August Olsen born about 1863 and lived in Merced Falls, CA in 1890.
John Loftus Ivett was born in 1823 in England, he came to America in 1851 arriving in New York.
He was married to Elsie (Maiden name unknown)
they had the following children:
Margaret Ivett 1854-1871
Loftus Ivett 1861-1882
Elsie Ivett 1864-1886
His wife Elsie was born about 1828 in Scotland and died 22 Dec 1870 in Merced Falls, CA.
John Ivett was a rich rancher and stock holder in 1890 he was worth $300,000. Today it would be millions.
By 1890 he was a widow with no children, his whole family dead. He wanted to remarry. An engagement was arranged with a Miss Thompson but meddlesome parties interfered and he was introduced to Sophia L Olsen by her brother Jake. They married 10 days later, Sophia was 17 and John was about 70 years old.
Her mother consented to the marriage.
Sophia Augusta Olsen was born in 1870 in Green Bay, WI.
Married 15 June 1887 and on 10 Nov 1890 John Loftus Ivett would be murdered on the front porch of his ranch, bludgeoned to death by a blunt instrument to the head, so badly damaged his skull was fractured and his brains were showing. I have posted a few links below to newspaper articles of the event.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30033263/murder_of_john_ivett/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30033746/john_ivett_murder/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30033455/john_ivett/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30033884/john_ivett_murder/
August Olsen was a mean man and he had once bludgeoned a burro to death. His father was found a number of years prior dead in the Tuolumne River with his skull crushed. He was arrested for John Ivett's murder, the trial lasted for 44 days with August being acquitted. There was so many accusations going around and a lady friend of his saying he was at her house with bloodied clothing on the night of the crime. Here's 2 newspaper articles about August and his trial and the detective A. B. Lawson who built the case against August.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30066162/august_olsen/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30034198/august_olsen_aquitted_of_john_ivett/
After I read all the articles I have come to the conclusion that August was most likely guilty and the jury was bought off.
Sophia was away when all this was going on, she was in San Francisco sick and being attended to by 2 doctors. She received a telegram stating her husband was injured and she packed up a truck grabbed a train and headed home. She then proceed to acquire her husband's estate which paid her $500 a month and was claiming he had no heirs. The court proceeding did however find he had a sister living in England and she received $500 a month also. Her name was Sarah Blake.
Sophia remarried to William K Leland (1836-1940) and I found her obituary.
Modesto Bee November 13, 1935:
Mrs. Sophie Leland Dies Near Denair Mrs. Sophie Augusta Leland, 67, a resident of the Evans district near Denair for the past fifteen years died at her home Monday after a lengthy illness. Mrs. Leland, a member of the Turlock Grange, was a native of Wisconsin. Besides her husband, William M. Leland of Denair, she leaves two daughters, Mrs. J. P. Sales of Petaluma and Mrs. A. W. Bruner of San Leandro, and a brother, August Olson, of Alaska. Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock In the Shannon Funeral Chapel with Rev. T. C. Maxwell of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church officiating. Interment will be in the Citizens Cemetery.
August took off for Alaska and was still alive when she died.
I found this story through the newspaper articles and I was hoping for a mugshot of August but then he was acquitted and I almost didn't write the story. John's poor fractured skull got the best of me and I needed to write it for him so he wouldn't be forgotten.
I feel bad that his family all died before he did and his children all so young. Loftus was 20 and he died at Chinese Camp, Tuolumne, CA I found a youtube video of this place which is pretty much a ghost town now, but it was interesting to see the old building that still stand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgycOfRat54
His daughter Margaret was only 17 when she died. His daughter Elsie Mary Ivett was married and 2 infant children that died, here's her obituary.
Merced Falls, Cal.
