KERN-L Archives

From: Chet Swanson <>
Subject: Kern, John/1852/OH
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 1996 17:10:18 -0700

With two thoughts in mind, first to let everyone know the list is still
around, and second to encourage exchanging information, I have included a
3 generations printout of the family of John W. Kern and his descendants.
Feel free to use the information as appropriate.

John W. Kern Reverend b. 1852, Ohio, m. (1) 25 Dec 1881, in Nebraska,
Nora Viola Conner, b. 11 Jul 1861, Boscobel, Wisconsin, (daughter of John
Conner and Martha J. (_____)) d. 25 Mar 1927, LaConner, Skagit County,
Washington, buried: MAR 1927, Pleasant Ridge, LaConner, Washington, m.
(2) 1932, Luella Walker, b. ABT 1855. John died 26 May 1935, Bellingham,
Whatcom County, Washington, buried: 29 May 1935, Pleasant Ridge,
LaConner, Washington. Reverend Kern moved with his family to Nebraska in
1869, and in 1881 married Nora Conner. He was shown with his father's
family in Dodge County, Nebraska on the 1870 Census. He was shown to be
18 years of age, and his occupation was shown as Farm Lab. After her
death in 1927, he married Mrs. Luella Walker of Bellingham, a family
friend for many years. He was first mentioned as a Methodist minister in
the 1893 North Nebraska Conference Minutes when he was reported for the
Mineola and Paddock Methodist Churches, Holt County, Nebraska. The
statistical record in 1893 shows, "some good revivals, resulting in 35
conversions and 19 accessions...with 45 full members on the charge and 35
enrolled in the Sunday School. He was paid a salary of $286.00. He
continued in the Methodist ministry in Nebraska until 1899 when he and
his family moved to the Puget Sound area of Washington State. From then,
until his retirement he served the Pacific Northwest Conference of the
Methodist Church in several communities. His first church in Washington
State was at Mount Vernon from 1900 to 1902. He last served the
congregation of the La Conner Methodist Church. Among his other
pastorates were Issaquah, Bothell, Lynden, Ronald, DesMoines, Burlington,
Sultan and Hillman in Seattle. His family was the first to live in the
parsonage in Burlington, built in 1904. He died at the family home on a
Sunday morning, 26 May 1935 after suffering a paralytic stroke on 15 May
from which he failed to recover. In the 1910 Polk Directory for Everett
and Snohomish County he is shown as a resident of Arlington and pastor of
the Methodist-Episcopal Church. Besides the children shown, Rev Kern and
Nora had three other children on whom I currently have no other
information. Nora: In the 1870 Census for Omaha, Douglas County,
Nebraska, her name is shown as Viola. When three years of age she moved
with her parents to Nebraska. She joined the Methodist Episcopal Church
when she was 14 years old. Nora married the Reverend John W. Kern.
According to her obituary in the 1927 Puget Sound Annual Conference
Journal of the Methodist Church, she was a woman of strong convictions
and intense in her emotions. Her joy was in revival meetings, she was
said to be mighty in prayer and to assist a seeking sinner at the altars
of the church to believe through to victory was her supreme delight. She
was a lover of her home and family and was ever trying to beautify it.
Nora was highly honored when the Church granted her a local preacher's
license at the last church which she and her husband served. Her
departure on 25 March 1927 was as sudden as a flash of light. It was
simply a translation from earth to Heaven while talking to her daughter
and bending over to fondle the flowers which she loved so well. She had
been suffering from heart trouble for several years, and may have
suffered a fatal heart attack. The funeral services were held in the
LaConner Baptist Church, it being larger than the Methodist Church. It
was filled to overflowing with sympathizing friends. The service was
conducted by the District Superintendent and he was assisted by the
Reverends P. H. Raymond, E. J. Bates, Richard Oates, and B. V. Bradshaw.
Luella: Luella died of a heart attack. Other information on her death is
not known at this time.
I.Coy Roscoe Kern (son of John W. Kern Reverend and Nora Viola
Conner) b. 3 Aug 1887, Cedar Bluffs, Decatur County, Kansas, m. 20 Aug
1911, in Arlington, Snohomish County, Washington, Ethel L. Jones, b. 8
Oct 1886, Little Caney District,Chautauqua County,, (daughter of Lewis
