Adeline Perdue. Daughter of Hale Perdue and Sarah Howell, sister of Martha Ann Perdue. Sina married James Madison Howell.
Click here for Tom Howell's web site about the Howells.
XI Sarah Perdue b 1839, Sumner, TN d ??
Daughter of Hale Perdue and Sarah Howell, sister of Martha Ann Perdue who married Daniel Charles Bryant brother of Mary and Josephine Bryant. Sarah married William Hale Perdue. Click here for Tom Howell's web site about the Howells.
XII Papa
Hosea A. Peden

Date:     Mon, 13 Aug 2007 23:00:44 -0400 (EDT)
From:            JObanjoaol.com
Subject:         from a Hainline decendant

Dear Mark,
 
Did you ever identify the hair in Stella's hair booklet? Some of the 
contributors are the children of my great-grandparents, George Washington  Hainline and Caroline Estelle Church Hainline of Eldorado Springs, MO.
 
Edith Hainline is Mary Edith Hainline (Mayer), 1885-1970, my grandmother.  Jessie is Jessie Maude Hainline (Starkey), 1890-c.1980,. Ethel is Ethel May  Hainline, who never married, 1881-1960. Allie is Alice Gertrude Hainline (Pray),  1883-1961. Their other sisters were Beulah Gladys Hainline (Chambers), 1893-1950  and Caroline Ruth Hainline (Clawson), 1899-1922. They had a brother, George Washington Hainline, 1895-1969.
 
You also said, "Stella attended the National Business College branch school  in El Dorado Springs, Mo. She graduated in 1904." This interested me because  my grandmother also graduated from a business college. I don't know the location  or dates, but she would have been 19 in 1904, which means they might have gone to business college at the same time.

I am Jane Owen Eason, oldest of Mary Edith Hainline Mayer's 19  grandchildren, currently living in Nesbit,  MS.

I have sent the hair booklet to Jane and she sent me copies of two old photos. Here are Mary Edith Hainline and the George Washington Hainline Family of El Dorado Springs, MO.  Surprisingly, there were no photos of the Hainline family in all of Stella's photo collection. I also sent Jane some documentation which shows that Edith did attend National Business College with Stella, graduating in 1904.

From:    JObanjoaol.com
Date:    Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:23:40 EDT

Hi, Mark.
 
I hope you are well.
 
You have certainly made lots of Hainline offspring happy.
 
We descendants of Mary Edith (Hainline) Mayer just had a reunion and  everyone was really excited about the hair book. I'm still looking for the next  owner, but it shouldn't be hard to find a good one. We have several  possibilities in the next generation.
 
(I sure love your site.)
 
Thanks. 
Jane Owen Eason
From the Notes (written most likely by Billee):

"Treasure Chest"

During depression years of 1888-90 money was very scarce and Hosea and "Molly" Peden could not buy a Christmas present for little daughter Stella, so "Molly" made this little chest from whatever materials she had on hand. Place El Dorado Springs, Missouri, 1888.

Stella as a young lady. There were quite a few of these cards in the saved stuff. I don't know if they were Valentines cards or just 'business' cards. The illustration part flips up to reveal a name underneath. These four are:

Stella Peden
James H. Bryant
Clara Johannes
W.F. Peden

James H. Bryant was the son of Daniel Charles Bryant and Martha Ann Perdue. Clara Johannes was from a family in El Dorado Springs, Mo. I believe W.F. Peden is Will Peden, a cousin of Stella There is a photo on the Cousins page. I don't know whose son he is though..



For Christmas 1902, Frank Churchill gave Stella an autograph book. It replaced an earlier one that she received for Christmas 1893.
In it are autographs and notes from:
    Mary A. Peden
    H.A. Peden
    Billee Churchill and Fred Churchill (Jan 25, 1920)
    Josephine, Charley and Clara Dill (Jan 19, 1907)
    Flora Johannes (Jul 10, 1904)
    Gertrude Johannes (Jul 10, 1907)
    M. Johannes (Jul 16,1904)
   
Some longer notes:
June 21st, 1907
Dearest Stella:
When the golden sun is setting and your mind from care is free,
When of absent ones you are thinking, will you sometimes think of me.
Your cousin, Eliza Bryant, Pratt, Kansas
El Dorado Springs, Mo  Jan 17th, 07
Friend Stella;
Remember the Maine
Also your true Friend.
Col F. Healey.

