Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-01-08
MRS. SUSAN VOOLFOLK BELL
DIES IN CALIFORNIA

sincere regret of the death of Mrs.
Susan Voolfolk Bell at her home at
1916 Euclid Ave-, Berkeley. Calf, on
the afternoon of Dec. Goth, 1913. Be-
1 fore her marriage she was Miss SUI
| san r. Voolfolk, daughter of James
To- voolfolk and his wife, Elizabeth.
formerly Elizabeth Oldham Wooiley,
| both of whose families were early
Kentucky settlers, who later irlmi-
grated to Missouri and wisconsin. In
/ 1888 or 1889, James o. Voolfolk came
to Potosi with his uncles, Allen and
Norman Voolfolk. who brought a
! large stock of goods to that then
thriving mining camp. Norman
Voolfolk built the first stone house
in the town, just in front of the pres
ent residence of Adam Schumacher.
After his death, his family deturned
to Missouri, and Allen continued the
business until he and his family de-
parted for Missouri, also, leaving
James in Potosi In 1886, Mr.. and
Mrs Oldham, with four children, one
of whom was Elizabeth Oldham, had
come to Potosi Mr.. Oldham was al
SO a merchant, and came to the min
| ing town with stock of goods, from
( lucy 1GO1diICQ III OlOSl
for about a year. when they returned
to Paris, Kentucky, their home be-
fore going to Missouri, and where
! their daughter Elizabeth, had been
born. In a short time, however, they
returned to Potosi again, and lived
on what in later years was known as
the old French farm. on Boice Creek.
In 1916, Elizabeth Oldham, then a girl
! r1f L. - -
Joseph Woolley, at Potosi, and to
them were born a daughter. jose
phine. in 1847, who later became Mrs.
George H. Lewis, now residing in Po-
tOsi. In the fall of 1850, Elizabeth
Woolley. whose husband had died in
the meantime. became the wife of
James O. Voolfolk, at Potosi. and to
them was born, on September 5th,
1851, daughter, Susan Rebecca. In
1856. her father died, and in 1858 Mrs.
Voolfolk built the house now occu-
pied by Charles Ragatz, and there
lived for many years with her two
daughters. Susan and Josephine Lat
er they lived in the present resi-
dence of Mrs. Lewis, where Mrs.
Voolfolk conducted a hotel Mrs.
Voolfolk died in Potosi in 1896
In 1843, Henry Bell and his wife,
Sarah, had come to Potosi from Ran
dalstown. County Antrim, Ireland,
with nine children, one of whom was
Nathaniel Bell, who was then about
three years old They had crossed
the Atlantic on sailing vessel which
occupied over five months in the voy-
age, and one of the children. Hugh,
had been born on the ship. They set
tied on Boice Creek, where the faith
er and the boys grubbed out a farm
on which two other children were
! later born to them. In 1861, Mr. Bell,
with his whole family, including Ma
thaniel, or Neil, as he was generally
known, crossed the plains by OK
team to California. There Neil. with
one of his brothers, ran a store and
ferry across the Humboldt river for
time. and then he engaged in min
ing. IN California, Nevada and Idaho,
encountering the hardships of those
pioneer days, including Indian fight
ing. in the course of which he was
once wounded. For some time prior
to 1867 he was engaged in placer
mining in Nevada, and Mrs. Harkins.
whom many Potosians will recall, was
the only woman in the camp. having
gone there with her husband, who
was also a miner In the Fall of
1867. Neil returned to California, the
placer claim having been worked out.
TO take his mother, whose husband
had meanwhile died. back to Potosi.
He had accumulated some eighty
thousand dollars in his mining oDer-
atoms, and was in a position to rest
For time from his arduons labor.
Rptaphen he arrived in San Francisco.
the Bank of California. in which it
had been deposited for safe keep
ing. had failed. and he found himself
with only few thousand dollars left.
He and his mother. however, return
ed to Potosi by way of Panama and
New York, the journey then consum-
ing some three months.
In POtosi he and his brother Hem
ry, then opened a store, but in 1869
the call OF the west came again, and
he went to New Mexico. On the night
of his arrival in Silver City, in that
state, he stood guard with other cit
liens, as the Apache Indians were on
the War-path and threatening the
town. Thereafter he continued the
mining business, and also engaged in
ranching and merchandising, until
1897, in the town of Pinos Altos From
1874 to that time he was a member
of the firm of that town, known as
Bell & Stephens.
From the time Mr.. Bell left Poto-
81, in 1869, he and Miss Susan Wool
folk correspondent, hut they were not
formally engaged until he returned.
in 1883. They were to have been
married at Potosi, but he was unex-
pectedly called back to New Mexico
by business. and could not return
soon. So it was arranged that Miss
voolfolk should go to Pinos Altos
to be there married. On her arrival
there. they were married on Novem-
Der 9Th, 1884, and there they lived
happily, and III stirring times, until
1897, from time 10 time making Wis
its to the old home in Potosi. Pinos
Altos was only a mining camp. in