Willmarthf
Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
FRANK M. WILLMARTH is the assessor
of Okanogan County. During 1900 he served some as deputy in this
office and in the fall of the same year was elected to this office, his
name appearing on the Democratic ticket. So efficiently did he discharge
his duties, that in 1902, he was elected by a large majority. His
home is at Twisp where he owns one hundred and sixty acres adjoining the
town but his duties call him to Conconully a good deal of the time.
Frank M. Willmarth was born in Boise, Idaho,
on March 1, 1871, the son of Frank M. Willmarth. The father was born
in Bullock county, Kentucky and removed to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he
married Miss Hannah Bacon. They crossed the plains in 1864 to Dillon,
Montana, and five years later moved to Caldwell, Idaho where they engaged
in stock raising. Then a move was made to Boise, where our subject
was born. In 1881 they sold their property there and went to the
Wood river district, settling at Galena. There they operated the
Alturas hotel until 1889, after which they moved to Heppner, Oregon.
They returned to Galena and there on August 3, 1890, the father died suddenly
from heart disease. The widow returned to Heppner and there died
on March 5, 1891, aged fifty-five. The father was fifty-two at the
time of his demise. They were the parents of three children: John
H., now at Twisp Washington; Mary A. Ruark, at Pateros, Washington; and
our subject. Frank M. received his first educational training in
the old Baptist church at Boise, under Professor E. Richards and completed
the same in the high school at Boise. He was with his parents until
their death, then engaged in mining in the Hood river country. After
this, he did business in Heppner and in 1894, came to the Methow country
and engaged in stock raising. In 1897, he sold out his stock and
went to mining in the Slate creek district where he is largely interested
at the present time.
On July 4, 1899, Mr. Willmarth married
Miss Nellie, daughter of Frances M. Fulton and a native of Wise county,
Texas. The father was a native of Kentucky and came across the plains
with a supply train in 1859 to California, where he engaged in mining.
Afterwards, he was in the Boise Basin and there mined and raised stock
until 1872 in which year he journeyed to Texas with his family, having
married Miss Bell Clemens, a native of Missouri, in 1865. In 1884,
they came from Texas by wagon and settled in Kittitas county, Washington.
'There Mr. Fulton was a prominent stock raiser, handling Shorthorns and
thoroughbreds until July 15, 1896, the date of his death, he being then
sixty-seven years of age. Mrs. Fulton still resides on the old homestead.
Mrs. Willmarth has the following brothers and sisters, Mrs. Rufus
Cooke, Mrs. Mode Cooke, Estelle, Jacqueline, J. L., Francis M. and
William R., all living in Kittitas county.
To Mr. and Mrs. Willmarth, two children have
been born, Gladis M. and Harold F. Mrs. Willmarth is a graduate of
the state normal school at Ellensburg and spent considerable time in teaching
while attending the normal and also since. She was born on December
23, 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Willmarth are highly respected people and
have done well since coming to this country.