George Andrew Procunier 1872-1932
A Thumbnail Biography by David C. Procuniar
Copyright 1997-1998-1999-2000-2001
All Rights Reserved Last updated: 31 Aug 2001
George Andrew Procunier the son of William Daniel Procunier (1851-1884) & Rachel Ann Chapman (1855-1900). On 28 Nov 1901 in Melrose, Idaho. George, aged 29, married 17 year old Frances A. Stephenson; Frances was born on 09 March 1884 in Durham Ontario, Canada; died on the 17 April 1971 while living in Clarkston, Washington. Frances' parents were Thomas Stephenson & Johanna Williams. A few years after George died Frances married Archie Davenport. Frances outlived George by 39 years.
Children:
George was born on 02 Mar 1872 in Dansbury, Iowa, died on 26 July 1932 in Longview, Washington. George's father William D. Procunier, died while digging a well on his farm when George was only 12 years old. George being the oldest became the man of the house, at least for a while. George then moved to Idaho & married Frances A. Stephenson on November 28, 1901; Frances was born on 9 March 1884 in Durham Ontario, Canada, died on 17 Apr 1971 in Clarkston, Washington. Frances out-lived George A by 39 years!
George's oldest children Melvin & Thelma were born in Idaho; Norris, the youngest was born in Three Hills Elberta, Canada. George moved to Canada in 1906 working in the coal mine's. In 1908 George moved to his homestead, owning an oxen team and living in a sod house for a while. He grew grain & flax but the terrible hail storms ruined the crops so he depended on the sale of beef cattle for the family income. The homestead was never a success so after the War (1919) George sold his homestead in Canada to the government (the Canadian government was buying up land for returning soldiers) and uprooted his family and in 1918 moved to Idaho USA, purchasing a farm near American Ridge near Troy, Idaho. Later he rented a larger farm and worked that farm until he became ill about 1929. I returned home at that time and helped for a while but George (my father) sold everything and moved to Longview, Washington where I (his son Norris) was living at the time. George passed away there in Longview in 1932 aged 60 years and four months. George was very good at driving horses but never could drive the Model T Ford very well. George was good at Rope Splicing; he could weld over an open fire & could shoe his own horses. George was an active member of the Methodist Church.
Ref: Letter to David C. Procuniar from Norris Procunier April 21, 1992
Another letter stated that two of George's children died in infancy and that George came to Idaho in 1895 where he homesteaded in the Gifford Section. (A conflict of the letter from Norris Procunier dated April 1992 stating the George moved to Idaho in 1919?) Hopefully someone from this lineage can shed some light on this?
Update: October 2006
Roberta Procunier Swenson writes to tell us why Frances' last name on the tombstone is Davenport instead of Procunier; Frances married Archie Davenport several years after George died. She was a young widow in her early 40's and one time at a family reunion she met Archie, who had also lost his wife. He was visiting my Grandparents on my Mother's side and his home was in Southern California. He was a First Cousin to my Grandfather Helm. Anyway, when he saw that attractive widow, I think he fell in Love at first site! When he went back to California, it wasn't long before Frances boarded a train and headed for California to marry him. I was just a little kid and I can remember Grandma getting on that train! After a few years, they came up to here to live and they settled in Clarkston, Washington.
Main Sources:
Norris Procunier
Other Sources:
The Bragonier Family by Georgiana H. Randall 1969.
The Bragunier Family in America by Brittian Bragunier Robinson 1969
First Reformed Church of Hagerstown Maryland church records on LDS micro-film
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© Copyright 2001 David C. Procuniar … Reprinted with permission …
