Family:Clifford McCarty and Cora Flaugh (1)

Parents: William McCarty and Emily Hamer Clifford McCarty b. 9 Feb 1873 Clifton, Iroquois, Illinois, United States d. 25 Jan 1957

Parents: William Flaugh and Sarah Bufkin Cora May Flaugh

m. 10 May 1899 Iowa, United States

Clifford and Cora May McCarty

From Echoing Trails: Billings County History Article Copyright © 1979 by Billings County Historical Society Photo provided by Eric Tenbrook.

Clifford Andrew McCarty was the son of William F. McCarty and Emily Hamer. He was born in Clifton, Illinois, Iroquois County, on February 19, 1873. Emily Hamer was born in England. On May 10, 1899, Clifford married Cora May Flaugh, in Iowa. Cora was born in Lynnville, IA, on February 28, 1876. She was the daughter of William Flaugh, who was born in Ohio, and Sarah Bufkin, born in Indiana.

Clifford A. and Cora May McCarty raised the following children:

Beryl, born in IA on October 13, 1900. Beryl married Peter Weisbeck in 1919. They had one daughter, Helen Beryl, born April 24, 1921. She now lives with her husband, Charles Curl, in Los Osos, California. Another child, a son, was born in Santa Margarita, CA, but died in infancy in 1927.

Dolly was born on July 18, 1903, in IA. She married Kermit King at Dickinson, North Dakota on May 23, 1925. Kermit, born in Clinton County, IN, was the son of Allen Wesley King and Martha Ann Gobble. Dolly and Kermit both taught school in Billings County in the 1920’s. They had no children. They now live in Paso Robles, CA, and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in Paso Robles on May 23, 1975.

Darlene, Dolly’s twin, was born in IA on July 18, 1903. She contracted diphtheria on the train trip to ND in 1906 and lived only one week after they arrived and is buried in Belfield, ND.

Eleanor, born in IA on September 4, 1906, married John Charles Fisher in Belfield, ND on January 8, 1927. John is the son of Joseph A. Fisher and Christine Tuhy. He was born near Dickinson, ND. John and Eleanor now live in Paso Robles, CA, and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on January 8, 1977.

John and Eleanor have two sons. Charles Clifford, born October 18, 1927, in Dickinson, ND. Charles Married Dorothy Miller in King City, CA, on November 9, 1951. They have two children, John Charles, born in King City, CA, on September 9, 1953, and Julie Louise, borni in Pocatello, Idao, on January 18, 1959, They live in Hollister, CA. Vernon Kermit was born in Dickinson, ND on June 14, 1933. He married Joan Beatrice Pratt on July 9, 1955. She was born in Mottingham S. E. 9, London, England on September 1, 1937. They have one daughter, Gail Lynn, born October 12, 1963. Joan died on December 11, 1977 and is buried in Santa Maria, CA. Vernon and Gail live in Santa Maria, CA.

William O. McCarty (Bill) was born in Billings County, ND on September 24, 1908. He married Agnes J. Anderson in Wibaux, Montana on January 14, 1935. Agnes is the daughter of William George and Alma (Olson) Anderson, Billings County homesteaders. William passed away in Paso Robles, CA on December 11, 1963. Alma now lives with Bill and Agnes in Paso Robles, CA. Bill and Agnes had no children.

Helen was born in Belfield, ND on April 27, 1912. She married Graham Tenbrook of Atascadero, CA on October 30, 1937. They have three sons. David Graham, born November 18, 1940, married Judy Ottinger on December 18, 1959 in San Jose, CA. They have two sons: Warren Kermit, born on October 18, 1960 in San Jose, Eric John born in Paso Robles, CA on July 8, 1966. Douglas James, born on October 6, 1942 married Maria Hathaway. They have two children, Carol and Willie, who live in Atascadero, CA. Dean, born in San Luis Obispo, CA on October 19, 1943, married Myrna Mansfield in 1963. They have one daughter, Jean Aileen, born in October 1963. They live in Medford, Oregon near Helen and Graham.

