| Last Name |
Thomas |
| First Name |
Harrison “Harry” |
| Middle Name |
Sanford |
| Born |
4 Feb 1882 in La Paz, Indiana |
| Home Addresses (Salem)
|
891 N Commercial
395 S 17th
894 S 21st
904 S 20th
1970 Water St.
3845 D St. |
| Died |
21 July 1962 in Salem, Oregon |
| Place Buried |
Belcrest Memorial Park in Salem, Oregon |
| Spouse |
1st – Gladys M. [Fuller] Richmond
2nd – Pearl Thelma Cook |
| Date of Marriage |
1st – 27 Aug 1933 in Vancouver, Washington
2nd – 7 Sep 1941 in Salem, Oregon [divorced 31 July 1951] |
| Children |
Herbert Harry Thomas [1942], Harold Dewey [1946] |
| Dates of Employment |
1928 -1930 |
| Job(s) at TKWM |
Fireman [Steam Engineer] |
| Life Story
|
Harry Thomas worked as a fireman from 1928-1930 at TKWM. Brother Marvin also worked for the mill.
Harrison Sanford Thomas was born on February 4, 1882, in La Paz, Indiana, to Samuel and Katherine Thomas. He had two siblings, Marvin and Bertha. By 1900, he lived with his grandparents in Georgetown, Indiana, where he worked as a farm laborer.
In 1910, Harry immigrated to Canada with his family, settling in Medicine Hat, Alberta, where they claimed land. He applied for naturalization in 1913. By 1920, he returned to the United States and lived in Turner, Oregon. In 1922, his Declaration of Intention described him as unmarried, with a dark complexion, with a height of 5 ft. 8 ½ in. and weight of 200 pounds.
By 1930, Harry owned a home in Salem, Oregon, where he lived with his mother and sister Bertha while working as a steam engineer (fireman) at the woolen mill. By 1932, he transitioned to wood dealing.
On August 27, 1933, Harrison married Gladys M. Richmond in Vancouver, Washington. This was his first marriage and her second. Tragically, Gladys passed away shortly after their wedding, following a miscarriage. Harry, now a widower, lived with his sister Bertha’s family in Salem by 1940, and worked as a gardener.
He remarried on September 7, 1941, to Pearl T. Cook. They had two sons, Herbert H. in 1942 and Harold D. in 1946. By 1950, he had separated from his wife and lived in St. Paul, Oregon where he worked as a laborer in the sand and gravel industry. He and Pearl divorced in 1951.
Harry died on July 21, 1962, at Nora’s Care Home in Salem, Oregon, at 80 years old, from heart disease. He was buried in Belcrest Memorial Park in Salem. |
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| Name |
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| Salem City Directories |
1924 Thomas Harry S, hand, S P Co, Turner
1928 Thomas Harry H [sic], fireman, T K Woolen Mill Co, r 891 N Commercial
1930 Thomas Harry S, fireman, T K Woolen Mill Co, h 395 S 17th
1932 Thomas Harry S, wood dealer, 395 S 17th
1935 Thomas Harry S, engineer, r 894 S 21st
1938-39 Thomas Harry S, woodsman, r 904 S 20th
1940 Thomas Harry S, gardener, r 904 S 20th |
| Census Records |
1900 Harry Thomas. Age: 18. Birth Date: Feb 1882 in Indiana. Home in 1900: Georgetown, Floyd, Indiana. Single, Grandson to HOH. Occupation: Farm Laborer. Additional household members: Caleb Thomas, age 67 (grandfather), Catherine Thomas, age 63 (grandmother), William Hanger Sr., age 83 (great-uncle).
1911 Canadian Census Harry S. Thomas. Age: 28. Birth Date: Feb 1883 in USA. Home in 1911; Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Single, HOH. Occupation: Farmer. Religion: Church of God. No additional household members.
1916 Canadian Census Harry S. Thomas. Age: 34. Birth Year: 1882 in United States. Home in 1916: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Single, son to HOH. Year of Immigration: 1910. Naturalization Year: 1913. Occupation: Working on Farm. Religion: United Brethren. Additional household members: Samuel S. Thomas, age 81 (father), Catherine Thomas, age 78 (mother), Marvin Thomas, age 31 (brother), Bertha Thomas, age 20 (sister), George Fay, age 20 (laborer).
