Luman, Marie, and Their Children
Introduction
Luman, Marie, and their children moved many times over the course of their lives, always pursuing a better way of life. Luman and Marie married on March 10, 1859, and lived in Wisconsin for about 18 years. First in Green Lake County, then Ripon, Fond du Lac County, and finally Fairchild, Eau Claire County. About 1877, the family moved to Taopi, Mower, Minnesota, and resided there for approximately two years.
On June 16, 1879, the family began their journey to Nebraska via covered wagon, arriving in Phelps County, where they lived for several years, and then on to Juniata, Adams County, for about two years. About 1887, the family, excluding Clinton, Emily and Howard, headed west to Holyoke, Phillips, Colorado, where they stayed for about two years. They returned to Juniata for a couple more years, and then moved on to Greeley, Weld, Colorado, for about four years. About 1896, the family was living in Los Angeles, California.
The Children of Luman DeWitt Clinton Sergeant and Marie Antoinette Anjer
Clinton Anjer Sergeant was born on January 31, 1860, in Green Lake County, Wisconsin. He was about 19 years old when he moved to Nebraska ahead of his parent’s wagon trip. He married Harriet B Dequine on March 12, 1884, in Phelps County, Nebraska, and she died of consumption at about age 30 on April 26, 1894, in Los Angeles, California. Clinton then married Mary Elizabeth (Pittman) Price on January 10, 1897, in Los Angeles. They were married 35 years until her death on March 20, 1932, in Monrovia, Los Angeles County. Clinton did not have any children.
When Clinton was about 20 years old, he worked as a lumber dealer in Upper Loup, Sherman, Nebraska. He owned the “C. A. Sergeant” store in Juniata, Adams, Nebraska, from about 1885 to 1886.
Clinton arrived in Los Angeles County, California, about 1891 where he got started in real estate. In 1900, he was living in Monrovia, where he worked in the area gold mines. By 1910, he returned to real estate and later became a Superintendent for the street department. About 1935, he retired and moved back to the city of Los Angeles. He died there on October 4, 1942, at the age of 82, and is buried at the Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles.
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Emily Manwarren Sergeant was born on February 11, 1863, in Green Lake County, Wisconsin. She was 16 years old when her parents moved the family from Minnesota to Nebraska via covered wagon. Emily kept a diary1 about the five-week journey, and it provides an interesting look into the lives of pioneers traveling across the country.
Emily married Elwood James Thorne on November 18, 1886, in Juniata, Adams, Nebraska. They lived in Holdrege, Phelps County, for a couple years, and then headed for Los Angeles, California, where her husband became an osteopathic physician. They had two children, Mary Margaret and Mildred Eliza.
Emily died of gastroenteritis at the age of 33 on October 15, 1896, in Los Angeles and is buried there at the Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery. Elwood remarried after Emily’s death, and he died at age 74 on January 7, 1937, in Altadena, Los Angeles County, California.
1 See Emily’s Diary under Resources to read about their trip.
Howard Lafayette Sergeant was born on November 21, 1865, in Ripon, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He was 16 years old when his parents moved the family from Minnesota to Nebraska via covered wagon.
Howard married Clara Emma Robertson on April 17, 1887, in Juniata, Adams, Nebraska, and they had 10 children: Raymond Leroy, Clinton Elwood, Morris Dean, Neal Robertson, Mary Ruth, Luther DeWitt, Lucy Josephine, Helen Gertrude, John Anjer and Doris Winifred.
In 1894, the family moved to Golden City, Barton, Missouri, but returned four years later to Juniata where Howard took up the trade of mason. In 1914, he was appointed Postmaster of the Juniata Post Office, a position he held for 19 years. He was an active member of the Methodist Church and taught a Sunday school class for several years. An expert checker player, he took part in several state tournaments.
Howard and Clara were married 57 years until his death on January 13, 1945, in Juniata at the age of 79, and he is buried there at the Juniata Cemetery. Clara died at age 95 on August 29, 1964, in Juniata and is buried there at the Juniata Cemetery.
