Alice Ida Ricketts

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Obituary:

Alice I. Olson, 60, died at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Yakima, January 29. She was a 30 year resident of this area, living in South Cle Elum, and in Hyak where she had been employed in the post office for 20 years.

Born August 3, 1912 in Duluth, Minn., she married John F. Olson in 1932, in Oliver, Wis. Her husband is the former town marshall of South Cle Elum.

Survivors include her husband, John, and one son, Lloyd, of Prescott, Wn. Funeral services will be Tuesday, 2 p.m., Brown Funeral Chapter, Cle Elum. Internment will be in Laurel Hill Funeral Park.

[Ellensburg, Wash., Daily Record, Mon., Jan. 31, 1972, page 10]

Alice married John F. Olson in 1932 in Oliver, Wisconsin, United States. John was born on 30 Jun 1899; died in 1980; was buried in Laurel Hill Memorial Park, Cle Elum, Kittitas County, Washington, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Lloyd Dexter Olson was born on 11 Sep 1934 in Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States; died on 24 Sep 2017 in South Cle Elum, Kittitas County, Washington, United States.

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BIOGRAPHY: IRA LYCURGUS RICKETTS
Ira L. Ricketts was born on 18 February 1887 in Bement, Piatt Co., Illinois, to Charles Sylvester Ricketts and Ellen S Busick.

He married Pearl Ethel Singleton on Dec 19, 1911 at Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota. They had four children:
1912-1971 - Alice Ricketts
1915-2004 - Mrs. Alma (Ostrander) Stephan
1918-1977 - Calvin Ira Ricketts
1921-2005 - Mrs. Helen Grimm

Records show that on June 30, 1912, aged 25 years, he was a Dairyman in Duluth, Saint Louis Co., Mn.

On July 1, 1912, aged 25, he became a Patrolman for the Duluth PD. In 1917, aged about 30, he and his wife, Pearl, resided at 209 W Faribault, Duluth, Minnesota. On 6 March 1930, aged 43, he was promoted to Detective Sergeant with the Duluth Police Dept.

According to Freemason Records:
Ira L. Ricketts was a Master Mason.
Ira was 34 years old when he took his degrees at Glen Avon Lodge No. 306 in 1922 as follows:
- 04/10/1922 - Apprentice Degree
- 04/24/1922 - Fellowcraft Degree
- 05/08/1922 - Master Mason Degree
- 03/15/1930 - Died, in good standing.

Death records show that Ira L. Ricketts died on 15 March 1930, aged 43, of Complications 9 weeks after suffering a Paralytic Stroke, at his home in Duluth. He was buried in March 1930 in Forest Hill Cemetary, Duluth, Saint Louis Co., Minnesota.

NOTES:
Sergeant Ricketts was on duty on the evening of the "Duluth Lynchings" June 15, 1920. According to Police Dept. records, and court documents, Sergeant Ricketts was "face to face" with the leaders of the lynch mob as they entered the police station and began to destroy city property, tragically resulting in the mob kidnapping and lynching three black detainees who had been wrongly accused of raping a white woman.

OBITUARY:
IRA L. RICKETTS , Duluth Herald, Saturday, March 15, 1930

RICKETTS DIES AFTER VALIANT FIGHT TO LIVE
Well known Detective Succumbs to Paralytic Stroke.
After a valiant fight following a paralytic stroke suffered Jan 6, Detective-Sergeant Ira Ricketts, one of the best known Police Detectives of the City's force, died at his home at 6:30 a.m. today, following a severe relapse which occurred earlier in the week.

Born Feb 18. 1887, at Bement, Ill. Sergeant Ricketts was appointed a patrolman on the Duluth Police force July 1,
1912, On. Sept. 24, 1920, he was promoted to Sergeant and detailed to the New Duluth Police Station, when he was
assigned to Police Headquarters.

He was assigned to the detective bureau for "Purity Squad" duty, May 1, 1922 and on October 9, 1924, was assigned
to detective duties. He continued with the detective bureau until stricken January 6th.

Police Chief E. H. Barber, veteran Police Captain A.G. Flackett, Safety Commissioner James E. Fobister, and other
officials of the department paid high tribute to Sergeant Ricketts today. He was a popular and efficient policeman and detective, his superior officers declared.

Sergeant Ricketts Is survived by his wife and four children. The family residence is at 209 W. Faribaualt St.

All flags on city buildings were ordered at half mast today by city officials, to remain so until after the funeral, which is being arranged for Monday, in honor of Sergeant Ricketts.

