Progress Notes

A couple of weeks ago Peggy Hake, our most prolific Miller County historian, wrote in her weekly column for the Autogram Newspaper the biography of Mary Samantha Winfrey (photo 01).

01 Mary Samantha Winfrey

I was particularly interested in the story of Mary Samantha because she was the wife of David Christian Bear, my great grandfather (photo 02).

02 David Christian Bear

She and David Christian had seven children. Here is a family photo of David and Mary Samantha with four of their children (photo 03):

03 Bear Family
Front: David Christian, Dora and Mary Samantha
Back: Madison, Lucy and Andrew

I thought I would present Peggy’s article on this edition of Progress Notes because Mary Samantha’s story offers the opportunity to also present the biography of her uncle, Emly Golden, one of the better known early settlers of Miller County. But first here is Peggy’s biography of Mary Samantha Winfrey Bear:

‘WINDOW TO THE PAST’

BY PEGGY SMITH HAKE (photo 04)

04 Peggy Hake

Mary Samantha Winfrey was born June 29, 1855, in Miller County, a daughter of William Carroll Winfrey (1819-1902) and Christina Golden (1822-1900) of Glaize Township. Her father was born in Kentucky and her mother was a native of Ohio. They married in Miller County Sept. 22, 1842, and became parents of at least 10 children, including:

1. Amanda J. Winfrey 1845-1931 m. Presley DeVore 1866
2. Hannah Winfrey 1847-1860 (died young)
3. William Madison Winfrey 1849-1922 m. Lucy A.Reed 1874
4. George Washington Winfrey 1850-1940 m. Sarah D. Hurt
5. Lewis Oliver Winfrey 1853-1936 m. (1) Sarah E. Carnes (2) Mary Carnes
6. Mary Samantha Winfrey 1855-1921 m. David C. Bear 1881
7. Elmira Winfrey 1857-? m. Thomas Thompson 1897
8. Ozias/Josiah Winfrey 1861- ? m. Melvina Carlton 1885
9. James Carl Winfrey 1863-1940 m. Lucy J. Blankenship
10. Zilphia Winfrey 1865-1952 m. Moses Martin

Mary Samantha married David Christian Bear on Aug. 4, 1881. He was a son of George C. Bear and Elizabeth Vogt (photo 05).

05 George and Elizabeth Bear

David was born in Marion County, Ohio, in 1853. They settled on the original Bear farm near Dog Creek, south of Tuscumbia, but in later years moved to Ulman to a place that was known as the old Coburn Hotel, once owned by Simeon Bear (photo 06).

06 Henry Bear, Virginia and Lucy - Front yard of Coburn Bear Nixdorf home in Ulman

Note: Henry Bear in the photo was a brother to Simeon and David Bear; this historic home burned just a few years ago.

Mary and David became parents of several children who were:

1. Christina E. Bear b. c/1882 m. Theodore F. Martin
2. Arthur Bear 1884-1900 (died young)
3. Lucy C. Bear 1886-1983 m. (1) George Ratliff (2) George D. Jewett
4. Madison Bear 1889-1971 m. (1) Sadie Jane Abbett (2) Emma Alice Johnston-Pierce
5. Edward Bear 1891-1894 (died young)
6. Andrew Bear 1894-1916 m. Louisa C. Curry
7. Dora Bell Bear 1899-1993 m. Ilde Wickham

Note: Here is a photo of the David Christian-Mary Samantha Bear family with some of their children (photo 07):

03 Bear Family
Front: David Christian, Dora and Mary Samantha
Back: Madison, Lucy and Andrew

Mary Samantha Winfrey-Bear joined the Mt. Zion Christian Church in 1890 and was a dedicated church member, wife, mother and friend to many during her lifetime (photo 08).

08 First Mount Zion Church - 1901
Click image for larger view

She died at her home in Ulman on Nov. 1, 1921 at the age of 66. She had been ill for quite a long time and suffered the deadly disease of stomach cancer which caused her painful death.

