William Ross Thomasson	Nellie Terbush
1843 - 1931	1859 - 1938

Nellie Terbush Thomasson was born in Piety Hill on April 24, 1859, of pioneer parents. Her father, Peter Terbush, was a New Yorker who came to Shasta County to mine for gold. On February 10, 1855, Mr. Terbush married Nellie's mother, Katherine Derstine, who had come overland from pennsylvania. Nellie was the third child of six and grew up on the family farm.

William Ross Thomasson came to California with a gold hunter's caravan. He walked all the way from Missouri to California even though he was quite young. He worked as a miner in Placerville and Oroville before coming to Shasta County. On November 29, 1876, he married Nellie Terbush. As other miners did, he settled down in Igo. He worked on a ditch for the placer miners. He then became the ditch tender. The Thomassons raised four children:

William Lee	b. 1883
Edgar Ross	b. 1880
Mary Mabel	b. 1883
Olie Mae	b. 1885

William Thomasson engaged in work reflective of the changing times. When the boys grew up, William needed more room for his hog ranch. Nellie and the boys bought the Roaring River McDonald ranch. William had a placer claim that kept him busy. The family moved from Igo in 1905 and raised livestock (hogs and cattle) at roaring river.

In 1915, Nellie and Bill retired from active participation in the farming. Later they moved to Anderson where they provided a second home for granddaughters attending Anderson schools. In the 1920's, they spent the summers homesteading in Grasshopper Valley, Lassen Co., Calif.

William died in 1931 in Anderson. After that Nellie made her home with daughter, Mabel and Uel Wright, son-in-law. Her later life was spent doing her needlework. She passed away 1938 at her daughter's home.

Source: Shasta Historical Society