Ira married Pearl Ethel Singleton in 1911. Pearl (daughter of James Singleton and Susanna Pattison) was born on 15 Mar 1891 in Dunn's Valley, Algoma District, Ontario, Canada; died on 25 Apr 1975 in Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States; was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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BIOGRAPHY:
PEARL ETHEL SINGLETON was born on March 15, 1891 in Dunn's Valley, Algoma District, Ontario, Canada to James Singleton, and Susanna Pattison.

She spent her formative years on the farm and at school in Dunn's Valley, Algoma District, Ontario, Canada.

She later immigrated to the USA and resided at Duluth, Minnesota.

For a time in 1910 she worked as a servant for Duluth Lawyer, James Wanlass.

Pearl married Ira Lycurgus Ricketts. on Dec 19, 1911 at Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota. They had four children:
1912-1972 - Alice Ricketts: Memorial 29212373
1915-2004 - Mrs. Alma (Ostrander) Stephan
1918-1977 - Calvin Ira Ricketts
1921-2005 - Mrs. Helen Grimm

Pearl's husband Ira, was a detective sergeant with the Duluth Police Dept. He spent eighteen years with the Department and served as a popular policeman who was known for hard work and efficiency in his duties. Ira L. Ricketts died in 1933 due to a paralytic stroke after which he had suffered several weeks.

After her husband's death, mother Pearl took in laundry and ironing and rented rooms to boarders to ensure that the family wanted for nothing. She was a devoted mother and wanted to ensure the success of her children, which she did.

Pearl died on 25 April 1976, aged 85, of old age, in Duluth, Saint Louis, Minnesota. She was buried on 25 April 1976 in Forest Park Cemetary, Duluth, Saint Louis, Minnesota.

Note:
Pearl played the "Autoharp" and sang beautifully. She loved to recite nursery rhymes, and tell her grandchildren stories. Portland Square Park was across the street from her home in Duluth and she brought her grandchildren there when they visited. The swing set was the most fun for everyone.

Note: Pearl had a dog named "Blondie" and a tabby cat named "Tiger."

Note:
Pearl's headstone is marked with the symbol of the Eastern Star, a branch of the Freemasons, open to all family members.

OBITUARY: Pearl E. Ricketts, Duluth News Tribune, Monday, April 26, 1976
Mrs. Pearl E. Ricketts, 85, of 7700 Grand Ave., died Sunday in a Duluth nursing home. She was born in Dunn's Valley, Ont., and resided in Duluth 69 years. She was a member of Bethel Baptist Church.
Surviving are a son, Calvin, Las Cruces, N.M.; two daughters. Mrs. Helen Grimm and Mrs. Alma Ostrander, Duluth, 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Harry Mutchler was one of her lodgers.
His Memorial ID is: 46838837

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James Singleton's parents William Singleton and Catherine (Coad) Singleton emmigrated, to Eastern Canada in the early 1800's.

James was born on Jan 28, 1850 at Kitley, Leeds County, Ontario. He grew up there and became a farmer like other folks in the area.

He married Susanna Pattison on Dec 25, 1876 at Wingham, Ontario, Canada.

James and Susanna had seven children:
1878 - William Amos Singleton
1881 - James Emerson Singleton
1883 - John Wesley Singleton
1885 - Mrs. Angeline Dixon
1886 - Roy Leonard Singleton
1889 - Secord Singleton
1891 - Mrs. Pearl Ethel Ricketts

James' brother Abraham coincidentally married Susanna's sister, Ellen, which made their children cousins on both sides of the family.

James died on Dec 12, 1913 at Dunn's Valley, Ontario, Canada, and he is buried at Rock Lake Cemetery, Rock Lake, Ontario.

His wife Susanna followed her children to Duluth, Minnesota and she is buried at Forest Hill Cemetary, Duluth, Saint Louis, Minnesota.

While they were married and raising their family, James and Susanna had homesteaded on land and at Dunn's Valley, Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. The property had a lakeshore (Skookum Lake) where the children could swim to cool off in the summer.

James' brother Abraham also came to Dunn's Valley, homesteaded and raised his family on adjoining land.

They lived in a log house that James built. There was an out building that housed a pump and stored some food for winter. The house had an inside pump just inside the door and a wash basin in the kitchen. The kitchen had a large cook stove fired by wood, used for cooking all their meals. They raised all their own food such as pigs, cows and chickens, and stored it in the root cellar(a dug out place in the side of a hill with a door on it), vegetables were always stored there for the winter. They slaughtered their own animals, stored the meat in crocks, and salted it down so it would keep during winter.

Meals were often stew, potatoes, and homemade bread or rolls. Dessert was usually canned fruit like a large bowl of blue berries, raspberries, gooseberries, apples, and/or carrots. Small individual bowls were set beside the big bowl and it was dished with a spoon. When they were done with their meal, everyone would would have a dish of sauce.

