OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
coleen_mielke@hotmail.com
This research is (no doubt) incomplete and has potential
errors. If you have first hand knowledge of these families and would like
me to correct something, please contact me.
Floyd
Dewey Smith (1898-1979) married Ellen Fleckenstein (1902-1973) in Fairbanks
late 1926. In the summer of 1927, they returned to Wasilla and Floyd worked
at a variety of jobs. By 1930, Floyd and Ellen were living in Dillingham
and Floyd was a fur trapper.See more about the Smith's at the bottom of
this page.
The Fleckenstein family is listed as having applied for a homestead in the Matanuska Valley by 1915. The patriarch of the Alaska Fleckensteins, was Joseph Bernard Fleckenstein born 1/18/1870 in Iowa City, Iowa and his wife Marie Antoinette Doane born 1867 in California, daughter of Sharon P. Doane and Ellen Threlfall.
Joseph B. Fleckenstein's parents were Adam C. Fleckenstein
(born 1842 in Bayern, Germany - died 1890 Sherrill, Iowa) and Anna Cathrine
Tigges. His grandparents were Thomas Fleckenstein (born 1810 Germany
- died 1871 Sherrill, Iowa) and Catherine Heurtel.
Children of Joseph
B. and Marie A. Fleckenstein:
William Joseph Fleckenstein 1891-1961
John Paul "Jack" Fleckenstein 1893-1986
Christopher Fleckenstein 1896-1981
Frank Joseph Fleckenstein 1896-1925 (murdered in Dillingham,
Alaska)
Sharon David Fleckenstein 1899-1959
Lawrence Edward Fleckenstein 1900-1978
Ellen Catherine Fleckenstein 1902-1973
Eva Marie Fleckenstein 1904-1958
Below is a compilation of Fleckenstein information that I've extracted from the U. S. Census records as well as the Herning diaries and online sources:
1900 U. S. Census Hydesville, Humboldt Co., California
Joseph (Bernard) Fleckenstein 30 b. Iowa
father b. Germany mother b. Germany
Marie (Antionette) Fleckenstein
32 b. California father b. Illinois
mother b. Georgia
Earnest Fleckenstein.......not on census
but shows up in family records
William Fleckenstein age 9 b.
California son
John P. Fleckenstein age 7 b. California
son
Christopher Fleckenstein age 9 b. California
Frank Joseph Fleckenstein age 3
b. California
Sharon David Fleckenstein age 2 b.
California
Lawrence Edward Fleckenstein
1 month b. California
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1910 U. S. Census Eureka, Humboldt
Co., California
Joseph Bernard Fleckenstein age 40
b. Iowa married 17 years
Nettie Fleckenstein age 42 b.
California married 17 years (2nd marriage for Nettie)
William Joseph Fleckenstein age 19
John Fleckenstein age 17
Christopher Fleckenstein 15
Frank Fleckenstein 12........ (murdered at
Dillingham, Alaska 1925 hit over head by Indian)
Sharon Fleckenstein 11........(married Maxine
Crocker...and Florence Edlund Strigga)
Lawrence Fleckenstein 10...........(later
married Helen ______ of Finland)
Ellen Catherine Fleckenstein 7.………(later
married Floyd Dewey Smith) see below
Eva Marie Fleckenstein 6 ………. (later
married George Stanley Herning)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1920 U. S. Census taken between Knik and
Wasilla
Joseph Bernard Fleckenstein age 53
Farmer
Marie Fleckenstein age 52
Ellen Cathrine Fleckenstein age 17
Eva Marie Fleckenstein age 15
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1930 U. S. Census taken in Kanakanak (Old
Dillingham)
Joseph Bernard Fleckenstein age
60 Head U. S. Deputy Marshal
Maria Fleckenstein age 63 wife
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Notes from Herning diaries:
Fleckenstein proved up on his homestead 11/18/1919
(working for railroad)
Fleckenstein boys bought sawmill from Forty
Mile Miller (O. C. Miller)
Chris Fleckenstein running Road Commission
Cat at Moose Creek 1922
Chris Fleckenstein Cat hauling at Baxter
Coal Mine 1923
Chris Fleckenstein overhauling Alaska Engineering
Commission Cats and trucks 1923
Chris Fleckenstein sold his homestead to
Jim Kennedy in 1946
Joseph B. Fleckenstein in Wasilla for visit,
heading to Bristol Bay 1924
Sharon Fleckenstein and Maxine Crocker married
after 11 day courtship Wasilla’s 1st wedding 1924
Sharon Fleckenstein's 2nd marriage was to
Florence Edlund Strigga 1938
Eva Fleckenstein married Stanley Herning
1926
Ellen Fleckenstein married Floyd Smith 1926
in Fairbanks then they left for Chatanika
1920 U. S. Census taken on railroad route from mile
236 north to Dead Horse
Sharon Fleckenstein age 21 Head of household
Christopher Fleckenstein age 25
brother
1920 U. S. Census taken on railroad route from Willow Creek
to Montana Creek
Frank J. Fleckenstein age 22 b. California
Notes from Herning Diaries first mention Frank Fleckenstein as being elected to the school board of Wasilla’s 1st school in 1917. He also did the concrete work under the original Herning (later Teeland) store in Wasilla as well as a lot of the carpentry work on the building. In 1918, he left to go to the Army. Herning’s notes also say Frank Fleckenstein was clubbed to death by a Native in Dillingham in 1925. He is buried in the Anchorage Memorial Cemetery in the Pioneer section. His headstone reads, born 6/1/1898 died 5/1/1925.
