Mom Share Your Life with Me - January 17

Tell a fond memory of your Grandma.

Answer:  This page was left blank because both of her grandmothers had passed away before she was born.

Annie Atha Blackburn (Williams)

Mary Ann Anderson (Proctor)

Mary Ann Anderson

     

      My Great Grandmother Mary Ann Anderson was born to William Anderson and Janet Allen in the village of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland on 3 April 1850. The oldest of  4 children.  She had a younger sister and two younger brothers.   

     

 Inverurie is located in the valley of the River Don at the center of Aberdeenshire and is known locally as the Heart of the Garioch. It sits between the River Don and the River Ury and is only 10 miles from the imposing hill of Bennachie.

The Hill Bennachie

     The town center is triangular and is dominated by the grand Town Hall built in 1862.

Grand Town Hall

 In the middle of the square is the Inverurie and District War Memorial, capped by a lone Gordon Highlander looking out over the town.

Inverurie and District War Memorial

     She was christened 13 June 1850 in Chapel of Garioch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.  Chapel of Garioch is not, as the name might suggest, a chapel, but a small village, located about 3 miles north west of Inverurie. The lordship of Garioch dates back to at least the 13th century, when the sister of Robert the Bruce was Lady of Garioch through her marriage to the Earl of Mar.
     The chapel which gives the village its name was built as a private place of worship, but was created a regular chapel in 1195 by the Bishop of Lindores.  It seems certain that the chapel was already in existence at that time. The chapel survived the Reformation and became a parish church of the Reformed Faith in 1583. It was replaced in 1813 with the present church. 

1851 Scotland Census about Mary Ann Anderson

Name: Mary Ann Anderson Age: 1 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1850 Relationship: Daughter Father's Name: William Anderson Mother's Name: Janet Anderson Gender: Female Where born: Chapel, Aberdeenshire Parish Number: 204 Civil Parish: Inverurie County: Aberdeenshire Address: Nethertown ED: 1 Page: 6 (click to see others on page) Household Schedule Number: 24 Line: 16 Roll: CSSCT1851_46 Household Members: Name Age William Anderson 25 Janet Anderson 24 Mary Ann Anderson 1

Unfortunately, we are unable to display the accompanying images of this census at present, despite extensive negotiation with the General Register Office for Scotland. Permission from them has not, as yet, been forthcoming. For this reason, and to enable you to continue with your family history research, Ancestry has heavily transcribed the Scottish Census records to ensure you have access to all key areas of information contained within this collection.

Source Citation:Parish: Inverurie; ED: 1; Page: 6; Line: 16; Roll: CSSCT1851_46; Year: 1851.

Source Information:

Ancestry.com. 1851 Scotland Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

Original data: Scotland. 1851 Scotland Census. Reels 1-217. General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.

     

     Tragedy struck on 16 Oct 1855 when Mary Ann’s father, William Anderson, died from dropsy leaving a 

young wife and four small children; Mary Ann 5; Jane 3; William 2; and Alexander 2 months.

 

1861 Scotland Census about Mary A Anderson

Name: Mary A Anderson Age: 11 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1850 Relationship: Daughter Mother's Name: Janet Allan Gender: Female Where born: Inverury, Aberdeenshire Registration number: 236 Registration District: Rayne Civil Parish: Rayne County: Aberdeenshire Address: Kirktown Of Rayne Occupation: Scholar ED: 1 Household Schedule Number: 74 Line: 12 Roll: CSSCT1861_33 Household Members: Name Age Janet Allan 30 Mary A Anderson 11 Jean Anderson 9 William Anderson 7 Alexander Anderson 5 Betsy Wilson 4 Mo

Unfortunately, we are unable to display the accompanying images of this census at present, despite extensive negotiation with the General Register Office for Scotland. Permission from them has not, as yet, been forthcoming. For this reason, and to enable you to continue with your family history research, Ancestry has heavily transcribed the Scottish Census records to ensure you have access to all key areas of information contained within this collection.

Source Citation:Parish: Rayne; ED: 1; Page: 15; Line: 12; Roll: CSSCT1861_33.

Source Information:

Ancestry.com. 1861 Scotland Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

Original data: Scotland. 1861 Scotland Census. Reels 1-150. General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.

