Burial Records

Death Takes One of Last Pioneers

John Petrain, 94, one of the last pioneers of this area, died Tuesday in a local hospital.  He was born in Vancouver on Mar. 20, 1861, and lived here his entire life.

The deceased was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph William Petrain, who according to an old newspaper clipping were the first white couple married in a Catholic church in Vancouver

Joseph worked as a bookkeeper for the Hudson’s Bay Company at Fort Vancouver.  He was a county commissioner in the area from 1856 to 1858 and probate judge from 1859 to 1861.  He was one of the first to file land claims when this area became a part of the United States.

The late James Robert Petrain, one of John’s brothers, is said to have been the first white child born in Clark County.  He was born June 28, 1849, “in a log cabin in the old Fort on the hill,” according to another newspaper item.

John resided at 1015 W. Nineteenth St.  He is survived by a grandchild in San Diego, Calif.

Funeral services are to be held at 11 a.m. Friday in the Vancouver Funeral Chapel.  Interment will be in the Fern Prairie Cemetery.

Sources & Notes:

The Columbian   Vancouver, Clark Co., WA      14 Mar 1957

Vancouver Funeral Home Funeral Records

NOTE:  It appears that John Petrain was born in 1971 or 1972.  In the 1870 census he is not listed.  In the 1880 Census he is listed as being 8 years old.  That would make his birthday 1971 or 1972.