FLORINDA JEAN ATKINSON-Billington -Dee Billington's mom

Florinda 1837-1904

For years we have wondered about Florinda Jean Atkinson.  We had her picture, her marriage certificate,  her newspaper obituary and where she is buried.  We know where she lived and the number of children she had.   We even have a copy of her will, which is written in her own hand. Out of seven children, four grew to adulthood.  We know who her grandchildren are.  We just didn't know who her parents were.  Well, now we know!

  Florinda's parents were:
  Sarah Hill Drake (1810-1838) ,William Creed Atkinson (1804-1900)
  both from Adair County, Kentucky.  Florinda's siblings are:

  Frances Hill (1830-1914), Quintus C. (1833-1909) Joshua(1836-).

 Sarah may have died between 1836-1838  because no further records have been located for her.  William married again on Dec 30, 1839 to Martha Winfrey Jones (1814-1870). They had 9 children, the first five were born in Adair County. They appear on the 1850 census record of Adair County along with Joshua (14) and Florinda (12), but Frances was married in 1847, so she is not listed with he family.  This census was taken in August. Quintus was married in 1851 in Carrol Co. MO.

Florinda lived with her Grandmother Elizabeth Drake as recorded on the 1850 Census of Adair County, Kentucky. This census was taken in September, so it is difficult to tell if Florinda was visiting with her grandmother at that time or if she moved in to stay. Florinda's Uncle, William Jackson Drake (1815-1866) owned the property next to Elizabeth. He moved his family to Cotton Gin, Freestone Co, Texas about 1851-1852. Elizabeth and Florinda probably moved with them.

Florinda must have met James A. Billington somewhere in the same area.  The Billington family moved from Tennessee to Texas and settled in the Springfield area, Limestone Co.  Cotton Gin is only 10 miles from Springfield.  Florinda was 16 years old when they married on November 17, 1853. I wish we had the story of how they met.

Elizabeth Drake lived with her son William Jackson Drake according to the 1860 census in Cotton Gin. Elizabeth died there shortly after 1860. William Jackson lived there until his death in 1866.

Florinda and James are found on the 1860 census of Limestone County, (Springfield Post Office) with their first three children listed by initials only; D.S., R.E., Q.S.  James is referred to as J. A.  and Florinda as C. J.   For some unknown reason, she preferred to be called Clarenda, which appears on several resources after that time. (or...Perhaps it was misspelled on the  census record)  During this era that James most likely raised thoroughbred horses to sell as well as maintaining his farm. More on Springfield:
 https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hvsaz
http://www.forttumbleweed.net/springfield.html

Florinda and James' children:

* born in Limestone County, Texas:
Demetrious Seldon, July 6, 1855

Roberta E.,  April 6, 1856

Quintus Sebastian, Dec. 1858

*Children born in Tyler, Texas

Meriot Ciscilian, October 12, 1861

Corintha Aldonia, November 4, 1862

James William, April 14, 1865

*child born in Limestone Co.

Thomas Jefferson, April 13, 1867

Their new location, about 105 miles away, was a necessary move. I am not sure if they had a ranch there because James was drafted into the Confederate Army and stationed at the Gun Factory.  His drafting officer noticed that he had two pearl handled pistols when he signed up for the draft.  When James said he made them himself, the officer assigned him to make guns for the south, but the factory was in Tyler.  For more on Tyler's gun factory: 

https://www.jamespdouglas.com/tyler-smith-co-history

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8kyVEPU5ye_MS1PME0xUlRxUW8/edit?resourcekey=0-fzlfooa9U7xNKY0AF-X41w

About  1850, William Creed and family, along with his daughter Frances, her husband, James Austin Banks and family, moved to Missouri and set up ranching there. Two more children were born to the Banks family and four more to the W.C. Atkinson family in Missouri.  More about Carroll County:  https://thelibrary.org/lochist/moser/carrollco.html
http://genealogytrails.com/mo/carroll/hist_county.html

It is possible that her father, William Creed, and her sister Frances Banks, and brother Quintus encouraged Florinda to bring her family to Carroll County.

