Oldest child of Henry William Geyer and Sarah Jane (Leonard) Starr, Hattie F. Starr, was born in CA in 1858 or 1859. She was listed in the household with her parents as age 1 on the 1860 Gibsonville, Sierra, CA, census. Her maternal grandmother's name was Finley, so it's probable that the initial F. stood for Finley. Some evidence points to an early marriage to a Green by 1880.
By 1900, Hattie had settled in Orting, Pierce, WA, with her husband, William Augustine. Sometime after the death of William on 26 Jul 1905, Hattie Augustine married Frank Dewester. Hattie and Frank were living in Tacoma, Pierce County, WA, in 1910. At the time of her death on 04 May 1915, Hattie was the wife of Charles Harlan, but apparently the couple had separated and she remained on good terms with her former husband, Frank Dewester. Notes left by her at the time of her death called upon officials to notify her former husband, Frank Dewester, and that he would tell them what to do in the event of her death.
From news articles covering her death, one discovers that Hattie Harlan prepared for her death "with cool deliberation." The following information is taken from various WA newspaper accounts in the Aberdeen Daily World (15 May 1915)(16 May 1915), The Orting Oracle (7 May 1915), The Tacoma Daily News (5 May 1915), and the Tacoma Tribune (7 May 1915) (Washington State Library: Reference Librarian Crystal Lentz):
Mrs. Harlan registered at the Bacon Hotel in Tacoma, WA, under the assumed name of Mrs. Leonard. Early on the morning of Tuesday, 4 May 1915, she drank carbolic acid and then went to the O.W.R. & N. railroad bridge over the Chehalis River where at 7 o'clock in the morning she leaped 40 feet into the river and drowned. Officials later discovered three letters written by Mrs. Harlan prior to her death. One was to the Chief of Police with personal information as to her correct name and to contact her former husband, Frank DeWester: I take my own life by my own hand for reasons best known to myself. The second was to the proprietor of the Bacon Hotel where she had registered under an assumed name. The third letter was to Undertaker Farrell in her home town of Orting, WA. Speculation as to the cause of her act centered on possible family trouble or poverty. Mrs. Harlan had divorced Mr. DeWester about one and a half years ago and married H. F. Harlan a year later. Her former husband, DeWester, arranged her burial at the side of her former husband, William Augustine, in Orting Cemetery.
By 1900, Hattie had settled in Orting, Pierce, WA, with her husband, William Augustine. Sometime after the death of William on 26 Jul 1905, Hattie Augustine married Frank Dewester. Hattie and Frank were living in Tacoma, Pierce County, WA, in 1910. At the time of her death on 04 May 1915, Hattie was the wife of Charles Harlan, but apparently the couple had separated and she remained on good terms with her former husband, Frank Dewester. Notes left by her at the time of her death called upon officials to notify her former husband, Frank Dewester, and that he would tell them what to do in the event of her death.
From news articles covering her death, one discovers that Hattie Harlan prepared for her death "with cool deliberation." The following information is taken from various WA newspaper accounts in the Aberdeen Daily World (15 May 1915)(16 May 1915), The Orting Oracle (7 May 1915), The Tacoma Daily News (5 May 1915), and the Tacoma Tribune (7 May 1915) (Washington State Library: Reference Librarian Crystal Lentz):
Mrs. Harlan registered at the Bacon Hotel in Tacoma, WA, under the assumed name of Mrs. Leonard. Early on the morning of Tuesday, 4 May 1915, she drank carbolic acid and then went to the O.W.R. & N. railroad bridge over the Chehalis River where at 7 o'clock in the morning she leaped 40 feet into the river and drowned. Officials later discovered three letters written by Mrs. Harlan prior to her death. One was to the Chief of Police with personal information as to her correct name and to contact her former husband, Frank DeWester: I take my own life by my own hand for reasons best known to myself. The second was to the proprietor of the Bacon Hotel where she had registered under an assumed name. The third letter was to Undertaker Farrell in her home town of Orting, WA. Speculation as to the cause of her act centered on possible family trouble or poverty. Mrs. Harlan had divorced Mr. DeWester about one and a half years ago and married H. F. Harlan a year later. Her former husband, DeWester, arranged her burial at the side of her former husband, William Augustine, in Orting Cemetery.
