William Hancock Horton [h.1.10.8]

William Hancock Horton was the eighth child of Henry Horton & Sarah Ann Hancox born March 26th, 1865 at Norton in the Moors, Burslem, Staffs.

In 1871 William was living at Bank St, Tunstall, Staffs with his parents & brothers & sisters.

By 1881 William was living at New St, Tunstall with his parents & brother Jeremiah. William was a bricklayer.

In May 1884 William sailed from Liverpool to New York to the US on the ‘Arizona’ with his parents & nephew, John Henry Sincox Horton. His occupation was given as joiner on the ship’s manifest. .

William married Hattie Bell (Isabel) Black on January 10th, 1889 at Georgetown, Montpelier, Bear Lake, Idaho. Hattie was born January 3rd, 1874 at Pleasant Grove, Utah, the daughter of Mary Belinda Bacon & William Genis Black.

In 1900 William owned a farm in Rose, Bingham, Idaho where he lived with his wife Hattie B, sons Harry R (7) & Clarence W (4), & daughter Myrtle (6). All the children were born in Idaho.

From left: Harry Reuben, Frank Wayne & Myrtle

Sons Harry & Clarence enlisted in the American Forces in May 1917. Both Harry & Clarence were also drafted in 1942 in WW2.

Daughter Myrtle married Victor Anthony Peterson on December 28th, 1916 at Logan. They lived in Preston & Myrtle was a member of the LDS church. On her death in 1973 Myrtle had 11 grandchildren & 5 great grandchildren.

William & Hattie were living in Rich, Bingham, Idaho in 1920 where William was still farming. They had 7 children at home. Working with him on the farm were sons Harry R, Clarence W & Frank W (19). Also at home were Hattie G (15), Shirley (12), Russell (7) & Joseph (3 yrs 5 months). Son Frank was to marry Lena Louisa Fackrell on January 18th, 1921 in Logan, Utah.

Daughter Mary Kathline (Katherine) sadly died suddenly on March 25th 1922, the cause of death being influenza.

Daughter Hattie married Loren Ellsworth in February 1924 in Idaho Falls. They had met at Ricks Academy & were to have 6 children before they divorced. Hattie (known as H Gene) settled in Basalt in 1939 & raised her children alone working in a potato processing plant. Son Clarence married Florence Annabelle House in August 1927 in Alberta, Canada.

Daughter Shirley married 3 times. Her first husband was Owen Barkdull & after his death she married Rulon Humphries. Her third marriage in 1987 was to John F Miller. She managed a café in Livingston, Montana for several years & later a truck stop at Henry’s Lake. She enjoyed rodeoing & was a champion relay racer for several years. She was a member of the Cowboys Hall of Fame in Colorado. She was survived by 2 daughters, both of Biloxi, Mississippi, & 12 grandchildren.

In 1930 William & Hattie were still living in Bingham county, now in the precinct of Aberdeen. William was still a farm owner & working with him was son Harry R. Children also at home were Russell & Joseph, both still scholars. Son Harry was to marry Medie Wadsworth in December 1932 in Weber, Utah. Son Russell married Ida Laura Perman in 1938 & following Russell’s death in 1942 she married Lars Eliasen.

Son Joe enlisted in the American Forces at Fort Douglas, Utah on March 22nd, 1944. His occupation at that time was semi-skilled chauffeur & driver of various types of vehicles. He was married. Below is a photograph of William & son Joe shortly before Joe returned to his unit during WW2. Sadly he never returned home as he was killed in Germany at the ‘Battle of the Bulge’ in 1944 whilst serving with the 30th Infantry Division. His wife Margie (Marjorie Michaelson ) died within a few years leaving 2 orphaned children.

William & son Joe (Photos courtesy of Lois Horton)

According to granddaughter Lois Horton, William was an entrepreneur having set up 5 businesses in Blackfoot before moving to just outside Yellowstone Park. Here he raised sheep & rented horses to movie companies. Sadly, swindled by a conman, he lost much of his fortune & returned to American Falls where he began ranching. Unfortunately luck was still against him as they were hit by a huge fire & William suffered from arthritis for the remainder of his life.

William died June 15th, 1954 at American Falls, Idaho & buried June 18th, 1954 at Blackfoot, Bingham, Idaho.

Hattie died February 7th, 1955 at Blackfoot, Bingham, Idaho & was buried February 10th at at Grove City Cemetery, Blackfoot.

The children of William Hancock Horton & Hattie Bell Black were:

h.1.10.8.1 Harry Reuben Horton born September 29th, 1892 at Moreland, Idaho, & christened December 11th, 1892 at Pocatello, Bannock, Idaho, died July 5th, 1971 at Salmon, Idaho
h.1.10.8.2 Myrtle Horton born April 9th, 1894 at Blackfoot, Bingham, Idaho, died July 12th, 1973 at Preston Hospital & buried in Preston Cemetery, Idaho
h.1.10.8.3 Clarence William Horton born January 22nd, 1896 at Groveland, Idaho, died April 16th, 1959 at Custer, Idaho
h.1.10.8.4 Frank Wayne Horton born December 17th, 1900 at Groveland, Idaho, died February 21st, 1960 at Salmon, Idaho, buried February 25th, 1960 at American Falls, Idaho
h.1.10.8.5 Hattie Geneva Horton born June 28th, 1904 at Groveland, Idaho, died April 27th, 1997 in Basalt, Idaho & buried in Hillcrest Cemetery
h.1.10.8.6 Shirley Irene Horton born July 19th, 1907 at Groveland, Idaho; died January 1st, 1991 at Idaho Falls Care Centre & buried in Ririe Cemetery
h.1.10.8.7 Charles Fredrick Horton born February 10th, 1911 at Richland, Bingham, Idaho, died December 10th, 1911
h.1.10.8.8 Russell Clinton Horton born December 10th, 1913 at Pingree, Bingham, Idaho, died March 26th, 1942 & buried at Falls View Cemetery, American Falls, Power, Idaho
h.1.10.8.9 Joseph (Joe) Burnard Horton born July 28th, 1916 at Pingree, Bingham, Idaho, died October 18th, 1944 in Germany, buried Aberdeen Cemetery, Bingham, Idaho
h.1.10.8.10 Mary Kathline (Katherine) Horton born May 31st, 1921 at Pingree, Bingham, Idaho, died March 25th, 1922