WET MOUNTAIN TRIBUNE [WESTCLIFFE, CUSTER, CO], March 16, 1995
DEGREE RANCHES RECEIVE CENTENNIAL STATUS
South of Westcliffe, the DeGree family is celebrating being the newest member of Custer County's Centennial Ranch club. Robert and Jerome DeGree have been ranching in the Valley all their lives, as their father and uncle did before them. The DeGree ancestors first came to the Valley from St. Constant, Canada, near Montreal, in the mid-1880s. Augustine and Rose Anna DeGree's (Robert and Jerome's grandparents) ranch was first documented in abstract records in 1888, and the brothers said a ranch had to be owned for five years before the abstract could be obtained. The DeGree Ranch is located along Schoolfield Road on the Valley floor. Augustine and Rose Anna had six children, four girls and two boys and many of them lived in the Valley until recently. The last of the DeGree children, Sylvia Henrich, died just last winter. She was 98. Rose Knuth Vickerman was their oldest child. Her children are Myrtle Cody and John Knuth. Filiase was the oldest boy, thus the one who received the ranch when his father died. He had no children. Flora Beck was the third child. Her daughters are Gladys Ulsh and Edith Vickerman. Her other daughter, Rosemary, died at age 8. Edith Long was the fourth. She left the Valley when she married. She had two children, RoseAnne Ellis and Evelyn Webster. Sylvia Henrich, who outlived all her siblings, was fifth. She had one son, Bill, who is survived by his wife, Anita, who still lives in the Valley. John was the youngest boy and the sixth DeGree child. He was the father of Jerome and Robert (Gene) DeGree, who applied for the Centennial Ranch status. John's third son, John J., died over a decade ago. Several distant and not-so-distant relatives of the original DeGrees still live in this area. Augustine DeGree (whose original name was spelled Degre') was a miner, but didn't do an awful lot of ranching, his grandsons report. But their sons, Filiase and John, started the DeGree tradition of ranching. Since then, the family has put up hay and worked cattle every season. Filiase and John became ranching partners in 1929 and worked together until 1946 when they divided the ranch into two parts. When Robert and Jerome took over, they leased Filiase's ranch from him and then purchased the land when he died. The DeGrees will be honored at a Colorado Centennial Ranch celebration at the state fair this summer. There are now six centennial ranches in the Valley. A centennial ranch is one that has been in the same family for at least 100 years. Other area ranches fitting that description are the Brandenburg Ranch, Koch Ranch, Camber Ranch, the Kennicott Ranch and the Kettle Ranch. Robert and his wife Arleen don't have any children, but Jerome and his wife, Carolyn, have three girls all married to local boys but living elsewhere. Their daughter, Denise, is married to Vince Koch and they live in Cañon City. Jeri Lynn is married to Kurt Thornton and LeAnn is married to Stewart King. Both of those couples live in Fort Collins. Together they have given Jerome and Carolyn six grandchildren.
***"Reflections" article, p. 237:
THE DEGREE FAMILY. (As told by Mrs. Rose Vickerman). My grandparents, Augustine and Matilda DeGree, lived in Montreal, Canada, and were of French descent. To them were born 2 children, Augustine and Lucy. The father died when the son was 6 years old, and the daughter was younger. In 1872, the widowed Matilda and her 2 children joined her brother, Charlie Garvis, and his family and journeyed through the United States by covered wagon, until they arrived in the Wet Mountain Valley. The young Augustine had to work and help make a living wherever he could. As a young man, he worked in the Querida and Ilse mines. He finally made a trip back to Canada to visit his old home. He attended dances in the homes of his relatives and friends, but, being used to having a square dance caller, he had to learn to dance to just music. He met and married Rose Anna Gagne and brought his bride back to Colorado. To this union were born 6 children: Rose, Filiase, Flora, Edith, Sylvia and John. Many of the descendants of this family still live in the valley.
