Obituaries of San Bernardino County, California Genealogy and History

San Bernardino County, CA
History and Genealogy

Meiba Bryan
The Humboldt Sun - February 14, 2008
Obituary

Meiba Bryan, 90, passed away on Jan. 11, 2008. She was born June 30,
1917, in Payson, Utah, but lived most of her adult life in San
Bernardino County, Calif. She worked as a secretary for Patton State
Hospital and Cal Trans and taught typing and business machines at the
San Bernardino Adult School before retiring in 1973.

She lived in Winnemucca in the early '80s and worked part-time for
Humboldt General Hospital in the clinic transcribing medical reports.
Melba had a great sense of humor, loved life, family and friends and
will be greatly missed.

She was preceded in death by her daughter Shirley Mattson Blyseth,
grandson Gene Haggard and husband, Thomas G. Bryan.

Melba leaves behind her son Rodger Bryan, his wife Darlene, and their
four boys Daniel, David, Dillon and Dustin, Winnemucca; daughter
Kathleen Bryan and her partner Paul Forgues, Yucaipa, Calif.;
grandson Patrick Lloyd, his wife Christine and their daughter Karsen,
Yucaipa, Calif.; granddaughter Jaime Robbins and her husband Ben,
Renton, Washington; grandson Rocky Haggard, Minnesota; stepdaughter
Delores Bechtol, Troutdale, Ore.; and cousin Geraldine Thomsen,
Payson, Utah.

A Celebration of Life was held at Montecito Memorial Chapel in
Colton, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m.
[Submitted to Genealogy Trails by Don Tharp]
JAMES W. HALL
Date of death: 11 Aug 1912, Ocean Park, CA.
San Bernardino Sun: OCEAN PARK, August 19--

James W. HALL of San Bernardino, died here at 2425 Ocean Front Sunday morning. The end came at 9 o'clock in the morning following astroke of apoplexy. The funeral, which at his own request, will be private and unostentatious, will be held from the Kirkelel undertaking parlors here at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning, and in the afternoon the remains will be taken to the Rosedale crematory in Los Angeles for cremation, which also is according to his directions.
AN ACTIVE CAREER
News of the passing of J.W. HALL at Ocean Park Sunday morning will come as a shock and surprise to the older residents of San Bernardino for although living a retired life, he and Mrs. Hall making their home with their daughter, Mrs. J.B. GILL, in recent years, during the period of his active career he was one of the most promient men in San Bernardino, and in the 80s few enterprises were launched in this city that did not have J.W. Hall as one of the moving spirits. He was a daring and brilliant man in business, and had probably lost and made a half dozen fortunes in his time.
BIOGRAPHICAL
James W. HALL was born near Murphsyboro, Illinois in 1837. His parents were pioneers in that then new western state, having come to southern Illinois in 1813, from Virginia, and the family were prominent in the early building of that commonwealth. Mr. Hall's uncle, James HALL, for whom he was named was a member of the first constitutional convention in Illinois, assisting to prepare the constitution under whichthe state was admitted in 1818. (note James HALL was his grandfather not uncle and the family came to Illinois in 1812 from Kentucky not VA although the family seems to have gone to KY from VA in earlier days-CLD)
Mr. Hall enjoyed only the educational advantages of pioneer days and the commerical bent in him early developed. He first went into thecotton and tobacco trade at De Soto, and later embarked in general merchandise at the sameplace, that being the older settlement, but with the building up of Murphysboro, he went there and established the Hall bank of which he was the head for many years. He also held a number of public positions, the last of which was that of county clerk of Jackson county from 1869 to 1873. During these years also he was operating largely on the St. Louis produce and stock exchanges, carrying through large deals, frequently successfully sometimes with fortune reversed but meeting either outcome with the equanimity that always marked him in business matters.
CAME TO CALIFORNIA
In 1873 he married Miss Augusta A. FRIZELLE of Du Quoin, Illinois, and seven years later they determined to come to the golden state and arrived in San Bernardino late in 1880, which has since been their home. Arriving here he immediately engaged in merchandising, handling groceries and provisions on a big scale, and in those days the trade between this city and the mountains and mines and desert beyond was immense. From that time until 1889, when he sold his business to A.M. Ham, he very largely controlled that trade, and reaped another furtune out of it. Mr. Ham, who came from Missouri in 1882 and was with Mr. Hall for seven years before buying him out, yesterday paid him the tribute of saying that Mr. Hall was the best salesman and one of the best business men he ever knew.
OTHER VIRTUES
During that period Mr. Hall became interested in other business ventures. He was a large stockholder in the First National bank, the crash of which in 1891 is still remembered by the residents of those days. He was one of those who helped to finance the building of the old motor road between San Bernardino and Riverside,subsequently sold to the Southern Pacific, and also the Harlem Springs line and that resort, long since passed into other hands. Since 1891 he has lived in retirement, interested in a business way only in his Highland orange ranch. But while not in active business, his interest in what was doing in the world was as keen as ever. He was an omnivorous reader, splendidly informed on all current topics, a conversationalist of unusual ability and one had only to meet him to feel at once the charm of his personality as well as the strength and force of character behind it. More than a year ago, Mr. Hall suffered a stroke of paralysis, which has been followed by others, and for months his life has been despaired of, although the end came suddenly and unexpectedly, for all that. Mrs. Hall was with him, but Mrs. Gill has been ill at her home in this city for three weeks, confined to her room, and it was questionable last night whether she would be able to go to Ocean Park for the final obsequies tomorrow morning. The funeral is to be private and by Mr. Hall's own request to be marked neither by flowers nor music, and----(rest missing)

