Individual Details
Julius Saylor
(21 Jul 1887 - 18 Aug 1958)
"The Julius and Annie Saylor" story, by Melba Currey, in the 1992 edition of
"They Came From Garfield County".
First, I'll tell you a little of what I know about the Saylor people; they
emigrated from Europe in the 17th Century. First settling in Pennsylvania,
then Ohio and Virginia. They served in all the wars in this country. They
originally came from Switzerland and were land owners and rope makers. The
rope was used for ships; hence, the name 'Saylor Rope'.
My father, Julius, was born July 21, 1887, in Mankato, Minnesota and my mother,
Annie, was born February 4, 1892 in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a young man, Dad
grew up around Barnum and Duluth. He and his brother, Claude, worked together
cutting railroad ties. They hauled them out on wagons and sleds with an
eight-horse team. He also worked at various other jobs near Mankato.
A few years after my parents married, they decided to move west and file on a
homestead as so many others were doing at that time. They ended up
homesteading near Brusett, Montana, in 1915. Dad was 28 years of age and
Mother was 23. It was here they raised their family; three sons, Jerome,
Walter and Lewis and two daughters, Melba and Abbie. They built a little
two-room shack of boards and tar paper with a porch. They dug a well by hand,
fenced their 320 acres and had to plow 40 acres. The little house they
hurriedly built was not equipeed with any modern refinements and the heating
and plumbing left a lot to be desired. Wood was used for cooking and heating
in the summer and Dad dug and hauled coal from the Kariotis place with a wagon
and team of horses. Each fall he would haul enough coal to last the winter.
There were many more people around then than there are now. All were
homesteaders. After homesteading many of them decided to leave as they could
not make a living or could not stand the isolation so my parents ended up with
some of these places. Still, the only transportation was a saddle horse or
team and wagon. There was quite a distance between some places, yet there was
an occasional visitor.
Mother was a very capable and energetic person. She always seemed to
accomplish impossible tasks without complaints. A wonderful mother, she was
gifted with a most pleasant personality. She could always make things out of
very little-- make do. To this day my memory is quite vivid concerning those
early days. I'm glad ours was a happy home in spite of all the hardships and
I'll always have good memories of these times.
My dad and mother were always fond of music. Dad played the violin and Mother
chorded for him on the piano They loved playing music together.
Their children all attended grade school in a one-room school house with one
teacher teaching all grades. The school, Lone Tree, had school in the spring
and summer and was about two and a half miles from home. The children all
walked to and from school. They all attended high school in Jordan.
The long, hard winter of 1919-20 was a winter long remembered among the early
settlers. During that winter one blizzard followed another. Starving cattle
would drift with the wind. Losses were heavy.
As Dad continued to farm more, he, with the help of a neighbor, Henry Langkoff,
would haul grain to Ingomar, the closest railroad, with teams and wagons,
bringing back food and supplies. Later he got a Model T Ford truck, about a
1923 model, which speeded up the grain hauling somewhat.
As the 1930's and drought approached, we ran sheep for Wilbur Ware on shares.
We liked working with sheep so bought some. In 1933 Dad had to move with the
sheep. He rented pasture from John Murnion, but mainly we needed water. Then
Dad moved the sheep over by Brockway. After the drought and hoppers ended,things got better. We all enjoyed the sheep. It was a famuily operation and
the future looked bright.
Looking back one takes so much for granted-- little did we realize that events
would soon occur that would change our lives completely. In June of 1941
Mother became very ill, and had to have a gallstone operation. With no
anitbiotics or any of today's medical technology to fight infection, she died
August 14, 1941. The day befor she passed away she called each one of us to
her bedside and bid us a last goodbye. She was only 49 years old. Dad did his
best to hide his grief and keep things going, but for him it didn't last. He
traveled some and later sold his place to son, Lewis, and moved to Illinois
where he lived for several years. He died August 19, 1958, at the age of 71 of
a cardiac arrest.
In my own trip along life's trail, I've wondered how the "Old Timers" lived.
Most of them never had much time to keep diaries, records and such. Many of
the ones I knew were quite close-mouthed about their past. My parents were
pretty sketchy about their earlier life and I wish now that I'd been more
inquisitive. Dad was a genuine early day settler in Montana and I'm sure that
many of his experiences would have made some good reading, but like I said he
was never over-talkative. My parents knew they would never be able to own a
piece of land to call their own in Minnesota so that is why coming West looked
attractive to them.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Jordan Tribune, 19Jun1952
J.F. Saylor of West Salem, Ill., is here visiting his brothers Ed and Art of
the Brusett area and his sons and daughter that live in that area. Mr. Saylor
expects to be here a couple weeks.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Jordan Tribune, 8Aug1958
Obituary of Julius Saylor
Julius Frank Saylor, son of Lemuel and Frances Saylor, was born in Mankato,
Minn. on July 21, 1887 and departed this life at the Richland Memorial
Hospital, Olney, Illinois, August 18, 1958. As a boy he grew up around
northern Minnesota, in the neighborhood of Barnum and Duluth.
