Art had two older bothers, Lexon Charlie (1891-1949) and Elmer Diamond "Curly" (1893-1957), and one younger brother, Orvel Burgess (1897-1979). He also had two younger sisters, Zona Ruby (1901-1991) and Opal Edna J. (1906- ?).
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| John and Mary with their first three sons, Art is the youngest one on his mother's lap. This copy of the original photo was sent to me years ago by Lavera Cavanaugh. Taken about 1896 probably in Mountain Grove, Wright County, Missouri. |
The following timeline shows the family moved several times during Art's childhood:
- January 1895, Art's birth in Mountain Grove, Wright County, Missouri
- January 1897, brother Orvel's birth, also in Mountain Grove
- June 1900, Federal Census, Clinton, Texas County, Missouri
- August 1901, sister Zona's birth in Waterville, Douglas County, Washington
- June 1906, sister Opal's birth, Missouri
- May 1910, Federal Census, Robberson, Greene County, Missouri
- July 1915, marriage to Sarah Katie Erickson, Ephrata, Grant County, Washington
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Art as a young man.
I have a photocopy of the original photograph, and I think it was from Lavera Cavanaugh, but I didn't document it and can't remember for sure (otherwise known as "How Not to Do Genealogy").
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In about 1895, Henry Cavanaugh, Art's great Uncle, moved with his wife and young family to Douglas County, Washington and settled in the Waterville area. Henry's sisters Sarah and Lucy followed with their husbands by 1900. Their mother, Art's great grandmother, was also living in the area for several years and may have come with her daughters. So John bringing his family to Douglas County wasn't such an odd thing, since he had several relatives in the area at the time. It's not known why he returned to Missouri or why, as fate would have it, they were in central Washington again in about 1914 when Art met Sarah Kate "Katie" Erickson, and fell in love. They were married on 12 July 1915.
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| Marriage return for Art and Katie, copy from the Washington State Archives, Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg, Washington. |
Katie was the daughter of Albert Erickson, a Swedish immigrant, and Josie Moore, who had German and Quaker roots. The family came to Washington from Iowa between 1900 and 1910 and settled in the newly formed Grant County. Ephrata became a city in 1909, so they were some of the first settlers of the town. Art and Katie were still in Ephrata when their son William Virgil was born on 16 January 1916. (I'm doing the math in my head and I think Art may have been "encouraged" to marry Katie as baby Bill came just 6-1/2 months later!) Art was working as a laborer in Seattle in 1918 and remained there until about 1923-24, when he brought his family to Yakima County. Two additional children had been born to the couple; Evelyn Winnifred in 1918 and Melvin Roy in 1921. The young family lived for a time in Yakima, then Moxee, and eventually settled in a home in Selah with some acreage and an orchard. My Dad lived with his grandparents briefly in his teens and remembers fondly the time spent with them. Art and Katie remained there for many years before retiring to a small home in town on Pear Avenue.
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| Art and Katie Cavanaugh, photo from my personal collection. |
Art suffered a heart attack and died on 9 April 1988 in Yakima, Washington at the age of 93. His wife Katie outlived him by several years, passing in 1997 at 101 years old. They are buried together at West Hills Memorial Park in Yakima, Washington.
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| Funeral record from Shaw and Sons Funeral Home, Yakima, Washington. |
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| Art's obituary from the Yakima Herald, obtained from the obituary file housed at Yakima Valley Genealogical Society, Union Gap, Washington. |
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The grave of Art and Katie Cavanaugh at West Hills Memorial Park.
Photo taken on my Memorial Day visit last year.
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