Paulina Jane Miller and John Edmund Colton

JOHN EDMUND COLTON, son of MALVINA AMANDA WHEELER and MELZAR COLTON, was born March 28, 1857 in Sylvester, Green, Wisconsin,⁶⁹⁶⁰ and died December 17, 1910 in Mitchell, Davison, South Dakota.⁶⁹⁶⁷ He is buried in Colton Cemetery, Minnehaha County, South Dakota.^{6967, 456}

He married PAULINA JANE MILLER on December 17, 1878 in Cooksville, Rock, Wisconsin.^{4818, 6960} She was born February 11, 1857 in Green County, Wisconsin,⁴⁵⁶ and died February 28, 1937 in Colton, Minnehaha, South Dakota.⁶⁹⁶¹ She is buried in Colton Cemetery, Minnehaha County, South Dakota.⁴⁵⁶

• Descendant Reports
  • Samuel Stanley Descendant Report (Ancestor of John E. Colton)
  • Joseph Baker Descendant Report (Ancestor of John E. Colton)
  • William Sutherland Descendant Report (Ancestor of John E. Colton)

Children of PAULINA JANE MILLER and JOHN EDMUND COLTON:

1. CHARLES MILLER COLTON, b. October 14, 1879, Taopi, Minnehaha, South Dakota;⁶⁹⁶⁰ m. HARRIET ESTHER HERR in November, 1900⁶⁹⁶⁰; d. December 3, 1951, Lakeport, Lake, California.⁴⁵⁶
2. MELZAR GLENN COLTON, b. January 5, 1883, Taopi, Minnehaha, South Dakota;⁶⁹⁶⁰ m. CORA SHELTON on October 25, 1938 in Davison County, South Dakota⁵⁰¹; d. February 15, 1956, Minnehaha County, South Dakota.^{6962, 456}
3. FREDERICK ARTHUR COLTON, b. November 28, 1884, Sioux Falls, Minnehaha, South Dakota;⁶⁹⁶⁰ d. March 20, 1896, Minnehaha County, South Dakota;^{6960, 456} bur. Colton Cemetery, Minnehaha County, South Dakota.⁴⁵⁶
4. ETHEL AURORA COLTON, b. September 8, 1887, Taopi, Minnehaha, South Dakota;⁶⁹⁶⁰ d. June 19, 1911, Colton, Minnehaha, South Dakota.^{456, 12381}
5. RUTH ELLEN COLTON, b. September 19, 1889, Taopi, Minnehaha, South Dakota;⁶⁹⁶⁰ m. CLARENCE HENRY PETERSON on August 19, 1914 in Minnehaha County, South Dakota^{6964, 501}; d. May 8, 1982, Dow-Rummel Village, Sioux Falls, Minnehaha, South Dakota.⁶⁹⁶⁴
6. HATTIE JANE COLTON, b. November 1, 1891, Taopi, Minnehaha, South Dakota;⁶⁹⁶⁰ m. CLARENCE HERBERT COXE on September 4, 1915 in Minnehaha County, South Dakota⁵⁰¹; d. January 29, 1974, Davis Community Hospital, Yolo County, California.^{456, 6987}
7. AURA VIVIAN COLTON, b. January 20, 1894, Taopi, Minnehaha, South Dakota;⁶⁹⁶⁰ m. JOHN LEWIS COUTTS on February 22, 1919 in Minnehaha County, South Dakota⁵⁰¹; d. July 28, 1957, Yuba County, California.²⁵⁰
8. HELEN PAULINA COLTON, b. March 29, 1897, Taopi, Minnehaha, South Dakota;⁶⁹⁶⁰ m. LOUIS TODNEM on March 22, 1921 in Minnehaha County, South Dakota⁵⁰¹; d. February 9, 1962, Blue Earth County, Minnesota.⁷⁴
9. ESTHER MELVINA COLTON, b. February 25, 1900, Taopi, Minnehaha, South Dakota;⁶⁹⁶⁰ m. LOUIS TODNEM on June 15, 1963 in Minnehaha County, South Dakota⁵⁰¹; d. February 21, 1986, South Dakota.⁴⁵⁶



Personal Information

• Paulina Jane Miller was a member of the Methodist Church. ⁶⁹⁶¹

Clubs and Associations

Newspaper Articles

Daily Argus-Leader, June 17, 1911¹²³⁸⁰

The town of Colton owns a beautiful park west of the town, the gift of the late J. E. Colton who died about a year ago at Mitchell. Under the terms of the gift, Colton keeps the park as long as it has no licensed saloon. The minute the town votes wet, the park reverts to the Colton estate with a provision that it can not be resold to the town at any price. So highly do the people of Colton prize the park that the question of license has never been submitted to a vote and is not likely to be submitted for many years to come.