WWI Draft Registration for Sharon Fleckenstein age 19:
Gave Wasilla as Sharon's permanent address,
nearest relative listed as Nettie Fleckenstein,
occupation as miner at Willow Creek Mining
District. Birthdate given January 2, 1899.
1930 U. S. Census Knik Road near Wasilla, Alaska
Sharon D. Fleckenstein age 30
b. California occupation Fur Farmer
Maxine** (Crocker) Fleckenstein age 22
wife b. Minnesota
Frederick Crocker age 75 Father-in-law
b. New York
Owns own ranch
Sharon David and Maxine (Crocker) Fleckenstein
(Photo from private collection of Louise Loberg Bidondo)
Maxine died at the early age of 26 and is buried in the Anchorage Memorial Cemetery in the Pioneer section. Her headstone reads born 7/17/1906 died 7/4/1932. I was told that she drowned (in the Little Susitna River) when a car she was riding in (with her husband and two other people) crashed into Pinnacle Rock on the Hatcher Pass Road and rolled into the river, on the 4th of July 1932.
Sharon Fleckenstein's second wife was Florence Evelina (Edlund) Strigga (m. 9/17/1938). They are buried in the Wasilla Cemetery. Their headstones give the following dates: Sharon 1895-1959 Florence 1905-1985 Florence was the daughter of John Fredolph and Lillie Edlund. Her first husband was August J. "George" Strigga, a Russian born soldier at Matanska Junction in 1920. George and Florence had 2 daughters: Lorraine and Shirley. Sharon David and Florence had two sons: Sharon Daniel and Joseph.
1930 U. S. Census for Anchorage
Lawrence Fleckenstein age 29 b. California
(died 1978 Soldotna)
Helen Fleckenstein age 30 b. Finland
(came to USA 1915) (died 1980 Soldotna)
Myrtle Fleckenstein age 14 b. Pennsylvania
Joseph Bernard Fleckenstein buried at Anchorage Memorial Cemetery in the Pioneer section. His headstone reads born 1/18/1870 died 3/23/1948. His wife Marie is also buried there, her headstone reads born 3/24/1897 died 10/20/1946. Joseph is listed among the original homesteaders of the Matanuska Valley pre-1915.
ONLINE FLECKENSTEIN INFORMATION:
Joseph Bernard Fleckenstein had five sisters: Mary, Elizabeth
K., Catherine, Anna and Emma.
His father, Adam C. Fleckenstein's siblings
were: Elizabeth 1838, Ignatz 1844, Mria Johanna 1846 and Joseph L. 1850.
His wife, Marie Antoinette (Doane) Fleckenstein, was the
daughter of Sharon P. Doane and Ellen Threlfell. Her siblings were: Joseph
W. Doane 1857, Ada Doane 1859, John F. Doane 1860, Isabel Doane 1863, Tessa
Doane 1864, Hattie Doane 1867 and Lizzie Doane 1870.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joseph Bernard Fleckenstein's 2nd youngest daughter, Ellen Catherine married Floyd Dewey Smith at Chena, Alaska in 1926. Here is the information I have for the Smith family:
FLOYD DEWEY SMITH FAMILY WASILLA, ALASKA
FLOYD DEWEY SMITH (born 2/22/1898 in Absarokee, Montana) came to Alaska before 1926 (I'm not sure when). He worked at a variety of jobs including gold mining, trapping, operating a store at Kanakanak (Old Dillingham) and he owned a gas station in Wasilla, post 1942.
Floyd married Ellen Catherine Fleckenstein, (daughter of Joseph Bernard Fleckenstein and Marie Antionette Dionne) in 1926 (I believe they married in Chena, just outside of Fairbanks).
NOTE: I'm not sure exactly when they moved to Kanakanak in Bristol Bay, but their daughter Laura Marie (born 3/24/1929) was born in Kanakanak; I'm not sure if their oldest son Frank was born there or not.
On the 1930 US Census, Floyd and Ellen were living at Kanakanak (Old Dillingham) and they had 2 children: Frank Marvin age 2 and Marie 10 months old. Next door to them, lived Ellen's parents, Joseph and Maria Fleckenstein.
