WILLIAM NELSON WEBB	LAURA ETTA COOTS
1860 -- 1927	1862 -- 1946

 
William Nelson Webb (called Nelson) was born December 11, 1860 to John Paxson and Rebecca Boyes Webb near Millville. He was a sixth generation American and the first of his family born in Shasta County. He and his nine brothers and sisters went to the local schools and worked on the family ranch on Clover Creek.

Laura Etta Coots was born February 14, 1862 in Holt County, Missouri to Alfred and Leah Story Coots. After her father was killed by guerillas in the Kansas-Nebraska border fighting after the Civil War, her mother brought her and her brother to Shasta County.

Laura and Nelson both attended Clover Creek School but it wasn't until when she was teaching that same school that he proposed. Nelson and Laura were married May 22, 1884 and made their home on the Webb family ranch where most of their children were born. The four infants were buried at Millville.
 

Elmer Douglas	b. 22 Apr. 1885	d. 27 Jun. 1885
Winona	b. 14 Jul. 1886	d. 19 Jul. 1886
John Porter	b. 15 May 1888	d. 5 May 1977
Floyd Thomas	b. 24 Sep. 1889	d. 19 Feb. 1952	m. Vera Olive Wickert
William Jr.	b. 29 Jun. 1900	d. 2 Dec 1986	m. Ruth
Wilma	Lived two days
Bessie J.	b. 3 Mar 1891	d. 30 Jun 1891

 
When Nelson became manager of McCormick-Saeltzer's ranch he moved to Redding with his wife and surviving sons. Two sons, Floyd and William moved to the Bay Area, but John settled in Redding.

After Nelson retired from managing the ranch, they moved to a home on Pine street and Nelson worked for his son John at his foundry. He died September 26, 1927 and was buried in Redding Cemetery.

Laura was an active member of the Millville Rebekah Lodge, the Shasta Eastern Star, the Women's Relief Corps of Redding and the Shasta Historical Society. She died July 18, 1946 and was buried beside Nelson and her mother, Leah, in the Redding Cemetery.

Source:  Shasta Historical Society - Nov 1999