|
a.
|
Note: My Father's Life
My father Leland Cannon wasa ladies man. Even Uncle Ted told me that the women really like d him a lot. He must have had a lot a charisma. He did not have a lot of love for his Children that I can detect. He signed release papers for my sister Donna and myself after mother died in 1947. He didn't t want the responsibility of raising children byhimself. When he was nearly ready to die Lael and did try to find his children, to say he was sorry. He found where I was and I wouldn't se him. He died that fall never knowing where all of the children had gone. He delivered the f First four children when they arrived. His name is on the birth certificate where a doctor o r midwife would sign. His isthe only signature, and the county clerk. It is hard to find re cords ofthis man. He rented property to farm and failed at that. As far as Iknow he rente d two farms, one in Glencoe, ND, the other in Borrowsville,MN. He went to work for the railr oad in Brainard for a short time, thenmoved his family to Staples, MN on an 80 Acre farm. Th e farm wassupposed to be owned by Grandfather Hefte, however all the plat recordsfrom 1934 t o 1947 have been destroyed by the county of Wadena when theybuilt a new Court House,who owne d the land will never be known. I feelthat grandfather really did own it because no one eve r evicted us for nonpayment of rent. I am sure that father died a very lonely and brokenhear ted man. He had made some very poor choices in his life. Iunderstood that he finally quit e drinking in his later years, that isprobably when he tried to find everyone. Father was a musically gifted person, he taught himself to play thepiano, organ, violi n and yes, even the saw. He was also a very excellent mechanic, that was how he made a livin g most of the time in Idaho.
The following letter is copied verbatim as the letter was written from my father Leland Canno n to his sister, Bernadine. The original is held by Sue Cunningham, Bernadines granddaughter .
Terreton, Idaho Dec 19, 1960
Dear Sister, I dont know what to write, I know I still love you and wish I could see you and Im sor ry Im to lazy to write. I went back to White Earth this last summer and stayed a week-the country now looks lik e it did when we first came there. The claim shacks and farm shacks are for the most part al l gone, some burned up, some moved away and some have rotted down.-, so its mostly a vast ex panse of prairie. I havent did anything constructive the last few years. I have no children left at hom e and dont see or hear from them, only Betty, and Alberta who always wants another $100. o r so, however I quit that but would send her money for Christmas if I knew where she was at . She has a rugged life but that cant be helped now. Dont feel discouraged with me just w rite a letter when you happen to feel like it.
Love to you always, Your Bro Leland E. Cannon
Sunday January 21, 1968 Mud Lake Man Found Dead
The body of Lee Cannon, about 65 who has been living in Mud Lake for thepast several years an d working as a sheepherder, was found in the man'strailer house Friday by Lynn Woods, who ha d made an oil delivery. After filling the trailer oil tank and knocking on the door, Woodssaid he found the bod y lying on a couch in the trailer house where Mr.Cannon had been living. He apparently die d from a heart attack. He was seen alive by A G Stout, who had talked with the man Thursdayafternoon. Jefferson County sheriff Howard Shaffer, who was called to investigatesaid he had located a b rother, T F Cannon in North Dakota, and a daughterin Montana.
Monday- Post Resister, January 22 1968
Funeral Planned for L Cannon
Mud Lake, Funeral services for Leland Ephriam Cannon, 66, who died at histrailer house Friday , will be conducted Tuesday at 1 PM in the CommunityBaptist church here. Officiating will be the Rev Richard C Axmann. Burial will be in theRigby Pioneer Cemeter y. He was born at white Earth, ND on April 16, 1901, Wrong place, he wasborn in Nobles, MN. H e married Alma Hefty in Bismarck, ND on November26, 1924. They moved to Staples, MN where th ey lived until the death ofMrs. Cannon in 1947. He moved to Idaho 14 years ago where he lived until his death.(Wrong, he was already i n Idaho when mother died in 1947. I don't knowwhen he moved there for he worked in Hanford, W A for the Atomic Energy Corp before that.) He had been employed by the NRTS for several year sand later as a mechanic and farm laborer in the Mud Lake area. He is survived by nine children, Mrs Arnold (Betty) Butslaff,Antigo., WI. Mrs Harold (Al berta) Geigle of Glasgow, MT, and JosephClinton Cannon of Brainard, MN, ( Brother Bernie is n ot mentioned) Mr. Cannon had placed four of his children for adoption after the deathof his wife and thei r addresses are not available. They include Frances,Duane Jay, Donna Rachel, and Patricia Jun e. Other survivors include two brothers, RW Cannon of Havre, MT, TedCannon of New Rockford , ND and a sister Bernardine Spears of SanFernando, CA, 3 step sister, and 2 step-brothers.
s
|
