#52 Ancestors 52 Weeks
Week 30 Prompt: Newspaper
Killed By The Cars 1890
John William Fueston
Alice Gunder Fueston
(1865-1890)
If it wasn’t for newspapers the knowledge of who John William Fueston was may still not be known to me. He was the first born to Ezekiel Fueston age 22 and Ursley Smith Fueston when she was just 18 in Wayne, Kentucky. He was the older brother to my great grandfather, Robert Clemmons Fueston (1858-1948). He was my great grand uncle. Basically he was unknown to me until searching the Fueston name on Newspapers.com revealed his story and so many more stories about family not previously known to me.
John and Alice were married in Decatur, Indiana in 1882. They had 5 children, all were born in Nebraska. Henry Leroy (1883-1911), Malinda M (1884-unkn) Nannie B (1887-1893), unknown name (death about-1888), and unknown name (unkn-1890).
The story of their deaths is heartbreaking. John was a young father of 5 children and he himself was a young 33 while his wife Alice was in her 20’s. Newspapers of years past wrote all the detail we don’t get in today’s stories. They were driving they horse pulled wagon to town for supplies and for a medical appointment for their infant who had some sort of infant disease. The wagon they were in was shattered into a “million” pieces when struck by the train. John was thrown 30 feet from the wagon where he died and Alice was attached to the front of the train with her infant baby tightly wrapped in her arms. Both were dead.
The events of their story was sensationalized from Nebraska to San Francisco with the accident occurring in Nebraska. Amazing for the 1890’s to see the miles their story traveled.
In this photo John, Alice and two of their children are buried in the center of the family plot. John's father Ezekiel to the left and their daughter Nannie to their right. None of that information was know pre newspaper searching. This photo was received from a lady who made it her mission to find family connected to it. It was in a box of photos that had been found by her friends husband in the garbage in San Francisco many years before reaching me. From the time this photo landed in my lap until searching Newspapers.com, I had no idea who each person buried in this family plot were. Because of newspapers I can now tell the story of parts of each persons story that is buried in this family plot.
Napa Journal
Napa, California Sun Jun 15, 1890, page 2
The San Francisco Call
San Francisco, California – Sat, Jun 14, 1890 page 8
In addition to learning about the accident and who the family members buried in the center plot, the newspaper reveals much more. It reveals the story that John and Alice’s first child’s had died a few years before and was exhumed and laid to rest with family. And that John’s father, Ezekiel Fueston (my 2X great grandfather) died a few weeks later.
Keith County News
Ogallala, Nebraska Fri, June 29 1890 page 1
The final piece of the puzzle regarding the family plot came together with this news article about John and Alice’s daughter Nannie Fueston.
Lincoln County Tribune
North Platte, Nebraska Wed, Oct 25, 1893 page 3
Two children of John and Alice’s lived into adulthood, married and had children. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with a few of their descendants. And have had the honor of standing in the section of the cemetery where John and Alice's son Henry Leroy Fueston gravesite is in Spokane, WA.
Death Certificate of Henry Leroy Fueston. Washington State Archives, 2023
I still have yet to discover who the folks standing by the 1915’s car are and may never know. Oh, did I mention that John and Alice's children, siblings Henry and daughter Malinda married Pilgrim siblings. A story for another time. Along with a future story of where the pictured family plot may be. It is assumed it is in Nebraska where many family members homesteaded their 160 acre parcels of land.
And that's a wrap for this story!
Family Historian
Barbara Fueston Grandon
great work!
ReplyDeleteThank you for always supporting me and my efforts to keep family story alive.
ReplyDelete