Turpen Andrew Daughters (1869-1943)

From the Boise Evening Capital News, February 6, 1917.

   Native Hoosier Turpen Andrew Daughters found success in his adopted home state of Idaho, being at various times a school teacher, farmer, newspaper editor, and politician. A one-term member of the Idaho house of representatives, Daughters later removed to Spokane, Washington, where he was an Episcopal minister. One of several children born to William Turpen and Elvira Daughters, Turpen Andrew Daughters was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana on August 15, 1869.

  Early in his life Daughters left Indiana for Kansas, and subsequently earned his B.A. degree from the Kansas Normal College and also graduated from the Philadelphia Divinity School. In 1892 he removed to Moscow, Idaho to accept the post of Episcopal lay leader, and from 1892-1895 taught school in Montpelier. After further study at the University of Idaho, Daughters married in Colfax, Washington in April 1902 to Pearl Howard (1881-1952). The couple would later have three children, Freeman Howard (1903-1927), George Turpen (1905-1975), and Milo Phillip (1910-1983).

   Following his marriage Daughters and his family resided in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, where in 1909 he entered the publishing field, becoming editor of the prohibition leaning Coeur D'Alene Journal. He served as editor until at least 1913 and afterward engaged in farming in the Kootenai County area, being the owner of "valuable wheat and timber farm lands". Daughters' first step into politics came in 1914 when he entered into the race for the Idaho state house of representatives as a candidate of the Progressive Party. In an October 1914 write-up on his candidacy in the Rathdrum Tribune (shown below), Daughters outlined his platform, relating that high taxes and graft in the state could be curbed with the election of Progressive candidates to serve in state government.

A Daughters campaign notice from the Rathdrum Tribune, October 30, 1914.

  Although he would lose that contest, Daughters reemerged on the political scene two years later, again being the Progressive Party candidate for representative from Kootenai County. This time he was successful at the polls, and after taking his seat at the start of the 1917-19 term was named to the committees on Education, Educational Institutions, and Engrossed and Enrolled Bills. Daughters term in the house saw him come out a firm advocate for the division of the state, introducing resolutions that would have allowed a new state to be created out of Idaho's northern territory. Having resided in both the north and south portions of the state, Daughters believed the creation of a new state from northern Idaho was in the best interest of the state "due to the different industries and because of the geographical barriers."

  Daughters served one term in the legislature and by 1920 had left Idaho for Washington, and in that year's census is recorded as residing in Ritzville. He would return to church work during his residency in that state, being a minister in the St. James and St. Andrews churches in Spokane. Daughters died at his home in Ritzville on July 24, 1943, aged 74, and was survived by his wife Pearl. Both are interred at the Greenwood Memorial Terrace in Spokane. In an intriguing coincidence, this cemetery is also the resting place of another odd named political figure, Wisconsin state representative Menzus Raynard Bump, profiled here in August 2016.

Daughters' death notice from the Living Church, Vol. 107, 1943.

Nona Benoni Carpenter (1873-1944)

Portrait from History of Idaho: The Gem of the Mountains, Vol. 4, 1920.

  Despite being a state that has consistently refused to "play ball " when it comes to fielding unusually named political figures, Idaho has recently yielded three new strange name discoveries, all of whom were elected to the Idaho state legislature during the first half of the 20th century. The first of these men, Nona Benoni Carpenter, was unfortunately saddled with a very girly sounding first name, and after first locating the name I was under the assumption that I'd found a very early example of a woman winning a seat in the Idaho legislature. After further searching I was rewarded not only with Carpenter's middle name, but also the above portrait, and the following profile will be yet another example of a male political figure who "lucked" into getting a female first name!

   A native of Wisconsin, Nona Benoni Carpenter was born in the city of La Crosse on June 7, 1873, the son of Menzo and Frances (Farley) Carpenter. Early in his life, Carpenter removed with his family to Minnesota, where his primary education occurred, and following his father's death resettled with his family in Oregon. Nona B. Carpenter married in that state in October 1896 to Bertha Galbraith (1878-1949), and the couple's near five-decade marriage saw the births of seven children, Oscar Frank (1897-1972), Walter, Bennie, Frances, Eunice (1908-2003), George and Ernest (1914-1962).

