The deceased was aged 29 years 7 months and 11 days.  He leaves a wife and three children, besides his father and mother, one brother and six sisters. (EAGLE, Milton, OR; Vol XXXIV  No ? ; Page 8 Col 1)

1921 October 7                                  Card of Thanks

We wish to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to the many friends who, by their sympathy and many acts of kindness, did all they could to soften our sorrow in the loss of our dear to us as husband and father, son and brother.  Such acts of kindness will never be forgotten.

Mrs. Delbert Stanford and children
Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Stanford and family
(EAGLE, Milton, OR; Vol XXXIV  No?;  Page 7 Col 5)

1921 October 10     Newspaper Clipping

Walla Walla, Wash., Oct 10. – Two deaths have recently occurred among the Saints in the South East Washington Conference.

The death of Delbert Stanford, 29, caused by the summer ‘flu’ after three weeks of illness, was very keenly felt by his many relatives and friends.  He passed away Sept. 26, at his home in Milton, Ore., and is survived by his wife, Anna Dessler [sic], and three children, his father and mother, Thomas B. and Mary J Stanford, six sisters and one brother.

The family lived in Alberta Canada, several years, thence moved to Milton where they have many friends and done much for the advancement of the missionary cause.  His wife was baptized a year and a half ago.

The funeral services were held in the First Christian Church and presided over by the traveling Elders of the South East Washington conference.  Interment in the Odd Fellows Cemetery at Milton…

Virginia, 7, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Routh…. (REF: newspaper clipping. No identification, probably Deseret News, Church News, Salt Lake City, UT)

I (Betty Hanson) asked my Mom (Blanche Stanford Clark) why the funeral was at the First Christian Church when they were Mormons?  She said, because it was the largest building in town and they knew there would be a large attendance.

Delbert and Anna must have come to Milton about 1918.  At that time his father gave him a piece of land by his home for him to build his home.   Anna continued to live there until her death in December 1977.  Anna remarried twice.  First to Roy Anspach  and after Roy’s death she married Floyd Kerslake.  I think she married Roy in the early 1950’s; and to Floyd in 1962.

After Delbert’s death Anna became a professional seamstress.  She did this so she could be home to take care of their children and still have an income. 

1931 Mar 12        Local News Briefs

Mrs. Anna Stanford was pleasantly surprised last Thursday evening when friends from Walla Walla and Milton gathered at her home for a social evening.  Bridge was enjoyed and at the close of the evening refreshments of ice cream were served. (REF: EAGLE, Milton, OR; Page 5  Col 2, Para 7)

1977 Dec        Anna M Kerslake

Funeral services will be Thursday, December 22, at 2 p.m. in the Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home Chapel for Anna M. Kerslake, 85, of 1017 W. [sic] Walnut Street, who died December 18 at a Walla Walla Hospital.  Bishop Charles Akes, of the Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ Church will officiate.

Pall bearers are T.F. Stanford, Sims Clark, William Kerslake, William Beaudoin, Duane Barstad, and Walter Cahill [sic].

Mrs. Kerslake  was born November 4, 1892 in Grand Meadows, Minn., the daugher of John and Anna Desler.  She moved to Milton-Freewater in 1919 and had resided in the same home for 54 years.  She worked at a local drug store for 15 years, cooked at Bick’s Café and did alterations at LaMona’s and later in her home.  In 1962 she married Floyd Kerslake in Dayton, Washington.

Survivors are her husband, Floyd, at the home; sons, Everett Stanford, Union; Alvey Stanford, Hermiston; daughter, Mrs. E. G. (Evelyn) Angel, Seattle, Wash., sister, Mrs. Alma Boudoin, Joseph; brothers, Vern Desler, Spokane, Wash.; John Desler, Longview, Wash.; four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Burial will be in the Milton-Freewater Cemetery under the direction of Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home.  (REF: newspaper clipping from the VALLEY HERALD, Milton-Freewater, Oregon; Dec 1977).

Anna was buried in the cemetery next to Delbert, who is buried in the “Stanford Row”. Thomas Barnett & Mary Jane (Hiatt) Stanford, Alfred Roy Stanford, Eva Delilah Stanford Caron, Mary Elizabeth “Mae” Stanford & Alfred Ernest Scheuch are also buried in  “Stanford Row”.