Biographical Information

Julia Ann Stevens

Daughter of Edward & Mary Stevens

From Coast to Coast





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  Julia Ann Stevens
Julia Ann Stevens was born November 1, 1847, in Leroy, Calhoun co., Michigan.   She died December 12, 1929, in Santa Ana, Orange,California.  

Julia's parents were Edward & Mary (Springer) Stevens.  She was the youngest of seven children.

Julia Stevens first married Eugene P. Fish, son of Silas & Rebecca Fish, November 10, 1864. They were married in Bedford, Calhoun, Michigan while Eugene was on furlough during the Civil War.  Lorenzo Fish & Abner June were witnesses.  Julia Ann and Eugene were later divorced sometime between 1873 & 1880.  According to family recollections, Julia left Eugene because he was rough and cruel.  After the death of her daughter, Mary Fish, she took the two boys and fled to California.
[Date of divorce is estimated since the birth of their third child, Robert Fish, is 1873 and Eugene is later listed as 'Divorced' in the 1880 MI census while living with his mother and stepfather.]

Julia had two other children by her 2nd husband, Louis Schlesinger, a common-law marriage.  Louis was a clairvoyant or "medium" who communed with the spirit world.  Julia and Louis lived in a radical vegetarian colony (or commune), the Societes Fraternitas, in what is now Placentia, California, 1879 to 1883, then moved to the San Francisco Bay area.  They were strongly suspected of abscounding with all the funds of the commune because all the money disappeared at the same time that they left the colony.

In San Francisco, Julia published a newspaper, The Carrier Dove, from 1883 to 1893.  She wrote a book, Workers in the Vineyard, and ran a printing shop where she hired a young woman proof reader, Nellie Gorman, who later married her son, Milo.

After the death of her second husband, Julia Ann (Fish) Schlesinger married a third time to B. S. Garrison in 1907, Oakland, California.   B.S. Garrison was a partner in the firm of Garrison and Huddleston, in San Francisco, California.  At the time of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Garrison had the only Panoramic Camera west of the Rocky Mountains and was given special permission by the Governor of the state to enter the areas which had been closed off to prevent looting.  At the time of the earthquake, Garrison was a news photographer and Julia was a journalist.
[Family recollections]

He apparently deserted her as "A separation soon occurred and he has not been seen or heard from since".  [she wrote in 1926].

Julia is buried in Fairhaven Memorial Park, Santa Ana, CA, with her sisters, Mariah (Stevens) Fish, Amy (Stevens) Rolfe and George Rolfe.



  Porterville's Press - 12/2/1905
This article appeared in the December 2, 1905 edition of The Evening Journal, a San Francisco, CA newspaper.   It was written by Julia Ann Garrison.  The skip in the print [----] is due to a very poor copy in the newsprint and due to a fold and the age of the copy.

GREAT EXAMPLE IN ALLITERATION
JOURNAL CONTRIBUTOR EXHIBITS EXTRA ORDINARY KNOWLEDGE OF ENGLISH

PORTERVILLE'S PRESS

Peter Pencilpusher published Political Problems, Porterville's principle paper.   Patrick Patricks published Prohibition, Porterville's prohibition party paper.   Peter paid printers, pressmen, proofreaders princely payments - principally Porterville's prices.

Peters paper proudly, persistently proclaimed Porterville's prosperous position; peaceful prospects; plenteous producticus - principally potatoes, peaches, pears, plums, parsnips, parsley, prunes, pickles, peanuts, peppers, pomegranates, pieplant, persimmons, pearmains, pork-packing, pickeling, preserving, prospective possibilities premeditated.

Political Problems puffed prominent people, pushed promising prospects, patronized particular party politicians, preferred pacific political policy platforms, promising profitable positions, procuring public places.  Peter's Political policemen, perfidious politicians, pettifogging publicans, profligates, "promoters".

Patrick printed pithy, pointed paragraphs proclaiming Prohibition's political policy perfect, protecting private property, plain people, prominent persons, pulpit, platform, press; proscribing polluting public places; pronouncing Prohibition's policy perfecting plain, politically practicable, protecting public possessions, public productions; preventing panics, promoting peace, producing plenty, power, progress, perfection.

Patrick's paper - Prohibition - proclaimed Peter's paper - Political Problems - presented political policies, pampered popular persons, promoted pilfering poor, plodding people - pretending protection, pacifying protests.  Paying "promoters" public possessions, presenting puzzling problems producing panic.

Peter's paper published protests pronouncing Patrick's paper - Prohibition - pernicious, puerile, pretentious, portraying pugnacious procclivities, politically presumptive, practically, powerless, presenting paralogism, presumably paying Patrick's pockets plentiful profits, procuring public printing pledges pending political proportionment, preferment, public patronage.  Peter proclaimed Patrick's prohibition pretensions pertaining purifying politics perfectly peccant, possibly producing panic, political pandemoniom, preventing pacificatory propositions; prejudicial, perverting popular policies, protessions, previous practices; producing poertentious, pessimestic pitiful predicaments.

Patrick patiently, particularly perused Peter's proclamations pertaining Prohibition's policy.  "Prevarative, preposterous", protested Patrick.

