Harry Oscar Stemple – Blackfoot Placer Miner (family of Stemple Pass)
Harry Oscar Stemple – Blackfoot Placer Miner
Stemple Pass is named for his family.
The following information is taken from the FamilySearch website:
Harry Oscar Stemple
1880 Census District 19 Silver City, Lewis & Clark Co. Montana: he was 2 years old
1900 Census District 162, Belmont, Lewis & Clark Co. Montana: he was 21 years old & single.
1910 Census District 66, Lewis & Clark Co. Montana, Oscar, age 31, wife Kate, age 24, son Roy, age 3, and father John Adam Stemple, age 76.
1920 Census District 111, Trinity, Lewis & Clark Co. Montana: he was 41 years old & married to Kathleen Hunter.
1930 Census District 12, Missoula, Missoula Co. Montana: he was 51 years old & married to Kathleen Hunter.
Birth: WW1 draft registration roll #1711434 age 40
Occupation: 1900 he was a Miner – Day Laborer – 1920 he was a Farmer – 1930 he was Lumber Mill Scaler
Mr. Stemple was a native of Montana. He was born just outside of Helena [1878] and lived in Missoula after 1921. He was employed by the Montana Power Company and the Polly Mill. He also mined in Stemple and Garnet, Montana in the Mountains surrounding the Blackfoot Valley. At the time of his death he was working in the ship yards on Swan Island, Portland, Or. At the time of his death he appeared to his granddaughter Dianne Lewis Wildey at her home in Greenough Park, Missoula, Montana.
Missoula Man Stricken on Coast
H. O. Stemple, Missoula resident who has been in Portland since March when he went to the coast to work in the defense industry, died in that city suddenly Tuesday, it was learned here. The body will be brought to Missoula for services and burial.
A native of Montana, Mr. Stemple was born in Helena 64 years ago. He had resided in Missoula since 1921. The family home is at 1651 South 5th. W. He was an employee of the Montana Power Company during his residence there.
Surviving are his widow and six children. Two of his sons, Douglas and Louis, were in Portland with their father at the time of his death. Both were employed in the war industry. A son Roy is in the Army and stationed in Sioux City, S. D.; Earl, manager of of Eddy’s bakery in Great Falls; and Harry in the Army in Bucyrus, Ohio. A daughter, Mrs. Waldo Lewis resides in Missoula. There are seven Grandchildren.
He is survived by a brother, E. R. Stemple and a sister, Mrs. Alys Bates.
Letter from H. O. Stemple to Mr. and Mrs. H Robishaw (A friend from the time spent at Elk Creek in the Blackfoot Valley of Montana outside of Missoula.)
Mr. & Mrs. H. Robishaw,
Clarendon, N. Y.
Dear Friends,
I received your very nice Christmas card, was glad to know you were all well, which has not been the case with me. I have been on the bum for two months, just no good any more I guess. I am awful glad you and my sweet little girl Shirley are going to write me a letter. I would like so much to see all of you folks again.
The pictures were very nice. Shirley in her picture is a very “sweet girl” surely has grown a lot, and thanks a lot for them. Dude & I have been all over the country looking for placer ground it is hard to find that is in a shape a poor man can work.
Earl and his family are in Minneapolis, he is going to bakery school making a foreman of him, he will be in charge of a shop about May 1/20 so that will be a boost for him.
They don’t like the big city at all. He says they are working him 9 hours a day, his problems at first got him down. Royce is starting into business for himself as Firestone only he will handle Bendix products in place of Firestone. I think he will do well, the building will be completed by April 1st, he knows so many people that will stay with him.
I have been down town only twice so far this winter.
Was awful sorry I couldn’t send all pictured folks a Christmas present but will make up for it later on.
I am going to get a lease at the dandy mine. I know where there is some good ore if it proves to be of any size can take out good money.
If it proves good will walk in on you folks next summer for a few days.
Lately Dude has been hawking some wood into town from elk creek. The road is not bad only about 14’’ of snow.
