Joseph Philip 'Stephan' Stevens was born on Sep 4, 1858 in Londonderry, Bedford Co, Penns, according the Zion Lutheran Church records where the family attended church. His father Adam Stephan b1813 was 45 and his mother Caroline Potter Stephens was 37. Joseph was the oldest of 9 Children. We believe he 'borrowed' his younger sisters birth date of 1866 to appear younger when He married Mary Loretta Lenox on February 22, 1900 in Walkerville, Montana. Mary was just 23 years old so Joseph was nearly 20 years her senior. We believe that he left his hometown in Pennsylvania in the mid-1880's & traveled west along the Railroad to Salt Lake City. A Railroad Spur was built up into Dillon, Montana from Salt Lake in the spring of 1881 so both the Lenox Family & Joseph may have arrived together in about 1888, as that is when we believe that James Lenox - Mary's father, arrived in Dillon. We find Joseph working as a miner in Butte, Montana in the 1890's and connected with a Mining Claim in Bannock, Mt in 1897. In 1900 His profession was listed as a Quartz Miner on the census record which suggested he was actually a Gold Miner. We did find several mining claims in his name at the Courthouse in Dillon, Montana. Joseph was also on the School Board and his wife Mary was the School District secretary. He must have been a well respected citizen as he garnered a Front Page 0bituary when he died suddenly on June 1, 1915 in Dillon, Montana at the age of 56. G/grandma Caroline changed the spelling of 0ur surname to Stevens after G/grandpa Adam died in 1874. The name Stephan was anglicized to Stephens in America. Some of the German Lutheran Records have the spelling as Steffan.
Joseph Philip 'Stephan' Stevens was born on Sep 4, 1858 in Londonderry, Bedford Co, Penns, according the Zion Lutheran Church records where the family attended church. His father Adam Stephan b1813 was 45 and his mother Caroline Potter Stephens was 37. Joseph was the oldest of 9 Children. We believe he 'borrowed' his younger sisters birth date of 1866 to appear younger when He married Mary Loretta Lenox on February 22, 1900 in Walkerville, Montana. Mary was just 23 years old so Joseph was nearly 20 years her senior. We believe that he left his hometown in Pennsylvania in the mid-1880's & traveled west along the Railroad to Salt Lake City. A Railroad Spur was built up into Dillon, Montana from Salt Lake in the spring of 1881 so both the Lenox Family & Joseph may have arrived together in about 1888, as that is when we believe that James Lenox - Mary's father, arrived in Dillon. We find Joseph working as a miner in Butte, Montana in the 1890's and connected with a Mining Claim in Bannock, Mt in 1897. In 1900 His profession was listed as a Quartz Miner on the census record which suggested he was actually a Gold Miner. We did find several mining claims in his name at the Courthouse in Dillon, Montana. Joseph was also on the School Board and his wife Mary was the School District secretary. He must have been a well respected citizen as he garnered a Front Page 0bituary when he died suddenly on June 1, 1915 in Dillon, Montana at the age of 56. G/grandma Caroline changed the spelling of 0ur surname to Stevens after G/grandpa Adam died in 1874. The name Stephan was anglicized to Stephens in America. Some of the German Lutheran Records have the spelling as Steffan.
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