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Jennie Helena Sergeant was born on March 12, 1868, in Ripon, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She died of cholera at the age of two on August 2, 1870, probably in Ripon. Her burial location is unknown.
Mary May Sergeant was born July 13, 1870, in Ripon, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She turned nine while her family was traveling from Minnesota to Nebraska via covered wagon. Mary never married and lived with her parents until their deaths, and then continued to live with her siblings, Alice and Kenneth. About 1896, the family was living in Los Angeles, California, where Mary worked as a nurse for many years.
Mary died at age 79 on July 3, 1950, in Los Angeles and is buried there at the Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery.
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“A Son” Sergeant was born December 21, 1872, in Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and probably died shortly thereafter. He is listed in the family bible records with no name, and his burial location is unknown.
Grace Mildred Sergeant was born April 14, 1874, in Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She was five years old when her parents moved the family from Minnesota to Nebraska via covered wagon.
Grace is first listed in the Los Angeles, California, city directory in 1895 as a music teacher. She was listed in the newspaper that year doing a vocal solo for a local concert. Over the next few years, she was frequently listed in the papers under church programs when she played piano or sang with the choir. In February 1897, the papers reported that she traveled east to study vocal and instrumental music.
Grace married Rollin James Van Houten on November 11, 1902, in Los Angeles, and they immediately moved to Sonora, Mexico, where Rollin was engaged in the mining business. They returned to Los Angeles when Grace became pregnant, and her health started to decline. Grace gave birth to Muriel prematurely, and the baby died 10 days later. Grace followed her daughter to the grave a couple weeks later on December 20, 1903, at the age of 29 due to tuberculosis.
Grace and her daughter are buried together at the Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles. Rollin married twice more after Grace’s death, and he died at age 72 on April 2, 1950, in Los Angeles.
Alice Winifred Sergeant was born on August 27, 1877, in Taopi, Mower, Minnesota. She was one and a half years old when her parents moved the family from Minnesota to Nebraska via covered wagon.
Alice never married and lived with her parents until their deaths, and then continued to live with her siblings, Mary and Kenneth. About 1896, the family was living in Los Angeles, California, where Alice worked as a sales lady for about 40 years, first in a dry goods store and then a music store. In 1901, the newspapers reported that she was going on a yearlong sojourn to the east to visit friends and schoolmates.
Alice died at age 80 on October 19, 1957, in South Pasadena, Los Angeles, California, and she is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California.
Arthur Luman Sergeant was born on July 6, 1880, in Phelps County, Nebraska. He moved with his parents to Los Angeles, California, about 1896 where he started working in construction and then became a carpenter, and for a time as a construction superintendent.
Arthur married Eugenie Rachel Hancock on July 26, 1903, in Los Angeles, and they divorced about five years later. They had one daughter, Violet Adeline; however, Arthur was not involved in his daughter’s life after the divorce. Arthur married Nellie Josephine Hanley on August 10, 1909, in Sacramento County, California. In 1910, they were living in San Francisco, and by 1916, they had moved to Sacramento. In 1930, they moved back to San Francisco where they lived the rest of their lives. They were married 43 years until Nellie’s death on October 10, 1952.
Arthur died at age 78 on May 6, 1959, in San Francisco and is buried at the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, San Mateo, California.
Kenneth Jerome Sergeant was born on October 11, 1884, in Phelps County, Nebraska. He moved with his parents to Los Angeles, California, about 1896. He worked as a carpenter for several years and then became a civil engineer working on projects such as flood control and bridge construction.
There is a marriage record for Kenneth and Maude L. (Lattey) Catteville on August 2, 1906, in Santa Ana, Orange, California. However, by 1910, Kenneth had moved back in with his mother and sisters, Mary and Alice, in Los Angeles. It is not known what happened to Maude. On all of Kenneth’s census records, he is listed as single, except for one that says widowed.
Kenneth died at age 68 on December 1, 1952, in Los Angeles and is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California.
