| Life Story
|
Amelia Fisher worked briefly at TKWM in the 1890s along with several of her brothers. Husband Ernest Lehman also worked at the mill.
Amelia Fisher was born 27 Dec 1875 in Lawrence, Kansas to Jacob and Mary [Weinkein] Fisher. She was one of seven children born to the couple. The family emigrated to Oregon by 1880 and settled in Portland. Amelia was five years old. Three years later her parents divorced and in 1884, tragedy and scandal struck the family. The court settlement had split the family homestead, giving mother Mary a small house 300 yards away from the main, and custody of the children. On the evening of January 5, 1884, mother Mary with her children and William Bloxam, a lodger engaged to daughter Mary went to the barn on father Jacob’s half of the homestead to get some chickens. Father Jacob met them with a pistol before they made it to the chickens, a gun battle ensued between Bloxam and Fisher which resulted in the death of father Jacob Fisher.
Following the trial and conviction of Bloxam in the murder and subsequent commitment to the Insane Asylum, Mother Mary moved her family to Salem. After arrival, the Fisher children old enough sought work at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill, including Amelia.
On 24 June 1891 Amelia, age 17, married John Higgins, age 21. As Amelia was underage, her mother gave written consent. They were married before in the house of James Batchelor, a Justice of the Peace.
Two years later, the couple divorced. No children were born to this union.
On 21 June 1893, nearly two years to the date of her first marriage, Amelia married Ernest Lehman. They were married in the German Reformed Church by Rev. J. Muelhaupt. Seven children would be produced by this union: Margaret, Henry, Lena, Loetta and Lowella [twins], Theodore, Henrietta.
In 1895 according to the Marion County census Amelia kept house while Ernest worked as a laborer. Additional details captured by the same record are that Amelia was 3 inches taller than Ernest at 5 ft 5 in tall. She weighed 125 pounds. Ernest was 17 years her senior.
The family moved to California by 1900. One reason may have been a default on property they owned in Salem, to which they owed $700 to the Savings and Loan. Another reason may have been a work opportunity for Ernest at the Napa Woolen Mill. They had four children age 8 and under by that time.
Amelia divorced Ernest in 1907. A newspaper account recorded the following:
Mrs. Lehman testified that when the couple lived at 1428 East Tenth St. In East Oakland her spouse slapped her face, calling her vile names and threatened to throw her out of the house. According to the wife’s story. Lehman threw a chair at her and told her he would beat her brains out. For the past two years Mrs. Lehman says her husband’s conduct toward her has been unbearable. He is said to have never given her a kind word and nagged at her so frequently that her health was impaired. When suffering from illness, the woman declares her husband inflicted grievous bodily injury and caused her mental sufferings.
Mrs. Lehman was given the custody of her daughter Margaret, 13 years old, Henry, aged 11, Lena, aged 9, Loetta and Lowella, twins, aged 6, and Theodore, aged 3. for the support of the children, Lehman must pay his wife $7.50 a week. Mrs. Lehman was also awarded $50 attorney’s fees and $22.50 costs. The couple were married June 21, 1893 at Salem, OR.
Ernest would spend 90 days in the city prison for battery. Then he moved to San Francisco and took work in a book bindery. Amelia received custody of the children and sought work as a clerk at a local store. She remained in the Oakland area.
Ernest died 5 Dec 1929 in Oakland, CA. He was cremated and ashes placed in Chapel of the Chimes Columbarium and Mausoleum in Oakland, CA.
