Ann Prior Jarvis Diary — Blank Pages, the Name Margaret

Somehow Ann got her dates off, so there are three pages with repeated dates. Here is the last one:

On this page she notes, "My Sisters birthday 21 January 1823."

As with her own birthdate, she has her sister's wrong. What could be the reason for this? We know that they had a large fire and her father lost all his business and turned to drink. Could all the family records have been lost at the time? Were birthdays simply not important to them? They lived at times on the edge of destitution and was survival more important than dates which may have additionally reminded them of sad memories? Did Ann get both incorrect birth dates from her older sister?

Here is Margaret Prior's birth and christening record from Islington, London.

It says:

[1823 March] 23rd    [When Baptized.]
Born Febr 21st
No. 327.
Margaret                     [Child's Christian Name.]
daug-r of
William & Catherine  [Parents Name. Christian.]
Prior                           [Parents Name. Surname.]
Whitecross Street       [Abode.]
Carpenter                   [Quality, Trade, or Profession.]
J.W. Rice                   [By whom the Ceremony was performed.]

Note that Ann named her daughter after her sister, who had been named after her grandmother Margaret Rutherford McEwen. 

I don't know if Ann's mother Catherine McEwan Prior had a sister or cousin Margaret (like I said the other day, the genealogy is a mess and very incomplete on Family Tree), but other than that, from what I can find, the name Margaret has been used in the family — either as a first or middle name — from probably before the 1600s to the present. 

Here are a few of the Margarets:

Margaret Rutherford McEwen (1750-?)

Margaret Prior Noakes Robinson (1823-1908)

Margaret Jarvis Jarvis (1857-1934)

Margaret Godfrey Jarvis Overson (1878-1968)

Eva Margaret Overson (1897-1932)

Within the past day I've seen lovely pictures on Facebook of one of Margaret Rutherford McEwen's fifth-great-granddaughters and one of her sixth-great-granddaughters, both of whom carry this traditional middle name.

Memorial Day: General John "Black Jack" Pershing

Great-grandpa Leroy "Roy" Tanner served under General John "Black Jack" Pershing at the Mexican border. The old St. Johns house had a stack of old records that we used to listen to at family reunions, including one about General Pershing. I think it was about Pershing on the Mexican border, but I can't find it online, so here's one about Pershing in World War I.

My father is continuing to go through the Overson photo collection, and he found this one of General Pershing at a 1920 event to commemorate the deceased World War I soldiers from the University of Arizona. Since this is from the Overson collection and is in the same style as the other pictures, it was probably taken by Margaret Jarvis Overson. Her only daughter Eva would marry Roy Tanner, a veteran of the Mexican Border conflict and World War I, three years later in 1923.

General Pershing at the University of Arizona, January 31, 1920. From the Overson photo collection. All rights reserved.

Read more about the commemorative event and the picture on the blog, Genealogy's Star. (Gems from the Overson Photographic Collection - General Pershing at the University of Arizona.)

More Gems from the Overson Collection of Photographs

This appears to be a daguerreotype of Ann Prior Jarvis.

Ann was born on December 29, 1829 in Stepney, London, Middlesex, England, and died in St. George, Washington, Utah, on January 10, 1913. This appears to be one of the earliest pictures of her. I do not find any notes or references telling when this photo was made, but she appears to be about 40 years old. 

This is a photo of Henry Christian Overson. He was born January 9, 1868 in Ephraim, Sanpete, Utah, and died March 8, 1947 in St. Johns, Apache, Arizona. His wife, Margaret Godfrey Jarvis Overson, born November 22, 1878 in St. George, Washington, Utah, died 8 December 1968 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, was the photographer for most of this collection of photographs. This photo was taken while Henry was on his mission to England in 1903 to 1905.

Eva Overson Tanner: The First Glass Plate from the Overson Collection

This is the first glass plate from the Margaret Jarvis Overson Photography Collection. My father scanned it and adjusted the color. He's been posting some of the pictures on his blog, Genealogy's Star.

