Joseph St. Germaine died last Wednesday at his home on Cowlitz prairie at the age of 86 years, and was buried Friday in Cowlitz cemetery, one of the first cemeteries in the state. He came to Washington in 1842, when it was a part of Oregon, and was for many years in the employ of the Hudson Bay company, being a native of Canada. He became a citizen of the United States and took a donation claim of 320 acres on Cowlitz prairie in 1852. In the Indian war of 1855-56 he served with the volunteers and was among the pensioners of that war. In 1857 he sold his donation claim and bought the farm of 160 acres near Cowlitz postoffice living continuously on the place for upward of fifty years to the day of his death.
A. P. Henriot, of 319 North L. street, Tacoma, who settled at Cowlitz in 1845 and was postmaster there for twenty-five years, says Mr. St. Germaine was the only man who died on the farm he owned when Mr. Henriot first wnt into the county, upwards of forty years ago.
Mr. St. Germaine was a man of modest conservative ways, a good neighbor and a kind man in his family. His widiow, four sons and three daughters survive him. He was a member of the Roman Catholic church.
Source: Centralia News-Examiner, 31 Jan 1908, page 11.
Transcribed by Diana Smith. She has no further information on this individual.
Editor's Note: Joseph St. Germaine and family are buried in Saint Francis Xavier Mission Catholic Cemetery (a.k.a. Cowlitz Mission Cemetery).