Lucas County's Salem Cemetery

Introduction: The Reasoning Behind This Project

2008-10-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

IN LOVING MEMORY
Daniel and Reefa (Miller) Myers
"Will the Circle Be Unbroken"

I expect eventually to be deposited in one form or another at Salem Cemetery, and it never hurts to know the neighbors. Beyond that, I'm related to many of those buried here and probably related to people who are related to the rest. That's the way in works in Lucas County.

My parents and Myers grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents rest here as does Doratha Redlingshafer, my great-great-great-grandmother, matriarch of the Redlingshafer family in America.

Last but certainly not least, I've become acquainted with some of the nicest folks conceivable, descendants of Salem's occupants, because of my informal status as the resident expert on who is buried here, and why. Those who rest here would be proud of their descendants, Lucas Countyans actual and virtual, and gratified that after all these years their kinfolk have sought them out and want to know something of who they were and how they lived and died.

Those are among the reasons for this blog with a limited purpose. If you are interested in my brilliant opinions on stuff and other matters I chose to write about, kindly see my other blog, "The Lucas Countyan." There will be none of that here. This space belongs to the ancestors.

A good deal of what's here was posted originally to a Salem Cemetery mailing list at RootsWeb. That was fine and it's still there. But a mailing list does not have photo potential and I've wanted that, so I'm going to gradually move material from there to here and add photos and more. It will take a while.

Salem Cemetery is located alongside the New York Road in Section 3 of Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa, some three miles over generally rough and occasionally muddy gravel roads southeast of Chariton. Although the date on the gatepost is "1873," that's misleading. The first burial here, reportedly that of a Mormon pioneer who died along the Mormon Trail, was in the late 1840s and there were others soon after 1850 and many more before 1873. You can see the "history" for more of this.

The cemetery was platted in 1873, probably a new grid dropped atop an older one since no one here seems out of place, and divided into 52 lots, each 9 by 41 feet. A few of those lots have been subdivided as the years passed, but most remain intact. The George W. Redlingshafer family takes the prize for shoe-horning the most deceased persons into one lot, although a bit of cheating was involved. George D. Redlingshafer has only a stone; his remains are elsewhere.

I have followed the cemetery's original lot numbering system here, and that's the way the blog is organized. Lot No. 1 is in the extreme northeast corner of the cemetery and lots follow east to west in numerical order to No. 13 at the northwest corner of the original cemetery. Lot 14 is just south of Lot No. 1, back at the east end, then the lots march in numerical order again to Lot No. 26 at the west end of the second row. Lots No. 27-39 and Lots No. 40-52 form the two south ranges of lots in a similar manner so that Lot. No. 52 is in the extreme southwest corner of the cemetery. Confused? Well so am I sometimes, especially since the lots have been renumbered at least twice in different ways as the years have passed. But this was the way it started.

After all the vacant lots in the original plat were sold (my grandparents grabbed the last one), other lots were sold in what formerly was the Salem churchyard. I've grouped those together as "Churchyard Burials."

In addition, I know of people who were buried here but don't know where. You'll find them under "Salem's lost graves."

To navigate, look to "Index" in post listings at left. That will tell you eventually who is buried here and on which lot. Then click on the appropriate lot to pull it up.

I hope you find this useful. With the exception of a few reprobates (I know who they were but won't tell), all the folks buried here were fine people who deserve to be remembered. That, ultimately, is what this is all about.

Frank D. Myers
October 2008

Too many moons ago, now, and in another life. But those were good days, too, up that crick in Wyoming.

A Brief History of Salem Cemetery

2008-10-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

A gravedigger once told my dad that the dirt is black and rich six feet down at Salem, the legacy of countless tallgrass prairie seasons cycling under endless sky. Everyone in this community forged by death was tied somehow to the land in life and it remains a good place for an old farmer to take his rest.

The first to be buried here beside a fold in the prairie as it begins to break toward the Chariton River was a Mormon refugee moving toward the woods and water at Chariton Point two miles northwest during the 1840s, carrying in his head Brigham Young’s vision of New Zion in the intermountain West.

The most recent, during 2006, was a farm wife in her 94th year who carried memories of a full life on the farm just across the road as she traveled toward home.

Time and the prairie wind have swept away the Mormon pioneer’s name and the exact location of his grave, but the memory of Ora Gartin still is fresh and lively as grass heals the wound inflicted when her grave was dug.

SALEM is located in the southwest quarter of Section 3, Benton Township, two miles southeast of Chariton and two and a half miles due west of Russell, just south of the intersection of the Blue Grass and New York roads.