This is Eva Overson. She's wearing a ring; has she married Roy Tanner yet? She's sitting on a chair in the Overson living room in St. Johns, Arizona, hair bobbed and marcelled, wearing a hand-embroidered silk dress, textured hose and amazing 1920s shoes. Don't miss the Navajo rugs on the floor; those could be worth a fortune today.

First, the negative, then a blue version, then a black and white version:

 

A letter from Eva Overson to her father Henry Overson

New Hall N.A.N.S. [Northern Arizona Normal School, now Northern Arizona University]
Flagstaff
Arizona

Mr Henry C Overson

St Johns

Arizona

Box 162

 

Flagstaff, Arizona

July 8, 1917

Dear Daddy—

     Tomorrow is your birthday and I wish you many many happy returns of the day.

     I am just home from Sunday School we hold it in the Public school building.

     The summer rains have begun and it rains nearly every day just little showers all of a sudden like it always does in the mountains. we walked a little way out in the pines and gathered all kind of wild flowers.

     On the third there was a big parade the school being the biggest part, which was all the Fourth of July I saw as I stayed here all day and their dances were down town on the street.

     There were Indians here by the score, for the celebration, of several different tribes.

     There are about two hundred enrolled in school about seventeen boys, only. [This was three months after the United States declared war on Germany.] The rest old maids and girls, just enough to show there is such a thing they say over ninety have gone from here to the border.

     The other day I met Sr Bates [probably Sarah Wakefield Bates] who lived in Brigham City [Arizona] she said she remembered you boys and said to remember her to you and Grandpa and Grandma [Ove and Mary Overson]. She is here from Taylor (or somewhere over there) visiting her daughter [probably Mary Elizabeth Bates Smith Baldwin].

     The bell is ringing for dinner and the mail leaves now so will close so it will go out today.

     How are you all and what are you doing?

          Love to all

                              Eva

Photo of the old main building at NANS from Wikipedia.

Book Review: St. Johns

A number of months ago I purchased a copy of St. Johns by Cameron Udall. It is part of a series of books called "Images of America" and this edition was published in conjunction with the Arizona Historical Foundation.

It has five chapters: The Making of a Town, Taking Leave of Arizona by the Winchester Route (outlaws and crime), Dam That River, Educating St. Johns, and Pride and Perseverance (general history).

Each chapter starts with a short essay on the topic and then includes many high quality photos with extensive captions.

For a sample of the photos in the book, you can look at the google books online version.

There are many family photos in the book, including many representatives of the Christensen, Overson and Jarvis families. The photographers are not identified, but a large number of the pictures were undoubtedly taken by Charles Jarvis or Margaret Jarvis Overson.

Here is one of my favorite photos from the book:

Udall, Cameron. St. Johns. Images of America. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Pub, 2008, p 77.

Eva Margaret Overson Tanner Pictures

Here are some pictures of Eva:

She is in the upstairs bedroom of the Overson house (see this post). Her oldest son was later born in this room.

St. Johns Overson Home

...And here is the Overson house in St. Johns. Granny's Christensen grandparents lived in a house that was torn down to build the elementary school.


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St. Johns Home

Now that I have all the Tanner files posted, I was looking online for some information to start the Morgan posts, and found that St. Johns (of all places) is on Google Street View. Many of you may recognize this home...


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Tanner 2 & 3: Leroy and Eva Tanner

My dad just sent me a copy of this beautiful photo. (Thanks!) It is from Roy and Eva's wedding and is very 1920s. Since her grandpa Charles, the previous town photographer, died a few years before this, the picture was taken by his successor, Eva's mother, Margaret. They are in the Overson house in St. Johns with its beautiful fireplace.