Newton (Newt) Jones and Caroline Luella (Carrie) Stearns) d. 21 Jul 1964,
Mt Vernon, Skagit County, Washington, buried: 1964, Pleasant Ridge
Cemetery,LaConner,Washing. Coy died 7 Dec 1967, Mt Vernon, Skagit
County, Washington, buried: 1967, Pleasant Ridge, LaConner, Washington.
Born in Northwestern Kansas, Coy moved with his family to Skagit County,
Washington in 1900, settling in Burlington. His father was a methodist
minister. The family later moved to Arlington, where he enlisted in the
U. S. Navy. In the Navy, Coy served as an enlisted yeoman on a cruiser
on the China Station from 1905 to 1908. The majority of Coy's service
was on the USS Concord (PG-3) which was commissioned 14 February 1891.
The USS Concord served during this period on the Yangtze Patrol and as
station ship at Shanghai and Canton. He returned to Arlington after his
Navy service, where he met his future wife, Ethel Jones. After marriage
Coy and Ethel settled in Redmond, King County, Washington where their
first son was born. They then moved to LaConner, Skagit County,
Washington, where Coy was active in Republican politics. He served as the
Postmaster in LaConner and spent time as City Clerk along with other town
duties. He worked at the Dunlap Hardware Company in LaConner. Coy and
Ethel started in the funeral business in LaConner at this same time. Coy
and Ethel also founded the Kern Funeral Home in Mount Vernon, Washington
in 1937, managing the business until his retirement in 1950. While living
in Mount Vernon, Coy served two terms on the City Council and on the
Draft Board during World War II. In the Polk Directory for 1910 of
Everett and Snohomish County, he is shown as a resident of Arlington and
bookkeeper for A. H. Moll. He was a member, and past master of the
Garfield Lodge, F&AM in LaConner, member and past patron of the Coral
Chapter of Order of Eastern Star in LaConner, the Mount Vernon Elks Lodge
and the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club. With his wife, he was a member of the
First Methodist Church of Mount Vernon. While in the Navy, Coy had
numerous tatoos applied to his body. C. V. Swanson, one of his
grandchildren, remembers that Ethel always made Coy wear a long sleeve
shirt with the collar and sleeves buttoned so the kids wouldn't see the
tatoos. It was always considered a real treat when Ethel was away for
awhile and the kids could talk Coy into lifting up one of his shirt
sleeves and showing some of his tatoos. There were dragons and many other
decorations. His daughter, Marian, says that he had tatoos from at least
his waist up to his neck, including (as she remembered) at least one lady
with little or no clothing and possibly a ship. According to her all the
available area from his waist to his neck and wrists had tatoos. He died
of complications of a stroke and a heart attack. Ethel: Ethel was a
member of the Coral Chapter #150 Order of Eastern Star in LaConner,
holding several Chapter offices. She was also a member of the Daughters
of the American Revolution (#368766), Court #28 of the Order of Amaranth,
Lodge 32 of the Esther Rebekah in LaConner, and the First Methodist
Church of Mt Vernon. Ethel talked about traveling with her family from
Standwood to Arlington up the Stillaquamish River in an Indian canoe.
She and her family arrived in Arlington before it was a town. She
attended Bellingham Normal School (now Western Washington University),
graduating in 1906, and held a teacher's certificate from the State of
Washington. In the 1910 Polk's Directory of Everett and Snohomish County
she is shown as a resident of Arlington, and a teacher at Garfield
School. She also taught school in Getchel. Her and her husband, Coy
operated a funeral home in LaConner, and then in 1937 opened the Kern
Funeral Home in Mount Vernon which they operated until their retirement
in 1950. Funeral services were held at the Kern Funeral Home with the
Reverend Earl Poindexter of the First Methodist Church in charge.
A.Jack Dale Kern b. 28 May 1912, Redmond, King County,
Washington, d. 31 Jan 1933, LaConner, Skagit County, Washington, buried:
FEB 1933, Pleasant Ridge Cemetery,LaConner,Washing. Jack died of
complications of pneumonia after a long period of illnesses.
B.Marian Joslyn Kern b. 28 Mar 1914, LaConner, Skagit
County, Washington, m. (1) 29 Sep 1934, in LaConner, Skagit County,
