Preston Ammaron Bushman

Preston Ammeron Bushman 1875-1949, From LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol. 2, p.601: Preston Ammeron Bushman, an active Elder in the St. Joseph Ward, Snowflake Stake, Arizona, was born December 11, 1875, at Lehi, Utah county, Utah, son of John Bushman, 1843-1926, and Lois Angeline Smith, removed with his parents to Arizona in 1878 and has resided at St. Joseph ever since, taking an active part in the building up of that town.

In 1898–1901 he filled a mission to the Southern States. After his return he labored as a home missionary and took an active part in the Y. M. M. I. A. work as a Stake officer. October 1, 1902, he married Anna Smith, daughter of the late President Jesse Nathaniel Smith and Augusta Outzen. Anna passed away in October of 1910. Preston then married Daphne Decker on May 31, 1911, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and they had 7 children. He died September 22, 1949, in El Monte, California.

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM CENSUS RECORDS & FIND A GRAVE.COM:

In the 1880 U.S. Federal Census for Saint Joseph, Apache, Arizona, Preston was 4 years old and was living with his parents and siblings who were listed in the census as follows: John, 36, Lois A., 36, Homer F., 11, Mariah E., 10, Lois E., 7, Wickliff B., 6, Preston A., 4, and twins, June Augusta and Lillian Ann, 10 months old. His father was born in Illinois and his mother in Arkansas. Also living in their home was a Benjamin D. Thomas, 25, listed as a boarder. Preston's father was working as a farmer and the boarder was listed as a laborer.

Three more children were born to John and Lois, including Jesse Smith Bushman, Alonzo Ewing Bushman, and Jacob Virgil Bushman. They also had two other children, John A., who was born and died in 1866 and Martin L., born and died in 1871. John Bushman had a second wife, Mary Ann Petersen, and she had children, Elsie May, Lillian Ann, Maren Adele, and John Lehi Bushman.

In 1910 Preston received $578 in annual pay according to the U.S. Register of Civil, Military and Naval Service. According to the 1910 U.S. Federal Census for St. Joseph, Navajo, Arizona, Preston, 31, was living with his first wife, Annie, 27, and their children, Joseph P., 6, Georgianna, 4, and Garland F., 2 years old. They had been married for seven years. He was working as a stock farmer. His wife Annie passed away on October 8, 1910, just a month after the birth of her fourth child, Virginia, in September. The following year Preston married Daphne Decker on May 31, 1911, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and they had 7 more children. Daphne was the granddaughter of Jesse Nathaniel Smith and his first wife, Emma Seraphine West Smith, and the daughter of Jesse and Emma's daughter, Emma Seraphine Smith and her husband Zachariah Bruyn Decker.

By the 1920 census, the family was living in Heber, Navajo, Arizona, and was listed as follows: Preston, 44, Daphne, 36, Georgianna, 13, Garland, 11, Virginia, 9, (Preston and Annie's children) and Preston and Daphne's children, Mitchell, 7, Vaughn, 6, Milton, 4, Louis, 3, and Rex, one year, 3 months old. Preston was still working as a stock farmer on his own account and he owned his home but had a mortgage.

By 1930 the family was living in Snowflake, Navajo, Arizona, and were listed as follows in the census record: P.A., 54, Daphne, 47, Georgiana, 24, Virginia, 19, Mitchell, 17, Vaughn, 16, Milton, 15, Louis, 13, Rex, 11, John, 8, and Junior, 7. They owned their own home which was valued at $1,000. Preston and Daphne had been married for 19 years, and Preston was still working as a farmer.

By the 1940 census which was taken on April 8th, the family was still living in Snowflake, and were listed as follows: Preston A., 65, Daphne D., 56, Milton F., 25, John V., 18, and Preston, Jr., 17. There was a note on the census page which stated that starting on April 1, 1940, Milton Bushman had begun to operate the family farm. Preston and Daphne had an 8th grade education and Milton had a 4-year high school education. John and Jr. were in their 3rd year of high school. Milton had previously been working as a delivery man for a wholesale bakery, and for the 18 weeks he worked at that profession in 1939 his income was $300.

Nine years later on September 22, 1949, Preston passed away in El Monte, Los Angeles county, California. He was buried in the R. V. Mike Ramsay Memorial Cemetery in Snowflake, Navajo county, Arizona. Daphne Decker Bushman passed away February 10, 1968, while living in Holbrook, Navajo, Arizona, and was buried with her husband in Snowflake. Following is an obituary from Find A Grave.com:

Joseph City Pioneer's Funeral Is Scheduled -- Joseph City, September 26 -- The funeral of Preston Amaron Bushman, 73 years old, will be conducted here at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Graveside services are scheduled for 5 p.m., Tuesday at Snowflake. Bushman, who had been in failing health for the past 10 years, died Thursday at Los Angeles, while visiting a son, Louis W. Another of his sons, Garland F. Bushman, whose home is in Albuquerque, has flown there from Venezuela where he was on a mission for the Latter Day Saints' Church. A third son, Preston A. Bushman, Jr., is now in Uruguay on a mission.

At the age of 19 Bushman obtained the first contract to take mail into Pleasant Valley. He first took the mail in by pack animal from Heber to Young. For more than 20 years he carried mail to the valley working out of Holbrook and Heber. He boasted that he was never late.

Born at Lehi, Utah, December 11, 1875, Bushman came to Arizona with his parents in the spring of 1876. Until six years ago, he had spent all of his life in Navajo County. During the last six winters he had lived in Mesa. He leaves his widow, Mrs. Daphne Decker Bushman; two daughters, eight sons, 26 grandchildren, four sisters and four brothers. Besides his widow and the sons already named, Bushman leaves the following sons: Mitchell S., Vaughn D., and Milton F. Bushman all of Show Low; Rex M. of McNary, and John V., Gridley, California.

His daughters are Mrs. Georganna Spurlock, Holbrook, and Mrs. Virginia Acheson, San Diego, California. His sisters are: Mrs. Marie E.B. Smith, San Diego; Mrs. June B. Smith, Salt Lake City; Mrs. Lillian B. Palmer, Mesa; and Mrs. Adele B. Westover, Joseph City. His brothers are: Jesse S., Alonzo E., and John L. Bushman, all of Joseph City; and Virgil Bushman, Provo, Utah.

SOURCE: Find A Grave.com

GEDCOM Note

3 of 4 groups of Missionaries gather for a photo taken during a Florida Conference meeting held in Orlando. Elders stayed at the Tremont Hotel. 1946 Mesa Directory Preston Ammaron Bushman 1049 Preston and Anna were married in 1902. Preston Ammaron Bushman and Daphne Decker John Bushman Journal From John Bushman's Journal Letter from Georganna to Rans, October 12, 1931.