Laundry was done in the out building. Water for washing was heated in big wash tubs and carried to the out building. They used kerosene lamps for light, and they had no television or radio.

Their days in summer were spent tending crops. The vegetables were usually tended by the women, and the hay and oat fields were taken care of by the men. In the summer the children went to the woods and pick berries to be canned, they also helped make hay stacks and filled the barn for the animals winter feed. They also had to feed the pigs and water the horses.

The school was one room, and also used for the church. A teacher, usually a young woman, came out to teach from Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario. She was usually single, and would board and room during the school year with whatever farmer had room for her.

On Sundays, everyone went to the one roomed church. Usually the minister was a circuit rider. He would be provided a room and board by some farmer. He would come and stay, sometimes just a week, and sometimes longer. The local families would take turns feeding him his meals, and after he was done he would move on to the next town.

Their evenings were usually short. After they were done with their chores and their schoolwork was done, it was bedtime. Sometimes in the evening, the mother or someone else in the family would play the pump organ in the parlor, and the family would sing hymns together.

Susanna sewed clothes for the children. When the kids were out of school, vacations were sought for some of them. They would go to Sault Sainte Marie, and work as a milliner's helper. They would work for their room and board while attending school. Others were apprenticed as dressmakers. Most of the married went to quilting bees and made their own blankets and bedding from flour and feed sacks.

Occasionally things were ordered from Sears Roebuck catalogs. If they were lucky, once a month or once in three months, they would all be able to go to town in the horse and wagon for supplies. It was a long trip and if they were coming back late, they would have a neighbor take care of their evening chores, and then they would return the favor.

In the fall it was threshing time. One family owned the thresher and they would all move from farm to farm to do the threshing. Then the family would cook meals for the threshers until it was all done. Then all the threshers would move to the next farm. This was a very cooperative thing.

Saturday nights, dances were held in the schoolhouse or the church. The men would play fiddles for music. The women would bring clothes baskets filled with sandwiches for lunch. The whole family gathered. If there were babies they came to and they slept in the clothes baskets in the kitchen while the music played and the adults and children danced. Coffee was made at mid evening and the dance floor was cleaned. The men put up saw horses and table on tops on top of them, and lunch was served on them. After eating, the men took down the tables, put the benches against the walls and swept all the mud that they tracked in. Then it was time to dance again. Young, old, and all who could walk would dance.

In the winter they went to church by sleigh and cutter, keeping warm by covering up with wool blankets. Sometimes they were snowed in and unable to get mail for weeks at a time, so it was important to load in the supplies, like flour and sugar, before the snow came in. The highlight of the evening on cold days was the kitchen. The kitchen stove burned most of the time during the night. The fire wood was piled up in the stove, but burned out quite often. The family gathered in their winter underwear in the kitchen trying to keep warm while dressing by the stove which was started early in the a.m. by mom or dad.

Thus was life on a farm during the early 1800's in Canada.

Records Citation: James Singleton, died 12 Dec 1913, 63 yrs 9 mths, died at Galbraith, mail carrier, s/o William Singleton & Catherine Sinclair, cause-pneumonia, inf: Roy Singleton of Dunns Valley, Unorganized Territory, Algoma District. The doctor was from Bruce Mines.

James married Susanna Pattison on 25 Dec 1875 in Wingham, Huron County, Ontario, Canada. Susanna was born on 10 Mar 1852 in Kitley Township, Leeds County, Ontario, Canada; died on 11 Dec 1933; was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Duluth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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William married Katherine Code on 30 Dec 1832 in Kitley Township, Leeds County, Ontario, Canada. Katherine (daughter of George William Code, Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Blackburn) was born in 1811 in County Wicklow, Leinster Province, Northern Ireland; died on 18 Feb 1889 in Wawanosh Township, Huron County, Ontario, Canada; was buried in Deacon's Memorial Cemetery, East Wawanosh Township, Huron County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• Name: Catherine Coad
• Name: Catherine Code
• Name: Katherine Coad
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Catherine Coad was born in 1811 in Wicklow, Ireland to George Coad, and Mary Blackburn.

Catherine, aged about 21 was married to William Singleton, aged about 28, on December 30, 1832 in Kitley Township, Leeds County, Ontario, Canada.

They had 11 Children:
-1834 John
-1836 William
-1838 Susan J.
-1840 George
-1842 Abraham
-1844 Mary
-1845 Rachel
-1848 Thomas
-1850 James
-1853 Catherine
-1856 Zachariah

Catherine died on 18 February 1889, aged about 77, in Wawanosh Twp. E. Huron County, Ontario
Canada.

She is buried at Deacon's Memorial, East Huron County, Ontario, Canada.