George Kidd Proctor Sr-Life History

George Kidd Proctor Sr. was born 10 March 1850 in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland to James Proctor and Janet Crab.  The only source I can find for his birth is from a page in the family Bible.

His father was a weaver.  His family moved to Panbridge and then to Dundee, Scotland.

He married Mary Ann Anderson 6 December 1872 in Dundee.

 

Betsy Wilson Proctor was born there 21 May 1873 but only lived until 4 June 1873.  Two more children were born in Dundee; James W. Proctor, 4 August 1874; and  Jessie Allan Proctor, 5 October 1876.

Great Grandfather was a wealthy coal dealer in Fife, Scotland.  He heard of the wonderful land that was to be had in the Western United States.  He sold his coal business in Scotland to take up a new life in the United States. 

 He, with his wife Mary Ann and their two small children, James and Jessie,  left Scotland on the ship “Devonia” and arrived in New York 11 November 1878. They found their new home in the State of Kansas.  

They took up a homestead of 160 acres and as many more acres as they could farm in Marshal County Kansas.  This pioneering was indeed a new and hard life to Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother who were accustomed to an easier life in the Old Country.

A son was born 12 May 1879 at Marysville, Marshall, Kansas.  He was named George Kidd Proctor Jr. after his father.  The following 4 Jan. 1880, Jessie died.  Franklin D H Proctor was born 1 September 1881 in  Lyle, Decator, Kansas.

1880 US Census Rock Branch, Norton, Kansas

From Lyle the family moved to Devizes County, Kansas.  Here Samuel Wilson was born December 1883.  Great Grandmother died the following year on 9 March 1884 at Devizes, Norton, Kansas, leaving Great Grandfather with four small sons; James, age 9;  George, age 5; Franklin, age 2; and Samuel, age 3 months.  The following 16 June 1884, Samuel died at the age of 6 months.

In 1883 or 1884 the family was caught in a prairie fire on the Kansas planes.  Great Grandfather burned the grass and wheat around their home for a wide space to save them from the sweeping flames.  In this way the fire would divide and burn around the home.  Great Grandfather was beating the flames with a pair of overalls when a button struck him on the end of the nose and cut out a large seed wart that grew there.  In spite of the pain and a bloody face, he continued to beat the fire.  The family came through the fire all right, but they were nearly cooked by the heat and choked by the smoke.

A cyclone passed through the vicinity where they lived.  Great Grandfather put his family in a cyclone cellar.  He tried to hold up the house by putting his back up against the wall in the kitchen.  When the storm passed over, they all ventured forth.  Their home was still standing but it was twisted out of shape.

A drought followed and for three years very little grew.  Then Great Grandfather took his three sons and all their belongings, put all they had in a wagon and left Kansas for Denver, Colorado. 

Grandfather heard of a great Irrigation Project in Antlers, Colorado.  He took his three sons and left Denver for Antlers where he bought a large farm.

Grandfather married Isadora Pierce Waite in 1892.  A baby girl, Mary, was born 23 March 1894 at Antlers, Colorado.

In 1894 the great reservoir from the Irrigation Project broke.  A terrible flood followed.  Grandfather was sent to warn the Railroad Officials of the flood leaving Grandpa Proctor alone with Great Grandmother Isadora and Mary when the flood hit their home.  The water came in one door and went out the other door. They were all able to make it to safety but the flood had washed away three feet of top-soil.  The trees left standing were held by the roots that were in a hard panel below the soil level.  Great Grandfather's farm was completely washed away.

George Kidd Sr. with George Kidd Jr and Franklin DH in Eureka

The family left Antlers, Colorado and came to Utah in 1894.  They also had a little girl, Mary Waite Proctor born 23 March 1894.  They came down through Spanish Fork Canyon.  They stopped at Robert McKell's home in Spanish Fork.  Here they found food for family and horses.  After 10 days, they pushed on to Eureka, Juab, Utah.  Here they made their home.

Great Grandfather worked in the mines in Eureka for several years.  It was here that Niva Bodez was born 16 October 1895 and Bryan Jennings was born 5 March 1897.  A few days after Bryan's birth, they received word that James Proctor, the oldest son, died 18 March 1897 at Victor, Colorado.

Great Grandmother, Isadora Pierce Waite, died 11 Oct 1899 in Eureka, Juab, Utah at the age of 45. 

1900 US Census Eureka, Utah 

According to the 1900 US Census above, Great Grandfather also married an Agnes Kelly.  I know nothing about this marriage or about Agnes except that her sister is Lizzie and according to FamilySearch her parents are James Angus Kelly and Margaret Campbell.  Agnes was only 20 and Great Grandfather 50. Infact Agnes was the age of his son George Kidd Proctor Jr., the uncle who raised my mother, Ruth.  The marriage couldn't have last long because Great Grandfather married Ingerborg Kristine Marie Pedersen 6 May 1902.  To this union was born 3 children: Jessie Georgina Christiansen on 22 February 1903; Marie Botilda on 22 May 1906; and Christian Roderick on 5 August 1908.

1910 US Census Spanish Fork Utah

Jessie, Marie, Ingerborg, Christian and Great Grandfather, George Kidd Proctor Sr.

I can remember my Aunt Annie Caroline Proctor Jaynes telling me how she and the other grandchildren would run along the side of a float to hear Great Grandfather play the bagpipes in the 4^th of July and 24 of July parades. 

Great Grandfather would not live to see this 3^rd family grow up.  He died 18 January 1914 in Spanish Fork, Utah at the age of 63.  He died from a septic sore throat and edema of glottis and a carbuncle on the small of his back.  A septic sore throat is any sore throat that is caused by a bacterial infection.  The edema of the glottis is swelling caused by fluid retention in the vocal cords.  A carbuncle is an abyss larger than a boil usually with one or more openings draining pus onto the skin.  It is usually caused by a bacterial infection which can turn lethal.  A contributing factor was an accident to the prostate causing retention of urine.  He had an operation six weeks prior to his death that supposedly relieved this condition.  

He was buried in the Spanish Fork Cemetery 20 January 1914.