DEGREE RANCHES RECEIVE CENTENNIAL STATUS
South of Westcliffe, the DeGree family is celebrating being the newest member of Custer County's Centennial Ranch club. Robert and Jerome DeGree have been ranching in the Valley all their lives, as their father and uncle did before them. The DeGree ancestors first came to the Valley from St. Constant, Canada, near Montreal, in the mid-1880s. Augustine and Rose Anna DeGree's (Robert and Jerome's grandparents) ranch was first documented in abstract records in 1888, and the brothers said a ranch had to be owned for five years before the abstract could be obtained. The DeGree Ranch is located along Schoolfield Road on the Valley floor. Augustine and Rose Anna had six children, four girls and two boys and many of them lived in the Valley until recently. The last of the DeGree children, Sylvia Henrich, died just last winter. She was 98. Rose Knuth Vickerman was their oldest child. Her children are Myrtle Cody and John Knuth. Filiase was the oldest boy, thus the one who received the ranch when his father died. He had no children. Flora Beck was the third child. Her daughters are Gladys Ulsh and Edith Vickerman. Her other daughter, Rosemary, died at age 8. Edith Long was the fourth. She left the Valley when she married. She had two children, RoseAnne Ellis and Evelyn Webster. Sylvia Henrich, who outlived all her siblings, was fifth. She had one son, Bill, who is survived by his wife, Anita, who still lives in the Valley. John was the youngest boy and the sixth DeGree child. He was the father of Jerome and Robert (Gene) DeGree, who applied for the Centennial Ranch status. John's third son, John J., died over a decade ago. Several distant and not-so-distant relatives of the original DeGrees still live in this area. Augustine DeGree (whose original name was spelled Degre') was a miner, but didn't do an awful lot of ranching, his grandsons report. But their sons, Filiase and John, started the DeGree tradition of ranching. Since then, the family has put up hay and worked cattle every season. Filiase and John became ranching partners in 1929 and worked together until 1946 when they divided the ranch into two parts. When Robert and Jerome took over, they leased Filiase's ranch from him and then purchased the land when he died. The DeGrees will be honored at a Colorado Centennial Ranch celebration at the state fair this summer. There are now six centennial ranches in the Valley. A centennial ranch is one that has been in the same family for at least 100 years. Other area ranches fitting that description are the Brandenburg Ranch, Koch Ranch, Camber Ranch, the Kennicott Ranch and the Kettle Ranch. Robert and his wife Arleen don't have any children, but Jerome and his wife, Carolyn, have three girls all married to local boys but living elsewhere. Their daughter, Denise, is married to Vince Koch and they live in Cañon City. Jeri Lynn is married to Kurt Thornton and LeAnn is married to Stewart King. Both of those couples live in Fort Collins. Together they have given Jerome and Carolyn six grandchildren.
***"Reflections" article, p. 237:
THE DEGREE FAMILY. (As told by Mrs. Rose Vickerman). My grandparents, Augustine and Matilda DeGree, lived in Montreal, Canada, and were of French descent. To them were born 2 children, Augustine and Lucy. The father died when the son was 6 years old, and the daughter was younger. In 1872, the widowed Matilda and her 2 children joined her brother, Charlie Garvis, and his family and journeyed through the United States by covered wagon, until they arrived in the Wet Mountain Valley. The young Augustine had to work and help make a living wherever he could. As a young man, he worked in the Querida and Ilse mines. He finally made a trip back to Canada to visit his old home. He attended dances in the homes of his relatives and friends, but, being used to having a square dance caller, he had to learn to dance to just music. He met and married Rose Anna Gagne and brought his bride back to Colorado. To this union were born 6 children: Rose, Filiase, Flora, Edith, Sylvia and John. Many of the descendants of this family still live in the valley.
WET MOUNTAIN TRIBUNE [WESTCLIFFE, CUSTER, CO], March 16, 1995
DEGREE RANCHES RECEIVE CENTENNIAL STATUS
South of Westcliffe, the DeGree family is celebrating being the newest member of Custer County's Centennial Ranch club. Robert and Jerome DeGree have been ranching in the Valley all their lives, as their father and uncle did before them. The DeGree ancestors first came to the Valley from St. Constant, Canada, near Montreal, in the mid-1880s. Augustine and Rose Anna DeGree's (Robert and Jerome's grandparents) ranch was first documented in abstract records in 1888, and the brothers said a ranch had to be owned for five years before the abstract could be obtained. The DeGree Ranch is located along Schoolfield Road on the Valley floor. Augustine and Rose Anna had six children, four girls and two boys and many of them lived in the Valley until recently. The last of the DeGree children, Sylvia Henrich, died just last winter. She was 98. Rose Knuth Vickerman was their oldest child. Her children are Myrtle Cody and John Knuth. Filiase was the oldest boy, thus the one who received the ranch when his father died. He had no children. Flora Beck was the third child. Her daughters are Gladys Ulsh and Edith Vickerman. Her other daughter, Rosemary, died at age 8. Edith Long was the fourth. She left the Valley when she married. She had two children, RoseAnne Ellis and Evelyn Webster. Sylvia Henrich, who outlived all her siblings, was fifth. She had one son, Bill, who is survived by his wife, Anita, who still lives in the Valley. John was the youngest boy and the sixth DeGree child. He was the father of Jerome and Robert (Gene) DeGree, who applied for the Centennial Ranch status. John's third son, John J., died over a decade ago. Several distant and not-so-distant relatives of the original DeGrees still live in this area. Augustine DeGree (whose original name was spelled Degre') was a miner, but didn't do an awful lot of ranching, his grandsons report. But their sons, Filiase and John, started the DeGree tradition of ranching. Since then, the family has put up hay and worked cattle every season. Filiase and John became ranching partners in 1929 and worked together until 1946 when they divided the ranch into two parts. When Robert and Jerome took over, they leased Filiase's ranch from him and then purchased the land when he died. The DeGrees will be honored at a Colorado Centennial Ranch celebration at the state fair this summer. There are now six centennial ranches in the Valley. A centennial ranch is one that has been in the same family for at least 100 years. Other area ranches fitting that description are the Brandenburg Ranch, Koch Ranch, Camber Ranch, the Kennicott Ranch and the Kettle Ranch. Robert and his wife Arleen don't have any children, but Jerome and his wife, Carolyn, have three girls all married to local boys but living elsewhere. Their daughter, Denise, is married to Vince Koch and they live in Cañon City. Jeri Lynn is married to Kurt Thornton and LeAnn is married to Stewart King. Both of those couples live in Fort Collins. Together they have given Jerome and Carolyn six grandchildren.
