John P Staples (1813-1867) was born in York County, Maine. He married Harriett Elizabeth Libbey (5/14/1825-1/8/1905) 7/22/1843 also from York County. They had three children: Albert W., Ransom Roscoe and Harriet. All three children and John’s wife Harriett found their way to Orange County, California.
Ransom Roscoe (1847-1917) served as a private in Company I in the 7th California Calvary and lost vision in his right eye. He was discharged 6/31/1865. In 1880 he was found living with his wife and children in San Juan Township, Los Angeles (now Orange County). His occupation was listed-beekeeper. He died in a home for disabled veterans in Los Angeles.
Harriett Adelaide (1848-1920), age 21 is found married to Alexander Penney living in Vacaville California in 1870. The 1880 census shows the family living in Anaheim California.
Albert W Staples (1844-1915), the oldest son, was born in New Hampshire. He was found at age 35 as a single man living in Boston Massachusetts working as a blacksmith. Departing from Boston, he crossed the Isthmus by mule and sailed to San Francisco. Various reports locate him in Grass Valley, Nevada County, Tulare County, Anaheim before he settled in the Aliso Creek area.
He married Ella R Frame (12/7/1862-unknown) from Colorado. The Frames lived in Colorado in the 1860’s. they moved to San Joaquín County California. Ella’s Brothers, George and Albert lived in the Aliso Creek area 1870s.
Albert and Ella had two daughters: Anna “Annie” M. Staples (10/24/1881-1/15/1966) and Harriett “Hattie” Staples (1883-unknown) and a son, Oswald “Oscar” Harrison Staples (6/25/1888-12/25/1947)
At some point Albert and Ella were divorced. Albert did not remarry. In 1900 Albert was a laborer living the Aliso Creek area of Orange County. By 1910 he was living with the Cook’s in Imperial County CA. The Cook’s relocated to Anaheim where Albert died at age 71. He is buried in Anaheim Cemetery.
Ella married James Benjamin Kolb (1858-1938) in 1898. where they lived in the San Juan Township area. They later made their home in Fallbrook, California for 58 years. They raised Oswald along with their two children Leland Claude and Irene.
Annie and Hattie were on their own and were found on the 1900 census working as servants for Peter A Irenor in San Juan Township, Orange County. Annie married John Henry Cook. (See Andrew Jackson “A J” biography in this folder.) Hattie married Jonathan Franklin Kolb Jr. (1875-1911) Franklin was James Kolb’s nephew.
On 10/19/1910, Albert’s son, Oswald married Maude E Graham (8/26/1890-12/14/1918). He was 22 and she was 20. They lived in the Fallbrook area where their daughter Mildred Harriet “Toots” Staples was born. By 1912 they returned to Orange County living on Irvine Company one mile south of the Irvine Station. Their son Willard Gould “Bud” Staples was born in Santa Ana. Oswald would remain on the property for 36 years. Oswald was a tenant farmer, raised lima beans. The entire family caught the Flu during the epidemic of 1918. Maude did not survive, leaving Oswald with two children ages 5 and 7 to raise.
Oswald married Justine E McDonald in April 1920. He was 31 and she was 30. Justine had previously been married to George Henry McDonald (1/14/1879-4/11/1955) who was born in Nova Scotia, Canada. George and Justine were married on 1/11/1909 when he was 29 and she was 20. George was a bean farmer in the Irvine area.
Justine was active in the PTA when the children attended Irvine Grammar school. According to newspaper reports Oswald and Justine had many friends, stayed in touch with their families and Justine took the children on many outings. They were both avid bridge players. Oswald was also a baseball umpire at local games.
By 1930 Oswald and Justine had a houseful with his three children Mildred, Willard and Myford, her three daughters Olga, Vera and Neva and Leland Claude Kolb, Oswald’s step-brother.. All of the children went to Tustin High School.
In late 1936, Justine was declared to be mentally unstable and was admitted to Norwalk State Hospital. Oswald filed for divorce in 1/1937. Myford was 15 years old at the time. She was later released from the hospital and died in Santa Ana at age 76. She is in the Fairhaven Memorial Cemetery mausoleum with her first husband George McDonald.
