Schoonover An Early Ranch Family

                                                                Charles Schoonover

Another early rancher in the Flint Creek Valley was James S. Schoonover. He was born in Marion County, Illinois on August 18, 1860 and married Charlotte Friend in Illinois on February 14, 1883. They moved to Montana in 1885 with children George, Cleo and (Charles) Edward and took up the homestead located two miles west of Philipsburg. They operated a ranch and dairy business on this homestead, and had three more children: Milton (1888), Percy (1890), and Edith (1898).  

In 1900 James was elected to the Granite County School Board and as a road supervisor. James’ obituary stated he served as under-sheriff, but I have not been able to verify that. In 1902 they sold the ranch to Charles and Josephine Schoonover and moved into Philipsburg.. James was nominated at the Democratic Convention in Drummond on September 28, 1904 by Paul A. Fusz for state representative and won the November election by a plurality of seven votes over James McGowan on November 4, 1904. James McGowan contested the election with many allegations, the least not being that the Granite Bi-Metallic Consolidated Mining Company had “used coercion, threats and intimidation” on it’s 200 employees to vote for Schoonover, according to the Mail December 9, 1904. Paul Fusz the manager of the Bi-metallic was obviously the focus of this assertion. H.G. McIntire of Helena and W.E. Moore of Philipsburg were the attorney’s representing McGowan. The election contest was transferred directly to the Helena legislature when schedules conflicted between Judges Rust and Connolly and the attorney’s for Schoonover and McGowan. Although the news article stated that Mr. McGowan had an abundance of evidence to prove every one of the charges, the committee on privileges and elections must not have felt the charges adequate. James was seated in the state legislature as a Democratic representative and George Metcalf was seated as the Republican representative. After serving one term, James solicited Lucas of the Bi-metallic to write letters to Governor O’Toole asking that he be appointed as game warden. I do not find any evidence this happened 

Their son, Charles Edward married Isabella Jamison from Missoula in Helena, in September 1906, After their honeymoon they settled in Augusta where James was stationed with the Forest Service. On October 27, 1908, Percy, the youngest Schoonover son died in the Butte Hospital after having surgery for a telescoping bowel. He had been ill for about two weeks and was in serious condition when the surgery was performed. Percy was eighteen years, seven months and twenty-five days of age when he died. The funeral was held at the Presbyterian Church on October 31 with Rev. J.B. Stevens officiating. Pallbearers were his classmates: Cleve Metcalf, George Mungas, Irving Durfee, James Brown, Kenneth McDonald and Ralph McCleod. 

James and Charlotte’s daughter Cleo married Albert Cunningham August 18, 1909 in Missoula. Mr. Cunningham was a fireman on the Northern Pacific Railroad between Missoula and Butte. He had previously been on the Philipsburg Branch when he met Cleo. The wedding attendant was Miss Katie McDonald stated the Mail, August 20, 1909. They had a son Leland in 1909 and daughter Geraldine Charlotte in 1913. Geraldine died at St. Patrick's Hospital, in Missoula, the week of March 12, 1926, secondary to “ear trouble” (probably mastoiditis), and was buried in Philipsburg on March 13, 1926. 

Sometime between !910 and 1920 James and Charlotte moved to Moiese and operated a ranch with their sons: J.H. and M.E. Schoonover. Shortly after celebrating their golden wedding anniversary, Charlotte died in July, 1933. James died in Moiese on April 10, 1943 and his body was returned to the Wilson Funeral Home for the funeral and was interred in the Philipsburg cemetery next to Charlotte and their children: Percy and Geraldine Charlotte. 

Josephine and Charles Schoonover came to Granite County in 1889. In 1902 they moved to the James Schoonover homestead and after raising their family on the ranch moved into Philipsburg. Josephine and Charles were both from Saldora, Mason County, Illinois and were married there in 1879. From this marriage were born three children. Josephine’s obituary on January 27, 1922 stated she was survived by: George (Bert) living in Miles City, Montana; Mrs. J.T. (Ruby) Pardee of Washington D.C., husband Charles (1885-1943), a sister Mrs. G. L. Atwood of Philipsburg. Son, Charles E. preceded her in death. 

Mary Pardee, daughter of J.T. and Ruby Schoonover Pardee married Ralph Kelly on May 31, 1937. They bought the Schoonover ranch in 1947 and operated it until 1965, then leased the land to neighboring ranchers. Ruby lived on the ranch with the Kelly’s in the summers and died in Missoula at the age of eighty-nine in March of 1976.