The Blue Grass Road here follows the path of the old Mormon Trace, the trail blazed from Dodge’s Point in Appanoose County northwest past old Greenville and then due west through what became Russell to Chariton Point and beyond by Mormons during the late spring and the early summer of 1846. The Trace was used thereafter by most of the thousands of Nauvoo Saints forced to flight by non-Mormon neighbors in Illinois who would not tolerate their differentness. They moved past what became Salem in ox-drawn wagons, on horseback and on foot toward Chariton Point, then Garden Grove or Mount Pisgah, across western Iowa to the Missouri River and beyond through Nebraska and Wyoming to Utah.

At Salem, the main trail was joined by a shortcut used by some of these pioneers that meandered back southeast past Ragtown, then cut directly east toward Greenville across the prairie flats south of Russell.

It may have been this convergence of trails that made it seem likelier to loved ones that a grave here would be less likely to be lost. Those who mourned had no choice other than to bury, say a prayer and move on.

DURING the roughly 160 years that have followed that first grave, approximately 300 people have been buried at Salem. Of those, about 240 graves are marked, the locations of perhaps 20 unmarked graves are known and perhaps 40 more people, known but to God, lie buried here.

These people were overwhelmingly of Scots-Irish and German descent, although there are Swedes and others, too. Most were members of three churches: Salem Methodist Episcopal (later Salem Community) Church, congregations whose building stood in front of the cemetery from the 1870s until the 1970s and from which the cemetery took its name; Mt. Carmel United Evangelical Church, four miles south; and Otterbein United Brethren in Christ, four miles southwest. The only other cemetery in Benton Township is Ragtown, a mile and a quarter southeast and long unused. For reasons now unknown, several families began to bury at Ragtown, then stopped and began using Salem. In at least one instance, a wife was buried at Ragtown and her husband, many years later at Salem.

There are Civil War veterans of both the Union and the Confederate States here, as well as veterans of World War I and World War II. There are men here who took their own lives and at least one who was murdered, women who died in childbirth and dozens of infants today‘s medical practices would have saved, many victims of tuberculosis (then called consumption) and many more who lived long and full lives. Their descendants are practically numberless now and scattered like buckshot, but this remains a community and its members still have stories to tell.

ALTHOUGH Lucas County opened for settlement during 1846, the same year the Mormon Trace was blazed, the land around the lone grave in Benton Township remained in government hands for a few years because it was open prairie, considered less desirable than timbered land.

The 160-acre tract that included the grave was purchased from the U.S. government by John Howard and his wife, Mary (Sutphin) Scott/Howard, on 23 May 1850 for the going rate of $1.25 per acre. At the time it was unbroken, open and treeless prairie with only one landmark --- the grave. The Howards apparently did not live here, however.

They also had purchased land about two miles northwest along the Mormon Trace, due south of what now is the city of Chariton and encompassing part of the Chariton Point settlement. It was here, apparently, that the Howards lived until Mary’s death on 12 October 1850. According to family lore, Mary was buried first in a cemetery once located on the site of Columbus School in Chariton that was abandoned at about the time the present Chariton Cemetery was developed, in the early 1860s. Her remains were removed to the new cemetery and according to some accounts were the first to be buried in it.

Aaron Salter Scott, buried with several family members at Salem, was a son of Mary (Sutphin) Scott/Howard by her first marriage, to Jacob Scott, and the grave of Henry T. Scott, infant son of Aaron S. and Elizabeth A. (Wells) Scott, who died 14 December 1853, is the earliest marked grave at Salem.

Not long after Mary’s death, John Howard disposed of his holdings in Lucas County and moved “back east” to Jefferson County, Iowa, where he married as his second wife a woman named Gracie.

The prairie farm in Benton Township went to Margaret (Sutphin) Hobson, a sister of Mary (Sutphin) Scott/Howard, whose husband, Joseph Hobson, had died 4 September 1849 in Van Buren County and who had been buried in the Bonaparte Cemetery where his grave still may be found.

On 14 February 1852, John and Gracie Howard (then of Lockridge Township, Jefferson County) sold the 160-acre cemetery farm to Margaret for $100 and she moved there with some of her children, including Rebecca (who married first Nelson Bell and then Chester F. Plimpton), Elizabeth Adeline (who married Francis M. Wilson), John Milburn (who married first Margaret A. Clark and then Mary Eugenia Taylor Gove) and Lucinda (who married John P. Martin).

It was Margaret and her family who broke the land and built a home probably in the southwest corner of the farm, where what I still call the Johnny Jennings home is located.

It may have been during Margaret Hobson’s tenure that neighbors, including her nephew, Aaron Scott, began to bury their dead near the lone Mormon grave northeast of the Hobson home, thus forming a cemetery with a name that, if there was one, has faded into obscurity.