  Carpenter was a resident of Oregon until 1898 when he permanently resettled in Idaho. Locating on the Nez Perce Indian reservation in Nez Perce County, Carpenter engaged in farming grain and raised cattle and hogs, owning a farming complex that spanned nearly 800 acres, 600 of which was under cultivation. He made his first foray into Idaho politics in 1918 when he was elected as a Republican to the Idaho House of Representatives, and during the 1919-20 session was named to the committees on Appropriations, Educational Institutions, and Fish and Game. This term would also see him chair the committee on School and Public Lands.

  In November 1920 Carpenter won a second term in the legislature, and the 1921-22 session saw him named to two new legislative committees, those being Rules and Order of Business, and Waterways and Drainage. Carpenter's life following the conclusion of his second term remains a mystery, excepting notice of his death in Lewiston, Idaho on April 29, 1944. He was survived by his wife Bertha, and both were later interred at the Normal Hill Cemetery in Lewiston.

Harveydale Maruska (1921-2008)

Portrait from the 1963-64 Minnesota State Manual.

   After several profiles centering on political figures from North and South Dakota, we continue our stay in the midwestern United States for a look at the life of Harveydale Maruska, a lifelong Minnesota resident who served terms in both houses of his state's legislature.  Born in Tabor, Minnesota on November 29, 1921, Harveydale Maruska was the son of George and Mary Vavrina Maruska. His early education occurred in the town of his birth as well as the Warren, Minnesota High School, from which he graduated in 1938.

  Following graduation from the North Dakota Agricultural School in Fargo, Maruska engaged in farming in the Polk County area and married in August 1944 to Harriett Olson (1919-2008), to whom he was wed for over sixty years. The couple would have three daughters, Joanne, Mary-Beth, and Muriel. Named as a Master Farmer in 1958, Maruska would raise grain, potatoes, pumpkins, corn, and squash, and was a past president of the Marshall County Agricultural Association.

  Harveydale Maruska entered the political life of his state in 1958 when he was elected as one of two Polk County representatives to the Minnesota House of Representatives, garnering 6,117 votes on election day. The 1959-61 session saw Maruska sit on the committees on Civil Administration, Elections, Motor Vehicles, State and County Fairs, and Towns and Counties. He would win a second term in November 1960 and during that term was named to two new committees, those being Banking and Employees Compensation.

  In 1962 Maruska set his sights on a seat in the Minnesota Senate and in November of that defeated his opponent, Louis A. Murray, by a vote of 9,931 to 8,969. Maruska's one term in the Senate (1963-67) saw him serve on the committees on Agriculture, Elections and Reapportionment, Game and Fish, General Legislation, Public Buildings, and Public Highways. One year after the completion of his term Maruska was named to the Minnesota State Fair Board, serving until 1978, and would hold the presidency of that board for four years.

  A member of the Marshall County Fair Board for over five decades, Maruska continued prominence in Minnesota public life following his time in state government, serving as a lobbyist for the Minnesota Association of Railroads for several years and also held seats on the state zoo board and the AAA board. Having removed to Warren, Minnesota in 1966, Maruska operated Quality Motors, Inc. in that town until retiring in the 1980s. Maruska spent the twilight of his life wintering in Mesa, Arizona, and died aged 86 on January 19, 2008, in Warren, Minnesota. His wife of sixty-three years, Harriett, survived her husband by less than a month, and both were subsequently interred at the Greenwood Cemetery in Warren.

Butryx Abdon Olson (1885-1957)

Portrait from "Mellette County, 1911-1961".

  Sporting a first and middle name combination that sounds as if it could be a gemstone or mineral, Mellette County, South Dakota resident Butryx Abdon Olson can rightly be considered one of the most unusually named men ever to be elected to the South Dakota legislature. A transplant to that state from Nebraska, Olson figured prominently in Mellette county for decades afterward and served in several local political offices in addition to his term in the legislature. One of five children born to Christian and Emma Olson (name spelled Oleson in the 1900 census), Butryx Abdon "B.A." Olson was born in Washington County, Nebraska on July 29, 1885.

  Olson's early education occurred in the state of his birth and after earning a teaching certificate from the Nebraska State Normal School at Fremont began teaching school in the Spencer, Nebraska area. In 1912 Olson left Nebraska for South Dakota, and after locating in the town of White River in Mellette County began homesteading and took work in the abstract and loan business, partnering with C.S. Haight. Olson married in April 1914 to Esther Elvira Johnson (1889-1941) and the couple's near three decades of marriage saw the births of seven children, Laurance E. (1916-1980), Clifford (1918-2002), George W.  (1922-2001), Russell Curtis (1926-2017), Dorothy (1929-2015), Eugene R. (birthdate unknown) and John C. (birthdate unknown).

