10046. Denzal Robert Stevens
Denzal Robert StevensProblem: Is the first name, Denzal or as listed in CFA II, p. 430, Denzil?
Michael Winters lists, Denzel.Problem: Was the date of death, 4 Jan 1969 or as listed in CFA II, p. 430, 4
Jan 1973? Michael Winters lists, 4 Jan 1969.
Ruth Lamora WyantProblem: Was the date of birth, 7 Sep 1911 or as listed by Michael Winters, 11 Sep 1911? There is a Ruth Stevens born, 7 Sep 1911 listed on the SSDI.
Lorraine Anna SaddlerSPOUSE: Lorraine Anna Saddler was the 2nd wife of Donald Roy Stevens.
10047. Nellie Beatrice Stevens
Nellie Beatrice StevensAKA: Possibly called, Beatrice
Langley ScottSPOUSE: Langley Scott was the 2nd spouse of Nellie Beatrice Stevens.
AKA: Rachel L. Scott by Michael Winters
QUESTION: What was the name of this person?
10054. Mary Ethlyn Conger
Mary Ethlyn CongerEDUCATION: Boarding School in Colorado Springs, CO - High School; University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Finishing School, Philadelphia, PAAPPEARANCE-TRAITS: 5'8"; 140 lbs.; Dark Auburn Hair; Flair for Clothes; Artist
talent; high enerby; resourceful; decisive; well organized; social in natureORGANIZATIONS: Order of the Eastern Star; Cowbells; Reading Club
MARRIAGE: Wedding announcement, postmarked 5 Oct 1906, sent to Ben Lemon.
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Conger announce the marriage of their daughter, Mary
Ethlyn, to W. Benjamin Lemon, November 1, 1908, at Glenwood Springs, Colorado.COMMENT-MARRIAGE: When Mary Ethlyn Conger was married in November 1908 the
niece of her father, Florence D. Horn from Pennsylvania, along with her parents
and two siblings attended. John Lincoln Conger paid the hotel bill for the
five guests. Robert Guilinger has found in the 1900 PA Census (Soundex) an A.
Curtis Horn, married to a woman named, Belle, who was born in Dec 1862 in PA.
Could this couple have been the sister and brother-in-law of John Lincoln
Conger? (Furnished by Robert Guilinger)
BIOGRAPHY:
Mary Lemon was a tall, well proportioned and pretty woman who possessed a lot
of artistic talent. I learned a lot of things from my Grandmother Lemon. She
took all of the fashion magazines. When something caught her eye, she ripped
out the page and it was quickly reproduced. She taught me how to do it from the
basic sloper once you got it to fit. Through knowledgeable manipulation of
those basic parts you could come up with any dress style you wanted and not
have to be bothered with buying patterns. She'd go to the movies and a portion
of the next day you can be sure was reserved for reproduction calculations. She
did some hat designing as a single woman. She said once that if it had been
considered a "respectable life" she'd have become a fashion designer. Worth was
certainly a favorite of both Mary and her mother. She did a lot of fur and
leather design work for a furrier in San Diego in the l930's. She was a crack
shot with the rifle and come hunting season you could always be sure that she
would collect her legal limit. She'd have it tanned and finished with a
pyroxylin finish so that it could be laundered without the usual shrinkage you
get with leather. She'd make her own outfit and then she'd usually come up with
something for me with the scraps. Every dress she ever made for me had a
duplicate made for my doll, Barbara. She made gorgeous fancy hats and taught me
how to quickly change their appearance with feathers, tulle and flowers. She
taught me the basics of wardrobe building. Go for basic design, good quality
and lots of accessories. When you make a skirt, make it reversible and then you
have two for the price of one. Don't fit it too tight and it won't sag or bag.
There is no such thing as a perfect figure. Just learn your good points and
work around the bad ones with the proper fit and design. You can pay a million
for a dress and unless the design is good for you, it's not worth two cents.
All color is nice, but hold the bolt up to your face in good light and look in
a mirror. If your skin glows, the color is right. If you see drag lines and
circles under your eyes, the color is wrong.From husband hunting lectures I received from Mary Lemon, I got the distinct
impression that her thoughts on a college education boiled down to access to
the more promising types of eligible men. Her exact advice was, "Have a solid
view of where you want your own life to go. Then look pretty and act properly
to attract, don't be to available, but show lively interest and never accept
the first invitation. Above all learn the art of subtle flirting. If you set
the standard of decorum, expect a man to be a gentleman and give him an
opportunity to comply, they will respect your demand, even if they are a
ruffian. Hooking a man is a lot like fishing. You have to learn to properly
bait the hook and then know how to successfully troll that line to make the
catch."She liked to cook and gave lovely dinner parties and card parties. She had and
liked pretty china and linen. Her parents gave her a service of white Havlin
with twenty-four place settings, and a full 24 piece set of crystal, sterling
flatware and silver tea service as a wedding gift. She always did a flower
arrangement centerpiece which as gorgeous and taught me a new napkin fold for
every party. I guess her message to the kid was that a pretty table is in the
precision of the detail.She was planning death when it came to food serving. "It's got to be served hot
regardless of your number of guests." She had it worked out to a precise
science that was smooth as glass. She always served wine with dinner and made
at least a dozen different flavors of vinegar. Condiments were another of her
favorite additions to a meal.I remember my Grandmother every day. To keep the kid out of her stuff she
equipped me with my own set of shakers for mustard and dry soap which sat
beside the sink. After chopping onions and garlic, a quick shake from the
mustard shaker with the addition of a little water will completely remove the
obnoxious onion odor on the hands.Pesto was a staple. Chop finely the leaves from the basil plant. Add two
tablespoons of salt per quart of chopped basil and saturate the main with pure
olive oil. Make sure that the basil has no water on the leaves when chopping.
