Relatively Speaking

John Crabtree takes daughter Myrtie to school to teach.

A class with Myrtie Crabtree as teacher. Some of the students are younger Briggs children.Thanks to Ron Horton for the photo.

Here is Myrtie with a friend.

Myrtie Crabtree 1918

Photo Myrtie had taken for Irwin who was in France in WWI.

Myrtie, as her folks called her, was the daughter of John and Ida Higginson Crabtree. She was born in November 1891 in a sod house in Nebraska.

Four year old Myrtie.

Myrtie with her parents John and Ida Crabtree.

Johnie (and that is the correct spelling) was born in Bonesteel, South Dakota. He was the second child of John and Ida Crabtree.

Johnie Crabtree, 1902.

Johnie Crabtree in High School.

Johnie Crabtree working on the yearbook.

Johnie’s yard in Healdsburg, California.

LeRoy Crabtree was the third child of John and Ida Higginson.

LeRoy and Jasper.

LeRoy married Ollie McElroy in 1932.

Here is LeRoy holding his first born, Mary Ellen.

Young Mary

Mary at her high school graduation.

Mary with her mother Ida Emily.

Mary Ida Crabtree

John Lewis Crabtree

Ida Emily Higginson Crabtree

This is a photo of the young family. From the right: LeRoy, Mary, Myrtie, Johnie. Grandma Myrtie was 15 years older than Mary, the youngest.

Crabtree Family 1911-1912. From the left: John, Johnie, Ida, LeRoy. In front: Mary, Myrtie.

From Pine Glen, John and Ida Crabtree moved to Ainsworth, Nebraska, where they had a restaurant for a bit. Then they moved to Long Pine, Nebraska. They rented first, and then bought the house. Here are two photos of the Long Pine house.

The Briggs Family, Irwin, Myrtle, Laura, Mildred, and 3 week old Mary visited John and Ida (Myrtle’s parents) at their Long Pine home, on their way back east.

A special thank you to Zee and her husband Willis for hosting a Higginson cousin time at her house today. I sure enjoyed my time with Zee and Willis, LaRetta and Ron, and Darrell and Betty. I met Zee and LaRetta last year when they visited at my house in Cave Creek, Arizona.

THANK YOU!

This is a photo of Zee, myself and LaRetta taken in March 2005 in Cave Creek, Arizona.

After Bonesteel, South Dakota, John, Ida, Myrtie, Johnie (the spelling is correct), and LeRoy moved to property in Mondamin, Iowa, that John exchanged for his Bonesteel property, sight unseen. John’s mother Rachel went with them.

They were in Mondamin, Iowa 3 or 4 years, but each year the land flooded. They were able to sell the land and moved to Pine Glen, Nebraska. Mary Ida Crabtree was born while they were in Mondamin.

Here are some photos I have of their Pine Glen home. Rachel Crabtree died there in November of 1908. Mary Higginson Shattuck lived with them at one point, or at least that is what the 1910 census shows.

Of real interest to me is that a Higginson cousin, Raleigh Emry and two of his siblings still own this property. In fact, Raleigh’s family lived in the home for a few years when he was younger.

This is a photo Raleigh took in the 1950s of the Niobrara River Valley from a hill down river (same side), maybe a mile or so, and looking back toward the northwest from the Crabtree Pine Glen home. Keya Paha County is across the river.

Here is photo from Cal Bivens showing John and Ida Crabtree (sixth adult from the right), daughter Myrtie, son LeRoy, maybe son Johnie, and possibly neighbors/friends Mr. and Mrs. Pense (third from the right).

We think the photo is from about 1903. Do you like all the mud and Grandma Myrtie’s white dress??

John Crabtree was a postmaster in Bonesteel, South Dakota, for a few years. Then he had the establishment you see here. I’m not sure if they also had the “Meals” building. They did have a restaurant in Ainsworth, Nebraska.