baby humphreys

An Unmarked Grave

The grave of Baby Humphreys is unmarked, and little is known about this infant. They died on the day they were born, and no official death records or obituaries have been located. The grave was documented in the 1940 cemetery survey conducted by the Daughters of the American Revolution. However, any headstone that may have once marked the site—and perhaps confirmed the baby’s name, dates, or parental relationship—has since been lost.

Family Background

Baby Humphreys was the third child of John Humphreys and Gertrude Stephenson Humphreys. John was the brother of Wiley Waldo Humphreys, who was married to Sarah Lulu “Sadie” Odell, granddaughter of John and Sarah Odell. At the time of the baby’s birth and death, John and Gertrude lived in a house on 4th Street in McMinnville, Oregon, next door to John’s parents and sister.

Parents and Siblings

John Humphreys worked as a railroad clerk for most of his life. Gertrude, born in Michigan, had moved to the Pacific Northwest with her family as a child. She was 28 years old when Baby Humphreys was born. The couple had two older children: Roger, born in 1913, and Elinor, born in 1916. No additional children were born after the death of their youngest.

A Resting Place Near Family

At the time of the baby’s death, Wiley and Sadie Humphreys were living on part of the original John Odell Donation Land Claim—likely in the family farmhouse near the Odell Pioneer Cemetery. This connection to the land and the family may have influenced the decision to lay the infant to rest in the quiet cemetery near their uncle’s home. Though their time was brief, Baby Humphreys remains part of the family’s enduring legacy in the Dayton community.