Lewis "Lew" Wilson (Pony MT electrician, d. 1944)
Also known as: Lew Wilson, Lewis Wilson
family confidence: 95 — certain (corroborated)Wilson (paternal in-law via Daniel L. Murphy)
Early-day Montana electrician of Pony, Madison County, MT. Per CLAUDE.md and existing place_pony_mt / place_bozeman_mt / place_virginia_city_mt notes: he installed early lighting systems at Virginia City; supervised the first Ennis-to-Bozeman power line; married Clara Belle Nelson at Bozeman 1904; died 1944 per the inbox Lewis Wilson 1944 funeral obituary clippings (not yet processed). His daughter Julia B. Wilson married Daniel L. Murphy (JJM's brother) 18 Aug 1936 at Butte — bringing the Wilson family into the Murphy paternal in-law line via Daniel's branch.
Facts
Each fact shows how sure the archive is of it (0–100) and the sources it rests on.
- Birth:
- unknown date, Pony, Montana 751944-04-04 — The Montana Standard, p.5; 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)Place: 'a native of St. Paul, Minn.' (obituary), 'born in St. Paul' (funeral report) and the tree (St Paul, citing the 1880-1930 censuses and the Montana death record): 100. Date: the tree's February 1870 (75); 'Lewis Wilson, 75' at death in April 1944 implies 1868-69. The record's Pony was his home, not his birthplace (0).
- Death:
- 1944, Pony, Montana 1001944-04-04 — The Montana Standard, p.5; 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)'died early Monday morning at the family home, 822 West Silver' (obituary of Tuesday 4 Apr 1944; funeral report of 5 Apr) = Monday 3 Apr 1944, Butte; the tree has 3 April 1944, Butte, citing the Montana death record. Pony is the burial place, not the place of death.
- Residence:
- Pony, Montana
| Date | Fact | Conf. | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | residence · Pony (head, single) (Pony, Montana) Tree, citing the 1900 census. | 75 | 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com) |
| 1904-07-20 | marriage · 'married in Bozeman in 1904 to Clara Belle Nelson of Pony' (tree: 20 July 1904) (Bozeman, Montana) Funeral report and the tree (Montana county marriage record) agree on 1904 and Bozeman (100); the day is the tree's (75). | 100 | 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com) |
| 1910 | residence · Pony (head, married) (Pony, Montana) Tree, citing the 1910 census. | 75 | 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com) |
| 1920 | residence · Hot Springs, Madison County (head) (Hot Springs, Madison County, Montana) Tree, citing the 1920 census. | 75 | 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com) |
| 1930 | residence · Brandon, Madison County (head) (Brandon, Madison County, Montana) Tree, citing the 1930 census. | 75 | 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com) |
| 1933 | event · 'In 1933 Mr. Wilson retired and moved to Butte' (Butte, Montana) Funeral report. The obituary of the day before says 'a resident of Butte for 22 years' (since about 1922); the tree has him at Brandon in the 1930 census and in a 1931 Butte directory. 1931-33 fits two of the three. | 75 | 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7; 1944-04-04 — The Montana Standard, p.5; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com) |
| 1936-08-18 | event · 'Lew Wilson', father of the bride, on the marriage licence of Julia B. Wilson and Daniel L. Murphy (Butte, Montana) Licence. | 95 | 1936-08-18 — Montana Marriage Licenses, Silver Bow County |
| 1944-04 | residence · 'the family home, 822 West Silver', Butte (Butte, Montana) Both 1944 reports. | 100 | 1944-04-04 — The Montana Standard, p.5; 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7 |
| 1944-04 | religion · probably not Roman Catholic: White Chapel service by 'the Rev. Mr. A. C. Caton', no mass, burial at Pony Inference from the style of the funeral; no denomination is printed. | 50 | 1944-04-04 — The Montana Standard, p.5; 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7 |
| 1944-04-04 | description · survivors: 'his widow, Mrs. Clara Wilson'; 'one son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Wilson of Butte' (Joseph 'Butte automobile dealer'); 'one son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Murphy of Butte'; 'a brother, William DeKay' (obituary) or 'Frank C. DeKay' (funeral report) 'in Los Angeles'; 'a sister-in-law, Mrs. Mae McLeod in Pony' Both reports, proofed 4 Oct 2026. | 95 | 1944-04-04 — The Montana Standard, p.5; 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7 |
| 1944-04-05 | burial · funeral 11 o'clock Wednesday at the White Chapel, the Rev. A. C. Caton officiating; 'Interment will be in Pony'; 'The Wilson Motor Co. Will Be Closed All Day Today' in his memory (Pony, Montana) Both reports (the closing notice is a boxed item on the funeral report's page); the tree's burial at Pony cites Find a Grave. | 100 | 1944-04-04 — The Montana Standard, p.5; 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com) |