Tanner 3: Eva Margaret Overson Tanner

3 EVA MARGARET OVERSON TANNER

b. 14 August 1897 St. Johns, Apache, Arizona
m. 26 August 1923 St. Johns, Apache, Arizona
d. 30 December 1932 St. Johns, Apache, Arizona
b. 1 January 1933 St. Johns, Apache, Arizona
Husband: LeRoy Parkinson Tanner
Father: Henry Christian Overson; Mother: Margaret Godfrey Jarvis

Eva Margaret Overson, first child of Henry Christian and Margaret Godfrey Jarvis Overson, was born August 14th, 1897, at St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona. She was married to LeRoy Parkinson Tanner, son of Henry Martin Tanner and Eliza Ellen Parkinson Tanner, August 26th, 1923, at St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona, and left the next day by automobile to go to Salt Lake City, Utah, to have their marriage solemnized in the Temple. President of the St. Johns Stake, President Levi S. Udall, performed the ceremony at the Henry C. Overson Home, in the presence of a large number of relatives and friends of both families, and with the good wishes of all.

LeRoy P. Tanner was the ninth child of his parents, and was born at Joseph City, Navajo County, Arizona, January 12th, 1895.

Eva was the only daughter in a family of nine children. As a child she attended the public schools until graduated, then the St. Johns Stake Academy, from which she graduated at the age of sixteen years, the youngest of the class.

She spent one summer at the Flagstaff College, and then entered into the business world.

She was assistant Postmaster to her Grandfather Charles Jarvis, assistant in the Recorders Office, and then began Clerking in the Cash Store, where she soon was given the Bookkeeping, and much of the ordering and general business to attend to.

After her marriage, and because her husband’s work took him away from home a great deal of the time, she continued to work in the store part time for several years. Her insight into the business and her splendid memory of each detail and each personal account, made her place hard to fill.

During all her life up until the time of her death, she had been active in all Church work. Commencing with the Primary and Sunday School, she was a dependable Secretary and teacher. In the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association she was Secretary in the Ward for seven years, and only missed one meeting, and then was out of town. Was also Stake Secretary of Y.L.M.I.A. and later Relief Society Secretary for a number of years. Was a member of the Old Folks Committee. A leader in Bee Hive work, and also was in charge of the Flower Club of the University of Arizona Extension work. One summer while directing the Club she had a flower garden of her own raising, numbering seventy different kinds of flowering plants. She would go out in her garden and pick armfuls of flowers and put them in her car and drive around taking a bouquet to the old, the sick, or shutins, and her many friends, and thus spread beauty and happiness to many. There were also flowers of her bringing at church on Sundays, at weddings, at funerals, or on any special occasion. She dearly loved people, and was happiest when doing a good turn.

She did beautiful sewing, embroidering, crochet work, tatting, beading work, etc., as well as being a good cook and housekeeper. A dutiful and loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend and neighbor—one wonders how a life so short, only thirty-five years, could accomplish so much of good. Her many activities gave her such a large circle of acquaintances, business, social, family, Church—but the saying was certainly true in her case, “None knew her, but to love her, or named her, but to praise.”

She had suffered from diabetes for about seven years, but never gave up if it was possible for her to be up. When she was not able to do anything else, she would do her beautiful fancy work.

She passed away suddenly, after two day’s serious illness, the evening of Friday, December 30th, 1932, and was laid to rest on New Year’s Day, 1933, in the Westside Cemetery, St. Johns, Arizona.

Margaret Jarvis Overson. George Jarvis and Joseph George DeFriez Genealogy. Mesa, Arizona: Privately printed, 1957. Tatting image from Project Gutenberg, copyright expired from Beeton's Book of Needlework. My picture of roses at St. Johns, 1994.

Tanner 2: Leroy Parkinson Tanner

2 LEROY PARKINSON TANNER

b. 12 January 1895 St. Joseph (Joseph City), Navajo, Arizona

m. 26 August 1923 St. Johns, Apache, Arizona

d. 5 November 1944 Grants, New Mexico

b. 9 November 1944 St. Johns, Apache, Arizona

Wives: (1) Eva Margaret Overson, (2) Clara Peterson

Father: Henry Martin Tanner; Mother: Eliza Ellen Parkinson Tanner

LeRoy Parkinson Tanner, son of Henry Martin and Eliza Parkinson Tanner, was born January 12, 1895, at Joseph City, Arizona. He attended school in Joseph City and at the Snowflake Stake Academy at Snowflake, and worked on the family farm with his father and brothers.

