Arthur Cluchey was Israel's second son. Herbert being his older brother and Minnie his younger sister. He was born October 9, 1879 in Udora Ontario. Along with his siblings he attended religious classes in the Methodist church as a result of the strong urgings of his mother Susannah, who was a staunch Quaker.
As he grew older, he worked as a logger in the Lake Superior District producing lumber for the sawmills and the pulp and paper industry. In his early twenties he moved to Toronto where he worked for a time as a street car conductor. On May 6, 1900 (sic) he married Alida Tracy. Their first son Arthur Bert Cecil was born in Udora. ( Had they returned there from Toronto?) When Arthur Jr. was nearly two the couple moved to French River, where Arthur Sr. worked in a sawmill. It was here the couple's second child Eva was born October 29th 1902. Six months after the birth of Eva, Arthur and Alida moved to Drinkwater Saskatchewan. Herbert, had encouraged Arthur to join him out West. The two brothers took out homesteads at the same time.
In Saskatchewan the two men farmed for themselves, but also worked for other farmers to get enough money to buy their own farm equipment. The early 1900's were very difficult for 'homesteaders'. Herbert and Arthur went so far as to mortgage their farms in order to buy a threshing machine to do custom work. Sadly money was scarce and the bank foreclosed on their farms. It was a bitter experience. Herb returned to Rathwell and Arthur was left with a team of horses, a jersey cow, a wagon and the families' personal belongings. In the families' possesion is a paper dated January 8th. 1905, Coronach, Saskatchewan, so either the family moved there for a time or the municipal office was there.
On February 19th. 1905, Arthur's second son Wyburn was born at Drinkwater. The family evidently moved to Rouleau next, for it was here their third son Frank Israel Boyd, was born on May 11th. 1907. He was baptized at New Warren, Saskatchewan.
Baby Frank was only 6 weeks old when the family moved to Scobey, Montana, USA. They arrived at the port of Scobey by team, on or about July 29th.1907. The trip had taken the family a long time because Alida had cracked her rib in a fall and the family was forced to stay with friends named Butler, until Alida recovered.
While in Scobey, the family lived in a 'dugout, (similiar to a sod hut) while Arthur worked for neighbours. The family's hardships continued even here, since they were caught in a fierce tornado like storm and Alida lost her family's heirlooms.
A near tragic accident occurred to young Marcus when he was barely walking in 1911. Marcus went for grain to feed the horses and while touching a horse on the way to the manger, was kicked in the head. Fortunately, though his skull was broken, he did recover. Pearl, Arthur's next daughter, was born while the family was still in Scobey./p>
Nails almost proved fatal to one of the Cluchey boys. In 1913 when Frank was about six years old, he stepped on a rusty nail and got blood poisoning. Resultant hot packs were not totally effective, and the lack of such preventatives as tetanus resulted in Frank being ill to the extent of being 'out of his mind'. But fortunately he did recover. Wyburn too, stepped on a nail while playing catch, but his condition did not become so serious as Frank's.The two recovered. Elsie Victoria, the last daughter was born on Nov. 26th. 1914, and on May 14th. 1917, Arthur and Alida's last son, Elwood was born in Scobey.
There were good times and some bad times for the Arthur Cluchey family in the years that followed. In 1919, Arthur's sister Minnie visited them from Winnipeg. That same year the bank foreclosed on the farm. Arthur, forced to look for a new home, drove to Alix, Alberta, a small village 15 miles from Lacombe, Alberta. In Alix he was able to rent a house for $30.00 a month, so he sent for the rest of the family. Alida and seven children made the trek by train. At the time Frank was 12, Mack 10, and Pearl was 8. In Scobey, Montana, Pearl had been in Grade 3 at school, when she came to Alix she was put back in Grade 1. That tells us something, but we are not certain what!