On May 9, 1937, Oswald married Mabel Claire Tracy Ellis (8/4/1888-7/9/1969). Mabel was raised in Fallbrook CA. She married Lee Colby Ellis (9/15/1883-8/1/1959) and lived in Fallbrook where they had five children: Roberta, Margaret, Richard, Ralph and Norma. Richard and Norma came to live with Oswald and Mabel in Orange County. Norma attended Tustin High School.
Oswald Sr died at age 59. Mabel spent her last years in an apartment above the Irvine Hotel. Mabel outlived Oswald by 22 years when she died at age 76. They are buried in Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana.
The story of Oswald’s children with Maude follows:
Mildred Harriet “Toots” Staples (6/9/1911-10/7/1995) graduated from Tustin High School in 1928. She attended Santa Ana Junior College then Occidental College where she graduated majoring in physical education. She went on to do graduate work at Occidental. She became an elementary school teacher in Tustin. She married Robert Dean ”Bobbie” Windolph (9/25/1910-12/15/1988) on 6/1937. Robert’s family moved to Orange from Dewey, Cleveland County Oklahoma where his father was in the retail sales business.
They initially lived in his parents’ house while building a home in Santa Ana where they lived for eleven years before moving to Lemon Heights for many years before moving to Laguna Beach.
Robert attended Orange Union High School and Johnson Business Institute in Santa Ana and was employed as an accountant by General Petroleum Company when they married. Robert entered a partnership with his brother, Leo, to sell “Bu-Gas” butane and natural gas products of Standard Oil Company. The business name was “Windolph Bros”. The partnership was dissolved in 1946. Robert moved to the various sales positions including real estate and land development with partner Charles Greenwood. The two also partnered with John Siegel on a deal at 4th and Prospect. He served on the Board of the Tustin Heights Association with one of their goals being to keep North Tustin unincorporated, which it remains today. He also was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and involved with various citizen committees and supported numerous candidates for office. He was a member of the Santa Ana Elks Lodge.
Leasing land from the Irvine Company, they built and operated the El Morro Mobile Home Park in Laguna Beach and had a home there.
While living in Lemon Heights, Mildred served as a trustee on the Tustin School Board from 1959-1967. She was awarded the outstanding citizens award by the Lemon Heights Republican Women’s Club.
Their only child, Melinda Ann, went by the name Ann. When in school, Ann was an equestrian, showing her horse at many events. She was a member of the Girl’s League at Tustin High School where she graduated in 1960. She was also affiliated with the Ebell Club of Santa Ana. Ann attended the University of California in Santa Barbara. Ann never married and taught for a while at Mills College.
Willard Gould “Bud” Staples (6/14/1913-9/9/1995) was a Boy Scout and in High School he played football, baseball and basketball. He also played baseball in the South County League as a pitcher and fielder. He graduated from Tustin High School in 1931. After graduation he continued to play ball in the Orange County League. In 1935, he was picked to be on the County All-Star team with a .577 batting average. He was recruited by the Boston Red Sox until a career ending knee injury ended his career.
He married Martha Alice Wardlow (10/19/1912-/10/1999) on 5/9/1937. He was 23 and she was 24. Martha was the daughter of James Wardlow (2/7/1885-4/14/1971). James was born in California where his father, Robert Wardlow (1/30/1856-11/19/1933), moved his family from Iowa in the late 1870’s. Martha grew up on Talbert Road in the Huntington Beach area where her father was a blacksmith. Martha had previously been married and had a daughter, Elaine Margaret “Lanie” Oliver (6/3/1932-5/11/2012). They had a daughter, Judith and son, Willard. All of the children went to Tustin High School.
During World War II Bud worked at the Marine base. Later he and his brother, Myford, formed a partnership and farmed on Irvine property. They sold their farm equipment to help their father, Oswald pay for his medical expenses while fighting cancer. Bud later went to work for Maxwell and Wells as tenant farmer raising lima beans until 1970.
He served on the San Joaquin School Board for 28 years. He retired to the Bend Mobile Home Park on the Sacramento River in Red Bluff CA. Martha outlived him by four years.
