Wetherell

Aubrey’s father, Simeon Otis Wetherell was born June 30, 1854 in Mukwonago Wisconsin, located in south central Wisconsin.  Through history, Simeon varied his name.  He used Simeon Otis, S. Otis, Otis or S.O. Wetherell and Census also spelled it as Wetherall. He labeled a hymn book on December 24, 1899 as belonging to Otis Wetherell. The family moved to Carthage, Missouri during the Civil War.  Otis worked as a tripoli miner in Seneca, Missouri.  Tripoli is a siliceous limestone used as a polishing powder.  He married Alice Albaugh Dunham, age 20, on August 31, 1879 in Newton, Missouri.  Aubrey D was born August 22, 1887 in Seneca, Missouri. 

The family was Baptist when they lived in Missouri and later when they moved to Washington.  They were active in the Baptist church wherever they lived. Otis was listed as a Church Deacon several times throughout his life and Alice attended regional conferences held by the church.  Historical records show both Otis and Alice played the organ and started to teach Aubrey at an early age. 

The 1900 census indicates the family was still living in Seneca, Missouri.  Otis was working as a solutions mining engineer.  He indicated the work at American Tripoli was steady with short periods of unemployment.  Alice told the Census taker she had three children but only one survived.  Aubrey was 12 and attending school 8 months a year. 

Otis’s brother, Joseph Edward, moved his family to Pullman, Washington in 1903.  He came to establish a plumbing business in Pullman.  Otis and his family followed his brother in 1904.  Otis worked as an engineer at Pullman Rolling Mills.  The rolling mills made fine flour in a process familiar to a solutions mining engineer working with Tripoli.  In 1906, Simeon Otis Wetherell was also hired as a laborer by the City of Pullman.  He was paid $1.25 in June and $5.25 in July.  The work may have been associated with his brother’s plumbing contract with the city or as added income for a pending house purchase.  

Sadly, records of Aubrey attending Pullman School were not available at Pullman High School nor at Whitman Archives due to major gaps in their historical records.  She should have graduated in 1905. She was not listed as graduating in the 1906 or 1907 year books.

Otis purchased the E.R Windus house at 500 Dilke in 1908.  Based on old phone books, the two brothers lived a block apart in SE Pullman but not on the same street. In subsequent years Otis purchased additional surrounding lots to form a small farm.    

In 1910, the census reported the family living in Pullman, Washington.  Otis was 55 and working as an engineer at a flour mill.  Alice was 50 and not working.  Aubrey, 22, was a student at State College of Washington and not employed.  

In the spring of 1911, Aubrey graduated from State College of Washington, the original name for Washington State University, with a BA in Domestic Economy.  Her senior paper was titled: The Relation of Bacteria to the Preservation of Canned Beans, Tomatoes and Asparagus. 

Upon graduation, the Mabton School district hired Aubrey as a High School Home Economics teacher.  She was paid $900 and it never changed in the 5 years she worked for the school district.  Mabton, Washington is just west of Prosser, WA.  

In the spring of 1918, Aubrey earned a M.S. degree in Home Economics from State College of Washington.  Her thesis was titled: A study of the inhibitory influence of certain organic acids upon bacterial development, and their value as agents assisting in sterilization processes. 

The Tacoma Times, Tuesday June 25, 1918, reported New Food Inspector.  Miss Aubrey Wetherell has been appointed city food inspector.  She arrived in the city on Monday afternoon and took up her duties Tuesday morning.  In connection with her food inspection work she attended to the bacteriological duties in the city laboratory.  Miss Wetherell was a graduate of Washington State College, holding the degrees of B.A. and M.S.  

In 1919, Otis started to work as a shop tool keeper for the State College of Washington.  Aubrey was living in Tacoma, Washington and still worked as a food inspector for the city in 1920.  

In 1919, Otis started to work as a shop tool keeper for the State College of Washington.  Aubrey was living in Tacoma, Washington and still working as a food inspector for the city in 1920.  While in Tacoma, Aubrey met Bertha E Harris at the Tacoma Baptist Church.  Bertha was a general office worker for Wheeler, Osgood & Company.  The company made windows and doors. She was born on January 20, 1897 in Lawrence Kansas and lived with her sister in Tacoma. 

