Notes:
Data source is the book, History of Laramie County, Wyoming; 1987
Data source is Melinda Leonhardt, E-mail Melilion@aol.com
Listed in the 1920 census of Salem, Laramie County, WY
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[Note: there are several genealogical errors in the following biography, but have not been corrected and it is transcribed as printed. The initial error is Samuel Moomau was not born in Holland.]
HISTORY OF LARAMIE COUNTY WYOMING
Jean Bastian, Editor
Curtis Media Corporation 1987
MOOMAU FAMILY
F418 (pages 361-2)
Frank Pierce Moomau was born 6 Apr 1868 in Ohio. He was the son of Samuel J. Moomau (1834-1902) born in Holland and Lucinda Elliott (1853-1947) born in Ireland. Frank Pierce Moomau's brothers and sisters were all born Gosper County Nebraska and they were: Kate (Moomau) Schroder, Fred, Nettie, Lydia, Clyde, and Ethel (Moomau) Hill. Most of his family, including parents, moved to California, excepting Kate, who is buried in Eustis, Nebraska and Nettie, who went to China as a missionary. Nettie visited her brother and family in Laramie County several times and lectured at the Pleasant Hill school before going to China in 1908. She died there during World War II.
Frank Pierce Moomau married Anna May Johnson on 15 Nov 1892 in Kansas. She was born 18 May 1876, in Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Hans and Christiana Johnson, Danish immigrants, and who also had settled in Gosper County, Nebraska.
Frank and Anna first settled in Gosper County where their children: Nellie Lucinda, Dorothy Christiana, Donald Johnson, and Birch Franklin were born. They came to the Salem area of Laramie County in 1907 and claimed homestead land NE 1/4, S24, T16N, R61, Patent #359430. It was reported in the Pine Bluffs Post on 25 Sep 1908 that Frank sold a fine load of potatoes to Andrews and Co. Eugene Elliott, born 26 May 1909, and Augusta Avis, born 8 Aug 1911, were born on the homestead. Anna May died in childbirth of Augusta Avis and the baby lived only 33 days. Both are buried Salem Cemetery. Frank later married Minnie Hidy, a former homesteader and teacher at the Kirkbride Cattail Ranch. They had an infant girl, who died at birth and buried Salem Cemetery. After making several trips to Missouri, Frank eventually settled there where he died 7 Mar 1953.
The Frank Moomau children attended Pleasant Hill, Salem, and Golden Prairie Schools.
Nellie, born 25 May 1894, married Charles Powell on 16 Feb 1913 and they lived in California. A widow, she died there 22 Oct 1985. Dorothy, born 11 May 1896, married (1) Joe Vopat, (2) George Hahn and (3) Albert 0. Brenig - all deceased. Dorothy resided at Arapahoe, Nebraska.
Donald Johnson Moomau, born 15 Nov 1903, married Bertha Elizabeth Bougsty (see Bougsty Family) on 6 Feb 1924 at Kimball, Nebraska. They farmed the Bougsty and Moomau homeplaces, later the Wiegman place and then south of Hillsdale. A daughter, Helen Irene, and two sons, Argyle LeRoy and Donald Johnson Jr. were born in Laramie County before the family moved to California where his brother, Birch, and her sister, Nellie were living. Five other children were born in California. Helen, born 27 Oct 1925, married Archie Light and the have 2 children, Ronald and Linda (Moomau) Shutte. Argyle, born 20 May 1928, married Susan Haas and they have 2 daughters, Jan and Carolyn. Donald, born 21 Mar 1930, married (1) Vida Ham and their children: Donald, Curtis Blake, Rebecca Ann, Mary Ann and Edwin. Donald later married Alice Heath. The California born children are: Edwin Earl, born 26 Jan 1932 (died 15 Mar 1978) married Shirley Prisburg and their children are: Mary Ann, Edwin, and Joseph. Agnes Mae, born 21 Apr 1934, married Norman Brenzel and they have 1 son, Douglas. Gilbert Martin, born 25 Oct 1935, married Margaret Rath and their twin daughters are Dana Marie and Lana Lee. John Lewis, born 4 Mar 1937, not married. Joanne Marie, born 18 Mar 1941, married Phillip Butterfield and their children are John and Pamela Sue.
All of the children's marriages were in California and all reside there, except Agnes and Norman, who now reside at Upton, Wyoming. There are 14 great grandchildren.
Don and Bertha separated and Don is confined to a nursing home at Purcell, Oklahoma. Bertha resides at Livermore, Calif. where several of her children live.
Birch Franklin Moomau (born 11 Mar 1906) near Arapahoe, Nebr. married Nellie Alpharetta Bougsty in 1927 (see Bougsty Family). After their marriage they moved to California where their only son, Clarence Eugene was born 17 Jan 1928. Birch and Nellie divorced in 1953 and Birch remarried Evelyn E. Vollberg. He died 24 Feb 1983 and buried Copperopolis, Calif. Nellie remarried Leonard Horcajo and he died 14 Jan 1983. Clarence ("Chuck") married Eileen Aspin of Durbin, South Africa. They have two sons: David Paul, born 5 Jan 1957, and Robert Arthur, born 15 Jul 1959. They have one grandson, Jason Leonard Moomau. Nellie, resides at Pine Grove, Calif. as do Chuck and Eileen.
Eugene Elliott Moomau, born 26 May 1909 near Albin, Wyo. and his wife Roberta married 9 Mar 1936. They live in Oregon and their children are: William, born 21 Aug 1937; Richard, born 9 Jul 1938; Ruth Ann, born 16 Mar 1941; and Mary Ellen, born 3 Jul 1944. They have 10 grandchildren and one-great grandchild.
by Mrs. Lenn E. Bougsty and Bertha Moomau