Name at birth: Susan A. Martin

Born 7 June 1827 in Bradford, Orange Co., Vt.

Married 2 May 1847 to William M. Richardson (b. 1821 - d. 1895) in Bradford, Orange Co., Vt.

Died 17 February 1925 in Seattle, King Co., Wash.

Interred in Clarinda Cemetery, Clarinda, Page Co., Ia.

Susan Martin was born June 7^th, 1827, in or near Bradford, Orange County, Vermont. I have yet to uncover her parents' names, but census records suggest that her father was born in Vermont, and her mother in Canada. At the age of nineteen, she married William M. Richardson in Bradford. The couple moved almost immediately to DuPage County, Illinois. Their oldest child, Mark, was born there within a year.

From 1847 to 1888, the Richardsons lived in DuPage County, Illinois, where William farmed and Susan raised their growing family--which by 1860 included Mark, Horace ("Harry"), Mary ("Nettie"), George William ("Willie"), and Maria. The Richardsons' farm was in Addison township, in the northeast corner of the county, although in 1870 they are listed as living in the nearby village of Wheaton. Four of their children were married during the family's residence in DuPage: Mark in 1869, Harry in 1872, Nettie in 1873, and Maria in 1876.

Around 1888, William, Susan, and at least three of their grown children moved west. William and Susan settled in Clarinda, Page County, Iowa, near the Missouri border, as did Willie and his wife, the former Mary Sayer. Harry may have spent some time in Clarinda as well, but he and his wife Mary (Clapsaddle) Richardson also spent a significant amount of time in northern Iowa. Maria and her husband Charles Hazen Howard settled in Stanton, Nebraska. Mark and his wife Mariam went to Nebraska as well. It is not clear where Nettie and her husband Allen Spitzer were between 1880 and 1895; in 1895, they appear to have been living in California

In 1895, William died while visiting Charles and Maria Howard in Stanton; he was buried in Clarinda Cemetery. Susan took up residence with Maria and Charles, and their son William Edward Howard (b. 1880). Will married in 1903, and by 1908 he and his wife had moved to Seattle with their young son. Maria and Charles followed Will to Seattle in 1909 or 1910. Shortly after Maria was widowed in 1913, Susan, who was then 86, joined her in Seattle.

Susan spent the next twelve years in Seattle. For the first few years, she and Maria lived with Will and his family at 4715 Latona Avenue N.E., in the Wallingford neighborhood. Around 1916, she and Maria moved to the house next door, at 4711 Latona. Mark arrived in Seattle around 1918. By 1920, his household consisted of himself, two of his daughters, Susan, and Maria. Maria died in 1922, at the age of 63. Susan, however, lived to be 97. She died in Seattle on February 17, 1925, and was buried next to William in Clarinda Cemetery later that month.

Death certificate for Susan Richardson, File No. 431 (Registered number 438), Washington State Department of Health, Olympia, Washington.

William Richardson household, 1850 U.S. Census, Illinois, free schedule, DuPage Co., Addison twp., p. 88, lines 28-31, dwelling 1221, family 1247, National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, Roll 105.

William Richardson household, 1860 U.S. Census, Illinois, free schedule, DuPage Co., Addison twp., p. 256, lines 7-15, dwelling 1915, family 1953, National Archives Microfilm Publication M653, Roll 175.

William Richerson [sic] household, 1870 U.S. Census, Illinois, DuPage Co., Wheaton twp., p. 478, dwelling 153, family 139, National Archives Microfilm Publication M593, Roll 217.

William Richardson household, 1880 U.S. Census, Illinois, population schedule, DuPage Co., Addison twp., ED 247, sheet 8, lines 46-49, dwelling 59, family 61, National Archives Microfilm Publication T9, Roll 203.

Charles Howard household, 1900 U.S. Census, Iowa, population schedule, Page Co., Clarinda City, ED 95, sheet 33, lines 34-37, dwelling 771, family 772, National Archives Microfilm Publication T623, Roll 452.

Mark Richardson household, 1920 U.S. Census, Washington State, population schedule, King Co., City of Seattle, precinct ?, ED 83, sheet 9B, lines 59-62, dwelling 243, family 251, National Archives Microfilm Publication T625, Roll 1925.

Seattle City Directory listings for Susan Richardson, 1913-1925.