BIO: by Karla Todd Sherer
Tom is the son of Samuel Henry, Jr. and Leona Elmira Scroggins Conley. He had 9 siblings but one died at birth.
As a young man of about 25, Tom had his eye on a young lady and fell deeply in love with her. However, around that time she became involved with someone else. She would soon marry and with this news Tom made a life changing decision. He moved to Alaska to live alone and homestead a tract of land in the bush. He settled his homestead in the Kuskokwim River area. The nearest town was McGrath, AK. Tom was known by all the locals around the area and would go into McGrath to buy supplies. There on his land, he lived a subsistence lifestyle. He fished and hunted for his meat and trapped fur to make what money and warm clothing he needed. Tom built his home and all necessities there on his homestead. Around Memorial Day weekend in 1948, he was expected to make the trip into McGrath for supplies. When he did not arrive, the small community began to be concerned and after some time, the sheriff and a local bush pilot flew out to his homestead to check on him. Sadly, they found him deceased in his cabin. It appeared Tom had gotten his foot or leg caught in a trap and although he was able to remove the trap and get to his home, he developed gangrene and died. They buried him there on his homestead between two forks of the Kuskokwim. At some point during his years on his homestead, Tom killed an enormous trophy moose. He had the head mounted and sent this prize to my paternal grandmother - Delphia May Scroggins Todd. It would hang in my dad's office for many years and is a strong memory of my childhood. Tom is my 1st cousin, 2X removed and the young girl he loved became my grandmother...and the owner of the trophy moose head.
In loving memory of my cousin Tom.....
NOTE: Thanks go to Gail L. Matthews on Findagrave and Ron Winkelman of McGrath, AK for time and efforts in helping me learn more about my cousin Tom.
Tom is the son of Samuel Henry, Jr. and Leona Elmira Scroggins Conley. He had 9 siblings but one died at birth.
As a young man of about 25, Tom had his eye on a young lady and fell deeply in love with her. However, around that time she became involved with someone else. She would soon marry and with this news Tom made a life changing decision. He moved to Alaska to live alone and homestead a tract of land in the bush. He settled his homestead in the Kuskokwim River area. The nearest town was McGrath, AK. Tom was known by all the locals around the area and would go into McGrath to buy supplies. There on his land, he lived a subsistence lifestyle. He fished and hunted for his meat and trapped fur to make what money and warm clothing he needed. Tom built his home and all necessities there on his homestead. Around Memorial Day weekend in 1948, he was expected to make the trip into McGrath for supplies. When he did not arrive, the small community began to be concerned and after some time, the sheriff and a local bush pilot flew out to his homestead to check on him. Sadly, they found him deceased in his cabin. It appeared Tom had gotten his foot or leg caught in a trap and although he was able to remove the trap and get to his home, he developed gangrene and died. They buried him there on his homestead between two forks of the Kuskokwim. At some point during his years on his homestead, Tom killed an enormous trophy moose. He had the head mounted and sent this prize to my paternal grandmother - Delphia May Scroggins Todd. It would hang in my dad's office for many years and is a strong memory of my childhood. Tom is my 1st cousin, 2X removed and the young girl he loved became my grandmother...and the owner of the trophy moose head.
In loving memory of my cousin Tom.....
NOTE: Thanks go to Gail L. Matthews on Findagrave and Ron Winkelman of McGrath, AK for time and efforts in helping me learn more about my cousin Tom.
BIO: by Karla Todd Sherer
Tom is the son of Samuel Henry, Jr. and Leona Elmira Scroggins Conley. He had 9 siblings but one died at birth.
As a young man of about 25, Tom had his eye on a young lady and fell deeply in love with her. However, around that time she became involved with someone else. She would soon marry and with this news Tom made a life changing decision. He moved to Alaska to live alone and homestead a tract of land in the bush. He settled his homestead in the Kuskokwim River area. The nearest town was McGrath, AK. Tom was known by all the locals around the area and would go into McGrath to buy supplies. There on his land, he lived a subsistence lifestyle. He fished and hunted for his meat and trapped fur to make what money and warm clothing he needed. Tom built his home and all necessities there on his homestead. Around Memorial Day weekend in 1948, he was expected to make the trip into McGrath for supplies. When he did not arrive, the small community began to be concerned and after some time, the sheriff and a local bush pilot flew out to his homestead to check on him. Sadly, they found him deceased in his cabin. It appeared Tom had gotten his foot or leg caught in a trap and although he was able to remove the trap and get to his home, he developed gangrene and died. They buried him there on his homestead between two forks of the Kuskokwim. At some point during his years on his homestead, Tom killed an enormous trophy moose. He had the head mounted and sent this prize to my paternal grandmother - Delphia May Scroggins Todd. It would hang in my dad's office for many years and is a strong memory of my childhood. Tom is my 1st cousin, 2X removed and the young girl he loved became my grandmother...and the owner of the trophy moose head.
In loving memory of my cousin Tom.....
NOTE: Thanks go to Gail L. Matthews on Findagrave and Ron Winkelman of McGrath, AK for time and efforts in helping me learn more about my cousin Tom.
Tom is the son of Samuel Henry, Jr. and Leona Elmira Scroggins Conley. He had 9 siblings but one died at birth.
As a young man of about 25, Tom had his eye on a young lady and fell deeply in love with her. However, around that time she became involved with someone else. She would soon marry and with this news Tom made a life changing decision. He moved to Alaska to live alone and homestead a tract of land in the bush. He settled his homestead in the Kuskokwim River area. The nearest town was McGrath, AK. Tom was known by all the locals around the area and would go into McGrath to buy supplies. There on his land, he lived a subsistence lifestyle. He fished and hunted for his meat and trapped fur to make what money and warm clothing he needed. Tom built his home and all necessities there on his homestead. Around Memorial Day weekend in 1948, he was expected to make the trip into McGrath for supplies. When he did not arrive, the small community began to be concerned and after some time, the sheriff and a local bush pilot flew out to his homestead to check on him. Sadly, they found him deceased in his cabin. It appeared Tom had gotten his foot or leg caught in a trap and although he was able to remove the trap and get to his home, he developed gangrene and died. They buried him there on his homestead between two forks of the Kuskokwim. At some point during his years on his homestead, Tom killed an enormous trophy moose. He had the head mounted and sent this prize to my paternal grandmother - Delphia May Scroggins Todd. It would hang in my dad's office for many years and is a strong memory of my childhood. Tom is my 1st cousin, 2X removed and the young girl he loved became my grandmother...and the owner of the trophy moose head.
In loving memory of my cousin Tom.....
NOTE: Thanks go to Gail L. Matthews on Findagrave and Ron Winkelman of McGrath, AK for time and efforts in helping me learn more about my cousin Tom.
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