Nell Fern (Thompson) Bullock (1890 - 1958)

Ancestors Descendants

Contents 1 Biography 2 Timeline 3 Research Notes 4 Sources

Biography

Nell was a cook for lumber camps in Washington, for road crews in Utah, and farm crews in Nebraska. My mother, Roberta, told of living in a big tent with a wood floor in a logging camp in Washington, and in several small towns in Idaho (Emmett), Wyoming (Rock Springs), Nebraska (Sumner), and Utah (Milford).

Nell Fern Thompson was born in South Portsmouth, Greenup County, Kentucky, on 20 August 1893 to parents Franklin Thompson, a farmer from Ohio, and Louise Bender, a first-generation German immigrant. Her parents married in 1880 in Scioto County, Ohio. They moved to Kentucky some time before 1900.

The 1900 US census lists Frank Thompson, 42, fire brick labor; Lucy Thompson, 40; Mira Thompson, 19; Stephen Thompson, 14; Charles Thompson, 12; Nellie Thompson, 9; Ercel Thompson, 5; Clyde Thompson, 1; in Quincy, Lewis County, Kentucky.^[1]

Family lore has it that Nell left home at 13 (about 1906) because there was never enough to eat and she never had a new pair of shoes. And she was a half-breed, probably Shawnee (unproven, of course).

The next record for Nell is mother of Rowland McCrary, born in Priest River, Bonner, Idaho in 1908, when Nell would have been about 17 (18 on birth cert) years old; and Lorn McCrary born in 1910 in Laclede, Bonner, Idaho. Priest River and Laclede are small towns about 7 miles apart on the Priest River in Idaho. Father is Wayne McCrary.

The 1910 U.S. census places Wayne, 20, and Nellie, 19, married 2 years, and son Rowland, 1, in Laclede, Bonner, Idaho. However; Nell, as "Fern Thompson" marries "Wayne McCrary" on 4 November 1912 in Spokane, Washington, two years after son Lorn was born. Wayne is an "Off Bearer" at a lumber mill. She would have been 18 years old.

Their marriage was recorded in Spokane, Washington, Episcopal Diocese Church records. Luther B Franck, Minister of the Gospel, "solemnized the rites of matrimony" between Wayne McCrary and Fern Thompson. He signed the State/County marriage license and the Episcopal church record.^[2][3]

Dec 1914 - Boarder crossing at Port of Gateway into British Columbia. Mrs. Nell McCrary, 23, wife, Ohio, U.S., travel by G.H.R, train 400, Priest River, Idaho, to Fernie, BC, $52.00; traveling with Rowland McCrary, 6, and Lorne McCrary, 4, Idaho, U.S. Her husband was working in a coal mine in B.C. Nell took their two sons to their father and left them with him. She never saw them again.^[4]

1917 - Nell's marriage to Robert Muyer (Muir?) on 1 September 1917 in Red Lodge, Carbon, Montana. She is Nellie McCreary, 24, previously married and divorced, parents Frank Thompson and Lucy Bender.^[5]

The 1920 U.S. census of Washington, enumerated on 31 January, places Robert Mure and Nellie Mure at 24 3rd Avenue, Roslyn Ward 1, Kittitas. Robert is 30, immigration year 1906, naturalized in 1918, born in Ireland, working as a coal miner. Wife Nell is 28, born in Kentucky. They have a boarder, 24-year-old William Harris, a miner^[6]

The next found record for Nell is the birth of her daughter, Roberta Marjorie Muir, 14 July 1921, in Roslyn, Kittitas, Washington, USA. Roberta's birth certificate lists two boys before her. Nell said she left the boys with their fathers because “a boy needs his father.” Roberta's birth certificate lists Nell's father as "Wilson Thompson, mother unknown." Nell's age given as 30, so birth year would be 1891. Father is Robert Muir, age 31, from Ireland.