Her funeral services were conducted by Rev. Charles M. Sooter and she was laid to rest in the “home cemetery” on the Carroll Abbett farm, which today is inventoried as the Bear Cemetery, a short distance south of Tuscumbia (photo 09).

09 David Christian and wife Mary Samantha Bear Tombstone - Bear Cemetery

She was survived by her husband, David Bear, to whom she had been married for 40 years and four children --- Madison, Christiana (Martin), Lucy C. (Ratliff-Jewett), and Dora Belle (Wickham).

Three sons had preceded her in death including Edward in 1894, Arthur in 1900 and Andrew in 1916. She was also survived by four brothers (William, Lewis, George and James Winfrey) and three sisters (Amanda J. DeVore, Elmira Thompson, and Zilphia Martin).

Her husband, David Christian Bear, lived until 1942 when he died at the home of his daughter, Lucy C. Bear-Jewett, who lived in Vandalia, Audrain County, Missouri. He was brought back to Miller County and buried beside Mary Samantha in the Bear Cemetery on the original Bear home place where the family had lived for several generations.

As noted above, Mary Samantha’s mother was Christina Golden, sister of Emly Golden. Emly was one of Miller County’s most well known early settlers. In Clyde Lee Jenkins’ History of Miller County sixty six citations referring to Emly Golden are listed in the index (photo 10).

10 Golden references in Jenkins' History of Miller County

His history has been researched by a number of Miller County historians. Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate a photo of Emly; his lifetime here occurred before photography was readily available. I have not presented before his biography but will do so this week as written by Peggy Hake:

EMLY/EMIL GOLDEN

Emly/Emil Golden was born June 29, 1811, in New Jersey, a son of Andrew and Hannah (Snook) Golden. His parents, born 1782 and 1783, respectively, were also natives of New Jersey.

The children born to Andrew and Hannah were:

-  Joseph b. 1806 in NJ m. Nancy Sibbitt in Ohio;
-  Abraham b. c/1808/NJ m.(1) Cynthia Gleason (2) Eliza J.__;
-  Emly/Emil b. 1811 NJ m. (1) Mariah Hawley (2) Sarah Jane Ulmon;
-  Eliza A. b. c/1815 m. George Shockley in Ripley Co., Indiana;
-  L.H. Golden (male) b. c/1810-1820; and
-  Christiana b. 1822 in Warren Co., Ohio m. William C. Winfrey.

Andrew and Hannah Golden, their three sons and families, came to Miller County about 1840. Andrew, Hannah, Emly, and Miriah settled in Glaize Township near present-day Ulman. Abraham and Eliza settled in the Tuscumbia area. Emly married Miriah Hawley in Indiana c/1830 and they had three children when they moved to Missouri, all born in Indiana. Three daughters were born after they came to Central Missouri.

Their children were:

-  Zalmon Golden b. c/1831 m Mary E. Ulmon 1855;
-  Everett W. Golden b. c/1835 m. Charlotte Shelton 1860;
-  Laura Ann Golden b. c/1838 m. Michael Wyrick Jr. 1854;
-  Eliza Ellen Golden b. c/1840 m. George W. Graham 1857;
-  Nancy Golden b. 1841 m.__; and
-  Mary M. Golden b. 18444 m. James M. Freeman in 1861.

Emly's wife, Miriah Hawley Golden, died in 1845 and was buried at Gott Cemetery near Ulman. In October 1846, he married Sarah Jane Ulmon, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Ulmon.

They became parents of seven children:

-  Elvira Golden b./1848;
-  William Golden b. c/1850 m. Lucy Freeman 1881;
-  Thomas Golden b. c/1851;
-  Josiah Golden b.c/1854;
-  Frances Golden b. c/1856 m. John Weitz 1883;
-  Luella Golden b.c/1858 m. Dr. S. W. Ewell 1886; and
-  Charles Golden b.c/1860 m. Brooks Cummings 1884.

