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Chase County Sketches
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Harris, Russell
By Winona Hazel
Russell Harris, of Matawan, New Jersey (born Oct. 3, 1841)
enlisted in the Civil War at the age of seventeen. After the war,
he returned to New York City and married Phebe M. Spear.
He worked on the police force several years. He was married in
the year 1866 and two children were born in New Lotts, Long
Island.
In the fall of 1872 they came to Strong City, Kansas. They
located just north of Strong City on Fox Creek. They endured
many hardships. Several took hunting trips for wild deer and
wild turkey to Medicine Lodge. They were afraid of Indians
and they learned the Indians had killed a family not far from
where they camped.
In a few short years, Russell Harris, his wife and three children moved to Bazaar, Kansas on a quarter section homestead
that was named after Sam Den, who lived at the junction of Den
and Rock Creek. Russell then purchased another quarter section
of timber land. He also bought ten hundred acres of pasture
land on which he made a large payment and had a deed but not
an abstract. The original owner stepped in with papers prior
to Russell's deed and the land was lost.
Russell and family had
not lived on the second quarter section of land, so the neighbors
contested their rights to the claim. They dug a cave to live in
to hold the land and all the children got pneumonia from the
dampness. One died, the other four were sick for four months
and remained weak until they were moved to a dry one-room
house. Grace, a 15 year old daughter, died of blood poisoning
from a handle of a plow striking her in the pelvis.
Russell bought cattle by putting a mortgage on the homestead. He bought fifty cent corn and sold the steers at three
cents a pound and lost money and the homestead was lost for
about thirteen hundred dollars.
Mrs. Phebe Harris died April 24, 1915, age 69 years old, at the
home of a daughter, Mrs. Eva Mitchell in Independence, Kansas.
She was buried in Bazaar.
Russell C. Harris died at the home of his son, A. G. Harris
at Neva, March 18, 1917, aged seventy-six years. He was buried
in Bazaar.
Ten children were born to this union.
Eva L. Harris, Dec. 11, 1869, New York City;
Elmer E. Harris, May 18, 1867, New York City;
Lincoln Wadsworth Harris, Sept. 5, 1872, Strong City, Kansas;
Grace Adlaide Harris, Nov. 21, 1874, Bazaar, Kansas;
Cornelia Estelle Harris, June 2, 1873, Bazaar, Kansas;
Myron Lester Harris, Nov. 12, 1878, Bazaar, Kansas;
Sarah Jane Harris, Sept. 24, 1880, Bazaar, Kansas;
Arthur Garfield Harris, Mar. 28, 1882, Argentine, Kansas;
Mamie Gertrude Harris, Aug. 24, 1884, Bazaar, Kansas;
Clinton Russell Harris, Mar. 27, 1886, Bazaar, Kansas.
Eva L. Harris married A. Mitchell of Independence, Kansas
and 5 children were born. Mrs. Bertha Ray, Mrs. Tot McQuire,
Mrs. Ida Bruington, Mrs. Hattie Ray, and Teddy (Theodore).
Elmer L. Harris married Pearl Roach of Yakima, Washington and 5 children were born. Kenneth L. Harris, Mrs. Venita
Siekowitch, Mrs. Sylvia Melton, Mrs. Margaret Finch and Mrs.
Dorothy Bissell.
Lincoln W. Harris died young and was buried in Bazaar.
Grace A. Harris died at 15 years of age. She was buried at
Bazaar.
Cornelia E. Harris married Arnold Brandley of Bazaar and
3 children were born. Mrs. Bonnie T. Peabody, in Ekalaka,
Montana; Mrs. Addie H. Peabody of Ekalaka, Montana; and
Arthur R. Brandley of Fairview, New Mexico.
Myron L. Harris never married. He died in Portland, Texas
in May, 1961.
Sarah J. Harris married Walter Lindsay. They lived in
Winona, Kansas and also in Sylvia, Kansas. One son Lester was
born. Her second marriage to John Downey and eight children
were born in Rocky Ford, Colorado. Mrs. Lena Hill of La Junta,
Colorado; Mrs. Irene Miller of Taloga, Oklahoma; Mrs. Alta
Banta of Hasty, Colorado; Mrs. Gladys Cathcart of Lakeview,
Colorado; Mrs. Norma Proctor of La Junta, Colorado; Mrs.
Laura Adkins of Rocky Ford, Colorado; Mr. Ival Downey of
Rocky Ford, Colorado; and Harvey Downey of Rocky Ford,
Colorado.
Arthur G. Harris married Maretta Hazel of Bazaar, Kansas
and two children were born. Hazel Harris married Russell Cahoone of Strong City and have two sons, Warren and James.
Warren married Carol Ayers and they have two sons, Mike and
Mark. James married Mary Wood and they have one son Matthew.
Virginia Harris married Albert Sylvester of Reading, Kansas.
They have a daughter, Barbara.
Mamie Gertrude Harris married Hermia A. Hazel of Bazaar
and seven children were born, all at Elmdale, Kansas;
Herman
Albert Hazel (wife Fannie) of Marion, Iowa, no children;
Marvin C. Hazel (wife Marie) of St. Louis, Missouri, no children;
Mrs. Vivian Leona Harms (husband Ervin) of Dodge City, Kansas, no children, one child-Norma Hall of Higginsville, Missouri
by first husband, Ted Mapes;
Winona Fern Hazel of Phoenix,
Arizona, divorced from Joseph Heck of Sedalia, Missouri;
George
Auston Hazel (wife Marie) of Sedalia, Missour two children;
Mary E. Hazel divorced from Ray Jones, no children;
Clinton R. Harris died at two years of age.
Please see the obituaries for family records.
by Lorna Marvin
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