Death of Prof. N. A. Richardson

A few weeks ago, our readers may recall, we made mention that Prof. N. A. Richardson, fifty years ago, principal of the Elk Falls school, had been re-elected head of the board of education at San Bernadino, California, where he located on leaving Kansas about 1882 or '83. This week we have recieved from Mrs. Ella Thompson Symmes, former Howard young woman now living in San Bernadino, newspaper clippings telling of the death and funeral of Prof. Richardson, who passed away sometime late May.
Prof. Richardson stood very high in the educational affairs of San Bernadino, and was held inhigh esteem as a citizen. He was a quarter of a century a teacher, principal, superintendent, and organizer of the higher departments of the city schools. One of the clippings shows a picture of the new Richardson Junior High school, newest in the city system and almost completed and named in honor of Richardson, a large handsome structure, fire-proff, re-inforced concrete, 13 rooms, and offices.
Prof. Richardson leaves a wife and one married daughter. He retired from teaching school about 25 years ago, but has continuously held a place on the board of education, much of the time being the president and chief. He was active in politics, espousing the cause of the alliance and the socialists, frequently being the choice of that party as candidate for congress or the governorship of California, but was never successful at the polls when running or political office.
There are still a number of our readers of the Elk Falls neighborhood who attended school under Prof. Richardson, and who will be pleased to know that he was held in higest esteem in his California home. His death was the result of a stroke of apoplexy. His age was 73 years.
[From the Howard Courant, Howard, KS, June 25, 1931 - Submitted by L. Morgan]