October 27th, 1886
The "Reaper, whose name is Death," has visited this community and gathered to himself one of its brightest flowers Mrs. John OLCESE, and daughter of John IVETT, departed this life , after a long illness, at her home near this place on the 24th ultimo. Elsie IVETT was born at her father's place on the Merced River, July 26th, 1864. By her gentle and loving disposition, even when a child, she won the hearts of all who knew her. Growing up in this neighborhood she was especially attached to it, and to her friends here. For her father and husband she bore great affection, and after her illness began, she could not bear to be long away from her own home. She was married March 26th, 1884, to John OLCESE, of Merced, and then began for her the happiest period of her life. The young couple built a excellent house not far from the one in which she was born and furnished it in a comfortable, even, luxurious, manner. Today it is a monument of her thoughtful care and excellent taste. During her married life two children were born, both died infants. Since the death of her last, some nine months ago, the seeds of the fatal disease, which at last carried her off, made its appearance. All that loving care of husband and father could do to avert the dread issue was done. She took a trip to the Sandwich Islands, and spent several months in that favored resort for invalids, Honolulu. The past summer was spent in the mountains above Coulterville, as she could not think of going further from home. When she became aware that the end was not far off, she desired to be taken to her home, and there, with all that kind friends could do, she fell asleep.
" So fades a summer cloud away,
So sinks the gale when storms are o'er,
So gently shuts the eye of day,
So dies the wave along the shore."
When the news of her death spread through the community, nothing but expressions of sorrow could be heard that one so young, who had endeared herself to all, and who had but tasted the sweets life had in store for her, should be called hence.
The children of Merced Falls' Public Schools, of which she was once a member, drew up resolutions of sorrow, at her death, and sympathy with her husband and father, signed by them all and a copy was sent to each. The school was closed on the day of the funeral in respect to her memory. She was buried on the 26th in the family burying ground, near the home she loved so well, and where her mother and a brother and sister are also buried. The funeral services were read by Mr. W. S. BLAISDELL. The number present from surrounding towns, Merced, Snelling, Hornitos and Coulterville, testified the high regard in which she was held, and the many hearts made sad at her death.
"Oh, not in cruelty, not in wrath,
The Reaper came that day,
'Twas an angel visited the green earth,
And took the flower away."
A Friend
Her husband remarried Agnes Moran in 1892 and they had a daughter names Zeta. He would become the first Italian Mayor in Merced, CA.
This was his house in Merced.
Here is William on a horse infor of City Hall.
A gentleman by the name of John Loftus Ivett lived fairly close by.
He was married to Elsie (Maiden name unknown)
they had the following children:
Margaret Ivett 1854-1871
Loftus Ivett 1861-1882
Elsie Ivett 1864-1886
His wife Elsie was born about 1828 in Scotland and died 22 Dec 1870 in Merced Falls, CA.
John Ivett was a rich rancher and stock holder in 1890 he was worth $300,000. Today it would be millions.
Her mother consented to the marriage.
Sophia Augusta Olsen was born in 1870 in Green Bay, WI.
Married 15 June 1887 and on 10 Nov 1890 John Loftus Ivett would be murdered on the front porch of his ranch, bludgeoned to death by a blunt instrument to the head, so badly damaged his skull was fractured and his brains were showing. I have posted a few links below to newspaper articles of the event.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30033263/murder_of_john_ivett/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30033746/john_ivett_murder/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30033455/john_ivett/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30033884/john_ivett_murder/
August Olsen was a mean man and he had once bludgeoned a burro to death. His father was found a number of years prior dead in the Tuolumne River with his skull crushed. He was arrested for John Ivett's murder, the trial lasted for 44 days with August being acquitted. There was so many accusations going around and a lady friend of his saying he was at her house with bloodied clothing on the night of the crime. Here's 2 newspaper articles about August and his trial and the detective A. B. Lawson who built the case against August.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30066162/august_olsen/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30034198/august_olsen_aquitted_of_john_ivett/
After I read all the articles I have come to the conclusion that August was most likely guilty and the jury was bought off.
Sophia was away when all this was going on, she was in San Francisco sick and being attended to by 2 doctors. She received a telegram stating her husband was injured and she packed up a truck grabbed a train and headed home. She then proceed to acquire her husband's estate which paid her $500 a month and was claiming he had no heirs. The court proceeding did however find he had a sister living in England and she received $500 a month also. Her name was Sarah Blake.
