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Page 12 www.DesertMessenger.com Hi Jolly Cemetery's Pioneers Who Were They? By Dinice Ross, Hi Jolly Cemetery, Records/Historian Sunday Worship: 10am & 6pm Wednesday Service: 6pm Phone: 928-927-5035 375 E. Sunrise St. Quartzsite "Come join our Family where the Love of Jesus is preached" William and Charles Kuehn – Small children, born in Germany, trav- eling to America and then to the wild west - what a challenge: new language, new customs, new diversity in foods, the hardship of desert weather, and all met with the loss of a father and the despair of a widowed mother. Hard work at a young age in Tyson's Well and then growing into hard working pioneers in Quartzsite was the founda- tion of what it took to for the people and town to survive. William Kuehn as a young adult heard about new opportunities in Cali- fornia and decided to move there. WILLIAM KUEHN BORN: MARCH 21, 1881, GERMANY. DIED: DECEMBER 1951, SANTA ANA, CA. AT AGE 70. BURIED: SANTA ANA, CA. William came to America with his Mother Viktoria, Father Stephen Kue- hn and younger brother Charles in 1888. His youngest brother, Fred, was born on the voyage to America. At the age of 13, he with his mother Viktoria and brothers Charles, 7 years old and Fred, 5 years old, traveled on the recently completed Southern Pa- cifi c Railroad from New York to Yuma and then by wagon to what was then called Tyson's Well and later Quartz- site. His Great-uncle Michael Welz was owner of the Stage Station prop- erty at Tyson's Well. It consisted of a general store, blacksmith, harness shop, butcher shop and boarding house. While working there, his moth- er met and married Anton Hagely, and the family then grew with another half-brother, John George Hagely and two half-sisters; Theresa and Emilia Hagely. During these years, as William grew older, he worked with his great uncle Mike Welz, helping in the store and with the stage horses before venturing out to look for new opportunities in California, fi nally settling in Santa Ana where he made his home. He became a cement highway builder, accord- ing to his half-sister Emilia (Hagely) Woodson of Blythe, CA. Charles Kuehn -worked for great uncle Michael Welz in his store and also when the store was sold to Sam Wilson. Sam passed away and Charles became the new owner. Headstone reads: BORN JANUARY 17, 1886 DIED MAY 3, 1930 KUEHN – CHARLIE CHAS. V. KUEHN Wife: Nettie Kuehn; (born 1889 in Kentucky) married about 1910. Father: Stephen Kuehn (died 1888). Stepfather: Anton Hagely (died 1928). Mother: Viktoria (Kuehn) Hagely (died 1940). Brothers: William and Fred Kuehn. Charlie traveled to Quartzsite at age 7 with his mother and two broth- Born: Jan. 17, 1886 in Germany. Died: May 3, 1930 in Prescott, AZ. of Chron- ic Pulmonary Tuberculosis at age 44. Buried: Hi Jolly Pioneer Cemetery, Plot 80. May 30, 2012 ers, William, 13 and Fred 5. They left their home in New York City in 1893 to join his great uncle, Michael Welz, owner and operator of the Stage Sta- tion in Tyson's Well, Arizona. (Tyson's Well name was changed to Quartzsite in 1896 by the U.S. postal dept.) Fred's mother, Viktoria, then met and mar- ried Anton Hagely and they had three more children: John George, Theresa and Emilia. Charlie worked for Uncle Mike Welz at the Stage Station property. Sam Wilson bought the Stage Station and then died shortly after. Charlie then became the new owner of the Stage Station property and Post Offi ce op- erating it until it washed away in the fl ood of 1919. Quartzsite Census: May 10, 1910 - Charlie was a stage driver. In 1911 Charlie bought the Stage Sta- tion property. Occupation: 1911-1912 - occupation general store owner. Occupation: 1912-1913 - saloon owner. Quartzsite Census: Jan. 5 1920 - he rented his home, worked as a mer- chant. Occupation: 1914-1923 – Postmaster. Occupation: 1923 – Postmaster, live- stock owner. Occupation: April 1930 - owned his home worth $400 working as mer- chant in general merchandise. Residence: August 1940 – Los Ange- les, California. tion, sometimes the fl oor was waxed with shavings from miner's candles and a dance was held. Charlie's brother, Fred was one of the musicians, playing guitar and accordion – starting a great tradition of music in Quartzsite. (Fred married Elsie Wilson, Sam Wilson's widow.) When Charlie owned the Stage Sta- tion to the State Highway Dept. to be preserved but the state declined the of- fer. His widow Nettie sold it after his death to Mr. and Mrs. Rice of Blythe, CA. It was then deeded to Central Yuma County Preservation Society in 1970. This building is now the Tyson's Well Stage Station & Museum. Charlie tried to leave the Stage Sta- Learn about William and Charlie's brother - Fred Kuehn: entrepreneur, story-teller and musician, in the next miniseries: Hi Jolly Cemetery's Pio- neers –Who Were They?