Margaret Hobson died 19 August 1870 and was buried in the Chariton Cemetery beside her sister, Mary (Sutphin) Scott/Howard.

Upon Margaret Hobson’s death, her son, Milburn, purchased from her estate for $1,100 140 acres of the 160-acre farm on 26 August 1870. This farm was known a century later as the George and Faye Lovell/Johnny and Ora Gartin farm (Johnny's wife was Ora Lovell, daughter of George), and it probably was the Milburn Hobsons who developed the farmstead there. The cemetery was included in this purchase.

The 20-acre tract in the southwest corner of the farm that probably included the original Hobson farmstead was sold for $500, also on 26 August 1870, to Margaret’s daughter, Adeline, who had married Francis M. Wilson.

Three years later, on 6 March 1873, Milburn Hobson sold to the Wilsons the 20-acre tract that included the cemetery.

And on the 12th of June, 1873, Adeline and Francis M. Wilson sold the cemetery site for $50 to the Salem Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church.

This is why the year “1873” is inscribed on the plaque that marks the cemetery entrance, although the burial ground itself is about 25 years older.

Soon after purchasing the land, Salem Methodist Church was built in front of (west of) the cemetery and, during 1875, the cemetery was replatted as Salem Cemetery into 52 lots, each 9 by 41 feet with space for eight or nine graves. Since there are no graves at Salem that seem out of place, it is likely that the new plat followed at least partly an earlier one.

Salem remained an active Methodist congregation until the 1930s and its members administered and maintained the cemetery during those years.

The Methodist congregation had faded by the 1940s, however, and the church was closed for a time. It was reopened by community residents during the 1940s, but took a Baptist turn and declined to accept Methodist preachers. As a result, the Iowa Methodist Conference during 1947 sold the church and church grounds to what became known as the Salem Community Church. The cemetery was deeded to the Benton Township trustees who assumed responsibility for its care.

Salem Community Church remained active well into the 1970s, but declining rural population and the deaths of key members caused it to close during that decade. A decision was made to demolish the church building, still well-maintained and structurally sound, and the church grounds, which had begun to be used for cemetery purposes as the original cemetery filled, also were deeded to the Benton Township trustees. Today, only the church’s front step remains.

That left the cemetery in the form it now has. Upon the death of Burdette Smith, his family placed new fencing (replacing hitching posts that had rotted), brick gateposts and a plaque identifying Salem at the front. Some years later, hard-maple trees were planted in memory of Reefa (Miller) Myers to replace giant soft-maples that had died.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 01: George Smith, Owner

2008-10-04T07:17:00.001-07:00

So far as we know, there is only one grave in Lot No. 1, located in the extreme northeast corner of the cemetery: That of Estela (Arnold) Smith, wife of George W. Smith. Although the effect seems kind of lonesome and her husband and children did move on after her death, she is near family here. Her parents, Edward and Sophia (Barnhart) Arnold, are buried in Lot No. 6 and her father- and mother-in-law, Josiah and Sarah (Pitts) Smith, are buried in Lot No. 42.

ESTELA
Wife of
G.W. Smith
BORN
Mar. 31, 1870
DIED
Mar. 2, 1898

Estela does not have a published obituary for some reason. The best the Chariton newspapers can do is the following notice published in The Chariton Democrat of 4 March 1898:

Died, Mrs. Estella Smith, wife of Geo. Smith, on Wednesday, March 2. Mr. and Mrs. Smith resided five miles north of New York. Funeral services will be held today at the Salem church and the remains will be interred in the Salem Cemetery.

To compensate a little, I've devised the following virtual obituary based upon my own research and that of one of Estela's descendants, Roberta Tuller:

ROSA ESTELA SMITH

Rosa Estela Arnold, sixth child of Edward and Sophia (Barnhart) Arnold, was born March 31, 1870, in Dallas Township, Marion County, Iowa.

When she was 2, her family moved to Lucas County, living in Liberty Township until 1875, when they moved to Benton Township, where she grew up and was educated. With her family, she attended Mt. Carmel United Evangelical Church.

On Nov. 28, 1888, when she was 18, Estela married a neighbor boy, George Washington Smith, age 22, a son of Josiah and Sarah (Pitts) Smith.

During 10 years of marriage, the Smiths had two children, Eva Edna and Walter George. The family tenant farmed in Benton Township, and was living on the McCurdy place (later the Irwin and Ethel Myers farm) when Estela died on 2 March 1898, less than a month before her 28th birthday. She was buried in Salem Cemetery.

In addition to her husband, children and parents, Estela was survived by seven siblings: Mandaville Arnold, Edward Morris Arnold, Mrs. William H.(Phoebe) Holmes. Mrs. George D. (Harriet) Redlingshafer, Mrs. Greer (Fanny) Redlingshafer, Mrs. John F. (Della) Anderson and James Walter Arnold. She was preceded in death by a brother and a sister, Mortimer and Kitty Arnold.

