No gravestone was located during a 2021 search for Martha Otterson Auser; however, her grandson, who has a stone, was reported as buried in a very large lot. Harry W. Auser
Cemetery record reads MARTHA AUSER "Age 61 years, 6 months, 7 days".
Martha was a daughter of Maria W. and George Washington Otterson. Her mother was from Scotland and her father was born in Canada. The family migrated from Truro, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada and settled in California.
She first married a Mormon Battalion soldier, Christopher Layton, who had arrived with the US Army in California after the War with Mexico. He had arrived in 1847 and must have stayed for some of the gold rush fever, as they did not marry until 30 May 1849 when her family had cared for him after a horse accident. Shortly, Layton left for England to serve a mission for his church and Martha stayed behind. They had no children. A year later, he had married a girl in England.
On 6 April 1851, Martha married Elijah Woolsey Auser at San Jose, Santa Clara, California. They were the parents of five sons and four daughters.
Elijah obviously was a successful stock man and, in what was an unusual move for a woman in the 1860's, encouraged his wife to manage her own company. Her father had been a very well stocked livestock dealer, owning over 300 acres of farmland in the Valley and perhaps left her some business interests at his death in 1861. She published the following declaration that year:
Legal Notice, California 24 June 1861
https://www.newspapers.com
•Petaluma Argus (Petaluma, California) 02 Jul 1861, Tue Page 3
State of California vs Count of Sonoma
Know all men be these presents, that I, Martha L Auser, wife of Elijah Auser, residing in said county and state aforesaid, do hereby declare and make known my intention to carry on business, on my own account, and in my own name as a Sole Trader, in pursuance of an act of the Legislature of the State of California, entitled "an Act to authorize Married Women to transact business in their own name as sole traders;" Approved April 12th 1852. And I further declare that said business will be the business of Farming and raising stock and will be carried on in the county of Sonoma, and that the amount of capital invested in said business does not exceed five thousand dollars.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 24th day of June, A.D. 1861
Martha L Auser (L.S.)
Attest-D D Carder
State of California, County of Sonoma. On the 24th day of June A.D. 1861, Before me, D D Carder, a Notary Public in and for the county of Sonoma, personally appeared Martha L Auser, wife of Elijah Auser, personally known to me to be the individual described in and who executed the annexed instrument of declaration as a party thereto, and the said Martha L Auser, wife of the said Elijah Auser, having been by me made acquainted with and contents of said instrument acknowledged to me on examination, apart from, and without the hearing of her husband, that she executed and came freely and voluntarily without fear or compulsion or undue influence of her husband and that she did not wish to retract the execution of the same.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal the day and year first above written.
D D Carder (L.S.) 20-3t. Notary Public
Martha's mother had owned a Boarding House and named numerous "adopted" children in several census records, but at her 1875 death she had stated in her Will that she had three "and only three" children and she left nothing to her only son, James and nothing to Martha. She left her entire estate to her youngest daughter, Agnes; it amounted to approximately $15,000.00.
Martha and Elijah were staying with their youngest son, Frank Grant Auser, in Medocino County at her death, and Martha was buried at Little River Cemetery, where Frank's first son, Harry Woolsey Auser would be buried some 25 years later.
Her husband, Elijah died five years after Martha and was living with their youngest daughter, Lucie Emily Snow Auser, wife of John W. Rushing. Elijah was buried in San Francisco at Cypress Lawn Cemetery.
Married (1) Christopher Layton, 20 May 1849, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Married (2) E. W. Auser, 6 April 1851, Santa Clara, California
Cemetery record reads MARTHA AUSER "Age 61 years, 6 months, 7 days".
Martha was a daughter of Maria W. and George Washington Otterson. Her mother was from Scotland and her father was born in Canada. The family migrated from Truro, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada and settled in California.
She first married a Mormon Battalion soldier, Christopher Layton, who had arrived with the US Army in California after the War with Mexico. He had arrived in 1847 and must have stayed for some of the gold rush fever, as they did not marry until 30 May 1849 when her family had cared for him after a horse accident. Shortly, Layton left for England to serve a mission for his church and Martha stayed behind. They had no children. A year later, he had married a girl in England.
On 6 April 1851, Martha married Elijah Woolsey Auser at San Jose, Santa Clara, California. They were the parents of five sons and four daughters.
