John Jepson

Francis    Alnathan    Pierce    John, Jr.

John Ludvig was Peter and Lovisa’s second son.  He was born on December 6, 1873 in North Bend, Oregon, on the Pacific coast at Coos Bay.  He was three when the family moved back to Sweden and seven when his mother died.  The following April, 1881, he, with his father, two brothers and oldest sister returned to the United States.  This time they came to Saunders County, Nebraska to live on a farm west of Mead.

John was about 26 when he left Nebraska to make North Dakota his home sometime around 1900.  Two of his brothers, Andrew and Frank, were already living in the western part of the state.  By late summer, 1909 he was operating City Livery, a feed and sale stable in Beach, North Dakota.  Beach is the last town in the western end of the state before crossing the Montana boarder.  Today the Interstate that crosses the state east-west goes along the north side of Beach.

From August 27, 1909 through December 20, 1912 the following ad appeared in the Beach Advance newspaper:

City Livery

Feed and Sale Stable

J.L.Jepson             Proprietor

Your patronage solicited.  Prices

are reasonable and good accomoda-

tions are provided.  Horses bought and sold BEACH, N.D.

According to the 1910 census John was living in a boarding house in Beach.  His brother Albert was living there also.  Soon after the census was taken, John married Anna Gleddie.  Francis Gleddie, the first of their four sons was born on July 8, 1911.  Alnathan Lenard was born on October 17, 1912.  Exactly one year later, October 17, 1913, a third son, Pierce Stanley was born.

When the 1915 North Dakota state census was taken, John and Anna and their three sons were still living in Beach.  But soon after that John turned his livery stable business over to his youngest brother, Albert, and the family moved to the west coast.  Apparently they spent some time in Washington.  Their fourth son, John Lewis, Jr. was born in that state on October 9, 1916.  

By 1925 John had moved the family to the Eugene, Oregon, area.   By 1930 they were living at Elmira, Oregon, a village of about 250 population about 15 miles west of Eugene.  They stayed here at least until 1943.  John farmed for about nine years and then either sold or lost the land in 1934 in the midst of the Depression.  He went to work, first as a janitor in a high school and then as night watchman for Forcia & Larsen Lumber.  He remained at this job almost 10 years. 

In 1937 John again became a land owner when he purchased 136 acres.  They were still living at Elmira.  A few years later he added cattle to his farming operation.  

When the Jepsons first moved into their home at 1505 Lawrence Street they were on the outskirts of Eugene.  By the time John died on June 18, 1958, the city had grown out to and beyond their home. 

This is what the house looked like in early summer 1995

Anna and John, right, had this picture taken with their son, Pierce, and his wife, Lolettia. "Dollie".  Pierce is holding their daughter, Judith Ann.  The girl standing in front is Eunice, a child cared for by Pierce & Dollie.  Taken about 1944-45.

John was 84 when he died of a skull fracture in an accidental fall.  Anna lived until October 25, 1980.  They are both buried in West Lawn Cemetery, Eugene, Oregon.

Jepson

Anna  L.                                John  L.

1889 - 1980                          1873 - 1958

JEPSON

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