1930 Harry S. Thomas. Age: 48. Birth Year: abt 1882 in Indiana. Home in 1930: 395 S 17th St. Salem, Marion, Oregon. Single, HOH. Occupation: Steam Engineer in Woolen Mill. Additional household members: Katherine Thomas, age 75 (mother), Bertha K. Thomas, age 34 (sister).
1940 Harry S. Thomas. Age: 58. Birth Year: abt 1882 in Indiana. Home in 1940: Salem, Marion, Oregon. Widowed, brother-in-law to HOH. Occupation: Gardener in Landscaping Industry. Additional household members: George E. Long, age 53 (brother-in-law), Bertha K. Long, age 44 (sister), Bertha K. Long, age 7 (niece), Verna M. Long, age 5 (niece).
1950 Harry Thomas. Age: 67. Birth Year: abt 1883. Home in 1950: St. Paul, Marion, Oregon. Widowed, HOH. Occupation: Laborer in Sand and Gravel Industry. No additional household members. |
| WW2 Draft Registration |
Harry Sanford Thomas. Residence: 1970 Water St. Salem, Marion, Oregon. Age: 60. Date of Birth: 4 Feb 1882. Place of Birth: Lapaz, Indiana. Employer: Fairview Home, Salem, Oregon. Physical Description: Complexion: Dark. Hair: Gray. Eyes: Blue. Height: 5’8. Weight: 188. Date of registration: 27 April 1942. |
| 1st Marriage Return |
Thomas-Richmond. 29 Aug 1933. Vancouver, Clark, Washington. Groom: Harry S. Thomas. Age: 51. Single. First Marriage. Birthplace: Plymouth, Indiana. Occupation: Engineer. Name of Father: Samuel Thomas. Birthplace of Father: Ohio. Maiden Name of Mother: Katherine Schaefer. Birthplace of Mother, Indiana. Bride: Gladys M. Richmond. Age: 35. Divorced. Second Marriage. Occupation: Housekeeper. Name of Father: F.E. Fuller. Birthplace of Father: Indiana. Maiden Name of Mother: June Maud Van Riper. |
| 2nd Marriage Return |
Thomas-Cook. 7 Sep 1941. Salem, Marion, Oregon. Groom: Harry S. Thomas. Age: 59. Birthdate: 4 Feb 1882. Birthplace: Indiana. Marital Status: Widowed. 2nd Marriage. Occupation: State Employee. Bride: Pearl Thelma Cook. Age: 29. Birthdate: 20 May 1912. Birthplace: Vancouver, Washington. Widowed. 2nd Marriage. Occupation: Domestic. |
| Divorce Record |
Thomas-Thomas. 31 July 1951. Salem, Marion, Oregon. Husband: Harry Sanford Thomas. Wife: Pearl Thelma Thomas. Residence: Marion County. Date of Marriage: 7 Sep 1941. Date of final decree: 31 July 1951. Plaintiff was: Wife. Divorce granted to: Plaintiff. Number of children affected by decree: two. Was case contested: Yes. Cause for which divorced: Cruel & Inhuman. |
| Oregon Death Index |
Harry S. Thomas. Age: 80. Birth Date: 1882. Death Date: 21 July 1962. Death Place: Marion [County]. Certificate: 11804 |
| Find-a-Grave |
Harry Thomas. Birth: Unknown. Death: Unknown. Burial: Belcrest Memorial Park, Salem, Marion County, Oregon. Plot: Block 9 Section 78 Lot 5, possibly no marker. |
| Digital Newspapers
|
Capital Journal 28 Apr 1932, p. 13 – House Fire
Oregon Statesman 22 Sep 1933, p. 9 – Death Notice, Gladys
Oregon Statesman 4 Sep 1941, p. 5 – 2nd Marriage License
Oregon Statesman 17 Dec 1942, p. 8 – Birth of Son Herbert Harry
Capital Journal 19 Feb 1946, p. 11 – Birth of Son Harold Dewey
Capital Journal 25 Aug 1959, p. 5 – Good Samaritan Robbed |
| WHC Materials
|
M3 1966-001 Mill Records
0079.001.0002 Photo |
