Person:Joseph Mullen (1)

From the book The Westfall Country: He was a little man, an Irishman as hard as nails and a veteran of the Civil War. It is said that when he came west, he drove a team of little mules from Missouri. He had a twinkle in his eyes. He lived with his daughter Addie in the last years of his life, passing away at 98 [age undoubtedly exaggerated]. He rests beside two of his boys in Westfall. In 1879 Joe & Mary Jane separated and he must have taken the three older children for in 1884 they were living with him on Willow Creek, some 5 miles from Malheur City.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} Joseph Mullen, in Oregon. Board of Health. State Registrar. Record of deaths, 1915-1947. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1998)
   State Registered No. 30, Local Registrar's # 15, 31 May 1924.

   Place of Death
   County: Malheur
   City: Westfall, Oregon
   Length of residence in city or town where death occurred: 12yrs. 9mos. 20dys.
   Date of Death: May 6, 1924
   Sex: Male
   Color or Race: White
   Marital Status: Divorced
   Date of birth: Aug. 18 1837 [changed from a previous value that possibly matched age at death]
   Age: 86yrs. 9mos. 20dys.
   Birthplace: Ireland
   Father's Name: Unknown
   Mother's Name: Unknown
   Usual Occupation: Farmer
   Informant: Addie Presley of Westfall Oregon
   Cause of Death: probably inanition-old age-no physician attending-40 miles from physician.
   Burial/Cremation: Burial
   Date: May 7, 1924
   Name of Cemetery: Westfall
   Location: Westfall, Oregon

   inanition- the absence or loss of social, moral, or intellectual vitality or vigor.
   Time in USA-73 yrs. 9mos. 20 dys.

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Oregon. Malheur County Clerk's Office.
   Unknown, Pages 1-7, 1924.

   Page 1
   Petitioner-Addie Presley named as Executrix of his Will.
   Joseph Mullen died in Malheur County State of Oregon on 6 day of May 1924 leaving a Will and an estate consisting of real estate in Malheur Count, Oregon a homestead entry of probable value of $500.00 and valuable for grazing purposes only rental not to exceed the sum of $50.00. Cash on hand $429.45.
   Deceased left the following heirs:
   Lee Mullen, son, age 52 years, Ontario, Oregon.
   Albert Mullen, son, age 50 years Salmon, Idaho
   Edward Mullen, Son age 45 years Westfall, Oregon
   Addie Presley daughter age 48 years Westfall Oregon
   
   Page 2
   A note of payment received of $5.00 from Mrs. Addie Presley to Edward Mullen from Joseph Mullen Estate.
   
   Page 3
   A note of payment received of $5.00 from Mrs. Addie Presley to J. L. Mullen from Joseph Mullen Estate.
   A note of payment received of $5.00 from Mrs. Addie Presley to Alfred Mullen from Joseph Mullen Estate.
   
   Page 4-5 Petition for Appointment of Guardian.
   Petitioner is Addie Presley. Children and heirs of Joseph Mullen are:
   Ed Mullen son aged about 38 residing at Westfall
   Lee Mullen son age about 50 residing at Ontario
   All Mullen about 48 residing at Salmon Idaho and
   your petitioner residing at Westfall Oregon.
   Joseph Mullen is a widower, he is in possession of 160 acres of pasture land valued $40.. and he is a pensioner from the US Government to the amount of $50.00-Civil War Veteran-per month. Joseph Mullen is very old about 90 years is feble in mind and body, childish and infirm. Needs proper nursing etc. He is in need of some suitable and competent person to look after his affairs and his personal needs.
   Signed Addie Presley.
   
   Page 6
   Addie was granted guardianship and at his death brought the account of his affairs:
   $1050.35 cash came in. $620.90 cash paid out.
   
   Page 7
   1924 June 3 balance on hand belonging to the estate $429.45 Reference number: WLOR006 Verified: YES

   Note in the heirs Alfred is not mentioned but he was paid the $5.00 from the estate. Maybe Albert was supposed to be Alfred??
   I am surprised at how few dates are on these documents. Also the lack of accuracy. On Joseph's death certificate he was 86 when he died not 90, names of his sons were inconsistent. I believe that the guardianship was petitioned for about 2 years before his death. We did not copy the entire file as it was over a hundred pages. We seemed however to have missed the page that finalized the estate and told who received it. I believe that it was Addie since she took care of him in the last months of his life and each of the 3 brothers were paid $5.00 a piece.