El Dorado Springs, Mo   July 10, 1097
My Dear Stella;
May your life be calm and peaceful
Gentle as the flowing stream
And your life be no more painful
Then the waking of a dream
Your Loving Friend
Gertrude Johannes
Nov 2, 1954
Stella,
Fifty years later, Just how much of the wishes of years ago did you realize?
Any way, I hope we are still the good friends in the years to come.
Love, Gertrude
Stella attended the National Business College branch school in El Dorado Springs, Mo. She graduated in 1904.

Stella married Frank Bert Churchill the same year:

This Certifies That
Frank B. Churchill of
Parsons, State of Kansas,
and Miss Stella Peden of
El Dorado Springs, State of Missouri,
Were United in
Holy Matrimony
At Nevada, Mo. on the 22nd
day of October, AD 1904, by authority of
a license bearing date the 22nd day of
October AD 1904, and issued by the
Recorder of Deeds of Vernon County Missouri.
Witness my signature,
T. J. Myers
Judge of Probate
Vernon County, Mo.
Wm. Parsnell

From an undated and unattributed newspaper clipping:

Frank B. Churchell (sic) and Miss Stella Peeken (sic) of El Dorado Springs, were married by Judge T. J. Myers, Saturday.

There is a "Dragon Memo" red notebook which details the wedding and honeymoon. Inside cover is handwritten "Miss G. Stella Peden". Here is a excerpt. For the full story look at the Honeymoon Page.

F.B. came Oct. 21, 1904.
Sat Oct 22 we went to Nevada
(Missouri). Ate dinner at Resturant then went to Court House procured license and was married by Judge Myers at about 2PM.
We then secured a room at the Eagle House and started to the Asylum.
Car didn't come so we walked out and took car back.
After supper went up town and fixed lunch for next day.
About 4 o'clock went down to depot to catch 4:55 train whch was 3:35 late. We then waited for the World's Fair Special which arrived 2 hrs late.
A cadet, Mr. Johnson, came on train and gave me a hat pin at Boonville.
Arrived at St. Louis at 9 o'clock and went to the Portland Hotel ($2.00) across from Union Station and registered. Then walked up the street came back early and went up to room (85) (1817 Market).

Next 10 or so pages, describe what they saw and did at the World's Fair.
Sat 29th - After dinner, Frank and I went to the Opera - Odeon - to see the World's Fair Play. We then went to the Drug Store and bot souvenirs and went home.
Sun 30th - We went to the depot and at 8:30 the Flyer started out. We reached Nevada. Total expenses $60.00.

I've found a box of souvenirs in the stuff. There is a stereo viewer with photos of the St. Louis World's Fair, a 'nut' with photos of the Fair inside and an envelope knife made from bone from the Philippines Exhibit. I also found an advertising card titled "The KATY Fair Special. A World's Fair Train that is Fast-Modern-Daily. The Acme of Comfort on Wheels. A Daylight Ride Through Missouri". The card is hand dated 22 Oct 1904, 2 PM, "Bridal Boquet". For photos of the souvenirs, look on the Honeymoon Page.


Stella Churchill in Wedding dress and hat.
Dated on front: Feb 21, 1909 (she was actually
married on 22 Oct 1904).

Stella was quite the photographer, a vocation taken up by Billee later on. I found a package of Eastman Solio paper which could be exposed in Sunlight and developed on post card stock. There are many of these in Stella photo album.