Emly Golden played a major role in the Civil War. Miller County records show he purchased a woman slave from the Benjamin Hinds estate before the war. This was unusual, since he was a Northerner from New Jersey. She may have been given her freedom by Golden. He joined the Union forces when a company was organized at Camp Union on Mill Creek near present-day Brumley in May 1861. Emly was selected as colonel in McClurg's Osage Regiment and his forces helped to secure the south side of the county. His troops were well equipped with pistols, shotguns and knives. Later they crossed the Osage River and joined Capt. Jacob Capps' forces as they moved upon the courthouse at Tuscumbia.

By June 14, 1861, Colonel Golden and his captains moved out of Camp Union with a cavalry of 400 men mounted on horses. His forces were the mightiest military power ever seen in Miller County. Later, Emly joined the 33rd Missouri Volunteer Infantry as a captain. They saw battles in Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee. He finally mustered out of the military in August 1865 at Vicksburg, Miss.

After the Civil War, Emly and Sarah Jane continued to live in Glaize Township where their children were born and reared. He died on New Year's Day 1892 at age 80 and was buried at Gott Cemetery beside his first wife, Miriah Hawley Golden, who had died almost 60 years earlier. Descendants of the Golden family continue on in Miller County through the families of Winfrey, Wyrick, Shelton, Graham, Barr, Wilson and others.

Much more could be quoted from various sources about the life and history of Emly Golden, one of Miller County’s most well known early settlers. Many of his descendents and relatives live in Miller County today. As noted above, Clyde Lee Jenkins’ History of Miller County has many references to Emly which can be found on the pages listed in photo 10 above.

It was coincidental that last week one of Mary Samantha Winfrey Bear’s great grandsons, Gene Skokowski, visited our museum. Gene lives in Eldon and was accompanied by his wife, Betty Cochran Skokowski, originally from Iberia (photo 11).

11 Betty Cochran Skokowski and Gene Skokowski

Gene’s grandmother, Dora Bear Wickham, was a daughter of David Christian and Mary Samantha Winfrey Bear (photo 12).

12 Dora Bear Wickham

Betty immediately was interested in our very large 2,500 square foot Civil War historical display located in the lower level of the museum. What attracted her attention was the display board featuring the history of Missouri’s legendary James brothers (photo 13).

13 James Brothers Display

Betty is a distant cousin of Black Jim Wall’s wife, Mildred “Millie” James Wall. She said that Frank secretly visited Black Jim and Millie at various times when the James boys were evading capture by law enforcement officers (photo 14).

14 Mildred and James Wall

You can read more about Black Jim Wall, the Faith community where he and his wife Betty lived, and the James brothers at this previous Progress Notes.

Other recent visitors to the museum were Charlotte Graham and Reba (Sooter) Martin-Graham (photo 15).

15 Charlotte Graham and Reba Sooter Martin Graham

Reba’s father was Alvin Sooter, a grandson of the historically well known Miller County minister, Charles Sooter (photos 16 and 17).

16 Alvin and Ella Abbett Sooter

17 Charles and Jane Alice Carson Sooter

She was interested in our church related photography display where a photo of her well known great grandfather performing a baptism is displayed (photo 18).

18 Museum Photo of Charles Sooter baptising Ben McDonald - 1901
Click image for larger view

You can read more about Charles Sooter at this previous Progress Notes.

The Civil War display, “Divided Loyalties,” furnished us by the Missouri State Archives, is drawing quite a number of visitors to the museum. As noted last week, the display is a very informative one utilizing large pictorial drawings and original photos covering in detail the history of the Civil War in Missouri (photo 19).

19 Civil War Display- Divided Loyalties

We have devoted the entirety of the lower level of the new addition to the museum for the display. Of course, no charge is made for visitors who come to view this elaborate showing created by the Missouri State Archives. We plan to keep the display up until the end of August.

That’s all for this week.

Joe Pryor

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