The Wheelers are back at the dandy mine leasing they have some good ore. I think you met them when McConn___ was working at the camp. Fred Shattuck is staying at our cabin for the winter.
Douglas, Isy and her uncle are staying up at the mine this winter, they say they can stay there cheaper than in town. Tom and Mrs. O’Reilly are also on elk creek this winter. Dough took him to Msla last week to the Dr. he had eczema so bad his head was one third larger than it should be Dr. said the water poisoned him he has been placer mining.
We have had the finest weather I ever saw until the last week the thermometer was down to 10 below last night hard to tell what we are in for from now on. We have lots of cribbage & pinochle the neighbor kids come over every evening or two it helps pass the time away.
Harry gave Mrs. & myself a fine large 10 tube radio for Christmas it sure is a dandy it runs about 16 of the 24 they are lots of company.
A first cousin of mine in Ohio found us a piece of Douglas invention she is writing up the Stemple history dating back to Revolutionary war she has been working on it for 15 years. I was able to give her the information she did not have.
Our little Dian has to come and see us every day. She is a cute little kid My Mrs had to have her glasses changed. Bill Casbolt is woking at the cottonwood camp for A. C. M. Co. has been there since about Christmas time. The Winston Bros have the Morris place and part of Greenough place leased for placer and are drilling they are down almost to where elk creek road comes into Black Food road, they sure got in ahead of Rogers, they claim Rogers took out $100,000 last summer on Hart Place.
The new dredge is working at the mouth of Bear gulch at Bearmouth making lots of money.
Be sure and have my little sweetheart write me a long letter when you write.
I remain as ever your true friend.
With Lots of Love
H. O. Stemple
The information below is taken from Ancestry.com
D: I46548
Name: Eileene Louise STEMPLE
Surname: Stemple
Given Name: Eileene Louise
Sex: F
Birth: 25 Mar 1914 in Helena, Lewis and Clark, Montana, United States
Death: 12 Feb 1994 in Missoula, Missoula, Montana, United States
Burial: 15 Feb 1994 Missoula, Missoula, Montana, United States
_UID: 014F57CDBC2D8A47976B2FDD0519F6C3139C
Note:
!INFO-IN: by email gedcom in Jan 2003 from Gloria Dianna LEWIS RIN 465633. It in cluded descendants of Eileen Louise STEMPLE, this person.
!BIOGRAPHY: Information from Dianne Wildey RIN 46533, Eileene lived on ranches and worked mines, was a housewife and trained herself and went to work when her husband Waldo died and left her to raise two children alone. She was noted for her service to family members and strangers alike. In her home she cared for her mother and one of her brothers, 3 nephews, an aunt and more that one unrelated person. She also had a great love for the gospelof Jesus Christ.
My Family As I remember it. by Eileene Louise Stemple Lewis Meuli
When I was six years old, my parents sent me to Missoula, Montana toattend school because the boys had to ride horseback in the winter. I was small and my parents didn’t want me to travel that way.
I went to the Central School in the year 1920, and returned to Wollf Creek the following spring. While in Missoula, I stayed with my grandmother Amanda and Aunt Alys (Dad’s sister). I had five brothers and no sister’s. I had a brother who was stillborn on July 6, 1905.
My older brother, Royce Hunter was born July 20, 1906 at Canyon Creek, Montana. He had dark curls and was a very pretty baby. Royce passed away of a heart attack September 22, 1982. Rocye was the one who tookcare of us when Mother and Dad had to go to Helena for supplies.
Earle Glenn was born July 4, 1910 at Virginia Creek, Montana. Mother and Dad lived there while Dad mined for gold. Dad and Royce were at Marysville for a 4th of July celebration and when Mother’s time came, Aunt Lydia (her sister) and Grandpa Stemple were the only ones with her.Grandpa went for the doctor, and Aunt Lydia the doctor book. Needless to say, Earle wouldn’t wait and came into this world with a bang! Aunt Lydia had on a red wrap around dress, and Mother said his eyes followed every where she went. Virginia Creek is on Stemple Pass (named for my grandfather).
