Enterprise 28 May 1925

A. J. CRUICKSHANK CALLED HOME

Blair’s Oldest Citizen Passes Away At His Home In West Blair On Tuesday, May 26, At 1 P.M.

WAS A NATIVE OF SCOTLAND

Blair citizens bowed their heads in sorrow Tuesday when the sad news was spread about that “Grandpa” Cruickshank had passed away after a brief illness of but a few days.

He was born in Cuniston, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Nov. 8, 1831, where he grew to manhood and it was while still in Scotland that he met, wooed and married when about twenty-five years of age. At the time of his marriage, which was March 19, 1857, he was employed in a bank but later he farmed his mother’s farm and he continued this work until he came to America in 1872. After visiting his brother who was in business in Omaha, for a time, they purchased a farm in De Soto township of Mr. George McKenzie, who was also a native of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Here he and his good wife lived and reared their family and continued to farm until the family had grown and left the home nest. About ten years ago they decided to move to Blair where they would be free to spend their declining days in peace and rest.

The farm was sold to Mr. John Reid of Blair and as chance would have it, Mr. Reid is also a native Aberdeenshire, Scotland so that from the time of the homesteading up to the present time the title has rested continuously in a native of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Since moving to Blair, “Grandpa and Grandma” Cruickshank, as they are known to us all, have found their ways into the hearts and affections of the people of Blair and it is indeed hard to think of one without the other. At his extreme age of nearly ninety-four years, he was hale and hearty up to the time he was stricken and his pleasant even, sunny disposition made him an object of love and respect by the whole community. He always had a pleasant smile and a kindly word for every one and we will miss him greatly now that he is gone.

As a boy, some thirty-five years ago the writer can look back when he was still on the farm and his same even tenor of life, his honorable, Christian like method of living made him then as now, an object of the greatest respect in his community.

For sixty-eight years “Grandpa and Grandma” Cruickshank have enjoyed a married life which was as nearly perfect as is possible in a human way and now when at the age of eighty-nine years she is left without his loving attention but the Almighty has blessed her with ten loyal children, four sons and six daughters, all living, who will do everything possible to make the remainder of her life’s journey as pleasant as possible and drive away all care that is common to nature. She has nothing to regret, theirs was a perfect life and his life was one that we might all do well to emulate.

Besides the aged wife, those left to mourn him are: John of Golden Valley, N. D., Andrew and James of Omaha; Alex of Los Mo Linas, Calif.; Mrs. Sherry Moore of Blair; Mrs. Ora Marshall of Casper, Wyo.; Mrs. J. S. Burnett, Little Medicine, Wyo.; Mrs. Leo Nickerson, Marshall Wyo.; Mrs. M. A. Summers, Page, Nebr. and Mrs. Anna Mumaugh of California, also nineteen grandchildren and eighteen great grandchildren.

The funeral services will be held tomorrow, Friday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock at the Congregational church of which he was a member. Rev. James A. McKeeman, pastor, will have charge of the services and will be assisted by Rev. W. H. Underwood of the Crowell Home, who is a neighbor and friend of the family and interment will be made in the Blair cemetery.

Note: Name was James A in his wife's obituary.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

***
Born at Coniston, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Married Isabella Poulson/Polson on 19 March 1857 in Scotland.

Name James Cruickshank
Spouse's Name Isabella Polson
Event Date 19 Mar 1857
Event Place Monquhitter,Aberdeen,Scotland


Currently Known Children:

Mrs. Anna Mumaugh of California

Scotland Births and Baptisms
Name Ann Cruickshank
Gender Female
Birth Date 10 Mar 1858
Birthplace TURRIFF,ABERDEEN,SCOTLAND
Father's Name James Cruickshank
Mother's Name Isabella Polson

LINKED Mrs. Belle Summers of near O'Neill, Nebraska
Isabella, b. abt. 1860 at Scotland, d. unknown, bur. unknown
Mrs. M. A. Summers, Page, Nebr.

James, b. abt. 1865 at Scotland, d. unknown, bur. unknown
Andrew and James of Omaha
CRUICKSHANK, James; 79; 6 Nov 1943 OWH eve p 11 @ Forest Lawn**

REQ John P., b. abt. 1866 at Scotland, d.unknown, bur. unknown
John of Golden Valley, N. D
# 152888534
Scotland Births and Baptisms
Name John Polson Cruickshank
Gender Male
Birth Date 21 Apr 1866
Birthplace TURRIFF,ABERDEEN,SCOTLAND
Father's Name James Cruickshank
Mother's Name Isabella Polson

LINKED Mrs. Jean Burnett of Medicine Bow, Wyoming
Jennie, b. abt 1867 at Scotland, d. unknown, bur. unknown
Mrs. J. S. Burnett, Little Medicine, Wyo.
Scotland Births and Baptisms
Name Jeanie Cruickshank
Gender Female
Birth Date 18 May 1867
Birthplace TURRIFF,ABERDEEN,SCOTLAND
Father's Name James Cruickshank
Mother's Name Isabella Polson

Linked Alexander, 32181521, b. abt. 1868 at Scotland, d.unknown, bur. unknown;
Alex of Los Mo Linas, Calif

LINKED Maggie P., b. abt. 1869 at Scotland, d. unknown, bur. unknown
Scotland Births and Baptisms
Name Maggie Polson Cruickshank
Gender Female
Birth Date 31 Jul 1869
Birthplace TURRIFF,ABERDEEN,SCOTLAND
Father's Name James Cruickshank
Mother's Name Isabella Polson
Maggie present Desoto in 1880, 1885. Omaha in 1910 (nurse, in Sanders home, imm 1872)

NL Mrs. Etta Nickerson, of Red Bluff, California
Henrietta, b. abt. 1873 at Nebraska, d. unknown, bur. unknown m. Leo Nickerson

Mrs. Leo Nickerson, 173108913, Marshall Wyo.
Name Harry C. Straight, 140928195 (divorced and both remarried)
Event Type Marriage
Event Date 17 Oct 1892
Event Place , Douglas, Nebraska, United States
Spouse's Name Henrietta Cruiekshank

1873
De Soto, Washington, Nebraska
DEATH
12 Jul 1951
Red Bluff,, California

California Death Index
Name Henrietta Nickerson
Event Type Death
Event Date 12 Jul 1951
Event Place Tehama, California, United States
Birth Date 01 Oct 1873
Birthplace Nebraska
Gender Female
Father's Name Cruikshank
Mother's Name Polson

LINKED Elizabeth L. "Bessie", b. abt 1874 at Nebraska. Md. Ora S. Marshall Mrs. Ora Marshall of Casper, Wyo. in 1925.

LINKED Wilhelmina Emroi “Dolly”, b. 25 July 1877 at Nebraska, d. 23 APR 1945. Md Philip Sheridan “Sherry” Moore, b. 18 SEP 1876, d. 27 MAY 1954. Mrs. Sherry Moore of Blair in 1925.

LINKED Andrew L. b. 1 APR 1879 at Nebraska, d. 16 JUN 1968, Los Angeles, CA

NOTE: James' obit says the and Isabella had 10 children, but in son, Alex's, obit it says, "He was born in Scotland, one of the nine of 13 children born in that country" 4 US born are accounted for.
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