Coos County Families

Rackleff      Catching       Christian E. Houser   Klockars

From "Wooden Ships and Master Cratsmen" by Ernest L. Osborne; pub. By the Bandon History Society; p. 26
Captain Rackleff was born in ME on 9 Mar 1834.  In 1849 in company with his father, his sister Mary Jane, John Stover and eight others, he set sail from ME in the schooner Ortolan for CA by way of Cape Horn.  After ten months of hardship, they arrived in San Francisco on 5 Aug 1850.  They left San Francisco after three or four months and arrived at the Umpqua River, crossed the bar and sailed the Ortolan all the way to the trading center of Scottsburg where they eventually settled into farming.  By 1858, Rackleff's father had tired of farming.  He built the schooner Twin Sisters, and after a period of sailing her up and down the coast, the Rackleffs scouted the mouth of the Coquille River and found that the Twin Sisters was capable of crossing the bar.  On 25 Aug 1859, they sailed into the mouth of the river and three days later reached the north fork where the elder Rackleff established a trading post near Myrtle Point.  William E. Rackleff, the son, returned to the Scottsburg area and in 1858 he married Miss Cordelia Ransom.  In 1870 he moved to the Coquille valley and constructed the Mary in 1871.  She was in use until 1873, by which time Rackleff had moved to Parkersburg and built the Cordelia.  Although the Cordelia was rigged with sails and originally a side-wheeler, it is believed she was later converted to a propeller driven vessel.  1873 was also the year Rackleff obtained his master's papers.  In 1887 he built the Little Annie, a small steam powered stern-wheeler which was wrecked in 1879 near Bandon.  Captain Rackleff died on 14 Oct 1909 in Myrtle Point.

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At 10 o'clock Monday morning, 23 Jan 1905, Sumner's pioneer resident, James Catching, closed his eyes on the scenes of this world and fell asleep, to awaken in eternity.  Mr. Catching had been in failing health for a number of years, and his death, owing to his advanced age [nearly 78 years] has been feared for some time by his relatives and friends.  He was a man of sterling worth, one whose word was as good as his bond, and was a living example of that noblest work of God, and honest man.  James Catching was born in Marion Co., TN on 4 Apr 1827, and was one of a family of 12, all of whom have preceeded him into the Great Beyond.  He had the misfortune to lose his father at an early age, but coming of a dauntless stock, he, with his two brothers, William and Ephraim, resolved to brave the dangers of the journey and come west.  William crossed the plains in 1845 and settled near the place where Forest Grove now is, and the summer of 1847 found James, then a youth of 20, and his brother Ephraim 4 years younger, in OR soil.  They stopped first at the Dalles, then came on to Oregon City, then but a village.  It was here that they met Gov. Abernethey, then a resident of that place.  Next they came to where the city of Portland now stands and camped where the city stands today.  The Indian war having broken out that year, he enlisted and served until its close under Gen. Gilliam.  In 1848 he went to CA attracted thither by Marshall's discovery of gold.  After several years stay he returned to Douglas county where he was married to Miss Edna Russell on 1 May 1854.
To them were born four children, J.W. Catching of Sumner; Mrs. Mary Norris of Fairview; Mrs. Sarah Parmentier, who resides in TX; and Arthur who died in childhood.
Mr. Catcing and his brother were among the first white men to visit Coos county, having been here previous to the arrival of the Marple party in 1853.  They were so favorably impressed with the country that they decided to make it their home.  They came here in 1871 and Mr. Catching settle on the place near Sumner where he has since resided.
Catching inlet was named in their honor and the death of this, his sole surviving brother, which occurred in Del Norte Co., CA about three years ago has borne heavily upon him.
In the death of James Catching this community has lost one of its most respected members.  A loving husband, a kind father and a faithful friend is gone from our midst.  To the sorrowing relatives, and expecially, to the heartbroken wife, his faithful companion of more than half a century is the sympathyof all extended.  May God bless and comfort them in this their great loss.  The funeral will take place from the Sumner Baptist church at 10 am tomorrow, conducted by the Rev. Lawrence, of Marshfield.  He will be laid to rest in the cemetery on the hill, where the surges of the Pacific May chan his dirge, and the winds sound a requiem as they murmur through the trees that wave their shadows over his grave.
"Green be the turf above thee,
Dear friend of happier days.
None knew thee but to love thee
None named thee but to praise."
Sumner 24 Jan 1905

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this information was submitted by Roxanne
CHRISTIAN EVANDER HOUSER
C.E. Houser a retired rancher, passed away at his home on the cemetery road at 11 o'clock Sunday morning at the age of 84, death caused by complications of bladder and heart trouble due to his advanced age.

The deceased, a pioneer of Myrtle Point section, was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, October 16, 1848, coming to Oregon in the early 60's.

