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Garold's Great Grand Father and Great Grand Mother Findley

[Letter Written by Ethel Work Balmer,

granddaughter of John Findley & Sarah J. Masters, About 1916]*

Great Grand mothers maiden name was Sarah Masters they were Both Born in Texas He was married three times. His first wife was a cousin of his I don't know if she was a first cousin or Second cousin - They had nine children She passed away, And he married your Great Grand mother they had Six children and He left her, they [John & Sarah] had six children John, Julie, Nancy, Billie, Eddie, Mary. when Nancy was 6 years old, their parents seperated And Great Grand Father married His first wife's sister his cousin, Betty She was fifteen years old then. They [John and Elizabeth] had six children Katherine, Elizabeth, Dave Sam And Harve and Martha.

Martha was the oldest And she passed away And was burried when they were crossing the plains from Texas they came to Calif in 1858 taken them six month to cross the plains by ox teams they first settled in Los Angeles then came on to Kern Co. Great grand mother & her children stayed on in Kern Co. Great Grand Father & his last wife settled in Drum Valley about 1860 or 62. Great Grand Mothers Son Eddie passed away when He was three years old and burried in Texas, and buried in Texas. Your Grand Father Billie or his Sisters never knew where their half Brothers and Sisters by their Fathers first wife went As He never told them. As He lost all tract of them, And we have no record of their first names. He had 21 children by the three wives - Nancy married William Work in 1864 near Visalia and they lived in Drum Valley for some time Then Great Grand Mother lived with her so she could be near her and Billie Findly She was a very wonderful person and very Religious - She wanted to go visit her other Daughters in Bakersfield. - So Her son in Law William Work taken her to Bakersfield And she was only there a few weeks and passed away there in 1885. was buried near Bakersfield Great Grand Father was murdered at Drum Valley in 1871 - He had lived in Drum Valley 12 years before his Death. Great Grand Father never talked of any Brothers or Sisters. So we have no Record of any. His mother lived to be Ninety years old And passed away in Texas. When your Grand Father [Billie] was a small child - Aunt Julie & Mary married Mose & Joe Hart. And John Findley [b. Ark. 1841] married a girl by the name of Harrington [Carrington]. Uncle John passed away in Arizona, when he was 32 years old. They had two Daughters Verdie & Sadie they are in Los Angeles - Julie Hart had twelve children, Nancy Work had thirteen children, Mary Hart had Six children - Billie Findly married Ellen Wood and they had ten children

[*Balmer was daughter of Nancy Caroline Findley Work; copy sent to me by Michelle Yahnian, 2607 E. Houston, Visalia, CA 93291]

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