Friday, October 28, 2011

Halloween at Stack Rock School - 1914

When scanning the Stiff-McLane family photographs that are in my great grandparents trunk at the homestead ranch several years ago, I found this one taken at Stack Rock School on October 30, 1914. My grandfather Bert Stiff is on the far left of the photograph. I was surprised to see that they carved pumpkins back when he was a child. This is one of the few photos that we have of him as a child.

This post is a tribute to Grandpa Bert who was born on October 23, 1903 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

On this day in our family history - 24 Mar 1911

On this day 100 years ago: 24 March 1911, the Robert Emmett Stiff and Stella Bertha McLane Stiff Family took up residence on their homestead property in the Dry Creek area just north of Boise, Ada County, Idaho. Robert and Stella's pioneer spirit, hard work and love of the land created a legacy that continues today. Later this year the Stiff Homestead, now known as The Ourada Ranch, will be offically designated as the first Century Farm in Ada County, Idaho.

Friday, March 4, 2011

4 March, on this day in our family history...


4 Mar 1925, Roland Bertrand Stiff and Ellen E. Patton were married in Marsing, Owyhee County, Idaho.
The couple met while attending school at the Nazarene College in Nampa, Idaho.

The wedding took place at the home of Ellen's parents, Jesse A. and Emma Slabaugh [Schlabach] Patton. The couple raised four children in the Boise area and moved to Oregon in 1944.
This picture was taken soon after their wedding. They are standing on Stack Rock overlooking Bert's parents homestead ranch just north of Boise, Ada County, Idaho. As you can see by looking at the background in the photograph this land is very arid. The area is known as Dry Creek, but in the spring when the hills are green and the alfalfa is blooming it is heaven on earth.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Robert Emmett Stiff 1870-1951





On this day in our ancestor's lives...


28 February 1870, Robert Emmett Stiff, was born in Brandenburg, Meade County, Kentucky. He was the third child, of twelve, born to John Clayton and Margaret Clara Rachford Stiff.

His first seven years were spent in the Meade County, Kentucky area. Then in 1877 the family migrated west to Morse, Johnson County, Iowa and in 1892 the family moved to Cedar County, Iowa. They lived in several different Cedar County communites, West Side, Rochester and Buchanan.

Robert Emmett was the adventuring type, his youngest daughter described it as, wanderlust. About 1894 or 1895 he struck out on his own and traveled to Texas to visit relatives. He worked for a while on a ranch in Collin County, Texas. The ranch was owned by his aunt and uncle, John and Mary Rachford Rasor. He also worked on a Riverboat during his travels, which could have been as far south as Beaumont, Texas.

His travels took him through Missouri and either on his way to Texas or on the trip back home to Iowa, he met his future wife Stella Bertha McLane. They married on the 24th of December 1896 in Benton County, Missouri. Nine children were born to this union.

More on the adventures of Robert Emmett Stiff in my next posting...

Tuesday, February 22, 2011


On this day in our ancestor's lives.....

22 Feb 1909 in Sedan, Chautauqua County, Kansas - William Henry Turner and Eudora Edna Lockert Holder were married by Samuel Bruner, Probate Judge. The witnesses to this union were, J. N. Cristen and Martha E. Randall.

The wedding took place on Eudora's 39th birthday. This was the second marriage for each of them.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

145th Anniversary

On this day 145 years ago our grandparents John Clayton Stiff and Margaret Clara Rachford Stiff married, in Larue County, Kentucky.

May we live up to their pioneering spirit and honor them for who we are.