James might have acquired his herd of thoroughbred horses during his time in Tyler. Another mystery.  Was he raising them on the side even though he worked long hours at the gun factory, or did he get them from family members that had already moved north? Or did he keep them back in Limestone County?

During the year 1864 two of Florinda's children died.  We don't have record of the cause of death, but because their deaths were only 2 months apart,  perhaps it was a contagious childhood disease.  Corintha died in October and Quintus died in December. Perhaps there were many reason to leave Texas that year.  The reconstruction era for the south was beginning and many Texans had no way to support their families.  Prices were high everywhere in the south, especially Texas. 

So Florinda and James most likely traveled back to their homestead in Limestone County, where Thomas Jefferson was born.  James, Florinda,  Dee, Roberta, Mariot, and J.W. worked together to raise thoroughbred horses and some cattle at this time. They made plans to move north in 1867 and settled in the Grand River Township area near the Atkinson and Banks families that were already there.

The adventures of that long trek is another story but in the end, the horses were not in good shape and some were lost crossing the river. Although James set up the ranch and began selling his herd of horses, he died in 1868 at the age of 40. No record has yet been found about how he died, but we know the boys were left to take care of the ranch and sell the horses.  A previous blogpost about D.S., written by his daughter, Estelle, describes that time:

"By age thirteen Dad was already "The Man of the House." His father, James, died in Carrollton in 1868. Since Dee was the oldest and knowledgeable about horses, so his mother depended on him being there when anyone came to buy a horse. That was good excuse to be out of school and Dad used it to the limit. He finally dropped out of school. That ended his education as far as school was concerned. But as he grew he became an avid reader and had a great curiosity about people and things and was considered a well-educated man."

Florinda suffered through another child's death in 1869 when little 2 year old Thomas Jefferson passed on. Relatives have related that Florinda was often depressed and from that time forward developed a negative attitude about her life circumstances.  

October 9, 1978, Florinda's only daughter was married to Thomas Hardwick, a local man who had been away in the frontier for several years and wanted to live in Deadwood, South Dakota where he had a cattle enterprise. The Hardwick family lived down the road from the Billingtons and had known each other well for years. Florinda was most likely not pleased that her daughter would be so far away from her.  To add to her sadness, a year later, Roberta died giving birth and their baby boy did not survive.  

When Dee was about 19 years old, a new opportunity arose for him. He headed north, working on the Steamship, St. Louis.  Meriot was left to help Florinda with the  Grand River Ranch, and selling the horses, along with James William who was 14 at the time.  

Most likely it was Tom and Roberta Hardwick that encouraged Dee to quit the steamship work and come on up to Deadwood to see if it was to his liking. He was hired right away as a Deputy Sheriff / jailor and had many adventures with this hazardous duty.  

Later Dee married  Estella in March of 1884  and settled in the Belle Fourche area.  James and Meriot were also there at this time.  James was looking for a place to start a cattle ranch in the Red Water area.   Meriot became a stagecoach driver for the McClintock Stage in Deadwood.  A September 13, 1884 Wentworth Hotel notice in the local newspaper announced the brothers checked in as J.W.,  D.S.,  and Burt (Meriot) Billington.  There must have been something special going on that day in Deadwood.

Florinda visited her sons in Deadwood sometime in early 1885 and shared an apartment with Mariot during her 2 year long stay.  This was probably the time the only photo of her was taken.  During this time Florinda would have enjoyed spending time with her sons, daughters -in-law and her first living grandchild.  Leo, Dee and Estella's  baby boy,  was born August of 1887.   Hopefully this visit brought Florinda some much needed happiness.

Leo Sheldon Billington

Florinda's concluded trip to Deadwood was reported in a local newspaper on November 1, 1887.  She left by stagecoach headed back to Kansas City, MO 

Meriot worked in the Deadwood area until about 1890 when he moved back to the Kansas City, Kansas area and married a local girl, Cora Eddy. The census record of 1900 shows Florinda living with Meriot's family at 1123 Boulevard Avenue.    