He was united in marriage to Miss Annie Udelhofen, also of Mankato, Minn. To
this union was born five children. The family then moved west as many others
did at that time and settled on a homestead near Brusett, Monta., where he
lived and operated a ranch. His wife passed away August 19, 1941.
On January 24, 1945 he was united in marriage to Mrs. Bessie Purden of West
Salem, Illinois, at which time he left the ranch and moved to Illinois.
He leaves to mourn his departure besides his wife, Bessie, two daughters, Mrs.
Melba McKeever of Brusett, Mont., and Mrs. Abbie Hill, of Orland, California;
three sons, Jerome, Walter and Louis, all of Brusett, Mont. Also one brother,
Arthur of Orland, California; two sisters, Mrs. Martha Ridgeway of Orland,
Calif., and Sister Mary Regis of Tacoma, Wash. Also six grandchildren. He was
preceeded in death by by his parents, one sister and three brothers. He was a
loving father and husband and loyal friend and will be long remembered by those
who knew him.
Memorial services were held at Kings Funeral Home in West Salem, Ill. and final
services were held at the Presbyterian Church by Rev. Ftiz with interment in
the Pioneer Cemetery, Jordan, Montana.
CENSUS: 1920 U.S. Census, Garfield Co., MT; 1920; Blackfoot School District,
ED 118, Page 7A; Lines 35-39; Wisconsin State Historical Society, Madison WI;
Notes: Enumeration date 13Mar1920, Julius is 31 years old, his wife, Anna, is
26, both born in Minnesota. Also in the household are sons, Jerome, age 6,
Walter, age 4 1/12, and Lewis, age 1 11/12.
"They Came From Garfield County".
First, I'll tell you a little of what I know about the Saylor people; they
emigrated from Europe in the 17th Century. First settling in Pennsylvania,
then Ohio and Virginia. They served in all the wars in this country. They
originally came from Switzerland and were land owners and rope makers. The
rope was used for ships; hence, the name 'Saylor Rope'.
My father, Julius, was born July 21, 1887, in Mankato, Minnesota and my mother,
Annie, was born February 4, 1892 in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a young man, Dad
grew up around Barnum and Duluth. He and his brother, Claude, worked together
cutting railroad ties. They hauled them out on wagons and sleds with an
eight-horse team. He also worked at various other jobs near Mankato.
A few years after my parents married, they decided to move west and file on a
homestead as so many others were doing at that time. They ended up
homesteading near Brusett, Montana, in 1915. Dad was 28 years of age and
Mother was 23. It was here they raised their family; three sons, Jerome,
Walter and Lewis and two daughters, Melba and Abbie. They built a little
two-room shack of boards and tar paper with a porch. They dug a well by hand,
fenced their 320 acres and had to plow 40 acres. The little house they
hurriedly built was not equipeed with any modern refinements and the heating
and plumbing left a lot to be desired. Wood was used for cooking and heating
in the summer and Dad dug and hauled coal from the Kariotis place with a wagon
and team of horses. Each fall he would haul enough coal to last the winter.
There were many more people around then than there are now. All were
homesteaders. After homesteading many of them decided to leave as they could
not make a living or could not stand the isolation so my parents ended up with
some of these places. Still, the only transportation was a saddle horse or
team and wagon. There was quite a distance between some places, yet there was
an occasional visitor.
Mother was a very capable and energetic person. She always seemed to
accomplish impossible tasks without complaints. A wonderful mother, she was
gifted with a most pleasant personality. She could always make things out of
very little-- make do. To this day my memory is quite vivid concerning those
early days. I'm glad ours was a happy home in spite of all the hardships and
I'll always have good memories of these times.
My dad and mother were always fond of music. Dad played the violin and Mother
chorded for him on the piano They loved playing music together.
Their children all attended grade school in a one-room school house with one
teacher teaching all grades. The school, Lone Tree, had school in the spring
and summer and was about two and a half miles from home. The children all
walked to and from school. They all attended high school in Jordan.
The long, hard winter of 1919-20 was a winter long remembered among the early
settlers. During that winter one blizzard followed another. Starving cattle
would drift with the wind. Losses were heavy.
As Dad continued to farm more, he, with the help of a neighbor, Henry Langkoff,
would haul grain to Ingomar, the closest railroad, with teams and wagons,
bringing back food and supplies. Later he got a Model T Ford truck, about a
1923 model, which speeded up the grain hauling somewhat.
