Sarah Naomi Calef

Sarah Naomi Harlow was the fourth child of Oregon Pioneers Mahlon Hall Harlow and wife Frances Burrus Tandy. She was born August 24, 1842 in Franklin Township, Grundy County Missouri. She traveled by covered wagon, as a child, when her family moved to Oregon in 1851-8152.

Sarah married Elmer Norton Calef on March 31, 1863, in her parents' home in Lane County, Oregon. Sarah and Elmer had twelve children, all surviving to adulthood.

Elmer was the son of Cutting Stevens Calef and wife Martha Howard Paine. He was born in 1834 in Washington, Orange County, Vermont. Before moving to Lane County, Oregon, to become a farmer, he spent several years in the gold mines of California.

Sarah contracted blood poisoning resulting from a cut on her hand and died on May 10, 1899. She was buried at Gillespie Cemetery, Eugene, Lane County, Oregon. Elmer died in 1890 and was buried with Sarah at Gillespie Cemetery.

Her obituary from The Eugene Daily Guard, May 13, 1899

Another of the noble pioneer women of Oregon passed away yesterday afternoon at 4:50 o'clock at her home about four miles north of Eugene, Mrs. E.N. Calef, aged about 55 years, after an illness of seven weeks. Her sickness began from a small scratch on one of her fingers, which afterwards developed into blood poison and resulted fatally. She came to Oregon when a child of seven years with her parents, the late Mr. And Mrs. Mahlon H. Harlow. When she came to womanhood she married the late E.N. Calef, who died in February, 1891. She leaves twelve sons and daughters; Charles of Missoula and Mahlon, who is now at Manilla, a member of Company C, Oregon Volunteers, and C.S., Martha, Otis, Mira, Ira, Ora, Ada Armitage, Herman, Ida and Olive of Lane County. The funeral will occur from her late residence tomorrow afternoon at 10 o'clock to the Gillespie cemetery. ~~~END~~~

Children of Elmer Norton Calef and wife Sarah Naomi Harlow:

• Cutting Stevens Calef (1864-1942), married Harriette Dotson.
• Charles Walter Calef (1865-1941), never married.
• Otis Paine Calef (1866-1940), married Vira Gussie Kelsey
• Martha Frances Calef (1868-1955), never married. Along with sister Mira, they raised the younger children after the deaths of Elmer and Sarah.
• Ira Harlow Calef (1870-1940), married Hazel Morill
• Mira Ann Calef (1871-1970), never married. Along with sister Martha, they raised the younger children after the deaths of Elmer and Sarah.
• Herman Anderson Calef (1873-1957) married May R. Jeffrey.
• Mahlon Hall Calef (1876-1963), married Anna M. Grimes
• Ada Bell Calef (1877-1969), married Frank Lester Armitage.
• Ida Adelia Calef (1879-1975), married George Lindaly Slawson.
• Ora Tandy Calef (1881-1975), never married.
• Olive Naomi Calef (1883-1906), never married.