Nell’s second found record is the 1930 U.S. Census, she is spouse of Kem Brown in Sumner, Nebraska. Kem, 39, first married at age 17, attended school, born in Nebraska, father in Missouri, mother in Illinois. Nell, 36, was first married at age 26 (maybe she forgot the 1st two marriages), did not attend school, born in Kentucky, parents also born in Kentucky. Step daughter, Roberta M Muir, 8, born in Washington, father born in Ireland, mother born in Kentucky.

Spouse #3, Kem Brown, died in March 1941 in Brazoria County, Texas. Nell went to Texas along with Kem's family to carry his body back to Idaho.

There are no more records until her death in Nevada. Verbal family history has her in Milford, Utah, where she probably met Seth Bullock. They went to Ely, Nevada, where my mother, Roberta, married my father, Frank M Gill.

Nell and Seth lived in Herlong, California, and ended up in Luning, Nevada. She smoked Pall Malls and took her whiskey in her coffee.

Nell died of hepatic coma after two days in Mount Grant General Hospital in Hawthorne. She is buried in Hawthorne Cemetery, Mineral County, Nevada.

---

Idaho, Birth Index, 1861-1916, Stillbirth Index, 1905-1966
Name: Wayne L. McCrary
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Birth Date: abt 1888
Birth Place: California, USA
Residence Date: 1908
Spouse: Nellie C. Thompson
Child: Rowland Wayne McCrary

Idaho, Birth Index, 1861-1916, Stillbirth Index, 1905-1966
Name: Wayne L. McCrary
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Birth Date: abt 1888
Birth Place: California, USA
Residence Date: 1910
Spouse: Nellie C. Thompson
Child: Lorn C. McCrary, son

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Name: Lucy Bender
Gender: Female
Spouse: Franklin Thompson
Child: Nellie Fern Muir

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Name: Nellie Fern Muir; [Nellie Fern Thompson]
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birth Date:
20 Aug 1890
Birth Place: Portsmouth S, Ohio
Father: Franklin Thompson
Mother: Lucy Bender
SSN: 529162685 (Utah, Milford)
Notes: Oct 1939: Name listed as NELLIE FERN MUIR

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Name: Nellie Fernthompson Bullock; [Nellie Fernthompson Thompson]
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birth Date: 20 Aug 1890
Birth Place: Cistivile Ci, Ohio
Father: Frank Thompson
Mother: Lucy Bender
SSN: 551329996 (California, Herlong)
Signature on SSN Card: Seth Bullock II
Relationship of Signature: Signature name differs from NH’s name.
Notes: Oct 1944: Name listed as NELLIE FERNTHOMPSON BULLOCK

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Name: Nell Thompson Muir ; [Nell M Bullock]; [Nell Thompson Thompson]
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birth Date: 20 Aug 1895
Birth Place: Soutportomau, Kventucky
Father: Frank Thompson
Mother: Lucy Bender
SSN: 530108765 (Nevada, Luning)
Notes: Jan 1942: Name listed as NELL THOMPSON MUIR; : Name listed as NELL M BULLOCK

Timeline

1890 - birth in Kentucky

1900 - KY census, 9 yrs old

1908 - Roland McCrary born in Idaho

1910 - Lorn McCrary born in Idaho

1912 - marriage to Wayne McCrary in Spokane, Washington

1914 - border crossing to British Columbia

1917 - marriage to Robert Muyer, Red Lodge, Montana

1920 - Nell & Robert Mure (sic) in Cle Ellem, Washington

1921 - Roberta Muir born in Washington

1930 - spouse Kem Brown, Sumner, Nebraska

1935 - Milford, Utah

1939 - Ely, Nevada

1947 - Herlong, Lassen, California

1957 - Luning, Mineral, Nevada

Image:Thompson-24051-3.jpg

Nell Thompson-a life on the move.

Research Notes

Birth Date: 1890, 1893, 1895; Birth date on death certificate is 20 Aug 1893.  :Middle initial 'M', Father Wilson Thompson.

Son Rowland's birth certificate middle initial C, born in Mancelona, Michigan - no such initial or birth place.