3. ↑ [1], in United States. 1920 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T625)
   Bully Precinct, Malheur, Oregon, ED 121, Sheet 2A, Series T625 Roll 1497 pg 46, 5-7 Jan 1920.

   Lines 3-9
   Line 3: PRESLEY, Oscar (head) rents his home male white 48 married can read and write born in Oregon father in Missouri mother in Virginia is a Farmer
   Line 4: PRESLEY, Mary A. (wife) female white 43 married can read and write born in Oregon father in Ireland mother in Iowa
   Line 5: PRESLEY, Omer (son) male white 19 single can read and write born in Oregon as were both parents
   Line 6: PRESLEY, Orville (son) male white 14 single can read and write born in Oregon as were both parents
   Line 7: PRESLEY, Iolar (daughter) female white 11 single can read and write born in Oregon as were both parents
   Line 8: PRESLEY, Clifford (son) male white 9 single can read and write born in Oregon as were both parents
   
   Line 9: MULLEN, Joseph (father in law) male white 75 WD imm. 1841 Na 1861 cannot read or write born in Ireland as were both of his parents is a farmer

4. ↑ [2], in United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publications M593 and T132)
   Union Precinct, Grant, Oregon, Series M593, Roll 1286 pg 349 Heritage Quest.com Census page 8, 22 Jul 1870.

   Lines 35-40
   Line 35 MULLEN, J. [G.] (27) white male Mule Packer personal estate worth $200 born in Pennsylvania
   Line 36 MULLEN, M. J. (20) white female Keeping house born in Iowa
   Line 37 MULLEN, A. S. (6) white female born in California
   Line 38 MULLEN, H. S. (4) white male born in Oregon
   Line 39 MULLEN, W. [T.] (2) white male born in Oregon
   Line 40 MULLEN, G. E. (3/12) male white born in Oregon Reference number: CNOR009 Verified: YES

   Probable conclusion: J. G. is Joseph Mullen, M. J. is Mary Jane, A. S. is Anna True, H. S. is Honora True, W. T. is William True, and G. E. is an otherwise unknown son, father uncertain but likely Joseph Mullen. The 3 older children were fathered by Thomas True.

5.   Rye Valley, Baker, Oregon, in United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T9).

   James Mullen [assumed to be an error and should be Joseph], age 37, born in Ireland, teamster, separated from wife
   son: James Mullen, age 8, born in Oregon
   son: Alfred Mullen, age 6, born in Oregon
   daughter: Mary A Mullen, age 4, born in Oregon
   
   There is a note after each child saying "with Father". Since the children are also listed with their mother in Clover Creek, Baker, Oregon in the same census (see Mary Jane Westfall's page), either they moved from her household to his between the dates the 2 census records were taken (hers 9-14 June, his 29 June), or the note is an error and should have said "with Mother". Apparently the children were living with him by 1884, so the former explanation is possible.

   The fact that G. E. Mullen is not included in the list of Joseph's children could mean that he wasn't Joseph's son, or (more likely, given the lack of other information about him) that he had died by 1880. Edward is also not listed here, but is in Joseph's will, so was probably his son and too young to be living with him.

6. ↑ He received a $50.00 US pension.
7. ↑ We did not find this tombstone in the Westfall Cemetery but he is on the list of the people laid to rest there.
8. ↑ His death certificate says he was born in 1837, but this is not supported by the 3 census records that could be found. The 1870 and 1880 censuses suggest a birth year of about 1843, and the 1920 census a birth year of about 1845.
9. ↑ The 1870 census gives his birth place as Pennsylvania, but both the 1880 and 1920 census records say Ireland. The latter includes his immigration year (1841, although his death record implies 1850).
   
   On the 1920 census, his son James L. gave his father's birth place as Ireland.
   
   On the 1900 census, his son Alfred gave his father's birth place as Ireland.