| Julia Ann Angelina Wanzer was born on April 8, 1868 or 1869 in Indiana. Her parents were Henry Wanzer, born in New York, and Weltha (or Weatha) Warner, born in Wabash Co., Illinois. The 1870 U.S. Census for Harrison Twp., Knox Co., Indiana lists the Henry Wanzer household which includes Julia A., age 2. The Wanzers are descendants of Jan Jansen Wanshaer, a ship's captain who immigrated from Holland to New Amsterdam (New York City) in the 1640's. |
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Henry and Julia married on February 15, 1885 in Knox Co., Indiana and were the parents of eight children. Between 1893 and 1896, Henry and Julia emigrated from Illinois to Oklahoma by covered wagon and settled with their young family near Southard in Blaine County on land that either was or had been part of the Arapaho-Cheyenne Reservation. During the late 1880's, the Federal government purchased land from the Indians and, in 1889, opened it for settlement. In 1890, the Oklahoma Territory was formally established, and in 1907 Oklahoma was proclaimed a state by President Theodore Roosevelt.
Henry and Julia Mosier were among the pioneer homesteaders who helped settle the Oklahoma Territory and were present during the early days of statehood. During Alvion's youth, the Mosiers were farmers and raised cattle. Alvion described his early years on his father's farm in Oklahoma as difficult and discouraging, with hailstorms and droughts that ruined their crops. Nothing is known of Henry's later life, except that he died on February 14, 1943 in Enid, Oklahoma. Julia died on May 25, 1950 in Culver City, Los Angeles Co., California.
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