RICHARD MATHIAS STONE
Exactly as written in a letter from
Aunt Ruth to Jeanmarie (BeBe)
Richard Mathius Stone was born in Virginia.
He has a twin sister named Sally-----there was a large family but I do
not have their names. Grandpa Stone disagreed with his family over the
treatment of the slaves and left home as soon as he was 21--- he met Elender
Hayes up in Indiana. They were married in Arkansas. Her father ( I don't
know his name but he is suppose to have been a nephew of President Ruthford
B. Hayes. Now I have no papers or anything to prove this. Grandma &
Grandpa Stone came to Little Valley in March 1883. Took up a homestead
there and lived most of the rest of their lives there. Grandma died in
February 1902 and Grandpa spent the last few years out at Riddle Ida. he
died there in 1909 and was brought back and buried beside Grandma. The
cemetery is beside H9-way 51. on way to Elko Nevada.
David Lahtinen, Fay's youngest
and her baby boy Owens, all of the old Stone Place, as well as quite a
lot of other land there. They have one girl in College one graduating there
this year and 2 boys I think Agnes might have something to add to this
as she has been on it too.
Grandpa Stone was an atheist but Grandma
believed in the Bible's teaching. they read the Bible three 3 times the
first year they were in Little Valley because they didn't have any thing
else to read but argued about it's meaning. I don't know much about the
Keefer side. The "Dunkards", as I understand it- is a part of the "quaker"
religion. I don't know what the P. stands for. it is part of his middle
name- - - - -
Elender Hayes Stone and Richard M.
had 3 children born in the middle east. Then they decided to come West
to Calif. in the early 51 or 52. Somewhere along the way a man who said
he was her father came up to their wagon with a fancy outfit beautiful
horse and all, and came with them as far as Salt Lake, there the man waved
"Good Bye" thanked them and said "You're going to Calif I'm going to Oregon".
They never heard from him again- When they got to Calif they went to the
Mining Camps and Grandma would start a "Eating House" and Grandad a "bar".
They made quite a bit of money in fact they had a small satchel full of
gold coins when they left Calif. They had big freight outfits- - went to
Montana, it was so cold there the thermometer went as low as it could and
they nearly froze - the next winter they were in Haley, Idaho then the
next winter they were across the Sua? River from what is now Grandview.
That March 1883 they moved to their Little Valley homestead and built a
little cabin. They "farmed", raised hay and grain- - the boys worked out.
my Mom was 6 yrs old the 9th of that January. Uncle Gus was 5 yrs older
than Mom but Uncle Dick was "grown up". They had a garden of sorts that
year. They were awful poor- Grandpa wouldn't let them borrow or go in debt
that winter. They thrashed the wheat out by hand for their cereal and roasted
barley for their coffee - - they wove their own hats from wheat straws
and knit their own socks from wool they gathered from the brush where the
sheep went thru to higher grass. They made their own soap. Uncle Granville
died in Calif- - Sally mrried again and the step Dad brought Lawrence and
Buck up for their Grandpa to raise. Bessie came when she was about 18-
- We never heard from her after she got to Mountain Home her way back to
Calif- Lawrence stayed around Riddle until after Uncle Dick died then he
went back down to Eureka Calif and was working in the woods there- - Buck
died in the hospital in Nampa and he is buried up by My Mom and Dad in
the Cemetery here in Bruneau- -
If you find anything more about the
family send it to me will you?
Agnes is Uncle Dicks Oldest girl- -
she and her husband joined the Mormon Church a few years back. I think
you can get in touch with them at ( Mrs Harold Brown)- Wendel, Idaho but
I can't tell you the zip code now. I've forgotten- -
My husband Geo W. Randall died in the
Mountain Home Hospital the 1st of Jan and I've been with our oldest daughter
in Boulder City Nevada all the rest of the winter. Came home the 9th of
May It is Getting real hot down there now.
Write again - -
Sincerely
Aunt Ruth
Some of these people I can’t identify
but others I can and have. Hoping to figure the rest out.
Anyone have any clues??? Feel free
to e-mail me.
This is from a letter I found in the
things my sister Jeanmarie(Wilda) sent me. Dated 1978.
Katherine L. Dusek, July 23, 1999.