Notes for Martin Siver
What little information that is known about Martin Siver was obtained from 1850 Census record and Head stone at the Black River Cemetery in Jefferson County New York. Martin is buried in a cemetery plot bearing the Riley family name. It is believed that one of martin's daughters married a Riley. There is no other Siver's known to be buried at Black river cemetery.
Curtis C. Siver
Notes for James Leroy Siver
Son of Martin And Julia Siver of Jefferson County New York. Stories were told that after James Siver married Maria Clark on December 29, 1864 and after his son Clinton Clark Siver was born. He left her for unknown reasons. He did not return or contact her for some twenty years.
Maria thinking that James Siver had been killed, remarried to Jerome Brown Martin some ten years later. Around twenty years after leaving James L. Siver returned to Jefferson County, New York, finding that Maria had remarried he left without her knowing he was there.
James Leroy Siver (AKA J.L. Siver) enlisted in the Union Army in company A, 12th Iowa infantry on September 14, 1861. He enlisted at Eldora, Iowa. He mustered out on December 2, 1864 at Nashville, Tennessee. He then returned to Jefferson County, New York and he and Maria Clark were married at the end of that month.
James and Maria Siver, sometime after marring moved to Eldora, Iowa. The reason that I say this, his (J.L.S.) pension records stated that he and Maria separated at Eldora in 1868.
After leaving Maria, James Siver took another wife. (2nd) She was Mary E. Holt Peirce. They married on 05/09/1878 at Independence, Kansas. James and Mary Holt had one child named James O. Siver. Mary Holt had one prior Marriage to Oliver Peirce who died in Texas. Mary E. Holt Siver died 12/14/1919 at Orting Washington.
While in the Union army during the civil war James L. Siver was in battles at the following Places:
Battle for Fort Donelson-Feb. 13,14 & 15, 1862
Battle at Corimsh, Mississippi, October 3, 1862
Battle mouth of the White river, Arkansas. June 22, 1864
James Siver also served as a nurse on the hospital ships, D.A. January and steamer Charles McDougall.
All his orders were signed by General U.S. Grant
The next anyone heard from James L. Siver was when he arrived at Clinton Clark Siver's Ranch in Nebraska around 1894-1895. It is said that James L. Siver looked like an old man at this time. James L. Siver stayed with Clinton Siver and his family for several days before he told Clinton that he was his father.
I do know for sure that James L. Siver had contacted his son Clinton Siver before September 1905, because a picture was found of Ruberta Siver at age 14 months that said For grandpa J.L. Siver on the back. Also on January 11, 1896 Maria Clark Martin stated in her will, that she was aware of James L. Siver being alive and living somewhere in the west. She said the she had known this for about one year.
James L. Siver told Clinton Siver that he wanted to see his grand children. It is also known that James L. Siver was at Twin Falls, Idaho before 1919, at which time he met with his grandson Harold F. Siver and his (H.F.S.) wife to be Clara Belle Johnson.
At some unknown time Clinton Siver received a Gold ring with a black onyx stone, with the initials of J.L.S. on the inside. It is said that James L. Siver won the ring in a poker game. This ring went from Clinton Siver to his son James Leon Siver to Harold F. Siver to M. Gene Siver. When Harold Siver had the ring the letter "S" was put in gold inlay on the onyx. Gene Siver had the initials of HFS and MGS placed on the inside of the ring. The ring can be seen on Clinton Clark Siver finger in a photo taken in 1888. So again I am not sure just when James Siver showed up or was the ring left with Maria when they separated and she gave it to Clinton Siver. At this point your guess is as good as mine.
In 1920 Beryl and Helen Siver visited with their grandfather, James L. Siver on their way to Florida from Twin Falls, Idaho. At that time James L. Siver was at the Old Soldiers Home in Levenworth, Kansas.
The next we know about James L. Siver is a letter from James L. Siver to Helen Siver Wilson and her husband in 1922 stating that he was living in Bentonville, Arkansas and that he had remarried. Then in 1924 Clinton Siver received word from his wife Mary that James was very sick. Clinton Siver went to Bentonville, Arkansas and found that James had died before he arrived.
Places that James Leroy Siver was known to live are:
Born Jefferson County, NY, in 1841
Eldora, Iowa, in 1861
Eldora, Iowa, in 1868
Colorado, for one year.
Independence, Kansas, in 1878
Texas for five years. (Jacksboro?)
Missouri, for one year.
Walla Walla, Washington, for one year in 1890. (Census)
Tocoma, Washington, until 1911
Orting, Washington, in 1912
Levenworth, Kansas, in 1920
Bentonville, Arkansas, 1922 - 1924
The above information was taken from such records as the 1850 Census, his military records, Death Certificates, marriage Certificates, Deeds and other official records and handed down stories.
Curtis C. Siver
11/27/1994
Notes for Clinton Clark Siver
Information obtained form the family Bible, a short Story written by Ruth Siver Steele in a book titled Garfield Stories, compiled by, Busy Country Homemakers Extension Club. Information given to Karen Chapin Doggett, by her grandfather Clinton Carl Siver. Information from Frank Ilett Sr.,Information from Clara Johnson Siver. Headstone at Myrtle Hill Cemetery in Tampa, Florida, Death Records and property records in Lincoln County Nebraska, Idaho and Florida. Also information was Given by other desendants of Clinton Clark Siver.
