Hazel Copus Taft

Hazel Agnes Copus was the sixth child of Leroy Copus and Julia Miller. She was born 16 March 1914 in Gays Mills, Crawford, Wisconsin. She was three years old when her father died. Leroy and Julia had seven children when he died. Julia married Royal Marlette on 19 August 1918.

Grandma wrote her life story some time ago...I wanted to share some things you probably never heard of before...

We used to pick berries and get a few blue berries and cranberries. We didn't go to the back of our first farm as it was a marsh...think cranberries grew there but probably not many.

Dodd (one of her brothers) and I used to hunt on Saturdays, would wade snow clear to our waist-got rabbits and partridges - it all helped. We'd really be wet when we got home. He was only 13 and shouldn't have been hunting.

Millie (a sister) and I stayed with Alf (a the oldest of the 7) and Amelia (his wife) on the first farm the folks had. Dodd had been down to the place 3 miles south to see about it and didn't come home when Amelia thought he should so she sent me to look for him on horse back. It was below zero and I was afraid to get off and walk because of wolves. It was night-I went 4 miles and didn't see him, so went back home. He had cut across and was there when I got there. I frosted my feet-had big blisters on them for a few days. They bothered me for many years.

Finally in January (year?) we all went to Madison - the folks were living in two rooms so you can imagine what it was like - Alf and Amelia went on to Iowa then. There was a fair sized closet and us kids slept on a cot in there.

Theda got pneumonia and then I did. I didn't go back to school that year. Anyway I was suppose to be in 8th grade and the school near us only went to 6th grade so guess where I went.

I didn't get over the pneumonia like I should have so the doctors thought I should go to the country. i went to Aunt Cora Whiteakers - near Soldier's Grove. She had had an operation and wasn't supposed to do heavy work, so I did the scrubbing, etc. I got there on a Saturday, went down on the trail to Boscobel, and Sunday morning at 5 o'clock they got me up to teach me how to milk. I milked my 4 cows night and morning. They were good to me, but I didn't get the rest I should have had.

On March 1, 1928 I went to Rocky Knoll San at Plymouth, Wis. Went on the bus and they met me from the San. March 16th I was 14 years old. At the San they had entertainment every one . If a church or school put on a play they would bring it out for the patients to see - had band concerts some in the summer.

One Christmas the patients put on a play and the big shots were invited, trustees, etc. I gave a reading and others acted out the birth of Jesus. They always had a banquet at Christmas - really put on a feed. The dining room was filled - it was a pretty room with a living on one end.

The first Christmas I was supposed to go home to Madison but the folks decided they couldn't afford it so I had to stay. Anyone what was up was allowed to go home for a week. There wasn't anyone to eat in the dining room so I had a tray in the ward. There was twins there about a year or a year and a half - they let me play with them while everyone was gone - otherwise we weren't allowed near them. The mother was a patient there so they had the children for awhile to make sure they didn't have it too.

In the two years I was there, Mother was there twice....

Maximiano Vigil

Maximiano Vigil was born on 20 September 1891 at Turkey Creek, Huerfano, CO to Jose de la Luz Vigil and Maria Dolores Gallegos.

Maximiano died on 27 May 1935 at Alhamabra, Los Angeles, CA.

Maximiano was married twice. He was first married to Maria Jacinta Trujillo on 21 Jan 1909 at Turkey Creek, Huerfano, CO.

Maria Jacinta Trujillo was born on 13 September 1896 to Maria Edwigen Trujillo at Turkey Creek, Huerfano, CO.

Maximiano and Jacinta had a son, Jose Tobias born on 17 December 1909 at Turkey Creek, Huerfano, CO.

Their second son was Andres, born on 20 January 1911 at Pueblo, Pueblo, CO.

It appears Jacinta and Tobias died in 1911. Maximiano left Andres with his half-brother, Juan Quintana and his wife, Nicolasa Trujillo. She was Jacinta's aunt. Andres (Andy) was basically raised a Quintana, though he did spend time with Maximiano and his second family.

Maximiano joined the Army was sent to Camp Cotton, Texas. Camp Cotton is at El Paso. Tradition has it that he was with General Jack Pershing in the expedition to go into Mexico and get Pancho Villa.

It was at this time he met Maria Juana Ortiz. They were married on 15 November 1915 at El Paso, El Paso, TX.

Maximiano worked for the Union Pacific railroad and so they moved a lot. To this union was born ten children.

Rogelio (Roy) born 21 Oct 1915 at El Paso, TX

Tobias (Toby...named after his son who died) born 21 Aug 1917 at Pueblo, CO

Maximo born 21 May 1919 at Fresno, CA

Arthur born 25 Jan 1921, Pixley, Tulare, CA

Jacinta (Jessie...named after his first wife) born 3 Jan 1923 at Ogglesby, CA

Dolores born 19 Jan 1925 at Colton, CA

Rita born 1 Sep 1927 at Sloan, NV

Samuel born 15 Oct 1928 at Sloan, NV

Margaret (Maggie) born 2 Mar 1930 at Pico, CA

James born 8 Aug 1932 at Whittier, CA

SIDE NOTE: I did not know about Maximiano's first family. While living in Spartanburg in 1993 I was at home while Frank was at work (he worked in the evenings). I could feel someone there. It was funny because I knew who it was. He came to me because he wanted to be sealed to his first family too. It was very soon after this I was contacted by Sharon Halverson, one of his great granddaughters. She wanted to find out more about his first family...the one she came through. Together we were able to find out a lot of information. It was after that I was able to find a lot of genealogical information on the Vigil's too. It seemed like the flood gates opened. It was a real testimony to me that the folks on the other side of veil know who we are and are aware of what we are doing.

