The Lost Peterson Orphans: A Family Torn Apart in 1897

A Story That Sparked a Journey

John and his family, c. 1895

In 1996, my grandmother, Bertha Lawson Peterson, handed me a copy of a story written by my great-uncle Robert Peterson, an older brother of my grandfather, Roy Peterson.

The moment I read it, I was hooked. It was a story filled with tragedy, survival, and unanswered questions, the kind of mystery that demands to be solved. My great-uncle Robert wrote about the deaths of their parents in 1897, how he and his siblings were separated as orphans, and the struggles they faced. It was heartbreaking, but something about it didn’t sit right.

Not everyone believed my great-uncle Robert’s account was accurate. Some details seemed uncertain, and there were gaps that left me wondering: Was he right? Could I prove or disprove his version of events?

I didn’t know it at the time, but that single story would change everything for me. It was the spark that ignited my obsession with family history research, sending me on a path to uncover the truth—one newspaper article, one record, and one discovery at a time.

Now, I want to share that journey with you.

📖 Click here to read the original, unedited story by my great-uncle Robert Peterson.

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A Family’s Lost Past: The Mystery of the Peterson Orphans

Uncle Robert’s story is one of tragedy, survival, and unanswered questions. He wrote about how his parents, John and Mary Peterson, set out on a journey west in search of a better life, only to be met with illness, disaster, and separation. But the details don’t always add up, leaving behind a mystery that still lingers.

Before marrying Mary Thompson, John was a widower with his daughter, Nancy. His first wife, Julie Perkins, had given birth to Nancy in 1878, but little is known about their life together.

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Then comes the journey north. Most likely in late 1896, John, with his second wife Mary, loaded up a covered wagon and set out for Nevada, Missouri. While attempting to cross Stinking Creek, disaster struck—the family lost their wagon and nearly all of their belongings. However, John was able to save the horses and later sold them, giving the family a small amount of money to start over.

Life in Nevada was hard. The family took refuge in a schoolhouse, where a neighbor, Mr. Wiswold, found them and took them in. Then, the biggest tragedy struck. In February 1897, John fell ill with pneumonia and died. 

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The very next day, Mary also succumbed to the same illness, leaving behind their three young sons. Their newborn, Roy, was just six weeks old at the time. A young woman discovered Mary with baby Roy, moments from death. Was Mary truly alone in her final hours?

John and Mary were buried in a potters field in Deepwood Cemetery. The Peterson children were now orphans, but their story didn’t begin or end there. Nancy, the eldest, had already been separated from the family before their deaths. Sent away as a young girl, she lived with relatives, unaware of the heartbreaking fate that awaited her parents and younger brothers. When she finally learned of their deaths, her world had already changed. She had lost not just her parents but also the siblings she barely knew.

The story of the Peterson orphans was one of separation, survival, and unanswered questions. After their parents, John and Mary Peterson, died just one day apart in 1897, their three youngest children—George, Robert, and six-week-old Roy—were separated, each sent to a different home. Their older sister, Nancy, had already been living away from the family and only later learned of their deaths, setting her on a heartbreaking search for her lost brothers.

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What happened to the Peterson orphans?

Each of them took very different paths in life. Click below to follow their journeys:

🔗 Nancy Peterson Harper’s Story – The daughter who survived a tragic childhood.
🔗 George Monaghan’s Story – The mystery of the brother who disappeared.
🔗 Robert Peterson’s Story – From orphaned to reunited—his unexpected journey.
🔗 Roy Peterson’s Story – The youngest Peterson, raised by a woman who wouldn’t let him go.

 Sources:

Robert Peterson’s Biography (Unpublished family account, 20th century)

Nevada Daily Mail (Nevada, MO), February–June 1897

The Pittsburg Daily Headlight (Pittsburg, KS), February 15, 1897

1880 U.S. Census (Schuyler County, IL)

George H. Peterson Probate Records (1895, McDonald County, MO)