Store with a layer of olive oil across the top at all times. Will keep at least
a year if kept in cool place and covered with a layer of oil. Excellent for
soups, eggs, tomato slices and boiled vegetables.Brown flour for brown gravy. Place a dry skillet one-half full with plain
flour. Place on fire and keep stirred so that it will not burn. Brown it to a
nice dark brown gravy color. Sift and store in tight container. Keeps
indefinitely. Add to pan drippings when you have drained the grease after
cooking a roast with a dash of onion and garlic or lemon pepper and you have
cheap brown gravy.Pepper vinegar. Slice in half a variety of hot peppers. Place in hot canning
jar. Heat pure white vinegar to boiling and pour over peppers. Seal and let
stand for about three months. Strain off vinegar and use peppers in cooking.
Nice when sprinkled on most any vegetable, or quiche.Any nail will drive more easily if rubbed with a little soap. Either hard or
soft soap will do.
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)
OBITUARY:
Rifle Telegram, Rifle, Colo. Thus., Oct. 8, 1959
Mrs. W. B. Lemon, Long-time Holmes Mesa Resident, Dies. Mary Ethlyn Lemon, wife
of Ben Lemon, and a long-time resident of Holmes Mesa, died Monday, Oct. 5, at
the Rifle Community Hospital after a long illness. (Cancer). Funeral services
were held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Christian Church in Rifle, with the Rev.
Otto B. Duckworth officiating. Jewell Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star
also conducted rites at the church. Interment was in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Peltier - Sowder Funeral Home.
Mrs. Lemon was born June 10, 1884, at Grand Lake, Colorado, the daughter of
John L. and "Jennie" Conger. When she was a small child her family moved to the
McCoy, Colorado, area and homesteaded on what is now known as Conger Mesa. She
was married to Walter B. Lemon, Sr. November 1, 1908, in Glenwood Springs. They
moved to Holmes Mesa in the Grand Valley area in 1910. Mrs. Lemon was a charter
member of the Battlement Mesa Cowbells and was also a member of Jewel Chapter
No. 77, O.E.S. of Rifle. She was also a correspondent for The Rifle Telegram
and had written the Holmes Mesa news column for the paper for a number of
years.She is survived by her husband, Walter B. Lemon, Sr. of Holmes Mesa; a son,
Walter B. Lemon, Jr., and three grandchildren, Mary Jo Ann Lemon, Walter B.
Lemon, III, and James R. Lemon, all of Holmes Mesa. Mrs. Lemon was preceded in
death by her parents, one brother, Fred Conger, and one grandson, Wm. Lamar.
Active pallbearers were H.L. Winn, Felix Sefcovic, Willard Eames, S. L.
Loshbaugh, D.T. Long and Carl Bernklau. Honorary pallbearers were J.D.
Caldwell, Clyde Morrow, Warren Wurts and Charles Slaughenhaupt. Soloist was the
Rev. Marshall Griffith, who sang, "Sweet Bye and Bye" and "Beautiful Isle of
Somewhere," accompanied by Mrs. Otto B. Duckworth at the organ.Card of Thanks. Rifle Telegram, Rifle, Colo. Oct. 15, 1959 My heartfelt thanks
to all who extended comforting sympathy at the time of the passing of my dear
wife, Mary. BEN LEMONIn Memory of Mary E. Lemon
Near shady wall a rose once grew,
Budded and blossomed in God's free light,
Watered and fed by morning dew,
Shedding its sweetness day and night.
As it grew and blossomed fair and tall,
Slowly rising to loftier heights,
It came to a crevice in the wall,
Through which there shone a beam of light.
Onward it crept with added strength,
With never a thought of fear or pride.
It followed the light through the crevice-length,
And unfolded itself on the other side.
The light, the dew, the broadening view,
Were found the same as they were before,
And it lost itself in beauties new,
Breathing its fragrance more and more.
Shall claim of death cause us to grieve,
And make our courage faint or fall?
Nay, let us faith and hope receive,
The rose still grows beyond the wall.
Scattering fragrance far and wide,
Just as it did in days of yore,
Just as it did on the other side,
Just as it will forevermore.
A. L. Frink.We wish to thank our friends and neighbors for their flowers, cards and many
acts of kindness during our recent bereavement. WALTER, and ROBERTA, Mary Jo,
Bennie and James Robert Lemon.
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)DEATH-HEALTH_HISTORY: 5 Oct 1959 at Rifle, Garfield Co., CO of breast cancer
and angina attacks.CEMETERY: Rose Hill Cemetery, Rifle, Garfield Co., CO; Lot 17, Plot 2
Walter Benjamin Lemon Sr.AKA: Ben
APPEARANCE-TRAITS: 6'1"; medium auburn curly hair; hazel eyes; affable; well organized; lots of jokes; patient; good dancer
OCCUPATION: Cattle rancher
PUBLIC_SERVICE: Board of Supervisors, Garfield Co., CO, 6 years; Grand Valley School Board, 10 years; County Commissioner, 6 years
DEATH-HEALTH_HISTORY: 10 Sep 1970, Rifle, Garfield Co., CO; Heredity Malady in the Lemon line, heart just stops momentarily
CEMETERY: Rose Hill Cemetery, Rifle, Garfield Co., CO, Lot 17, Space 1
MARRIAGE: License
A Marriage License was issued by the County Clerk and Recorder today to Mr. W.B. Lemon of Rifle and Miss Mary Conger of the same place. They will be married in the parlor of the Hotel Glenwood tomorrow or Sunday by the Rev. G. A. Foote of the Presbyterian Church. Reception to follow at the Hotel Colorado.J.L. Conger, Vice-President of the Pueblo Livestock Company, and formerly a citizen of Rifle and Eagle County, is here today to witness the marriage of his daughter to Mr. Lemon of Rifle.
