Marcus & Johanna (Johnson) Leeson
Marques Walter “Marcus” Leeson, of Scotch-Irish descent, was born in 1865 in Atcheson, Kansas. Johanna Johnson was born in 1871 in Copenhagen, Denmark. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 11. Marcus and Johanna were married in 1891 in Kansas and had eleven children, four of whom were born in Council Grove, Kansas – Mary Frances in 1892, Elsie Elizabeth in 1895, Estella (Alice) Mabel in 1898, and Lulu who only lived a short time.
Marcus and Johanna came to Wyoming by covered wagon in 1899 or 1900 with their three daughters. Their destination was Idaho, where a sister of Marcus’ was living. Winter overtook them at Gillette. They stopped there for the winter, intending to continue their journey the following spring. They spent the winter in a tent – their son, Roy, was born in that tent. He died in 1903 at the age of 2 and is buried in Gillette. The next spring the Leesons decided to make their home in Wyoming instead of continuing their journey to Idaho. Marcus went to work for the railroad and another son, Carl Leland, was born in Gillette.
After a few years, the family moved to New Haven, Wyoming, to the ranch later owned by Gladys Clark. Twins, Florence Rosaline and Bessie May, were born there in 1906. The ranch house was a log cabin with two bedrooms, kitchen, and living room. A spring nearby supplied the water -- there was a wooden platform over the edge of a cliff where the water was drawn up from the spring below in a wooden bucket by means of rope and pulley. The spring was 30 to 50 feet below the platform.
Later, the family moved to the “present” Leeson place (still theirs??). Two more children were born there – Harry Pete in 1910 and Walter Floyd in 1912. Son Carl died in 1915 at the age of 11 and was the first person buried in the New Haven Cemetery – the land was donated for the cemetery by the Leeson family.
The children had to ride horseback about three miles to school. School was held only in the summer months because the winters were too severe for travel. Hulett, the closest town, was about 20 miles away. The Belle Fourche River had to be forded on trips to town as there were no bridges. A trip was made to Hulett about once a year in a wagon to buy staples such as coffee, sugar, flour, and rice. In 1910-1911 there was a particularly severe winter with deep snow, very little livestock survived – the Leesons fed their horses cooked rice to get them through the winter.
Their children –
Mary Frances (married Pet Hazelbaker who died in 1919, she died in Corvalis, MT in 1972)
Estella “Alice” (married Earl Smith, lived in Nebraska)
Florence Rosaline (married Harold Christenson & lived in Grand Forks, ND)
Bessie May (married Adrian Harrington & lived in Larimore, ND)
Harry Pete (made his home in Grand Forks, ND most of his adult life)
Walter Floyd (operated a greenhouse in Great Falls, MT with his wife)
Elsie Elizabeth (married Anselm Wolf, then Ted Terhune – she took her nurse’s training & served as a nurse in the army during World War I – Elsie buried here in Hulett Cemetery, Ted is buried in Moore Hill Cemetery)
Marcus died in 1930 and is buried here with sons-in-law Peter Hazelbaker and Anselm Wolf – Johanna died in 1950 and is buried in Larimore, ND near her daughter Florence and son Harry Pete.
Marques Walter “Marcus” Leeson, of Scotch-Irish descent, was born in 1865 in Atcheson, Kansas. Johanna Johnson was born in 1871 in Copenhagen, Denmark. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 11. Marcus and Johanna were married in 1891 in Kansas and had eleven children, four of whom were born in Council Grove, Kansas – Mary Frances in 1892, Elsie Elizabeth in 1895, Estella (Alice) Mabel in 1898, and Lulu who only lived a short time.
Marcus and Johanna came to Wyoming by covered wagon in 1899 or 1900 with their three daughters. Their destination was Idaho, where a sister of Marcus’ was living. Winter overtook them at Gillette. They stopped there for the winter, intending to continue their journey the following spring. They spent the winter in a tent – their son, Roy, was born in that tent. He died in 1903 at the age of 2 and is buried in Gillette. The next spring the Leesons decided to make their home in Wyoming instead of continuing their journey to Idaho. Marcus went to work for the railroad and another son, Carl Leland, was born in Gillette.
After a few years, the family moved to New Haven, Wyoming, to the ranch later owned by Gladys Clark. Twins, Florence Rosaline and Bessie May, were born there in 1906. The ranch house was a log cabin with two bedrooms, kitchen, and living room. A spring nearby supplied the water -- there was a wooden platform over the edge of a cliff where the water was drawn up from the spring below in a wooden bucket by means of rope and pulley. The spring was 30 to 50 feet below the platform.
Later, the family moved to the “present” Leeson place (still theirs??). Two more children were born there – Harry Pete in 1910 and Walter Floyd in 1912. Son Carl died in 1915 at the age of 11 and was the first person buried in the New Haven Cemetery – the land was donated for the cemetery by the Leeson family.
The children had to ride horseback about three miles to school. School was held only in the summer months because the winters were too severe for travel. Hulett, the closest town, was about 20 miles away. The Belle Fourche River had to be forded on trips to town as there were no bridges. A trip was made to Hulett about once a year in a wagon to buy staples such as coffee, sugar, flour, and rice. In 1910-1911 there was a particularly severe winter with deep snow, very little livestock survived – the Leesons fed their horses cooked rice to get them through the winter.
Their children –
Mary Frances (married Pet Hazelbaker who died in 1919, she died in Corvalis, MT in 1972)
Estella “Alice” (married Earl Smith, lived in Nebraska)
Florence Rosaline (married Harold Christenson & lived in Grand Forks, ND)
Bessie May (married Adrian Harrington & lived in Larimore, ND)
Harry Pete (made his home in Grand Forks, ND most of his adult life)
Walter Floyd (operated a greenhouse in Great Falls, MT with his wife)
Elsie Elizabeth (married Anselm Wolf, then Ted Terhune – she took her nurse’s training & served as a nurse in the army during World War I – Elsie buried here in Hulett Cemetery, Ted is buried in Moore Hill Cemetery)
Marcus died in 1930 and is buried here with sons-in-law Peter Hazelbaker and Anselm Wolf – Johanna died in 1950 and is buried in Larimore, ND near her daughter Florence and son Harry Pete.