  In the years following his relocation to Mellette County, Olson entered local politics, serving at various times as deputy county treasurer and register of deeds. In the late 1910s he held the post of cashier for the White River State Bank and by 1922 was serving as its president. In 1919 Olson was elected as the mayor of White River and his term in office saw the erection of a municipal hydroelectric plant on the Little White River. In November 1922 he was elected as Mellette County's representative to the South Dakota legislature and served one term (1923-25).

  In the 1924 Republican primary, Olson failed in his bid for renomination, losing out to J.A. Houseman, who garnered 230 votes to Olson's 144. Following his loss Olson was selected as Rural Letter Carrier for White River's route 2, having first been awarded a post office department contract in 1916. Olson continued affiliation with the post office for nearly 40 years, retiring in 1955. Widowed in 1941, Olson remarried in 1949 to Helen Chapin Strait (1901-1983), who survived him upon his death.

  After many years of service to the Mellette County community, Butryx A. Olson died at a Rapid City hospital on September 11, 1957, aged 72. He was survived by his wife and children and was interred at the White River Cemetery.

Portrait from the South Dakota Legislative Reference Manual, 1923.

Leath Carroll Fullerton (1901-1961)

Portrait from the 1957 South Dakota Manual.

   August is upon us and after several profiles centered on political figures from North Dakota, we journey to that state's southern neighbor to highlight the life of Leath Carroll Fullerton, a Beadle County-based furniture dealer who served two full terms in the South Dakota state senate. Reelected to a third term in 1960, Fullerton would die in office in 1961, succumbing to injuries he'd sustained in a car accident in October of that year. The son of William and Verna Fullerton, Leath Carroll Fullerton was born in Delta, Iowa on February 14, 1901. 

  A graduate of Milton, Iowa high school, Fullerton went on to attend the Iowa State College at Ames and the University of Minnesota. In May 1925 he married Lucille Emmelius and later had two children, Hugh Robert (1925-2015) and Rilla Bea (born ca. 1931). Following their marriage, the Fullerton family resided in Spring Valley, Minnesota, and Helena, Montana before permanently settling in Huron, South Dakota in 1929.

  Following his settlement in Huron Fullerton took work with the Axelrad Furniture Company, remaining in their employ until deciding to go into business for himself, and in 1932 founded the Fullerton Furniture Company, which is still in existence today. Fullerton would later be joined by his son Hugh Robert, who became a partner in the business.

   As a widely known figure in the Huron business community, Fullerton was active in a number of civic and fraternal groups, including service as president of the Chamber of Commerce, the International Order of Odd Fellows, the Izaak Walton League, the Elks, the Masons, and the Huron Country Club. He entered the political life of his state in 1956 when he won election to the South Dakota Senate from Beadle County and would subsequently serve on the committees on Apportionment; Game, Fish, and Parks; the Judiciary, Municipalities; State Affairs; and Transportation and Communications. He would also chair the committee on Appropriations. 

   Fullerton's three terms in the Senate saw him earn the reputation as an "amiable and effective legislator", being remarked in his Daily Republic obituary as having been "always jovial and excelled at breaking tension when the going got rough in the legislature", as well as a strong supporter for water conservancy measures and mental health legislation. In his last Senate term, Fullerton served as a member of the Legislative Research Council (LRC) and was named to an investigating committee studying the state welfare department.

Portrait from the Huron Daily Plainsman, October 20, 1961.

   L. Carroll Fullerton's time in state government was brought to a tragic end in October 1961, as the result of a car accident. On October 18 of that year, he and two longtime hunting companions, Ralph Bischoff (a former state board of equalization member) and Frank Sanderson (a state fair board member) had begun a duck hunting trip when their station wagon was hit broadside by a gravel truck near Yale, South Dakota. Bischoff, who had been driving the vehicle, died at the scene, and Frank Sanderson, who had survived the initial impact, was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. The driver of the truck, Albert Hohm, survived with a broken leg and other minor injuries.

  Following transport to St. John's Hospital in Huron, L. Carroll Fullerton was in critical condition and underwent surgery soon after arrival. He would succumb to his injuries on October 20, 1961, aged 60, and was survived by his wife, children, and mother, Verna. He was later interred at the Riverside Cemetery in Huron. 

From the Huron Daily Republic, October 20, 1961.