Meanwhile on April 12th. 1920, Arthur's oldest son Cecil (Arthur Bert Cecil) had married Inga Frostad. When the rest of family moved to Alberta, Cecil and Inga moved to Williston, North Dakota. Cecil's eldest son Edgar was born in Williston on November 20th. 1920. His daughter Violet was born August 15th. 1922. The young family visited Arthur Sr. in Alix. Whether or not the visit was the reason, on May 22nd. 1924, a declaration of intention was again filed by Arthur and he moved his family back to Scobey, Montana. It is not clear what effect this move had on Pearl's educational status. 1928 found Arthur on the move once again, this time to Lacombe, Alberta, where he did carpenter work. The moving bug was still with him and in 1929 he loaded all his worldly goods into a freight car and moved his family to Boyle, Alberta, 125 miles north of Edmonton, close to what is now the Athabaska Tar Sands. Here the family first lived in a rented apartment and then a log cabin. Arthur worked in a bar and in the lumber mills.
Whether Alida had enough of traveling or simply could not stand the cold weather in Boyle, is unclear, nevertheless Alida and Arthur separated. After the separation Arthur moved in with his son Mark and they homesteaded together. Arthur was still in Boyle when his mother Susannah (Billinger) Cluchey died in Winnipeg. Some time after 1932, father and son - Arthur and Mark, went to Kelowna, British Columbia. In 1939 Arthur went to visit his son Elwood in Olympia, Washington and stayed for four years. During the balance of his life Arthur moved from place to place. It was during his last visit with Elwood in 1950 that Arthur died. He is buried in Tacoma.
After the separation from Arthur, Alida in 1929 went to live with her daughter Pearl in Lacombe where she worked on a farm.. In 1932 Eva began work as a waitress in grand Hill and remained there for eight years. Alida continued to live with one or the other of her children in the Lacombe and later the Boyle areas. At one time daughter Elsie went to Lac Labiche and Alida visited with her. At another time, Eve, Elwood and Alida lived together in Edmonton. It appeared that Alida was very close to her son Elwood and daughter Eve and they treated her with respect. On April 11, 1972 Alida died.
Arthur Sr.'s eldest son while named after his father, was better known as Cecil. He was born Jan 6 1900 in Udora Ontario. He moved around with his family and at the age of 2 he moved west with them. The frequent moves did not give Cecil an opportunity to receive a formal education. Despite the fact he did not get past Gr 3, his natural ability as a carver and his inventive mind were characteristics that held him in esteem by his family and enabled him to find work. He was only 7 years old when he worked in the fall harvest in Saskatchewan.
Cecil married Inga Frostad in Plentywood Montana, on April 4 1920. He and his wife stayed in Montana whle Arthur Sr. and the rest of the family moved back to Alberta. Through an acqauintance of his wife's sister in Foxville, he was able to obtain work in a blacksmith's shop. Later he moved his family to Williston, North Dakota where his first two children were born.Edgar on November 21, 1920 and Violet on August 15 1922. On August 24 1924, a railroad strike discouraged Cecil with his USA home and he moved to Bengough Saskatchewan, where he tried his hand at coal mining at Buffalo Gap 15 miles from Bengough.
Born November 20 1920, in Williston North Dakota, he married Audrey (?) around 1940 and they lived for a time near Eudora Kansas where Edgar worked for the Army. Later they moved to California where his uncles Frank and Wyburn lived in Corona and Orangeville respectively, both suburbs of Los Angeles. Frank later moved to Olympia Washington. Edgar worked in the shipyards in San Francisco building oil tankers. It was during this time he and Audrey divorced. In 1950 Edgar returned to Eudora Kansas where he met and married Mary Anderson who died December 2 1993. Edgar had five children. The little information we have about these childen follows:
Violet was born August 15, 1922 in Williston, North Dakota. Her husband was James Toyne They had four children
Robert was the second son of Cecil Clutchey and Inga Frostad. He was born in Hart Butte Montana on June 24 1925. He lived in Buffalo Gap and moved back to Bengough Saskatchewan with them. When the land proved unproductive they had to wait three years to get back to the United Sttes. In 1941 he moved to Scobey Montana and at the age of 15 he began work on a dairy farm, first in Scobey then in Seneca. During World War II he worked at the camp Crowder army base in Neosha later moving to Eudora where he worked in a powder nitroglycerine plant. When he became 18 he went into the Navy. The first two months of training were spent at Farraquot, Idaho by Lake Ponderay. In 1943 he went to the South Pacific where part of his service was spent on the destroyer Sycard. In 1946, after his discharge from the Navy, he returned to Eudora Kansas where he married Orba Jean McCormack. In 1947 Robert moved to Concord, California wherre he worked on the Fulsom Dam in Parkville. In 1959 they moved to Orangevill California where Orba died June 13, 1993.