George and his children later moved to a farm near Griswold in Cass County, Iowa, and George still was living on a farm in that area when he died during May of 1941. He was buried in a nearby cemetery, Flint, located in Pottawattamie County.

George W. and Estela (Arnold) Smith and their two children, Eva and Walter.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 02: Tharp/Wilson, Owners

2008-10-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

The 1930s plant of Salem shows this lot divided with the north half owned by "Tharp" and the south half, by "Wilson." I have no idea who either Tharp or Wilson is. Whatever the case, there is only one marked grave on the north half of the lot, that of Joe E. Clark. I've been unable to find an obituary for Joe, but the death notice here suggests that there might have been some initial indecision about exactly where to bury him.

JOE E. CLARK
1860-1939
DEATH NOTICE: JOE E. CLARK, 79, IS DEAD

Dies Monday Night at Home on North 7th St. (in Chariton);
Rites Set for Wednesday

Joe E. Clark, 79, for many years a resident of this vicinity, died last night about midnight at his home on North Seventh street, after a brief illness with pneumonia.

Surviving him are his wife, and one brother, Verne Clark, of Hedrick, and three sisters, Mrs. Lulu Spiker, of Hedrick, and Mrs. Della Carmack and Mrs. Jas. F. McDowell, of Chariton.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock at the Miley funeral home, and burial will be in the Chariton (sic) cemetery.

The Chariton Leader, 19 December 1939

A very small stone with no insciption, of the sort used elsewhere in the cemetery as a footstone, is located at either the extreme south end of the south half of this lot, or at the extreme north end of Lot. No. 15. I do not know whose grave this stone might mark.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 03: Louisa Clark/E. Morgan, Owners

2008-10-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

NORTH HALF: LOUISA CLARK

There are no marked graves on the north half of this lot, although there are depressions suggesting that two graves might be located here. "Louisa Clark" is given on the 1930s Salem plat as the owner of this portion of the lot.

SOUTH HALF: ELIJAH MORGAN

The grave of Elijah H. Morgan, marked by a Confederate States of America service marker, is in the approxmate middle of this portion of the lot. Elijah is one of two Confederate veterans buried at Salem. Although there are at least two other graves on this portion of the lot, those of Elijah's wife, Mary, and son, William, it is not evident where they are located. The inscription on Elijah's Stone reads,

ELIJAH H. MORGAN
CO I
23 VA INF
C.S.A.

There is no record of Elijah's death in Lucas County so he must have died elsewhere. The following news story from The Chariton Patriot of 5 November 1931 (Page 1), does, however, give some details of his life.

CONFEDERATE WAR VETERAN CELEBRATED
97TH BIRTHDAY IN CHARITON WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4

E.H. Morgan Still Rememers Days He Spent Under General Jackson

E. H. Morgan, Chariton's only veteran of the Civil war who fought with the confederate army, celebrated his 97th birthday Wednesday at the home of his son, Paul Morgan, in Chariton.

Morgan is still quite active despite his advanced years and remembers the days spent with the Confederate army under General Pickett.

He was 25 years of age when he went to the old courthouse in Fawnville, Virginia, and cast his lot with the Southeran armies, becoming a member of Company L of the Twenty-Third Old Virginia.

Mr. Morgan was at Gettysburg with Pickett and in numerous other encounters with the Union forces. As a member of the ambulance company, he helped to bury the leg of Stonewall Jackson, shot off when the generall forgot an order which he had issued.

General Jackson had issued an order to fire on any one who attempted to come down the line. Forgetting his order, the General came riding down the line on a big horse and a hail of bullets was directed at him until the soldiers realized their error. Amputation of his leg was necessary because of the serious injury that he sustained.

Upon the death of the famous Southern general, Mr. Morgan was detailed as a guard of honor at the military funeral.

A member of the Southern army in the sixties, he's a thorough American today, and at the age of 97 years he still thrills at the stories of American valor and heroism in 1917 and 1918, and none is prouder of the boys that fought another war and died another year than he who one day met his present friends and neighbors on the field of battle.

Elijah apparently died during March of 1934. The following brief report was published in The Herald Patriot of 29 March 1934:

ATTENDED RITES SUNDAY FOR LATE E. H. MORGAN

Among the number who were here Sunday attending the funeral of E. H. Morgan, Civil War veteran, were Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Moore and Mrs. Vera Schnee and daughter, of Des Moines; Mr. and Mrs. H. G. Porter and Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Doggett, of Villisca; Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Moore, of Earlham.