Above is the package of Postcard size Solio paper. Below left is a circle paper mask (there were also squares and odd shapes). Below right is a photo of Stella that she used to make a Postcard to send out. The package of Solio paper has an expiration date of  October 15, 1908. In a 1953 Christmas letter from Bertha Elliott Owings to Stella. Bertha comments about their early days of developing prints.
Mary Powell - Billie Churchill - Mary A. Peden
At the home of Mrs. Powell 608 So. Kirkpatrick , El Dorado Springs, Mo
"One of the first pictures taken by Stella"

Frank Churchill was in the construction business in El Dorado Springs. In the book "El Dorado Springs, Missouri, Centenial Edition, Golden Nuggets of  History, 1881-1981", I found several mentions of Frank:

In the stuff, I found many postcards of buildings in El Dorado Springs. Each had a note on the back "F B Churchill built this":
This page has scans of newspapers and postcards about Frank Churchill.

April 2011 - More about Frank's Churchill family line on this web page.

Frank Bert Churchill
Veteran of the Spanish-American War

To all Whom it May Concern:
     Know ye, that Frank B. Churchill, a private of Company "B" of the 40th Regiment of Infantry, United States Volunteers, who was enlisted on the Eleventh day of September, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine to serve for the period ending June 30, 1901, is hereby HONORABLY DISCHARGED from the service of the UNITED STATES by reason of Muster out of Regiment.
     The said Frank B. Churchill was born in Neasho, in the State of Kansas and when enrolled was 22 1/2 years of age, 5 feet 9 inches high, dark complexion, blue #12 eyes, black hair and by occupation a Mason.
     Given at San Francisco Cal, this 24th day of June 1901.

William J Kerrdrick
Capt 40th Inft. U.S.V.


He served during the Philippine Insurrection from Dec. 28th, 1899 to May 22nd, 1901.

Neasho, I believe, should be Neosho and it is a county in Kansas. Other sources show he was born in Erie, KS which is in Neosho County.

I've found a photo album containing many photos taken in the Philippines.
 
For a time after the war, about 1902, he worked for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas (MKT) Railroad. It appears he attended the International Correspondence Schools during this time.

Frank Churchill's Relatives (I believe this photo was taken in El Dorado Springs, MO since all these people lived there.)
Front - Harry & Colonel Healey
Mid - Jim Healey
Back- Arn Heath, Grandmother Trammel, Corrine Healey, Frank Churchill (see note)
1933
Above written on the back of the photo. On another copy of the same photo, on the back:
1935
Oren Heath
Lillie Trammel
Corrine Crutchfield
Frank Churchill  (see note)
Harry Healey
James Healey
Colonel Healey

NOTE: in both of these photos the person identified as Frank Churchill is really Rupert C. Healey. This info sent to me by Gene Dana, grandson of Rupert Healey.

Looks like Frank Bert Churchill's mother Lillian Huntley Boyer was married 5 times. To : Heath, Doug Churchill, Chester Healey, George Huff, Heath and W.I. Trammel.

There is a photo of Lillian on Billie's web page where she is identifed as Grandma Huff.

The Healeys and Heaths in this picture were Frank's half-brothers and half-sister (children of his mother, Lillian Boyer, from her other marriages).

Here is link to :

Healy families of Iowa, Quebec, and Massachusetts & Boyer families of Indiana and New York
by Gene Dana.

Here is a link to a related Boyer family tree.

Colonel Fred Healey listed his nearest relative as Lillie Trammel (from his WWI Draft Registration filled out in Morris, OK) 1930 census shows Colonel as Single so this MUST be his mother.