James William arrived in South Dakota about 1884.  He found his future bride, Adelaide Beuter, there in Deadwood, and they were married by November of 1886. Adelaide Beuter was a talented local gal who came from Nebraska with her parents sometime between 1880 and 1884. Her father John, born in Germany, became a merchant. Her mother, Margarett Kraft, was also in immigrant from Germany.  Adelaide's first child, a boy born in 1887, did not survive. The couple moved to Dallas, Texas, began ranching and then were  blessed with two girls;  Wanda, born 1893, and Francelia, born 1895.  Francelia was named after Adelaide's two sisters, Frances and Celia. In just a few short years on the ranch, J. W. came down with tuberculosis and the ranch had to be sold. He passed away in September of 1897, leaving Addie to raise the girls as best she could.  Fortunately she had been educated as a music teacher and got a job right away teaching music in Louisiana.  She also taught her girls to dance, sing, and act. Francelia was interested in acting from a young age and when Addie moved the family to Los Angeles county, around 1910, Francelia was 17 and ready to try an acting career.  By 1920 she was a silent move star, still living at home. Wanda and her husband, Donald Webb, were also living with Adelaide.  More about this family in a future blogpost. 

Addie, Wanda, Francelia

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0082537/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

Florinda most likely busied her golden years with Meriot's family. This family will be featured in a future blogpost. She lived with them from 1888 to 1904 when she passed away at home on December 30 at age 68. In her will, as she bequeathed the balance of her estate to her son, Meriot, she wrote, .."in recognition of his care and kindness during the years in which I have made my home with him." She is at rest in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Carrollton, MO along with many of her loved ones. 

Meriot Billington

The children of James A. Billington and Florinda Atkinson were all born in Texas

Demetrious Seldon- July 6, 1855 - July 5, 1944: 89 years
Roberta E.- April 6, 1856 - October 8, 1879: 23 years

Quintus Sebastian- December 1858 - December 10, 1864: 6 years
Meriot Ciscillian- October 12, 1860 - January 9, 1940: 80 years

Corintha Aldonia- November 4, 1862 - October 4, 1864: almost 2 years
James William- Apri114, 1865 - September 19, 1897: 32 years

Thomas Jefferson- April 13, 1867 - August 9, 1869: 2 years

As you can see from the list of seven children born to James and Florinda that several did not live to adulthood.  Our great grandfather Demetrious (Dee) lived the longest.  Florinda was a widow for 36 years and outlived all of her children except 2: D.S. and Meriot.

Marriage record for Florinda (name misspelled) and James

Florinda's will in her own hand writing

Newspaper clipping .Deadwood 

Newspaper article has several mistakes:
J.A. not J.W.,  birth date 1837; marriage date 1853; death date Dec 30; & 7 children  

Cecile Abigail Billington-Sid's sister

 

CECILE ABIGAIL BILLINGTON was born December 11, 1899 in Spearfish, South Dakota. She was the seventh child born to D.S. and Estella Loring Boyden Billington.  Her older brothers were Leo Sheldon (1887-1942), Leslie Loring (1888-1949), and Sidney Albert (1892-1945).  Her older sister was Hazel Atkinson (1895-1978).  Her two younger sisters were Jean Lilith (1901-1909) and Estella Margaret(1909-2001). Cecil’s nickname was Tete. At an early age, she loved to ride horses, and she was especially good at trick riding. When the fair was coming to town, Cecile wanted to perform as a trick rider. So instead of telling her she was too young, or it was too dangerous, her dad simply said,"If you can ride around the entire fairground area, then you can enter."  She couldn't so she didn't...at least not that time. 

                              

                                        

Cecile about 9 years old

Cecile and friend in trick riding outfit

She was a regular tomboy and very popular around town. Her sisters were her great companions.  Hazel and Cecile were very nurturing to their baby sister Estella most likely due to the tragic death of their mother and their sister Jean in 1909.

 

Cecile as a teen

 

Hazel, Cecile, Estelle

Spearfish was a college town and a tourist town so there were a lot of new people to meet and get to know.  When she was 22 years old, she met Roger Bishop when he came to town for supplies. Roger and a friend had a homestead in Wyoming, near Sundance, and they came to Spearfish as it was the nearest town.