In 1913 he enlisted in the militia and served with the troops on the Mexican Border in 1916. He was a member of the Citizens Military Training Camp stationed on the border when World War I broke out.

When the U.S. declared war on Germany, Roy, as he was always known, was assigned to a combat division and served in France until the war’s end. He went through the entire conflict without receiving a wound, but almost died as a result of the influenza epidemic in 1918.

He was called to the front in Russia the day that the armistice was signed. After that he served for a time with the occupying forces in Russia. [8.4.09. He was not called to the Russian front. It is questionable if he was ever in Russia. For more on his military service see this post.] [8.25.11 It is indeed possible that he was part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. I will continue to try and find information about his military service.] What he heard and saw there prompted him to observe during World War II that the United States would be better off not helping Russia so much and possibly even helping Germany against the Russians, since he felt that Russia was a much greater threat to the United States than Germany would ever be.

He returned to the U.S. in 1920 and was discharged honorably from the army. As did several of his brothers, Roy then went to work on road construction. He became a lane surveyor and construction superintendent.

From 1920 to 1940 he engaged in highway construction work throughout Arizona. Sometimes Roy would have a few days or a week off while his bosses were lining up a new job or moving from one location to another. At such times one of his favorite pursuits was hauling wood. He usually had a large pile on hand, sometimes as much as fifty loads, which was ready to be delivered when a cold spell struck town and he could get a good price per cord for immediate delivery. He would often load up some and take it to a home where there was sickness, or to widows, without cost.

In 1922 while surveying a new highway between St. Johns and Springerville, he met Eva Margaret Overson, the eldest child of Henry Christian and Margaret Jarvis Overson.

They were married in St. Johns on August 26, 1923, and were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple shortly thereafter.

Two sons were born to Roy and Eva: Wallace Ove born August 12, 1924, and Lee Henry, born April 13, 1929. A daughter died at birth.

Eva was loved by everyone who knew her, and her home was a mass of flowers from early spring to late fall. She was not strong, however, having been stricken with diabetes while still a young woman. Eva died December 30, 1932, after an extended illness.

After Eva died their two boys went to live with their grandmother Margaret Overson until he married again and decided to take them with him.

 

On October 14, 1934, Roy married Clara Peterson, daughter of Brigham and Stella Jarvis Peterson. Clara was born April 25, 1909, in St. Johns. She was Eva’s first cousin.

Clara did not like Roy to be away from home, so in 1940 he purchased a large farm and ranch near St. Johns. He bought machinery and livestock and was working on paying off his mortgage.

Roy was active in civic affairs. He was a member of the Greer-Dewitt Post of the American Legion and served several terms as commander of the post.

He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many capacities. From 1941 he was a member of the High Council of the St. Johns Stake.

In November 1944 Roy Tanner and his brother-in-law George Peterson went to earn some extra money for cash expenses by taking a bailer and bailing hay in Bluewater and Grants, New Mexico. They were almost through with the job and were going to camp for the night (November 5, 1944), when they started to cross the railroad track and in some unknown way were caught by the evening passenger train, and killed instantly.

The double funeral took place in St. Johns on November 9, 1944. This was a hard blow for the entire family. To add to the sorrow, one of the Peterson sisters had just three days previously received word of her husband's death in World War II Germany. Roy's widow Clara disappeared for a year without letting anyone know where she was.

After Roy’s death, Clara worked for a while as a counselor in the Ogden school system. She subsequently married Joseph Sudweeks, a professor at Brigham Young University.

Wallace Ove Tanner, a graduate of Harvard Law School, had a long career in the legal field. Wallace married Jessie Maxine Morgan, daughter of Harold and Jessie Christensen Morgan. They had six children.

Lee Henry Tanner worked on heavy construction in Arizona until his death in April 1976. He was married and divorced several times. He had four daughters.

From a sketch of the life of Leroy Parkinson Tanner by Wallace Tanner and others with additional information from Margaret Jarvis Overson, George Jarvis and Joseph George DeFriez Genealogy (Mesa, Arizona, 1957). (Photo of 1938 and 1939 Ford trucks used by permission.) Leroy P. Tanner stone photo courtesy of JLT.