The four children of Robert Kenneth Cluchey and Orba McCormack are:
Orval was the fourth child and the third son of Arthur Cecil Cluchey and Inga Frostad. He was born October 15th. 1928 at Bengough, Saskatchewan. He was married to Betty Pooch (B. 1931). Orval travelled with his family back and forth from Canada to the USA and from Scobey, Montana to Neosho, Kansas and eventually to Eudora, Kansas. In 1950 Orval joined the Marines and went to San Diego for basic training. He was tranferred to El Torro in Santa Anna for a period of time. After his release in 1951 he returned to Topeka, Kansas and has lived there ever since. He has worked during this time for the Topeka Builders Supply. No stranger to overcoming difficulties, Orval had polio as a child. Later he suffered from multiple sclerosis. He suffered problems with his balance at first, later he progressed to crutches, and finally a wheelchair. Catherine Seemann met the family in the summer of 1982 and during a lovely visit acquired the details of the children as follows:
Diane, Orvil and Betty's daughter was born June 1st 1951. Unfortunatley Betty was afflicted by measles when she was five months pregnant, and Diane was born with cerebral palsy. Diane went to Koppen school when she was five years old, the same year she was guest of honor at an opening telethon, At nine years of age she had corrective surgery and at ten began her travels to help others. After graduation she began full time work with teenagers for the Koppen foundation. Her work has taken her to Nashville, New York and New Orleans. Her courage and her success have been greatly admired by many others who have suffered the same affliction. Her work serves as a model and the entire family is proud of her accomplishments. |
GLEN LEO (b. 1929 - d. 1945) No further information
LEONARD and LEORA (b. 1932 - d. 1932) Both twins died within a year of birth.
KATHLEEN ELSIE Kathleen was born June 29th. 1934 in Bengough, Sask. She moved with the family until they resided in Eudora, KS. where she graduated from high school. She married Dell Wilson, a marine, on Oct. 8th. 1951 in Beaufort, S.C. They were stationed in Quantico, VA., and McAlister, OK. and later on moved back to Kansas. Dell worked in car sales for many years which enabled them to travel in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. In 1970 they moved to Manchester, NH. Kathleen worked VA Hospital for two and a half years and as well took computer and secretarial courses. In 1991 they moved back to Kansas. Kathleen and Dell have five children. The children are:
EVERETT
Everett was born August 18th. 1936. He was the younger brother of Kathleen, and he married Lois Hoeschler. Lois had a previous son Brian who was adopted by Everett. Everett and Lois were divorced and he married for a second time. Everett's second wife Phyllis Campden also had a previous child Tania Gantry. Everett and Phyllis then had a child of their own Brooke Cluchey born Dec. 1978.
ARNOLD
The last child of Cecil Cluchey and Inga Frostad, was born March 16th. 1938. Arnold, like his brother Everett was born at Coronach, Saskatchewan. He married Nancy Vandeventer on June 14th. 1978. There were four children born to this family. They include:
Eva was the second child of Arthur Cluchey and Alida Tracy. Arthur Jr. ( Cecil ) being her older brother. Eva was born October 29 1902 in French River Ontario. After the family moved West she met and married Ted Vigars in Scobey Montana. They then moved to Alix Alberta. Ted disappeared. After seven years Eva obtained a divorce and in 1937 married Henry Wright. Like her father, she must have had wanderlust in her blood, since she moved fifty times in her life. She died childless in Enderby, British Columbia in Sept. 1980
The second son of Arthur and Alida Tracy, Wyburn was born on Februay 14th. 1905 in Drinkwater, Saskatchewan. He married Huberta Jenkins (b.1912) on Jan. 28th. 1929 in Strathmore, Alberta. Wyburn and Huberta had two children:
ROBERT CARLYLEBorn March 15th. 1932 in Yelm, Washington, Robert saw service in the Korean War while in his freshman year at Chaffee College, and served in the United States Air Force from 1951 to 1953. Robert later became a Deputy with the Riverside County Sheriff's Dept. and continued studying taking night courses. He married Dolores Ann Carlin (b. 1930) and set up housekeeping in Riverside. Robert and Dolores had two children as follows:
Daughter of Wyburn Cluchey and Huberta Jenkins, Evelyn was born October 2nd. 1933. She met Talmadge Woodward in Corona, California and married him in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 13th. April 1957. They have three sons:
Frank was the fourth child of Arthur Cluchey and Alia Tracy. Born May 11 1907 in Rouleau Saskatchewan, he moved from Calgary to Vancouver in 1929. He joined the Air Force and was stationed for a time in Goose Bay Labrador. lLater while stationed in Washington State he met Edie Anderson . They were married in Vancouver, The couple had no children.