 

Roger Southworth Bishop about 22 years old

When Roger Southworth Bishop, SR.(1895-1955) was born on    March 8, 1895, in Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, United States, his father, George J. Bishop, (1863-1934)was 31 and his mother, Mary Belle Cruise, (1871-1935) was 23.  He was their second son but the third child.  His sister Dorothy (1891-1926) and brother Kenneth Grant (1893-1962) preceded him-- all born in Kansas City. George was a bank cashier in Kansas City for many years. Mary Belle’s dad, John Cruise worked for the railroad.  Roger enlisted in the Army, August of 1917 and served as a private in the Ambulance Squad 18 MD.

    Roger and Cecile were married in Chicago on June 1, 1922. Cecile’s sister, Hazel Colaw, lived in Chicago at the time and she was helping with the wedding arrangements. Roger let the homestead go to his partner.

Roger and Cecile Wedding Day with Hazel and Joe Colaw

      Virginia was their next stop because Joe and Hazel had moved to Virginia and needed help with Joe's cattle and other businesses. Cecile loved being there. The Colaw family owned land in Monterey and in Staunton,  in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.   

       Roger and Cecile then moved to Kansas City and settled on Cleveland Street, about 3 miles from Washington St. where his parents, George and Mary lived. Roger became a building contractor in the Kansas City area.  

    Their first child, Roger Southworth Bishop, Jr. was born on April 9, 1923.  Mary Francis was their next little one, born on January 21, 1927, also in Kansas City.  Jane was born in 1929 on November 14 at Osawatomie, Kansas where Roger was a general building contractor.  Roger Jr. stayed with grandparents George and Mary during that time.

                          

Cecile and Roger, Jr.

Roger Jr., Jane, and Mary Francis

Roger Jr., Mary Frances, Jane in Kansas City

Mary Francis and Jane

                                         

George Bishop about 5 years 

Roger, Sr. bought a ranch in Dixon, Montana. Without running water and electricity, the family enjoyed the freedom of great outdoor life in the mountain west, Big Sky Country.  Little George was born there in 1938, April 21.  Somewhere along that time Roger acquired the nickname Pat.  He also was known to give nicknames to his family and friends.     

                            

George with Roger, Jr. on Jitterbug

Pat and Cecile on the Dixon Ranch in Montana

Roger, sr. (Pat) and Roger, Jr,  Dixon Ranch

Jane and Mary Francis on the Ranch

                            

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Cecile and Roger, Jr. in Montana

Cecile's brother, Sid, working for Pat, brought his family to live on the Dixon Ranch for a time in the 30's. So Cecile and Sid's children soon became best cousin-friends. After about ten years in Montana, Pat sold the ranch to pursue a career as a soil conservationist in Idaho. Then they transferred to California, Watsonville, about 1952. 

Roger (Pat) passed away on 28 May 1955, in Watsonville, Santa Cruz, California, United States, at the age of 60. 

Recent update from cousin Jim Fontana: 

After Pat passed away, Cecil took a position in Dr. Frairy's office and ran the front desk.  She was well known and respected by all the patients.  She and her family attended All Saint Episcopal Church with many of them holding leadership positions.  She was well known in the community.  

Cecile spent her last years on her daughter, Mary Francis's, place near Watsonville. Cecile had her own little house next  to Mary's which she loved, and she continued to enjoy gardening and family activities. She took great care of her miniature rose bushes, bottlebrush, yarrow plants, gorgeous orchids,  and her "Bishop" bush. The grandchild felt it was wonderful to go from house to house freely and being lovingly welcomed no matter how many times a day they would skip from one place to the other.

The grandchildren also remember she had a special drawer where she kept antique mementos which she would pull out and share with them when they came to visit. She was an excellent cook, known for her turkey soup made from Thanksgiving leftovers, and her specialty at Christmas was divinity candy. She will always be remembered by her most outstanding trait of being kind and considerate to everyone. 

