Grandma Warner (Sarah Ann Munsell)

I received a typewriter version of this story from someone in the family. I’m not sure the original source of these so please contact me if you know.

~Grandma Warner~

The Republic of France not only contributed to the Pioneer trappers and fur traders of our early history but to many of the present day families, among them the family of Mrs. Mark H. Warner. Her grandfather Munsell, with two brothers, came from France at the close of the eighteenth or beginning of the nineteenth century.

Mrs. Warner was the daughter of Lafayette and Lorinda (Yegar) Munsell, who were married at Madison, Wisconsin, July, 4, 1849. Mr. Munsell was a carpenter and millwright and lived at line Springs, Wisconsin, until the fall of 1856, when they moved to Crawford County in that state. The trip was a trying one, as they crossed the Wisconsin River by ferry and through the Kickapoo woods with ice so bad they could not stay in the wagon. Three years later they returned to Dane county.

Although only 19 years of age at the time of the Mexican War Mr. Munsell had been a volunteer, so when the Civil War was declared he raised and trained Company “H” of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteers and was commissioned a First Lieutenant under Captain Estee. He was mustered into the service October, 10, 1861. And served three full years of his first appointment and was again commissioned and during most of the war did captians duty. He had one furlough during the war at which time he took his wife to visit his people in Amsterdam, New York. After the war he returned to the long neglected farm but lure of the West was too great and in the summer of 1870 they moved to Red Cloud, Nebraska.

He died at the home of a daughter in Chicago in 1895 and his widow survived him 27 yrs.

Their children were: Filinda, Sarah Ann, Antoinette, Henry, Elvira and Elmira (twins), Ira and Ida (twins), Eva, Lottie, Omer, and Boyd.

Mrs. Munsells parents were William Henry and Elizabeth (White) Yeager of New York State but early early in 1800, like many others they went to Canada to take advantage of cheap land. They settled at Belleville and Mr. Yeager served as a member of Parliment. He was a prominent Mason. In 1847 the family, with the exception of two married daughters, moved to Sugar River Wisconsin.

Sarah Ann Munsell was born October 31, 1851, and married May 6th. 1876 at Red Cloud, Nebraska. Mark H. Warner was born May 6th, 1851 at Cassopolis, Michigan, son of Ezra Buchard and Frances Warner. In 1892 they came to Sheridan, Wyoming and were greatly impressed by stories told of the Big Horn Country; so outfitted with three covered wagons and as many four-horse teams, they started over, the mountains to that region. When they reached Crazy Woman Hill it took all day to 800
to the top and here Mrs. Warner, with her five children, went to bed with no one nearer than the foot of the hill, her husband having had to return there with the horses in order to secure water for them. She tells of passing a saw-mill on the Muddy and of calling every nice looking place “My town”, meaning a nice town-site. But the great wonder to her was how men got women to come to live in such a virgin country so far from everything. When they reached Monument Springs, they truly had a view of the “thousand hills” of cattle grazing tradition and the first valley was beautiful but the second proved altogether too captivating so they moved into an empty log cabin, rented pasture and remained at what is now the town of Ten Sleep. Today the fame of Mrs. Warners fruits and flowers is known for miles around.

On May 16, 1926 they celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary, having been married in the Centennial year.

Mr. and Mrs Warner have had 8 children, five of whom are living and are married with homes of their own.
Ray, born April 23, 1877 Deceased.
Frances, born July 1, 1878.
Della, born December 9, 1879.
Guy, born March 9, 1881, Deceased.
Berch, born January 29,1883.
Blanch, born July 24, 1886. Deceased.
Laird, born May 15, 1888. Geologist, South America since January 23, 1926
Adene born April, 17, 1891