CONRAD ALLEN, page 2
Marriage License and Marriage Certificate, 25 Aug 1896, Union, Salt Lake County, Utah.
Witnesses were Conrad's mother, Eliza, and her husband, who Conrad thought was his father.
The 1900 U.S. census, Union, Salt Lake County Utah has Conrad Nelson and wife Annie living next to Oke G. Nelson and wife Elizabeth and their children, Matilda, Alfred, Albert, Eliza and Henry. Annie had already lost 3 children. But after meeting his Allen family, Con began using the name Allen and left and his job at the smelter to make his home in Lewiston, Cache County, Utah where he worked as a farmer with his brothers. He and Annie and their 5 children are there in the 1910 census. Then he and several of his brothers set out for Dubois Idaho to prove up homesteads. There he and Annie delivered and buried their 12th child, Johnie, who only lived a few days. Annie developed Bright's disease (Nephritis/Kidney disease) and was bedridden for 2 years until she died on the 20th of October 1916. Annie had lived only 39 yrs. 5 mo. & 10 days. She was buried at Dubois next to her baby. Their oldest child, Florence, was 15 and the youngest child, Nettie, was just 3.
Conrad’s mother whom the children called Grandma Nelson, would often come for a long visit to help with the family. Florence remembered that she always carried her bag of remedies, ready to dose the children for spring fever, coughs, etc. Grace’s small bladder always caused trouble, so before leaving the house, grandma would say in her Danish accent, “Graaaace, haf you peeeeed?” causing another trip to the outhouse. Grandma Nelson was remembered as good natured and the most patient person in the world. Grace once wrote that her father “inherited a sense of humor, a great courage, self reliance and fortitude” from his mother and from his father “a thatch of beautiful red hair and physical features”.
Elizabeth "Eliza" Davids Nielson, Conrad's mother
Conrad Allen homesteaded near Dubois, Clark Co. Idaho. It was a dry farm with a two room house which eventually held eight people. It had a bedroom and a kitchen. Both rooms were large. At times the family would winter in the town of Dubois. The first few years were good but later on families lost their dry farms to the banks. The 1920 census for Kilgore Precinct has this notation at the bottom of the page: "Enumerator reports that there is no population in Jacoby Precinct. Nothing there but deserted dry farms. M.M. Bush, Inspector." But on page 192, Jacoby precinct there are: Allen, Julius (Conrad's half-brother) and family, Ada; Ceathel; Delva; Flossie; Alda; Bryant; Bill; Bert; & Carrie. Conrad and family, Carlos; Narvel; Clyde; George; Grace and Anete [Nettie] and next door where she could help with her siblings was (newly wed) oldest daughter Florence with her husband Jeff Mikesell. Conrad was afraid of losing his oldest helper but despite that and her brothers sabotaging any courting, Florence had married in 1919 with her father as a witness. Jeff had done his courting at the church dances that the family attended. Con had always brought Annie coffee in bed in the early morning. After her death he would bring Florence coffee to wake her for the busy day. After Florence married the custom continued with Jeff bringing Florence her coffee.
The census states that Conrad could read & write but Florence Allen Mikesell told her children that she and others helped him with his church work because he had so little education. He was smart enough that very few knew of his illiteracy. Clide lived with Florence & Jeff the winter of 1921-22 on top of Teton Pass, where Jeff drove a stage [yes, a stage with horses] everyday from Victor, Idaho to Jackson, Wyoming and back again the next day. Then in 1922-23 Conrad left Grace and Nettie with Florence & Jeff near Victor, where Jeff worked for a Cattleman. Con was gone for a year, never letting the family know where he went. Grace was in the 7th grade. The boys must have stayed on the farm. Soon the 320 acres that he claimed and took title to in march of 1919, was not providing a living for his family. In April 1924 a mortgage was foreclosed and the property sold at public auction for $ 2674.72 to the Union Central Life Insurance Co.
Conrad's hair was white at a young age. His daughter Grace told of an accident in the smelter where he worked and that his red hair turned pure white overnight. It could have been caused by worrying over his family. Carlos, Clide, & Narvel were great teasers. All were hard workers. All together Conrad & Annie had 12 children but only 7 lived to adulthood. Of those, George Samuel died of appendicitis soon after he married but the other 6 lived to have children & see grandchildren. Con, with help from Florence, raised his children and continued to make a living. Mormon Church activities kept them busy. When Conrad farmed near Tuttle, Idaho, Florence would come for the summer, with her baby Ernie and later Betty, to help feed the hired men or the hay crews or just to cook for the family so they could work in the fields. Later some of the family would spend time with Florence & Jeff when Jeff worked at the coal mine at Sam Idaho. Florence divided her time between her two families.Narvel married in 1925, George in 1928, Grace and Nettie in 1930, Clide in 1931 and Carlos in 1933. Clide & Narvel farmed in Bliss Idaho in later years. Grace married a rancher and lived in Gooding Idaho, after her 1st husband died. Carlos & Florence moved to Spokane County, Washington and were close all of their lives. Nettie was a hard worker and loved animals and people and everyone loved her. She lived some years in California but spent her last years in Gooding. Conrad must have been very proud of his children. They all kept in contact and visited with each other.
Con eventually settled in Gooding county but spent the last few years of his life at Idaho State Hospital in Blackfoot Idaho. His death certificate states that he was senile, but also that he had arteriosclerosis for 30 years, so perhaps his senility was caused by hardening of the arteries to the brain. Conrad died on the 19th of September 1951 in Blackfoot. He was buried at Hagerman, Idaho. Obituary
Sources:Conrad Nielsen/AnnieAnderson marriage License/Certificate #5919 Salt Lake County, UT.
1900 U.S. Census, Union, Salt Lake Co. UT.
Union Ward L.D.S. Church records of 1900-1921.
Annie E. Allen’s death certificate, State of Idaho, file # 15584
1966 Directory, Dubois Cemetery , Dubois, Idaho: Allen, Annie Amelia, year of birth 1877, year of death, 1916.
Homestead papers, Conrad S. Allen, 320 acres, 27 Mar.1919 (Blackfoot 015739)
Dubois Idaho, plat map, Township #10, Range #37 E.B. Mer.: among land owners of interest to us were: Conrad S. Allen; Julius J. Allen; John L.& Geo. H. Anderson; George Aller; Mary Mikesell; Harriet E. Mikesell; Geo. W. Mikesell.
1920 U.S. Census, Idaho, Clark Co., Jacoby Precinct, SD2, En Dist.141, Sheet 5a, lines 39-47, taken 23 Jan 1920
Union Central Life Ins. Co., Plaintiff ( VS) Conrad S. Allen & Freemont Cash Store, Defendants, Clark Co. ID. District Court. Feb. 1923.
Sheriff’s Deed on Foreclosure, 8 Apr. 1924, Clark Co. Idaho
Florence Allen Mikesell
Grace Allen Wells
Conrad Allen, death certificate, State of Idaho, Div. of Vital Stat. Filed 27 Sep. 1951 [file # not legible, informant was “Records, State Hospital South, Blackfoot, ID. This certificate has his middle name spelled wrong, mother’s name wrong, father’s birthplace wrong & burial location wrong.
Conrad S. Allen, obituary, 21 Sep. 1951, Gooding ID. Newspaper.
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