(Source: Glenwood Spgs., Colo. VALLEY ECHO, Oct. 30, 1908)MARRIAGE:
LEMON-CONGER. Mr. Walter B. Lemon and Miss Mary Conger were united in marriage at Glenwood Springs in the parlor of the Glenwood Hotel, Sunday, November 1st, 1908, with a number of friends and relatives being present. Both of these young people are very well known in Eagle and they have a host of friends throughout the county. Miss Conger resided in this county a number of years previous to moving to Rifle a year or so ago. Mr. Lemon made Eagle his home for about four years and is well liked by all. The newly married couple went to Rifle where they will make their future home. The Enterprise joins in wishing Mr. and Mrs. Lemon much happiness and prosperity.
(Source: EAGLE VALLEY ENTERPRISE, Eagle, Colo., About Nov. 6, 1908)MARRIAGE:
W. B. Lemon and Miss Mary Conger Married. Last Saturday, Miss Mary Conger and W. B. Lemon surprised their friends by going to Glenwood and being married, Rev. G. A. Foote of the Presbyterian church tying the nuptial knot. The bride is well known and very popular in Rifle, and for some time previous to her marriage was a valued attache of the Hugus Store. Mr. Lemon is a recent arrival, coming here from Red Cliff. He is the proprietor of the Pastime Billiard Hall and has made many friends since arriving here. Mr. and Mrs. Lemon arrived from Glenwood Sunday and are at home to their many friends and the recipients of numerous and sincere congratulations, in which The Reveille joins.
(Source: THE REVIELLE, Rifle, Colo. About Nov. 6, 1908)MARRIAGE:
W.B. Lemon Wed. Mr. W. B. Lemon, who recently came to Rifle from Eagle, and Miss Mary Conger, daughter of John Conger, the well-known stockman who recently left Rifle to engage in business in Pueblo, were united in marriage at Glenwood Springs last Saturday, Rev. G. A. Foote performing the ceremony. The contracting parties are well known and highly respected young people of Rifle, and the Telegram wishes them every joy in their married life. Mr. Lemon's life will be very much enhanced by having such a gracious lady as his wife.
(Source: RIFLE TELEGRAM, Rifle, Colo. About Nov. 6, 1908)MARRIAGE:
Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Colo. or Denver Post - exact date unknown.
Conger-Lemon Vows.
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Conger of Pueblo and Denver have announced the marriage of their daughter Mary Ethlyn to Walter Benjamin Lemon of Rifle, Colorado. Mr. Lemon is the son of Robert Lemon and his late wife Elitha of the City of Pueblo. His uncle is our esteemed House Speaker, W. J. Barnard.The vows were celebrated by Presbyterian Minister G.A. Foote of Glenwood Springs, in the candle-light parlor of the Glenwood Hotel before a hundred friends and relatives.
A dinner reception followed at the Hotel Colorado where the bride's grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hanscome of Wolcott, offered the first toast and presented the happy couple with a bucket of gold nuggets for hard times. A bucket of gold has been a tradition in the Baker family since 1770 and has been passed to the eldest of each generation.
It went dry while in the possession of John R. Baker. He presented the empty pot filled with a Bible and a coin for luck to his daughter, Mary Jane, at her first marriage in Indiana to Jake Young accompanied with a promise to refill it before he died.
He came to Colorado, shortly thereafter, struck gold and silver in Summit and Clear Creek County and filled the old pot for her many times over. However, Mr. Baker formally refilled the original iron pot with beautiful Colorado gold nuggets from one of the Baker Mines and presented a full pot to her upon the occasion of her second marriage to Alfred Hanscome of Massachusetts.
Mrs. Hanscome presented it full to the John L. Congers on their wedding day in Grand Lake, but they forgot to move it with their belongings so it remained in the possession of Mrs. Hanscome. It has now been passed brimming full to Mary Conger Lemon for safe keeping for future generations. May it bring them luck and no hard times!
After a short wedding trip to Kansas City, the newlyweds will be at home in Rifle, where the groom owns a business.
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)
COMMENT: The Hotel Colorado
The wedding reception of Walter Benjamin Lemon and Mary Ethlyn Conger was held at the Hotel Colorado. John Conger was an original major stockholder in The Hotel Colorado. He held the stock until he was divorced from Jennie in 1914. The Hotel is sort of an area land mark. There are natural hot water springs which are a part of the hotel and the main reason for building such a nice hotel in that location. The hotel history is as follows:HOTEL COLORADO A National Historic Landmark. Synopsis of the Hotel Colorado's History. In 1883, Princeton engineering graduate Walter B. Devereux came to the frontier mining camp of Aspen. He and his brothers, James and Horace, amassed great wealth in silver, coal, and other minerals.
Having been told, by Kit Carson, of the remarkable curative waters of the Yampa Springs (used for many years by the Ute Indians), at the confluence of the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers, Walter Devereau came down the valley, liked what he saw, and bought ten acres, including the springs. Development had to await arrival of the railroad.
Boring, Tilton and Mellon of New York City were the architects. Sandstone from Wilson's Peachblow Quarry on the Frying Pan River in Colorado, combined with Roman brick, were used to build the Hotel. The dimensions are 224 feet across the front and 260 feet from front to rear. It is built around three sides of a large court 124 feet square. Advantage was taken of the natural slope of the ground, thus creating a stately look from below. Corridors encircled the courtyard. The Hotel was modeled after the Villa de Medici in Italy at a cost of $850,000.
