A Brief Family History and Genealogy of Riley ... - TimPearson.com

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Influenza 1918 Riley Cephas and Rumina Elizabeth Pearson The influenza epidemic of 1918 was the deadliest epidemic that the United States has ever known. It infected 28% of all Americans. In the spring of 1918, as the nation mobilized for war, soldiers at Fort Riley, Kansas were diagnosed with the flu, a disease doctors knew little about. Before the year was out, America would be ravaged by a flu epidemic that killed an estimated 675,000 people, more than in all the wars of the 20th century combined, before disappearing as mysteriously as it began. The outbreak spread to Europe in the lungs of soldiers headed for World War I, eventually killing over 20 million people around the world. Of the U.S. soldiers who died in Europe, half of them fell to the influenza virus and not to the enemy. John Samuel and Laura Ann (Ferree) Pearson. The flu had a tragic effect on the Pearson family. Daughter Mary's infant grandson, Russell Dawson, born December 22, 1918 in Rapelje (son of Ethel Evans and Roy Dawson) was rendered an invalid; he was never able to talk and only learned to hobble around on his legs when he was a teenager. Son John Samuel and wife Laura Ann (Ferree) both perished on the same day; December 1, 1918. Only three years after securing their homestead. They left behind five children: • Mabel, the oldest at eighteen years old, was already married, to Myron "Bug" Danforth. • Riley (my grandfather), was sixteen years old and essentially on his own. • Elmer was nine years old. He went to live with family friends, nobody remembers their name. This family decided they couldn't make it in Montana and headed back east. Elmer went with them. The wife died along the way, and the husband abandoned Elmer, somewhere in the Dakotas. Elmer was about twelve at the time. He eventually found his way back to Rapleje. • Clinton was 2 years old and went to live with his sister Mabel; he grew up as her child. • Dana was 4 days old, practically born on his mother's death bed. Dana went to live with older sister Mabel for a while, who at that time had a seven month old baby herself. Emma (Danforth) Cool, Mabel's sister-in-law, had gotten married and moved to Colorado. The marriage didn't work out, so at eighteen years old she came home and lived with her Father Asa Danforth. She and Asa took Dana in. Dana thought of Emma as his Mother from then on. 30
Final Years Riley Cephas and Rumina Elizabeth Pearson I had a little bird His name was Enza I opened up the window And influenza -- Children’s ditty during 1918 pandemic Riley lived in the bunk house on his youngest son Ancel's ranch during his final years. In 1937, he was in a horse accident and lost most of his sight. He rode his horse every day, up until within six months before his death at the age of 95. Riley died January 14, 1942. The Prairie Bell Cemetery had closed some years earlier. Because Riley wanted to be buried next to his wife, he dug his own grave next to her prior to his death. He was the last person to be buried in that cemetery, which was at a church. This church was no longer used. The church building was moved by Ancel onto his property and used as a barn. The 1920 Census shows Riley and Rumina as living with Rumina's brother, William Ellsworth Guss, in Rapelje. Also living with them is Rumina and William's mother Mary Elizabeth (Hadley) Guss. Rumina died March 11, 1925 at the age of 72. She is buried at Prairie Bell Cemetery in Rapelje. I'm not sure if it's coincidence or not, but the name of the one room school house near Girard, Kansas was Prairie Bell. 31
Page 1: A Brief Family History and Genealog
Page 5: Table of Contents Introduction…
Page 8 and 9: Crawford County Introduction Crawfo
Page 10 and 11: Introduction Earlier in the year, a
Page 13 and 14: Charles Guss Charles Guss The Guss
Page 15: Charles Guss Children of Charles Gu
Page 18 and 19: Simeon Guss Children of Simeon Guss
Page 20 and 21: Henry Guss Children of Henry Guss G
Page 22 and 23: Samuel Guss Samuel and Mary moved t
Page 25: Jacob Warren 1719-1813 Elizabeth Co
Page 28 and 29: George W. Pearson Children of Georg
Page 30 and 31: John Warren Pearson Jane died Octob
Page 32 and 33: John Warren Pearson Children of Joh
Page 34 and 35: Montana Riley Cephas and Rumina Eli
Page 38 and 39: Riley Cephas and Rumina Elizabeth P
Page 40 and 41: Descendants of Riley Cephas and Rum
Page 80 and 81: Cincinnati, OH. Descendants of Rile
Page 83 and 84: ? ? - Barbara Ann: 58 Carley Jo: 66
Page 85 and 86: Riley: 26 Daly - Emily: 51 Danforth
Page 87 and 88:
Penny Ann: 59, 72 Rick Lee: 59, 72
Page 89 and 90:
John: 19 Rachael: 19 Pastian - Bern
Page 91 and 92:
Charles Harold: 65 Susan Lorine: 65
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A Brief Family History and Genealogy of Riley ... - TimPearson.com

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