Sunday's Obituary ~ Sarah Frances (GATES) WHITE ~ 13 January 1938

Cropped from photograph with her father, Edmund Uriah GATES, and siblings. Circa 1915. Flagler, Kit Carson County, Colorado.  [Scroll down for the larger family photograph.]

SOURCE: photograph courtesy of a GATES cousin; emailed 2010.

Sarah GATES was the daughter of Edmund Uriah and Harriet (SPONSLER) GATES.

The Flagler News, Thursday, January 13, 1938:

Mrs. Sarah White Died Sunday Night

Word was received late Sunday night by George Gates of the death of his sister, Mrs. Sarah White, at a Colorado Springs hospital. Mrs. White had been in failing health for the past year and was taken to the hospital there several months ago where her condition gradually grew worse.

Wife of one of Flagler’s first business men, Mrs. White had made her home here since 1902 when she and Mr. White came here from Kansas. He passed away in 1931.

Sarah Gates White was born in Ottumwa, Iowa, on September 4, 1859, and was 78 years of age. At an early age she moved with her parents to Robinson, Kansas, at that time nearly the frontier of
civilization.

On February 24, 1878, she was united in marriage with John A. White and they continued to live in Kansas until 1902 when they purchased a hardware store in Flagler, at that time a very small village. They operated the hardware store here until after Mr. White’s death
when Mr. and Mrs. George Gates purchased it.

Mrs. White is survived by her brother, Geo. O. Gates, of Flagler, and a sister, Mrs. Kathryn Spees of Tecumseh, Nebr., as well as two adopted daughters, Mrs. Alice Thorp of Limon, Colo., and Mrs. Myrtle Dennis of Buena Vista, Colo. Two other adopted daughters, Ruth Gates and Nellie White, preceded her in death.

Mrs. White was a charter member of the Flagler chapter of Eastern Star, and a member of the Arriba Christian church.

Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon from the Congregational church, Rev. George P. Gibbs giving the funeral sermon. Interment, in charge of the Shaw Mortuary, was made in the Flagler cemetery beside her late husband.

NOTES BY C. GATES 2010
This Obituary was posted on 5th March 2003. I have found two email addresses for V. Louise. I have emailed both, most recently January 2011. However, all of my emails have come back "undeliverable."

NOTES BY V Louise
I am sure there are living descendants of the adopted children of Sarah and John WHITE. I would
welcome learning more about this Gates-White family and connecting with relatives.
Thank you,
Vlouise
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This thread:
Subject: [COKITCAR] Gates-White Obituary Flagler News 1938
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 20:12:30 -0800
by "V.Louise"  I've tried to contact her by email, they come back "undeliverable."

John A. WHITE ~ Flagler Businessman Celetrates 20th Anniversary

John A. WHITE is the husband of Sarah Frances (GATES), she would be a paternal great aunt of mine.

BUSINESS NEWS:

The Flagler News, November 1922

Twenty Years in Hardware Business Here

John A. White, the pioneer hardware merchant of Flagler, celebrated his twentieth year in the
hardware business at this place on Monday, November 20, 1922. There was no demonstration on account of the event, but Mr. White feels that this is a good long time to remain in one business
in one town.

J. A. White came to Flagler from Eastern Kansas in 1890 and pre-empted land in Section 28, west of
the old Jewell place, northwest of Flagler, living there about a year. He then thought the country
was not much good and went to Huron, Kansas, where he remained for 12 years.

In 1902 he returned to Flagler and homesteaded land ten miles northeast of town on Duck Creek.
This land he still owned and has bot [sic] enough more to make him 1200 acres.

On November 20, 1902 Mr. White bought the hardware store from the late H. W. Brown. This store was established by Charles E. Bernard in 1889. Mr. Bernard was later killed in Denver.
In the fall and winter of 1902 he built the house in which the family now resides at the west edge of town he having purchased that quarter of land in 1892. At the time he built his home there was
not a building between that place and his store building.

The following spring the family came to join him in the new home.

Mr. White was a postmaster at Flagler from 1908 to 1914. When he took the office it was in the 4th
class and within a few months it was placed in the 3rd class. He had the postoffice in the building with the hardware store. E. H. [illegible, may be Knudsen] …as post master.

Mr. White says he can see many changes in all [illegible] in the past twenty years. Business has
been picking up from the very beginning, and since taking over the business he has added the long back room.


Uncle John’s many friends hape [sic] (hope) to see him [illegible] as a resident and business man
of Flagler for many more years.

NOTES by VLouise.
Subject: [COKITCAR] The Flagler News (1922) John White, businessman
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 21:08:45 -0800
John A. White was husband of Sarah GATES. Surnames mentioned in the
following article: WHITE; JEWELL; BERNARD; E. H. [illegible, perhaps KNUDSEN?]; and BROWN.


NOTES by Carole:
I found two Obituaries: Edmund Uriah GATES; and his daughter, Sarah Frances (GATES)
WHITE. Also, this article about Sarah's husband, John A. WHITE.
All posted on the Kit Carson/ rootsweb thread by VLouise. I've seen two or three email addresses on the internet for her. I've tried all of them but they come back as "undeliverable." These posts are dated March 2003.

Sentimental Sunday ~ Sarah Frances (GATES) WHITE and Her Adopted Family

Sarah Frances GATES was the daughter of Edmund Uriah GATES (see post 9 January 2011).

