STEPHEN E. BRAND
TERESA ELNORA METZ
1860--1949
1859--1949

Stephen Elijah Brand was born December 23, 1860 at the old Thatcher homestead. His father, Mathias Brand was a '49er from New York who was a friend and partner of James La Tour. His mother, Harriet Butler was born in Maine and came to California from Wisconsin. Stephen's father died when he was just over one year old. His mother worked with La Tour running a roadhouse to support her children.

Teresa Elnora (Ella) Metz was born September 16, 1859. Her parents, Israel and Margaret Wiley Metz came to California by wagon train in 1852. Israel farmed in Santa Clara, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, San Benito, Sonoma, Tehama, Shasta, and San Diego Counties.

Stephen and Ella were married December 13, 1882. Stephen worked as a farmer and teamster; they lived near Stephen's mother Harriet. They had five children:

Lora b. May 7, 1884 d. December 20, 1971 m. Herbert Taylor
Lena b. June 3. 1886 d. April 6. 1968 m. DeWitt Clinton Clark
Maud b. December 20, 1887 d. December 25, 1985 m. George Miles
Edna b. June 5, 1890 d. February 24, 1952 m. George Cannon
Laud b. June 5, 1890 d. August 5, 1928 m. Myrtle Hall

In 1902, the Brand Place was sold and the family, with Harriet, moved to Palo Cedro and then to Churn Creek. After Harriet Brand's death in 1907, Stephen and Ella moved their family to Stockton. After 1910, with their family grown. Stephen and Ella decided to live separately.

Ella ran a boarding house in Stockton but she spent her last years with her daughter. Lora Brand Taylor in San Francisco. She died March 15, 1943.

Stephen moved to Salida where he owned and managed cabins for migrant workers. He visited his family and occasionally they visited him. Stephen died in Modesto April 3, 1949. Both are interred in Stockton, California.

Source: Shasta Historical Society

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