Elijah obviously was a successful stock man and, in what was an unusual move for a woman in the 1860's, encouraged his wife to manage her own company. Her father had been a very well stocked livestock dealer, owning over 300 acres of farmland in the Valley and perhaps left her some business interests at his death in 1861. She published the following declaration that year:
Legal Notice, California 24 June 1861
https://www.newspapers.com
•Petaluma Argus (Petaluma, California) 02 Jul 1861, Tue Page 3
State of California vs Count of Sonoma
Know all men be these presents, that I, Martha L Auser, wife of Elijah Auser, residing in said county and state aforesaid, do hereby declare and make known my intention to carry on business, on my own account, and in my own name as a Sole Trader, in pursuance of an act of the Legislature of the State of California, entitled "an Act to authorize Married Women to transact business in their own name as sole traders;" Approved April 12th 1852. And I further declare that said business will be the business of Farming and raising stock and will be carried on in the county of Sonoma, and that the amount of capital invested in said business does not exceed five thousand dollars.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 24th day of June, A.D. 1861
Martha L Auser (L.S.)
Attest-D D Carder
State of California, County of Sonoma. On the 24th day of June A.D. 1861, Before me, D D Carder, a Notary Public in and for the county of Sonoma, personally appeared Martha L Auser, wife of Elijah Auser, personally known to me to be the individual described in and who executed the annexed instrument of declaration as a party thereto, and the said Martha L Auser, wife of the said Elijah Auser, having been by me made acquainted with and contents of said instrument acknowledged to me on examination, apart from, and without the hearing of her husband, that she executed and came freely and voluntarily without fear or compulsion or undue influence of her husband and that she did not wish to retract the execution of the same.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal the day and year first above written.
D D Carder (L.S.) 20-3t. Notary Public
Martha's mother had owned a Boarding House and named numerous "adopted" children in several census records, but at her 1875 death she had stated in her Will that she had three "and only three" children and she left nothing to her only son, James and nothing to Martha. She left her entire estate to her youngest daughter, Agnes; it amounted to approximately $15,000.00.
Martha and Elijah were staying with their youngest son, Frank Grant Auser, in Medocino County at her death, and Martha was buried at Little River Cemetery, where Frank's first son, Harry Woolsey Auser would be buried some 25 years later.
Her husband, Elijah died five years after Martha and was living with their youngest daughter, Lucie Emily Snow Auser, wife of John W. Rushing. Elijah was buried in San Francisco at Cypress Lawn Cemetery.
Married (1) Christopher Layton, 20 May 1849, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Married (2) E. W. Auser, 6 April 1851, Santa Clara, California
No gravestone was located during a 2021 search for Martha Otterson Auser; however, her grandson, who has a stone, was reported as buried in a very large lot. Harry W. Auser
Cemetery record reads MARTHA AUSER "Age 61 years, 6 months, 7 days".
Martha was a daughter of Maria W. and George Washington Otterson. Her mother was from Scotland and her father was born in Canada. The family migrated from Truro, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada and settled in California.
She first married a Mormon Battalion soldier, Christopher Layton, who had arrived with the US Army in California after the War with Mexico. He had arrived in 1847 and must have stayed for some of the gold rush fever, as they did not marry until 30 May 1849 when her family had cared for him after a horse accident. Shortly, Layton left for England to serve a mission for his church and Martha stayed behind. They had no children. A year later, he had married a girl in England.
On 6 April 1851, Martha married Elijah Woolsey Auser at San Jose, Santa Clara, California. They were the parents of five sons and four daughters.
Elijah obviously was a successful stock man and, in what was an unusual move for a woman in the 1860's, encouraged his wife to manage her own company. Her father had been a very well stocked livestock dealer, owning over 300 acres of farmland in the Valley and perhaps left her some business interests at his death in 1861. She published the following declaration that year:
Legal Notice, California 24 June 1861
https://www.newspapers.com
•Petaluma Argus (Petaluma, California) 02 Jul 1861, Tue Page 3
State of California vs Count of Sonoma
Know all men be these presents, that I, Martha L Auser, wife of Elijah Auser, residing in said county and state aforesaid, do hereby declare and make known my intention to carry on business, on my own account, and in my own name as a Sole Trader, in pursuance of an act of the Legislature of the State of California, entitled "an Act to authorize Married Women to transact business in their own name as sole traders;" Approved April 12th 1852. And I further declare that said business will be the business of Farming and raising stock and will be carried on in the county of Sonoma, and that the amount of capital invested in said business does not exceed five thousand dollars.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 24th day of June, A.D. 1861
Martha L Auser (L.S.)