Nordahl Winslow Nicholsen (1876-1964)

Portrait from the 1942 North Dakota Blue Book.

  The North Dakota legislature can boast of a number of strangely named political figures, and following the write-up on Sophus Vernon Trom, another oddly named state representative is accorded his due, Nordahl Winslow Nicholsen of Mohall. Even more obscure than the man who preceded him here, nearly every period source mentioning Nicholsen records him by his initials, including his brief biography in the 1942 North Dakota Blue Book. However, a search through the 1920 and 1930 North Dakota census revealed his first name to be Nordahl, and a World War I draft registration card (presumably filled out by the man himself) yielded his full name. Needless to say, it is an unusual one!

  A native of Minnesota, Nordahl W. Nicholsen was born in Austin on April 24, 1876, and was a student in the public schools of that state. By 1900 he had left Minnesota to homestead in Bottineau County, North Dakota, and after settling in Renville township erected a sod house (pictured below) in which he would reside until removing to the neighboring town of Mohall, which had been founded in 1901. Nicholsen married to Rebecca (Rebekka) Bengstad (1875-1973) in the early 1900s and would later have three children, Clara Berdine (1903-1987), Dora (1905-1992) and Neivus L. (1906-1969). 

Nicholsen's sod house, from "Commemorating Mohall's 75th Anniversary", 1976.

  Following his removal to Mohall, Nicholsen quickly established roots in the still young town, and in addition to farming operated a hardware implement business for a number of years. A longstanding member of the Lutheran Brethren Church, Nicholsen held both the presidency and vice presidency of that church's board in Mohall, and in June 1917 was a delegate from Mohall to the 17th annual Lutheran Brethren Convention in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

  In April 1915 Nicholsen was elected to the first of two terms on the Mohall city council and later served two terms as president of the city park board. In November 1940 he was elected as Mohall's representative to the North Dakota state legislature and during his one term in office sat on the committees on Elections and Election Privileges, and Mines and Mining.

  Information regarding Nicholsen's life following his term in the legislature remains scant, excepting notice of his managing the hardware department of the Page Brothers store in Mohall. Nicholsen died in Bottineau County on March 7, 1964, at age 87 and was interred at the Mohall Cemetery.

Sophus Vernon Trom (1901-1987)

Portrait from the 1961 North Dakota Blue Book.

  We continue our stay in North Dakota for a look at the life of another obscure state representative, Sophus Vernon Trom of Casselton. A mayor of that city in addition to his service in state government, Trom was a lifelong resident of North Dakota, being born in Kindred on June 26, 1901, the son of Olaf Knutson and Olava (Johnson) Trom. He attended public schools, as well as the North Dakota State School of Science, and in September 1923 wed Martha Geneva Stenberg (1904-1990). The couple's six-decade-long marriage saw the births of four children, Omer (1927-1980) Joanne (1930-2008), Paul (1936-2011), and Sonja (born 1942).

   Following his settlement in Casselton, Trom would serve as chief of the city's fire department and in the early 1950s was elected as the mayor of that city, holding office until at least 1956. Trom was later elected as Casselton city auditor in the late 1950s, continuing in that capacity well into the 1970s. First elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in November 1958, Trom served two terms (1959-63) and in his last year in office was selected as president of the Municipal Finance Officers Association of America and Canada for a one year term.

  Little information exists on Trom's life after 1964, except notice of his continued service as Casselton city auditor and his being a Republican presidential elector for North Dakota in 1976. Sophus V. Trom died in Cass County, North Dakota on December 1, 1987, at age 86. He was survived by his wife and children and was subsequently interred at the Casselton Cemetery.

Trom during his time as Casselton mayor.

Tollef Jorgenson Flamer (1854-1929)

Portrait from the North Dakota Magazine, Vol. I. February 1907.

  One term North Dakota representative Tollef Jorgenson Flamer is another new odd name found via a recent cull through that state's legislative annals, and I was extremely surprised to have found a picture of him in a February 1907 edition of the North Dakota Magazine (where his name is misspelled as "I.J. Flamer"). While his name may have been misspelled, mention of his being a hotel owner and native of Norway confirmed his identity, and a further biography of him (via W.B. Hennessy's 1910 History of North Dakota) detailed his first name and legislative service.