+++

If there were a tombstone here for Elijah H. Morgan's wife, Mary, who lies in an unmarked grave, it might read as follows:

MARY ELIZABETH MORGAN
Wife of Elijah H. Morgan
Born Dec. 10, 1852
Died June 11, 1917
OBITUARY: MRS. E. H. MORGAN

Mrs. E.H. Morgan passed away at her home in northwest Chariton on Monday night, June 11th, 1917, at 11 o'clock, after an extended illness with heart trouble and a complication of diseases.

Funeral services, conducted by her pastor, Rev. Herbert J. Bryce, were held at the family home in Brookdale (Brookdale is the name of a street in northwest Chariton, and perhaps also was the name of a neighborhood or subdivision) yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock, after which the remains were laid to rest in Salem cemetery.

Mary Elizabeth Clark was born in Pennsylvania, December 10th, 1852. She was married at Newbern, Iowa, in August, 1871, to E.H. Morgan, who survives her. Five children were born to them, three of whom, Mrs. Clarence Moore of Humeston, Mrs. Harry Porter of Villisca, and Paul, of this city, survive. She also leaves four grandchildren. She had been a resident of this county for over forty years, and was highly regarded by all who knew her for her many lovable traits of character. She had been a member of the Baptist church for many years, and was a good, christian woman. Her demise will be deplored by a host of friends who will extend sincere sympathy to the grief stricken family. (Chariton Herald-Patriot. 14 June 1917)

Mary E. (Clark) Morgan was a sister of Margaret (Clark) Hobson, first wife of Milburn Hobson, who died 20 June 1883 and who is buried in Salem Cemetery Lot. No. 17. Margaret's obituary identifies their parents as William and Nancy Clark.

Mary E. Morgan's obituary states that she was married to Elijah H. Morgan during 1871 at Newburn, Iowa. Newbern, almost a ghost town, is located in far north Lucas County, just south of the Warren County line, but Van Buren County, Iowa, marriage records show that Mary E. Clark and Elijah H. Morgan were married 19 August 1872 in Van Buren County.

+++
Also buried in an unmarked grave on this lot is William "Straighty" Morgan, son of Elijah and Mary E., who died in Chariton during 1905. If he had a tombstone, its inscription might read as follows:

WILLIAM MORGAN
Son of Elijah H. and Mary E. Morgan
1875-1905
DEATH OF "STRAIGHTY" MORGAN

Passes Away After an Illness of Only a Week With Pneumonia

William Morgan, familiarly known as "Straighty" Morgan, died at the home of his parents in this city (Chariton) on Tuesday evening, January 24, 1905, at 10:30 o'clock after an illness of only a few days with pneumonia. Funeral services conducted by Rev. F. B. Palmer were held at the family home this morning after which the remains were interred in the Salem cemetery.

William Morgan was the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Morgan and was born in Warren county, this state, in 1875. For many years he has resided in Chariton and a greater part of the time has been engaged in the dray business. He was a kind hearted, honest young man, and had many friends who will regret to learn of his death and who will extend heartfelt sympathy to the sorrowing parents and two sisters and brother who survive him. (The Chariton Leader, 26 January 1905)

WILLIAM MORGAN

William Morgan, more familiarly known as "Straighty," died at the home of his father, E. H. Morgan, in this city, Tuesday evening, Jan. 24, 1905,at 10 o'clock p.m. after less than two weeks' illness with pneumonia. Funeral services were held from his late home this morning at 10 o'clock,conducted by Rev. F. B. Palmer, and interment was made in the Salemcemetery.

Deceased was thirty years old and had lived in Chariton all his life.

For years he has been engaged in the delivery business, and there are but few of the residents of Chariton who have not at some time employedhim in that capacity, and he was always prompt in the discharge of his duties. Beneath a somewhat rough exterior beat a warm and sympathetic heart, and "Straighty" never forgot when anyone showed him a kindness, and was always ready to grant a favor. He was a familiar character about town and will be greatly missed by his many friends.The bereaved relatives have the sympathy of the community. (The Chariton Herald, 26 January 1905)

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 04: George Redlingshafer, Owner

2008-10-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

The Redlingshafer family holds the record at Salem for most efficient use of space. Nine people are buried on the lot although tombstones suggest that there are 10. The George D. Redlingshafer stone, however, is a memorial; his remains are elsewhere. George W. Redlingshafer bought this lot from the Salem trustees when his mother died in the late summer of 1881.

Those buried or memorialized in Lot No. 4 are Doratha Redlingshafer, the matriarch of the Redlingshafer family in America; her son and daughter-in-law, George W. and Frances Caroline (Lewis) Redlingshafer; George D. Redlingshafer, Adelia O. Redlingshafer, Charles M. Redlingshafer and William L. Redlingshafer, children of George and Frances; and Alice M. Pickett, another daughter of George and Frances, and her husband, William S. Pickett, and their infant child, Gale A. The transcriptions here are from south to north to allow Doratha to have pride of place.

