wilbur lee coovert

Headstone of Wilbur Coovert at the Odell Pioneer Cemetery in Dayton, Oregon.

Early Life

Wilbur Lee Coovert was the youngest son born to Abram and Martha Coovert. He was born in 1855 on the family’s Donation Land Claim, located four miles southeast of Dayton.

Business Venture

Through Wilbur’s probate records, it appears that he and N.A. Harris (husband of Wilbur’s sister, Ida Coovert Harris) operated a joint business, in addition to their farms, called “Coovert & Harris.” Evidence suggests they ran a small-scale lumber or milling operation.

Marriage

Wilbur married Emily Crim in April of 1882. Emily’s mother had been granted a divorce from her father in 1860, and soon after, she remarried to pioneer of 1846 James Roland Leabo. Emily grew up in a large family of 11 children – 4 full siblings and 6 half-siblings.

Death and Legacy

Tragically, Wilbur died less than five months after his wedding after a short illness. He had no children and died at the young age of 27. Upon his death, his father-in-law, James Leabo, purchased 20,000 feet of lumber from Coovert & Harris to help settle the business’ debts. The involvement of a close family member in such a transaction highlights the supportive role that family connections played in handling financial matters during this period.

Obituaries:

In the vicinity of Dayton, Yamhill Co., Oregon, Sept. 3, 1882, Wilbur (Willard) Lee, son of Abram and M.A. Coovert, age 27 years. Wilbur Lee Coovert, after a short illness, had passed away. His death has caused many pangs of regret among his friends. He leaves a wife, sister, and parents to mourn his departure.

– Pacific Christian Advocate, Sept. 7, 1882

Tombstone inscription:

W.L. Coovert,
DIED
Sep. 4, 1882;
AGED
27y’s 1mo. 14d’s

REFERENCE

Ancestry.com. Oregon, U.S., County Marriage Index, 1851-1975 [database on-line]. WL Coovert. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2025.

Coovert, Wilbur Lee. Early Oregonians Database Index. Oregon State Archives. Retrieved from https://secure.sos.state.or.us/prs/profile.do?ancRecordNumber=71142.

Find A Grave. Wilbur Lee Coovert. Findagrave.com. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11919471/wilbur-lee-coovert

Genealogical Forum of Oregon. (n.d.). Odell Cemetery biographies (p. 39).

Oregon County Court (Yamhill County). (n.d.). Probate case files, 367-398. In Oregon, U.S., wills and probate records, 1849-1963 [Database on-line]. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Retrieved March 23, 2025, from https://www.ancestry.com

U.S. Census Bureau. (1860). 1860 United States Federal Census. Dayton, Oregon, 664, Abram Coovert household. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication M653, Roll 1056. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from Ancestry.com.

U.S. Census Bureau. (1870). 1870 United States Federal Census. Dayton, Oregon, 570A, Abram Coovert household. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication M593, Roll 1288. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from Ancestry.com.

U.S. Census Bureau. (1880). 1880 United States Federal Census. Dayton, OR, E.D. 135, 434B, Abram Coovert household. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) microfilm publication T9, Roll 1084. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from Ancestry.com.