Clinton Lived with His mother and stepfather until he was 18 years old. At that time he walked behind a wagon train, with just a bedroll and his clothing to Lincoln County Nebraska. He met and married Minnie Gertrude Campbell there.
They homesteaded 640 acres in the sand hills of Nebraska (Garfield Table) and built a sod house. At one time the Willard Post Office was located in their home. Clinton And Minnie were among the earliest Pioneers of the Garfield Community located near Arnold, Nebraska. Their marriage was the first ever to take place in the original Garfield church.
Minnie Gertrude Was the second white woman that lived in the Garfield Community. Among other things they started the first school, so their children would have somewhere to learn. The school known as the Willard School, Dist. 47. The teacher was Clara V. Drake, C.C. Siver was the Director; M.G. Siver was the Moderator and C.C. Bowman was the treasure. Five of the 12 children of the 1906 class, were Siver's
When Clinton bought his first car (a model "T" Ford) he drove it home and when he went to park it in the barn, he could not stop it and ran through the back of the barn.
Carl Siver the Last son of Clinton And Minnie Siver said that his father always kept a hound dog around the Homestead to chase away Coyotes. One morning Clinton woke up to see a Coyote looking into the window of the house. Clinton grabbed his gun and went outside to shoot it. The Coyote ran off as soon as the door opened. It was then that Clinton noticed that one of the hounds was under the window the coyote was looking in sound asleep. He then raised the gun and shot the hound instead of the coyote.
They lived and farmed in the Garfield Community until about 1917. They sold out and moved closer to their older children who by this time was living in Twin Falls, Idaho. When they moved, they went to Idaho on an Railroad Migrant car. They took practically everything they owned, ever some live stock. They settled on a 40 acre farm to the east of Twin Falls & later moved to a 5 acre place on Elizabeth road. That house was still standing in 1992.
In 1932 they followed Maude, Beryl, Helen and Harold to Florida. They lived at 340 44 St. W. Sarasota, Florida until they died. They were both at Maude's in Tampa at the time of their death.
Some information also obtained from Certificate of death.
Curtis C. Siver
11/30/1994
Four Generations, Summer of 1991
Clara Johnson Siver, Curtis C. Siver, Kirsten Siver Hart, Brett and Brittney Hart
From Personal Knowledge of Curtis C. Siver and other records on file.
Harold F. Siver attended public schools in Willard Nebraska, a military school in Lincoln, Nebraska and business College in Twin Falls, Idaho where he studied accounting.
While in Twin Falls, Idaho he worked as a bookkeeper for R.M. Kellog Co. from 1917 through 1918. From 1918 through 1919 he was in the U.S. Army during WW-I as a field clerk. From 1919 to 1924 he was employed by the Amalgamated Sugar Co. in Twin Falls, Idaho. In 1925 he moved his family to Manatee County Florida and from 1925 through 1931 he was the bookkeeper for the Perkins Chrysler-Plymouth car dealer in Bradenton, Florida. From 1931 to 1935 he was a Auditor-Distribution Officer of the C.W.A. and Works Project Administration. From 1935 through 1937 Harold F. Siver was the Bookkeeper for the Manatee County Wholesale Grocery Co. Bradenton, Florida. In 1938 He took his last job, He was employed by the City Of Bradenton as the City Clerk, City Treasure and City Tax Collector. He held this longer than anyone else in the history of the City. He retired from the City 1966.
Beside serving in the U.S. Army during WW-I, Harold Siver served with The Old Florida State Guard as a Second Lieutenant from 5/29/1941 to 1/11/1943. In 1943 he was appointed First Lieutenant and served at that rank until 3/4/1944 when he was appointed Captain until 12/2/1946. In 1946 he was appointed Major of the Florida State Guard.
He was a member of the American Legion post at Bradenton, Florida. His hobbies included Quail hunting, Base Ball and Golf. He always had a pointer Bird Dog for hunting Quail. He was a Member of the Bradenton Country Club.
In 1919 when he and Clara Johnson was married, he was stationed at Camp Grant, Illinois. They lived at 604 Peach St. Rockford, Illinois while there. When he was discharged from the Army they returned to Twin Falls, Idaho. Harold and Clara Siver lived at 5109 1 Ave. Dr. W. Bradenton, Florida from 3/2/1931 until his death 9/4/1968
By Curtis C. Siver
Below Photograph Taken June 12, 1994 In North Platte, NE.
From Left To Right: Curtis Siver, Patsy Siver, Dwain Wall, Kirsten Hart, Louise Steel, Kelly Claudson, Gearld Steel, Donna Claudson, Virgina McKenna, Ken Claudson, Leo McKenna, Debra & Eathan Claudson. In Front Austin & Camdace Claudson
Underlined Names Are Siver & Campbell Descendants.
