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GENESEE -- Mrs. Lillie Dale Aherin, 82, who liked to recall to her friends the piling and burning of sagebrush to clear land for she and her husband's central Washington farm, died here Saturday morning. Mrs. Aherin had lived in Genesee since 1918.
Three hours after she was wed to Daniel W. Aherin in Jefferson City, Iowa, in April of 1902, Mrs. Aherin and her husband boarded a train for central Washington. On their farm near Martin, Wash., she once chased wild geese from the field with a single shot from a .45-90 rifle, a shot that knocked her flat, she was fond of telling her friends.
A major east-west trail went through that farm, and Mrs. Aherins [sic] and her husband met Indian bands while traveling on it. Her table was visited often by cowboys traveling through.
By 1917, they had done well enough on their farm to retire to Spokane, but World War I interrupted that retirement, and Aherin decided to become an active farmer again, at Genesee this time, rather than enter the armed forces or work for the government.
He died in 1942.
Four sons survive Mrs. Aherin. They are Clarence of Eugene; Don of Culdesac; and Kenneth and Dan of Genesee. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granchild.
Services are scheduled Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Genesee Community Church. The Rev. Bryce McProud will officiate. Interment will be in the Genesee City Cemetery. Arrangements are being handled by Shorts Funeral Chapel.
Memorials may be made to the church's building fund, the family suggests.
Unknown newspaper, Monday, May 19, 1975, p. 10
Note: Age was wrong
Lillie Dale Aherin, 92, one of Genesee's oldest pioneers, was buried Thursday at the city cemetery, following a funeral service at 2 p.m. at the Genesee Community Church. Mrs. Aherin, a Genesee resident since 1918, would have be 93 Wednesday. She was erroneously listed as 82 when she died Saturday.
Unknown newspaper, (no date)
Lillie Dale Aherin has resided at Genesee since July, 1918 (except for the years 1944-1951) when she lived at Clarkston, Washington.)
She was born May 21, 1882, to William and Mary Pierson at their farm near Rockwell City, Iowa. At the time of her death, May 17, 1975, she was 92 years of age--and within four days of reaching her 93rd birthday anniversary.
Her parents, five brothers, and two sisters have all preceded her in death.
She and Daniel W. Aherin were married in Jefferson City, Iowa, during April of 1902. Three hours after their marriage they boarded a train destined for central Washington, an area which Mr. Aherin had previously visited and where he had made a modest land purchase. Their new Last Page was in the "Big Bend" area a few miles from the present town of Marlin, Washington (at that time the town's name was Krupp but this was changed to Marlin during World War I.)
In the fall of 1917, Mr. Aherin leased their, by now, considerable acreage and retired to Spokane. However, the war in progress at the time precluded able-bodied men's retiring and he faced the alternatives of being inducted into the armed services or becoming, again, an active farmer. He chose the latter and he chose to make his new start at Genesee on a farm purchased from Joseph Davis. By the 5th of July, 1918, he was operating a push-binder on the newly acquired land.
Mr. Aheriin died Sept. 9, 1942.
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Aherin. One son, their first, died in infancy. Two daughters, aged seven and five died approximately three months apart in 1914. Four sons survive: Clarence of Eugene, Oregon; Don, Culdesac; Kenneth and Daniel, Genesee. Also surviving are 14 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Family and friends found it interesting to hear Mrs. (Grandma) Aherin tell of life as it was lived in her youth in Iowa and of her and Mr. Aherin's pioneering experiences in central Washington. Her father was quite active in politics--as a Democrat. She said her father named the township, Calhoun Township, where they lived and that she was the first white child born in that township. Interesting tales were told of farming practices, household chores, medical advancements, etc., of the 1880's and '90's.
She told of how "Dan and I" picked up, piled, and burned sagebrush as they opened new land to farming, of encountering Indians as the Indians traveled a major east-west trail that crossed their farmland, of cowboys who, while the "two farmers" were our [sic] picking sagebrush, would stop at their little house and make themselves at Last Page long enough to prepare a meal (from supplies in the house) before riding on, of seeing wild geese in a stubblefield near the house in such numbers that she, who it seemed had never shot a gun, was impelled to get out a "45-90 rifle" and take a shot into the flock. She didn't get a goose but was knecked [sic] flat.
Unknown newspaper, (handwritten date 1975)
Funeral services were conducted Thursday, May 22nd, at 2 p.m. at the Genesee Community church with the Rev. Bryce McProud officiating.
Elvon Hampton sang, "In The Garden" and "The Old Rugged Cross." Mrs. Hampton was accompanist.
Pallbearers were Lloyd Wilson, Thorwald [sic] Gilje, Adrian Nelson, Gene Woodruff, Don Springer, and Glen Brazier.
Burial in the Genesee City cemetery.
Unknown newspaper, (no date)
Transcribed by Jill Leonard Nock
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