Dorothy Upton

Personal and Family Information

Dorothy was born on 23 Aug 1903 in Massachusetts, the daughter of Roger Wellington Upton and Elizabeth Phoebe Key Lloyd.

She died on 25 Dec 1992 in Solano County, California.

She had two marriages/partners. Her first husband was John Edson Knowles, who she married on 29 SEP 1927 in Nevada. Their two known children were Frederick Grinnell (1924-1995) and John Upton (1926-2002).

Her second husband was Rolla Newcome Jesson, who she married on 20 SEP 1957 in Cascade County, Montana. They had no known children.

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

Events

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Notes

Note 1

Dorothy Upton Knowles Jesson,89, a former Great Falls, Mt. resident and a great-great-granddaughter of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the U.S. national athem, died on Christmas Day in Vallejo, Calif.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be Thursday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. in the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, 600 3rd Ave.N.

She was born on Aug. 23, 1903, in Marblehead, Mass. In 1927 she and her husband, John Knowles, and two sons came west. They owned and operated a large ranch 40 miles north of Great Falls on the Teton River. They sold the ranch in 1939.

During World War II, she worked for the U.S. Civil Service a a secretary at the Great Falls Air Base and on special assignment in Alaska.

After the war, the family lived in the Monarach and Neihart area, and bought the Sun Mountain Ranch.

She was divorced in 1949 and worked as a secretary of Montana Deaconess Hospital, where she met her present husband, Rolla N. Jesson, the hospital's purchasing agent. They married in September of 1957.

Upon their retirement they moved to Vallejo, Calif.

She was a member of the Episcopal Church, Olive Chapter 10, Order of the Eastern Star, Daughters of the American Revolution, and was an honorary life member of the U.S. Power Squadron, founded in 1942 by her father, Roger Upton.

Surviving are her husband, a stepson, Darreld Jesson of Missoula, two sons Fred G Knowles of Napa, Calif., and John U "Spook" knowles of Great Falls, six grandchildren and nine great=grandchildren.

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Note 2

Rolla Newcome "Jess" Jesson, 94, former Missoula Montana resident, passed away in Vallejo, Calif., on Dec. 10, 1998 of natural causes.

He was born in Wahpeton, N.D., on May 1, 1904, the son of Jacob and Catherine (Nurnberger) Jesson. He ranched with his family in the Velva N.D., area, until he graduated from high school in 1923. He taught school for two years in rural schools. In those days you did not need a degree other than high school to teach.

He married Ethel M. Rosenberg on June 25, 1925, in Oberon, N.D. They had two sons, Darreld and Dennis. They divorced in May 1940. He married Hazel Jewett in June 1940, and they divorced in 9 September 1957.

He married Dorothy Upton in 20 September 1957. She passed away on Dec. 25, 1992.

After he arrived in Missoula in 1937, he worked for the Folsom Co., sold farm equipment and ran a radiator shop on West Main Street. He moved to Great Falls in 1951, and worked for various industrial and farm machinery dealers. He went to work for Deaconess Medical Center in Great Falls in 1958 as purchasing agent until his retirement in 1969.

His parents, four brothers, one sister, stepson Fred Knowles and grandson Jess Joseph preceded him death.

He is survived by his son Darreld and wife Jane of Missoula; stepdaughter-in law, Shirley Knowles of Napa Calif.; two grandchildren, J.R. Jesson of Plano, Texas, Leah Hiniker of Missoula Mt.,; and three great-grandchildren, Paul and Susan Hiniker of Missoula, and Sienna Jesson of Plano.

He was amember of the Episcopal Church in Great Falls and the U.S. Power Boat Squadron.

Cremation hasd taken place in Vallejo, Calif., with interment at Hilcrest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Great Falls., Mt

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