In 1937 Frank moved to California where he went into the construction business with his brother Wyburn. For seven years Frank lived in Roseville California later moving to Tacoma Washington to be near his brother Elwood.
For many years the descendants of Israel Cluchey and Susannah Billinger were lost in the family history. We knew there were Clucheys living in Durham Ontario, but the lineage was difficult to trace. Then a strange coincidence took place. Here is the story: Mary Clutchey Mulhern Kuntz became aware of a Frank Cluchey who lived in Caifornia but whose name was spelled somewhat differently. She gave Frank's name and address to Sister Catherine Seemann. Catherine wrote to Frank outlining the Clutchey family history back to the time of Jean Francois Cloutier (John Clutchey) and asked if there might be a link. Frank replied that his second name was Israel and he thought there might be a relationship. And indeed there was! At the time Frank was in the process of moving to Tacoma, Washington so he put Catherine in touch with his sister Pearl who lived in Lacombe Alberta. This led to the discovery of all of Israel's descendants who moved West. In 1983 Catherine visited Frank and Elwood in Tacoma where she spent a delightful weekend, gathering information. |
Frank and Edie lived in quiet retiement for several more years. Later when Frank became ill he was moved to Roo Lon convalescent center in Lacy Washington where he died.
Marcus Eugene was born August 25th. 1910, the fifth child of Arthur Cluchey I and Alilda Tracy. His birth occurred at Scobey, Montana. Readers will recall it was Marcus who had his skull fractured when kicked by a horse, fortunately he recovered. The family moved to Alix, Alberta in 1920, and later to Boyle, Alberta in 1929 where he obtained a homestead south of Boyle. In 1930 Marcus had married Mildred Cassidy. They had two children. Later they divorced and Marcus married Mariette (?). He homesteaded there until war broke out in 1939. In 1942 during World War II, Marcus was in the Canadian army serving in Sicily when he was shot in the back during the invasion of Italy. The injury took a year to heal. The children of Marcus and Mildred Cassidy were:
After returning from military service, Marcus moved to Kelowna BC. where he entered the construction business. At this time his father Arthur was working with him. In Sept 1950 he married Marietta and in 1951 he moved to Corona Californai and worked in the construction business with his brothers Frank and Wyburn. Marcus worked at a number of occupations in Corona. When his son Donald became ill with brain cancer, Marcus looked aftter him in Corona until Donald's death in 1968. Marcus and Marietta continued to live in their home in Norco California and fly to visit their son, Gordon, in Nanaimo BC.
Born November 9 1912, Pearl was eight years old when the family moved to Alix Alberta in 1920. In 1928 the family moved to Lacombe Alta. and in 1929 to Boyle. Pearl lived for a time with her sister Eva who was a waitress, but unable to find work, she moved back to Boyle. When sister Elsie moved to Labiche, Pearl went to keep her company. Later Pearl, Eva and brother Elwood lived together in Edmonton. 1936 saw Pearl working for Bill Wright on a farm in Lacombe Alberta. On July 18 1936, Pearl married Bill and they continued to live on the farm for thirty years. They had three sons and a daughter whom they adopted when the baby was 28 days old.