DORATHA
REDLINGSHAFER
DIED
Aug.13, 1881
Aged
78Y, 25D

NARRATIVE: DORATHA (REDLINGSHAFER) REDLINGSHAFER

I confess partiality in the ancestor department to Doratha, who is my great-great-great grandmother, in part because she's the only immigrant forbear I can relate to. The others arrived in the Americas so long ago or with such common surnames (like Brown) that for the most part they're just abstractions. Doratha, on the other hand, has a wonderfully distinctive surname, twice actually since it was both maiden and married; she's here at Salem where I can visit at any time; and then there's this wonderful photo, courtesy of my esteemed cousin Donnell (Redlingshafer) Wisniewiski whose family preserved it. Donnell's great-grandfather, John W. Redlingshafer, and my great-grandmother, Mary Belle (Redlingshafer) Myers, were siblings.

There is no published death notice or obituary for Doratha, so it's necessary to rely on other sources. My dad wasn't of much help in this department since the only family story he recalled regarding Doratha was that one of her favorite pastimes was smoking a small pipe --- unusual in Lucas County but not at all so in her native Bavaria.

According to German lore, the Redlingshafers were Austrian originally, but were chased out because of their Lutheran (as opposed to Roman Catholic) faith and found refuge in an area west of Nuremberg where they reproduced enthusiastically during the 17th and 18th centuries, filling several farming villages. In that sort of setting, cousins tended to marry cousins as was the case with Doratha and her husband, George Redlngshafer. That's the background for this brief exerpt from a biographical sketch of Donnell's and my great-great-grandfather, Doratha's son, John G. Redlingshafer:

GEORGE REDLINGSHAFER, the father of our subject (John G. Redlingshafer), was twice married and the children recorded above are of the second union. His first wife, who was a Miss Wise and who was a native of the same province in which he was born, bore him three children, - Barbara, James and John. All have long since passed away. The mother died soon after the birth of her last child. Of the father of this large family, we further record that he was born in Bavaria, December 7, 1787, and that he was a farmer and met with more than ordinary success in his vocation. When the war cloud gathered and hung over his native land he converted his acres into cash and came to America, making the Atlantic voyage in the Abegunde and being sixty-three days from Hamburg to Baltimore. The progress of the vessel was hindered by both calm and storm, and although the vessel was somewhat the worse for the voyage, she landed her precious freight in safety. Patiently awaiting the arrival of this good ship was James Redlingshafer, the brother of our subject, who had several years before emigrated to America. United, the family set out for Uniontown, Pennsylvania, making the journey by rail to Cumberland and thence by stage to their destination. This was in 1848.

After a residence of about a year at Uniontown, Pennsylvania, the family removed to Washington county, same State, where they purchased a farm and settled upon the same. About six years later the father and mother, upon the continued solicitation of Mary, their daughter, came west to Bureau County, Illinois. Still later they located in Clayton county, Iowa. Here ended the useful career of George Redlingshafer. He lived long enough, however, to feel assured of the success of all his children. It was January 7, 1856, and at the home of his daughter, Mary, in Guttenberg, Iowa, that he quietly passed away. The mother of our subject, nee Dorothea Redlingshafer, was born in Bavaria, July 18, 1803. She was a devoted Christian woman and a member of the German Lutheran Church. After an active and useful life, the closing years of which were spent at the home of her son George, in Benton township, Lucas county, Iowa, she passed to her reward, the date of her death being August 13, 1881. In the Salem Church burying-ground a stone marks her last resting place. {"A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1896, Page 230)

The Redlingshafers followed German naming practices and once they'd settled on a few names they stuck with them, generation after generation, like an old dog with a bone. It's enough to drive a genealogist to drink. All of Doratha's daughters, for example, was given the name Anna. She had two sets of daughters who had exactly the same names, just reversed: Margaret Anna and Anna Margaret; Mary Anna and Anna Mary. See what I mean?

Anyhow, of George's first family --- who came to America first --- the eldest was the formidable, but reportedly beautiful, Barbara (26 May 1809-11 February 1890), who married Jacob Fisher in Pennsylvania in 1844, had three children by him and raised them alone after his premature death in 1851. She lived and died in Washington County, Pennsylvania. We're less sure about the boys, James and John Kaspar.

