Chapter Ten: Becoming Menifee “Fee” Logan

Missouri and California 1880 – 1919

Thomas J Logan, Maggie Van Schoick, Samuel Van Schoick, Mary Snead

Menifee “Fee” Logan, Margaret “Peggy” Gard

Introducing Thomas and Margaret

Prior to exploring Elizabeth’s Ancestors, we closed chapter 7 with the birth of Thomas Jackson Logan in Richmond Township Missouri in 1864.[1][i]. At the age of 16, in 1880, Thomas was living with his stepsiblings, Lafayette “Fee” Jackson, Josephine Jackson and Elisa Jackson in Camden Township Missouri.[ii] All three were from Elizabeth Logan’s (Jackson) prior marriage to James Jackson. It is likely that Thomas made this move as his father, Daniel Logan, was listed in the 1880 census as “Maimed, Crippled or Bedridden”[iii]. In 1882 Daniel Logan passed away.  It is around this time that Thomas Logan met Margaret “Maggie” Van Schoick, his future wife. 

Maggie Van Schoick was the daughter of Samuel Van Schoick and Mary B Snead. Not much is known about the lives of Samuel or Mary. In fact it required some serious detective work to even find them.

The breakthrough came via the 1880 Federal Census in the household of Freeman Haskel, who was 41 at the time and owned a farm in Camden Township. He lived there with his wife, Martha and their 6 children who ranged in age from 1 to 16.  This farm was also the home for his mother Mary and his two nieces Lizzy (aged 14) and Margaret (aged 10) Van Schoick. The 1880 census provided another key data point which told me that Maggie and Lizzy’s father was born in New Jersey and their mother in Missouri. [iv]   

With that key data in hand, I turned my attention to seeking out a Van Schoick in Missouri who was born in New Jersey. Eventually I found the 1850 census, in Ray County Missouri, which lists Samuel Van Schoick (aged 22) living on his family farm with his Mother Margaret (51) and brothers Charles (26), Robert (20) and Franklin (15).  The census listed Samuel’s birth state as New Jersey.[v] On the 17^th of December 1863 Samuel H Van Schoick married Mary Snead in Ray County Missouri.[vi] Thanks to the Richmond Republican (see figure 35), we know that Samuel passed on the first of December 1869. The article was a public notification that “Mary B Vanschoick, administratrix in charge of the estate of Samuel Vanschoick, deceased”…“presented a petition”…“praying for the sale of the real estate belonging to said estate”.

On December 19, 1869 “Miss Mary B Vanschoick married Ralph B Haskell in Ray County Missouri. [vii]  In 1870 Mary and Ralph were living with his mother Mary Haskell.[viii] The location of Maggie and Lizzy is not clear other than they were not listed on the census as living with either Mary and Ralph or their uncle Freeman Haskel.

From all of this we can conclude that at some time prior to 1850 the Van Schoick family moved to Ray County Missouri where they were farmers.  In 1863 Samuel Van Schoick married Mary Snead and the two of them had at least 2 two children, Lizzy, (born around 1866) and Maggie (born around 1869).  Around the time of Maggie’s birth Samuel passed away.  Mary Snead, now Vanschoick, married Ralph Haskell and for an unknown reason sent her two Van Schoick daughters to live with her brother-in-law Freeman where we find them in 1880.

Thomas and Margaret in Missouri

Sporting a population 3,353 in 1880[ix] Camden Township was very small, and it is likely that Maggie Van Schoick and Thomas Logan knew each for quite some time.[x] As a result, on the 26^th of December 1890, they were married. 

They welcomed their first child Carrie in November 1891.  Shortly afterwards, Thomas lost his mother, 2 uncles, and grandmother.[2] Two years later, in 1894, their second daughter, Carrie was born.  Then in 1896 my great grandfather, Menifee “Fee” Logan was born. It is likely that he was named after Thomas Logan’s stepbrother Lafayette “Fee” who had passed in 1891.  Continuing the 2-year birth trend, in December 1898 their 3^rd daughter, Nellie, was born.[xi]

The same year that Fee Logan was born, Caleb Jackson advertised the desire to sell his farm.  Caleb would be 83 at this time and one would expect it was difficult for him to manage a farm anymore.  On the 18^th of December 1899 Caleb’s long and challenging life came to an end. 

