Northwest Oklahoma Genealogical Society - Key Finder
Summer 1997
Vol. 18 No. 3
THE DAILY OKLAHOMAN
Woodward Man, 101, Enjoys
His Three Squares a Day
WOODWARD, Feb. 10--(Special)-John Fanchar, one of the eldest men in Oklahoma, recently celebrated his one hundred first birthday on his farm five and a half miles west of this city. He lives with his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Martha Fanchar, and her son, Gene.
Born in 1844 of French parents near Mound Valley, Ala., Fanchar lived on the homestead until he was 18. On Sept. 3, 1862, he enlisted in the northern army at Ft. Elgnea, Ill., and was assigned to the Ninth Illinois mounted Cavalry, company A. After serving three years and 10 days, he received his honorable discharge at Selma, Ala.
Early In 1870, Fanchar went to
Kansas and engaged in construction work for the Santa Fe railway between Newton, Kan., and Pueblo, Colo. He says he still remembers the "meal ticket" days when the Santa Fe was low on funds.
Fanchar married Elen V. Tuttle on February 22, 1877, in Newton. They had three children, Florence, Tryfena and John Jr. The family homesteaded a place in Meade county In western Kansas In 1884. Fanchar helped to build the first church and the first schoolhouse and served on the school board for 20 years. He recalls vividly Fort Dodge and Boot Hill days, the herds of wild buffalo and the Texas longhorn cattle on the trails. When the soldiers were sent to Fort Supply the Fanchars moved to Ashland, Kan.
After his wife died in 1917, Fanchar made his home with his son, John Jr., until 1924, when they located on a small ranch eight miles southeast of Laverne. Here they lived until 1942; when Mrs. Martha Fanchar and family moved to Woodward county. The son, John, died in 1930.
The 101-year-old man is totally blind, but he hears well. During the past year, due to poor blood circulation, it became necessary to amputate all toes on his right foot. Considering his advanced age, Fanchar has very good health. He still eats three hearty meals each day.
Woodward Man
Dies in Korea
WOODWARD, Nov. 25-(Special)- Mrs. Lily Murray of Mutual has received notification of the death of her son, Pvt. Francis Dean Murray, 19, while on duty in Korea, on October
23.
Some of the men in Pvt. Murray's squadron were demonstrating the disarming of another when Murray was shot accidentally.
Memorial services for Pvt. Murray were held in the Protestant hospital at Chongju, Korea, on October 26. Pvt. Murray was a graduate of the Richmond highschool in 1945. His mother has been notified also that her son's body was shipped from Korea on November 23.
In addition to his mother, Pvt. Murray is survived by three brothers, Ray, of Vici; Leo, of El Reno, and Carroll, of Mutual, and two sisters, Mrs Wayne Talman, and Mrs. Ray Farra?? of Seattle, Wash.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1945
RITES ARE HELD FOR
MOTHER OF ELEVEN
WOODWARD, Jan. 30.--(Special) Funeral services were held yesterday for Mrs. Jane Gillette-Chase, 85, mother of eleven living children, She Was born at Cleveland, Ohio, but moved to Kansas when she was eleven years old. She was married to the late J. O. Chase in Yates Center, Kansas, on July 9, 1874 She was 14 years old and her husband was 21.
At the opening of the Cherokee Strip in 1893, the couple came to Oklahoma and took a claim, near Meno in what now is Major County. They lived there until 1905 When they moved to a farm west of Fort Supply. After Mr. Chase's death
in 1917, Mrs. Chase and her three youngsest children remained on the
farm two years, then came to Wood-ward to make their home.
Survivors include eleven children:
Mrs. C. Pierce parks and A. J.
Chase, Woodward; Mrs. J. C. Mason, Fort Supply; Lewis A. Chase and Mrs. J. E. Leierer, Meno; Mrs.
W. G. Marsh, Cherokee; A. G. Chase, Hominy; Mrs. L. R. Conner and Ray Chase, Farmsworth, Texas; Ira Chase, Wenatchee, Wash.; and Mrs. H. B. Grant, Genver, Colo., one brother, D. L. Gillette, Chester. Okla.; 28 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren
WILLIAM N. GROCE
WOODWARD. Funeral for William Newton Groce, 68, Woodward county farmer, was in the Sharon Baptist church Thursday afternoon. Groce, a native of Worth county, moved to a farm 10 miles south of Woodward in 1907. Survivors are three sons, Virgil, Fairview, Howard and Victor, of Sharon: two sisters, Mrs. Clarence Gash and Mrs. Sam Phillips of Woodward; and three brothers, George of Woodward. Elmer of Denver, Mo., and Homer of Muskogee.
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