Fletcher Erwin Saucerman

John and Ada’s second son was born in Clay Centre, Clay County, Nebraska on 6 May 1886.  I have updated the John Calvin map to include a marker for Clay Centre which is just a few miles from Hastings.  In the documents that I have found him in, his name varies.  In a Bible record he is listed as Fletcher E., in census records with his parents he is listed as both Fletcher E. and Fletcher I.  The most interesting census entry is in January 1920 where Fletcher is listed as living with his parent his name being Irvin Fletcher and in the 1930 census he is Erwin F.  I suspect that his name is Fletcher Erwin but that as an adult he chooses to go by Erwin instead of Fletcher.

The 1920 census gives us several other clues into Erwin’s life.  In addition to the fact that he is going by a different variation of his name, he is also the only child still living with his parents (at the ripe age of 32). The family has moved from Hastings, Nebraska to Sutherlin, Douglas, Oregon.  It is likely that economic reasons encouraged the family to move west.  By this point all of the family members have done likewise.  The most interesting piece of information given in the 1920 census however, is that Erwin is listed as being widowed. 

It is not known who Erwin’s first wife was, what she died from, or where between Hastings and Sutherlin they were married.  No children seem to have survived until 1920.  By 1930, Erwin is remarried to Irma Louise Vance.  They are living in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon and have a one year old daughter named Janet.  Erwin stays in Portland until his death in September of 1976.