Clifford A. McCarty arrived in ND in October, 1906 with his family. They settled on the SW½ of Sec. 12-137-101. After proving his claim, he moved to Belfield and engaged in the real estate business. The children graduated from the Belfield schools. They lived in Belfield until 1924, when the family moved to the Badlands southwest of Fryburg, ND. Clifford had bought land in partnership with P. J. Cilly, Frank Smith, George Flynt, and Peter Jacobson to form the Pyrmid Park Ranch Company. The ranch was composed of nearly 32 sections of land, where they raised cattle and horses. Clifford and Cora lived on the old Matteson place south of the Matteson school.

The lack of Rain and crop failures caused hard times in the early thirties The United States government at this time purchased the ranch land under the sub-marginal program. In the fall of 1936, Clifford and Cora went to CA to spend the winter. There Clifford bought a piece of property in Atascadero, CA. On June 9, 1937, the McCartys left Fryburg with a truck loaded with furniture, followed by four cars, the Weisbecks, Kings, Bill McCartys, and daughter Helen. They arrived in Atascadero on June 16, 1937 to start a new life in a new state. John and Eleanor Fisher went to CA in November. Clifford passed away on January 25, 1957 and Cora passed away on June 16, 1962. They both are buried in the Paso Robles District Cemetery, Paso Robles, CA.

Clifford Andrew McCarty Family by Elizabeth Ward Kennedy Transcribed by Richard Hollenbeck August 17, 2003

Clifford Andrew McCarty, son of William F. McCarty and Emily Hamer, was born in Clifton, Ill., Iroquois Co., Feb. 19, 1873. In Iowa, May 10, 1899, Clifford married Cora May Flaugh. Cora, born Feb. 28, 1876, in Lynnville, IA., was the daughter of William Flaugh, born in Ohio, and Sarah Bufkin, born in Indiana. Cora's grandparents were Mary M. Kirk and Elisha Flaugh.

To the union of Clifford A. McCarty and Cora Flaugh McCarty the following children were born: Beryl, born in Iowa Oct. 13, 1900, married Pete Weisbeck, 1919. She had a daughter, Helen Beryl, born 1921, who lives in California. Beryl died in California, 1971; Dolly, born in Iowa July 18, 1903, married Kermit King in Dickinson. May 23, 1925. Kermit is the son of Allen Westey King and Martha Ann Gobble. Dolly and Kermit celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in Paso Robles, Calif., May 1975; Darlene, born in Iowa July 18, 1903 (Dolly's twin), contracted diphtheria on the train trip to North Dakota and lived only one week after the family's arrival; Eleanor, born in Iowa Sept. 4, 1906, married John Fisher June 8, 1927, Belfield, N. D. John Fisher is the son of Joseph A. Fisher and Christine Tuhy. Eleanor and John also live in Paso Robles. Calif., and have two sons. Charles Clifford and Vernon Kermit, both born in Dickinson: William (Bill) McCarty, born in North Dakota, Sept. 24, 1908, married Agnes Anderson Jan. 14, 1935, Wibaux, Mont. Agnes is the daughter of William George Anderson and Alma Josephine Olson. Bill and Agnes also are presently living in Paso Robles, Calif.; Helen, born April 27, 1913 in North Dakota, married Graham Tenbrook in California. They have sons David Douglas and Dean. This family is presently living in Medford Oreg.

The Clifford McCarty family arrived in North Dakota in October, 1906, one month later than the Ward and Morris families, probably due to their daughter, Eleanor being newborn in September.

When they arrived, they stayed with the Arthur ward family on their homestead until the following summer.

Clifford McCarty settled on the southwest quarter on Sec. 12, Twp. 137. After proving his claim, he moved his family to Belfield where they lived until 1924 and where Clifford operated a real estate business. In 1924, this family moved to the Pyramid Park Ranch in the Badlands which Clifford had bought, in partnership, about 1917 or 1918. This ranch consisted of 32 sections of land and was jointly owned by Clifford McCarty, P. J. Cilley, Frank Smith, George Flynt and Pete Jacobson.

In the latter part of 1936, Clifford and Cora McCarty, along with Rose and Shelby Ward, spent the winter in California, and at this time, Clifford purchased land in the Atascadero area with the intent of moving his families to that area. June 16, 1937, five cars containing the McCarty and King families left North Dakota for California. Clifford having sold his ranch interest to the sub-marginal land bureau of the government. In September of the same year, Eleanor and Jo Fisher and family also moved from Dickinson to California.

Dolly and Kermit King, Eleanor and John Fisher, and Bill and Agnes McCarty now reside in Paso Robles, Calif.