Ole's Blog

In an earlier post, we showed some photos of Henry, a younger brother of Dan Myers. The information I gathered from his descendants in Boise, Idaho now provides at least a skeleton of his life story. He was born in Onawa, Iowa on 09 Dec. 1888, to Stephen and Helen Myers.

In 1908, he enrolled in the University of Utah’s School of Mining. Note the assurances in this letter that Henry’s mother will be kept informed of his progress. “In parenta absentis” After graduating, he worked for many years at the coal mines near Kenilworth, Utah, where he specialized in safety engineering. Here is a card he wrote to his mother in 1921, apparently after some kind of mining safety competition in St. Louis.Henry, who was known by his nickname, “Pete,” was married 09 Mar. 1912 to Genevieve Leona Dodds of Boise, daughter of Charles Elmer Grant Dodds and Hannah Hagler.

The Dodds were a Catholic family, so the children were raised Roman Catholic. There were three Myers children: Helen Hannah (1918-1918), Frank Elmer (1920-2007 – Steve’s father), and Avis Vale Myers (Married name Pintus; 1922-1992). Both Frank and Avis had children, grandchildren, etc. I don’t have all the names of Avis’ branch yet.

Here is an extended family group shot dated 1922, with names on reverse, but not in order. Left to right:  Avis Vale Myers (1922-1992) Genevieve Dodds Myers (1894-1955), Henry Borbidge Myers, Frank Elmer Myers  (1920-2007), “Uncle Frank C” (Frank Colby Myers 1892-1973), Stephen D Myers (b. 1921 – Uncle Frank’s son) “Grandma Myers” (Helen Colby Myers 1850-1923).

This snapshot is of Henry, Avis, and Frank a few years later.

This undated, unidentified portrait is problematic. It certainly seems to be Henry and Genevieve at a considerably later date. But who is the boy? Frank would be much older, and  their grandsons were not born until after Henry’s death in 1944. They had nieces but no nephews, not that one would likely be in a portrait like this anyway. If this were Frank, aged about five, then Henry would be only about 37 years old, and Genevieve about 31. The date would be earlier than the previous snapshot. Possible, I guess. The boy does look like Frank …

Anyway, Henry Myers died 19 Nov 1944 in Boise, Idaho, survived by his wife, and Frank and Avis, who both went on to have families of their own.

stones

Next: Dan’s little-known brother, Frank Colby Myers.

I just made my planned trip to Boise, where I met several newly-discovered relatives.

On the left is Stephen Frank Myers, my second cousin. In the center is his mother, Mary Joyce Hyatt Myers, widow of Frank Elmer Myers (1920-2007), and on the right is Steve’s daughter, Vickie Myers Barnhart. We were all delighted to make this new connection and exchange stories, pictures, and information.

Before discussing Steve’s branch of the family, I will begin with a little added information about our common ancestors, whom I have written about before.

Stephen Bennett Myers and Helen Colby were great-grandparents to both Steve and myself. After Stephen died in 1917, Helen lived with Steve’s grandfather, Henry Borbidge Myers, nicknamed “Pete,” until her own death in 1923. That is how Helen’s memorabilia ended up in Steve’s branch of the family. Lots more on Henry in the next post.

I had seen Stephen and Helen’s wedding date mentioned elsewhere (15 Sept. 1875), but had neglected to enter it in my database. I have done so now, after seeing their official wedding certificate.

Here is a fact I was not aware of at all: before marriage, Helen was a schoolteacher. There were a number of her annual certificates among the documents. They ranged from this rather official one in 1866 (Helen was 16 years of age then)To this one, scribbled on a grocer’s letterhead (the grocer was also the county superintendent of schools, and publisher of a newspaper).

Also among the documents were sympathy letters from several of Helen’s children following the death of Stephen B Myers in 1917. The one from Grandpa Dan was typed on his grocery-store letterhead.Finally, a selection from the earliest photos in this family’s collection. They are in a small box of tintypes. I couldn’t scan most of them, as they were mounted behind glass and not readily taken apart. But this one was not in a frame, consequently quite damaged but also easily scanned. It is of Helen Colby, dated 1874, before she and Stephen Myers were married. A bit of retouching got it to this point.

This is just the beginning. Next: Henry B “Pete” Myers, from Iowa to Utah to Idaho.