Obit:

MIKE T. SIMMONS, NATIVE OF STATE, DIES HERE SUNDAY

Well Known Valley Resident was Washington Pioneer

Michael Troutman Simmons, 76, a native of Washington and a Kittitas valley resident for 42 years, died at his home in the Thrall district yesterday morning. He had been in ill health for some time, but had been confined to his home only a short time before his death.

Widely known
One of the few men remaining in this state who could speak the Siwash, or pure Indian language, as well as the Chinook jargon. Simmons was widely known throughout this section as a talented old-time fiddler and as a weather prognosticator.

He was a delegate from Mason county, his birthplace, to the first state constitutional convention in Olympia in 1889, when plans were made for the admission of Washington as a state, the golden anniversary of which is being celebrated this year in the state's Golden Jubilee.

Mike Simmons was born October 8, 1862, in Mason county. He was the son of Michael T. Simmons and Elizabeth Kindred Simmons. His father was born in Kentucky and crossed the plains by ox team in 1844, becoming one of the first settlers in Oregon territory.

Michael Jr., was educated in the pioneer schools of Mason county. He worked for a time in a logging camp and afterwards was employed on the preliminary survey for the Northern Pacific railroad. Then he began farming on Oyster Bay in Mason county.

Came here in 1896
He was married in 1885 to Louisa Gavitt of Laporte, Pa. They moved to the Kittitas valley in 1896, rented land here until 1898, and then purchased the present Simmons farm near Thrall.

He was active in politics, as a staunch Republican. He was a member of the Elks lodge.

He is survived by his widow, Louisa Simmons of Ellensburg; a son, Lee G. Simmons of Ellensburg; a daughter, Ruby E. Simmons of Ellensburg; a brother, Charles Simmons of Centralia, and a sister, Mrs. John Banon of Vader.

Funeral services will be held under the auspices of the Elks lodge at the Elks temple Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock.

Ellensburg Daily record, February 20, 1939, front page