Yuma County, Colorado Photographs

Yuma County Pioneer Photographs:

Joseph J. Sperry, 1 South 43 West

Joseph cash-claimed 120 acres in 12, 1S 43W in 1891 .
Probably the Joseph Jayward (Girard) Sperry born Sept 1856 in Lawrence County Kentucky. In 1900 his parents, per one tree, in Marshall County, Kansas, Jackson Sperry born May 1835 , married 46 years to Lavanna Aug 1843, both Kentucky, are farming. Sandord born May 1878 in Missouri, works for them on the farm.

His mother Laverne Sperry 1838-1925 is buried in Lincoln, Nebraska, per #2 21176510.

Joseph married his first wife, the schoolgirl he teased, Eliza Adline Couch. "Addie" was nine months older than Joseph and they married October 1st, 1874. They had six children that lived, from oldest to youngest: Susie, May, William, Bertha, Ella and Charley. Joseph Sperry didn't seem to like staying in one place. After his marriage in Missouri and the birth of Susie (1878), he moved to Washington County, Kansas where William was born (1882 or 3), then to Wray, Colorado where he took a homestead timber claim and his last two children with Addie were born, Ella (1890) and Charles Wesley (1893) were born. It is not known where May or Bertha were born, but May (1879) was most likely born either in Mo. or Ks. and Bertha (1887) most likely in Colorado, because in 1888 Joseph signed documents in Colorado to claim land for agricultural purposes under the Timber-Culture act of 1878. He vacated his claim in 1896 and moved his family to Vinita, Oklahoma. Pregnant with twins, his wife Addie took a fall from a ladder and delivered both babies prematurely. Addie and the twins did not survive. According to Susie's diary, Addie died on July 26, 1898. It is thought that even before Addie's death that Joseph was planning to move to Rogers, Arkansas. He had built a mill and been a blacksmith in the places he lived, and usually owned the land , but in Rogers he is shown as a renter in the 1900 Census, living there with his new wife Mary Belle, age 19 and Bertha, Ella and Charley, along with 3 month old baby Grace. By this time his older children Susie, May and William were of age and no longer living with him. William stayed in Colorado where Bill Wernz (adopted name) was born in 1935. Susie and May stayed in Vinita, Oklahoma where their mother Addie was buried.
"When Joseph, Mary and Bertha died of typhoid fever, Susie came from Oklahoma and took Ella and Charley back with her and gave the two babies, Grace and Maudie up for adoption. She hid the burial place of Joseph and Mary Belle and it is not known to this day. "

Joseph J. Sperry, 39, married Mary Belle Lee, 18, in Rogers, Benton County, Arkansas January 22, 1899.

In 1900 Benton County, Arkansas, Joseph, born Sept 1858, is married. His wife of two years, Bell is 19, born in Arkansas. Ella was born in Colorado December 1890, Charley March 1894 in Colorado, and Fern - five months- born in Arkansas.


Charles Wes Sperry, when registering for WWI in Vinita, Oklahoma, said he was born March 13, 1893 at "Ray" Colorado.
Charles 1893-1963 is buried in Vinita @ 87623126.
William R. Sperry married Mildred Frandsen April 13, 1917, recorded in Kit Carson County.

Back to Pioneer Photographs.

This page is maintained by M.D. Monk.