Archives West Finding Aid

David Harvey (D.H.) Churchill was born in 1843 in Springfield, Illinois, to Willoughby and Elizabeth Jane Humphreys Churchill. He and three other siblings, Mary, George and Owen, traveled with their parents by horseback to Oregon Territory via California in 1851. His brother, Tom, was born on the trail, and his mother died shortly thereafter. His father remarried the next year to Matilda Price, and five more children were born to that union.

D.H. and his brother Owen Humphrey drove cattle from Texas to Montana Territory in the early 1870's. They established a ranch near Sun River. By 1875 D.H. owned a livery and feed store in Helena. That same year he married Mary (Minnie) Shelton Ransdell in Helena.

Mary "Minnie" Shelton Ransdell was born in 1854 near Sheridan, Oregon, to Shelton and Mary Elizabeth Brown. Shelton Ransdell, was born on July 4, 1828, in Warren County, Kentucky. Later his family settled in Illinois. In 1850 Shelton and his brothers immigrated to Oregon Territory and Shelton became the owner of a store in Sheridan, Oregon. On February 17, 1853, Shelton married Mary Elizabeth Brown.

Mary Elizabeth Brown Ransdell, was born in 1836. At the age of 14 she traveled with her parents, James and Sophia Brown, across the plains via the Oregon Trail in 1850. The Browns also had other children including Sarra, Jim, Joe, Nate, Maggie, and Nan who was born on the trail. Mary Elizabeth Brown Ransdell was 18 years old when she gave birth to Minnie. There was only four years difference in age between Minnie and Mrs. Ransdell's sister, Nan Brown (later Mrs. Buell). Minnie and her aunt became close friends and this family connection provided some help to Minnie later in her life in times of financial pressure.

Minnie's father, Shelton, drowned while loading freight from a boat to the dock, shortly after her birth. Mary Elizabeth Brown Ransdell remarried in 1861 to Edwin Harvey Lord and gave birth to six more children: Annetta (Nettie) Lord La Chappelle; Edith Lord Johnson; Charles Lord; Alma Lord Holden; Roswell Lord; and Richard Lord. The Lord family lived in Washington state. After Edwin Harvey Lord died in 1902, Mary lived with her daughter, Nettie LaChappelle, in Chelan, Washington.

Minnie and D.H. Churchill had five children. Their first, Mary, born in 1876, died at birth. Other children included Harvey Mae, born in 1878; Willoughby Shelton (called Bud or Buzz), born in 1881; David Albert (called Day) born in 1883; Lady Maud (called Lady, Tommie—for tomboy, and Lady Bug), born in 1886; and O.H. (Owen Humphrey) Elizabeth (called Aitchie, Elizabeth or Betty), born in 1888.

The family moved often, but always remained in the ranching or stock-breeding business. D.H. Churchill's particular passion was for harness-racing horses. D.H. traveled widely and spent a considerable amount of money purchasing horses and bringing them back to Montana. In the 1880's his estate was valued at $25,000. From 1884 to 1886, D.H. served as Sheriff in Lewis and Clark County. Around 1890 the family moved to a ranch site near present-day Ulm, between a bend of the Sun River.

D.H. suffered for many years from stomach problems. He described himself as a "dyspeptic". Records and correspondence confirm that he traveled to southern California, San Francisco, and Seattle for treatments. In spite of a creative array of prescriptions (commonly containing strychnine), D.H. died in 1893 while attempting to return to the ranch from Great Falls.

D.H. left his wife, Minnie, with four children ranging in age from 4 to 14 years of age, a large ranch, and stock. That same year the Panic of 1893 struck, and Montana with its investments in the silver industry, was especially hard hit. Many banks closed without promise of compensation for lost investments. Not only did Minnie lose the funds D.H. had invested, she also could not receive a fair price for stock, real estate or equipment. She was temporarily saved by a life insurance policy with New York Life.

Minnie continued to run the ranch with the help of ranch hands, like Dick Hynds. In 1898 she rented the ranch and moved to Spokane, Washington. While in Spokane, Minnie attempted to run a store, but it failed. Minnie and her children returned to the Ulm Ranch in 1903 and then sold it in 1910. At that time the family moved to Vancouver, Washington, where they remained for many years.

Minnie's son David Albert (Day) did not return with the family to Montana in 1903. He joined the Navy and served aboard the U.S.S. Chicago off the coast of California. In 1908 David became ill. His surgeons feared that he had an appendicitis so they operated. David died as a result of the operation and the surgeons discovered that his illness was not associated with his appendix. David is buried in California.

Willoughby (or Bud), was said to be an architect. Bud lived for a time in Helena, and died in Vancouver, Washington, in 1914, after a recurring illness.

Harvey Mae, Minnie's oldest daughter, was her mother's companion and a musician. She and Minnie ran a boarding house in Vancouver. Lady Maud is listed in the 1930 census as a commercial artist and some of her artwork survives. She also served as a governess and may have provided nursing care during World War I. Minnie Churchill, Harvey Mae, and Lady Maud either lived together or in close proximity in the Portland and Vancouver area from 1910 to 1940, when Minnie died. When Mae died in 1966, Lady returned to Montana where she lived near her youngest sister, O.H. Elizabeth, until Lady's death in 1977.

O.H. "Aitchie" Elizabeth Churchill, Minnie's youngest child, married Glen Kitterman in 1910 in Vancouver. She was the only one of the Churchill siblings to marry. Glen (1882-1959), originally from Kansas, moved to Montana to homestead in 1903, and spent most of his life farming near Cascade. Aitchie and Glen had four children: Mary Elizabeth, David, James and Wilbur (known as Bill). Glen Kitterman died September 21, 1959, and Aitchie died in 1983.

Mary Elizabeth, the Kitterman's oldest daughter, was born September 26, 1911. She was raised on the farm near Great Falls and graduated from Great Falls High School. In 1935 she married Chester Arthur Sullivan. Chet was born on March 27, 1914, in Great Falls. They lived briefly in Ulm and Sun River before settling on the south side of the Sun River in Great Falls. They truck-gardened during World War II before beginning a successful hardwood flooring and finishing business. They had two sons, Gary and Dan. In 1963 Mary and Chet moved to Yellow Bay on Flathead Lake. They raised cherries and apples and operated a custom orchard business. Mary also opened a gift shop where she sold hand-made ceramics made in her studio. In 1988 they moved to Polson. Mary died on September 2, 1993. Her husband, Chester, died on September 30, 1994.

Wilbur (Bill) Kitterman was born on July 13, 1920 in Great Falls. He farmed in the Great Falls area for most of his life. He served as the family historian, and saved many of the Churchill family records, photographs, and artifacts. Bill died on January 14, 1998.