Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1929-09-19
JOHN S. MARKHAM,
PIONEER, VETERAN,
had VARIED CAREER
HELPED TO BUILD FIRST CHURCH
AT VASHON IN 1885

John Simeon Markham, son of
Thomas 3. Markham. Methodist
preacher and missionary to the Indians.
was born August 2S. 1884, near Liberty,
Clay County, Missonri. From the time
he was about IL years old the care
and management of their farm rested
on til, Shoulders of this boy, his father
being absent from the home, preach
ing, most of the time.
In 1857 Mr. Markham moved to the
frontier in Kansas where he and
another young man organized and
maintained a Sunday School in which
work they later had the help of Rev.
Brownlee, Presbyterian minister.
In 1859 Mr. Markham was united in
marriage to Mary Jane Brownlee. TIC
this union thirteen children were born,
eight of whom remain to mourn the
loss OF their father.
In 1862 Mr.. Markham heard the call
of his country, and enlisted in Com
pany B, End Missouri Cavalry, taking
part in the warfare against the
guerilla bands that harried the terri
tory adjacent to the Mason and Dixon
line. History depicts this phase of the
Civil War as one of its most terrible
features. Between the armies engag~
ed in the various campaigns certain
code of ethics was observed, but those
who protected the borders had to deal
with outlaws whose only code was to
kill and plunder whenever the op
portunity offered itself. Nowhere was
the guerilla warfare ragged as furious
ly as over the disputed territory where
the people were afraid to express
sympathy with either side of the
struggle for fear of the punishment,
they would receive During the Battle
of Independence his company was re-
duced from SO to 20.
After his honorable discharge from
the Service March 31st, 1868, Mr.
Markham again enlisted in the Kansas
State Militia. During the Battle OF
the Blue, an engagement with Price
on his raid into Kansas, Mr.. Markham
was captured near Westport, Missouri
ulUtl illS litl llttN SIlOb buh
from under him and his company re-
duced TO II. Seven days later he was
paroled.
So bitter was the feeling among the
neighbors, and one-time friends that
in certain cases, MIR. Markhams being
one of them, those who were known tc
be trustworthy, and loyal to the Union
were upon their discharge from the
service given permission TO carry
private arms, His daughter tells that
as a small child she can remember
that her father never went to the
door at night without gun in his
hand, and that it was even unsafe to
go into the fields to plow unarmed.
II was much relief to the family
especially the mother, when they left
these conditions behind and moved TO
Oregon in 1874, where they lived until
they came to their home on Vashon
island, in 1883, where they have ever
since lived, and where Mr. Markham
passed away on September llUh at
more than 95 years of age.
The history of the local Methodist
Church is inseparably linked with the
life of Mr.. Markham. In April, 1884
the class was organized that was the
nucleus of the later church. OF the
fifteen charter members eight of them
were members of the Markham family
1t was Mr.. Markham who hauled all
OF the logs except one ior the little
Log Church the cornerstone of which
was laid in May of 1885 and which was
dedicated in November of the same
year. Converted when only lad Of
fourteen, Mr.. Markham was through
life devoted to the church of his
father
The children who survive him, Mrs.
Hattie Stafford, of Sumner; Elizabeth
F. of vashon; Mrs. Anna L. Berry, Of
Southern Heights; William A, of
Brookings, oregon. Mrs Julia E.
Hendricks and John S Jr of Cottage
Grove. Oregon; Mrs. Carrie M.
Bigelow, of olympia; and Mrs. L.
Angeline Warren, lately OF Eyder,
Alaska, with grand children and great
grand children, and host Of friends,
mourn the passing of this splendid
Christian father. rejoicing however in
memory of his life of service.
Funeral services, conducted by Rev.
E. M Randall. were held Friday after
noon from the Methodist Church. In
terment was made in the Island
Cemetery.
uaroot at rnvs