CHARLES NAPOLEON MORRISON

Charles Napoleon Morrison was the 7th child of John Wesley and Mary Ellen (Forqueran) Morrison. He was born April 5, 1859 in Cordova, LeSueur County, Minnesota. On August 4, 1885, he was married to Abbie Eveline Parker at Cleveland, LeSueur, Minnesota. By 1886 they had arrived in Spokane County, Washington territory, along with Abbie’s parents and all of her siblings. They made their home in the Mead-Peone Prairie area. Washington became a State in 1889.

November 15, 1894, Charlie Morrison applied for a homestead of one hundred-sixty acres, in Spokane County, the patent was filed April 15th, 1895. They continued to live in that area until late 1899 when they moved to the Crab Creek area of Lincoln County, WA. The homestead in Spokane was sold early in 1902. The Morrisons moved from Crab Creek to Lind, Adams County, Washington before December, 1902. Abbie and Charles lived in Lind for the remainder of their lives.

Charles was first a farmer, but gave up farming after they moved from the homestead. Thereafter he was a laborer. He worked as a watchman in Montana for the Northern Pacific Railroad He worked as a carpenter, did street repairs for the town of Lind, served as the first Sexton of the Lind Cemetery, served as the police officer for the town and finally, as school janitor.

Charlie evidently had a appealing singing voice and appeared in several local theatrical events (as noted in the Lind Leader newspaper).

Charles died at age 84, in Lind on June 2, 1943 of a Coronary Thrombosis. His remains are interred in Peone Prairie cemetery, Spokane County, Washington.

Abbie Eveline Parker Morrison was born July 11, 1869 in LeSueur County, Minnesota, the third child of Francis and Mary Harding Parker. She was a descendant of the Hardings of New York and Pennsylvania.

Abbie was a well respected member of the Lind community. She helped to support her family by doing the laundry for the Railroad hospital situated close to Lind; she “took in boarders,” did seamstress work and managed her large family. Abbie died December 15, 1951 and is also interred in Peone Prairie cemetery.

Their children were:

1. Victor Luverne was born June 11, 1885 in Cordova, LeSueur, MN. He was married to Maud Halliday on April 7, 1912 at Lind, Adams Co., WA. It is not known what happened to his wife—did she die, were they divorced, did they simply separate? Victor had no children (at least none that we know of). He was living with his parents in Lind, in 1936, when he died of cancer at age 51. His remains are interred in Peone Prairie cemetery.
   
   

2. Minnie May was born November 30, 1886 in Mead, Spokane County, Washington territory. She married Don Bernard Perkins on February 2, 1907 in Lind, WA and their only child, Delmar Charles Perkins, was born March 8, 1907 in Lind. Minnie and Don were separated at some point in time and she moved to a ranch near Brockway, McCone County, Montana. She died January 29, 1936. She and the hired man had taken the horse and wagon to town for supplies when they were caught in the blizzard. Minnie tried to make her way to a farmhouse by following a fence line, but froze to death before she could reach shelter (the hired man also died). Her remains are interred in Peone Prairie cemetery.
   
   

3. Cecil Francis was born May 5, 1891 in Mead, Spokane Co. WA. Not much is known about this child. He died September 3, 1902 at Crab Creek, Lincoln Co., and is interred at Griffith’s Corner cemetery, Marcellus, Adams Co., WA.
   
   

4. Mary Winnifred was born April 9, 1892 in Mead, WA. She married William Irvin Hubbard on August 24, 1910 in Spokane, WA. Four children were born to Mary and Irvin. After his death in 1949, she married Eldon Richey. Mary died in Elk Grove, Sacramento Co., CA on December 5, 1976. Her cremated remains are interred in Peone Prairie cemetery.
   
   

5. Charles Richel was born February 16, 1894 in Mead, WA. “Rich” attended the Lind schools where he played on the basketball and baseball teams. He graduated from Lind High in 1912. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1918 and was Honorably Discharged in 1919. He was married to Emma Louise Stroehmer on June 3, 1922 in Fon-du-lac, Wisconsin. “Rich” was employed by the Standard Oil Company and the couple made their home in Washtucna, Adams Co., WA. He served as Mayor of the town for eight years, resigning in 1956. Following his retirement, the couple moved to Spokane where they lived out their remaining years. During his retirement, Rich was active in the “Toys for Tots Program.” Rich and Emma are both interred in the Mausoleum at Fairmont Cemetery, Spokane, WA. The couple had no children.
   
   

6. Ralph James was born July 8, 1896 in Mead, WA. He also attended the Lind schools and was a member of the varsity baseball and basketball teams. He served in the U.S. Army, WWI. He was married to Eula Levine Maddex on August 30, 1919. Three children were born to this couple. They were later divorced and Ralph married Grace Creedon Purchase. Ralph died in Santa Rosa, Sanoma Co., CA on January 19, 1972. He is interred at Santa Rosa Memorial Park.
   
   

7. Floyd Elan was born August 3, 1899 in Mead, WA. He attended the Lind schools and was graduated in 1917. He worked as a farm-ranch hand all of his life. He served in the U.S. Army, WWII. Never married, he died April 3, 1982 in a Spokane hospital. His remains are interred in the Lind cemetery.
   
   

8. Helen Louella was born December 2, 1902 in Lind. She graduated from Lind High school in 1923. May 10, 1926 she was married to Roy Franklin Parish. Five children were born to this union. A well-respected member of her community, she was a member of the Rebecca Lodge, Community Aid and was known as “grandma” to a number of Lind children. She died February 28, 1984 in Ritzville, Adams Co., WA and is interred in the Lind Cemetery.
   
   

9. Bernard Vinten was born July 26, 1905. He attended the Lind schools were he was a highly regarded athelete, playing track, baseball and basketball (he was nicknamed “Speedy”). He graduated from Lind High in 1925. “Bernie” played semi-pro baseball in Tacoma, Pierce Co., WA. He was married to Grace Edith Cuff on December 31, 1924 in Ritzville, Adams Co., WA. Two children were born to this union. He was later divorced from Grace, then married Margaret Tremblay. On April 4, 1970 he died in Spokane, WA and his cremated remains are interred in Peone Prairie cemetery.
   
   

10. Clayton Ray was born January 25, 1908 in Lind. Another locally celebrated athlete, he too played baseball and basketball and was nick named “Tuffy.” He graduated from high school in Tacoma, WA, where he was living with his brothers Bernard and Ralph. He served in the U.S. Army, WWII. Clayton never married and he died when a tree feel on his home during a windstorm December 16, 1964 in Packwood, Lewis Co., WA. His remains are interred in Peone Prairie cemetery.
    
    

11. Doris Lorraine, "Peggy", was the adopted daughter of Charles and Abbie Morrison. She was born September 2, 1914 to Hannah Klemmer in Lind, WA. Mentally challenged, she lived with her adopted parents until their deaths, when she became the Ward of her adopted sister Helen Morrison Parish. She died in the Ritzville, WA hospital on December 12, 1977. Her remains are interred in the Lind cemetery.