There were a lot of Healeys, Heaths and Harmons in Stella's address book. Here are a few:
Harrison John Healey  [John Harrison "Harry" Healey]
Col. F. Healey and Bessie
R.C. (Rupert) Healey and Leila
Olive Heath, Mrs. A.L. (Uncle Arn)
Hazel Harmon, Mrs. E.R.
Orville Heath 

Nov 2005 - I've taken a few more passes through all the photos and I collected all the photos of  Lillian Huntley Boyer Heath Churchill Healy Huff Trammel (whew!) and her decendents. The photos and a few letters are in three 5MB ZIP files. You can download them from these links:

Decendents of Lillian Huntley Boyer File 1

Decendents of Lillian Huntley Boyer File 2

Decendents of Lillian Huntley Boyer File 3

Stella and her daughter Billee on the front porch of their house in El Dorado Springs, Mo Stella's husband, Frank Bert Churchill, with their daughter Billee on the front porch of their house in El Dorado Springs, Mo.
Photo of Stella and her two children Wenona Billee and Fred Bert. Billee was born in 1906 and Fred was born in 1914. This photo is probably 1925 or so.
Frank was a member of
  • Veterans of  Foreign Wars of the United States
  • Military Order of the Serpent
  • United Spanish War Veterans


Frank, like his father-in-law Hosea Peden, was a member of the Woodmen of the World. Here is a badge I found.

About 1914, Frank invented  a new gearshift mechanism for automobiles. A patent was applied for but I've not found evidence that it was issued. There is a letter to the Dragon Automobile Co, Philadelpha, PA offering use of this device.

Sept 1946
Starting to San Diego

Stella, Hannes, Frank, Clara (Johannes)

Stella and Frank sold the house in El Dorado Springs in August 1946 to Jane Pace. This is a later picture of the house. I believe that this photo was taken in 1946. The entire front roof line is changed from the older pictures. A later article in the El Dorado Springs Sun, dated 9 Jan 1947 said "James Pace sold his residence property on South Kirkpatrick street, known as the old Churchill place, to Lloyd Barritt".
1947 Frank and Stella out camping
Idyllwild, Riverside Co, CA

From a letter to the El Dorado Springs Sun dated 22 Aug 1985 by John W. Davies a former resident of that city:

I had many jobs as I grew up, worked part-time at the electric plant that was located west of the depot. John Atkinson was the manager. Frank Churchill bought the Standard Oil bulk business from Charley Hieronymus. Churchill was a brick layer and contractor and needed the oil business about as bad as Custer needed more Cheyenne at the horn. I drove the oil truck and Mrs. Churchill kept books. The Churchills were in many racketts those days. At one time, they had the theatre. Mrs. Churchill played the piano and Dutch Henry Burdick ran the hand operated projector. They had two shows and the second one the cowboys and Indians were getting on and off their horses pretty fast.

In the spring, Frank Churchill got a contract to run a road survey across Cedar County. We were on all that summer. We had a 10x22' tent and always camped on a stream so we could fish. One of our camps was located at the east end of the Sac River bridge east of Stockton. This was the spring of 1919.

The spring of 1929, Churchill got a contract to build the Venter garage on North Main Street. There was Josh and Jack Cassidy, Walt Bybee, Bob Phillips, Jack Lancaster and myself. One day, Walt Bybee said to me, "Kid, get out of this rackett. All you will get out of it is a sore back." I was hodding brick, the hod full of brick weighed almost as much as I weighed, that was my last job back there.

In December of 1921, Stella was elected Recorder of The Royal Neighbors.

There is a letter postmarked 9 Sept., 1947 from Stella to Billee:

Churchills
3026 Marquette
San Diego, 10, Calif.

Wenona Clark
Mo. Employment Service
114 1/2 South 8th St.
St. Joseph, 7, Missouri