Pending preparing proper preliminary punitive proceedings, Patrick plied pungent pen properly, probing Peter's private past pitilessly, provoking public prattle plentifully.

Patrick printed Peter's picture portraying Peter playing poker.  Pretending Peter patronized poolrooms, packed polling places, played polo ponies, probably practiced polygamy; paid private police protection, procured pistol permit presumably premeditating puncturing Patrick's physical proportions.

Peter's patience practically petered perusing Patricks profuse pyro---------- ------------------provoking--------------------------.  Peter proclaimed Patrick's peculiar proselyting propaganda pernicous, pestiferous, prestidigitating people perditionward.  Peter pronounced Patrick's persistence preposterous, parading presuming presidential possibilities, preventing prosecuting purseproud public pirates practising profuse prodigality pertaining public property, prescribing policemen "punching" petty pilfers, punishing poachers, protecting prize pummellers.   Peter's penetrability perceived Patrick paying priests precautionary penance potentially pallating prosepctive Purgatory's pangs.  Peter proposed "Princely Prevaricator" Patrick's proper pseudonym.  Porterville's prominent patriarchs pleaded peaace, pledging Porterville's press perpetual patronage provided permanent pacific policies prevailed possessing profound principals, peaceful partisansip, promoting Porterville's prestige preeminence, popularity.   Provided particular party proved pestiferous, perverse preventing peaceful proposition Porterville's populace proposed perverse party pack partmanteau, put pellmell.   Peter promptly pidgeonholed Porterville's protect pleading, pressing political preceeding positively prevented prompt, pertinent promises.  Patrick's precaution, personal pride, profuse persiflage pervailed.  Peter promised propriety, proposed perpetual partnership panacea, published polished panegyric presetnted Patrick's pure patriotism, profound piety, personal perfection.   Patrick politely palavered pertaining Porterville's popular partnership paper - Prohibition Problems.




  Coast-2-Coast Movement:   Census tracking

1850 - Leroy twp, Calhoun co, Michigan   [Age 2]
Julia Ann Stevens, age 2, is living with her parents, Edward & Mary Stevens, and brothers and sisters, John (22), Anson (20), Mariah (15), Affa (13), Amy (7) and Charles (5).

Located three farms down from the Stevens' farm is the farm of Silas Fish and family, where Eugene Fish (12) is located.

The farm located next to Edward Stevens is the family of Orlando Rolf.   George Rolf (1) later becomes the 3rd husband of Julia's older sister, Amy.

[Census page 113, LDS Film# 014 810]

1860 - Dayton twp, Iowa co, Iowa   [Age 12]    (7/12/1860)
Julia A. Stephens, age 12, is living with her parents, Edward & Mary Stephens, and brother, Charles (15).

Located next to Edward's farm is the farm of Anson Stephens and family.   Anson is the older brother of Julia.

[Census page 93, LDS Film# 803 325]

1860 - English twp, Iowa co, Iowa   [Age 12]    (6/20/1860)
Julia A. Stephens, age 12, (born in Michigan), is listed on the Fourd farm.   This is an interesting record.  Julia's older sister, Amy Ruth Stevens, fist married William Ford in 1858 (Millerburg, IA).  The Post Office for the English township is listed as Millerburg.  The Fourd farm was enumerated three weeks prior to the Dayton twp census.  It is quite possible that Julia was visiting with her sister, or even assisting with the care of the 8-month old baby, Effa Fourd, and in effect was recorded twice during the census year.   Emma Fourd is age 18 and born in Ohio.  This matches the information for Amy Stevens during the 1850 census.

[Census page 57, LDS Film# 803 325]

1870 - Clinton Twp, Jasper co, Iowa   [Age 22]
Julia (Stevens) Fish (22), is with her husband, Eugene Fish (30), and their son Milo Fish (3).  They are living on the farm of Charles Stevens (25), Julia's older brother.  Eugene is listed as "Farm Laborer" while Julia is "Keeping House".

[Census page 195R, LDS Film# 545 883]

1880 - Anaheim Twp, Los Angeles co, California   [Age 33]
Julia Fish (33), along with her two sons, Milo Fish (13) and Robert Fish (6), are living on the Heinde farm.  There are a total of 18 persons listed among three families.   Julia is listed as a "Dressmaker".   Julia is divorced at this time from Eugene, who is still living in Michigan.   Also living on the Heinde farm (and listed before Julia) is Louis Schlesinger (45), listed as a "Spiritual Medium". They are both listed as being Married for the census that year.   Louis and Julia had a commonlaw marriage.

[Census page 292A, LDS Film# 1 254 067]

1920 - Santa Ana Twp, Orange co, California   [Age 72]
Julia Fish (72), is living in the household of her son, Louis A. Schlesinger (38).   Louis is listed as a Theatrical Manager for a Picture House.  His wife, Rubie H. Schlesinger (39), works as Ticket Sales for a Picture House.   Also listed are their two daughters, Lorie Schlesinger (14) and Estelle Schlesinger (9).

[Census page 3A, Enum. Distr 84, LDS Film# 1 820 124]




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