MY GENEALOGY PAGE

Christian Evander Houser, 84, a retired rancher died at his home on Cemetery road Sunday. Pioneer of the Myrtle Point section. Born in Winston-Salem, N. Car. Oct. 16, 1848, came to Oregon in the early '60s.

Married Miss Sarah Potter, Dec. 25, 1867 in North Carolina. To them was born 6 daughters and 3 sons: Mary Carolina Goldbloom, Marshfield; James Gilliam Houser, Myrtle Point; Florence Warner, Bancroft; Josephine Culver, Coquille and twin sons, Fines and (of) Leneve and Ines of Bridge; 3 daughters since deceased, Margarette Elizabeth; Edna and Mrs. Laura May Nelson. Mrs. Houser died Sept. 13, 1910 near Bridge.

Later he married Miss Bessie Thomas of Mountain City, Tenn. who survives him. To them was born 2 daughters and 1 son: Mrs. Nellie Waymire, Myrtle Point; Mrs. Genevieve Stovall, Roseburg and Chester Houser, Myrtle Point; 1 sister, Mrs. Amelia Wilson, N. Car. 26 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.

When the deceased came west he originally stopped in San Francisco, going from there to Ukiah, Calif. where he worked for some time and saved his money to pay his passage on a northbound steamer. But when he returned to the California metropolis he was robbed of his savings and once more forced to return to his work in Ukiah. On reaching San Francisco the third time he found all Oregon bound steamers bar-bound, so he came north this time on horseback. He came to Coos county, Oregon, originally settling at Coos River.

He endured many hardships enroute, encountering many bands of not too friendly Indians and fording many swollen rivers. When he came to the Klamath river, he found it too wide and swift to take a chance of crossing and after consulting with a tribe of Indians making their homes along this stream, he finally succeeded in persuading one of the tribe to paddle him across the waterway, towing the horse along in the rear.

Later he moved to Bridge and still later to Myrtle Point. Buried at Enchanted Prairie.

Myrtle Point Herald, Feb. 2, 1933 As recorded in "Pioneers and Incidents of the Upper Coquille Valley" by Alice H. Wooldridge. Copyright April 1971 - The Mail Printers, Myrtle Creek, Oregon.