Pvt John Nellson

John (Jack) was 10 months old in the 1900 census of Michigan and his birth and death certificate, WWI papers all are correct on the date of 13 July 1899.His application for a headstone made by brother Sam had the incorrect date on it. Jack was married once, no children, he worked on a cattle ranch in Eastern Oregon for many years, he performed at the Pendelton Roundup in Oregon and many other Rodeo's, He also performed at Madison Square Garden with his horse Sonny, many pictures have been preserved of Uncle Jack and Sonny.

We always called him "Uncle Jack" : he was stationed at Honnigan,Germany, 75th Company, 6th Regiment United States Marine Corp, A.E. F. Army Occupation, the First World War, he fought in France, Argonne Front...... he was shot in the back, just missing his spinal cord, leg and arm were paralyzed for a month, spent time in the A.R.C. # 5 Hospital in Paris France then to Germany where he wrote about touring the Kaiser's Palace, "we had to put on velvet slippers and white gloves to take the tour.""The most wonderful place I was ever in". Uncle Jack wrote a seven page letter to his sister Ada Mae (Hartman) Redifer on June 05, 1919 while stationed at Brest France telling her of all the events that had taken place in his life in the recent months. Jack helped name my mother, he had met a woman named Maxine while in France during the war, he loved the name and when my mother was born in 1919 he asked his sister (my grandmother )to give my mother the middle name of Maxine, which she did. Jack was married once, no children, he worked on a cattle ranch in Eastern Oregon for many years, he performed at the Pendelton Roundup in Oregon and many other Rodeo's, He also performed at Madison Square Garden with his horse Sonny, many pictures have been preserved of Uncle Jack and Sonny.

Gazette Times ,Oregon Thursday, May 7, 1953. The driver Claude J. Tefft was later charged with negligent homicide, even though the bridge and immediately adjacent stretch of road have been the scene of 15 accidents within the past six years.

The car struck the cement bridge abutment completely stripping the vehicle doors and front end parts off the right side where Jack was a passenger, he was taken to Pioneer Memorial Hospital, where all efforts to save his life failed... ~
John (Jack) was 10 months old in the 1900 census of Michigan and his birth and death certificate, WWI papers all are correct on the date of 13 July 1899.His application for a headstone made by brother Sam had the incorrect date on it.

Date: 1939-10-08; Paper: Oregonian Cowboy Championship steer wrestling, Jack Hartman, no time, hurt: ~
Date: 1939-10-13; Paper: Oregonian HARTMAN WINNER Cowboy's championship steer wrestling, Jack Hartman, 20.9: ~
Date: 1940-10-02; Paper: Oregonian EX CHAMPION RIDER BILLED Johnny Synder , Elk Grove Ca,all around champion of the Rodio Association of America three years ago arrived in Portland Tuesday to compete in the Pacific International Championships starting next Saturday. George House , Sterling,Colorado, Ike Fernadez, Las Vegas, NM and Jack Hartman, Pendelton, were other top cowhands who put in an appearance. There are many newspaper clipping over the years of Uncle jack's winnings, too many to list here.

OREGON PFT US MARINE CORPS WORLD WAR I ~
I would like to thank Dan and Barb for supplying the wonderful picture of "Uncle Jack's" grave, without their help I would never of had a picture, Thank you Dan and Barb for all your work on FAG and helping other find their families.

Research, transcription,bio by JMB

• Updated from Find A Grave Memorial via sister Ada Mae 'Ada' Redifer (born Hartman) by SmartCopy: Feb 16 2015, 22:23:04 UTC