Oldest child of Henry William Geyer and Sarah Jane (Leonard) Starr, Hattie F. Starr, was born in CA in 1858 or 1859. She was listed in the household with her parents as age 1 on the 1860 Gibsonville, Sierra, CA, census. Her maternal grandmother's name was Finley, so it's probable that the initial F. stood for Finley. Some evidence points to an early marriage to a Green by 1880.
By 1900, Hattie had settled in Orting, Pierce, WA, with her husband, William Augustine. Sometime after the death of William on 26 Jul 1905, Hattie Augustine married Frank Dewester. Hattie and Frank were living in Tacoma, Pierce County, WA, in 1910. At the time of her death on 04 May 1915, Hattie was the wife of Charles Harlan, but apparently the couple had separated and she remained on good terms with her former husband, Frank Dewester. Notes left by her at the time of her death called upon officials to notify her former husband, Frank Dewester, and that he would tell them what to do in the event of her death.
From news articles covering her death, one discovers that Hattie Harlan prepared for her death "with cool deliberation." The following information is taken from various WA newspaper accounts in the Aberdeen Daily World (15 May 1915)(16 May 1915), The Orting Oracle (7 May 1915), The Tacoma Daily News (5 May 1915), and the Tacoma Tribune (7 May 1915) (Washington State Library: Reference Librarian Crystal Lentz):
Mrs. Harlan registered at the Bacon Hotel in Tacoma, WA, under the assumed name of Mrs. Leonard. Early on the morning of Tuesday, 4 May 1915, she drank carbolic acid and then went to the O.W.R. & N. railroad bridge over the Chehalis River where at 7 o'clock in the morning she leaped 40 feet into the river and drowned. Officials later discovered three letters written by Mrs. Harlan prior to her death. One was to the Chief of Police with personal information as to her correct name and to contact her former husband, Frank DeWester: I take my own life by my own hand for reasons best known to myself. The second was to the proprietor of the Bacon Hotel where she had registered under an assumed name. The third letter was to Undertaker Farrell in her home town of Orting, WA. Speculation as to the cause of her act centered on possible family trouble or poverty. Mrs. Harlan had divorced Mr. DeWester about one and a half years ago and married H. F. Harlan a year later. Her former husband, DeWester, arranged her burial at the side of her former husband, William Augustine, in Orting Cemetery.
By 1900, Hattie had settled in Orting, Pierce, WA, with her husband, William Augustine. Sometime after the death of William on 26 Jul 1905, Hattie Augustine married Frank Dewester. Hattie and Frank were living in Tacoma, Pierce County, WA, in 1910. At the time of her death on 04 May 1915, Hattie was the wife of Charles Harlan, but apparently the couple had separated and she remained on good terms with her former husband, Frank Dewester. Notes left by her at the time of her death called upon officials to notify her former husband, Frank Dewester, and that he would tell them what to do in the event of her death.
From news articles covering her death, one discovers that Hattie Harlan prepared for her death "with cool deliberation." The following information is taken from various WA newspaper accounts in the Aberdeen Daily World (15 May 1915)(16 May 1915), The Orting Oracle (7 May 1915), The Tacoma Daily News (5 May 1915), and the Tacoma Tribune (7 May 1915) (Washington State Library: Reference Librarian Crystal Lentz):
Mrs. Harlan registered at the Bacon Hotel in Tacoma, WA, under the assumed name of Mrs. Leonard. Early on the morning of Tuesday, 4 May 1915, she drank carbolic acid and then went to the O.W.R. & N. railroad bridge over the Chehalis River where at 7 o'clock in the morning she leaped 40 feet into the river and drowned. Officials later discovered three letters written by Mrs. Harlan prior to her death. One was to the Chief of Police with personal information as to her correct name and to contact her former husband, Frank DeWester: I take my own life by my own hand for reasons best known to myself. The second was to the proprietor of the Bacon Hotel where she had registered under an assumed name. The third letter was to Undertaker Farrell in her home town of Orting, WA. Speculation as to the cause of her act centered on possible family trouble or poverty. Mrs. Harlan had divorced Mr. DeWester about one and a half years ago and married H. F. Harlan a year later. Her former husband, DeWester, arranged her burial at the side of her former husband, William Augustine, in Orting Cemetery.
Inscription
HATTIE F. STARR
1859-1915
Gravesite Details
Headstone photo is courtesy of John Walters.