Amelia Lehman died 2 Mar 1956 in Oakland. She was survived by five of her children, 22 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren. She was 80 years old, a member of Neighbors of Woodcraft, Alma Circle No. 492 according to her obituary. She was cremated and her ashes placed in the Chapel of the Chimes Columbarium and Mausoleum in Oakland, CA. |
| City Directories (Salem unless otherwise noted) |
1891 Lehman Ernst, dresser TKWM Co, rms 325 Chemeketa
1891 Fisher Amelia F, domestic, 352 Church
1893 Lehman Ernest, dresser TKWM Co, res Yew Park [married in June 1893]
1893 Fisher Miss Amelia, weaver, TKWM Co, bds 402 15th
1896 Fisher Miss Amelia, weaver TKWM, bds 402 15th
1910 Lehman Mrs. Amelia, clerk Oscar Rash, b 1428 E 10th, Oakland
1911 Lehman Mrs. Amelia, cook 1192 23d av, r 1428 E 10th, Oakland
1912 Lehman Mrs. Amelia r 1419 22d av, Oakland
1915 Lehman Amelia (wid Ernest), clerk Oscar Rash, r 1419 22d ave, Oakland
1916 Lehman Mrs. Amelia, clerk, Oscar Rash r 2176 22d av, Oakland
1918 Lehman Amelia (wid Ernst) r 2126 E. 14th, Oakland
1921 Lehman Mrs. Amelia, h 2126 E 14th, Oakland
1924 Lehman Ernest (Amelia) h 2434 E 16th, Oakland
1927 Lehman Amelia (wid Ernest) h 2434 E 16th, Oakland
1930 Lehman Amelia F (wid Ernest) h 2434 E 16th, Oakland
1935 Lehman Amelia A (wid Ernest) h 2434 E 16th, Oakland |
| Census Records |
1880 Emily Fisher Age: 5. Birth Date: abt 1875 in Kansas. Home in 1880: 17 Ward St. Portland, Multnomah, OR. Single, daughter to HOH. Additional household members: Jacob Fisher, age 50 (father), Mary Fisher, age 28 (wife), Raymond Fisher, age 12 (brother), Mary Fisher, age 10 (sister), Jacob Fisher, age 3 (brother), John Fisher, age 5 months (brother).
1895 Marion County Census Amelia Lehmann. Born: KS. Height: 5’5”. Weight: 125#. Complexion: light. Occupation: housekeeper. Sex: female. Age: 20. Additional household members: Ernest Lehmann (husband) and two daughters.
1900 Amelia Lehman Age: 24. Birth Date: Dec 1874 in Kansas. Home in 1900: Napa, Napa, CA. Married, wife to HOH. Years married: 8. Husband Ernest was a Dresser in a Woolen Mill. Additional household members: Ernest Lehman, age 42 (husband), Leona M. Lehman, age 8 (daughter), Margaretta Lehman, age 6 (daughter), Henry Lehman, age 3 (son), Lena Lehman, age 1 (daughter).
1910 Amelia Lehman Age: 34. Birth Date: 1876 in Oregon [incorrect]. Home in 1910: Oakland Ward 7, Alameda, CA. Divorced, HOH. Occupation: Cook in Hotel. Additional household members: Margaret Lehman, age 16 (daughter), Henry Lehman, age 13 (son), Lena Lehman, age 11 (daughter), Luella Lehman, age 11 (daughter), Luetta Lehman, age 9 (daughter), Luella Lehman, 9 (daughter), Theodore Lehman, age 5 (son), Julius G. Pinker, age 75 (lodger).
1920 Amelia Lehman Age: 45. Birth Year: abt 1875 in California [incorrect]. Home in 1920: 2126 E. 14th St. Oakland, Alameda, CA. Widowed, HOH. No occupation listed. Additional household members: Henry Lehman, age 23 (son), Loretta Lehman, age 19 (daughter), Loella Lehman, age 19 (daughter), Theodore Lehman, age 16 (son).
1930 Amelia Lehman Age: 60. Birth Year: abt 1870 in California [incorrect]. Home in 1930: 2434 E. 16th St. Oakland, Alameda, CA. Widowed, HOH. No occupation listed. Additional household members: Henrietta Lehman, age 10 (daughter), William J. Murray, age 73 (lodger).
1940 Amelia F. Lehman Age: 64. Birth Year: abt 1876 in Kansas. Home in 1930: 2434 E. 16th St. Oakland, Alameda, CA. Widowed, HOH. No occupation listed. Highest grade completed: high school, 4th year. Additional household members: Robert E. Hamlyn, age 21 (son-in-law), Henrietta M. W. Hamlyn, age 20 (daughter), Janet R Hamlyn, age 2 (granddaughter).
1950 Amelia Lehman Age: 75. Birth Date: abt 1925 in Kansas. Home in 1950: 2439 16th St. Oakland, Alameda, CA. Widowed, HOH. Occupation: Keeping House. Additional household members: Robert E. Hamlyn Jr., age 31 (son-in-law), Henrietta M. Hamlyn, age 30 (daughter), Janet R. Hamlyn, age 12 (granddaughter), Robert E. Hamlyn Jr., age 7 (grandson), Vincent H. Irish, age 28, Theodora R. Irish, age 25, Karen J. Irish, no age listed, William H. Lawrence, age 50 (roomer). |
