Notes:
Data source is Esther Marie "Nikki" White. E-mail mnguthu@cascadeaccess.com
The information about this family was listed in Stella M. Mumma's notebook. For many years, Stella served as the secretary of the Mumma Reunion Committee. Reunions were held in the Harrisburg area in the early 1900s. In addition, Stella mentioned the following references:
File 37, paper 9
File 81, paper 1
Deed Book C., Vol 8, p. 341
Shoops Church Cemetery
From the Park County History book....
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John M. Charles (also known as Jack) was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Dec. 25, 1881. His mother and father were direct descendents of early Pennsylvania pioneers. His mother's grandfather established the Conestoga Freight Lines which operated between Philidelphia and Fort Pitt, now present day Pittsburgh. His family also gave the land now known as East Harrisburg for Shoops Church cemetary and the Mumma cemetary. Jack's grandmother (Mumma) helped to establish both the Farmers Market Company and the Chestnut Market Company in Harrisburg. the Old Star Independent Newspaper of Harrisburg was also among her accomplishments. It was the Mumma Mansion that later became the official residence of the Governor of Pennsylvania for many years.
In 1898, Jack rode his bicycle west from Harrisburg to Yellowstone Park, on his way to Alaska. Jack worked along the way and kept the money he earned in the handlebars of his bike. It was necessary for him to use the Northern Pacific Railway roadbed to move along. His bicycle broke down near the little town of Aldrich and that resulted in his remaining in Park County Montana for some time.
It was not until 1912 that he realized his life-long dream to visit Alaska. He worked as a packer for the United States Geological Survey Crew and had many wonderful stories to tell of his experiences there. He returned to Park County in 1914 and remained a resident until his death on July 19, 1969 in Livingston, Montana.
On February 18, 1915, he married Eva Marie Bowman, then a resident of Gardener but a native of Seward, Nebraska. Eva came to Gardiner at the age of 18 with her mother to join her three brothers. Her brother Earl became Chief Ranger in the Yellowstone National Park. Another brother, Alfred, became a carpenter forman for the Park service under the Deparments of Interior. Herschel worked as a guide with Gary Cooper at Mammoth while employed for summer work. Jack and Eva spent their honeymoon with another couple building the stone school house in Tom Miner Basin.
On May 11, 1916, an Army doctor from Fort Mammoth delivered twin girls to Jack and Eva. Lela (Mrs.Raymond Bishop)and Lila (Mrs. Raymond Hokanson) were the first twins ever born in Gardiner, Montana.
The people of Gardiner presented them with a twin baby carriage and the W.A. Hall company highlighted their yearly calender with the theme of twins. Eva Mumma (Mrs. Edward White), a third daughter, was born on September 9, 1917. She now resides in Eagle Creek, Oregon.
Mrs. Eva Bowman Charles became well know for her athletic ability while pitching on the Fort Mammoth baseball team. She and Jack enjoyed figure skating on the ice and fishing. Jack was a very skilled fisherman and he and his family spent many weekends camping and fishing in Yellowstone Park. Mrs. Charles passed away on May 16, 1941, after a long illness.
Jack drove eight-horse team freight wagons for C.B. Scott (early time freighter) in Yellowstone Park. He later drove stage-coach and sight-seeing buses for the Park. He then drove private buses for a Mr. Gray for special parties throughout Yellowstone. One of his unusual trips included being part of the party that took President Warren G. Harding in the back country by pack horse. He also worked as a mail carrier from Gardiner to Cooke City one winter and summer, making the trip by horseback. He spent one winter cutting ice in Tom Miner Basin and transporting it to Gardiner for the Harry Lloyd Ice Company by horse drawn sled. During the early era of the automobile, Jack drove trucks loaded with Elk and Bison from inside Yellowstone Park to Gardiner where they were loaded on the freight train for further shipment. He and his family lived in Jardine, Montana for about five years where he was employed as a hard-rock miner for Jardine Mining Company. When they moved back to Gardiner, he worked as a mechanic for the Pilger & Holm Garage and was a city fireman. In the mid 1930's, he operated a saloon (location of the present Two-Bit Saloon.)His last employment,prior to retirement, was driving the Conoco Gas truck that supplied Cooke City and Gardiner service stations.
John M. (as he was later called) moved to Livingston in 1956 and spent his remaining years with his daughters, Lela and Lila. Occasionally, making extended trips to Oregon to visit his youngest daughter, Eva and her family. He lived his final years in a rest home in Livingston reminiscing with friends and family about his life in Yellowstone National Park.