James Bird "JB or Bert" Watson passed away May 11, 1939 at 1:45pm at Eldon Township, Dickey County, North Dakota, USA.
James Bird Watson (J.B. or Bert, as he was called by most) was born on April 1, 1875, to Henry Watson and Mary Ellen (Hurst) Watson in Quebec, Canada. J.B. came to Dakota Territory around 1880 with his father Henry, brother Robert, and sister May.
They moved to a farm southeast of Monango and started a drayline. He must have been a busy man, hauling tons of coal and what have you for a few cents.
On August 22, 1906, he married Clara Louise Keller, daughter of Herman and Irene (Preston) Keller. She had one sister, Katherine (Mrs. Robert Gregory), and one adopted brother, Freddie.
James ran his Drayline business and must have done fairly well. Then in May of 1915, James's father, Henry, died in a farm accident so James took his family and moved to his father's farm. Things went bad for them when the depression came and they lost the farm, so they moved his garage (a huge wood building covered with tin) across the road and they lived on a grass floor at first. Eventually a cellar was dug and a wood floor was put in.
As hard as things were for them, they always managed some enjoyment for their children. It was a big treat to go to Monango and see the movies flashed on a garage door. They spent lots of time at Grandpa Keller's and Aunt Kate and Uncle Rob's.
J.B. was a jack-of-all-trades; besides farming, he drilled wells, moved buildings, did carpenter work, and kept the country telephone line repaired.
James and Clara had nine children: Byron, Edward, Edwin, Ethel, Robert, Walter, Hazel, Laura and Dorothy.
James Bird rests in the Monango Cemetery, Monango, Dickey County, North Dakota.
James Bird Watson (J.B. or Bert, as he was called by most) was born on April 1, 1875, to Henry Watson and Mary Ellen (Hurst) Watson in Quebec, Canada. J.B. came to Dakota Territory around 1880 with his father Henry, brother Robert, and sister May.
They moved to a farm southeast of Monango and started a drayline. He must have been a busy man, hauling tons of coal and what have you for a few cents.
On August 22, 1906, he married Clara Louise Keller, daughter of Herman and Irene (Preston) Keller. She had one sister, Katherine (Mrs. Robert Gregory), and one adopted brother, Freddie.
James ran his Drayline business and must have done fairly well. Then in May of 1915, James's father, Henry, died in a farm accident so James took his family and moved to his father's farm. Things went bad for them when the depression came and they lost the farm, so they moved his garage (a huge wood building covered with tin) across the road and they lived on a grass floor at first. Eventually a cellar was dug and a wood floor was put in.
As hard as things were for them, they always managed some enjoyment for their children. It was a big treat to go to Monango and see the movies flashed on a garage door. They spent lots of time at Grandpa Keller's and Aunt Kate and Uncle Rob's.
J.B. was a jack-of-all-trades; besides farming, he drilled wells, moved buildings, did carpenter work, and kept the country telephone line repaired.
James and Clara had nine children: Byron, Edward, Edwin, Ethel, Robert, Walter, Hazel, Laura and Dorothy.
James Bird rests in the Monango Cemetery, Monango, Dickey County, North Dakota.
James Bird "JB or Bert" Watson passed away May 11, 1939 at 1:45pm at Eldon Township, Dickey County, North Dakota, USA.
James Bird Watson (J.B. or Bert, as he was called by most) was born on April 1, 1875, to Henry Watson and Mary Ellen (Hurst) Watson in Quebec, Canada. J.B. came to Dakota Territory around 1880 with his father Henry, brother Robert, and sister May.
They moved to a farm southeast of Monango and started a drayline. He must have been a busy man, hauling tons of coal and what have you for a few cents.
On August 22, 1906, he married Clara Louise Keller, daughter of Herman and Irene (Preston) Keller. She had one sister, Katherine (Mrs. Robert Gregory), and one adopted brother, Freddie.
James ran his Drayline business and must have done fairly well. Then in May of 1915, James's father, Henry, died in a farm accident so James took his family and moved to his father's farm. Things went bad for them when the depression came and they lost the farm, so they moved his garage (a huge wood building covered with tin) across the road and they lived on a grass floor at first. Eventually a cellar was dug and a wood floor was put in.
As hard as things were for them, they always managed some enjoyment for their children. It was a big treat to go to Monango and see the movies flashed on a garage door. They spent lots of time at Grandpa Keller's and Aunt Kate and Uncle Rob's.
J.B. was a jack-of-all-trades; besides farming, he drilled wells, moved buildings, did carpenter work, and kept the country telephone line repaired.
James and Clara had nine children: Byron, Edward, Edwin, Ethel, Robert, Walter, Hazel, Laura and Dorothy.
James Bird rests in the Monango Cemetery, Monango, Dickey County, North Dakota.
James Bird Watson (J.B. or Bert, as he was called by most) was born on April 1, 1875, to Henry Watson and Mary Ellen (Hurst) Watson in Quebec, Canada. J.B. came to Dakota Territory around 1880 with his father Henry, brother Robert, and sister May.
They moved to a farm southeast of Monango and started a drayline. He must have been a busy man, hauling tons of coal and what have you for a few cents.
On August 22, 1906, he married Clara Louise Keller, daughter of Herman and Irene (Preston) Keller. She had one sister, Katherine (Mrs. Robert Gregory), and one adopted brother, Freddie.
James ran his Drayline business and must have done fairly well. Then in May of 1915, James's father, Henry, died in a farm accident so James took his family and moved to his father's farm. Things went bad for them when the depression came and they lost the farm, so they moved his garage (a huge wood building covered with tin) across the road and they lived on a grass floor at first. Eventually a cellar was dug and a wood floor was put in.
As hard as things were for them, they always managed some enjoyment for their children. It was a big treat to go to Monango and see the movies flashed on a garage door. They spent lots of time at Grandpa Keller's and Aunt Kate and Uncle Rob's.
J.B. was a jack-of-all-trades; besides farming, he drilled wells, moved buildings, did carpenter work, and kept the country telephone line repaired.
James and Clara had nine children: Byron, Edward, Edwin, Ethel, Robert, Walter, Hazel, Laura and Dorothy.
James Bird rests in the Monango Cemetery, Monango, Dickey County, North Dakota.