Sources

1. ↑ 1900 Census: "1900 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1900; Census Place: Quincy, Lewis, Kentucky; Roll: 538; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 0084; FHL microfilm: 1240538
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7602 #5488206 (accessed 30 December 2022)
   Nellie Thompson (9), single daughter, At School, in household of Frank Thompson (42) in Quincy, Lewis, Kentucky. Born in Ohio, USA.
2. ↑ Washington, Episcopal Diocese of Spokane Church Records, 1870-1970 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018. page 143, image 127 of 182 marriage record
3. ↑ Idaho, County Marriage Records, 1864-1967 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017. [https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61480/images/48574_b415131-00590?treeid=&personid=&hintid=& usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.126101197.1985703452.1595258616-395909149.1546017834&_gac=1.83517092.1595267712.COH3-veCq7oCFUhk7AodaWAA0w&pId=90150492state marriage license]
4. ↑ Border Crossings: From U.S. to Canada, 1908-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Border Crossings: From U.S. to Canada, 1908-1935 12:58, 24 March 2018 (EDT)
5. ↑ Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1987 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT. USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017. Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1987 for Robert Muyer 14:10, 13 March 2018 (EDT)
6. ↑ 1920 Census: "1920 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1920; Census Place: Roslyn Ward 1, Kittitas, Washington; Roll: T625_1932; Page: 24A; Enumeration District: 83
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 6061 #13692533 (accessed 30 December 2022)
   Robt Mure (30), married, Miner, head of household in Roslyn Ward 1, Kittitas, Washington. Born in Ireland.

• In possession of birth and death certificate.

• Year: 1900; Census Place: Quincy, Lewis, Kentucky; Roll: 538; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0084; FHL microfilm: 1240538 1900 US Census accessed 23 Feb 2017

• Year: 1910; Census Place: Laclede, Bonner, Idaho; Roll: T624_223; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0083; FHL microfilm: 1374236. 1910 United States Federal Census for Wayne L Mccrary 14:58, 23 March 2018 (EDT)

• Idaho, County Marriages, 1864-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Idaho, County Marriages, 1864-1950. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013. Idaho County Marriages accessed 23 Feb 2017

• Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1987 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT. USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017. Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1987 for Robert Muyer 14:10, 13 March 2018 (EDT)

• Idaho State Department of Health; Boise, Idaho; Idaho Birth and Stillbirth Index, 1913-1964. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Idaho, Birth Index, 1861-1916, Stillbirth Index, 1905-1966 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. 15:37, 13 March 2018 (EDT)

• Border Crossings: From U.S. to Canada, 1908-1935 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Border Crossings: From U.S. to Canada, 1908-1935 12:58, 24 March 2018 (EDT)

• Idaho State Department of Health; Boise, Idaho; Idaho Birth and Stillbirth Index, 1913-1964. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Idaho, Birth Index, 1861-1916, Stillbirth Index, 1905-1966 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. 13:24, 14 March 2018 (EDT)

• Year: 1930; Census Place: Lincoln, Dawson, Nebraska; Roll: 1270; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0022; Image: 1087.0; FHL microfilm: 2341005 1930 US Census accessed 23 Feb 2017.

Kem Brown 39 Head

Nell F Brown, 36 Wife

Roberta M Muir, 8, Step daughter

• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. 14:55, 24 August 2017 (EDT)

• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. 16:23, 4 December 2019 (UTC)

Name: Robert Muir

Gender: Male

Spouse: Nell Thompson

Child: Roberta Marjorie Muir

• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. 13:52, 13 March 2018 (EDT)

• Nevada Department of Health; Carson City, Nevada. Source Information: Ancestry.com. Nevada, Death Certificates, 1911-1965 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Nevada, Death Certificates, 1911-1965 for Nell M Bullock 13:31, 13 March 2018 (EDT)

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 20 July 2020), memorial page for Nell Fern “Mickie” Thompson Bullock (20 Aug 1890–3 Oct 1958), Find A Grave: Memorial #39966236, citing Hawthorne Cemetery, Hawthorne, Mineral County, Nevada, USA ; Maintained by Joan Gill (contributor 47884613).

Memories: 1