Washington, Chester Vincent Swanson Sr., b. 29 Oct 1913, LaConner, Skagit
County, Washington, (son of Anton Svennson and Anna Alexandra Olin) d. 23
Dec 1975, Seattle, King County, Washington, buried: DEC 1975, Pleasant
Ridge Cemetery,LaConner,Washing, m. (2) 24 Mar 1983, in Seattle, King
County, Washington, John Lionel Oard, b. 2 Jun 1914, Sawyer, Ward County,
North Dakota, (son of Ralph C. Oard and Petra Myers) d. 22 Apr 1989,
Seattle, King County, Washington, buried: 25 Apr 1989, Holy Rood
Cemetery, Seattle, Washington. Marian died 31 Oct 1989, Seattle, King
County, Washington, buried: 3 Nov 1989, Pleasant Ridge
Cemetery,LaConner,Washing. During her adult years, Marian worked as an
office manager and bookkeeper for several firms in Skagit County and in
Seattle. She was a long time member of the Order of Eastern Star
belonging to Coral Chapter Chapter #83 of Seattle, Washington, holding
numerous Chapter and State offices. Marian died after a long battle
against cancer. Chester: Vincent, as he was usually known, worked as an
accountant all of his life. He worked in the commercial fishing business
in Washington and Alaska. He was superintendant of the Port William,
Alaska plant of Washington Fish and Oyster Company for many years prior
to his death. One of four children, Vincent was the only one to strike
out on his own, leaving the family farm in his early twenties. Vincent
and Marian moved to Seattle in 1963 after their children had finished
public schools in LaConner. Fall and Winter seasons were spent at the
family home in Seattle and Spring and Summer were at the plant in Alaska.
Vincent died after a short battle with cancer. John: John was a U.S.
Navy veteran of World War II. He spent most of his working life in the
lumber and hardware business, working in the Seattle area. John was a
hobby wine maker, with many of his vintages surpassing anything available
commercially. He died after a long fight against cancer.
C.Margery Elizabeth Kern b. 23 Aug 1915, LaConner, Skagit
County, Washington, m. (1) ABT 1938, Clyde Briedlander, b. ABT 1912, m.
(2) ABT 1950, in Mt Vernon, Skagit County, Washington, Leonard Lee, b. 24
Nov 1915, North Dakota, (son of Gilvan Lee and Sarah Gulbranson). Margery
died 17 Feb 1987, Burlington, Skagit County, Washington, buried: 1987,
Pleasant Ridge, LaConner, Washington. Margery worked as a Registered
Nurse through out her adult life.
D.Katherine Kern b. 22 Jun 1917, LaConner, Skagit County,
Washington, m. 13 Feb 1942, in Mt Vernon, Skagit County, Washington,
divorced, Lawrence Harold Seiler, b. 27 Apr 1900, Victoria, Victoria
County, Texas, (son of August Seiler and Minetta Vogt) d. 8 Aug 1965,
Norwalk, Los Angeles County, California, buried: 12 Aug 1965, Fort
Rosecaus, San Diego, California. Katherine worked as a Registered Nurse
through out her adult life. Lawrence: Lawrence was a member of the United
States Marine Corps.
E.Frances Vivian Kern b. 22 Oct 1920, LaConner, Skagit
County, Washington, m. (1) 28 Oct 1944, James William Murdock II, b. 5
Jul 1915, (son of James William Murdock I and Etta May Moore) d. 25 Oct
1969, Oklahoma, m. (2) 1 Jun 1978, in Oklahoma, Gus D Acton, b. 10 Jan
1911, d. 21 Feb 1979, Oklahoma. Frances died 11 May 1992, Tulsa, Tulsa
County, Oklahoma, buried: 13 May 1992, Bixby, Oklahoma. Francis died of
cancer. James: Jim died of a heart attack. Gus: Gus died of a heart
attack.
F.Donald Newton Kern b. 10 Feb 1927, LaConner, Skagit
County, Washington, d. 28 Oct 1934, LaConner, Skagit County, Washington,
buried: 1934, Pleasant Ridge Cemetery,LaConner,Washing. Donald died from
complications of severe burns.
II.Bertha Kern (daughter of John W. Kern Reverend and Nora Viola
Conner) b. ABT 1889, m. ABT 1910, Silas Tilden Coombs, b. ABT 1885.
Silas: Silas was an insurance salesman. He was married previously and
had a son, Harold.
A.Ruth Coombs b. ABT 1911, m. ABT 1930, _____ McGowen, b.
ABT 1905.
III.Francis Kern (son of John W. Kern Reverend and Nora Viola Conner)
b. 1897, d. 1919, Washington, buried: 1919, Pleasant Ridge, LaConner,
Washington. According to family tradition, Francis was a U. S. Navy
veteran of World War I. He apparently died of complications of
appendicitis.

--
Chet Swanson
mailto:
Everett, WA
"Maturity is a high price to pay for growing up."
(Tom Stoppard, The Plays for Radio 1964-91)

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• Kern, John/1852/OH by Chet Swanson <>