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Kittitas County Washington Obituaries

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Obituary submitted by

SAMANTHA WHEELER CURTIS

Ellensburg Newspaper:

Mrs. Samantha Ann Curtis, 79, valley pioneer, passed away at the home of her brother, Abe Wheeler, near Kittitas, last night [died March 12, 1934].

Mrs. Curtis came here in 1871 and has resided since that time in the valley with the exception of a few years spent at Okanogan. She was married to Mr. Curtis here in 1875 but was widowed in 1923 by his death.

She leaves four children, Mrs. Etta Vaughn, Mrs. Mae Goldberg, Wesley Curtis, all of Brewster, and Mrs. Tillie Hayes, Kittitas. There are 27 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at the Honeycutt chapel, 1:30 p.m., tomorrow. The body will be sent to Brewster for burial.

 

Okanogan Newspaper:

SERVICES HELD FOR MRS. CURTIS. WAS PIONEER OF STATE. MOVED TO THIS LOCALITY IN VIRGINIA CITY DAYS. Samantha Ann Curtis, 79, pioneer Washington and Okanogan county resident passed away at the home of her brother, Abe Wheeler of Ellensburg, Monday night at 11 o’clock [March 12, 1934].

It is said that Mrs. Curtis was the first white child born on Puget Sound, the date being 1855. At the age of 14 she moved with her parents from Olympia to the Kittitas Valley when only 20 families lived in the entire valley. In those days Ellensburg was referred to as "Robbers Roost" and hostile Indians were not uncommon. Quite often, Mrs. Curtis recalled that the Wheeler family had to hide out in the wheat field to avoid the Indians. The old blockhouse built by the Wheeler family, on moving to the valley, still stands where it was constructed, eight miles east of Ellensburg.

In 1876 she married James H. Curtis. The newlyweds settled in Kittitas Valley and lived there until 1890 when they moved to a farm six miles north of Brewster. This farm soon became known as one of the best farms in the Okanogan County. At the time the Curtis family moved here, less than 10 families and six bachelors lived in Brewster, which was then known as Virginia City.

The Curtis family moved back to the Kittitas Valley in 1918 and resided there until the husband and father, James H. Curtis passed away in 1923. Since that date Grandma Curtis has been visiting her son and two daughters at Brewster and her daughter who lives near where she passed away.

Mrs. Curtis went to visit her only living brother, Abe Wheeler, on March 9. She was apparently healthy and felt fine just before she suffered the fatal paraletic stroke.

Mrs. Curtis was sitting at the breakfast table, joking and laughing when the first symptoms of the stroke became discernable. The elderly lady was carried to her bed and remained conscious until 9:30 a.m. After that time she never regained consciousness and passed away quietly at 11 p.m.

Three daughters Mrs. James Vaughan and Mrs. Mae Goldberg of this city, Mrs. Tillie Hays, Ellensburg; a son, Wes Curtis of this city, a brother, Abe Wheeler of Ellensburg and twenty-three grandchildren survive Mrs. Curtis.

Funeral services were held at the Honeycutt Funeral Parlors at Ellensburg Wednesday afternoon with Rev. Lind of that city officiating and services were also held at the Episcopal Church here yesterday afternoon with the same undertaking company and minister in charge. Interment was at the Locust Grove Cemetery where her husband, James H. Curtis is buried.