Alice Lorraine Callicott

There is another photo of Alice and her husband Ransom Callicott along with her first cousin Lola Samantha (Madsen) Brimley showing Lola seated at the piano. I'm not sure of the date of the photo, but it may have been about 1952 when Alice and Ransom were married. The photo was found on the website FamilySearch.org.

Alice Lorraine Madsen was the 8th child and last daughter of Anton Elmer Madsen and Sarah (Nelson) Madsen. Sadly, Alice's mother died in June of 1921, just about a year and a half after Alice was born. In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census for Diamondville, Lincoln Couty, Wyoming, Alice's family was listed as follows: Elmer, 37, Sarah, 34, Mabel, 12, Nyel, 11, Mary, 9, Lenore, 8, Nellie, 5, Jennie, 3, and Daisy Ferne, 1 year old. Elmer was working as a hoisting engineer. Even more sadness came in 1926 when Alice's father also passed away.

So it makes sense that in 1930 Alice was living in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her aunt and uncle, Heber Christian Nelson, 57, and Samantha (Madsen) Nelson, 55, and their only child, Lola Samantha Nelson, 31 years old, Alice's first cousin. Sarah (Nelson) Madsen, Alice's mother, was the daughter of David Anthony Nelson, and he was also the brother of Heber Christian Nelson, who married Samantha Madsen, who was the elder sister of Alice's father, Anton Elmer Madsen. So in fact, Alice was "doubly" related to both the Nelson and Madsen families.

The Nelson's home was located at 511 C Street. Heber was working as the owner of a mattress making factory, and Lola was working as a public school teacher. They owned their home which was valued at $4,000 and they had a radio in their home. By 1940, Alice was 20 years old and living with her cousin Lola, 41, who had married Wilford C. Brimley, 48, and they had 3 children, Donna Janeen, 6, Anthony Wilford, 5, and Sterling, 3 years old. Their home was located at 2269 Belham Avenue and was valued at $6,000. Wilford C. Brimley was working as a life insurance agent and for the 52 weeks he worked in 1939 at 48 hours per week his income was $4,900. Wilford had 2 years of college education, Lola had 4 years of college, and Alice had 1 year of college. It's interesting to note that Alice is listed as a sister-in-law to Lola, although they were actually first cousins. Maybe Lola always considered Alice her sister, since Alice was raised by Lola's parents.

Alice married Ransom Mc Knight Callicott October 23, 1952, in Riverside County, California, and they had 3 sons. Ransom had previously been married and had divorced after he and his first wife had a daughter. At the time of Alice and Ransom's marriage, he was 49 years old and she was 30 years old. Their son, Bryan McKnight Callicott, was born November 26, 1954, and was baptized June 12, 1955, at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, California. Their son, Bret Stanley Callicot, was born September 3, 1956, and was baptized at the same church on December 23, 1956 at 4 P.M. Their third son, Charles Edward Callicott, was born February 28, 1959, and was baptized June 14, 1959, at the same church.

Sadly, just 3 years later Ransom died November 14, 1962. In 1970 Alice was living at 1265 Journeys End Drive in La Canada, California. She lived a good long life and died last year in 2019 at the age of 99. Sadly, she was predeceased by her son Charles E. Callicott who died in January of 2005. In 1993 he had been living with his mother at the Journeys End Drive address, and previously in 1981 at 9745 Haines Canyon Drive in Tujunga, California.

Unfortunately, I never knew my 2nd cousin twice removed, Alice Lorraine Madsen Callicott, but in the 1970's we did not live too far from each other. Her father was the son of Anton Peter Madsen, who was the brother of my great grandfather, Christian Madsen. Christian's family had left Idaho in 1883 and moved to Arizona. However, his brother Anton Peter Madsen and his family stayed in Idaho. Christian's eldest daughter, Dortha Roxana (Madsen) Rollins McKinney, ended up moving to Los Angeles, California, in about 1924 and that's how I came to be born near there in 1951. Her daughter was Dortha Evelyn (Rollins) Eubank and her daughter was Frances Amelia (Eubank) Smith, my mother.

Della Dale Smith-Pistelli

June 4, 2020