Opening day saw leading citizens from all over the world. Such names as the Armours, Goulds, Mayo Brothers, David Moffatt, Lulu Long, Diamond Jim Brady, and Evelyn Walsh McClain appeared in the Hotel Register. President William Howard Taft appeared for an address on the Presidential Balcony during his term.
The Hotel Colorado served as the "Little White House of the United States" in April 1905, when President Theodore Roosevelt came west for his famous bear hunt at that time. The Secretary of State William Loeb set up his offices with telegraph service direct to Washington D.C.
After returning empty-handed from a hard day's hunt, President Roosevelt was somewhat depressed. In order to lift the President's spirits, the maids stitched together a small bear out of scraps of cloth. A reporter of the day found this an amusing story and coined the phrase, "Teddy Bear." A toymaker
nabbed onto the caption and began making Teddy Bears.President Theodore Roosevelt returned to the Hotel Colorado on May 5th after his hunt and entertained all of the men in his party at a gourmet stag banquet in the Hotel's large dining room. The next day, President Roosevelt spoke from the Hotel Colorado balcony to the local citizens.
Glenwood had one of the first motion pictures made of a President of the United States. The episode shocked decent citizens because the scorned ones, known as Madams of the Night, managed to sneak by and be photographed meeting President Roosevelt. When the film was developed, one of the girls was wearing an indiscreet riding habit. The film was ordered destroyed.
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)
CENSUS: 1910 in Garfield Co., CO., Rifle, Twp., 33/33, Apr. 16, 1910 L 23, P.
1999
John L. Conger, head, 49, married 26 yrs, 2 children, stockman, PA PA PA
Jennie, wife, 49, IN Bremen,Germany IN
Fred, son, 20, at school, CO PA IN
Benjamin Lemon, s-i-l, 26, married 1 year, no children, CO Kent/VA US
Owns business
Mary, dau. 25, CO, PA IN
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)
BIOGRAPHY:
Ben Lemon was the youngest of three boys. His Mother, Elitha died during a typhoid epidemic in Pueblo, Colo. when he was three. A maternal aunt died in childbirth about the same time so his maternal grandmother took both children. Mrs. Barnard got them both through the time consuming years of initial training. Her other daughter Ellen kept having miscarriages, so it was decided by all that the situation of these two children could best be handled by giving them to Ellen Campbell to rear. (Ben was five) Her husband "Judd" W. A. Campbell was General Foreman of the J.A., a large ranch in the Palo Dura Canyon area of Texas which was owned by Colonel Goodnight.There were nine school-aged boys 6-10 on the ranch so the Colonel arranged for a full-time teacher for them. The Colonel became a grandfather figure in Ben's life. At that time in Texas, there were a lot of stray cattle around known as mavericks. These strays were rounded up and became the training herd owned and managed by these kids. The Project Overseer was the Colonel. Ben's Ledger has survived. The General Accounting System was set up by the Colonel, the entries made by the kid and the whole certified monthly by the Colonel. Ben started out with 25 head and a mortgage Jan. 15, 1890, at age 6. By age 10 he had increased his herd size to 300 with a net worth of $6,000. He was a tight-fisted little rascal. Each kid had their own brand, had to pay the Colonel stud fees and the hired help for branding their stock. This early training stayed with Ben, because he ran his own businesses later in life with the same care to detail.
Ben had nearly a photographic memory, so learning came easily as did cards. The hired hands broke the house rules and taught him to play all sorts of card games. Poker was the favorite. Of course, with a good memory, Ben did well at the game. The game went undetected for about six months. When discovered, Ben had amassed $6,872.00. Because the house rules had been broken, Ben went to the Colonel's jail for a week at age 8. Thereafter, they played with sticks as money. Ben was required by the Colonel's Court to give all of the illicit proceeds to charity. He gave it to the school teacher and a widow lady in the area whose pies he liked. Cards, however, became a permanent part of his life, as did charity donations to widow ladies, but he would never play for money.
Even though Ben was reared outside of his father's home, he apparently was told the facts of the situation from the beginning. Ellen eventually did have two natural children, but Ben was never made to feel that he wasn't wanted. He felt that he'd been very fortunate in being reared in the Campbell home, and was quite close to Ellen's natural children throughout his lifetime. Robert Lemon, his father, was around as much as possible and there was a genuine bonding there also.
Late in life Ben was still playing successful poker. Of all the mining booms that built and shaped the American West, beginning with the California and Nevada "rushes" of the nineteenth century and progressing through the booms in Id., Mont., Colo., Ariz., and New Mex., none can compare in intensity to the energy boom of the 1970's in Garfield County, Colo. Oil Shale was the El Dorado sent by God. (Only the fifth reenactment of the theme since 1900).
In 1974 there were about 15,000 people in lower Garfield Co. With the shale boom, those numbers were going to soar to 100,000 then 250,000 then 500,000 and at the height l,000,000. No superlative was too grand for describing what oil shale would mean to that area of Colorado. Unemployment in the entire U.S. was high, and the unemployed flocked to So. Garfield Co. like they migrated from Ok. to Calif. during the Dustbowl of the 1930's. In one day and without notice to any authority, Colony shut down their operation and the area became a ghost town. New buildings stopped construction midway finished, tent cities disappeared in twenty-four hours. A huge abundance of trash and land requiring renovation had to be dealt with by the locals if they intended to continue living there. Housing had been unavailable so many people were there that they were living by the side of the road, in their cars, any wooded area that was flat was a camp ground. There were eight tent cities (25,000 or more each), any deserted building became inhabited regardless of its condition or amenities. The county was ill equipped to handle such a crisis either before the boom or after the bust.
