DEATH CLAIMS NOTED PIONEER (exclusive Republic-Dispatch)

KINGMAN, Aug. 9---Charles Roberts Van Marter, 76 year old pioneer and for 32 years a local mortician, died last night in Mohave General hospital of heart disease, following an attack Wednesday afternoon. Funeral services, which will be in charge of the local Elks, will be held at 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon. The body will lie in state all of that day and interment will be in the family plot in Mountain View Cemetery.
A native of Blue Tent, Calif., he lived in Grass Valley, Calif., before coming to Chloride, in this state, in 1895. He was married to Miss Josephine Coty (Cota) in Grass Valley 53 years ago. While in Chloride he was employed as hoist engineer at the Minnesota mine, and later opened a shoe shop. He moved here in 1900 and started a shoe shine ship here, three years later purchasing the local undertaking parlors of the C.R. Van Marter Morticians. Since that time he has been continuously in charge, with the help of his son, Ray.
He was prominent in fraternal and civic activities in Mohave County during his residence here. For many years he held membership in the Odd Fellows, Elks, Moose and Red Men. He was for a term president of the Kingman Rotary Club. In 1923 he was chairman of the state embalming board and since that time has been an active member of the board.
Surviving are his wife and seven children, Mrs. Elsie Tarr, Monrovia, Calif.; Everett, Los Angeles; Robert, Bishop, Calif.; Mrs. Loretta Connelly, Tucson, AZ; Mrs. Mable Black, Lonnie and Ray Van Marter, all of Kingman, AZ. All of the children were at the bedside when death came.
Source: The Arizona Independent Republic (Phoenix, AZ) Sat. Aug.10, 1935 page 9


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VAN MARTER RESTORATION OF NAME APRIL 3, 1905

Charles R Cooper and Frank N Cooper, his son, on application to the District Court of Mohave County A.T., in session at Kingman the 3d of April, 1905, granted a change of Sir Name from Cooper to Van Marter. The children of C.R. Cooper being all minors, except the said Frank N. Cooper.
The Action of the Court restores to the entire family the name of Van Marter. As a matter fact Van Marter is and always has been the true name of C. R. Cooper, and he has a brother living who is married and has a family off three children whose name is Van Marter, and who has always gone under that name. Mr. Cooper has always supposed until recently that he was adopted at an early age by one Mathew M. Cooper, of Solano County, California and from his earliest recollections has been called by the name of his adopted parents, in which family he was raised, and has always presumed such adoption to be legal. Mr. Cooper recently caused a search to be made of the records of said Solano County and found as a matter of fact that his name is Van Marter and always has been his true name. This fact alone was sufficient cause for the applicant to ask the court to drop the name of Cooper and be allowed his true name of Van Marter. In consequences of bearing the name of Cooper the members of his family have been subjected to much annoyance and inconvenience by reason of the impertinence and idle curiosity of people who desire to learn the exact relationship existing between him and his brother F.M. Van Marter and the difference of the names of the two families, made it necessary to enter into explanations which involved matters of family history of which the general public had no concern an it became of more importance to the younger members of the respective families as they grew older. Mr. Cooper and the members of his family and his brothers believe it to be to the best interest of all concerned that the name of Cooper be dropped and resume their true name of Van Marter. Mr. Cooper as well as all members of his family will henceforth be known as Van Marter.
Fresno, Nevada City and Grass Valley, Cal., and Reno, Nevada, papers please copy
April 3, 1905 District Court of Mohave County A.T. in Session Kingman, Arizona
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CENSUS RECORDS
1930 United States Federal Census
Name: Charles R Van Marter
Home in 1930: Kingman, Mohave, Arizona
Age: 70
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1860
Birthplace: California
Relation to Head of House: Head
Spouse's Name: Josephine Van Marter
Household Members: Name Age
Charles R Van Marter 70
Josephine Van Marter 65


1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Charles R Van Marter
Home in 1920: Kingman, Mohave, Arizona
Age: 60
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1860
Birthplace: California
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Spouse's Name: Josephine Van Marter
Father's Birth Place: Pennsylvania
Mother's Birth Place: Missouri
Marital Status: Married
Household Members: Name Age
Charles R Van Marter 60
Josephine Van Marter 55
Ray Van Marter 23
Robert Van Marter 18
Lorreta Van Marter 16


1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Charles R Vanmarter [Charles R Van Marter]
Age in 1910: 50
Birth Year: 1860
Birthplace: California
Home in 1910: Kingman, Mohave, Arizona
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Josephine Vanmarter
Father's Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Mother's Birthplace: Missouri
Household Members: Name Age
Charles R Vanmarter 50
Josephine Vanmarter 46
Everett Vanmarter 20
Louie Vanmarter 18
Mabel Vanmarter 15
Roy Vanmarter 12
Robert Vanmarter 8
Loretta Vanmarter 5
Samuel B Turner 23
John Brown 61


CENSUS RECORD FOR COOPER FAMILY (before change back to VAN MARTER name-Never legally adopted by Cooper family)

1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Charles R Cooper (VAN MARTER)
Home in 1900: Township 5, Selma,Fresno, California
Age: 40
Birth Date: Nov 1859
Birthplace: California
Relationship to head-of-house: Head
Father's Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Mother's Birthplace: Missouri
Spouse's Name: Josie M Cooper
Marriage year: 1883
Marital Status: Married
Years married: 17
Household Members: Name Age
Charles R Cooper 40 (VAN MARTER)
Josie M Cooper 35
Frank N Cooper 16
Elsie L Cooper 13
Evert L Cooper 10
Lonnie L Cooper 8
Mabel M Cooper 5
Ray M Cooper 2

1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Charles R. Cooper (assumed to have been adopted)
Age: 20
Birth Year: abt 1860
Birthplace: California
Home in 1880: Fresno, California
Relation to Head of House: Son
Occupation: At Home
Household Members: Name Age
Matthew N. Cooper 57
Mary A. Cooper 51
Charles R. Cooper 20


1870 United States Federal Census
Name:Charles Cooper (Charles Van Marter)
Age in 1870:10
Birth Year: abt 1860
Birthplace: California
Home in 1870:Suisun, Solano, California
Post Office: Suisun
Household Members: Name Age
Mathew Cooper 47
Mary Cooper 42
Charles Cooper 10 (assumed to have been adopted)
.