harveys
Harvey Stephens Trusler:
   b: September 07,1863, in New Boston, Mercer Co., IL
  d: May 1935 at Box Bar Ranch,
         Ashland, Powder River Co., MT
      buried at Willow Crossing Cemetery, Ashland, MT
  m:   November 15, 1895 in Miles City, Custer Co., MT
 
Louie May Kimes (Luie)
   b: May 11, 1877 in Bloomington, McLean Co., IL
  d: March 1954 in Billings, Yellowstone County, MT.
      buried at Willow Crossing Cemetery, Ashland, MT
HARVEY STEPHENS TRUSLER
BIRTH
Harvey Stephens Trusler was born in New Boston, Mercer Co., Illinois, the youngest of 9 children born to James Madison Trusler and Hannah Stephens.  He was named Harvey Trusler but when he was a boy he asked his mother for a middle initial and she gave him her maiden name (Stephens) for that middle name.  
BROTHERS AND SISTERS
His siblings were Rebecca, William, James, John, Martha, Lena or Lana, Rachel and Viella.  All were listed in the 1870 Federal Census for New Boston Twp. Mercer Co., IL.  
EARLY LIFE IN ILLINOIS
He remembered and told to his children about these things:
--The family lived in Mercer County until about 1875 (parents divorced and moved elsewhere)
They lived along the Mississippi River.  He loved to swim in the River.  One day he went swimming and laid out on one of the sand bars along the river and went to sleep.  The whole community searched for him ringing bells and calling "Lost Boy".  He was finally found.
--One time he got his hand stuck in a glass jar...some difficulty getting it out.  
--His mother made boiled apple dumplings.   He never found anyone else who could make them like she did.  
--Did not go too far in school.  
LIFE AFTER 10
Harve always (to the day he died) believed that his father had died when he was 10 years old.  Being the youngest of 9 children he was kept in the dark concerning his parents divorce and the family did not know about the divorce we started doing genealogy work about 1980.
RIVERTON, IOWA
His mother, Hannah Trusler, moved to Riverton, Iowa with several of the younger children in about 1876 when Harve was about 12-13.  They had a farm there.  The older children, Rebecca, William Thomas, James M. and John all went down into Indian Territory, OK.
Rachel, Lena, Viella and Harve and possibly Martha went with their mother to Riverton.  His mother died April 14, 1883 when Harve was 19.
LETTERS
He had and kept a letter from his brother John, telling about things down in Oklahoma and that while Harve wanted to come down  he said, "Take my advise and never try the range.  There are lots of things about it you do not know and never want to know.  (See copy of letter.)
He also kept a piece of a letter from either a sister or his brother William.  It says: "
...boy and remember what mother said to do to live so you could meet her on that bright and glorious shore all though we are parted here we will be able to meet there.
INDIAN TERRITORY AND WYOMING
Harve did not take his brother's advise.  He went down to Indian Territory and worked for the J+H (J cross H) Ranch at Salt Fork Pond Creek, Oklahoma.  for a time. According to May Trusler, Harvey at age of 19 rode horseback on a horse named "Puss"  ..down to the western frontier. The horse had been given to him by his mother.  Later he came with a trail herd to Wyoming.  Charlie Mosgar was the trail boss and Harve was a trail hand and so was Senator Kendrick, who at one time was Governor of Wyoming.
IN WYOMING
In Wyoming he was partners with " Kid" Anderson (kid at the Fiddle Back Ranch) full name  (John Calvin Anderson) and Shortie Badget (Sherman Lee Badget  They were partners in a horse ranch in Johnson County, Wyoming.  
IN MONTANA
Evidently they were in need of a little extra money so Harve came up to Montana and worked for one season at these places.  He worked for Johnny Zook, Brandenburg and Van Gaskin, and Sidney Padget.  Brandenburg and Van Gaskin had the old T V place at the mouth of Home Creek.  Sidney Padget was an Englishman who raised thoroughbred horses.  It was on Otter Creek where Padget Creek comes in.  It was the Old Box Bar Ranch.  (Later Harve bought the remnant of the Box Bar Cattle and used that brand for years.  
He worked these places in about 1885.  His wages were $40.00 a month.  At the end of the season he went back to Wyoming  Kid Anderson went back to Kentucky and married his childhood sweetheart (Elizabeth Rice) and brought her back to Wyoming.
THE JOHNSON COUNTY WAR
The war was brought about when the nesters began coming in and taking up the land and the cattlemen and the horse men did not like it so they were going to run them out.  They hired mercenaries from Texas to run them out.  They took a wagon with hay on it and backed it up to the house where Nate Champion was and set it on fire and smoked or burned them out.  
Kid Anderson stayed in Wyoming to look out for their holdings and Shortie Badget and Harve came on up into Montana.  Something had happened to one of their horses so the "rode and tied" the rest of the way.  "They say" that they ad been black listed in Wyoming,   "They say" that the three of them were run out of Wyoming.    However, it was never proven or admitted to--so we are still not admitting anything.
LIVING IN MONTANA
When Harve came up to Montana this time he worked for the J O  (Territt) on Beaver Creek from Brandenburg.  He knew everyone in that country so he may have worked there for some time.  Harve was a rather personable person and had the job of teaching Julian (the youngest con) to ride horseback.   The Territt continued to be Harve's friends even to the younger generation.  Holly Territt came to Harve's funeral.  (continued)
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