When Aubrey’s mother was diagnosed with a serious illness, she quit her job in Tacoma and came back to Pullman to help care for Alice.  She called on Bertha to come to Pullman to assist during this critical time.  The Pullman Herald in the June 2, 1922 edition had an article about the upcoming Community Vacation Bible School indicating primary students would meet in the Parish hall and Baptist church with Miss Ethel Baird and Miss Aubrey Wetherell in charge.  

Otis and Alice transferred the deed to the house and properties to Aubrey in April 1923. The cost was $1.   

Alice N. Albaugh Wetherell died June 15, 1923, age 63, in Pullman, Washington.  The primary cause of death was exhaustion from surgery for stomach cancer.  She was buried in the Albaugh Family Plot at Park Cemetery in Carthage, Missouri.  

WSU records of the Board of Regents of the State College of Washington for April 4, 1927 reported President Holland read a communication from Aubrey D. Wetherell, Secretary of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (w. C. T. U.) of Pullman, suggesting that the New Dormitory be called the Frances E. Willard Hall.  Frances was the founder of the World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, which influenced the history of reform and helped transform the role of women in America.

The 1930 Census showed Otis living with Aubrey and Bertha.  The house was valued as $4,000.  Otis  was 76 years old and still working as a shop tool keeper for the 

State College of Washington.  Aubrey was 42 and worked as a bookkeeper for a Pullman grocery and Bertha Harris was listed as a boarder, age 33, and working as a stenographer in an office at the college.  Both Aubrey and Bertha were active in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (w. C. T. U.) of Pullman and attended regional meetings.  

In March 1931, Otis Wetherell retired as a shop tool keeper for State College of Washington.   He suffered a heart attack in 1934 at age 79 and he died at age 82 on April 5, 1937 in Pullman, Washington.  The cause of death was declining health related to the 1934 heart attack.  He is buried next to his wife in the Albaugh Family Plot at Park Cemetery in Carthage, Missouri. 

Aubrey had a new house built on the lot next to the family home in 1938.  Its address was 502 Dilke (old address system) or 430 SE Dilke (current address system).  She sold the family house in 1938 and moved into the new house.  The Whitman Assessor described Aubrey’s house as a 1.5 stories, balloon build, and square house with gabled ends.  

The Census taker for the 1940 Census crossed out M and added F for Aubrey, 52, and crossed out boarder and wrote partner for Harris, 43.  Aubrey reported she had post-secondary education with advanced degrees and Bertha reported she had 4 years of college with a bachelor's degree. Aubrey continued to work as a part- time bookkeeper for a Pullman grocery with annual income of $780.  Bertha worked full time as an Administrative assistant to the Dean of Men, Carl Morrow, at the State College of Washington.  Her annual income was $1,200.  In 1942  Bertha received her MA in Education from Washington State University.  Her thesis title was “A method toward local enrichment in junior business training.”

The 1950 census reported Aubrey and Bertha as partners.  Aubrey, 62, was working full-time as a bookkeeper, but Bertha, 53, had changed jobs to work in her own business called Steno-Mimeo Shoppe in Pullman.  The shop made printed material for the public.  

Bertha Elizabeth Harris died at the home of Mrs. Alma Lauder Keeling on April 1, 1955 in Moscow, Idaho. Alma L. Keeling managed apartments on Deakin Ave. near the University of Idaho and lived in one of the units. History does not record the connection between Alma and Bertha before Bertha needed health care, but both were active members of the w. C. T. U.  In 1953 Bertha was paralyzed and the cause of death was heart collapse after being bed-ridden for 18 months.  She was 58 and was buried in the Pullman City Cemetery.  

Historic records show Aubrey changed jobs at age 70.  She started to work for a gain and feed company in Pullman as a bookkeeper in 1958 and continued to work there until she retired in 1968. 

In 1968 Aubrey, age 80, donated her house to the Biola Schools and Colleges, Inc. for $1 and continued to live in the house.  The Biola Schools and Colleges, Inc. allowed the donor to continue to live at the address and sell the house after the donor no longer needed it.  In this case they sold the house for $10.  The 1973 phone book lists Aubrey still living in her house.  Sally Burkhart remembers Aubrey regularly visiting the Wahl family in Pullman in 1974.  

About 1977, Aubrey moved into Paradise Villa Nursing Home, later called Aspen Care of Cascadia, located at 420 Rowe St. in Moscow, Idaho. On May 21, 1979, Aubrey died in Moscow, Idaho.  She was 91 and buried next to her partner (Bertha Harris) in the Pullman City Cemetery.