Bios: Alfred E. Fessenden (1868 – 1948): Copyright © 2004 by Jeanette White. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. hi_country@citlink.net ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALFRED E. FESSENDEN (1868 – 1948) Alfred E. Fessenden was born October 30, 1868 in Mountain Home, Kerr County, Texas. He was one of thirteen children born to William Samuel Fessenden and Elizabeth Tate Fessenden. Not much is known about Alfred E. Fessenden in his early years, but his obituary in the local “Wickenburg Sun” newspaper, dated 12-17-1948, gave some information about his life. It states: Final Rites Held For Al Fessenden Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Wickenburg Chapel, with burial in Wickenburg cemetery, for Al Fessenden, 80, Wickenburg pioneer, who passed away at Community Hospital December 13 after a lingering illness. Mr. Fessenden, prospector, miner and cowboy, had lived in this vicinity since 1887. He was born in Mountain Home, Tex. Survivors include one daughter, Mrs. Pearl Swint, Paducah, Texas, a brother, Joe, of Canute, Okla. And three nieces, Mrs. Clifford White, Mrs. Wilburn Baker and Mrs. Horace Swafford, all of Tolleson. According to Al’s death certificate, he died December 13, 1948 in Wickenburg, Maricopa County, Arizona and he was a widower at the time of his death. His occupation was listed as a miner and he retired as a miner. It is a good possibility that he worked at the Vulture Mine in Wickenburg because at one time it employed 5,000 people. He was in the Wickenburg Community Hospital for 32 days and in the community of Wickenburg for 63 years. His cause of death was from myocardial degeneration due to seizures. Evelyn Fessenden White, his niece, inherited his walking cane, but unfortunately it burned in a fire at her son’s (James White) house in 1990. Evelyn lived in Tolleson, Maricopa County, Arizona where she died at the early age of 54 years old on 12-16-1969. The gravesite is located in Section 1, Row G, and Space 16. The local Wickenburg Librarian did not have any more information about him being a pioneer, nor did the Caballeros Desert Museum or the local mortuary. According to the Social Security Death records his daughter, Pearl O. Fessenden Swint was born Oct. 17, 1892 and died September 1976. The last known residence of Pearl was in Paducah, Cottle County, Texas, which coincides with the obituary article on where his daughter lived at the time of his death. The Cottle County 1910 Census showed Pearl to be 17 years old, single and with no children. No other information on his wife and daughter could be found. Melva Frazier, his niece, states that Al Fessenden stayed at his brother’s (Joe & Jesse Fessenden) place in Tolleson, AZ in his trailer during the winter in the 1940’s because it was too cold in Wickenburg for him. She remembers he had a dog named “Bob.” Melva also thinks that Al had a mining claim of his own or with a partner because she thought he liked to work on his own. Melva resides in Avondale, Maricopa County, Arizona and is the youngest and only living child left born to Joe & Jesse Fessenden. Rumor has it among Al’s relatives that he ran with Billie the Kid in his younger years and robbed a bank with him. Later he went looking for the money, but it was gone. There is no proof of this rumor. Jack White, the son of Evelyn White, remembers meeting Al once when he was about 4 years old and he gave him a quarter, which is the same as giving a child $2 now. Jack was born and raised in Tolleson, Maricopa County, Arizona and moved to Overgaard, Navajo County, Arizona after he retired. 11-12-2004