Maria Clemente Josefa Hortiz Rodriguez

This is the only picture we have of Clemencia Ortiz.

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Teddi, Jenni, Robby, Holli, Joshua, Amy, Andrew and Shea

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Denise, Felice, David

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Arthur Virgil/Anne Taft

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Maximiano Vigil/Maria Juana Ortiz

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?/Clemencia Ortiz

Tradition says Maria Juana's father was Antonio Saenz. In fact, we grew thinking her name was Maria Juana Saenz...until I tried to find her in the parish records and civil registration. No Maria Juana Saenz. I talked to Uncle Sammy Vigil who said, "Oh, didn't you know she was illegitimate?" The answer was "No!" I went back to the film records and found her birth/christening a year later than when she was born. Hence, the question mark next for the "spouse" of Clemencia Ortiz.

I have been told Clemencia was a very kind person. She was also blind.

The man in the picture's last name is Chano Saenz.

Maria Clemente Josefa Hortiz Rrodriguez was the daughter of Jose Brigido Ortis Santiesteban and Maria Toribia Ynes Rodriguez Chavez. She was born 26 Nov. 1861 in Santa Barbara, Chihuahua, Mexico. It appears she was third of seven daughters.

Unfortunately, I don't even know how many children Clemencia had. She died on 30 June 1954 at Belvedere, Los Angeles, CA. The informant for the information on her death certificate was Felipe Saenz. It says she was divorced.

Clemencia is buried at Calvary Cemetery 4201 Whittier Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Photo of Absalom Taft

Absalom Taft was born 27 Mar 1841 in Mercer County, PA.

He died 8 Jan 1932 in Crawford County, WI

This is his second wife, Mary Pittsley.

We have other photos of him when he was younger... his first wife, Emeline Coleman died in 1888

Photos online of Ruel Taft and his family

I found these photos of our ancestors...Jon Walton is the son of Agnes Taft Walton. Agnes was Grandpa Taft's sister.

Here are the links to the photos...enjoy!

http://personalpages.tds.net/~jonwalton/TaftA/Taft4.html

http://personalpages.tds.net/~jonwalton/TaftA/TaftA.html

http://personalpages.tds.net/~jonwalton/OldTimers.html

http://personalpages.tds.net/~jonwalton/TaftC/TaftC.html

http://personalpages.tds.net/~jonwalton/TaftD/TaftD.html

Remembrances of Absalom Taft

Back in 1991 I thought it would be neat to ask my great aunts and uncles what they remembered about their grandfather, Absalom Taft. They great aunts and uncles were thrilled to write what they remembered. This is from them...

Howard Taft (Grandpa Taft's brother) wrote:

dated 7-23-91

Dear Felice,

Received your letter and was glad to hear from you. I will try to ans. it with what little I remember of grandfather. When I was a kid going to school we always stopped in to see them, my grandmother all ways made buckwheat pancakes for breakfast and I just loved them so I would always eat with them. She made to batter in the fall and used out of it all winter, each day adding a little new to it and kept it sitting on the warming oven of the stove.

He always had comb honey on hand and I loved it. He had an old phonegaraph that played clinder records and I alway liked to play it and it had a horn on it that the sound came from. He had a lawn swing and was always sitting in it and we would have to sit and talk a while with him and eat cookies with him.

He had a big grape vineyard and we could have all the grapes we wanted to eat but we couldn't pick them he had to, He also had lots of apple trees and we would pick some to eat on the way home. He was a big man and had a long white beard.

He was still alive when I first got married but I didn't get to see him so much as when I was younger as he only lived about 1/2 mile from us. This is about all I can remember.

With love

Great uncle Howard

Agnes Taft (Grandpa Taft's sister) wrote:

Dear Felice,

So nice to hear from you. It's a beautiful morning here. We have had very hot weather, and no rain.

You ask what I remembered about my Grandpa Taft. He has been dead a long time, but as a kid I remember him, he was a big man. I always remember he had white hair, and a long white beard. When I was little and going to school, we always had to stop and see them at night, and there was always homemade cookies for us. He had a big swing out in the yard and I remember sitting there with him. My real grandma was dead, but I had a step grandma. She was the only grandma I knew.

He had a big apple tree out back of the house, right by the old outdoor toilet, in the fall, it had big red apples, that were so good. We didn't know the name of them, so we kids always called them,

"The back house apples", nw we know they were called McIntosh. Maybe that's why they are my favorite apples, they are all good memories. But it's been so many years. I have forgotten many things about him.

Tell your folks hello, just talked to your grandma, she's same as always, don't see her very often.

Love,

Aunt Agnes

Teddi, Jenni, Robby, Holli, Joshua, Amy, Andrew, and Shea

Denise-Felice-David

Anne Taft/Arthur Virgil

Harley Taft/Hazel Copus

Ruel Benjamin Taft/Myrtle Roghers

Absalom Taft/Emeline Coleman

So Absalom is your 3rd great grandfather