      

     Mary Ann married George Kidd Proctor Sr. 6 Dec 1872 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland.  They had a daughter Betsy Wilson Proctor born 21 May 1873 but she only lived a couple of weeks.  A little boy James W. Proctor was born to them on 4 August 1874 and Jessie Alan, a little girl, was born 5 Oct 1876.

     Two years later the family immigrated to the United States.  They arrived in New York City 11 Nov 1878 coming through Castle Garden.  

They made their way to Marysville, Marshal,Kansas where another son George Kidd Proctor Jr. was born 12 May 1879. 

     The 1880 US Census finds them in Rock Branch, Norton, Kansas.

From there they moved to Lyle, Decatur, Kansas where my grandfather, Franklin DH Proctor was born 1 September 1881.  Samuel Wilson Proctor was born in Devizes, Norton, Kansas, in December 1883.

     When baby Samuel was only three months old, Great Grandmother, Mary Ann Anderson Proctor, died 9 March 1884 at the young age of 33.  Baby Samuel was soon to follow.  He died 16 June 1884. 

      Mary Ann is buried in the Devizes Cemetery, Devizes, Norton County, Kansas, USA

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. 

Franklin DH Proctor - Part One

Franklin DH Proctor

Taken from an account written by

Annie Caroline Proctor Jaynes

Franklin D H Proctor was the son of George Kidd Proctor Sr. and Mary Ann Anderson.  He was born 1 September 1881, in Lyle, Decator, Kansas.  He was named after a Clergyman Franklin David Hakes, who was a very dear friend to the family. 

I thought it would be interesting to know a little about this man that my Grandpa Proctor was named after.  So here is a little information about him.  Franklin David Hakes was born in Jefferson County New York.  He moved to Norton County Kansas in May 1875 and ended up settling in Long Branch, Kansas.  When the Baptist Church was organized in 1878, he was ordained minister.  He had been an active member of the Baptist Church since he was 20 years old and once he took up the ministry he gave it nearly his entire attention.  He never received any salary and all the pay he ever received was from voluntary contributions. 

Frank and his brother, George Kidd Jr., were constant companions all through life.  From Lyle the family moved to Devizes Co., Kansas.  When Grandpa was about three years old his mother, Mary Ann Anderson, died on 9 March 1884 at Devizes, Norton, Kansas, leaving  his father, George Kidd Proctor, with four small sons; James, George, Franklin, and Samuel.  The following 16 June 1884, Samuel died at the age of 6 months. 

     After a few years of crop failure, the family moved to Denver, Colorado.  Before Grandpa was five years old, he and his two brothers, James and George, sold newspapers on 16th and Curtis Street in Denver.  On this corner was a very large thermometer.  Thermometers were a rarity to the brothers.  On cold winter days, Grandpa and his brothers would blow on the mercury and raise it up to summer heat.  They would stand by and innocently eye the people as they would stare at the spurious readings.

     Grandpa made friends with the usher of the Tablegrand Theater in Denver.  He would let the usher read his newspapers in exchange the usher would let Grandpa have a seat in the show house.

     His father 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. 
Great Grandpa Proctor  married Isadora Pierce Waite in 1892.  A baby girl, Mary, was born 23 March 1894 at Antlers, Colorado. So Grandpa now had a new baby sister.

     While at Antlers, Grandpa attended the Washington School.  Professor Belch was the teacher.  There were over fifty students in the one room.  Professor Belch taught all grades and all subjects from reading in a Primer to Book keeping in high school.

     One day some boys put soot on Grandpa’s face with a poker.  The teacher was angry at Grandpa for having a dirty face.  He washed Grandpa’s face with frozen snow.  It rubbed the skin off his face and made it bleed.  The teacher was going to spank him with a fire shovel in front of the class to humiliate him.  Some boys yelled, "Grab his leg, Frank."  So Grandpa grabbed the teacher's leg and held on for dear life.  He didn't dare let go as the teacher was a very large man and the students were afraid of him.  Professor Belch lost his balance and hopped back to the wall.  The boys were all rooting for Grandpa.  When the teacher regained his balance, he grabbed Grandpa and gave him a terrible whipping.  When Grandpa arrived home and his father heard about the trouble, Grandpa was licked again.  (My how times have changed.  Now days it would be the teacher's fault no matter what.  Then and during my days if you got in trouble at school, you would be in double trouble at home.)

     Many days Grandpa had oats three meals a day and was glad to get it.