Captain Tom Mitchel and Family

 

Tom Mitchell was born in Cornwall, England in 1858 and came to America at the age of twenty-three. He arrived in Granite during the winter of 1889 and worked at the Granite Mine as shift boss. Because of this position he was named “Captain Tom” and even at the time of his death was greeted thusly, by friends. Approximately thirteen years before his death he took up a ranch about three miles west of Philipsburg where he worked until his health failed. Tom then moved to Missoula and worked as the timekeeper for Polley’s Lumber Mill for about a year before he returned to Philipsburg. Thomas was a staunch republican during his lifetime and had been a resident, miner, and rancher in Philipsburg area for forty years when he died May 10, 1920 at his home in south Philipsburg after several years of illness. Survivors were: wife Susie, daughter Miss Mae and sons: Bert, Harold, and Jack of Philipsburg and James who was in South America. T

Tom’s wife, Susie, a resident of Granite and Philipsburg for 40 years, died April 11, 1930 at her home in south Philipsburg following a short illness of pneumonia with complications of old age. She was born in Beer Raven, County Cork, Ireland on October 17, 1854 and came while still a small child to America with her parents, locating in Calumet, Michigan. On July 3, 1890 she was married to Thomas E. Mitchell and they came direct from Calumet to Granite, Montana where they made their home until about 1910 when they moved to a ranch west of Philipsburg for several years, then moved to Philipsburg. Survivors were: daughter Mrs. Lou (Lillian Mae) Cunningham; sons: Bert E., Harold T. James D, and Louis G. (Jack) Mitchell and six grandchildren: Charles, Helen, and Kenneth Cunningham and Gordon and Tommie Mitchell all of Philipsburg and Merle Mitchell of California. 

Bert Mitchell was born in Granite on June 22, 1893. He was drafted on June 28, 1918 at the age of twenty-five into the U.S. Army. He fought in the Meuse Argonne Offensive in France from September 26, 1918 to November 11, 1918. Then he participated in the Occupation of Germany Territory from December 1, 1918 to April 8, 1919 and returned to the United States on May 21, 1919. He was honorably discharged on May, 27,1919. After working for years in the mines and never marrying, Bert became a boarder at Alice Olson Barbour’s home in Parkerville and was cared for by her until he died April 23, 1951. In the Olson family documents. there is a paper sent to Alice by the Veterans Administration May 21, 1951 that explained the attached form needed to be filled out to claim the “expenses of the last sickness and burial of the deceased beneficiary.” 

James who was born in 1897, was killed in a mine accident October 26, 1936 at the Algonquin. He was with Robert Hoehne and went to assist Harry Murray and Carl Steber as they were spitting a round of thirty-five holes on the 600 foot level. Apparently there was a delay due to wet fuses and the dynamite exploded. Murray and Steber were killed instantly and Mitchell was carried to the surface and rushed to Dr. Knight’s hospital where he died two hours later. James was married to Margaret Maehl on July 3, 1934 and is buried next to his parents in the Philipsburg cemetery. 

Jack Mitchell’s given name was Gordon L. (Louis G.) He was born in 1898 and died in 1942 with burial next to Jim. Research fails to disclose his marital status. The other brother Harold was born in 1894 and married Lena Degenhart. He died in 1953 and his headstone is in block six near the other Mitchell’s. My internet fails to identify descendants. Can anyone provide information?