Finding Pearl's Obituary

Obituary for Pearl Wilson

This past week I “accidentally” found my great-mother’s obituary while searching for information about my grand-uncle, Buck Wilson.

Pearl’s obituary was found in the “San Juan Record” (Monticello, Utah) newspaper published on Thursday, March 3, 1966. Monticello is in a different state and 60 miles away from where Pearl lived and died in Cortez, Colorado.  No one in the family lived in Monticello, Utah, but Pearl’s son Loni “Buck” Wilson lived in Bluff, Utah.  Bluff is a small town about 50 miles south of Monticello - over a hundred miles from where Pearl lived.  And, Pearl's obituary was published on March 3, 1966, which was about ten days after her death which was on  February 22, 1966.

The obituary was titled, “Rites held for Mrs. Charles V. Wilson.”  Pearl is only referred to as “Mrs. Wilson” throughout the obituary.  At no point is she referred to by her given name(s) of Pearl or Minnie Pearl.  Also, there is no mention of her maiden name of Hatfield or names of her parents or siblings.  Even her husband’s name used in the obituary is not one he normally used.  He usually went by Charles B Wilson or C B Wilson.  In his own obituary, he is referred to as “Charles B Wilson”.  Also note that Pearl's daughters are referred to by their husband's names not their own. So they (the daughters) would not show up in a search - only their husbands would show up.

In spite of the above issues, Pearl's obituary contained some great biographical information.  I love the part about Pearl driving a covered wagon from Oklahoma to the Four Corners area with her four young children, while her husband drove a herd of wild horses.  To read her daughter Maymie's version of this journey to Oklahoma, click here.  I also love the reference about Pearl’s husband working on the first road up Comb Wash hill (Comb Ridge).  This last bit of information was unknown to most of the descendants today and is fun information to those who like to explore the Comb Ridge area of southeastern Utah.

Lessons learned to be successful in finding obituaries for women:

1. Check newspapers in towns (or nearby towns) where children/siblings/parents lived. 

2. Try using husband’s name when searching for wife’s obituary.   

3. Try using different spellings, initials, and nicknames.

4. Instead of using a daughter's name or sister's name, use their husband's name.
5. Expand your search for several weeks to a month after the death.

Read here about the challenges of finding information for our female ancestors - the 'Hidden Half' of our family.

Transcription of obituary: 

Rites held for Mrs. Charles V. Wilson

Funeral services were held Feb. 24 at the Ertel Memorial Chapel in Cortez for Mrs. Charles V. Wilson, mother of Buck Wilson, Bluff, who passed away in that city on Feb. 22.

Mrs. Wilson, born in 1886 in Smith Center, Kan. travelled from Oklahoma in 1913 driving a covered wagon with her four children while her husband drove a herd of wild horses.  The Wilsons settled in the Zuni Mountain Area of New Mexico, later moving to Dry Valley, north of Monticello.  They homesteaded in Urado, Utah where they lived for 12 years.  Mrs. Wilson had lived the past 33 years in Colorado.  Her husband, who passed away in 1951, worked on the first road up Comb Wash hill. 
Surviving are five children – Mrs. Elmer Martin, Cortez; Mrs. Martin Barnes, Waynoka, Okla.; John Wilson, Prescott, Ariz.; Clayton Wilson, Cortez; and Lonie (Buck) Wilson, Bluff.  Also surviving are 16 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren.

Information that also should have been included in Pearl's obituary:

Name: Minnie Pearl Hatfield Wilson
Born: 27 April 1886, Smith Center, Smith, Kansas
Death: 22 February 1966, Cortez, Montezuma, Colorado
Father: Martin Monroe Hatfield
Mother: Nancy Abigail McNeil
Married: 14 December 1902 at Woods County, Oklahoma
Preceded in death by: parents; son, Vern Wilson; son, Charles Lloyd Wilson; daughter, Juanita Maxine Wilson; 5 brothers and 2 sisters.
Survived by: sister Grace Hatfield Kaser of Egbert, Wyoming (in addition to her children mentioned in obituary above.)

Related posts:

Searching for the 'Hidden Half' of our Family 

Minnie Pearl Wilson  
Wilson's Utah Homestead   
Wilson Family Photos
Maymie Wilson Martin