Alfred Ross

by Darleen Speer

A grandson of William and Sarah's, Alfred Ross, son of James L. Ross,
has
a biography in the 1926 History of Sonoma County, page 787, which reads:
"Alfred Ross
For almost three score and ten the farm on which Alfred Ross resides
has
been in possession of the Ross family, who have figured in the development
of California, particularly Sonoma County, since the time when the father,
James L. Ross, traveled by ox team across the long stretches of hot sand
and over the mountain passes to the Pacific coast. Alfred Ross was born on
the old family homestead near Forestville on the 26th day of January, 1869,
and is a son of James L. and Sophronia (Martin) Ross, the father born in
Indiana in 1830 and the mother in Iowa in 1839. The father came to
California in 1850 and when near the Nevada State line, with his brother
Losson and another man, he left the main party and walked the last one
hundred miles into the Golden state. He worked in the mines for about
seven years, and in 1857, came to Sonoma county and bought two hundred
acres of land, practically all covered with a dense growth of fine, big
black-oak trees, the property being located about one and one half miles
southwest of Forestville. He at once took up the tremendious task of
clearing this land, burning the timber in order to get rid of it, and
finally got the land into shape for cultivation. He carried on general
farming, raising potatoes, corn and grain, and here he spent the remainder
of his long life, secure in the respect and esteem of his fellowmen. He
died November 16, 1919, when almost eighty-nine years of age, and his wife
passed away February 23, 1923.
Alfred Ross recieved his education in the district school and remained
on
the home farm until he had attained his majority, when he leased his
father's ranch, which he operated together with nineteen acres of his own
which his father had previously deeded to him. He continued to cultivate
the entire farm until his mother's death, when the estate was divided. He
made many good improvements on the property, including the erection of a
fine home in 1890, a new tank house in 1905 and a large and substantial
barn in 1922. He has been a hard working man, in that he permits no part
of his farm work to lag, giving painstaking attention to every phase of his
work. The qualities of keen discrimination, sound judgement and every-day
common sense enter very largely into his makeup and have been contributing
elements to the material success which he enjoys.
On the first day of June, 1890, Mr. Ross was united in marriage to
Miss
Amanda E. Covey, a native of Sonoma county, and a daughter of Uriah and
Sarah (Purvis) Covey, the former a native of Iowa and the latter of
Missouri. They came to California in the early '50's, settling near
Petaluma, where they spent the remainder of their lives. To Mr. and Mrs.
Ross have been born eight children. Syva is the wife of T. J. Douglas and
they have five children, Eva, Merl, Evelyn, Thomas and Melva. Mabel is the
wife of F. B. Abshire and they have two children, Elwin and Marie.
Kenneth, a fine musician and teacher of piano, was married to Ada Hedges
and they have two children, Delores and Kenneth Jr. Ada is the wife of
Clinton Yeager and they have three children, Ross, Leeland and Freda.
Ellis was married to Helen Evand and they have a son Evan. Allen, born in
1903, died in 1921. Eunice and Freda are students in the Graton high
school. The family is well and favorably known in their community, where
Mr. Ross has spent his entire life as a farmer, his singleness of purpose
being of the strong contributing factors to his success."