The cause of all of this mess was OIL SHALE of which there is an abundance of both brown and black shale in the area known as the Book Cliffs which are a sandstone formation of mountains that start at Rifle and extend into Central Utah. The thought was that the world's oil shortage was going to be a permanent thing and a new supply of oil could be provided through extracting oil from oil shale. To extract this crude oil required heating the rock in a retort. The U.S. Government, Exxon and Colony dumped millions of dollars into this experiment and did establish that it could be done though not as easily as in Scotland. For the U.S., synthetic fuels would be the more economical way to go. Most all of this action was on the North Side of the Colorado River.
The Lemon property was directly opposite the 1950 Oil Shale Pilot Project known as Anvil Points. There was also a lot of natural gas in the Anvil Points area as well as on the South Side of the Colorado River on Holmes Mesa, Battlement, and Wallace Creek. The knowledgeable souls of learning decided that a nuclear blast would best further their natural gas cause.
" At 3 p.m., Sept. 10, 1969, the Atomic Energy Commission, Austral Oil Co., and CER Geonuclear Co. exploded a 40 kiloton nuclear bomb 8,400 feet below the surface of pretty Battlement Mesa near Grand Valley in Western Colorado. A nuclear device more powerful than 40,000 tons of TNT gouged a cavern deep beneath the Colorado Rockies, in the most controversial exploration program ever undertaken in the state relative to the collection of gas and oil. The purpose was to test the use of nuclear energy to stimulate tight gas sand reservoirs through rock fracturing by explosion which would allow better collection of the underground reserves. The explosion created ground tremors at the time and severe aftershocks which did considerable property damage, but the blast has been declared a success."
The Lemon Ranch was about 6 miles east of the Battlement Explosion Site. Since the Lemon property is part of the same mountain range that the explosion would be in, Austral wanted to use the Lemon property as their headquarters for general operations, ground monitoring and remote detonation of the explosion.
Eighty-five year old Ben Lemon listened to the Austral team's pitch and told them that he thought that it could perhaps be arranged. While you fellows have a cup of tea, I'll just think about it for a second. He yelled for the housekeeper to make plenty of tea quickly. He pulled out his ledger from his old roll topped desk and looked at it. He made a few calculations and drank his tea with his usual shot of brandy in it. He told the Austral lead attorney that it would take a million dollars to use his yard. His terms were cash or certified cashier's check delivered three weeks before the detonation.
The Austral attorney didn't think that Austral would be in a position to pay that much. Couldn't you consider a little less, Mr. Lemon? Well no. You can readily see that I'm about to locate the Pearly Gates and I'm such an SOB that I'll need every penny of that to gain admission through those gates if this goes awry. Well, Mr. Lemon, that's a lot of money. Why don't you consider about $l,000 which is a fair deal for the length of time that we plan to use your yard. We will only be here for about three days. We'll set up equipment in your orchards and corrals and then be gone.
Well yes, that may be true, but I still think that a million dollars is a fair deal for you boys also since you are going to expose me to all types of contamination, cause a small earthquake, damage my old log house, my cows and jeopardize the future of my son, grandson, and great-grandchildren. You see, from my point of view, you are just paying for your damages. I know what earthquakes do. I was in one in Texas in the Palo Dura Canyon and my land and buildings will never be quite the same after you push that little button of progress. My cisterns will all need to be repaired for cracks or maybe replaced, my deep water wells may go dry or fill up with sand, doors will be off plum, all my water head gates probably won't roll without work, my fences will all need attention, the gates won't swing properly, my 3000 gallon fuel tank will need help. Everything in our lives will be just a bit upset for a long while because of this fancy ground shift and be a general annoyance for maybe years afterwards. (His damage predictions were right on target.) His dtr.-in-law, Roberta, was in the bedroom asleep and woke up in the middle of this negotiation. She didn't know whether to go get involved or just stay put in bed. Since Mr. Lemon seemed to be holding the line and obviously was having a good day, she just stayed in bed.
Finally Mr. Lemon suggested that they should call their corporate office for a chat while he went outside to feed his cat. He showed them where the phone was and left for about fifteen minutes. The Austral lawyer called headquarters and told them ..."This old goat wants a million dollars and will not budge. The son has already said no to our offer but we need this site as it falls exactly six miles from the shaft. The area is good and level and is readily accessible. The whole acreage is within the wind patterns that we want to monitor. The other problem is that they own all of the land that falls within the four to eight mile eastern radius that we want to monitor. We are a bit over a barrel. The bottom line is that you'll have to pay what he wants or alter your plan. He's outside and will be back in shortly. I'll call you back in half an hour or you call me at this number." Mr. Lemon, Sr., came back in, sat down, petted his cat and inquired as to whether they had rendered a decision. Well no, Corporate is going to be getting back to me shortly. The phone rang, Ben answered and handed the telephone to the lawyer.
The only way you could get a telephone out in the country was to be part of a big party line. The Holmes Mesa/Rulison party line had twelve households on it. One old lady who didn't have much to do and was a real busy body monitored every phone call in and most going out. You always knew when she was at it, because she rattled her false teeth. She had apparently picked up the phone just to see if there was a conversation going on and had heard the Austral negotiation lawyer talking to corporate headquarters. She was quick to pick up the phone when the return call rang in. Corporate told the negotiator ... "Make the old fool think you're going to walk away from the deal. We'll authorize the million, but see if you can buffalo him into less." Quick as the old gal got a dial tone she called Mr. Lemon and passed the knowledge on to him. After two more hours of "why not" and "no," the deal was sealed and written up for $l,000,000.00 on Mr. Lemon's terms.
