Charles Llewellyn Butler (1870 - 1942)

Born 16 May 1870 in Allen, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Cora Melvina (Wisemiller) Butler — married 26 Dec 1890 in Lexington, Dawson County, Nebraska

Descendants

Died 16 Sep 1942 at age 72 in Haswell, Kiowa, Colorado, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kenneth Kinman [send private message]

Biography

Charles Llewellyn Butler was born on Monday, 16 May 1870, Lima, Allen County, Ohio, presumably in Perry Township. Although his gravestone gives a birthdate of May 26th and his death certificate says May 25th, a certified birth record from Allen County Courthouse says that he was born on May 16th.

He was only four years old when his parents moved to Kent, Iowa, and in his teens when they moved on to Nebraska, perhaps on the Oregon trail. Charles was married on Friday, 26 December 1890, Lexington, Dawson Co., Nebraska, to Cora Melvina Wisemiller (b. 03 July 1872, Brooks Twp., Newaygo Co., Michigan; d. 22 July 1951, Colorado Springs, Colorado), daughter of William Henry Harrison Wisemiller and Martha Amanda Kimball.

While in Nebraska (1880s-1908), the Butlers lived near the Platte River and would have witnessed the spectacular flocks of sandhill cranes which stop there each spring (March) and fall (October). The cranes no doubt fed in the fields of their farm, especially on left-over corn from the harvest. The Platte River was a much grander river in those days. The word Nebraska is an Indian name meaning "flat water", referring to the shallow water of the Platte.

The Butlers moved to the vicinity of Haswell, Kiowa County, Colorado, in 1908, living there when Halley's Comet appeared in the spring sky of 1910. Charles homesteaded two tracts of land near Haswell from 1908 until 1913, and in 1913, he paid $1.00 for each of the two tracts. They were about 4 miles east and a mile south of Haswell in Section 2 (T.19S, R.51W) and Section 35 (T.18S, Range 51W). The tracts were presumably adjacent to one another since section 2 is just south of section 35. The number of acres involved is not yet known, but they apparently sold these tracts in 1920, when Charles built the "Highway Garage" in Haswell. The Haswell Herald newspaper of 24 October 1918 says that "Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Butler moved to town this week. They occupy the upstairs rooms in the old postoffice building." The Haswell Herald of 01 July 1920 says that the large garage being constructed by Charles and his sons was nearing completion.

In the Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper dated 10 April 1930, "Charles Butler garage man" was listed among the jurors in a court case: https://www.newspapers.com/image/588306941/?terms="Charles%20Butler"%20haswell%20colorado&match=1

Charles died on Wednesday, 16 September 1942, Haswell, Colorado, from acute indigestion, and he was buried in the Haswell Cemetery two days later.

Source: Research by Kenneth Kinman

Sources

• Marriage record: https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/61335/47291_552431-01074/63447?backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/115292186/person/320144241687/facts/citation/940390893461/edit/record

• Pictures, obituary, etc.: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KZTY-87F

• 1880 Census: https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1880usfedcen&indiv=try&h=47909307

• 1910 Census (Galatea Precinct No. 6, Kiowa County, Colorado): https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2118575:7884
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=47098665

• Certified copy of birth record from Allen Co., Ohio (says 16 May 1870).

• https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/cgi-bin/colorado?a=d&d=HWH19200701.2.4&srpos=123&e=-------en-20-HWH-121--txt-txIN-%22butler%22-------2-#

• Photograph (with wife) here: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/115292186/person/320144241687/facts

• Photograph (with wife Cora behind him on porch): https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/163001350

• Photograph with family: https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/30658157/person/12290960248/media/02881c1e-d08a-4fa8-8806-9ea82ce29b5a?_phsrc=DBj2242&_phstart=successSource