Orilla Marticia Stribley

The above photo found on Ancestry.com shows Orilla on the right, and her sisters Margaret Beale "Maggie" at the top and on the left is Lydia Clementine "Ina", and at the botttom is Orilla's niece, Mae Dowdle, Ina's daughter. Orilla Marticia or "Rilla" Freeman was born June 6, 1878, in Kanosh, Millard, Utah, the daughter of Columbus Reed Freeman, Sr., and Lydia Clementine "Liddie" West. She was listed with the family in the 1880 census for Kanosh as follows: Columbus, 41, Lydia C., 39, Malcolm L., 15, Lydia C., 14, Columbus R., 8, Margaret B., 6, William Moroni, 4, and Orilla M., 2 years old. Her father was working as a laborer. He was born in Missouri and both of his parents in Kentucky. Lydia was born in Kentucky and both her parents in Tennessee. All their children were born in Utah.

By 1900 Columbus, Lydia, William and Orilla were living in Graham County, Arizona. Living next door was Orilla's older brother, Malcolm, 37, a widower, with his three children, Samuel M., 11, William I., 9, and Lillian, 6. Living next door was another brother, John L. Freeman, 35, and his wife, Lydia, 32, and their children Emma L., 13, Mildred, 4, and triplets Beulah, Blanche, and Bertha, all 1 year old, having been born in November of 1898. Columbus and Lydia had given birth to 8 children, 7 of whom were still living. John and Lydia had given birth to 8 children, 5 of whom were still living. Columbus and Lydia had been married for 40 years, and their son John L., and his wife, Lydia, had been married for 14 years. Columbus, Malcolm and John Freeman were all working as farmers and they owned their homes and farms free from a mortgage.

Sadly, on May 11, 1904, in Safford, Graham County, Arizona, Orilla's sister, Margaret Beale "Maggie" Freeman, passed away at the age of just 29 years old.

Orilla had married Wallace J. Stark August 13, 1903, in Solomonville, Graham County, Arizona, and they had a son Walter in 1905. Two years later Orilla's father, Columbus, passed away in 1907. In the 1910 census, Wallace, 31, Orilla, 31, and Walter, 5 years old were living on 7th Street in Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona, and Wallace was working as an engineer for an ice plant. They owned their home free from a mortgage.

Then Orilla's mother died in 1912, and even more tragic, her son Walter died three years later in 1915, and then her husband Wallace died the following year in 1916. In the 1916 U.S. City Directory for Globe, Arizona, Orilla was listed there living at 109 Hillcrest Place. In the same directory there was a Newton Stark, a foreman of Inspiration Coppper Company who was living in Warrior Canyon. Perhaps he was the brother of her late husband Wallace.

Sometime before 1920, Orilla married Frederick James Bawden Stribley. In the 1920 census for Miami, Gila County, Arizona, Fred and Orilla were living at 503 Orphan Street, and he was listed as being 32 years old and Orilla 42 years old. Fred had immigrated from England in 1908 and was naturalized in 1919. He had served in World War I from 1917 to 1919. Fred was working as a mine boss in a copper mine, probably the Inspiration Copper Company.

They were living in Globe, Arizona, in 1921, and Fred was working as the foreman in a mine for the Inspiration Copper Company. They were also listed in the 1923 directory living at 500 Orphan Street, and Fred was listed an an "undg. boss" at Inspiration Copper Company mine. In 1928 they were living in Globe, Arizona, at 6 Inspiration Street, and Fred was still working for the same company. In 1929 they were living in Prescott, Arizona, at 330 S. Cortez Street, but no occupation was listed for Fred in that directory listing.

In the 1930 census for Prescott, Yavapai, Arizona, Orilla was still living at the address on Cortez Street, which she was renting for $33 per month, and although she was listed as being married, her husband Fred was not listed with her in the census record for some reason. Perhaps he was working and living elsewhere at the time.

In the Arizona Voter Registration Records for Yavapai County, Orilla Stribley was registered on May 8th, as a Democrat and a housewife, living at 330 S. Cortez Street. She was 5'-2" tall and weighed 160 pounds.

By 1935 they were living in Los Angeles, California, but sadly Fred passed away there five years later in September of 1940. Her brother, John Levi "Jack" Freeman had died in December of 1938 in Safford, Arizona, and her sister Lydia Clementine "Ina" Freeman Dowdle, died the following month in January of 1939, also in Safford. Her brother William Moroni "Billy" Freeman died in July of 1944 in San Bernardino, California. Then another brother, Malcolm Samuel "Mack" Freeman died in February of 1952 in Santa Clara, California.

In the 1940 census Orilla was 62 years old and renting a home at 3552 White House Place in Los Angeles. She had an 8th grade education, but no occupation was listed for her in the census record, although it indicated she had her own income. She passed away on June 20, 1958, while living in Ventura, California, but I don't know where she was buried. Orilla had so much tragedy in her lifetime with the death of so many family members. It's amazing that she lived to be 80 years old.