Pedigree
 Descendancy

John R. Hedley was born in 1867 in Michigan, the eldest of the two sons of James William Hedley and Mary Ulmstead Rorison.  After the early death of Mary, his first wife, James had two more marriages. His second marriage, to Harriet Wood, produced a third child, Mary Margaret Hedley, and a step-son, George Nickerson Hedley.  James’s third marriage, to Emma Hays, produced three more children, Frank, Ethel and Ralph Hedley.

In the early 1880s James and his third wife Emma and their family, consisting at that time of five children, moved from Charlevoix County, Michigan to Black Jack, Kansas, where John R. and James U. probably spent their teenage years.

By November of 1893, and possibly earlier, John R. and his brother James, in their early twenties, were in Butte, Montana, where their uncle, Anthony Humble Hedley, had been living for many years.  John R. and James U. apparently joined in their uncle’s enthusiasm for placing mine claims and conducting real estate transfers. The Land Management Database for Jefferson County, Montana shows land purchases by both John R. and James U. in 1893.

In 1896 John R. Hedley, age 29, married Laura Eleanor Fitch, age 25, born May 1, 1871 in Sheridan, Madison, Montana, the daughter of Lydia Amelia Day and Henry M. Fitch, residents of Ohio, who were married in Sheffield, Lorain, Ohio in 1861. Lydia Day, Laura’s mother, was the daughter of Julia Ann Root (b. 1805) and Norman Day (b. 1803) both natives of Sheffield, Berkshire, Massachusetts; however, they must have moved to Ohio before Lydia’s birth. The 1880 U.S. Census for Sheffield, Lorain, Ohio shows Laura, age 9, living in the household of her grandfather, Norman Day, age 78, along with her mother Lydia Day, 38, and her mother’s twin sister Mary Day.

By 1902 John R. Hedley, age 35, and Laura, age 31, had been married six years and had started a family. According to the 1910 census Laura had four children, although only three were living:
                 (1) John H. Hedley b 1902 in Montana;
                 (2) Helen F. Hedley b. 1903 in Montana        
                 (3) Donald Henry Hedley b. April 19, 1905 in Montana; d. June 1, 1989 in Wenatchee,
                       Douglas, Washington State

The 1902 Butte City Directory shows John R. Hedley living at 611 W. Park and working for the H.J. Blume Co. It is interesting to note that twenty years earlier, the 1880 Census for Butte showed John’s uncle, Anthony Humble Hedley, age 41, single, living in the same boarding house as Henry J. Blume, who was then 24 and employed as a painter.
In 1904-7 the Beaver County Archives show five land claims by John R. Hedley.

In 1910 John and Laura and their three children were living in Los Angeles.  Laura’s widowed mother Lydia Fitch was living with the family as was John’s uncle, Anthony Humble Hedley  whose wife Emma had died the previous year.  John R.’s occupation  was listed as “vacation,” and Anthony’s occupation was listed as manager in the Oil Wells Industry.

	relationship	age	marital status	occupation
Hedley,     John R.	Head	48	m1  - 14 years	none - vacation
Laura	wife	37	m1  - 14 years	(mother of 4 (3 living)
John H.	son	8
Helen F	daughter	7
Donald H.	son	4
Fitch,       Lydia	mother-in-law	68	widow	mother of 2 (2 living)
Hedley,   Anthony	uncle	68	widower	manager - Oil wells

Ten years later, in the 1920 census, John R. and Laura and their three children were living in Long Beach Township, Los Angeles County,  in their own mortgage-free house. John’s work is listed as “rancher,” working on his own account. Laura’s mother is still living with them, but Anthony Hedley is no longer part of the household.

      1920 U.S. Census for California State, Los Angeles Co. Long Beach Township


Apparently  John R. and Laura returned to Montana temporarily some time between 1920 and 1924. The Beaver County Archives show six land claims made by Laura E. Hedley in March 1924, and the 1928 Butte City Directory lists John R. and Ora F. Hedley living at 612 Park. John is employed as collector for Charles Steele, Realtor; Rentals, Insurance and Investments.
However, in 1930 John R. and Laura are again in the Long Beach Township Census:

       1930 U.S. Census for California State, Los Angeles Co. Long Beach Township

		age	age at first  marriage	place  of birth	father's  pl.of b.	mother's  pl. of b.	Occ..
Hedley,  John R.	head	62	28	Michigan	Can. (Eng.)	Can. (scot.)	none
Laura	wife	58	24	Montana	Ohio	Ohio

Laura (Fitch) Hedley, born May 1, 1871 in Montana, died April 21, 1955 in Los Angeles at age 84.  It is not presently known when or where the death of John R. Hedley occurred.