| Birth: | 20 Feb 1870 in CLIFTON TWP., GRANT CO., WI 1 3 4 |
| Death: | 15 Jul 1946 in PRESCOTT, YAVAPAI CO., AZ 4 |
| Sex: | F |
| Father: | CALVIN WESLEY RUSSELL b. 1 Feb 1832 in CATTARAUGUS CO., NY |
| Mother: | LYDIA ESTHER SPARGO b. 25 Aug 1833 in TRUMBULL CO., OH |
| 1 2 |
| Burial: 18 Jul 1946 Greenwood Memory Lawn Cem., Phoenix, AZ 5 6 |
| Religion: a member of the Christian Church |
| Spouses & Children |
| JOEL JACKSON (Husband) b. 8 Jan 1853 in FREEDOM, FRANKLIN TWP., OWEN CO., IN | |
| Marriage: | 23 DEC 1886 in GERING, SCOTTSBLUFF CO., NE |
| Children: | |
| |
| Notes |
Published article:
"It was a bitterly cold day of 1896, just two days before Christmas, when Joel Jackson brightened the eyes of Rosa Emma Russell by placingthe golden circle on her finger. The wedding took place at the home ofa friend and, in spite of the winter storm that had been raging fortwo days, the hardy souls who loved this bride eagerly made their waythrough snowdrifts to attend.
Rosa was 26 years of age, a well-seasoned young pioneer woman who had grown up in the land of hardships, which included not only severestorms, but prairie fires and fear of Indians on the warpath.
Joel had filed on a homestead on the Nebraska-Wyoming border, a few miles from the North Platte River, and had labored under tryingcircumstances to establish a cattle ranch. He needed a companion andhelpmeet and found it in Rosa, who eagerly looked forward to having apart in his growing spread. Immediately after the Christmasfestivities, they started on their journey 30 miles due west. Theyfound no mansion, but a dugout. It was cut three-quarters into thehillside, with narrow windows at ground level, reinforced with squaresof sod. The original rooms were made in the same way, but the last oneone, some time later, was of logs. All were lined with muslin whichkept the dirt, twigs, and bugs from falling on them.
Later, in 1910, they were able to build a better place, this time with concrete and rocks, called a grout house.
They did prosper, both in livestock and in family. The following fall the first child was born, a girl names Esther, at the same homein Gering where the wedding had taken place and where the only doctorin the country was located.
In the next year, 1898, an epidemic of measles swept the sparsely-settled countryside. This bride, who was no longer a bridebut a matured settler's wife and mother, was a victim of the diseasewhile carrying her second child. Only her husband and a neighborlymidwife were present to help her through the ordeal of losing herpremature baby,
another daughter.
Two years later they were all made happy by the birth of a son, Elvin, followed in another two years by Sam.
Rosa obtained an incubator and raised her own chickens, using the older ones for meat and acquiring a little cash by selling the eggs.There were hogs to be killed, bacon, sausage and hams to be smoked andthe occasional cow to be butchered. After such trying periods ofhyperactivity, Rosa invariably was brought to bed with a migraineheadache, those horrible, painful attacks which bothered her foryears.
Their spiritual life was not neglected either. There was Sunday school each week in the local schoolhouse and, when a minister wasavailable, services were held following the classes.
Eventually, when the new house had been build, there was room to keep the school teacher, which also improved the Jackson finances.
Esther wanted to have piano lessons and worked all day for her aunt for each lesson." [Condensed from Prescott Courier article byJane S. Meyer "Pioneer Wedding Band", June 20, 1980.]
Esther's diary tells about their move from Nebraska to Arizona on the LeMay Home Page (http://www.surnames.com/lemayll/default.htm
In 1918, Joel decided to escape the severe Nebraska winters, sold his ranch and auctioned his stock and moved to Arizona. Their firstsummer was in Gilbert and Mesa, but it was too hot and they moved toChino Valley, near Prescott. They bought 61 acres on Oct 27, 1919.This pleasant location met their needs for 15 years, but their olderchildren married and in 1932 Sam was tragically electrocuted in anaccident as he worked as a lineman with the Power Company.
The couple moved to Phoenix, but on March 15th, 1934, Joel died, and is buried in Phoenix. Rosa continued in her house at 1902 E Palm Lane,letting the city grow around her. She kept up a lively correspondencewith her daughter and with a cousin, Elizabeth Wilkinson, who sharedher genealogical interests. Her brother, Lawrence Russell, and herbrother-in-law, Henry Jackson, shared the home and farmresponsibilities. She delighted in her grandchildren and was active inthe Christian Church.
In 1946, not feeling well, she came to Prescott to stay with her daughter. She was thin, had back pain and couldn't breathe very well.Her grandson, Lester, rubbed her back with liniment the evening ofJuly 14th, but when he awoke the next morning, his grandmother haddied. She was buried with her husband, son Sam, and brother-in-lawHenry Jackson, who had died in 1938, in a shady spot in GreenwoodCemetery, Phoenix."
Quote from letter written 13 Mar 1870 from Esther Russell to her
cousin Elizabeth: " Our baby's name is Rosa Emma. Its eyes is blue."In 1900 her brother Lawrence said she was age 31 and in good health.Cause of death "Cardiac failure due to arteriosclerosis" Time was
July 15 at 4:45 a.m. Residence at time of death was 926 McKinley St.,Phoenix, but she was at 614 Lincoln Ave. in Prescott when deathoccurred.
| Sources |
- Title: Woodman of the World life insurance application
Author: Russell, Lawrence
Publication: 21 Dec 1900
- Title: Prescott Courier Newspaper
- Title: Correspondence saved by Rosa Russell Jackson and Esther Jackson LeMay
and Lester LeMay and filed by date by Lester LeMay.Publication: 1864-1990's
- Title: Jackson-LeMay, Esther, Birthday Book
Author: Jackson-LeMay, Esther
Publication: NY; A L Burt, 1906
Text: Filed in Jackson Vert. File. Presented to Esther 1911 "Esther Our
Girls' Birthday Book" includes history of the name. - Title: Tombstone Inscription
- Title: Death Certificate