Elizabeth "Bessie" Mitchel was born in 1893 in Kansas. Although the newspaper article states she was born in Swenburg County, Kansas, there are no records of any kind that this county ever existed at any time in Kansas history, including the time when it was a territory. I am assuming her maiden name is Mitchel as her mother, Jennie Mitchel, was living with "Bessie" when the 1940 Census was taken while she was married to her 2nd husband, Erick N. Mathews, and they were living in N.Grandview, Yakima County, WA. The census taker listed Jennie Mitchel as Erick Mathews' mother-in-law, age 84 yrs., (b.@1856)in Illinois, a widow who had given birth to five children. I did a search for a Jennie Mitchel living anywhere in Kansas in 1890 (almost all census records for that year was destroyed in a fire) or 1880. Results were inconclusive, so I can only confirm that Mitchel was her maiden name and that she was born somewhere in Kansas in 1893*. Her parents immigrated to The Dalles, Oregon initially, then relocated to Pasco, Franklin County, Washington. It was at this time, in @1910, that Bessie met and then married Claude Clifton Baker. Claude was also from the Midwest, having been born of John E. Baker and Elcena (Stump) Baker on Oct 23, 1886 in Stromsburg, Polk County, Nebraska, a farming family. Claude, his parents, and siblings, Earl D., b.July 1884 in NE, fraternal twins Orval & Opal, b.May 1889 in NE, and "Bert" E (Albert?), b.June 1891 in WA. had relocated to Nob Hill, in Yakima County, WA by @1890. [Unfortunately, no census was taken in 1890]. Per the 1910 Census, Bessie, now age 17, was now a farmer's wife, having married Claude. They also now lived in Selah, in Yakima County, WA along with Claude's younger brother, Orval, who was now 20, and Claude's uncle, Elmer C. Baker [b.June 1864 in PA]. Orval went on to open his own barber shop in Selah, WA in the 1920's. He married Dora Lyon, a native of Washington, b.1891. They would have a son they named Ursel O. Baker in 1915. Ursel would grow up in Selah and marry Delores, 3 years his junior, also from Yakima County. Bessie and Claude's marriage was sadly all too brief as Claude died at the age of 32 yrs. on June 29, 1919. Bessie was now a widow and the mother of the following children: Hazel, b.1911, Ralph Claude, b. May 25, 1912, Opal Ailene, b. Dec 3, 1916, and a baby who would be born in early 1920 who she would name Claudia. The farm was her's to manage, as it was her sole source of income for herself and the children. She managed well, it appears, until she decided to finally remarry in 1925 to Erick Nelson Mathews, a World War 1 Veteran and native of Washington. They would be blessed with three children: Joy M., b. 1927, Leroy W., b. 1929, and Walter N., b. 1930. They apparently remained on the farm at North Grandview in Yakima County with Bessie's mother, Jennie Mitchel, age 84 yrs., (a widow, b. Dec 1861, Illinois) joining them in the home by the time the 1940 census was taken. Bessie and Erick were married for the next 32 years, until his death on June 10th, 1957. He was buried at the Prosser Cemetery in Benton Co., Washington. Bessie was again a widow at the age of 64. She went to live with her son, Ralph, in Mabton, when, eight years after her husband's death, she realized she could no longer be alone on the farm near Grandview where she had spent so much of her life. She lived with Ralph for 6 yrs. until she finally passed from this life a month after her 76th birthday. She is buried next to Erick at the Prosser Cemetery in Prosser, Benton County, Washington. May she Rest In Peace.
*Upon further searching, I found a census for 1900 for Jennie Mitchel, age 39, b.Dec 1861 in Illinois, wife of George Mitchel, age 46, b.Nov 1854, IN., a Barber, with 2 daughters, Stella, b. Nov 1880, and Bessie, b.Feb 1886 (!), living at Caldwell City, Sumner Co., Kansas. I am certain this is her family, although her year of birth can be disputed.