He was married to Miss Sarah Potter December 25, 1867 in North Carolina.  To this union were born six daughters and three sons;  Mrs. Mary Carolina Goldbloom of Marshfield, James Gilliam Houser of Myrtle Point, Mrs. Florence Warner of Bancroft, Mrs. Josephine Culver of
Coquille, and twin sons, Fines and [of] Leneve and Ines of Bridge, and three daughters, since deceased, Margarette Elizabeth, Edna and Mrs. Laura May Nelson.  Mrs. Houser died September 15, 1910 near Bridge.

Later he married Miss Bessie Thomas of Mountain City, Tennessee who survives him.  To this union wer born two daughters and one son; Mrs. Nellie Waymire of Myrtle Point, Mrs. Genevieve Stovall of Roseburg and Chester Houser of Myrtle Point.

In addition to the relatives mentioned above he is survived by one sister, Mrs. Amelia Wilson of North Carolina, 26 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren and a host of friends.

When the deceased came west he originally stopped in San Francisco, going from there to Ukiah, California where he worked for some time and saved his money to pay his passage on a northbound steamer. But when he returned to the California metropolis he was robbed of his savings and once more forced to return to his work in Ukiah. On reaching San Francisco the third time he found all Oregon-bound steamers bar-bound, so he came north this time on horseback.

He came to Coos county, Oregon, originally settling at Coos River.  He endured many hardships enroute, encountering many bands of not too friendly Indians and fording many swollen rivers. When he came to the Klamath river, he found it too wide and swift to take a chance of crossing and after consulting with a tribe of Indians making their homes along this stream, he finally succeeded in persuading one of the tribe to paddle him across the waterway, towing the horse along in the rear.

Later on he moved from Coos River to Bridge and then still later to Myrtle Point, where he has made his home for many years.  He had been seriously ill since last June and bedfast since Thanksgiving.  Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 13, from the
Brethren Church of which he was a member with Elder Charles Barklow in charge.  Interment took place at Enchanted Prairie.
---- Myrtle Point Herald, 2 February 1933, Myrtle Point, OR

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Klockars
Although this is in Swedish you might be interested and get out something of it. It is part of a book with about 70 pages. If you are really interested I could mail you the whole book.
Greetings from Finland and Klockars hill

TABELL B

Brita Lovisa Mattsdotter Klockars' efterkommande

Denna tabell skiljer sig från de andra tabellerna beroende på att uppgifterna från USA  inte är lika fullständiga som de uppgifter som kunnat erhållas i Finland, trots att de kompletterats så långt det varit möjligt.

Brita Lovisa (kallade sig i USA Bertha Louise) Mattsdotter Klockars, f. 11.9.1856 i Malax, utvandrade till USA 1885. Hon anlände efter hennes egen anteckning i sin svenska Bibel till Coos Bay, Oregon den 29 augusti 1885.  Hon dog i North Bend 10.12.1942. (Coos Bay och North Bend är två med varandra sammanvuxna relativt små städer i Oregon).

Brita Lovisa hade redan i Finland 29.10.1876 gift sig med Matts Vilhelmsson Söderman (eller Granlund), f. 22.7.1855 i Pörtom. Matts utvandrade till USA redan 1883 och använde i USA namnet Klockars. Han hade nämligen före utvandringen flyttat till Klockars på Klockarbacken i Malax. Matts Vilhelmsson Klockars var halvbror till Johan(nes) Vilhelmsson Granlund, som var gift med Brita Lovisas syster Johanna Sofia Mattsdotter (Tabell A). Både Brita Lovisa och Matts Vilhelmsson var alltså i åttonde led avkomlingar till Wellam Andersson och Matts var dottersonsonsson till den i släktkrönikan
nämnde Carl Johan Cneiff.

Matts och Brita (Matts och Bertha) upparbetade ett nybygge i Kentuck Inlet, där de bodde i 22 år. De flyttade till North Bend år 1907.  Matts dog i North Bend 1917.

Redan i Finland föddes barnen:

01      Matthias, f. 21.5.1877 i Malax, död i Coos Bay 1969, gravlagd i Sunset Memorial
          Park, Coos Bay 8.12.1969.
02      Ida Lovisa, f. 3.11.1879 i Malax, dog som barn i USA
03      Emma Sofia, f. 23.8.1882 i Malax, gift Wittick och död 1901.