| — | name · 'Lewis Wilson' (1944); 'Lew Wilson' (1936 licence) As printed and written. | 95 | 1944-04-04 — The Montana Standard, p.5; 1936-08-18 — Montana Marriage Licenses, Silver Bow County |
| — | education · 'received his early education in Hastings, Minn.' (Hastings, Minnesota) Funeral report; the tree has him at Hastings in the 1880 census, a stepson in the household (75). | 95 | 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com) |
| — | residence · 'came west as a young man and settled in Pony' (Pony, Montana) Funeral report; 'Pony, where the family made their home for many years'. | 95 | 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7 |
| — | occupation · 'early-day Montana electrician, who took an active part in independent and other power developments in this section of the state' Funeral report, 5 Apr 1944. | 95 | 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7 |
| — | occupation · 'foreman of the construction of the first power line from Ennis to Bozeman' Funeral report. | 95 | 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7 |
| — | occupation · 'installed the power plants at South Boulder and at Mammoth mine, the lighting system in Virginia City' (Virginia City, Montana) Funeral report. | 95 | 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7 |
| — | occupation · 'worked on power and lighting systems at Whitehall, Sheridan and Billings, the last for the Montana Power company' Funeral report. | 95 | 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7 |
| — | description · baseball: 'As a pitcher he played in Minnesota, at Spokane and along the coast'; in Montana 'playing with the Pony and other clubs' Funeral report. | 95 | 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7 |
| — | description · family (tree): parents Pomeroy P. Wilson and Julia Van Inwegen, married 27 Feb 1869 at Hastings; his mother married William H. DeKay in 1874; half-brothers Richard and Frank Cornelius DeKay (born 16 Sep 1878) Tree only. It explains the DeKay brother: 'Frank C. DeKay' (funeral report) is the tree's half-brother, so 'William DeKay' (obituary) is probably the stepfather's name in error (75). | 75 | 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com) |
Relationships
Family (blood)
- father of Julia B. Wilson (m. Daniel L. Murphy 1936; daughter of Lewis + Belle Wilson)100Licence ('Daughter of Lew Wilson'); 'one son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Murphy' (1944); the tree. · 1936-08-18 — Montana Marriage Licenses, Silver Bow County; 1944-04-04 — The Montana Standard, p.5; 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)
Marriage
- married to Clara Belle (Nelson) Wilson100Married at Bozeman in 1904 (funeral report; tree); his widow Mrs. Clara Wilson (1944); 'Lew Wilson and Belle Wilson', parents of the bride (1936). · 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7; 1944-04-04 — The Montana Standard, p.5; 1936-08-18 — Montana Marriage Licenses, Silver Bow County; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)
Nexus
Open the full web →blood relationmarriageother documented tienamed in the same sources (×count)circle colour = family branch
Appears with
- Daniel L. Murphy (Butte, b. 1894)3 shared sources
- Julia B. Wilson (m. Daniel L. Murphy 1936; daughter of Lewis + Belle Wilson)3 shared sources
- Clara Belle (Nelson) Wilson3 shared sources
- Patrick "Pat" J. Murphy (Cork-born bartender / shoemaker; d. 1912 Warm Springs MT)1 shared source
- Ellen (Lyne) Murphy (b. Ardgroom; m. Patrick Murphy 1881; d. Butte 1935)1 shared source
Sources linking to this person
≥75 — High confidence — 3
- 1936-08-18 — Montana Marriage Licenses, Silver Bow CountyMarriage License — Daniel L. Murphy + Julia B. Wilson, 18 Aug 1936, Butterole: father_of_bride · identity 100 family confidence on this source: 95 · as printed: Lew Wilson
Identity: 'Lew Wilson', father of the bride from Pony: the 1944 reports make him the father-in-law of Dan Murphy of Butte, and the tree agrees.
- 1944-04-04 — The Montana Standard, p.5LEWIS WILSONrole: deceased_subject · identity 100 family confidence on this source: 95 · as printed: Lewis Wilson
Identity: His obituary: Butte, St. Paul native, father of Joseph L. Wilson and father-in-law of Dan Murphy. The metadata held him in mentioned: only because he had no record.
- 1944-04-05 — The Montana Standard, p.7Wilson Funeral to Be Todayrole: deceased_subject_with_full_biography · identity 100 family confidence on this source: 95 · as printed: Lewis Wilson
Identity: His funeral report and biography; same family and address as the obituary.