Diana Ardelle Rusco

Diana married Richard Vance Peavy, II in 1952 in Greeley, Weld, Colorado, USA. Richard was born on 22 May 1929 in Denver County, Colorado, USA; died on 1 Jul 2002 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Ursula Joy Peavy
2. Richard Vance Peavy, III was born on 25 Feb 1956 in Pueblo, Colorado, USA; died on 27 Apr 1973 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
3. Erica Peavy
4. Living Peavy

John married Phoebe Ruth Hansen about 1931. Phoebe (daughter of Ralph Rodger Hansen and Stella Barbara Presnell) was born on 24 May 1909 in Logan, Phillips, Kansas, USA; died on 10 Dec 2003 in Burley, Kitsap, Washington, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Ralph married Stella Barbara Presnell on 25 Dec 1903 in Eden, Ness, Kansas, USA. Stella (daughter of William Salathial Presnell and Phoebe Jane Robinson) was born on 7 Jun 1884 in Smith Center, Smith, Kansas, USA; died on 24 Dec 1981 in Phillipsburg, Phillips, Kansas, USA; was buried in Burr Oak, Jewell, Kansas, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
Anderson Cemetery

Hans married Lena Marie Nelson on 6 Jul 1874 in Doniphan, Kansas, USA. Lena was born on 16 Sep 1853 in Denmark; died on 21 Apr 1910 in Lenora, Norton, Kansas, USA; was buried in Graham County, Kansas, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

In 1893, when William was 44 and Phoebe was 43, they became tempted by the opening of the Oklahoma Terriitory.

Jeremiah had sold the farm to them several years earlier and retired to town, so William sold the farm, fitted up two covered wagons with a 2-wheeled cart attached to two of the wagons to carry bulky foods - one item of which was a big box of gingersnaps, the luxury of the trip. By the late summer of 1894 when the wagons were Wm. and Phoebe, Stella, and one-year old Guy, Lilley, pregnant with her first baby, and her husband, Arch Tingley. The two remaining boys, Jerry and Will aged 15 and 13, rode ponies.

Stella was 9 years old when the trip started and she rebelled at leaving her pet puppy. He was allowed to accompany them, but to her soorow, died along the way.

When they reached the settlement of Reno, Oklahoma, which is no longer on the map, Arch built a one-room log cabin. This was the shelter for the 8 people in the family (later 9 when Lilley gave birth to a boy they named George.

When they left Kansas for Oklahoma:
1. William Salathial Presnell (45)
2. Phoebe Jane Robinson (44)
3. Stella (9 years old)
4. Guy (1 yr old)
5. Lilley Mae (pregnant) (age 18)
6. Arch Tingley (husband of Lilley)
7. Jeremiah (age 15)
8. William (age 13)

It was a bare existencelife with the children sleeping on the floor and Phoebe making a bed for herself on 2 chairs.

Some of Stella's early memories were of making dolls of corn cobs and dressing them in husks. Her daily chores was watching over the toddler Guy and every chance she got, she'd sneak away to a little play house she'd found near the cabin where the earth cut away to form a semi-cave.

By Spring, they'd had enough. Indians stole the two ponies besides harrassing them for food and Stella's resentment knew no bounds when they took off with the prized gingersnaps. They packed up the wagons and returned to Portis and school for the children.

It was a big relief to ge back to Portis.

William married Phoebe Jane Robinson on 29 Jan 1867 in Story, Iowa, USA. Phoebe (daughter of William Robinson and Elizabeth G. Spencer) was born on 14 Nov 1850 in Ohio, USA; died on 10 Jul 1918 in Kansas, USA; was buried in Hammond Cemetery, Smith Center, Kansas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]