Louis Lee came next. He was born March 25, 1912 at Canyon Creek. He was a beautiful baby, too. His younger brother couldn’t say Louis Lee and called him Doodilee, which was shortened to Dude. This name stuck with him the rest of his life. Dude passed away January 25, 1988.
Exactly two years after Louis Lee, I came along. Eileene Louise Stemple, born March 25, 1914 at Helena, Montana. Dude and I were always the exact same size, and when the folks were on Virginia Creek, the mail carrier used to call us the sunbonnet twins.
Douglas Robert was born January 25, 1916, at Helena, Montana. He passed away with cancer of the plura on May 5, 1975. He had a smile you couldn’t resist and a personality that drew people to him.
Harry Clayton was born November 21, 1917 at Canyon Creek. He passed away April 11, 1983 at Darby, Montana. Dad, Grandpa and Mom were the only ones who knew that Mother was expecting. The evening of April 11 she quietly slipped into her bedroom, Grandpa went for the doctor and in due time Harry was born. Dad’s sister Alys, was quite perturbed that Mother had kept it a secret, but everyone else thought it was really something that she could hide her pregnancy so well.
Mother and Dad’s first home was at the Proctor Ranch at Canyon Creek,Montana. While there, Mother became ill with typhoid fever, and was hospitalized in Helena in isolation. A dead rat was found in the well and that’s where the fever came from.
After Mother’s recovery, Dad went into partnership with Jim Best and they purchased the ranch at Wolf Creek. They stayed there until 1921, when Dad’s health caused them to sell the ranch and move to Missoula.
Dad stayed at the ranch to take care of the sale and all of us kid’smoved to Missoula. Royce, who was 15, drove the car and we came overPriest Pass. We had our little dog and pet turkey with us. Grandma Proctor had a little rental house, and we moved in there. This was at 1651 South 5th Street West. It was too small for our family, and we moved across the street. This house was larger. The boys slept in the attic (it was quite large), and Mom and Dad and I slept downstairs (2 bedrooms down).
We all started school at Franklin Grade School, and the Stemples took over. Ha! I was in the second grade, and Dude (who was my protector) insisted he was in the same grade as me. He stayed there until Mom found out. He wouldn’t budge, however, and we finished school together.
We moved from 5th Street to 1801 South 4th Street. It was a stone house with four bedrooms and a bath upstairs, a bedroom, living room, diningroom and kitchen downstairs. We all liked it. It had a door that opened out on a little porch. The folks always kept it locked because Earle walked in his sleep and they were afraid he would fall off the roof and get hurt ot killed.
Mom’s mother, Letha Newman Hunter, came to live with us. She said the stone house was too cold (it really wasn’t because we had a furnace) so the folks bought a house at 1900 South 10th Street West, across the street from the Franklin school.
We stayed there until the depression, when Dad, Earle and Royce all lost their jobs when the Poully Mill closed down. Even though they only owed about $500 on the house, Dad and Mom let it go back. Dad, Earle, Dude, Douglas and Harry went to Virginia Creek to Mom and Dad’s cabin on Stemple Pass to mine. Royce, Mom and I stayed at home. When we had to move, we went back to the Shanty on 5th Street. We all hated it but it was to become our home until I married Morris and we moved to Arrowhead Drive. Dad and the boys went up Elk Creek to mine and eventually modernized the “shanty”.
I married Morris Edwin Meuli July 3, 1964, in Missoula, Montana. On June16, 1965 we bought our home at 104 Arrowhead, in the Wapakia district of Missoula, Montana. We have lived here for 24 years. In April 1989 Morris will retire from his job with the city, and we will be free to travel and do all the things we want to do.
This was written in 1989 for a family reunion.
BURIAL: Sunset Memorial Gardens
The above information is from Ancestry.com
Eileene was the daughter of Montana born Harry O. Stemple.
Stemple Pass is likely named for his family.