Cecile's children and grandchildren remember her as genuinely happy but quiet and reserved. Although, every once in a while she would pop out with a clever and witty declaration.  She often whistled while she worked.  She loved family outings and always showed interest in all family members, children or adults.

Cecile spend her last couple of years in a care facility. While there she fell one day and broke her hip. Her sister Estelle, was concerned about her state of mind after her surgery.  She wanted to check Cecile's memory, so she brought photos of Cecile's children when they were young children. She asked Cecile, if she knew who the children were to which Cecile answered, "Yes I do, and if you don't, you belong in here."

She quietly passed on August 4, 1991 at Watsonville Convalescent Hospital and will be lovingly be remembered  by her family and friends.   Cecile and Estelle are the main source of family history stories about their Dad, Dee Billington. They shared these stories with their nephew ElDee Billington when he visited them in Watsonville on his long haul truck route from Montana. Because of this connection, we can share his stories on this BlogSpot for all Billington families.             

                

Cecile and Pat's children: 

George got his degree from Oxnard University in Oxnard, CA  and he worked as a high school librarian from 1993 – 2000 until he came down with Parkinson’s.  He remained single but very involved in the family, often sending birthday wishes to family back home. George was very active in his local church and sang in the church choir.  He was well known for his outstanding baritone voice. 

Recent update from cousins Jim Fontana:  

George "Butch" Bishop George"s nick name was Butch. George graduated from Watsonville High School. He attended Monterey Peninsula Community College and transferred to San Jose State College. He received his BA degree in Library Science and a teaching credential from San Jose State. His first job and entire career was Librarian at Oxnard Nigh School, Oxnard High School School District. In addition to operating the library, George was responsible for the school's annual testing program, textbook circulation, and occasionally taught English. At his funeral the Superintendent of Oxnard High School District spoke to the congregation. He stated that he started as a first year teacher at Oxnard High School and George was his "mentor". George attended the local Episcopal Church and was active in the choir and youth development. He was also a volunteer for Suicide Prevention.

Jane got her bachelor’s degree from a four year nursing college, remained single, and spent much of her youth in England. She did many things in her life besides nursing. She was a teacher for a time and her last days were at the Apple Farm Community from 1989-2003 at Three Rivers, St. Josephs, Michigan serving as a counselor.  http://www.applefarmcommunity.org/about-apple-farm.html

Resent Update from cousin Jim Fontana:                         

When Jane moved to Watsonville, her first job was surgical nurse at Watsonville Community Hospital.  Later she became a School Nurse for the Soquel Elementary School District and a 6th grade teacher in the same district.  From there, she went to England.  Jane was Episcopalian and studied to be a Sister in the Church of England.  She meet her partner there and move to Michigan to start the Apple Farm Community.  This was a retreat program for families and small groups utilizing the writings, theories, and practices of Carl Young.  

Mary Francis loved the Montana ranch life even without electricity or running water. The view of the beautiful Mission Range made the difference. She graduated from Dixon High School and attended University of Montana for a year and then taught 5th and 6th grades. She majored in Social Science and Mathematics at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA while earning her Secondary Teaching Credential. 

She taught Junior High in Virginia for three years until moving to Watsonville, CA with her family in 1952, where she taught fourth grade.  She met Gerald Harrah at a folk dance and they were married in 1956. Mary was involved in local children's literature groups, clubs and libraries. She had two daughters, Jean and Kathleen, and one son, David and she lived a long life of 85 years. 

Recent update from cousin Jim Fontana:

Mary's first job in Watsonville was fourth grade teacher at MacQuidy Elementary School.  She was Jim's fourth grade teacher.  MacQuidy School was named after a former Superintendent and was a new school.  She was introduced to Jerry Harrah by Estelle, and they were later married.  The meeting took place at square dance and folk dance classes run by my Estelle's husband, James Fontana, as Director of Recreation for the city and schools. Jerry was also a private pilot and belonged to a flight club at the Watsonville airport.  He flew and navigated solo in a single engine plane to Virginia meeting up with Joe and Hazel Colaw. 