Edmund and his wife, Harriet A. SPONSLER, had five children. Alexander Z. 2 July 1857- 16 May 1928 (AZ was my great grandfather); Sarah Frances 4 September 1859- 9 January 1938; Hanford J. 1862 - 7 March 1925; Albert Levi 1865-??; and George Oliver 8 August 1871-24 April 1944.

GATES Family Circa 1915

Seated ~ Edmund Uriah GATES

Left ~ Alexnder Z. ~ Katherine Maude*  ~ Hanford J. ~ George Oliver ~ Sarah Frances

* Katherine Maude GATES, is the daughters of Nancy (RICHARDSON) HARE and Edmund Uriah GATES.

Since we know that Edmund spent his later years living with his daughter Sarah and his son-in-law John A. WHITE, it is presumed that this photograph was taken on the porch of the WHITE home.

SOURCE: Photograph emailed from a cousin 2010.

Sarah Frances was married to John A. WHITE on 24 February 1878 in Kansas. John A. born 8 December 1851 - died 8 July 1931.

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SOURCE: GATES FAMILY TREE

Oliver Uriah GATES

1802 - 1882

Catherine (HULL) WEBB GATES

1800 - 1875

Handwritten by: Leila Belle (GATES) GREENALD; 1984 & 1988.

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The WHITE`s took Elizabeth `Lizzie` Hannah BISHOP from an orphanage into their home.

Also, in 1884, Sarah (GATES) WHITE, took her younger brother George GATES, [born 1871, so would have been 13 years] when their mother, Harriet A. SPONSLER GATES, died.

In 1894, the WHITE`s adopted Nellie C. (SEARCY) WHITE when a few months old.

Nellie was born 1894; died 1912; buried in Flagler Cemetery, Kit Carson County, Colorado.

In 1901, the WHITE`s took and cared for Ruth GATES (age 4 years) when her mother died. Ruth was the daughter of Sarah`s younger brother, Hanford J. GATES & Blanche Vivian (TOWNSEND).
Ruth was born February 1897; died 25 May 1907; buried at Flagler Cemetery, Kit Carson County, Colorado.

In 1922, the WHITE`s adopted two little girls, Alice and Myrtle.

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In all, the WHITE's had four adopted daughters and also cared for two related GATES children.

Sunday's Obituary ~ Edmund Uriah GATES

Edmund Uriah GATES is my paternal great great grandfather.

The Flagler News, Thursday, January 2, 1917, Volume IV;
Official Democratic Newspaper of Kit Carson County.

OBITUARY
Edmund U. Gates Answers Final “Taps”

Again we are called upon to chronicle the death of a veteran of the civil war. Edmund U. Gates passed away at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. A. White, in this city, at about 4 o’clock, Sunday afternoon, January 7th, 1917, after an illness of short duration.

Mr. Gates, who was aged 84 years and 6 months, had been in good health up to about a year ago, when he began to fail, since which time he was able to be up and about most of the time. A couple of weeks ago he suffered a relapse and was confined to his bed a few days, but had been up and around the house until a few days before his death.

Edmund U. Gates was born in Thomas County, Ohio, July 8th, 1832, where he grew to manhood, moving to Iowa in 1850. He was married October 2nd, 1856, and on November 2, 1864, he enlisted in Company E, 13th Regiment Iowa Infantry, where he served his country until the end of the war, being
discharged on July 21 st, 1865.

In 1873 he moved with his family to Brown county, Kans., where he resided for nine years, after which he moved to Marshall county, where he lived until 1896, when he came to Colorado. For a number of years he made his home with his son, George, on the ranch east of town. He also took a
homestead east of town, on which he made final proof.

Grandpa Gates, as he was known to Flagler people, was liked by all who knew him; he was of a cheerful disposition and always had a pleasant word for those with whom he came in contact. For several years he had made his home with his daughter, Mrs. White.

The deceased leaves to mourn his death, three sons and two daughters, A.Z. Gates of Beattie, Kans.; H. J. Gates, of Worden, Mont.; George O. Gates, of Burlington, Colo.; Mrs. J. A. White ofFlagler; and Mrs. Kate Myers, of Pawnee City, Nebr., besides several grandchildren and a host of friends.

Funeral services were conducted from the Congregational church Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock, by Rev. A. A. Marquardt, after which the body was taken to Beattie, Kans., for interment. Geo. O. Gates and son, John, accompanied the remains to their last resting place.

W. H. Lavington, H. W. Brown, E. T. Epperson, H. C. Jones, George Huntley, and George Epperson, old friends of the deceased, acted as pallbearers.

The many friends in Flagler and community will join with the News in extending sympathy to thebereaved relatives in the loss they have sustained.

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NOTES:
Edmund Uriah GATES born 8 July 1832-7 died January 1917
(1) Married October 1, 1856 Harriet SPONSLER 1836-1884; their children:
Alexander Z. GATES 1857-1928, Sarah Frances (GATES) WHITE 1859-1938;
Hanford J. GATES 1862-1925; and George Oliver GATES 1871-1944.

Edmund's grandson, George Oliver's son John GATES 1894-1974.

(2) Married: August 1886 Nancy (RICHARDSON) HARE 1842-1933;
their daughter Katherine 'Kate' Maud (GATES) MEYERS 1888-1970.

SOURCES:
1.  Photograph courtesy of a GATES cousin, emailed received 2009.
2.  Obituary - internet search April 2010;  http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read
     >  [COKITCAR] The Flagler News 1917, Edmund Gates Obituary

I've tried to contact the person who posted this, but to no avail. That is why I haven't included her name. The post was dated March 2003.