Martha Hudnall Childers History, Union County, Oregon

A History
by Martha Hudnall Childers
June 1st. 1930

    Martha Hudnall Childers was born January 23rd, 1863 near Memphis, Scotland County, Missouri. Her Father John Anderson Childers, being a miller, was exempt from going to war, but times became so unpleasant, her parents decided to come to Oregon. They started in May 1864, and after about five months of weary travel they landed in Oregon in September. Of course there were days they never left camp, as there was washing etc. to do, and I was sick quite a while. One afternoon the Captain of the train called a halt as they all thought I was dying, but the next morning, being somewhat improved, we came on.

     We camped in this valley at what is known as the William Jasper place a short way out of town around the foothills. A man of the valley hearing that a train from Missouri had arrived, came over to see if any of his friends were there, and meeting my father, prevailed upon him to stop with him over the winter. We had started for the Willamette Valley. My mother taught one of the first,-if not the first-school in the valley, in the house where they were all living. The place where Joe Harrison now lives, it was then the O. D. Andrews place.

     I attended public schools and at the ages of 15 an 16 taught a 4 months term of subscription school at Liberty school house, following with a 3 months term of public school the next summer. Mother died when I was 11 years of age, leaving one boy and three little girls. Father took care of us thru measles, mumps and whooping-cough, and again married when I was 14 years of age.

     On May 2nd, 1880 I was married to Charles Edmund Golden in the Methodist Church in what is now known as South La Grande. Seven children were born to this union, all living but one born dead.

Father died August 14th, 1894. He was born in Kentucky; Mother was a Virginian.

     About 1891 Charlie, myself and three children started for the Willamette Valley, but went by Mayville, Gilliam County, to visit Frank Golden, Charlie brother-and stopped there for 3 years. Zoe, our fourth child was born there. We decided to come back to Union County and Arthur was born here on Nov. 27th, 1895. Eleven years later Faye Edmund was born at the farm which we have owned since about 1900, known as the John Bartmess place.

     Charlie passed away at McMinnville May 20th, 1914 while we were attending Grande Lodge of I. O. O .F.

     In September, 1915 Zoe, Arthur, Faye and myself went to Corvallis where Zoe and Arthur entered College, Zoe having spent her Freshman year there in 1913-1914; she finished her work in 3 years, graduating June 1917. Arthur enlisted with Co. K which formed at Corvallis 1917, and in December sailed for France, being in the Service 25 months.

     Zoe, Faye and myself went to the farm for 3 years or until Faye completed the 8th grade, when she and I moved to La Grande, Zoe having married and moved to Glenns Ferry, Idaho

Wayne M. Bigley   sent this to me December 06, 2002
 

Contributed by Gary Jaensch

Union County

 


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