Michelle Smith

11/ 17/2021 Ralph Waldo Bull’s Story b. Apr 27 1876 Arcata, Humboldt County, California USA d. Sept. 24, 1949 Orick, Humboldt County, California USA Buried: Sunset Memorial Park, Eureka, Humboldt County, California, United States Father to Catherine Bull b. 1/27/1917, in Aurora, Illinois, Married Dr. Wayne McKee, and Mother to Bruce McKee; and Marjorie Sprague Bull b. 6-15-1918 Oakland, California d. 7-15-1983 Sacramento, CA Married Marc William Johnson, Mother to Marcia Suzanne Johnson Ambrose & (me) Michelle Elizabeth Johnson Smith. Ralph Waldo Bull was born to Mary Jane Hunt (Bull), age 36, and John Clark Bull II, age 37. Birth Certificate is Ralph Waldo Bull. His mother Mary Jane passed away on February 25, 1883, in Arcata, California, at the age of 43, leaving his life at age 7 years old. His father, John Clark Bull II, passed away on June 24, 1907, in Eureka, California, at the age of 68. Ralph married Rose H. Troeger on October 16, 1900, in Hailey, Idaho. Rose passed away on October 20, 1909, in Arcata, California, at the age of 33. They had been married 9 years. After her death, he married Berenice Lucille Woodcock in Eureka, California in 1915. They adopted two female children, Marjorie as an infant in 1918 and Catherine as a pre-adolescent circa 1927. Ralph died on September 24, 1949, in Orick, California, at the age of 73 of a heart attack while on horseback surveying the cattle on one of his ranches. His Grandfather, Captain John C. Bull I, sailed from Massachusetts to California, then docked in San Francisco. My sister began researching in 2000 on ancestry.com and I found this entry: “Captain John C. Bull sailed to San Francisco, San Francisco Co., CA, with a stop at Monterey, Monterey Co., CA, as Captain of the clipper ship “Olga”. He moved family from Concord, Middlesex Co., MA to San Francisco, San Francisco Co., CA in 1850.” ... “Lost his right arm in an accident on his ship.” One of his brothers, Ephram Wales Bull, developed the Concord Grape...you may have tasted them or even drank Concord Grape juice. Here is the story on him .. [external link] OK, back to Ralph’s Father, John C. Bull II (Jr.), b. 1839 Boston, d. 1907 in Arcata, Humboldt County, California. The story goes that while living on the coast in Northern California, he found the financing to build a jetty so ships could dock in Eureka, opening up transport from San Francisco to Eureka and the surrounding areas. He made SO MUCH MONEY that when he died around the turn of the last century, my Dad said Ralph inherited a million dollars. Ralph owned the Humboldt Times newspaper (where he met my Grandmother. She was the Society column writer with a College Degree as a school teacher), he owned a meat packing company, a lumber mill, and lots of land with Redwood trees growing. I’m sure he logged many trees and sent them on to the lumber mill. He also became the California Highway Commissioner and was a friend to President Herbert Hoover. My cousin inherited telegrams from President Hoover to Ralph saying something like, “Will meet you at the old fishing hole”. He was at the opening of the San Francisco Bay Bridge (I had the invitation but I have no idea where it is now). I also had his photo on the front page of the Humboldt Times proclaiming the death of the Publisher. I was only 2 years old when he died so I have no memory of him but my sister, who is 5 years older than I, has vivid and positive memories of him. I’m sure he was quite a gent. He died in 1949 and my Grandmother lived until 1974. There were 5 of us who inherited about $100,000.00 each but it was all invested so there was no cash. Needless to say, mine and my sister’s inheritance is long since spent. I have been able to track back 21 generations of the Bull family from me, Michelle: Charles Frederick Bull Born 1325 and died Circa 1400 (at age ‎~75‏) York, Lancashire, England