Life was also challenging for Thomas who in 1900 was facing 6 months of unemployment from working in a coal mine.  Living with him in his rented house was his wife, Maggie, and their 4 children, and his younger brother Caleb Logan. Family lore has it that Thomas was suffering from Black Lung and was no longer capable of working.  Why Caleb is unemployed I do not know but family lore says that he was a bit eccentric and a floater.

California Dreaming

Due to poor health Thomas packed up his family in the early 1900s and moved to Telephone Road in Saticoy which was (and remains) an unincorporated community in Ventura County. We don’t know exactly when he arrived, but it must have been prior to 14 September 1902, which was when Thomas and Maggie’s son Earl was born, making him the first in a long line of Logans born in California.[xii] In 1907 their son Leroy Logan was born, then Ida around 1910.

Ventura County was officially formed on the 22^nd of March 1873. It had a population of 3500 people and was primarily a farming community cultivating Hay, Citrus, Beans and Grapes. The establishment of the Southern Pacific Railroad coastal route in 1887 allowed for the transportation of their crops. This led to rapid growth in the area and new opportunities that the Logans were hoping to capitalize on. [xiii]

The 1910 Census[xiv] gives us a glimpse into their life.  Still living on Telephone Road, Thomas’s occupation was listed as a Teamster.  At this time, teamsters were primarily drivers of horse drawn wagons. This was very hard work with low pay.  As a result, the drivers began organizing into the Teamster National Union of America, which is still in existence today.  1910 was a difficult time for Teamsters as motor vehicles began to displace horses as a primary mode of transportation.

According to the census, Fee, Nellie, Earl, Roy, and Ida were all living with Thomas and Maggie, with Fee, Earl, and Roy attending School.  Fee would never graduate as he would shortly begin working as a grocer to support his family, likely due to a combination of poor employment prospects for Teamsters and Thomas’s poor health. Carrie, who was 18, no longer lived in the house, though I am not sure where she lived. Pearl was a living with a Widow as her companion.  In 1912 Floyd Earl Logan was born. He was Thomas and Maggie’s eighth and final child. 

The Great War

On the 28^th of June 1914, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian named Gavrillo Princip. One month later, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia marking the beginning of what would come to be known as World War 1 or the Great War. On the 6^th of April 1917 the United States of America declared war on Germany[xv] and began drafting qualified men into the Army. 

Shortly after the declaration of war, Fee Logan married my great grandmother Margaret “Peggy” Gard[3] on the 3^rd of June 1917. Both were 21 years old.  Peggy was living in Los Angeles making one speculate on how they met. One possibility is that he would drive his VIM Truck into LA to collect groceries allowing him to socialize with people in the big city.[xvi]  

Three days after their wedding, Fee completed his Draft Registration Card. On it he asked for an exemption due to “business account”, likely the need to manage his grocery store. Given the fact that he was in good health and the desperate need for soldiers his request for exemption was denied and on 17^th of July 1918 he became a private and was sent off to bootcamp. During this time the US Veteran Master Index listed his address as being in Chicago, indicating that he was sent to Camp Grant in Rockford IL which was also the largest training center for inductees. 

Two days before Fee’s induction into the US Army, the second battle of the Marne began. This was the last major German offensive on the western front. The attack failed when an allied counterattack supported by several hundred tanks overwhelmed the Germans. The battle ended on Aug 6 and the war was over on November 11^th. While all of this was occurring, Fee completed bootcamp and was shipped to New York City where he boarded a transport ship bound for Europe. According to Fee this was the same day that peace was announced. Therefore, he never departed and was honorably discharged on the 23^rd of December 1918.[xvii] This was especially good news as less than 2 months later Peggy gave birth to their only child, my Grandfather John Archer Logan.  We will return to Peggy, Fee and John Logan in part IV of this book. 