Dessa tre barn följde med Brita Lovisa då hon 1885 utvandrade till USA. I USA skulle enligt uppgifter ytterligare ha fötts fem barn, som alla dog som barn eller som unga, enligt uppgift i tbc. Om tre av dessa finns uppgifter.
04     Ester, dog som barn
05     Ralph Edward, f. 3.7.1899, död 26.8.1915
06     Stella Elisabeth. f. 15.8.1904, död 24.3.1918
        Ättlingar finns efter Matthias och Emma Sofia.
01      Matthias (kallade sig i USA Matt), f.21.5.1877 i Malax , död 1969, var gift med Lillie, f. 1881, dotter till William Stephens i Kentuck Inlet, död 1957, gravlagd i Sunset Memorial Park i Coos Bay 12.9.1957.
                        Barn:
01.01   Mabel, f. 11.4.1902, död 21.11.1990 , gift med L.C. Garner, adress: Box 368,
            North Bend, Oregon 97459, USA.
01.02   Gladys, f. 5.6.1904, lever som änka efter Leland A. Barber, adress: 345 Brentwood
            Ave, San Francisco, Calif. 94127, USA.
01.03   Burton Frank Klockars, f. 23.9.1906 och död 18.1.1955
                                Barn:
   01.03.01        Burton Klockars Jr, f. 12.9.1932, död 2.2.1990, Alameda, Californien
                                   Vigd I vid N.N., död
                                Barn:
       01.03.01.01             Karen, f. 19.12.1951, gift Petersen, Powers, Oregon
       01.03.01.02             Katherine, f. 7.11.1953,  Bend, Oregon vigd vid Wayne van Epps
                                          Burton Jr vigd II vid
                                          Oleta Elisabeth Forbus
       01.03.01.03             Craig Klockars, f. 6.11.1961, Alameda, Californien 94501
                                         vigd vid    Helen Marie Holland, f. 13.8.1952
01.04   Virgil Herbert Klockars, f. 20.9.1909, död 10.5.1960
                        vigd I vid  Helen Scull, f. 26.8.1916 äktenskapet upplöst
                        vigd II vid Eva N.N., äktenskapet barnlöst
                                Barn, I äktenskapet:
    01.04.01      Stephen Kent Klockars, f. 23.3.1941, i sitt första äktenskap med hustrun
                        Joyce  Martin har han sonen
         01.04.01.01      Stephen Kent Martin (f.d. Klockars), f. 12.11.1962
                                I sitt andra äktenskap med hustrun Carol Juanita Houghtelin, f.
                                 18.9.1945
                                har han barnen:
           01.04.01.02             Matthew Stephen (Matt), f. 22.1.1968
           01.04.01.03             Markum Kent (Mark),  f. 29.7.1969
           01.04.01.04             Lucas James (Luke), f. 3.6.1971
           01.04.01.05             Rachel Jennifer, f. 3.11.1974
           01.04.01.06             Rebecca Amelia, f. 3.11.1974
  01.04.02                James Burton Klockars, f. 27.2.1943, British Columbia, Canada.
                                I sitt första äktenskap med Noelene Smykal, f. 7.11.1948, död
                                3.3.1982, har han sonen
        01.04.02.01             Aragorn (Aaron) Daniel Klockars, f. 14.8.1967
                                I sitt andra äktenskap med Donna Wilson, f. 24.10.1950 har han
                                barnen
        01.04.02.02             Kamala Brooke, f. 19.5.1979
        01.04.02.03             Dorian Sabine, f. 14.4.1981
  01.05   Maxine, f. 31.10.1911, gift Stokes, avled i North Bend 1985.
03      Emma Sofia, f. 1882, död 1901, var gift med         Karl Victor Wittick
                        Barn:
03.01   George V. Wittick, f. 8.10.1900, död 16.1.1989, Coos Bay, Oregon, USA
                        vigd I       19    vid     Mary Petrinella Marie, f. 2.6.1907, död       19
                        vigd II        19    vid Alice, f.   , död 1985, äktenskapet barnlöst
                        I sitt första äktenskap har han sonen:
   03.01.01      George Edward Wittick, f. 14.3.1925, timmeruppköpare, Portland, OR,
                        USA
                                vigd I vid Mary Jane       f. 3.6.1930, död 19
                                vigd II vid Beverly June,    f. 21.6.1925, död 1986,  äktenskapet
                                  barnlöst
                                vigd III vid Jody,    f.
                                I sitt första äktenskap har han barnen:
      03.01.01.01             Thomas, f. 25.8.1951, Eugene, Oregon
      03.01.01.02             Mary Lee, f. 29.11.1952, helikopterpilot, Cocoa Beach, FL, USA
                                vigd  17.1.1981 vid   Vince Sergi, f. 27.1.1955, pilot, Cocoa
                                Beach, Florida, USA
                                Barn:
                    03.01.01.02.01                  Trent, f.  17.7.1984
                    03.01.01.02.02                  Natasha  (Tasha), f. 30.5.1986
                    03.01.01.02.03                  Brian  (Jace), f. 13.10.1989
    03.01.01.03       Barbara, f.  21.10.1956, Portland, Oregon, USA
                            vigd I vid   N.N. Ruggles, Burbank, Calif. USA, äktenskapet upplöst
                            vigd II vid   N.N. Cusick, Portland, Oregon, USA
submitted by,
Fredrik Forsberg
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