William Franklin VanBebber

     William Franklin VanBebber was born on 23 March 1853 at Linn County, Missouri. He was the son of Calvin VanBebber and Barthena A. VanBebber. William Franklin VanBebber married, at age 27, Eliza Ellen Ramsey, age 18, daughter of James Ramsey and Elizabeth Ellen Irvine, on Sunday, 9 May 1880. William Franklin VanBebber died on 19 July 1932 at age 79 years, 3 months and 26 days.
     He and Eliza Ellen Ramsey appeared on the census of 13 June 1900 at Hydesville Township, Humboldt County, California. From Gary R. Hawpe, ed. and Ted and Sharon Van Bebber, comp., 'Old Time Resident Passes Away Here,' Van Bibber Pioneers E-Newsletter, Vol. 4 No. 7 (May 2001), pp. 21 - 22.

OLD TIME RESIDENT PASSES AWAY HERE

William Franklin Van Bebber died at Willits on July 19th, after several months of failing health, at the age of 78. Funeral services were held at Anker's Mortuary at 2 p.m. Tuesday, the Reverend G. H. Jones officiating. A large cortege of relatives and old friends followed the body to the I. O. O. F. cemetery where interment took place.

Born on a ranch in Lynn county, Missouri, on March 23, 1853, Van Bebber spent his early years ranching. Shortly after his marriage on May 9, 1880, he and Mrs. Van Bebber moved to Humboldt county, California, eventually settling at Willits in April 1901. After reaching this state, he engaged in logging mill and lumber camp work. Of the eleven children born to Mrs. Van Bebber and the deceased, nine lived to grow up in and around Willits.

Mr. Van Bebber is survived by his widow, six sons and three daughters, 12 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Two brothers, Jacob and Thomas, reside at Lakeport; one sister, Mrs. Margaret Asher, lives near Chico; another sister, Mrs. Mary Rohrich, was last known to reside in Vancouver, Washington. The surviving children are Charles, Fred and Bill, all of Willits; Jim of Brownwood, Texas; Thomas, who lives on the Feather river in Plumas county; and Ray, who was last heard of in Mexico; Mrs. George Cleveland of Eureka; Mrs. Nellie Snow of Plumas county; and Mrs. Annie Talbot of Mill Valley.

A large number of the immediate relatives came to Willits to pay their last respects to the deceased and many friends and neighbors attended the last rites.

The Willits News, Willits, Mendocino County, California, Friday, July 24, 1931, Page 1.

Additional information provided by Ted & Sharon Van Bebber:

Wife is Eliza Ellen Ramsey, b 2 May 1862, d 4 October 1944.

Two predeceased children:
Johnnie Van Bebber, b 26 April 1899. d 10 July 1901
Harry Francis Van Bebber, b 01 June 1895, d 23 December 1929

The 12 Grandchildren are:
Dora Ellen Van Bebber, Ila Pearl Van Bebber, Ellamay Cleveland, Marjorie Nell Cleveland, Walter George Cleveland, Kenneth Van Bebber, Inez Van Bebber, Harold Snow, Jr., Dorothy Snow, Ruth Rowena Snow, Beverly Talbot, Phyllis Talbot.

The great grandchild is:
Theodore John Van Bebber, b 24 June 1930

Submitted by Ted & Sharon Van Bebber.