These are the four children of Doratha and George Redlingshafer who settled permanently in Lucas County. John G. Redlingshafer (left) and George W. Redlingshafer are standing; Anna Margaret (Redlingshafer) Rosa/Wulf (left) and Margaret Anna (Redlingshafer) Hupp are seated

George and Doratha's children were:
1. Anna Margaret (28 February 1824-7 February 1906). She married first John W. Rosa and after his early death in Chariton during 1867, Joachim Wulf. Anna Margaret and John Rosa had 10 or 12 children, depending upon whom one believes, but only three survived: John W. Jr., Adam George and Anna Margaret (who married William P. Schreck). All of Lucas County's Rosas and many of its Schrecks descend from Anna Margaret, who is buried in the Chariton Cemetery with her two husbands.

2. John G. Redlingshafer, my great-great-grandfather (9 May 1827-8 February 1913). He married Isabelle Greer 30 November 1856 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. They had Mary Belle Redlingshafer (married Daniel Myers I), my great-grandmother; John William Redlingshafer (married Emma Bondurant), who moved to Montana; Minnie D. Redlingshafer (married Aquilla Jones Davis) who ended up in California with her children after the unfortunate Aquilla killed himself while heading up the bank in Seymour; and Ernest Greer Redlingshafer (married Fannie Augusta Arnold), who farmed in Benton Township and left many descendants in Lucas County. John G., Isabelle and most of their family are buried in the Chariton Cemetery, too. John G.'s family also included Cora Jane (5 September 1856-24 September 1933) who married first Albert Asbury Maxwell (divorce) and second, John J. "Johnny Tapp" Jackson. Cora was Isabelle's daughter by an unknown father, appearing unexpectedly when John G. went back to Pennsylvania after a few years in Iowa to marry her (something he seems to have been quite open minded about). Both of Cora's husbands seem to have been major pieces of work and she had a hard life.

3. Mary Anna Redlingshafer (1830-27 January 1878) who married John Charles Ernest Dittmer and produced eight children before dying in northeast Iowa's Delaware County. The Dittmers are buried in Zion Cemetery, Colony Township, Delaware County.

4. George W. Redlingshafer, on whose Salem Cemetery lot Doratha is buried and whose family will become evident by reading this posting.

5. Margaret Anna Redlingshafer, who married Aaron Hupp. All of the Hupps save two are buried here at Salem and so all you might care to know about them will be posted here eventually.

6. Anna Mary Redlingshafer (31 August 1837-6 October 1931) who married Martin Banschbach and lived and died along with a majority of her family at DePue in Bureau County, Illinois.

7. John Lot Redlingshafer (14 February 1845-14 October 1931), the roamer, rambler and adventurer in the family --- at times with his nephew, Aaron Jacob Fisher. He lived his final years in Washington County, Pennsylvania, and is buried there.

8. Elizabeth Anna Redlingshafer (21 November 1848-9 April 1931) who married William Banschbach, Martin's brother, and had a family of five children, some quite exotic. She lived in Princeton, Bureau County, Illinois, and is buried there.
+++

George W. Redlingshafer and his wife, Frances, share a tombstone. George's inscription is on the south face and his grave, immediately north of his mother's.

G.W.
REDLINGSHAFER
BORN
Feb. 7, 1833
DIED
Sept. 1, 1905

OBITUARY: GEORGE W. REDLINGSHAFER

George W. Redlingshafer was born in Bavaria, Germany, on February 7, 1833, and died of heart failure at his home in Benton township, Lucas County, Iowa, September 1, 1905, aged 72 years, 6 months and 24 days. He was the son of George and Dorothea Redlingshafer, and was the fourth in their family of eight children. In the year 1848, at the age of fifteen, he came with his parents to America, locating in Green(e) County, Pennsylvania, for a number of years, and subsequently removing to Illinois in 1855, residing at Pekin, where he was employed in a saw mill until the year 1859, when he came to Iowa to reside.

He traveled as far as Agency, Iowa, by rail, and from there he came on foot to Chariton, settling in Benton township, where he has since resided.

On November 18, 1860, he was married to Miss Frances Caroline Lewis, daughter of David and Lorilla Lewis of Benton township, Lucas County, Iowa. To this union were born twelve children, three sons and nine daughters, eleven of whom survive his demise. His wife died October 31, 1893. The greater part of the family of the deceased are residents of Iowa, and the most of these live in Lucas County. He was a successful farmer, and his large farm in Benton township is evidence of an industrious life, and a close attention to the details of farm work. He was privileged to give his children the benefits of good education, a number of them becoming teachers in the schools of the county for a time. He was a member of the Board of Supervisors of Lucas county for three years and filled various offices in the township for a long period of years. He was a good husband, a kind father, and a true neighbor and friend. During his residence in Pennsylvania, he was converted to God, and united with the Cumberland Presbyterian church. For over thirty years he has been a faithful and devoted member of the Mt. Carmel Evangelical church in Benton township, and was one of the charter members of the same. He will be missed greatly, and his place will be hard to fill. He loved the church and sought to co-operate in her work at home and abroad. A Father in Israel has fallen. May his mantle fall on his children. His work was well done, and he expressed himself as ready to depart this life.