Roberta got out of bed and passed through the room so the attorney knew that she'd probably heard his conversation with corporate headquarters. Mr. Lemon Sr., instructed her to hunt up Walter and get him home. Walter fumed his way home that this bunch of fancy panted lawyers had the gall to think that they could hoodwink an old man into their wants. Tea had again been served while they awaited Walter's arrival. Mr. Lemon had announced to his Austral companions that he didn't see too well and wanted his son to read him the agreement that they had just penciled. When Walter arrived, the old man didn't give him an opportunity to breath before handing him the draft agreement. Walter almost dropped his false teeth. The right number of zeros was corrected and they both signed. (W.B. Jr, had a guardianship for W.B. Sr. The day Austral came calling his head was in full residence.)
The Rulison Blast blew and W.B. Sr, Jr. and Roberta were invited, all expenses paid to New York City within a few days of the blast to appear on the television show "To Tell The Truth" hosted by Gary Moore. W.B, Sr. stumped the panel and won another $l,000. Kitty Carlyle cast her vote for Lemon, but was outvoted. Roberta received a string of opera length pearls as a "thank you gift" for coming. Ben wanted to see the Liberty Bell in Philadephia and the White House in Washington D.C. so Walter paid for that segment and pushed W.B. Sr. around in a wheel chair when he got tired.
In the early 1950's Ben and Walter had been victims of a Morman Swindle by design that had nearly broken their business back. There were ten others in the same boat. The fall out from this mishaps had considerably changed the entire family's plans. Ben felt that the man upstairs had handed him this simple one-million dollar deal before he died as a special gift. Before his demise, Ben arranged the balance of his million dollars into investment funds for his son and grandchildren so that the funds did not have to go through his estate. He died the following year.
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)
OBITUARY:
Rifle Telegram, Rifle, Colorado, Sept. 17, 1970
Funeral services for Walter B. Lemon, Sr. were held from the First Christian Church, September 12, at 2:00 o'clock with Rev. Otto B. Duckworth officiating. Burial was in the Rose Hill Cemetery. The Sowder Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Walter Benjamin Lemon, son of Robert and Elitha Barnard Lemon, was born on April 25, 1884, at Pueblo and passed away on Sept. 10, 1970, at the Rifle Clagett Memorial Hospital. Mr. Lemon's parents lived at Fountain and they passed away before he was ten years of age. He made his home with an uncle who lived on the J.A. Ranch near Amarillo, Tex. until he was 16 years of age. He then returned to Pueblo. He came to Eagle County in 1908. He was united in marriage with Mary Ethlyn Conger at Glenwood Springs, Colo. on Nov. 1, 1908. They came to the Rifle community in 1910 and then to the Holmes Mesa community in 1912 where he has since lived. Mr. Lemon was a cattle rancher by profession. He was a member of the Colorado Cattlemen's Association; helped organize the Battlement Mesa Cattlemen's Association, serving as its first president and was secretary of the organization from 1928 until 1952; was a member of the School Board for Dist. No. 16 for many years; was instrumental in promoting the first Rifle Apple Pie Day which developed into the County Fair and served on its first committee, helped organize the Farmers Co-Op at Silt, and worked to bring electricity into the rural area in which he lived via the R.E.A. in 1948. Mr. Lemon was preceded in death by his wife Mary in October of 1959 and also two brothers, Frederick and Letch. Survivors include his son, Walter B. Lemon, Jr. of Grand Valley; three grandchildren, Walter B. Lemon III of Denver and James Robert Lemon, attending Fort Lewis College at Durango; and Mrs. Zia (Mary Jo) Khan of Stockton, California; two great- grandchildren, Davina Gay and Walter B. Lemon, IV of Denver, and other relatives.Known Errors in this Obituary.
Parents: Mother Elitha died 26 Oct. 1886, Pueblo Colo., Ben was 3
Father Robert died 24 Sept. 1914, LaJunta Colo. Ben was 25
To Texas: Arrived 25 Dec. 1889, Ben was 5
Lived with Mother's sister, Ellen (Mrs. Wm. A. Campbell). " Judd"
Campbell was Gen. Foreman for Col. Goodnight at the J.A. Ranch.
To Eagle: Came in 1904 per Records. He was there for sure July 1906 when
brother Fred was killed.
To Rifle: Ben was in Rifle by 1907 per post cards sent to Mary.
For sure he was there by Nov. 1, 1908 when they were married.
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)Mr. Lemon was annoyed with the tax problem. He wrote this poem regarding the matter.
TAX
Tax his head, tax his hide,
Let the government officials ride.
Tax his cow, tax her calf,
Tax his horse, tax his ass.
Tax his houses, tax his lands.
Tax the blisters on his hands.
Tax his Ford and tax his gas,
Tax the road that he must pass.
Tax the payroll, tax the sale,
Tax the hard-earned paper cale.
Tax his pipe and tax his smoke,
Teach him Government is no joke.
Tax the water, tax the air,
Tax the sunlight if you care.
Tax the living, tax the dead,
Tax the unborn before they're fed.
Tax their coffin, tax their shrouds,
Tax their souls beyond the clouds.
Tax them all and tax them well,
Tax them to the gates of Hell.
P.S. Almightly God and our Federal,
State, County and City Government,
Have mercy upon us.
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)
13975. Jennie Lydia Lemon
Jennie Lydia LemonBIRTH-DEATH:
Mary Conger Lemon's first baby was named for her mother "Jennie" Conger. The reason for the middle name of Lydia is unknown at this time. The baby weighed 6 pounds, had dark auburn hair and was 20 inches in height. The same story was carried in the Rifle Telegram, Rifle Reveille and the Eagle Valley Enterprise.1. Rifle Telegram: Born to Mr. and Mrs. Ben Lemon last Saturday Morning,
a daughter.
2. Reveille. The infant child of Mr. & Mrs. W. B. Lemon born last Sat.
Morning died this morning at 10:00 A.M.