The story of Oswald’s children and stepchildren with Justin follows:
Myford ‘Junior” “Jugs” Staples (6/21/1921-2/21/1996) attended Tustin High School in 1936-1938 where he played football and received honorable mention of the All-County League. He married Charlotte Anne Prothero (11/20/1921-2/21/2018) on 8/9/1941. Charlotte was the daughter of Ephraim Lorenzo Prothero (1/16/1877-11/6/1946) and Clara Elizabeth Carmicheal (3/13/1878-4/24/1955). The Prothero’s were early settlers in Orange County. Charlotte graduated from Tustin High School in 1940.
Myford enlisted in the Army on 10/6/1944 serving as a rifleman with Company G of the 32nd Infantry in the Pacific Theatre. He was discharged from service on 4/10/1946 as a sergeant. During his service he received the Purple Heart.
They had two daughters: Patricia Ann “Patti” (6/29/1942-unknown) and Susan who went to Tustin High School. Patti married Robert Osborne, a contractor, and they had three children. Susan married Gary Tarquino and they had one child.
Myford died at age 74. After Myford’s death, Charlotte lived with her daughter Patty before moving into a senior residential facility. Charlotte died at age 96. Both are buried in Riverside National Cemetery.
Olga Emma McDonald (10/9/1909-2003) graduated from Tustin High School in 1927. She married Theodore Byron Fellows on 8/23/1933. Bryon was a heavy equipment operator. His family had come to the City of Orange from Montana. Bryon died on 10/27/1943 in San Diego and is interred at Fairhaven Memorial Park. They had two children: Justine and Jerry. Justin married Robert Lunder on 6/11/1955.
She then married Kenneth Mellor on 9/1/1946. He was a carpenter and they lived in Costa Mesa. They moved to 2032 Cypress St in Santa Ana where he was an assembly worker for Brandon Manufacturing Co. They moved to Hemet where he died at age 87. She died in Contra Costa County at age 94 where she moved to be near her son.
Vera Kathleen McDonald (1913-unknown) graduated from Tustin High School in 1931. She married Dr. Ervin Watkins, a dentist and businessman. Ervin was born in Riverside. They settled in Laguna Beach. They were active in community affairs including the Lions Club and YMCA. They had three boys: Lynne, Warren and David. They had a second home in Palm Desert, California.
Neva McDonald (1913-1941) graduated from Tustin High School in 1930 then Santa Ana Junior College. After Junior college she attended the University of California at Berkley studying nursing. She married Robert Kirk on 8/12/1936 in San Franciso California. Robert attended Tustin High School and the University of Alabama where he graduated. They made their first home in San Francisco where he worked as an interpreter, and she continued her nurses training. His job took him to South America where she died from a ruptured appendix.
The story of Oswald’s stepchildren with Mabel follows:
Richard Colby Ellis (7/21/1912-7/3/1986) his wife Eleanor and infant son Richard lived with Osward and Mabel when the 1940 census was taken. His draft card dated 10/16/1940 lists his address as general delivery, Vista California. He worked in a Signal Oil as a service Station salesman. He married Eleanor Berlye Keller on 9/30/1933 in Yuma Arizona. He died in San Diego.
Ralph H Ellis (5/23/1920-2/28/2011) attended Oceanside High School. He married Gradys Mae Williams of Irvine on 10/22/1939. He was 19 and she was 18. Gladys graduated from Tustin High School in 1939 and was the daughter of Julius and Emma Williams. Her father worked on the Irvine Ranch. Ralph and Gladys are found on the 1950 census living in Costa Mesa where he is listed as a baker. At that time, they had two daughters. They retired to Port Townsend Washington where he died at age 90.
Norma B Elllis (1922-unknown) graduated from Tustin High School in 1939. About this time she participated in Beauty Contests winning the title of “Queen of the Sands” in an Oceanside contest. Her engagement to Harry Harvey was announced with a wedding planned for 2/1940.
She married Joseph Orvis Walker (3/3/1915-6/29/1999). Joseph came to California from Hutchinson, Kansas and worked at Lockheed Aircraft in Santa Monica California during World War II. They lived in Newport Beach in 1950 where he was a proprietor of a paint store. At that time, they had three children.
Created 7/5/2024. Researched by Vicki Gray, Judy Staples Siegel, Oswald’s Granddaughter and Susie McIntosh, Oswald’s Great Granddaughter.
