Posted on: Yuba County, California Biographies Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ca/YubaBios/33 Surname: Gurney, Androus, Buckner, Rees, Young, Null ------------------------- ELMER E GURNEY - Born near You Bet, Nevada County, August 27, 1862, Mr Gurney is the son of Benjamin B and Euretta (Androus) Gurney. His maternal grandfather, Henry Androus, settled in the Yuba foot-hills in 1860, and preempted 160 acres of land seventeen miles northeast of Marysville; and Benjamin Gurney bought an adjoining ranch of 160 acres. Benjamin B Gurney was born in Marion, Mass., of English parents, and came to California via Panama. He mined for a time, after which, from 1859 to 1860, he clerked in Wagner's book-store at Marysville, and then engaged in mining at You Bet, Nevada County, in 1865 returning to Marysville as clerk in Wagner's book-store. In 1867 he began teaching in the Marysville schools, becoming principal of the primary department at the school on B Street. In 1879 he moved to his ranch in Olive Hill District, but continued to follow teaching till his death in November 1899. His widow survived him till January 10, 1916, passing away at the age of sixty-nine years. They had two sons, Elmer E. and L. B. Gurney. The vacation periods of the family were ususally spent on sojourns in the high Sierras, as the father was a frail man and had been advised by medical men to seek the mountain climate as a means of keeping in health. The old Fritz ranch was purchased in 1879; and that remained the family home for many years, until the death of the mother. Elmer E Gurney accompanied his parents to Marysville in the spring of 1865 and after finishing his schooling he became the rancher for the family, managing the home acreage until 1901, when he purchased his present ranch of ninety acres. He is now planning to set out much of his fine ranch to fruit. The land has been devoted hitherto to dairying and stockraising; but it is especially adapted to trees and vines, and the contemplated development will add much beauty and productiveness of the holdings. Mr Gurney well recalls his younger days as a resident of this section, then almost all open range with scarcely a fence in sight. Always an advocate of all possible advancement for the district, he spent four years in office as a director of the Brown's Valley Irrigation District and has been a sponsor for good roads in this part of Yuba County. The marriage of Mr Gurney, which occurred on May 10, 1894, at Marysville, united him with Miss Sarah Buckner, a daughter of J C H and Martha (Rees) Buckner, born in Virginia and Wales respectively. The father came across the plains to California in 1852 and after mining for a time, became a farmer at Eagleville, Modoc County. Sarah Buckner was born at Eagleville and was educated in the public schools and at San Jose State Normal School (now San Jose State University). She was a teacher by profession. Six children have blessed their union: Mrs Lorene Young, of Long Beach; Earl; Mrs Ruth Null of Pomona; and Chester, Gwendolyn and Robert. Source: "HISTORY OF YUBA AND SUTTER COUNTIES, CALFORNIA" by Peter J. Delay, Historic Record Co., Los Angeles, CA, 1924, pg 1277-1278