3. Enterprise. A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ben Lemon last Sat.
morning, but after only a few days, the spirit of the little one returned to
its Maker, death occurring Tues. morning. The sympathy of the numerous friends
of the bereaved parents is extended to them in their sorrow. Burial was made
Wed. at Rose Hill Cemetery, Rifle, [CO].
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)
10056. Alfred David Conger
Alfred David CongerAKA: Fred
BIRTH: 20 Jan 1890 at Piney Creek, near Wolcott, Eagle Co., CO
APPEARANCE-TRAITS: Medium build; 6'; blue eyes; dark hair
OCCUPATION: farmer in Colorado; mechanic at Redmond Army Field, OR
ORGANIZATIONS: Maons, Odd Fellows; Elks
EDUCATION: Attended Colorado A&M in 1910
RESIDENCES: Paonia, CO; Eagle, CO; Grand Valley, CO; Portland, OR; Eugene, OR;
Redmond, ORDEATH-HEALTH_HISTORY: 8 Jan 1947 at Redmond, Deschutes Co., OR; suicide
precipitated by recurring ulcers
OBITUARY:
CONGER TAKES OWN LIFE FOR FAMILY. FAREWELL NOTES TELL DESIRE TO REMOVE BURDEN
AT HOME.
Fred D. Conger, 56, Redmond resident since 1933, took his own life Wednesday
morning, saying in notes left his family that he had suffered a long while and
no longer wanted to be a burden and expense to them. Conger had been in ill
health for a number of years and it was feared that he would have to undergo
another operation. Wednesday morning he sent his wife to town on business, then
apparently walked to the Frank McCaffery barn about a hundred yards north of
his home and shot himself through the left side with a 30-30 rifle.
NOTES LEFT FAMILY.
Thinking of every contingency and wanting to make everything as easy as
possible for his family and local authorities, Conger left three notes. One to
his wife, said that he had suffered long and that he wanted no more expense for
her. Another, to his daughter, Mrs. C. H. Perrin, told where his body would be
found. The third note was to the police, informing them of his intentions. Mrs.
Perrin, who is employed at Pacific Supply Co-op, found her father's body and
stayed at the barn until Chief of Police, Jess Edgar and Officer Ray Hafstad
arrived. Sheriff Claude L. McCauley and Deputy County Corner J. A. Walker, who
were notified immediately, determined from their investigation that Conger died
as a result of a self-inflicted gun-shot wound.
SERVICES FRIDAY.
Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 O'clock from Redmond
Christian Church, with Reverend D. L. Penhollow officiating. Internment will be
at Redmond Cemetery, with Zacker Mortuary in charge of arrangements. Fred D.
Conger was born on Piney Creek, near Wolcott, Colorado, Jan. 20, 1890. The
family moved from Colorado to Redmond in 1933. Conger worked at Redmond Army
Field during the war and more recently, when his health permitted, was employed
in the cold storage department of the Central Oregon Cooperative Creamery. He
is survived by his widow Liddy (Rogers) Conger, his daughter, Mrs. Wilma
Perrin; his son, Elbert Conger, navy veteran, his mother Mrs. Jennie Fargher,
86, of South Pasadena, California, and a sister, Mrs. Ben Lemon of Grand
Valley, Colorado.
(Source: Redmond, Oregon, Newspaper - Thus. Jan. 9, 1947)
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)
DEATH:
W. B. Lemon was called to Redmond, Oregon, Wednesday because of the death of
his wife's brother, Fred Conger. Mr. Conger spent a great portion of his life
in Eagle County and later in Garfield County -- living on the ranch his father
owned and which he later purchased to make his home, until he moved to Redmond,
Oregon, for his health in 1937. Mr. Conger was preceded in death by a daughter,
who passed away on Holmes Mesa. Mr. Conger suffered for many years from stomach
trouble; the ultimate cause of his death. Mr. Conger is survived by his wife,
Eliza Conger; a daughter, Mrs. Charles Perrin; and a son, Elbert Conger, all of
Redmond, Oregon. He has one sister, and one nephew, Mrs. W. B. Lemon, Sr. and
Walter Lemon respectively. His mother resides in Los Angeles, California. Mr.
Lemon will go from Redmond, Oregon, to Los Angeles, California, to join Mrs.
Lemon who is visiting her aged mother, Mrs. Jennie Fargher. Word has been
received that she is not expected to live. Their stay in Los Angeles is
indefinite.
(Source: Rifle Telegram, Rifle, Garfield Co., Colo.)
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)
[Note: There seems to be a discrepancy between the two accounts 1933-1937 as to
when they moved to Oregon. I believe that he sold his land to Ben and Mary, but
land records haven't been consulted to determine the date of transaction. His
Mother Jennie Fargher lived in South Pasadena, Ca.]
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)
COMMENT: Not found on the SSDI
Eliza Mae RogersAKA: Liddy
PARENTS-RESIDENCES: Her parents lived in Carbondale, Garfield Co., CO
CEMETERY: Redmond Memorial Cemetery, Redmond, OR; Stone Reads: Liddy Windom (Conger) 1889-1947; beside her first husband
OCCUPATION: Housewife in Colorado; Seamstree/Sales Lady in Women's Apparel in Oregon
SPOUSE: Liddy was a widow for five years after Fred's death. Then she married a very fine man, Harry Windom. The marriage lasted about 15 years. Harry Windom died in December 1968. He was buried beside his first wife.