  Born in Norway on April 16, 1854, Tollef Jorgenson Flamer was the son of Jorgen and Agatha (name also given as Anna) Flamer. His early education occurred in the country of his birth and in 1872 left Norway for a new life in the United States. Following the boat trip to America, Flamer migrated to Red Wing, Minnesota, where he engaged in farming through the late 1870s. In 1880 he removed to North Dakota, and after settling in Fargo farmed and worked as a grain buyer in the employ of the Pillsbury and Hulbert Elevator Co. Flamer later purchased additional farmland near Moorhead in Clay County, which he would "farm at long range" for a number of years afterward.

  In 1883 Flamer entered the business life of Fargo when he erected what would become known as the "Flamer House." Originally constructed as a store, Flamer and his family would move into the establishment following the original client's abandonment and soon began work on adding a restaurant and boarding house to the existing structure. The hotel later added a west wing and early in its existence was utilized by Fargo physicians "for surgical procedures" in the years prior to the construction of Fargo hospitals. The Flamer House continued as a cafe and boarding house until its destruction in 1959, being torn down during an urban renewal project.

   Tollef J. Flamer married in 1884 to Olina "Lena" Erickson (1859-1947), with whom he had five children, Augusta Bertine (1884-1904), Henry (1883-1908), Pearl (1888-1983) George (1890-1966) and Erma (born ca. 1904). In addition to his hotel business, Flamer was remarked as having had 

 "A number of other interests which take a good deal of his time, and has not only built up a snug fortune, but also a long list of friends.

    As an avowed non-office holder, Flamer repeatedly cast aside calls for him to run for political office and continued along this route until 1906, when "public sentiment practically compelled his acceptance of the nomination for the lower house in the state legislature." In November of that year, he was elected as one of three Republican representatives from the 9th legislative district and during the 1907-09 session sat on the committees on Charitable Institutions, Immigration, Labor, Public Debt, and Corporations Other Than Municipal.
  The remainder of Flamer's life following his legislative service remains a mystery, other than his continued affiliation with the aforementioned Flamer House. He died in Cass County on August 28, 1929, aged 75 and was survived by his wife Lena, who died in 1947. Both were interred at the Riverside Cemetery in Fargo. 

Cordie McCord Helferich (1894-1979)

Portrait from "Hebron's Heritage", 1960.

  A recent cull through the annals of the North Dakota legislature has yielded several new odd names, among them Cordie McCord Helferich, a one-term state representative as well as a past mayor of the town of Hebron. While little information could be found on Helferich's life, the 1960 history of Hebron (entitled Hebron's Heritage) helped significantly when it came to compiling this article! 

  A native of Delmar, Iowa, Cordie McCord Helferich was born in that town on May 7, 1894, one of six children born to Charles Wallace and Amanda (Juel) Helferich. Little is known of Helferich's early life, excepting notice of his marriage in Fergus Falls, Minnesota in November 1916 to Dorothy Schultz (1895-1974). The couple's near six-decade marriage would produce two sons, Harold Eugene (1924-1999) and Raymond (1928-1997). Helferich's Minnesota residency would see him managing the Faith Creamery near Twin Valley, and in 1921 took charge of a creamery in the city of Mahnomen.

   Following his resettlement in Hebron, North Dakota in 1928, Cordie Helferich was elected to the Hebron town council in 1932, continuing to serve well into the late 1950s. In 1947 he purchased the Sax Motor Company of Hebron, later changing its name to the Auto Implement Co. In the succeeding years it would operate as a "franchise to sell Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and John Deere products", and Helferich would be joined in this business by his wife and son, Harold. 

  In 1950 Helferich was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives from Morton County. Nothing could be found on his service in the legislature, excepting the length of his term, 1951-53. In the early 1950s, he was elected as a member of the board of directors for the Hebron Hospital corporation. Helferich would return to political life in the mid-1950s when he became acting mayor of Hebron, due to the resignation of then-mayor Ernest Wolter, who had removed to Oregon. Helferich would subsequently be elected to a full term of his own as mayor in 1958, his total length of service being unknown at this time.

  Widowed in 1974, Cordie M. Helferich died in Mandan, North Dakota on March 7, 1979, at age 84. He was interred alongside his wife Dorothy at the St. John's Cemetery in Hebron.

Chantrey Alfred Fritts (1904-1971)

Chantrey A. Fritts as he appeared in Denver Post, 1951.

