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Descendants of John Downing Shearer

Generation No. 1

1. JOHN DOWNING¹ SHEARER was born February 10, 1846 in Hannibal, Marion County, MO, and died May 03, 1937 in Boulder, Larimer County, CO. He married THAMZIN MCLANE January 01, 1871 in Harrisville, KY, daughter of JOHN MCLANE and SARAH SICKELS.

Notes for JOHN DOWNING SHEARER:

JOHN D. SHEARER FAMILY NOTES

John Downing Shearer was born in Pleasent Hill, MO on February 10, 1846. He was a Brickmason, later homesteaded in North Park Co. He married Thamzin McLain. He died in Boulder, CO on May 3, 1937 and was Buried in Columbia Cemetary. (have death certificate) Downing was probably a family name, maybe his mother's maiden name?

In a letter from Joe DeVoss (grandson of J D Shearer) dated Sept. 20 1983, he wrote " Did you know that Grandpa Shearer was Town Marshall of Coffeeville, Kansas at one time and knew the James brothers. He said he never had any trouble with them. They would come into town on Sat. night to the dance and check in their guns to him and pick them up when they left town."

According to the 1885 Census of Grand County Colorado (Jackson County was part of Grand County at that time), the brother of J.D. Shearer and family were listed as follows:

MEMBER NAME AGE OCCUPATION PL OF Birth F M Head Shearer Wm 40 Ranchman KY Mich ?
Wife " Josephine 36 keepshouse Mo Md Mo Daughter " Alice 16 in school " KY " Son " Wm 13 " " " "
Son " Arthur 9 " " " " Daughter " Adah 7 " " " Daughter " Lena 3 " " "

This indicates that J D and WM Shearer's father was born in Mich. and Wm was born in Ky. No knowledge of their mother, she may have been from Mich. or Ky..

Wm was a veteran of the Civil war. He served in Company A of the l4th Kansas Cavalry, enlisting July 4, 1861 and being discharged in August 1865. During the war he also served in the l3th Mo. Infantry and the 5th Battalion Cavalry of Mo. Wm Shearer was 61 years old on September 13, 1905. He was born in Kentucky September 13, 1844, and died in Boulder, Co. April 7, 1924.

According to Volume on North Park Church History written by Adah B. Bailey, W.J. and J.D. Shearer, contributed cash toward the building of The Church of God at Rand, Colorado. The Church of God at Rand, Co. ceased to exist, there had not been any religious services held there for six months. Then, in the summer of 1895, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Shearer sent in a request to the Methodist Episcopal Bishop in Denver for a preacher for Rand. The presiding elder, Dr. W. C. Madison came up and organized a M.E. Church there in July. The new church organization was composed almost entirely of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Shearer, their grown children, his brother, J. D. Shearer, and other relatives.

Thamzin McLain Shearer was born in Pennsylvania on April 6, 1848. Her parents were John A. McLain and Sarah Sickels McLain. She died in Boulder, CO October 8, 1938. Buried in Columbia Cem. (have death certificate)

Mr. and Mrs. John Downing Shearer came to Rand, Colorado area July 1889. They had seven children with them when they came from Denver . Charley, Joseph, Sadie, Hattie, Annie, Bessie and Cynthia. The next February they had another son, George. Then on March 18, 1900 in Boulder, Colorado another son John L. was born.
Their homestead was on Jack Creek, three miles below Teller City which was already an old deserted mining camp in 1889, when they came to the area.

Joseph D. Shearer (Joseph) was born in Atchinson, Kansas, on November 11, 1877. He married Sophia Brocker in North Park, Colorado. He was a rancher most of his life, first he homesteaded in North Park, then settled in Middle Park Colorado. He died February 19, 1928 and was buried in Kremmling, Colorado Cemetary on February 21, 1928. (have death certificate)

Mary Annette (Annie) was born in Manhattan, Kansas, on November 3, 1881. She married J.W. DeVoss in Boulder on November 27, 1900. She died Sunday March 28, 1965 in Boulder, Colorado.
Bessie Magor of Boulder, Colo. was the informant on her mother's death certificate.

Cynthia L. was born in Denver, Colorado on November 26, 1887. She married a Mr. Walter Giggey. She died December 2, 1981 in Boulder, Colorado.

John L. passed away August 20, 1971 in Artesia, California and interment at Forest Lawn-Cypress, Cypress, California. Death announcement in Boulder Paper: Jack L. Shearer, a former Boulder resident and member of a pioneer family, died Aug. 20 in Redding, Calif. He was 71. He was born in Boulder in 1900 to Mr. and Mrs. John D. Shearer. After mining Tungsten in Nederland, he worked the oil fields around Casper Wyo., and worked for the Bureau of Reclamation until retiring in 1965. Shearer moved to Redding in 1961. Survivors include two daughters in Calif., one sister, Cynthia Giggy of 1920 l9th St. and eight grandchildern. John L. was informant on his father's death certificate.

