Examiner should be particular to have affiants sign on the line next below the closing words of their dispositions so as to leave little or no space between your signatures and the end of their dispositions.

 Deposition, A.

 Case of Anna Sherson, widow number 366319.

On the 17th day September 1897 at Seattle, County of King, State of Washington, before me, Charles Whitehead, a special Examiner of the pension office, personally.  Anna Sherson, who being by me first duly sworn to answer truly all interrogatories propounded to her during a special examination of aforesaid pension claim deposes and says:

Her age is 41, and my post office address is number 121 Harrison St, Seattle, Washington.  I am keeping house for my eldest girl and have a couple of boarders as an occupation.  My daughter whose house I keep is a bookkeeper.

I am the claimant in pension claim number 366319 as the widow of Samuel Sherson or if he was known in the Army Sampson Skjrson it was a private in company B.  27th Iowa infantry volunteers.

His name spelled in the Norwegian language was Sampson Skirson but it became anglicized after his discharge from the Army and he became generally known as Sam Sherson.  I married him as Sherson and did not know that he had changed the name or the spelling of it until I saw his army badge.

I am an applicant for pension under the act of June 27, 1890 for myself and four minor children.  Three only were alive when I applied under the new law, but I had four living when my husband died.  I was never divorced.

I had not remarried since the death of my husband's Sampson Sjurson.  I was born in Sweden.  There's some information left out here that I need to get verified.

I first became acquainted with Sampson Sjurson at my father's house in Omaha in 1873.  He came from Rawlins Wyoming with a letter of introduction to my father.  He had been working in the yard at Rawlins Wyoming two or three years.  He was 27 years of age when we became acquainted and a month after he came we were married.  He told me that his former home had been New Galena, Iowa.  Also Dubuque Iowa.  I do not remember hearing him say that he had been at any other places.  He was a farmer when he enlisted at New Galena Iowa.

I do not know the names or whereabouts of his parents or relatives.  The only two names I remember his mentioning were his mother Martha and his sister named Olena.  They were in the old country.  He had, I think some relatives of Iowa, but I do not know where.  He stated that he had never been married.  He left no papers, not even a scrap to show who he was, where he came from or who his connections were.  I never saw any of his relatives for he had no correspondence with them.  He was a mere boy when he enlisted and had not been long in this country from Norway.

I went out to Rawlins Wyoming to be married.  Was only between 16 and 17 years old.  I went out to visit my brother and sister at Rawlins, Wyoming.  I was married there by a Justice of the Peace, a certificate of marriage has been furnished in this case.

After marriage we lived at Rawlins Wy until the latter part of 1879 when I moved to Omaha and he continued to work at Rawlins as a locomotive engineer until 1881 then he went to Sacramento Cal. and ran an engine for the Central Southern Pacific on a short branch road there.  Then I joined him in California in 1881.  He lost his position and I was sent back to my people in Omaha.  He staid in San Francisco about a year and a half then he went to Leavenworth Kansas and ran a switch engine there until he died.  I never lived with my husband again after I left him in Sacramento CA in 1882.  We never separated by divorce or otherwise.  He never got a divorce.  I was about to rejoin him to live with him in Leavenworth Kansas when he was taken sick and died.  He died June 22^nd 1886.  It was stated that he died of heart failure.  He died seated in the Court House Yard in Leavenworth Kansas.  I was telegraphed for but he was buried before I got down there from Omaha Neb where I was living with my people.

We had 4 children.  All were alive and under the age of 16 years at the time of his death.

I have no record showing the dates of birth of my children.  Their births were never recorded in any way.  The three eldest children were born in Rawlins Wyoming, where there was little settlement in those early days.   The eldest child Martha died before this claim was filed so that I do not claim pension on her account.  The minor children for (two of) whom I was now claiming pension were born as follows:

Nellie, born May 17^th 1876 in Rawlins WY
Mildred, born August 18, 1879 in Rawlins WY
S. James, born May 29, 1881, born in Omaha Neb.

I give the dates of birth of these children by memory.  All three live here with me.   Now that my attention is called to the fact that my original declaration mentions only two minor children and these being Mildred and S. James, I will correct this declaration so as to include these two only as Nellie was over the age of 16 years when I filed this claim under the new law.  As proof of the date of births of each of my children I will offer as witnesses my sister Mrs. J. D. Gardner, Seattle; also Mrs. N. W. Craig 121 Butler St., San Francisco, my father James Johnson and Helen Johnson, his wife, my stepmother, 27^th Ave. and Half Harwood St., Omaha Nebraska.  I have no midwife or doctor testimony to offer as I do not recall the names of them being in attendance on either occasion.

At the time of the death of my husband June 22^nd 1886 I was living in Omaha working in a Laundry Office.  He left me no property whatever.  We lived me and my children in two rooms.  I continued to live in Omaha Nebraska.  We had rooms on 17^th near California St., with a Mrs. Alice Barrett wife of Mr. Cassius Barrett a Pullman conductor.  We staid there until 1890 then I moved to Helena Mont to find work in a laundry.  I was head laundress at the Broadwater Hotel until I moved from Helena Mont about 3 years ago to Seattle Washington, where I now reside.  I have not remarried or cohabitated with any man as his wife but have worked to support my children respectably.

The only evidence I can offer to satisfy the questions of identity is a small photography, which I understood was taken in 1873.  I do not recognize the names of any of the comrades on the list as having been associates of my husband in service or before, as he was a very reticent and secretive sort of man and said little or nothing about himself. He destroyed all of his old papers and left nothing by which I could trace him to to his kindred.

Now I think of it I recall the names of two neighbors who knew me and were present when the boy S. James Sherson was born.  One was Mrs. Allison a widow who kept a boarding house on 16th North of Leavenworth St., Omaha Neb.  Mrs. Burkhart whose husband was I think a machinist.  Also Mrs. Annie or Hannah Whitson last I knew of her she was a clerk in the Union Pacific General Office Omaha.  These are all the references outside of the relations I have mentioned heretofore who can testify in regard to birth of children. I cannot refer to any witness here in Seattle except my sister Mrs. Clarence.  And to none in Helena.  I will refer to Dr. Keim a doctor in Omaha as one who knew me and my way of life while I lived in Omaha Neb. After separation or death of my husband.  Dr. Keim roomed in the same house I did several years.

I reaffirm the statement that the photograph I now introduce in this case is that of my husband Sampson Skerson of Co. B 27^th Iowa Inft Vol. I have near around my property since my husband died.

I have made a full and complete statement mentally reserving nothing concerning this case.  I have heard this read.  My answers to questions are correctly recorded.

Anna Sherson

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 17^th day of Sept. 1897, and I certif. that the contents were fully made know to deponent before signing.  Charles Whitehead, special Examiner.