  The Colorado legislature yields another new name in the person of Chantrey Alfred Fritts, who is notable for being the first state legislator profiled here who was a chiropodist (or, to be more precise, a foot and hand doctor.) While his name may be unusual and his profession unique, it is Fritts' terms in the Colorado legislature that earns him a place here, as well as his brief service in the state senate. A native of Belle, Missouri, Chantrey Alfred Fritts was born in 1904, one of two sons born to Charles Oscar (1869-1966) and Emma (Travis) Fritts (1870-1955).

  Little is known of Fritts' early life and education in Missouri, and after deciding on a career in the medical profession enrolled at the University of Colorado. Following graduation, he undertook further study at the University of Denver's Podiatry School. Sources also relate Fritts briefly being a school teacher in the Oak Creek school from 1926-27. In February 1926 he married in Denver to Edna Violet Smith (1906-1985), to who he was wed for over four decades. The couple would have two children, Chantrey Alfred Jr. (1931-2016, later a professor at Abilene Christian University) and an adopted daughter, Nancy Fritts Vourexes (1941-1995). 

  After the completion of his schooling, Chantrey Fritts operated a "private podiatry practice" and was connected to the Ft. Logan Hospital and the Denver General Hospital. From 1938-39 he held the presidency of the Colorado Association of Chiropodists and was a longstanding member of the Colorado Podiatry Association.

   Fritts entered the political life of his state in 1942 when he was elected as one of Denver County's representatives to the Colorado legislature, polling over 50,000 votes on election day. Fritts' first term (1943-45) saw him chair the committees on Medical Affairs and Public Health, as well as the committee on Penal and Reformatory Institutions. He would win a second term in 1944 and during the 1945-46 session sat on the committees on Appropriations and Expenditures, Denver City Affairs, Education, Elections and Appointments, and State Institutions.

  The 1946 election year saw Fritts be appointed to the Colorado State Senate, due to a vacancy brought about by the resignation of Eudochia Bell Smith, who had served since 1941. Fritts' brief time in the Senate (which extended from December 1946 to December 1948) saw him chair the committee on Reapportionment, as well as serving on the committees on Medical Affairs, Military Affairs, Printing, Privileges and Elections, and Supplies and Expenditures.

  After leaving the Senate in 1948 Fritts returned to his medical practice, and in 1956 was again elected to fill a vacancy, this time in the house of representatives. With representative Paul Hodges Jr. resigning his seat that year, Fritts was tapped to fill the vacancy and during his brief time in office was a member of the House Services, Judiciary, and State Affairs Committees.

  Little information exists on Fritts' life after leaving the legislature, excepting notice of his being a speaker at the 58th annual meeting of the American Podiatrist Association in 1970, where he spoke on "reactions to foot disorders that can contribute to mental depression." Chantrey Alfred Fritts died on June 21, 1971, in Colorado and was survived by his wife and children. Both he and his wife were interred at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

From the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph, June 23, 1971.

Oyer Alton Saunders (1889-1983)

From the Colorado Transcript, October 20, 1938.

  Hailing from a state that has yielded only a handful of profiles here on the site, Colorado resident Oyer Alton "Sandy" Saunders served one term in the Colorado state senate and prior to his service had held the post of coroner for Jefferson County for over a decade. One of only four politicians profiled here who were morticians by trade, Oyer A. Saunders was a native of the Buckeye State, being born in Crown City, Gallia County, Ohio on June 21, 1889. The son of Joseph Walter and Sarah Jane (Dailey) Saunders, little information could be located on Saunder's life in Ohio, excepting notice of his being a teacher and school superintendent in Gallia County, holding the latter post from 1918-1919.

  Oyer Saunders married in Gallia County on December 16, 1911, to Minnie Belle Gothard (1887-1953), with whom he had one son, Rothbe Oyer Saunders (1914-1933). In 1920 Saunders and his family removed from Ohio to Colorado, and early in his residency in that state was head of the physics department at the Boulder High School. This was followed by a stint as a high school principal in Fort Lupton and, later, an eight-year tenure as superintendent of schools for the city of Steamboat Springs.

   In 1930 Saunders and his family settled in Golden, Jefferson County, Colorado, and in that same year, he first entered into the mortuary business, purchasing the Woods Mortuary, which had been established in 1913. Despite having had no previous experience as a mortician, Saunders and a partner, T.E. Cline, pooled resources to purchase the business, with Cline handling the "technical details of the business" and Saunders serving as manager. In the Colorado Transcript write-up concerning the purchase, details note that Saunders and his family lived  "above the mortuary" for a time and that both he and Cline planned to "remodel and refurbish the establishment." 