Dearest Billie Clark -

    Got your letter  yesterday. Sorry you were still sweltering but 'spose its better by now tho sometimes Sept. can be pretty cruel too.
    We're pretty well worn down from a trip to L.A. Sunday. <describes the trip to a reunion of Cedar, Co. Mo> .....so we really had a good time after all but we were awfully tired bucking traffic and Fred still had a headache this morning. Betty Taylor, his latest, went with us.
    Hope the snarls in your group soon straighten out but with the group in power its 'most too much to expect. Hope Clark soon connects with something desirable - 20 makes such a trifling impression on out go as we discovered so recently.
    Had you heard that Faye (Mrs. Bill) Cruce died? She never recovered from her paralysis from quite awhile ago. Rest of Sun is births - you'd think they set eggs from the swarms of insects ? Two coming in our building soon. I'll be glad when school occupies part of the time of these budding outlaws around here. A little devil 3 year old filled my eyes and mouth with sand a few days ago. I nearly violated a Calif law not to lay on hands.
    I've used up my topics of conversation so guess I'd better get to work on this dirty place and start this on its way.
    Write us lots and often. This will still be a long year. The trains we saw yesterday made us homesick for you but we'll try to make up for it later. Be good, be careful,
    Heaps and heaps of love,  Mom
Betty Taylor is Betty Frank Taylor who married Fred, Stella's son. I'm not sure if Faye Cruce is from the Cruce family from El Dorado Springs, MO.

 Stella's husband Frank died in 1949. Here is his obit. A clipping from the El Dorado Springs Sun, 8 Sep 1949:

Died at San Diego, Calif.

Frank B. Churchill, a former El Dorado Springs resident, died Tuesday Aug. 30, at the Naval Hospital in San Diego,  Calif., according to word received by relatives and friends here. He had been in failing health for several years and had suffered several strokes as well as having had both legs amputated several months ago due to a diabetic condition.

Mr. Churchill was a bricklayer and concrete worker here for a good many years but was forced to retire from active work on account of his health several years before he left here. He and Mrs. Churchill moved from here to California some twelve or fifteen years ago, where they have since lived.

He was born at Erie, Kas., Jan 4, 1877 and was 72 years old. He was a veteran of the Spanish-American War.

Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Stella Churchill, of the home in San Diego; one son, Fred Churchill, also of San Diego; and a married daughter, the former Winona Churchill, who lives in Missouri. He was a half-brother of J.H. Healey, who lives southeast of El Dorado Springs.

Funeral services took place at San Diego and burial was in the National Cemetery at Point Loma near that city.



The J.H Healey is John Harrison "Harry" Healey.

The following two pictures were taken sometime after the death of Frank Bert Churchill, Stella's husband. Frank died in 1949. They were taken at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, CA. Frank was a veteran of the Spanish American War.

Top picture is Billee and Stella. Bottom picture is Betty Frank (who married Fred Churchill in 1950), Fred B. Churchill, Stella Churchill, Marie Latimer, Billee Churchill. The second picture is dated 3 Sep 1949. I don't know who Marie Latimer is. I think this was the day after he was buried.

Notice the dress worn by Stella. It is the same dress she wore when she visited her father Hosea's grave.
 



Stella died in 1963. Her final services were held at Pacific Beach Mortuary in San Diego, CA and she was buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, next to Frank. Her memorial card stated:

In Memory of Stella Georgia Churchill
Date of Birth:  Sept. 20, 1882
Date of Death: March 7, 1963
Officiating: Rev James M. Becker
Final Resting Place: Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

From the San Diego Union, 11 March 1963
Mrs. Stella Churchill

Services will be held at 7:30 p.m. today in Pacific Beach Mortuary for
Mrs. Stella G. Churchill, 80, of 3405 Ingraham St., Pacific Beach,
who died Thursday at her home. Burial will be in Ft. Rosecrans National
Cemetery.
Mrs. Churchill was born in Elkton, Mo, and lived in the county for 27 years.
Surviving are a son, Fred, at home, and a daughter, Mrs. Wenona B. Clark of
Prescott, Ariz.



Cemetery Records Online had this information:

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, Point Loma, San Diego County, California
Churchill, Frank B, d. 08/30/1949, PVT CO B 40TH REG US VOL INF, Plot: H 167, bur. 09/02/1949, *
Churchill, Stelle George, b. 09/20/1882, d. 03/07/1963, Plot: H 168, bur. 03/12/1963, *

They don't have Stella's name quite right in the records. On the tombstone, her first and middle names are reversed. I took the following photo in 2003.



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email :  markd@silogic.com

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