Contra Costa-Alameda County CA Archives Obituaries.....Van Gorden, George June 25, 1939
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Steve Harrison raleighwood@juno.com February 19, 2008, 5:42 am

The Byron Times, June 30, 1939 
"GEORGE VAN GORDEN, LAST STATE SENIOR PIONEER DIES AT OAKLAND"
The Society of California Pioneers recons senior pioneers as those who came to 
California before 1850.  Monday, George Van Gorden, sole surviving member of 
the society, died at the age of 93 years.

Stricken at his stock ranch at Danville some six weeks ago, death occurred at 
the home of Van Gorden's daughter in Oakland.  Funeral services were held 
Tuesday afternoon at the Chapel of the Chimes, Oakland.

Native of Michigan, Van Gorden came to California in 1846, when San Francisco 
was still known as Yerba Buena, and California was not yet a State.

The wagon party in which he traveled was under the leadership of Van Gorden's 
maternal grandfather, George Harlan, and consisted of 11 covered wagons, 10 of 
which were drawn by oxen.  Crossing the Missisippi [sic] at Hannibal, the 
Harlan party wintered at Lexington, Mo.

The Harlan party crossed the arid Salt Lake desert - was the first wagon train 
to go around the south end of the Great Salt Lake.  From the Truckee river it 
came through the mountain pass into Bear valley and on to Johnson's ranch, the 
present site of Marysville.  It arrived there October 24, 1846.

From Johnson ranch the party moved on to Fort Sutter, now Sacramento, where 
Harlan's mother died [incorrect], and then to Santa Clara mission in November.  
Thus was completed the 2291-mile journey from Independence, Mo.

In 1869 Van Gorden married Hannah Anne Steiner of Visalia.  They celebrated 
their seventieth wedding anniversary last September.  She died in February at 
the age of 86.

Surviving the pioneer couple in addition to their daughter, are three 
grandchildren - Mrs. E. L. Bruck, Mrs. W. S. Street and Durward Van Gorden - 
and several great-grandchildren." END

[Copied from microfilm at the California State Library by Steve Harrison, June 
2005]


Additional Comments:
The Byron Times (Contra Costa County, California).  June 30, 1939 (Friday), 
Page 1, Column 2.  George Van Gorden was the son of Ira and Rebecca (Harlan) 
Van Gorden.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/contracosta/obits/v/vangorde3572gob.txt

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