Returning to Thomas Logan and Margaret Logan (Van Schoick), in 1918 their daughter Pearl gave birth to Jackson Emmett. Shortly after, in 1919 she passed away and her son Jackson was sent to live with Thomas and Maggie. According to Jackson, he was “so glad that I became a Logan when my mother died.” He added that his uncle Earl was more like a “dad to me” and that “he was great.” By 1930 Thomas Logan, Maggie Logan (Van Schoick), Floyd Logan, Ida Logan and Jackson Emmet were all living on Earl Logan’s farm.  On the 21^st of May 1939, Thomas Jackson Logan died in Ventura County of Pneumonia.[xviii] In the 1940 Census[xix] we find Maggie Logan (Van Schoick) living with her son Floyd and taking care of her daughter Ida who had Downs Syndrome. Ida has been described as being very sweet and fun and the favorite of all the siblings. She is also remembered for having the best toys![xx]

Fee was not the only one to serve the US military. Both of his brothers, Floyd and Roy served in World War 2 in the pacific theater, as did his nephew Jackson Emmet. Roy was on the front line during the Burma campaign from 1944 to 1945.  When he returned, he found employment difficult but like Fee ran a store, specifically a liquor store. 

 On the 11^th of April 1947, Maggie Logan (Van Schoick) died at the age of 77. Maggie and her husband Thomas are buried in the Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura California. 

Open Questions

• Where were Maggie and Lizzy living in 1870?
• What is the name of Samuel Van Schoick’s father?  What is his mother’s maiden name?
• Who are Mary Snead’s parents?

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[1] See Chapter 7 for more details

[2] See chapter 9 for details

[3] Margaret “Peggy” Gard’s history is explored in part 3 of this book. 

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[i] 1870 United States Federal Census; Year: 1870; Census Place: Camden, Ray, Missouri; Roll: M593_803; Page: 374A

[ii] 1880 United States Federal Census, Year: 1880; Census Place: Camden, Ray, Missouri; Roll: 713; Page: 405C; Enumeration District: 138

[iii] 1880 United States Federal Census, Year: 1880; Census Place: Richmond, Ray, Missouri; Roll: 713; Page: 379D; Enumeration District: 136

[iv] 1880 Federal Census, Year: 1880; Census Place: Camden, Ray, Missouri; Roll: 713; Page: 426B; Enumeration District: 139

[v] 1850 United States Federal Census, Year: 1850; Census Place: District 75, Ray, Missouri; Roll: 412; Page: 372b

[vi] Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002, Missouri State Archives; Jefferson City, MO, USA; Missouri Marriage Records [Microfilm]

[vii] Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002, Missouri State Archives; Jefferson City, MO, USA; Missouri Marriage Records [Microfilm]

[viii] 1870 United States Federal Census, Year: 1870; Census Place: Camden, Ray, Missouri; Roll: M593_803; Page: 377A

[ix] 1880 Census: Volume 1. Statistics of the Population of the United States, pg. 13

[x] 1900 United States Federal Census, Ray County Missouri

[xi] 1900 United States Federal Census, Year: 1900; Census Place: Richmond, Ray, Missouri; Roll: 885; Page: 4; Enumeration District: 0138; FHL microfilm: 124088

[xii] Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.

[xiii] History – Ventura County 150th

[xiv] 1910 United States Federal Census, Year: 1910; Census Place: Ventura, Ventura, California; Roll: T624_111; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 0214; FHL microfilm: 1374124

[xv] Timeline (1914 – 1921) | A World at War | Articles and Essays | Stars and Stripes: The American Soldiers’ Newspaper of World War I, 1918-1919 | Digital Collections | Library of Congress (loc.gov)

[xvi] California, U.S., Registrations of Motor Vehicles, 1905-1922; California Motor Vehicle Department; California, USA; California Automobile Registration (1921); Volume Number: pt. 4

[xvii] Oral history from Menifee Logan to his Grandson (and my father) Thomas Logan

[xviii] Oral history by Jackson Emmett to Vikki Logan, wife of Thomas Logan, my father.

[xix] 1940 United States Federal Census; Year: 1940; Census Place: San Buenaventura, Ventura, California; Roll: m-t0627-00365; Page: 62B; Enumeration District: 56-45

[xx] Oral history from Linda Logan, Roy Logan’s daughter.