***"Reflections" article, p. 237:
THE DEGREE FAMILY. (As told by Mrs. Rose Vickerman). My grandparents, Augustine and Matilda DeGree, lived in Montreal, Canada, and were of French descent. To them were born 2 children, Augustine and Lucy. The father died when the son was 6 years old, and the daughter was younger. In 1872, the widowed Matilda and her 2 children joined her brother, Charlie Garvis, and his family and journeyed through the United States by covered wagon, until they arrived in the Wet Mountain Valley. The young Augustine had to work and help make a living wherever he could. As a young man, he worked in the Querida and Ilse mines. He finally made a trip back to Canada to visit his old home. He attended dances in the homes of his relatives and friends, but, being used to having a square dance caller, he had to learn to dance to just music. He met and married Rose Anna Gagne and brought his bride back to Colorado. To this union were born 6 children: Rose, Filiase, Flora, Edith, Sylvia and John. Many of the descendants of this family still live in the valley.
DEGREE RANCHES RECEIVE CENTENNIAL STATUS
South of Westcliffe, the DeGree family is celebrating being the newest member of Custer County's Centennial Ranch club. Robert and Jerome DeGree have been ranching in the Valley all their lives, as their father and uncle did before them. The DeGree ancestors first came to the Valley from St. Constant, Canada, near Montreal, in the mid-1880s. Augustine and Rose Anna DeGree's (Robert and Jerome's grandparents) ranch was first documented in abstract records in 1888, and the brothers said a ranch had to be owned for five years before the abstract could be obtained. The DeGree Ranch is located along Schoolfield Road on the Valley floor. Augustine and Rose Anna had six children, four girls and two boys and many of them lived in the Valley until recently. The last of the DeGree children, Sylvia Henrich, died just last winter. She was 98. Rose Knuth Vickerman was their oldest child. Her children are Myrtle Cody and John Knuth. Filiase was the oldest boy, thus the one who received the ranch when his father died. He had no children. Flora Beck was the third child. Her daughters are Gladys Ulsh and Edith Vickerman. Her other daughter, Rosemary, died at age 8. Edith Long was the fourth. She left the Valley when she married. She had two children, RoseAnne Ellis and Evelyn Webster. Sylvia Henrich, who outlived all her siblings, was fifth. She had one son, Bill, who is survived by his wife, Anita, who still lives in the Valley. John was the youngest boy and the sixth DeGree child. He was the father of Jerome and Robert (Gene) DeGree, who applied for the Centennial Ranch status. John's third son, John J., died over a decade ago. Several distant and not-so-distant relatives of the original DeGrees still live in this area. Augustine DeGree (whose original name was spelled Degre') was a miner, but didn't do an awful lot of ranching, his grandsons report. But their sons, Filiase and John, started the DeGree tradition of ranching. Since then, the family has put up hay and worked cattle every season. Filiase and John became ranching partners in 1929 and worked together until 1946 when they divided the ranch into two parts. When Robert and Jerome took over, they leased Filiase's ranch from him and then purchased the land when he died. The DeGrees will be honored at a Colorado Centennial Ranch celebration at the state fair this summer. There are now six centennial ranches in the Valley. A centennial ranch is one that has been in the same family for at least 100 years. Other area ranches fitting that description are the Brandenburg Ranch, Koch Ranch, Camber Ranch, the Kennicott Ranch and the Kettle Ranch. Robert and his wife Arleen don't have any children, but Jerome and his wife, Carolyn, have three girls all married to local boys but living elsewhere. Their daughter, Denise, is married to Vince Koch and they live in Cañon City. Jeri Lynn is married to Kurt Thornton and LeAnn is married to Stewart King. Both of those couples live in Fort Collins. Together they have given Jerome and Carolyn six grandchildren.
***"Reflections" article, p. 237:
THE DEGREE FAMILY. (As told by Mrs. Rose Vickerman). My grandparents, Augustine and Matilda DeGree, lived in Montreal, Canada, and were of French descent. To them were born 2 children, Augustine and Lucy. The father died when the son was 6 years old, and the daughter was younger. In 1872, the widowed Matilda and her 2 children joined her brother, Charlie Garvis, and his family and journeyed through the United States by covered wagon, until they arrived in the Wet Mountain Valley. The young Augustine had to work and help make a living wherever he could. As a young man, he worked in the Querida and Ilse mines. He finally made a trip back to Canada to visit his old home. He attended dances in the homes of his relatives and friends, but, being used to having a square dance caller, he had to learn to dance to just music. He met and married Rose Anna Gagne and brought his bride back to Colorado. To this union were born 6 children: Rose, Filiase, Flora, Edith, Sylvia and John. Many of the descendants of this family still live in the valley.
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