Sophia remarried to William K Leland (1836-1940) and I found her obituary.
Modesto Bee November 13, 1935:
Mrs. Sophie Leland Dies Near Denair Mrs. Sophie Augusta Leland, 67, a resident of the Evans district near Denair for the past fifteen years died at her home Monday after a lengthy illness. Mrs. Leland, a member of the Turlock Grange, was a native of Wisconsin. Besides her husband, William M. Leland of Denair, she leaves two daughters, Mrs. J. P. Sales of Petaluma and Mrs. A. W. Bruner of San Leandro, and a brother, August Olson, of Alaska. Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock In the Shannon Funeral Chapel with Rev. T. C. Maxwell of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church officiating. Interment will be in the Citizens Cemetery.
August took off for Alaska and was still alive when she died.
I found this story through the newspaper articles and I was hoping for a mugshot of August but then he was acquitted and I almost didn't write the story. John's poor fractured skull got the best of me and I needed to write it for him so he wouldn't be forgotten.
I feel bad that his family all died before he did and his children all so young. Loftus was 20 and he died at Chinese Camp, Tuolumne, CA I found a youtube video of this place which is pretty much a ghost town now, but it was interesting to see the old building that still stand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgycOfRat54
His daughter Margaret was only 17 when she died. His daughter Elsie Mary Ivett was married and 2 infant children that died, here's her obituary.
Merced Falls, Cal.
October 27th, 1886
The "Reaper, whose name is Death," has visited this community and gathered to himself one of its brightest flowers Mrs. John OLCESE, and daughter of John IVETT, departed this life , after a long illness, at her home near this place on the 24th ultimo. Elsie IVETT was born at her father's place on the Merced River, July 26th, 1864. By her gentle and loving disposition, even when a child, she won the hearts of all who knew her. Growing up in this neighborhood she was especially attached to it, and to her friends here. For her father and husband she bore great affection, and after her illness began, she could not bear to be long away from her own home. She was married March 26th, 1884, to John OLCESE, of Merced, and then began for her the happiest period of her life. The young couple built a excellent house not far from the one in which she was born and furnished it in a comfortable, even, luxurious, manner. Today it is a monument of her thoughtful care and excellent taste. During her married life two children were born, both died infants. Since the death of her last, some nine months ago, the seeds of the fatal disease, which at last carried her off, made its appearance. All that loving care of husband and father could do to avert the dread issue was done. She took a trip to the Sandwich Islands, and spent several months in that favored resort for invalids, Honolulu. The past summer was spent in the mountains above Coulterville, as she could not think of going further from home. When she became aware that the end was not far off, she desired to be taken to her home, and there, with all that kind friends could do, she fell asleep.
" So fades a summer cloud away,
So sinks the gale when storms are o'er,
So gently shuts the eye of day,
So dies the wave along the shore."
When the news of her death spread through the community, nothing but expressions of sorrow could be heard that one so young, who had endeared herself to all, and who had but tasted the sweets life had in store for her, should be called hence.
The children of Merced Falls' Public Schools, of which she was once a member, drew up resolutions of sorrow, at her death, and sympathy with her husband and father, signed by them all and a copy was sent to each. The school was closed on the day of the funeral in respect to her memory. She was buried on the 26th in the family burying ground, near the home she loved so well, and where her mother and a brother and sister are also buried. The funeral services were read by Mr. W. S. BLAISDELL. The number present from surrounding towns, Merced, Snelling, Hornitos and Coulterville, testified the high regard in which she was held, and the many hearts made sad at her death.
"Oh, not in cruelty, not in wrath,
The Reaper came that day,
'Twas an angel visited the green earth,
And took the flower away."
A Friend
Her husband remarried Agnes Moran in 1892 and they had a daughter names Zeta. He would become the first Italian Mayor in Merced, CA.
This was his house in Merced.
Here is William on a horse infor of City Hall.
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