An old photograph which I think is Thamzin and a child was taken at the Eclipse Studio, 1216 0 St. Lincoln, Neb. The Shearers may have passed through on way to Colorado? Some notes which I made when the pictures were obtained from Hiram's widow indicate the picture may have been Joseph

[Brøderbund Family Archive #319, Ed. 1, Census Index: U.S. Selected States/Counties, 1870, Date of Import: Feb 7, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.319.1.17360.68]

Individual: Shearer, John D.
County/State: Atchison Co., KS
Location: Grasshopper Twp
Page #: 286
Year: 1870

Children of JOHN SHEARER and THAMZIN MCLANE are:

	i.		CHARLES FRANKLIN² SHEARER, b. March 08, 1873; d. June 25, 1952, Boulder, CO.
	ii.		SADIE A. SHEARER, b. September 02, 1875 (Source: Brøderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 1, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from A through L, Date of Import: Mar 8, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.111.4.44692.37); d. July 09, 1969, Longmont, CO; m. CLARK.

Notes for SADIE A. SHEARER:
[Brøderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 1, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from A through L, Date of Import: Mar 8, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.111.4.44692.37]

Individual: Clark, Sarah
Birth date: Sep 2, 1875
Death date: Jul 1969
Social Security #: 524-70-6086
Last residence: CO 80501
State of issue: CO

iii.

JOSEPH DOWNING SHEARER, b. November 11, 1877, Atchison, Atchison County, KS; d. February 19, 1928, Troublesome Creek Ranch, Grand County, CO; m. SOPHIA ADELE BROCKER, March 04, 1903, +.

Notes for SOPHIA ADELE BROCKER:
[Brøderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 2, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from M through Z, Date of Import: Feb 7, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.112.4.43806.8]

Individual: Pickering, Sophia
Birth date: Nov 3, 1886
Death date: Jul 1971
Social Security #: 523-72-2547
Last residence: CO 80212
State of issue: CO
[Brøderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 2, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from M through Z, Date of Import: Mar 8, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.112.4.43806.8]

Individual: Pickering, Sophia
Birth date: Nov 3, 1886
Death date: Jul 1971
Social Security #: 523-72-2547
Last residence: CO 80212
State of issue: CO

	iv.		HATTIE M. SHEARER, b. July 04, 1879; m. H. L. HOWARD.
	v.		MARY ANNETTE SHEARER, b. November 03, 1881, Manhattan, Riley County, KS; d. March 28, 1965, Boulder, CO; m. JOHN W. DEVOSS, November 27, 1900.
	vi.		GIRTTIE E. SHEARER, b. May 04, 1883; m. (1) ULLERY; m. (2) CLARK.
	vii.		BESSIE M. SHEARER, b. August 10, 1884, CO; d. July 31, 1951; m. WILLIAM HENRY MAGOR.
	viii.		WILLY J. SHEARER, b. July 08, 1886.
	ix.		CYNTHIA L. SHEARER, b. November 26, 1887, Denver, CO; d. December 02, 1981, Boulder, CO; m. WALTER W. GIGGEY, December 24, 1907.

Notes for CYNTHIA L. SHEARER:
[Brøderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 1, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from A through L, Date of Import: Mar 8, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.111.4.85263.43]

Individual: Giggey, Cynthia
Birth date: Nov 26, 1887
Death date: Dec 1981
Social Security #: 568-34-7276
Last residence: CO 80302
State of issue: CA

	x.		GEORGE D. SHEARER, b. February 19, 1890, CO; m. EVA F. SHERMAN.
	xi.		JOHN L. SHEARER, b. March 18, 1900, Boulder, Larimar County, CO (Source: Brøderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 2, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from M through Z, Date of Import: Mar 8, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.112.4.71726.55); d. August 20, 1971, Lakewood, CA (Source: Brøderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 2, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from M through Z, Date of Import: Mar 8, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.112.4.71726.55).

Notes for JOHN L. SHEARER:
[Brøderbund Family Archive #110, Vol. 2, Ed. 4, Social Security Death Index: U.S., Social Security Death Index, Surnames from M through Z, Date of Import: Mar 8, 1999, Internal Ref. #1.112.4.71726.55]

Individual: Shearer, John
Birth date: Mar 18, 1900
Death date: Aug 1971
Social Security #: 524-07-6288
Last residence: CA 90715
State of issue: CO

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