Martin I Prestlien

  Research Notes:

Summary: Martin Iverson Prestlien was born in 1887 Snowhomish Co, WA. He was the 7th child born to Iver M Prestlien and Kjersti Grue.

It is most likely that Martin traveled with his brother Simon and his family sometime in Apr/May of 1910 to the Armena area in Alberta. It's possible that Martin's father, Iver also came to the Armena area at the same time. Iver's father in law was my 2nd great-grandfather, Thore S Grue. It is also possible that Martin's brothers Michael and Nels, along with first cousin Melvin Prestlien came at the same time. Iver Prestlien had taken out a proxy entry homestead entry for Martin on 9 Dec 1910 in the Whitecourt Alberta area. Martin's address was recorded as Killiam, AB. Martin's brother Simon had taken out a homestead entry in Jul 1910. Simon's homestead was a few kms south of Amisk and about 75-80 kms south-east of Killiam. In early 1910, Killiam was the closest post office. Mostly likely Martin went with his brother Simon to Simon's homestead. Martin did not pursue the homestead in the Whitecourt area and thus the homestead entry was cancelled.

I am not sure how long Martin lived in the Amisk/Killiam area, but likely only a few years. Martin married Esther in Jun 1916 in Seattle. He lived a few places in and around Seattle - in he 1920 Census record he is noted as a shingler/sawer in a lumber yard.

Martin was killed in a motor vechile accident in 1933 in Lewis Co, WA, but his address was known to be living at Moclips in Grays Harbor Co. I have not found any evidence that he had children. It appears that Martin and his wife Esther divorced or maybe separated some time after 1920


Written by Rueben D Grue, 14 Oct 2023. All rights reserved.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



1. WA State Death Cert

- place of death as Toledo, Lewis Co, WA; age 44 at time of death - birth as about 1889
- father as Iver Prestlien; mother spelled as Christie Greue; with spouse ----- BUT certificate records, 'separated' as Esther
Death: 7 Apr 1933 (Family search)

Martin Prestlien - Toledo, Lewis Co, WA
age, 44 yrs, 11 mos, 18 days
spouse: Esther Prestlien [Esther Hartman]
father's name; Iver Prestlien
mother's name: Christie Greue [ likely a transcription error ]
"Washington Death Certificates, 1907-1960," database, FamilySearch [https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N35F-6NL : 5 December 2014), Martin Prestlien, 07 Apr 1933; citing Toledo, Lewis, Washington].

1. b. baptism: US ECLA archives; parents as O M Prestlien and Kersti; sponsors Nils M Prestlien, Sara Prestlien and John Ingebrigston



2. 1920 US Census - Coal Field Precinct, King Co, WA

- rents home - is a separte residence
- age 32; records as being married - no wife/children listed at this residence
- shingle sawer - shingle mill


1930 US Census - not indexed; not at Coal Field Precinct - scan on ancestry 03 Feb 2010
- death notices in the newspapers indicate he was a resident of Moclips (Grays Harbor Co - abt 100+ kms west of Olympia and a bit north) -- reviewed the census pages - nothing, 31 Jul 2017)
- not indexed (even with Martin Pres*)


3. US Border crossing -- March 1926; crossing, Douglas, WA - entering into the Canada

- Martin - age 38; works a shingle sawyer, company Hun...... (?) and it looks like Marpole, BC [column "Destination"; residence Sylvana WA; nearest relative ... ?? I. Prestlien (hard to read looks like Jack I Prestlien, or maybe Iver I, Everett, WA) - the second initial is definitively and "I" so it has to be a brother, not his father.
- this record does not say where he had lived or visited in Canada

BUT his age is 38 <1888> and single .... he was married in 1916 but it seems as if they divorced or she had died.


4. Death, 7 April 1933

-- Ancestry Public Member Tree - Fournier Family Tree - Ryan Fournier and Diane Hegseth [note that Hegseth family tree is no longer public - only her profile is noted on Ancestry]
-- two newspaper articles copied

- died in an auto accident - head on collison on Pacific Highway
- died Friday night at 8 PM a few miles south of Toledo, WA
- no inquest, no blame attached
- deceased - unmarried [was he divorced?], is survived by 5 brothers and 4 sisters (only one sister is named in the articles, Mrs Theodore Larson)

Also on: Chehalis Bee Nugget, page 4 (newspapers.com)
- also says he was unmarried, but survived by "five brothers and four sisters"


++ the above Public Member Tree indicates a marriage of Martin Prestlien and Esther Hartman -- WA Digital, King Co Marriage records has this; however, there isn't a way to verify Martin Prestlien, son of Iver M and Kjersti ---- BUT see above, point 3

----- there is no death notice on WA Digital for Esther Prestlien ** see point 5
+++ 1920 Census, Coal Field precinct, King Co, WA; married, but no wife listed
--- WA Digital marriage records: Martin Prestlien and Esther Hartman, 20 Jun 1916, Seattle

+++ BUT US WW I Draft registration -- dated 5 Jun 1917 - married However, doesn't identified name of wife, only that his wife is dependent on him
- born in Silvana
- address 2213 W 61 Seattle
- works as a shingle sawer
- medium height, medium build, brown eyes, dark hair


WA digital: death cert. Died 7 Apr 1933; auto accident; see his folder on myPC
- informant: Mrs Theo Larson, Everett-
- parents, Iver M Prestlien - and Christie Greue [sp??]
- note: in column for married, etc ..... 'separated' name Esther Prestlien

5. findagrave post, 14852698

- has the newspaper article posted.
- links to his "spouse" , Esther: note: Father Ture Hartman; mother Josephien Almquist
- her findagrave, 48666631; name: Eugenia Esther Hartman Root, b 1896 [likely Michigain since parents are buried there] and died 26 Aug 1944 and the post records death at Norway, Dickson Co, MI

6. 1911 Canada census: can't find him - or at least he is not indexed; 3 Jun 2023

- if his address was Killiam in 1910 as noted in the Homestead file [below], then he must have been working on some farm - this area is not far from the homesteads of his brothers, Simon [homestead entry 13 Jul 1910] and Nels [homestead entry 24 Jun 1912]; and I think at this time frame, Killiam was the closest post office, although other post offices were established in the next few years as the area became more settled
- it is most likely that Martin traveled with Simon and Nels in the early summer or late spring on 1910, that is, after 15 Apr 1910; from other research, the closest post office to Simon's place was Killam in early 1910
- the homestead file first says he was at Camrose, but written over was Killam
- IT might be possible that Iver, Michael, Martin and Melvin A all travelled together with Simen and Nels - this makes sense. They likely went first to the Armena/Hay Lakes area. Iver's son, Nelvin would have been about 10-11 years old and was living with Thore S Grue, my great -grandfather

----------- Alberta Homestead Index : SE Sec 22, Twp 59, Rg 12, W5th Whitecourt area
Iver M Prestlien took out a proxy homestead for Martin on 9 Dec 1910
- Martin's address was Killiam, AB
- but this was cancelled - a letter of 10 Jun 1911 from the Lands office wrote that Martin had not appeared before a land agent 6 months after entry and thus, it was cancelled

- this, land was then taken as a homestead entry by Adolp Moe on 31 Jul 1911 ^364,430,431

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Residence - 1920, 1 Jan 1920, Seattle, King Co, Washington, United States. ⁴³²

Martin married Esther Hartman on 20 Jun 1916 in Seattle, King Co, Washingon, United States ¹⁴².^,424 (Esther Hartman was born in 1896 in Michigan, United States and died on 26 Aug 1944 in Dickinson Co, Michigan, United States.)