Nelle Gray (Marsters) Sawyers (1887 - 1970)

Born 22 Mar 1887 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States

Ancestors

Wife of William Arthur Sawyers — married 15 Oct 1913 in Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States

Died 9 Aug 1970 at age 83 in Carlsbad, San Diego, California, United States

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This profile is part of the Brownsville, Oregon One Place Study.

Biography

She was a slender, very attractive girl, who had lots of suitors. As soon as she became a teenager, she lived much of the time with her Grandma Robe. Just a short time before her wedding to William Arthur Sawyers, of Brownsville on October 15, 1913, and after she had been the recipient of three wedding showers, she borrowed her grandpa's horse and buggy to go home for overnight. She also taught at South Brownsville Primary School in 1913.

The next day, when she was on her way back to grandma's somebody stopped her to tell her that the Robe house had burned the night before. All the lovely embroidered linens, tatted bordered sheets and pillowcases, etc., that she had made for her hope-chest, as well as all the shower gifts, were lost! The townspeople all thought well of the Robes, as well as Nelle, and gave a great shower for them all. Nelle got as many nice things, or more, than she had had before. Her personal linens, of course, could not be replaced, and it was a sad time for her.

The newlyweds moved to Portland, where they lived in, and managed the Belle Court Apts.

[After their first daughter was born] Will noticed an ad for some acreage near Bend, Oregon, so they decided to buy it and have a home of their own. After the house was built, Nelle taught school, and took little Margaret with her, until a second daughter, Mary Ann, was born in 1923.

The weather was cold in the winter with lots of snow. A newspaper ad placed by a person in Oceanside, Calif., who wanted to trade for Oregon ranch land, was most appealing. Will answered the ad, and went south so as to see the property; an agreement was reached to swap the properties, and ultimately the family moved to Carlsbad, Calif. and lived there for the rest of their lives.

Nelle was active in church activities her entire life, and gave countless hours of volunteer work to the U. S. O. at Oceanside where the servicemen at nearby Camp Pendleton came for food and friendship while they were far from home. She often wrote about "her boys" and how she enjoyed being there with them. ^[1]

Elias Marsten age 44 b OR; Maria Marsten age 42 b OR; Carlos Marsten age 18 b OR; Grace Marsten age 16 b OR; Nellie Marsten age 13 b OR; Robert Marsten age 10 b OR; Mildred Marsten age 7 b OR; Willie Marsten age 5 b OR; L Marsten age 1 b OR. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Marsters History by Marcia Brund Allen
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSDN-8M3 : accessed 24 August 2018), Nellie Marsten in household of Elias Marsten, North Brownsville and South Brownsville Precincts Brownsville city, Linn, Oregon, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 47, sheet 6B, family 124, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,348.

• "Oregon Deaths, 1842-1952 and Delayed Births, 1844-1914," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZ5G-42K : 10 March 2018), Nelle Marsters, 22 Mar 1887; citing Birth, Brownsville, Linn, Oregon, United States, 22 Mar 1887, state and county archives, Oregon; FHL microfilm 2,229,473.

"Oregon Marriage Records, 1849-1952", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8WX-M86 : 8 November 2017), Wm. H. Sawyer and Nelle G. Marsters, 1913.

"United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4Z1-PFC : accessed 24 August 2018), Nelle Sawyers in household of William A Sawyers, Bend, Deschutes, Oregon, United States; citing ED 32, sheet 6A, line 15, family 126, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1493; FHL microfilm 1,821,493.

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC68-6JY : accessed 24 August 2018), Nelle M Sawyers in household of William A Sawyers, Oceanside, San Diego, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 19, sheet 2A, line 14, family 40, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 190; FHL microfilm 2,339,925.

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9H9-DM7 : accessed 24 August 2018), Nell Sawyers in household of William A Sawyers, Oceanside Judicial Township, San Diego, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 37-76, sheet 22B, line 78, family 172, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 298.

"California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP2K-BG9 : 26 November 2014), Nellie M Sawyers, 09 Aug 1970; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.