As the 1930's and drought approached, we ran sheep for Wilbur Ware on shares.
We liked working with sheep so bought some. In 1933 Dad had to move with the
sheep. He rented pasture from John Murnion, but mainly we needed water. Then
Dad moved the sheep over by Brockway. After the drought and hoppers ended,things got better. We all enjoyed the sheep. It was a famuily operation and
the future looked bright.
Looking back one takes so much for granted-- little did we realize that events
would soon occur that would change our lives completely. In June of 1941
Mother became very ill, and had to have a gallstone operation. With no
anitbiotics or any of today's medical technology to fight infection, she died
August 14, 1941. The day befor she passed away she called each one of us to
her bedside and bid us a last goodbye. She was only 49 years old. Dad did his
best to hide his grief and keep things going, but for him it didn't last. He
traveled some and later sold his place to son, Lewis, and moved to Illinois
where he lived for several years. He died August 19, 1958, at the age of 71 of
a cardiac arrest.
In my own trip along life's trail, I've wondered how the "Old Timers" lived.
Most of them never had much time to keep diaries, records and such. Many of
the ones I knew were quite close-mouthed about their past. My parents were
pretty sketchy about their earlier life and I wish now that I'd been more
inquisitive. Dad was a genuine early day settler in Montana and I'm sure that
many of his experiences would have made some good reading, but like I said he
was never over-talkative. My parents knew they would never be able to own a
piece of land to call their own in Minnesota so that is why coming West looked
attractive to them.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Jordan Tribune, 19Jun1952
J.F. Saylor of West Salem, Ill., is here visiting his brothers Ed and Art of
the Brusett area and his sons and daughter that live in that area. Mr. Saylor
expects to be here a couple weeks.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Jordan Tribune, 8Aug1958
Obituary of Julius Saylor
Julius Frank Saylor, son of Lemuel and Frances Saylor, was born in Mankato,
Minn. on July 21, 1887 and departed this life at the Richland Memorial
Hospital, Olney, Illinois, August 18, 1958. As a boy he grew up around
northern Minnesota, in the neighborhood of Barnum and Duluth.
He was united in marriage to Miss Annie Udelhofen, also of Mankato, Minn. To
this union was born five children. The family then moved west as many others
did at that time and settled on a homestead near Brusett, Monta., where he
lived and operated a ranch. His wife passed away August 19, 1941.
On January 24, 1945 he was united in marriage to Mrs. Bessie Purden of West
Salem, Illinois, at which time he left the ranch and moved to Illinois.
He leaves to mourn his departure besides his wife, Bessie, two daughters, Mrs.
Melba McKeever of Brusett, Mont., and Mrs. Abbie Hill, of Orland, California;
three sons, Jerome, Walter and Louis, all of Brusett, Mont. Also one brother,
Arthur of Orland, California; two sisters, Mrs. Martha Ridgeway of Orland,
Calif., and Sister Mary Regis of Tacoma, Wash. Also six grandchildren. He was
preceeded in death by by his parents, one sister and three brothers. He was a
loving father and husband and loyal friend and will be long remembered by those
who knew him.
Memorial services were held at Kings Funeral Home in West Salem, Ill. and final
services were held at the Presbyterian Church by Rev. Ftiz with interment in
the Pioneer Cemetery, Jordan, Montana.
CENSUS: 1920 U.S. Census, Garfield Co., MT; 1920; Blackfoot School District,
ED 118, Page 7A; Lines 35-39; Wisconsin State Historical Society, Madison WI;
Notes: Enumeration date 13Mar1920, Julius is 31 years old, his wife, Anna, is
26, both born in Minnesota. Also in the household are sons, Jerome, age 6,
Walter, age 4 1/12, and Lewis, age 1 11/12.
Events
| Birth | 21 Jul 1887 | Mankato, Minnesota | |||
| Death | 18 Aug 1958 | Olney, IL | |||
| Marriage | Annie Udelhofen | ||||
| Burial | Jordan, Garfield, Montana, Pioneer Cemetery |
Families
| Spouse | Annie Udelhofen (1892 - 1941) |
| Child | Jerome Henry Saylor (1913 - 1994) |
| Child | Walt Saylor |
| Child | Lewis Saylor |
| Child | Melba M. Saylor |
| Child | Abbie Saylor |
| Father | Lemuel Dunbar Saylor |
| Mother | Frances Dumbeck |
| Sibling | Edward J. Saylor (1878 - 1958) |
| Sibling | Wm. Saylor |
| Sibling | Arthur L. "Art" Saylor (1884 - 1971) |
| Sibling | John Saylor |
| Sibling | Claude L. Saylor (1885 - 1952) |
| Sibling | Martha Saylor |
| Sibling | Abbie "Sister Regis" Saylor |
| Sibling | Veronica Saylor |