Charles "Charley" Wm Franklin was born in 1878, in Indiana to Samuel Franklin (1854-1909) and Sarah Spangler (1855-1893). When Charles was five, the family moved to Kansas, and then to Colorado by 1885 where he schooled. He met and married Lena Caroline "Carrie" Blick in 1897. She was the daughter of Constant and Minnie (Blaakman) Blick, who came from Holland.
Charles and Lena purchased a dairy farm in Fort Morgan. Charley was also a driller, and helped drill water wells in the Fort Morgan area. In 1907, the family followed relatives to Washington state to engage in the timber industry. Charles was a very outdoors man and loved being in the timber industry.
In 1921, they moved to Buhl, Idaho and purchased farm land and farmed for many years. Charley later also owned a school bus and drove the kids to and from school. His bus, known as School Bus #3, was used in other ways. After the children were dropped off at the school, Charley and son in law Henry Rodig, would take the seats out of the bus. They would load the bus with potatoes and onions, from the fields, and deliver them. When it was time to pick the children up from school, the seats were returned to the bus. They did amazing work with the needs of the bus and Charles was a proud driver!
The four children of Charley and Lena are: Minnie b1902; Dorothy, b1905; Ralph, b1907; and Harry, b1913.
After Charles wife Lena died in 1930, Charley married later to Ella Witham in 1936. She was previously married to Frank J. Short in Adair, Iowa on12 Aug 1893. Her father was William Witham and mother was Elmira Sutherland as listed on the marriage certificate. Over the course of the next 16 years Frank and Ella had three children - Dick J., Nina A., and Ruth V. Short. Ella died in 1949.
Charles and Lena purchased a dairy farm in Fort Morgan. Charley was also a driller, and helped drill water wells in the Fort Morgan area. In 1907, the family followed relatives to Washington state to engage in the timber industry. Charles was a very outdoors man and loved being in the timber industry.
In 1921, they moved to Buhl, Idaho and purchased farm land and farmed for many years. Charley later also owned a school bus and drove the kids to and from school. His bus, known as School Bus #3, was used in other ways. After the children were dropped off at the school, Charley and son in law Henry Rodig, would take the seats out of the bus. They would load the bus with potatoes and onions, from the fields, and deliver them. When it was time to pick the children up from school, the seats were returned to the bus. They did amazing work with the needs of the bus and Charles was a proud driver!
The four children of Charley and Lena are: Minnie b1902; Dorothy, b1905; Ralph, b1907; and Harry, b1913.
After Charles wife Lena died in 1930, Charley married later to Ella Witham in 1936. She was previously married to Frank J. Short in Adair, Iowa on12 Aug 1893. Her father was William Witham and mother was Elmira Sutherland as listed on the marriage certificate. Over the course of the next 16 years Frank and Ella had three children - Dick J., Nina A., and Ruth V. Short. Ella died in 1949.
Charles "Charley" Wm Franklin was born in 1878, in Indiana to Samuel Franklin (1854-1909) and Sarah Spangler (1855-1893). When Charles was five, the family moved to Kansas, and then to Colorado by 1885 where he schooled. He met and married Lena Caroline "Carrie" Blick in 1897. She was the daughter of Constant and Minnie (Blaakman) Blick, who came from Holland.
Charles and Lena purchased a dairy farm in Fort Morgan. Charley was also a driller, and helped drill water wells in the Fort Morgan area. In 1907, the family followed relatives to Washington state to engage in the timber industry. Charles was a very outdoors man and loved being in the timber industry.
In 1921, they moved to Buhl, Idaho and purchased farm land and farmed for many years. Charley later also owned a school bus and drove the kids to and from school. His bus, known as School Bus #3, was used in other ways. After the children were dropped off at the school, Charley and son in law Henry Rodig, would take the seats out of the bus. They would load the bus with potatoes and onions, from the fields, and deliver them. When it was time to pick the children up from school, the seats were returned to the bus. They did amazing work with the needs of the bus and Charles was a proud driver!
The four children of Charley and Lena are: Minnie b1902; Dorothy, b1905; Ralph, b1907; and Harry, b1913.
After Charles wife Lena died in 1930, Charley married later to Ella Witham in 1936. She was previously married to Frank J. Short in Adair, Iowa on12 Aug 1893. Her father was William Witham and mother was Elmira Sutherland as listed on the marriage certificate. Over the course of the next 16 years Frank and Ella had three children - Dick J., Nina A., and Ruth V. Short. Ella died in 1949.
Charles and Lena purchased a dairy farm in Fort Morgan. Charley was also a driller, and helped drill water wells in the Fort Morgan area. In 1907, the family followed relatives to Washington state to engage in the timber industry. Charles was a very outdoors man and loved being in the timber industry.
In 1921, they moved to Buhl, Idaho and purchased farm land and farmed for many years. Charley later also owned a school bus and drove the kids to and from school. His bus, known as School Bus #3, was used in other ways. After the children were dropped off at the school, Charley and son in law Henry Rodig, would take the seats out of the bus. They would load the bus with potatoes and onions, from the fields, and deliver them. When it was time to pick the children up from school, the seats were returned to the bus. They did amazing work with the needs of the bus and Charles was a proud driver!
The four children of Charley and Lena are: Minnie b1902; Dorothy, b1905; Ralph, b1907; and Harry, b1913.
After Charles wife Lena died in 1930, Charley married later to Ella Witham in 1936. She was previously married to Frank J. Short in Adair, Iowa on12 Aug 1893. Her father was William Witham and mother was Elmira Sutherland as listed on the marriage certificate. Over the course of the next 16 years Frank and Ella had three children - Dick J., Nina A., and Ruth V. Short. Ella died in 1949.
Family Members
Siblings
