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In The Photograph (Left to Right)

Seated: Enoch, Elva, Ira, Nancy Ann Marks and Enoch Elmer Wimberly

Standing: Sarah Ann, Lealdes, Mary Ellen and Marion Orville Wimberly

Read more about this family below the photograph.

     Enoch Wimberly was born April 15, 1830, in Warren County, Missouri.  This was actually Montgomery County, as Warren Co. was not formed until 1833 from Montgomery.  The names of Enoch's parents are unknown.  He was raised by foster parents, Nicholas and Delilah (Fine) Shrum, who lived in Camp Branch Township, which is at the northern part of Warren County, on a narrow strip of land bounded by Montgomery Co. on one side and Lincoln Co. on the other. Little is known about Enoch's childhood.

Enoch left Missouri with Nicholas Shrum and his family in April of 1846 and traveled by ox-train to Oregon.  The following is an account of his trip:

     "Left Warren County, Missouri, April 16, 1846, with ox team, to cross the plains to Oregon.  Crossed the Missouri river at Roachport.  Buffalo in Platte country were more numerous than cattle in this country.  Crossed the South Platte to the south after traveling up it for several days, thence up the North Platte to Fort Larrime.  Up south side of North Platte several days.  Spent July 4th at Independence Rock, Nebraska.  This is an immense rock near Devil's Gate.  Here the train divided and five families constituted the company the remainder of the way to Oregon.  Nicholas Shrum was the captain of our train.  With the party were his brothers, Thomas and "Jack" Shrum.  Come by way of Fort Bridger, then to Fort Hall.  We crossed the Snake river twice.  Indians very peacable that year.  Had no trouble with them.  Immigration of '46 was the first to cross the Cascade mountains with wagons.  The Shrum-Wimberly party came into the Willamette Valley by way of the Barlow Pass, south of Mount Hood, first year that route was used. Got to Foster's, the first house this side of the Cascades, about the 7th of October of the same year.  Came to Howell Prairie, Marion County, seven miles east of Salem, and spent the winter.  Moved in the spring to the foot of Waldo Hills, five miles east of Salem.  Lived there till the spring of '48.  Went into the service of the Cayuse War of '47-'48, and served six months.

     "Went overland to the gold mines in California in the spring of '49. Started back to Oregon by water the 19th of August.  Left San Francisco on the brig Quito, and made the trip to Astoria, Oregon in 51 days.  Went from there to Portland in a small rowboat.  The fare from San Francisco to Astoria was $100.00, and from Astoria to Portland $20.00.

     "Remained in the Willamette Valley till the fall of '54, then went to Douglas County where I took a quarter-section of land situated on the east fork of the Umpqua river, under the Donation Law.

     "Was in the Indian War of '55-'56.

     "Married on September 3rd, 1857, to Miss Nancy Ann Marks, who crossed the plains in 1853 with her brother-in-law, Andrew Johnson Chapman (grandfather of W. F. Chapman), and his young wife, her older sister.  Also with them was the women's widowed mother, Elizabeth (Parker) Marks, who was born in 1801, while Thomas Jefferson was president.  She is buried in the cemetery on the Wimberly Donation Land Claim at Glide, having died in February, 1884."

     Enoch was a member of Prather's Spy Guards, and was mustered in at Deer Creek (later called Roseburg) on March 6, 1856.  He was discharged two months later on May 15, 1856.  Enoch was a farmer and as most of the pioneers, a hunter.  After his marriage to Nancy Ann Marks, he settled in a log cabin on a quarter section of land on the East Umpqua River.  It was here that their eleven children were born, seven of whom lived to maturity. A portion of their land was set aside for use as a cemetery, which is known as Wimberly Cemetery and is still in use today.

     In 1887, the Wimberly family moved to Roseburg where their younger children attended the local schools.  They settled on a two acre place in the bend of Deer Creek.  Enoch and Nancy Wimberly celebrated 50 years of marriage in September of 1907.  At that time, Enoch had been in failing health for two years, and on August 7, 1908, he passed away peacefully with his entire family at his bedside.  They said his passing was so gentle that he seemed to sink into the calmest sleep.

     Enoch Wimberly's obituary in the "Roseburg Review" reports, "Of the strictest integrity of principle, he ever endeavored to fashion his walk of daily life upon the imperishable precepts of the Golden Rule.  Of kind and generous disposition, nothing gave him greater pleasure than to bestow some needful thing for the aid or comfort of a neighbor or wayfarer along life's pathway.  His family and friends were the continued objects of his loving care, and his greatest regret at the approach of final dissolution, his mind retaining a remarkable clearness and activity to the end, was parting from his beloved wife, who had been his constant companion for over 50 years. Life's work well done, he leaves a peaceful and blessed memory."