 

Gerald and Mary Francis Harrah 

                                        

Gerry, Mary Francis, Jean

                                    

Jean and David

  

Roger, Jr. as a kid liked to dress up in costume, especially cowboy outfits.  He like the movies with the cowboy actor named Hoot Gibson.  One day when Cecile called him many times to come in from his outdoor playing, he didn't arrive.  She searched for him and was quite upset that he didn't respond to her calling his name.  He just told her he was no longer Roger, his name was "Hoot."  So that's why he didn't come when she called.  From that point on the nickname stuck the rest of his life!

                        

"Hoot Gibson" Roger, Jr. about 3

Roger, Jr. attended Oregon Agricultural College in Corvallis, Oregon in the fall of 1941.  He signed up for pilot training just a few days after the news of the Pearl Harbor attack.  He was sent to Santa Ana for the Army's pre-flight program, and then onto Oxnard, CA.,  Lancaster, CA., and La Junta, Colorado for advanced flight training. Upon graduation from this Army Air Corp flight training in March of 1943, he earned his Silver Wings and Second Lieutenant Bars. Part of his training qualified him to fly an amphibian airplane, or PBY. The wingtips of these sea boats were floats that could be lowered for water takeoffs and landings.  He soon became  part of the Catalina Air-Sea Rescue Squadron in WWII. He flew missions to rescue the crews of downed aircraft.

During one mission, his plane was shot down, leaving the crew in a dangerous situation floating in a raft for 8 hours surrounded by enemy gun fire.  Back home in the states,  D.S. Billington, Hoot's grandfather sitting with aunt Estelle, were listening to a radio broadcast about a downed plane in the Mediterranean Sea.  It reported that the rescued crew members said they wouldn't have lasted if it hadn't been for the pilot who kept them laughing by telling jokes.   At the hospital they found a 20 millimeter shell lodged in the pilot's shoulder that never went off.  They had to operate behind a steel shield in case it went off while they were operating.  It was sometime afterwards that Dee and Estelle learned that the pilot was Hoot!

This squadron often shadowed other flights.  One such flight was a secret and they were only told the coordinates for the flight, but not the purpose of the mission.  So they were surprised to see a parade and a celebration at the landing point.  Later they found out they had been following the plane of President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill returning home from the Teheran and Cairo conferences.  Fortunately it was a safe flight for both planes.

                      

Lieutenant Bishop

Roger received the Purple Heart/2 stars/ Flying Cross, Air Medal and Navy Commendation Medals.  He had earned both the Army Air Corps and the Naval Air Service certification during his military career. 

He met Elizabeth Schreindl in 1944 at McClelland Air Force Base in Sacramento, while he was on a 10 day lay over waiting on repairs for his plane. 

                                            

Elizabeth "Charlie" Schreindl Bishop

 

L  Hoot then used his GI Bill to attend 4 years at the University of Montana, in Missoula. He taught school and became the football coach in Plains, Montana. He married Elizabeth in 1946 and raised their six children in Colton, Oregon where he was a teacher, a coach and a Principal in the Colton School District. In 1969 Roger joined the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory and later the Clackamas County Educational Service District as a Small School Specialist.  He participated in many civic services and was a local historian, archeologist, geologist, vegetable gardener, and co-author of a book on parenting.                                       

                                

Steven, Susan Charlie, Karen, Hoot

   

                                            

Cecile and Pat with granddaughter Susan

                                

Hoot in 1996

                 

Hoot's  90th birthday

Roger and Elizabeth spent their golden years at Pheasant Point, enjoying this retirement community in Molalla, Oregon.  Ever positive and humorous when asked, Roger always said, the best day of his life was --"today!"

Susan, Steven, Barbara, Karen, Sean, Hoot
Julie, Charlie 

Hoot's 80th birthday with family 

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Thanks to Barbara Bishop Gordon, Kathleen and Jean Harrah, Estelle Billington Fontana, and Jim Fontana for their many contributions of stories and photos for this blogspot.

Please feel free to add any photos, facts,  stories, and corrections to this blog by contacting me at lana.rankin@yahoo.com.  Updates from readers will then appear in following blogposts.