   Beginning in 1936, the Woods Mortuary began a "ten months program of modernization" that eventually culminated with the addition of "soft lighting effects, rich draperies, soft carpeting, appropriate interior decoration, new equipment and beautifully furnished rooms for those who have passed on." The mortuary would also boast a new chapel, and in 1937 Saunders would purchase the neighboring Taft building, thereby enlarging the mortuary storefront. By the mid-1940s the building also contained a casket display room, and, following renovations, the second floor of the building had been converted to apartment housing.

The Woods Mortuary as it appeared in the October 20, 1938 Colorado Transcript.

   By 1932 the name of O.A. Saunders had been established in the Jefferson County community, and in that year Saunders made his first run at elective office, announcing his candidacy for county coroner. In September 1932 he entered into the primary race and in the latter part of the year several newspapers in the county highlighted his candidacy, with the Colorado Transcript noting:

"O.A. Saunders is the successor of William Woods in the Woods mortuary at Golden and is also the Republican candidate for coroner. He is the logical man to serve the county as coroner and should be given the vote of the high citizenry at Tuesday's primary election. He is a lifelong Republican and was the high designee of his party at the recent county assembly."

  Following his primary win that September Saunders would go on to win the election for coroner in November. He would continue to win reelection to that office well into the 1940s and garnered a reputation as an official of "efficiency, economy, and fair-dealing." Saunders' first months as coroner were marred by the tragic death of his son Rothbe, who died aged 18 in January 1933, having undergone surgery for "sinus trouble" the previous December. This surgery was later compounded by flu and spinal meningitis, and following Rothbe's death on January 5th, O.A. Saunders presided over his son's funeral at the Woods Mortuary. The young man was later laid to rest at the Crown Hill Cemetery, his casket being escorted by a contingent of Colorado National Guardsmen, as well as a plane from the 120th observation squadron from the air service of the Colorado National Guard. 

From the Colorado Transcript, October 20, 1932.

From the Colorado Transcript, October 18, 1934.

   Through the 1930s and into the 1940s the name of Oyer Saunders continued prominence in Jefferson County, and in addition to his services as county coroner and mortuary director gained distinction in several other civic endeavors, including holding the presidency of the Golden Chamber of Commerce from 1941-42, the presidency of the local Kiwanis Club, serving as County Chairman of the Red Cross Drive during WWII, and was a member of the Golden City Lodge #1 of Free and Accepted Masons. In 1935 and 1936 Saunders served back to back terms as president of the Colorado Funeral Directors Association, and in November 1940 was appointed by Governor Ralph L. Carr as a member of the state board of embalming examiners for a four-year term.

   In 1945 Saunders and his wife Minne purchased T.E. Cline's entire interest in the Woods Mortuary and became that business's sole owners. Saunders would reach his highest degree of political prominence in August 1948 when he announced his candidacy for the Colorado state senate, and in that year his past business successes were touted in the August 20th edition of the Douglas County Record-Journal. In an article detailing his candidacy, Saunders acknowledged his wife Minnie as his "chief supporter and most helpful critic", and remarked:

"If I go to the Colorado Senate, I shall do my best to represent fairly the 8th Senatorial district as a whole. Its schools, educational and other institutions, business and professional interests, agriculture and civic improvements, shall have my cooperation--I think I have something to offer in the way of unbiased legislation."

  Saunders' opponent that year was Democratic nominee Ed Moder, a real estate dealer and later owner of the Jefferson Sentinel newspaper. In November 1948 it was Saunders who won out at the polls, besting Moder by a vote of 10,600 to 9,693. Taking his seat in January 1949, Saunders would serve one four year term and served on the following committees: Banking; Education and Educational Institutions; Fish, Forestry, and Game; Insurance and Interstate Cooperation; Medical Affairs; and Mining and Metal. He would also chair the committee on Veteran's and Military Affairs during the 1949-50 session and chaired the Industrial Affairs committee from 1951-52.

Saunders campaign notice, September 24, 1948.

   Following his term, Oyer A. Saunders wasn't a candidate for renomination in 1952 and in May 1957 suffered the death of his wife of over forty years, Minnie. Sometime after his wife's death, Saunders would remarry to Ruby Merle Mylar Topping (1900-1990), who would survive him upon his death in 1983. Saunders' later years saw him residing in Evergreen, Colorado, and in 1969 returned to his old home of Steamboat Springs to attend the 40th-anniversary reunion of the class of 1929. Oyer Alton Saunders died in Denver on January 13, 1983, at age 93. He was later interred alongside his wife Minnie and son Rothbe at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

From the Steamboat Pilot, September 4, 1969.