Ellen's father Joseph, was the U.S. Deputy Marshal at Kanakanak in 1930. Five years earlier (1925) his son (and Ellen's older brother) Frank was murdered there. I am very curious to know if Joseph was the U.S. Deputy Marshal (when his son was murdered in 1925) or if he became the Marshal after his son was murdered. If you know, please contact me.
Floyd and Ellen lived at Kanakanak for the next several years, coming back to Wasilla to visit Fleckenstein family and to order merchandise for their general store. On the 1940 US Census, the family is listed as living in Dillingham with the following children:
Frank M. Smith age 12
Laura Marie Smith age 10
Joe T. Smith age 8
David F. Smith age 6
Ethel L.Smith age 1
By 1942, Floyd and Ellen had moved their family back to Wasilla, but Floyd still spent time in Kanakanak running his store during fishing season.
Ellen (Fleckenstein) Smith's younger sister Eva was married to Stanley Herning. Stanley's father kept a daily journal about the comings and goings of Wasilla. Mr. Herning wrote the following:
12/15/1942 Floyd Smith's Colony house passed through Wasilla to the Fleckenstein ranch.
11/6/1943 Floyd Smith buying materials to build a garage on ranch.
11/25/1943 Floyd Smith bought our 1921 Olds touring car to run his wood saw.
2/15/1944 Floyd Smith back from fur buying trip Inside.
3/17/1944 Floyd Smith back from Seattle on buying trip for his store at Dillingham.
11/5/1944 Floyd Smith sold his store in Dillingham
6/22/1945 Floyd Smith headed to Willow Creek to prospect.
Floyd Dewey Smith died 6/16/1979 in Wasilla, Alaska.
Ellen (Fleckenstein) Smith died 5/15/1973 Wasilla, Alaska
Their children:
Frank Marion Smith: 1st wife was Catherine Lucille "Gerry" (Sullivan)Redington, (1st wife of dog musher Joe Redington). Frank built a house on the east side of Knik Road and another house at the "Y" intersection of Fishhook Road and Bogard Road. Frank's 2nd wife was Dorothy ____________. They had 3 sons: Brett and Grant (twins) and Todd. Grant died when he was about 18 as the result of a drunk driver hitting his motorcycle.
Laura Marie Smith: Born in 1929 Kanakanak, Alaska to Floyd and Ellen (Fleckenstein) Smith. Married Eldor Theodore Hulke, children: Frieda, Floyd Ernest "Butch", Virginia, Faith, Jody and Hope. (Laura Marie 1929-1998) (Eldor Theodore 1921-2005)
Joe Smith: Married Patricia Plack, one son named Floyd. After they divorced, his wife married Dick Wilson and Joe's son Floyd changed his name to Peter Wilson.
David Floyd Smith: First wife was Peggy Overstreet, 2nd wife was Mary Ann Larson. David's children are: Michael, Steve, Darrell, Lori, Tim and Teddy Ray (who died at age 2 weeks). David died 4/14/2013 in Wasilla.
Lavina Ethel "Lee" Smith: Married Dan V. Carney in 1955, no children. Married Charles Gerald Skinner in 1958; their children were: Laura and Patti. Married Dale Kieth Cooper in 1965; their children were Renee Lee and Bernard "Bernie" Kieth (twins). Dale Cooper had 2 children from a previous marriage: Angela Marie and Dale Ray. Lavina was born 1937 in Kanakanak, Alaska and died 1998 in Littleton, Colorado.
Theodore Monroe Smith born about 1850 Michigan
and died about 1931 in Oregon.
He had 3 wives that I know of: Julia Knoth, Laura Bell Lynd
and Sarah Elizabeth Holt.
His children were (not sure which children go with which
mother):
Charles Augustus Smith b. 1877 Palouse, Whitman
Co., Washington died 1958 Sand Point, Idaho
Elbert Hazen Smith b. 1885
"
"
"
Walter Monroe Smith b. 1886 "
"
died 1950 Eugene, Oregon
Ethel L. Smith b. 1888
Spokane, Washington
Lenn James Smith b. 1890
Palouse, Whitman Co., Washington died 1944 Monmouth, Oregon
Vernon J. Smith b. 1892
"
"
died 1896
Mabel Lorenda Smith b. 1894 "
"
died 1958 Redmond, Oregon
Floyd Dewey Smith b. 1898 Absarokee,
Montana
died 1979 Wasilla, Alaska
Lyle Theodore Smith b. 1902
Lamonte, Oregon
died 1985 Redmond, Oregon
Marvin Loren Smith b.
"
" died 1979 Eugene,
Oregon
If you
would like to make corrections or additions to this
Fleckenstein - Smith Information, please contact me