	San Bernardino County, CA History and Genealogy
Meiba Bryan The Humboldt Sun - February 14, 2008 Obituary Meiba Bryan, 90, passed away on Jan. 11, 2008. She was born June 30, 1917, in Payson, Utah, but lived most of her adult life in San Bernardino County, Calif. She worked as a secretary for Patton State Hospital and Cal Trans and taught typing and business machines at the San Bernardino Adult School before retiring in 1973. She lived in Winnemucca in the early '80s and worked part-time for Humboldt General Hospital in the clinic transcribing medical reports. Melba had a great sense of humor, loved life, family and friends and will be greatly missed. She was preceded in death by her daughter Shirley Mattson Blyseth, grandson Gene Haggard and husband, Thomas G. Bryan. Melba leaves behind her son Rodger Bryan, his wife Darlene, and their four boys Daniel, David, Dillon and Dustin, Winnemucca; daughter Kathleen Bryan and her partner Paul Forgues, Yucaipa, Calif.; grandson Patrick Lloyd, his wife Christine and their daughter Karsen, Yucaipa, Calif.; granddaughter Jaime Robbins and her husband Ben, Renton, Washington; grandson Rocky Haggard, Minnesota; stepdaughter Delores Bechtol, Troutdale, Ore.; and cousin Geraldine Thomsen, Payson, Utah. A Celebration of Life was held at Montecito Memorial Chapel in Colton, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m. [Submitted to Genealogy Trails by Don Tharp] JAMES W. HALL Date of death: 11 Aug 1912, Ocean Park, CA. San Bernardino Sun: OCEAN PARK, August 19-- James W. HALL of San Bernardino, died here at 2425 Ocean Front Sunday morning. The end came at 9 o'clock in the morning following astroke of apoplexy. The funeral, which at his own request, will be private and unostentatious, will be held from the Kirkelel undertaking parlors here at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning, and in the afternoon the remains will be taken to the Rosedale crematory in Los Angeles for cremation, which also is according to his directions. AN ACTIVE CAREER News of the passing of J.W. HALL at Ocean Park Sunday morning will come as a shock and surprise to the older residents of San Bernardino for although living a retired life, he and Mrs. Hall making their home with their daughter, Mrs. J.B. GILL, in recent years, during the period of his active career he was one of the most promient men in San Bernardino, and in the 80s few enterprises were launched in this city that did not have J.W. Hall as one of the moving spirits. He was a daring and brilliant man in business, and had probably lost and made a half dozen fortunes in his time. BIOGRAPHICAL James W. HALL was born near Murphsyboro, Illinois in 1837. His parents were pioneers in that then new western state, having come to southern Illinois in 1813, from Virginia, and the family were prominent in the early building of that commonwealth. Mr. Hall's uncle, James HALL, for whom he was named was a member of the first constitutional convention in Illinois, assisting to prepare the constitution under whichthe state was admitted in 1818. (note James HALL was his grandfather not uncle and the family came to Illinois in 1812 from Kentucky not VA although the family seems to have gone to KY from VA in earlier days-CLD) Mr. Hall enjoyed only the educational advantages of pioneer days and the commerical bent in him early developed. He first went into thecotton and tobacco trade at De Soto, and later embarked in general merchandise at the sameplace, that being the older settlement, but with the building up of Murphysboro, he went there and established the Hall bank of which he was the head for many years. He also held a number of public positions, the last of which was that of county clerk of Jackson county from 1869 to 1873. During these years also he was operating largely on the St. Louis produce and stock exchanges, carrying through large deals, frequently successfully sometimes with fortune reversed but meeting either outcome with the equanimity that always marked him in business matters. CAME TO CALIFORNIA In 1873 he married Miss Augusta A. FRIZELLE of Du Quoin, Illinois, and seven years later they determined to come to the golden state and arrived in San Bernardino late in 1880, which has since been their home. Arriving here he immediately engaged in merchandising, handling groceries and provisions on a big scale, and in those days the trade between this city and the mountains and mines and desert beyond was immense. From that time until 1889, when he sold his business to A.M. Ham, he very largely controlled that trade, and reaped another furtune out of it. Mr. Ham, who came from Missouri in 1882 and was with Mr. Hall for seven years before buying him out, yesterday paid him the tribute of saying that Mr. Hall was the best salesman and one of the best business men he ever knew. OTHER VIRTUES During that period Mr. Hall became interested in other business ventures. He was a large stockholder in the First National bank, the crash of which in 1891 is still remembered by the residents of those days. He was one of those who helped to finance the building of the old motor road between San Bernardino and Riverside,subsequently sold to the Southern Pacific, and also the Harlem Springs line and that resort, long since passed into other hands. Since 1891 he has lived in retirement, interested in a business way only in his Highland orange ranch. But while not in active business, his interest in what was doing in the world was as keen as ever. He was an omnivorous reader, splendidly informed on all current topics, a conversationalist of unusual ability and one had only to meet him to feel at once the charm of his personality as well as the strength and force of character behind it. More than a year ago, Mr. Hall suffered a stroke of paralysis, which has been followed by others, and for months his life has been despaired of, although the end came suddenly and unexpectedly, for all that. Mrs. Hall was with him, but Mrs. Gill has been ill at her home in this city for three weeks, confined to her room, and it was questionable last night whether she would be able to go to Ocean Park for the final obsequies tomorrow morning. The funeral is to be private and by Mr. Hall's own request to be marked neither by flowers nor music, and----(rest missing) Death of Prof. N. A. Richardson A few weeks ago, our readers may recall, we made mention that Prof. N. A. Richardson, fifty years ago, principal of the Elk Falls school, had been re-elected head of the board of education at San Bernadino, California, where he located on leaving Kansas about 1882 or '83. This week we have recieved from Mrs. Ella Thompson Symmes, former Howard young woman now living in San Bernadino, newspaper clippings telling of the death and funeral of Prof. Richardson, who passed away sometime late May. Prof. Richardson stood very high in the educational affairs of San Bernadino, and was held inhigh esteem as a citizen. He was a quarter of a century a teacher, principal, superintendent, and organizer of the higher departments of the city schools. One of the clippings shows a picture of the new Richardson Junior High school, newest in the city system and almost completed and named in honor of Richardson, a large handsome structure, fire-proff, re-inforced concrete, 13 rooms, and offices. Prof. Richardson leaves a wife and one married daughter. He retired from teaching school about 25 years ago, but has continuously held a place on the board of education, much of the time being the president and chief. He was active in politics, espousing the cause of the alliance and the socialists, frequently being the choice of that party as candidate for congress or the governorship of California, but was never successful at the polls when running or political office. There are still a number of our readers of the Elk Falls neighborhood who attended school under Prof. Richardson, and who will be pleased to know that he was held in higest esteem in his California home. His death was the result of a stroke of apoplexy. His age was 73 years. [From the Howard Courant, Howard, KS, June 25, 1931 - Submitted by L. Morgan]