Roscius Harlow Back (1865-1941), Roscius Back (1837-1921)

Portrait from the Clark County Bar Association newsletter, 2011.

   It isn't often that one stumbles upon an oddly named father-son pair who were both active in public service, but that is precisely the case with Connecticut state representative Roscius Back and his son, Washington state superior court judge Roscius Harlow Back. Members of a New England family that extended back to the French and Indian War, the first to be profiled is Roscius Harlow Back, who was born in Union, Tolland County, Connecticut on May 28, 1865, a son of Roscius and Harriet Cutler (Robbins) Back.

  A student in schools local to Union, Back would go on to attend the Hitchcock Free Academy in Brimfield Massachusetts and after deciding to pursue a career in law enrolled at the Boston University Law School, during which time he worked as a university librarian. He received his bachelor of laws degree in 1889, and soon after being admitted to the bar Back removed to Massachusetts, where he practiced from 1889 to 1903.

  In November 1903 Roscius H. Back left Massachusetts to pursue opportunities in the Pacific Northwest, and in February of the following year established his law practice in Vancouver, Washington. He would return to the East Coast in October 1906 to marry Ann Phillips (1881-1972), with whom he had three children, Roscius Harlow Jr. (1894-1942), Helen Robbins (1896-1994) and Harriet (1907-1972).

   Just a few years following his settlement in Vancouver Back entered the political life of Clark County when he was elected as City Attorney for Vancouver, serving from 1907-1908. In November 1912 Back was elected as a Superior Court judge for Clark County, Washington, and took his seat on the bench in 1913. He would win a second term in 1916 and left office in 1921. Back's life following his judgeship saw him return to practicing law in Vancouver and was later a member of the Clark County Legal Advisory Board. He died in Vancouver on June 17, 1941, aged 76, and was survived by his wife Ann. Following her death in 1972 at age 91 she was interred alongside her husband at the Park Hill Cemetery in Vancouver.

Portrait from the Connecticut Legislative Souvenir of 1907-08.

   The father of the preceding gentleman, Roscius Back was a prominent son of Union, Connecticut, being a farmer, grist mill owner, lumber merchant and two-term member of the Connecticut General Assembly. A native of Massachusetts, Back was born in Holland, Hampden County on February 4, 1837, the son of Lucius and Sophia Black. He would attend schools in the town of his birth and the Mashapaug district in Tolland County, Connecticut. At the conclusion of his schooling Back farmed and cut lumber with his father and for a time was employed at the Samuel Colt Armory in Hartford, Connecticut.

   Roscius Back married in Massachusetts in August 1863 to Harriet Cutler Robbins (1840-1933), with whom he had two sons, Roscius Harlow (1865-1941) and Harry Eugene  (1869-1956). A year prior to his marriage Back sought his business fortune in Mashapaug, Connecticut, partnering with factory owner Albert Weld to purchase an interest in the latter's mattress business and grist mill. For two years their operation manufactured and sold excelsior mattresses (along with a grain mill) until its destruction by fire in October 1864. Following the fire Back retired from business and ventured into farming, owning seventy-five acres devoted to "farming and dairying interests." Through the succeeding years, Back purchased several hundred acres of timberland in Connecticut and Massachusetts, with his name becoming prominent in the lumber industry in his area, work that occurred mainly during the winter months.

  The holder of several political offices in Union, Back would serve at various times as town assessor, tax collector, constable, and member of the board of relief. In 1890 he was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly as one of several Tolland County representatives and during the 1891-93 session sat on the committee on Agriculture. He was returned to the legislature for a second term in 1906 and during the 1907-08 session was a member of the committee on Roads, Bridges, and Rivers. 

  After leaving the legislature in 1908 Back and his wife removed from Union to the town of Southbridge, and during the twilight of his life saw both of his sons go on to political success of their own, with Roscius Harlow being a Washington superior court judge and Harry Eugene serving as a state representative,  prosecuting attorney and judge for the town of Killingly. Roscius Back died in Connecticut at age 84 on July 15, 1921. He was survived by his wife Harriet, who, following her death at 92 in 1933, was interred alongside him at the Danielson Cemetery in Westfield, Connecticut.

Portrait from the Commemorative Biographical Record of Tolland and Windham County.