Obituaries

Daily Argus-Leader, December 17, 1910⁶⁹⁶⁷

J. E. COLTON DIED AT MITCHELL

Sudden Death at Mitchell of J. E. Colton, Well Known in Minnehaha County

(Special to the Argus-Leader)

Mitchell, Dec. 17.—J. E. Colton, who moved here eight months ago from Colton, in Minnehaha county, to educate his children, died suddenly of heart failure at 2 o'clock this morning. Mr. Colton had been in his usual health. This morning his wife was awakened by a gasp given by her husband, and she found him in a dying condition. The interment will be at Colton. Mr. Colton was formerly county superintendent of Minnehaha county, and for many years was one of its most highly esteemed citizens.

Sioux City Journal, March 3, 1937⁶⁹⁶¹

EARLY COLTON SETTLER DIES

Mrs. Paulina Colton Was Widow of Town's Namesake

Colton, S. D.—Special: Funeral services are to be held on Wednesday afternoon at the Methodist church her for Paulina Colton, 80-year-old pioneer woman who died here Sunday evening.

Mrs. Colton was born in Wisconsin in 1857 and spent her childhood and youth there. In 1878 she was married to J. E. Colton and in 1870 she came with her husband to South Dakota and homesteaded on the place that had been her home since. The town of Colton grew up on land once owned by Mrs. Colton and was named in honor of her husband. She lived to see a vast change in her surroundings here and often spoke of what a pleasure it had been to see the town develop.

Mrs. Colton was not only a typical pioneer woman but her interests were extensive and she will be remembered as a community builder. She was a charter member of the Methodist church, which was founded here in 1882. For many years she was president of the Ladies Aid and actively interested in every kind of church work. She was the oldest member of the Colton Service club, a woman's civic organization.

She is survived by two sons, Charles Colton of Lakeport, Cal., and Melzar Colton, Colton, and five daughters, Mrs. Ruth Peterson, Brandon; Mrs. Hattie Cose, Redfield; Mrs. Helen Todnem, Mankato, Minn., and Esther Colton of Colton, 17 grandchildren and five brothers.

Census Records

Date	Location	Enumerated Names
August 21, 18604814	Sylvester, Green, Wisconsin	Melzar Colton Malvina Amanda Wheeler John Edmund Colton William Oscar Colton
August 31, 18704815	Sylvester, Green, Wisconsin	Melzar Colton Malvina Amanda Wheeler John Edmund Colton William Oscar Colton Mary Ellen Colton Melvina Jerusha Colton Harriet Louisa Colton
June 14, 18801050	Minnehaha County, South Dakota	John Edmund Colton Paulina Jane Miller Charles Miller Colton
June 15, 19006965	Taopi, Minnehaha, South Dakota	John Edmund Colton Paulina Jane Miller Melzar Glenn Colton Clarence Henry Peterson Ethel Aurora Colton Ruth Ellen Colton Hattie Jane Colton Aura Vivian Colton Helen Paulina Colton Esther Melvina Colton
May 11, 19106966	Mitchell, Davison, South Dakota	John Edmund Colton Paulina Jane Miller Melzar Glenn Colton Ethel Aurora Colton Ruth Ellen Colton Hattie Jane Colton Aura Vivian Colton Helen Paulina Colton Esther Melvina Colton
February 2, 19206972	Colton, Minnehaha, South Dakota	Paulina Jane Miller Melzar Glenn Colton Helen Paulina Colton Esther Melvina Colton
April 23, 19306971	Colton, Minnehaha, South Dakota	Paulina Jane Miller Melzar Glenn Colton