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)COMMENT: Not found on the SSDI
13977. Esther Evelin Conger
Esther Evelin CongerBIRTH: 1 Jun 1916 at Paonia, Delta Co., CO
When she was born they were living in Paonia, CO on land that was owned by George Fargher. Exactly why I don't know as Fred already had Holmes Mesa land from his father. The only reason I can see for his being in Paonia is that Ben Lemon was looking after Fred's interests on Holmes Mesa and he and Liddy were requested to go to the Fargher Property in Paonia for some reason. It would appear that they were not there very long but were there long enough to get into the papers and county records for taxes. I think that Fargher had nieces/nephews or something down there. There is a building in Delta that has Fargher in faded letters on the outside. I have never investigated this further.
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)DEATH: 22 Dec 1918 at Holmes Mesa, Garfield Co., CO during a flu epidemic
CEMETERY: Buried on 23 Dec 1918 in a private cemetery on the Lemon property on the brink of Rulison Hill
13978. Elbert Conger
Elbert CongerAKA: Red
CHILDREN: Elbert Conger married and had 2 male children. What were there names?
MILITARY: U.S. Navy, WWII, served aboard the U.S.S. Pensacola
DEATH-HEALTH_HISTORY: 26 Feb 1982 at Portland, OR due to a heart condition
RESIDENCES: Portland, OR
CREMATION: Ashes strewn at sea and over the Oregon Mountains
SS Death Index: Elbert Conger; b. 12 Apr 1918; issued: OR; d. Feb 1982;
last place of residence: Bend, OR; zipcode: 97701; SSN: 541-18-5058
13979. Wilma Marie Conger
Wilma Marie CongerBIRTH: Nov 1920, at Grandmother Rogers
OCCUPATION: Secretary; retired in 1979 from telephone company
APPEARANCE-TRAITS: 5'9"; 140 lbs.; dark brown hair; blue eyes; resembled John L. Conger; Patient, Outdoors type; Outgoing
HEALTH_HISTORY:
Wilma was very close to her father. Suicide is very difficult for those left behind. The circumstances etc. of his demise threw her into a nervous state which lasted about six years. The year Fred died everything came at once. His suicide in January, Jennie Fargher's death in February, in March Elbert in a serious automobile accident, Liddy had a heart attack in June. All of this with a full time job was about too much for Wilma to handle. She internalized the stress and wound up hospitalized from the stress about three times a year for the next several years. The problem finally wore itself out and life returned to semi- normal.
("John Lincoln Conger," 1 Oct 1996, by Mary Jo Khan)
RESIDENCES: Late 1995, Prineville, Cook Co., OR
Charles Hugh PerrinRESIDENCES: Portland, OR; Eugene, OR; Redmond, OR
RESIDENCES: 1996, Prineville, Cook Co., OROCCUPATION: Worked for a utility
HOBBIES: Horses
APPEARANCE-TRAITS: 6 foot; 150 lbs.; rugged
13980. Paul C. Davis
Paul C. DavisCONFLICT: CFA II, p. 290 lists the spouse as, Herbert Burr. Looks like wrong sex.
13982. Allison Bell Davis
Allison Bell DavisQUESTION: What was the sex of this person?
10067. George Ringland Conger
George Ringland CongerEDUCATION: Attended Taylorstown, PA High School
OCCUPATION: Carpenter and contractor
RESIDENCES: 5200 N.E. 24 Terrace, Apt. C-103; Fort Lauderdale, FL
10072. David Omar Conger
David Omar Conger IIOCCUPATION: Securities sales
RESIDENCES: 6912 S. Shore Drive; St. Petersburg, FL 33707
Edith Metzena KenimondProblem: Was the first name, Edith or Edithe? Listed as, Edithe in CFA II, p. 463.
10079. Jean Lucille Day
Jean Lucille DayOCCUPATION: Fifth grade teacher for over 25 years.
Richard Ray LarrickOCCUPATION: Richard Ray Larrick raised registered hereford cattle. Part of the
farm was acquired from his great-grandfather who bought the land in 1877.
Kenneth Dean Larrick, the son of Richard, later farmed the place.
(Source: The Conger Family of America, Vol. II, p. 358 - Maxine Crowell
Leonard)
Hugo John ZimmermanOCCUPATION: Teacher; County agent; Economist in S. America 4 years and Africa 2 years.
10095. Fred Hindman Conger
Fred Hindman CongerProblem: Was he born at Lindley's Mills, or West Union, PA?
Minnie V. BedilionProblem: Was her surname, Bedilon or Bedilion?
SS Death Index: Minnie Conger; b. 11 Feb 1896; issued: PA; d. Feb 1985;
last place of residence: Phoenix, AZ; zipcode: 85008; SSN: 162-18-5667
14000. Raymond F. Conger
Raymond F. CongerSS Death Index: Raymond Conger; b. 29 Nov 1917; issued: PA; d. Apr 1980;
last place of residence: Phoenix, AZ; zipcode: 85020; SSN: 211-03-9819; Benefit
Addr: Phoenix, AZ 85020.
10102. John Lincoln Dodd
John Lincoln DoddBIRTH: He was probably born, in Amity, Washington Co., PA
CHILD: Had only one child, a son.
QUESTION: Is this the SSDI record for John Lincoln Dodd?
SS Death Index: John Dodd; b. 19 Sep 1897; issued: PA; d. 2 Sep 1990;
last place of residence: ; zipcode: ; SSN: 159-14-9518RESIDENCES: As of Jan 1923, Pittsburg[h], PA
CEMETERY: Buried in the Lower Ten Mile Presbyterian Church cemetery, Amity, PA on 5 Sep 1990.
Ethel Deborah GumpBIRTH: Probably born in Newtown (Kirby), Greene Co., PA. The place was first called, Newton and the name was later changed to, Kirby. (Furnished by David M. Dodd)
RESIDENCES: As of July 1998, living in a nursing home.