Robert Crews	Mary Elizabeth Emmons
1839-1919	1842-1915

Robert Crews is a son of John Crews (b. c1809 KY) and Martha "Patsy" Rhodus (b. c1812 KY) who were married in 1831 in Kentucky. The Crews and Rhodus families emigrated from Kentucky to Missouri in the 1830s-1840s. In the Civil War, Robert Crews served in the Union Army in Missouri; was taken prisoner in Missouri by General Sterling Price, but escaped; and
served under Captain Austin Boyd in the 24th Volunteers of the Army of Occupation in Kansas. In the Great Register of Shasta County, California 1894, Robert Crews lived in Millville, had a light complexion, blue eyes, gray hair, a scar on his forehead, and was 5 ft. 6.in. In height.

Mary Elizabeth Emmons is a daughter of Julius Emmons (b. 1812) and wife #2 Susan Parker-Hildebrand (d. c1847 MO) who were married in 1839 in Franklin Co., Missouri.

Robert Crews and Mary Elizabeth Emmons were married September 20, 1860 in Missouri. Their children are:

Roswell	b. 1861 MO	d. a child - diphtheria
Martha Susan	b. 1864 MO	d. 1905 CA	m. in 1883 to Oscar Gustav Brauer of Burney Valley, CA
James Edwin "Ed"	b. 1866 MO	d. 1948 CA	m. Ackie Sheridan of Millville, CA
Maleta "Leta" Belle	b. 1868 KS	d. 1954 Santa Cruz Co. CA	m. #1 1884 John Lewis Brauer of Burney Valley, CA; m. #2 George Hill
Louisa Elnora "Nora"	b. 1870 KS	d. 1959 Santa Cruz Co. CA	m. John Adams Snell of Cayton Valley, CA
Mary Etta	b. 1872 KS	d. 1953 Santa Cruz Co., CA	m. #1: ? Lane; #2: Billy Birnes; #3: Dr. Pierre; Etta taught at the Oak Grove school in Shasta Co. for several years
Maude	b. c1873 CA	d. c1876 Bunker Hill, Shasta Co., CA
Twins	b. Mid -1870s	died at birth at Bunker Hill, Shasta Co., CA
Robert Austin	b. 1879 CA	d. 1959 Shasta Co., CA

Robert and Mary Elizabeth Emmons-Crews and children left their home in Franklin Co., Missouri in the latter 1860s and arrived in northern California in the early 1870s.

In the mid 1870s, Robert Crews moved his family up to Burney Valley. He bought a store in Bunker Hill and did well enough to acquire two more ranches - the Brewster and the Beutal places. However, this prosperity changed with the election of Cleveland. Robert crews closed the Bunker Hill store, took up a homestead on Burney Creek, and opened a store on the eastern edge of Burney. However, this store went down-hill rapidly as Tim Desmond's store in the center of town got most of the trade. Robert Crews' income came then mostly from putting up teamsters who had known him at Bunker Hill. After closing the Burney store, he tried to start a store at Hat Creek near Cassel, but again, didn't do well. Four years, he gave up storekeeping. In the 1900 Shasta County census, he gave his occupation as "farmer".

In 1892, the Crews family traded their Burney homestead for a ranch on Old Cow Creek about a quarter mile from the Oak Grove school house. They accommodated teamsters at this location, too. Being fifteen miles from the nearest town, the neighbors in the Oak Grove district petitioned for a local post office. The new post office was named Pawnee by Mary Elizabeth Emmons-Crews, the post mistress, and was located in the Crews' home. Robert and Mary Elizabeth lived the rest of their days on the ranch in Pawnee.

Robert Crews and Mary Elizabeth Emmons, along with other family member, are buried in the Old Masonic Cemetery in Millville, Shasta Co., California.

Source: Shasta Historical Society