Attest-D D Carder
State of California, County of Sonoma. On the 24th day of June A.D. 1861, Before me, D D Carder, a Notary Public in and for the county of Sonoma, personally appeared Martha L Auser, wife of Elijah Auser, personally known to me to be the individual described in and who executed the annexed instrument of declaration as a party thereto, and the said Martha L Auser, wife of the said Elijah Auser, having been by me made acquainted with and contents of said instrument acknowledged to me on examination, apart from, and without the hearing of her husband, that she executed and came freely and voluntarily without fear or compulsion or undue influence of her husband and that she did not wish to retract the execution of the same.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal the day and year first above written.
D D Carder (L.S.) 20-3t. Notary Public
Martha's mother had owned a Boarding House and named numerous "adopted" children in several census records, but at her 1875 death she had stated in her Will that she had three "and only three" children and she left nothing to her only son, James and nothing to Martha. She left her entire estate to her youngest daughter, Agnes; it amounted to approximately $15,000.00.
Martha and Elijah were staying with their youngest son, Frank Grant Auser, in Medocino County at her death, and Martha was buried at Little River Cemetery, where Frank's first son, Harry Woolsey Auser would be buried some 25 years later.
Her husband, Elijah died five years after Martha and was living with their youngest daughter, Lucie Emily Snow Auser, wife of John W. Rushing. Elijah was buried in San Francisco at Cypress Lawn Cemetery.
Married (1) Christopher Layton, 20 May 1849, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Married (2) E. W. Auser, 6 April 1851, Santa Clara, California
Cemetery record reads MARTHA AUSER "Age 61 years, 6 months, 7 days".
Martha was a daughter of Maria W. and George Washington Otterson. Her mother was from Scotland and her father was born in Canada. The family migrated from Truro, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada and settled in California.
She first married a Mormon Battalion soldier, Christopher Layton, who had arrived with the US Army in California after the War with Mexico. He had arrived in 1847 and must have stayed for some of the gold rush fever, as they did not marry until 30 May 1849 when her family had cared for him after a horse accident. Shortly, Layton left for England to serve a mission for his church and Martha stayed behind. They had no children. A year later, he had married a girl in England.
On 6 April 1851, Martha married Elijah Woolsey Auser at San Jose, Santa Clara, California. They were the parents of five sons and four daughters.
Elijah obviously was a successful stock man and, in what was an unusual move for a woman in the 1860's, encouraged his wife to manage her own company. Her father had been a very well stocked livestock dealer, owning over 300 acres of farmland in the Valley and perhaps left her some business interests at his death in 1861. She published the following declaration that year:
Legal Notice, California 24 June 1861
https://www.newspapers.com
•Petaluma Argus (Petaluma, California) 02 Jul 1861, Tue Page 3
State of California vs Count of Sonoma
Know all men be these presents, that I, Martha L Auser, wife of Elijah Auser, residing in said county and state aforesaid, do hereby declare and make known my intention to carry on business, on my own account, and in my own name as a Sole Trader, in pursuance of an act of the Legislature of the State of California, entitled "an Act to authorize Married Women to transact business in their own name as sole traders;" Approved April 12th 1852. And I further declare that said business will be the business of Farming and raising stock and will be carried on in the county of Sonoma, and that the amount of capital invested in said business does not exceed five thousand dollars.
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 24th day of June, A.D. 1861
Martha L Auser (L.S.)
Attest-D D Carder
State of California, County of Sonoma. On the 24th day of June A.D. 1861, Before me, D D Carder, a Notary Public in and for the county of Sonoma, personally appeared Martha L Auser, wife of Elijah Auser, personally known to me to be the individual described in and who executed the annexed instrument of declaration as a party thereto, and the said Martha L Auser, wife of the said Elijah Auser, having been by me made acquainted with and contents of said instrument acknowledged to me on examination, apart from, and without the hearing of her husband, that she executed and came freely and voluntarily without fear or compulsion or undue influence of her husband and that she did not wish to retract the execution of the same.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my official seal the day and year first above written.
D D Carder (L.S.) 20-3t. Notary Public
Martha's mother had owned a Boarding House and named numerous "adopted" children in several census records, but at her 1875 death she had stated in her Will that she had three "and only three" children and she left nothing to her only son, James and nothing to Martha. She left her entire estate to her youngest daughter, Agnes; it amounted to approximately $15,000.00.
Martha and Elijah were staying with their youngest son, Frank Grant Auser, in Medocino County at her death, and Martha was buried at Little River Cemetery, where Frank's first son, Harry Woolsey Auser would be buried some 25 years later.
Her husband, Elijah died five years after Martha and was living with their youngest daughter, Lucie Emily Snow Auser, wife of John W. Rushing. Elijah was buried in San Francisco at Cypress Lawn Cemetery.
Married (1) Christopher Layton, 20 May 1849, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Married (2) E. W. Auser, 6 April 1851, Santa Clara, California
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