The Telephone Register, McMinnville, Oregon, Thursday, October 1, 1942

SARAH TOMPKINS RITES SET FOR FRIDAY

Funeral services for Mrs. Sarah Hunsaker Tompkins, 95, who died September 28, at her home at Cutler City, will be held Friday at 2 p.m., at the Hopewell church, with the Rev. E.A. Smith officiating. Interment will be at Hopewell cemetery.

She is survived by three sons, Jacob, and Morton of Dayton and Forbes of Logsden and two daughters, Mrs. Emily E. Tolsom and Verna V. Tompkins of Cutler City.

Funeral arrangements were in charge of the McMinnville Funeral home.

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The Telephone Register, McMinnville, Oregon, Thursday, October 8, 1942

RITES HELD FOR MATRON HELD FRIDAY

Mrs. Tompkins Pioneer of State

GRAND ISLAND, Oct. 8 - Funeral services were held Friday afternoon from the Hopewell United Brethren church for Mrs. Sarah Hunsaker Tompkins, on of Oregon's early pioneers.

The Rev. E.A. Smith, who had known the deceased for over 60 years, officiated. D. Lynn Gubser of McMinnville was soloist with Mrs. Gerald Joffe, accompanist. Burial was in the Hopewell cemetery beside her husband.

Pallbearers included six of her grandson, Harold, Daniel and Harry Tompkins, all of this district, Jake Tompkins, Jr., of Portland, Russell of Bremerton and Joe of Seattle. Both Joe and Russell Tompkins were called home from service.

Oldest Native Oregonian

Mrs. Tompkins, who for the past several years, was believed to be the oldest living person born in Oregon, died September 28, at the home of her daughter in Cutler City at the age of 95.

Sixth of a family of 12 children, Sarah Ellen Hunsaker was born in an uncompleted cabin along the banks of the Mollala river near Oregon City on January 25, 1847, only a short time after her parents had arrived in the state. Her father, J.E. Hunsaker, was from Illinois, and her mother, Emily Collins, was a native of Kentucky.

For many years Mrs. Tompkins father owned and operated a small upright lumber mill located on Mill creek at St. Helens. Because the gold rush to California had well drained the labor, help at the lumber mill was extremely hard to secure and many times Mrs. Hunsaker worked at the mill filling the place of a man. Indian help was practically all that could be obtained with $8 per day being paid for wages.

Resided at Oregon City

To enable the parents to better educate their children the mill was finally sold for $40,000 and the family moved back to Oregon City, where the children attended school. Here they built a mill where now are located the present paper mills. However, later the family moved to a farm located on what is now known as Clackamas Heights.

On May 22, 1873, Sarah Ellen Hunsaker was married to Josephus Tompkins. For the first eight years of their married life was spent on a large cattle ranch in eastern Oregon. They then returned to Oregon City where they lived for several years.

To this union were born seven children, five of whom are still living.

In October, 1906, Mr. and Mrs. Tompkins and family moved to Grand Island where they bought the present place as well as land along the river at the lower end of the island.

Mr. Tompkins died at the home place August 15, 1928. Several years later Mrs. Tompkins and her two daughters moved to the coast, living first at Taft, then at Cutler City. For the past several years she had spent the winters with her son, J.H. Tompkins, and family of this district.

She is survived by her five children, Morton and J.H. Tompkins of this district, Forbes of Logsden, Mrs. Emily E. Folsom and Verna V. Tompkins of Cutler City; 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.