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The following newspaper obituary supplied by Doreen McDade, original newspaper source unknown:

The Late Mrs. Birchim

Again we are called upon to record the passing of another old time resident of Round Valley, Inyo Co., CAl.

Mrs. Frances A. Birchim, who up to the time of her death was living at ther home in Bishop, Cal. has passed from our midst. She was born on the 12th of March in the year 1833. In the year 1834, she moved with her family to Adams County, Illinois.

At an early age she was married to John McLaughlin. From this union two children were born, Mary Frances and Henrietta, Mary Frances died at one year of age. When the civil war broke out the young husband joined the Confederate Army and was killed.

In the year 1862 Mrs. McLaughlin, with her child Henrietta, crossed the plains and arrived in Sacramento Valley, where she lived until 1863. She married J.G. Birchim on December 5th of that year. Shortly after that they moved to Round Valley, arriving there in 1866. To them, one son, was born J.G.W. Birchim the 5th day of May 1867., who lived to manhood and who died on the 28th day of October 1900, leaving a wife and two sons, James and Harold. Her daughter, Henrietta McLaughlin, was married on December 11, 1872 to J.W.P. Laird. Three boys of this union, J. Ernest, John Lester and Rolin McLaughlin LAIRD, residing in Bakersfield, Kern Co., CA. The youngest of these sons, Rollin, had the mournful privilege of attending her last rites.

Mrs. Birchim was of a retiring disposition and lived much within herself and her manner of meeting the world was much misleading. Her heart was warm and tender, and under favorable circumstances her nature could have unfolded itself both noble and grand, the glimpses of which could be perceived by all who knew her well; but the repression of emotions she constantly endured, buried her true nature from the casual observer. She went through the fiery furnace of affliction that few women could have withstood without losing their mental balance. 'She had a quick sense of humor, and could see the ludicrous in so many things, and then she could break out with quaint remarks in a merry way, and so made her companionship delightful to her friends.

During the early time of her home in Round Valley, Mrs. Birchim showed great strength of character, for at that time the Indians were hostile and only the fear of the soldiers at Fort Independence kept them in check. Mr. Birchim's business called him away from home days at a time up in the mountains looking after his cattle. At such times Mrs. Birchim could not always find some one to stay with her, and at one time in particular, she was alone for a few days with only her little boy for company. All at once a stalwart Indian strode up to her and demanded something to eat. She knew the Indian by his reputation of having killed a man or two. She gave him food, and with the air of a conqueror he insolently told her he wanted more. She stepped up to him and looked him in the eye with a haughty, fearless manner and said, "There is no more for you, now go. My husband is coming." He gave her a look of deadly hatred and sullenly slunk away. Her calmness and courage, it may be, saved her life and that of her boy.

Mrs. Birchim had strong religious tendencies, and deep in her soul there were beautiful thoughts, that in vain struggled for utterance, and it was only given to the favored few to appreciate and understand. She believed firmly that the Almighty "Power whom vice and dreads, and virtue reverences" would deal justly by her immortal soul. She had a few lifelong friends, and as she grew feeble, for weeks and months they administered to her wants with loving devotion. "Drawing near her death she sent most pious thoughts as harbingers of heaven, and her soul saw glimpses of happiness though (through) the chinks of her sickened, broken body. And now, after "life's fitful fever," she sleeps well.
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