Grandfather Edward Fleming Thompson’s Idaho Relatives
When Edward left his home and his Grandfather Fleming in Scotland to come to the United States, he was essentially following his Fleming uncles and aunt—his mother’s brothers and sister.
The oldest was Uncle John Fleming, his mother’s oldest brother. John came to the United States in June 1868, two years before Edward was born. His brief history is contained in an earlier post.
While Uncle John was still in Idaho, others of the Fleming family immigrated to the United States and came to Idaho. By the 1880 census, Uncles Peter, William, Walter, James and Hugh Fleming were all living in Idaho. The census records state that William immigrated in 1876 and Walter and James in 1877. No immigration date is given for Peter and Hugh.
In 1889, Edward’s Aunt Kate (Catherine Fleming Crum) and her husband and children came to Idaho. This family included the parents, Robert Crum and Catherine Fleming Crum and their children, Mary, Janet, Robert, William, James, John, Walter and Peter. All the children were born in Scotland and young Peter was just two years old when the family immigrated. The family remained in Pocatello where the sons worked for the railroad. Robert and Catherine and most of their children are buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in Pocatello.
Robert and Catherine’s oldest daughter, Mary Crum, was born in 1874 in Scotland. Mary was 15 when the family immigrated to the United States. I can find no other information about Mary. Next in the family is Janet. She was born in 1875 and was 14 when her family immigrated. Janet was married at age 16 to Claiborne Porterfield Graves, a native of Virginia. They were the parents of seven children. Janet died in 1908, the same year her youngest child, John was born. She was not quite 33 years old at the time of her death, leaving her husband with seven motherless children. Claiborne’s work took his family to Arizona where they settled.
Robert, William, James, John, Walter and Peter mostly worked and lived in Pocatello and southern Idaho. John served in World War I. According to one source, he was a captain in World War I and was killed by a sniper on Armestice Day in France. His death certificate reports that he died in 1918 in Argone Forest, France. Walter Crum never married. John and Peter were married but had no children. William and James married sisters from Utah: Nora and Anna Camilla Rohde. William and Nora had one son, William Earl. William was also married to Mabel Mattie Potter.
James and Anna Camilla had six children (James Robert, Fern, Robert Hugh, Wilma, William Joseph (who was born and died in 1918) and an unnamed baby. James and Anna were later probably divorced. Anna and the children moved to the Los Angeles area.
Their daughter, Fern, became an actress and was married to Al Christie who became famous working in films in Hollywood. Fern and Al were divorced and she was married again to Robert Wesley and third to Jack Murray. Cousin Fern died in 1964.
(See http://shirleycollins.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-i-know-so-far.html )
James R. and Robert H., both married in California, lived and died there. I have not been able to find any further information on Wilma Crum.
The following pictures of the Crum Brothers come from originals in the possession, I think, of Keith and Mary Ann Smith. They were probably sent, years ago, from Idaho to Cousin Edward Fleming Thompson, living in southern Utah. The picture of Fern Crum, daughter of James, comes from the above referenced internet site. The picture of John R. Fleming comes from a book on Wisconsin history.
Edward and Annie and Family, 1929