The funeral services were held on Sunday, September 3, at 11 a.m. in the Salem M.E. church in Benton township, conducted by Rev Charles Pickford and were largely attended by the relatives and friends of the deceased. Interment was made in the cemetery at the above named place. (The Chariton Patriot, 7 September 1905)

An identical obituary was published in The Chariton Herald of 7 September 1905, but a list of survivors was added:

The surviving children are: Mrs. Nancy Wilson, Miss Mary Redlingshafer, George Redlingshafer, of Des Moines; Mrs. Alice Little (actually Pickett), Mrs. Irene Whiteside, Mrs. Elma Myers, Misses Lillie, Bell (actually this is one daughter, Lilly Belle), and Nellie, Chariton; Mrs. Lucy Norman, Lucas; Will Redlingshafer, South Dakota; Charles Redlingshafer, Clarinda. The daughters were all present at the funeral, but the sons were unavoidably absent.

Note: My dad, Daniel Myers, told old stories about the battles-of-my-superior-children conducted by family patriarchs and brothers-in-law, George W. Redlingshafer and Aaron Hupp. They would sit around for hours, according to Dad, bragging about the accomplishments of their kids. Both had 12 to brag about.

George probably won in the long run. His daughter, Nellie (Redlingshafer) McKee, a long-time educator in Montana, was national teacher of the year during the 1930s. His daughter, Mary (Redlingshafer) Bruning, had the most varied career. She began as a teacher, then became a nurse who practiced both in Iowa and California, then homesteaded in Idaho and finally became one of the few female licensed embalmers in the state of Washington, where she died. All of the Redlingshafer (save Adelia O., who died young) and Hupp daughters, however, were licensed to teach school at one time or another.

FRANCES C.
Wife of
G.W. REDLINGSHAFER
Sept. 18, 1843
Oct. 31, 1893

GEORGE D.
REDLINGSHAFER
1862-1931

George David Redlinshafer, son of George W. and Frances Caroline (Lewis) Redlingshafer, and Harriet Isabel "Hattie" Arnold, daughter of Edward and Sophia Arnold, were married in Lucas County on 6 April 1887. They divorced after 1910 while living in Des Moines.

+++

ADELIA O.
Dau.
of
G.W. & F.C.
REDLINGSHAFER
Mar. 24, 1880
Jan. 28, 1894

Dearest child, thou hast left us,
And thy loss we deeply feel;
Tis the Lord that hath bereft us
Of one we loved so well.

NEWS REPORTS: ADELIA OTIS REDLINGSHAFER

The Patriot is sorry to chronicle the sad affliction which befell an old time friend, G.W. Redlingshafer of Benton township, in the death of his youngest daughter, which occurred at Des Moines, Monday. (The Chariton Patriot, 31 January 1894; Lilly Belle and Nellie Geneva actually were younger than Adelia.)

OBITUARY

Miss Adelia O. Redlingshafer, daughter of G.W. Redlingshafer, died at the home of her sister in Des Moines, Iowa, January 28th, 1894. The deceased was born in Lucas county, Iowa, March 24th, 1880.

She leaves a father, three brothers, and eight sisters to mourn her departure, her mother having preceded her to the spirit world.

Funeral services were conducted by the writer, at the home of the father in Benton township January 30th, 1894. A large concourse of friends accompanied the remains to their last resting place in Salem Cemetery.

"The bereaved family have the sympathy of their many friends in this hour of affliction. (Written by) Rev. D.C. Busenburg. (The Chariton Patriot, 7 February 1894)

Note: The late Iva (Norman) Robinson of Santa Cruz, Calif., whose mother, Lucy (Redlingshafer) Norman, was Adelia's sister, compiled a brief family history for her family. She had the following to say about Adelia:

"Adelia Otis Redlingshafer born in 1880 and died at age 14. Just one year after her mother died. She went to Des Moines to help take care of her brother, George's, children. She died with diphtheria. Her grave is in Salem cemetery with her parents. Mother said Adelia had a nice disposition and a very sharp mind."

+++

CHARLES M.,Son of
G.W. & FRANCES C.
REDLINGSHAFER
Feb. 9, 1869
Feb. 15, 1906
OBITUARY: CHAS. M. REDLINGSHAFER

Charles Martin Redlingshafer, son of George W. and Frances Redlingshafer, was born February 9, 1869, in Benton township, Lucas county, Iowa and died at Clarinda, Iowa, on February 16 (sic), 1906, aged 37 years and 7 days. The greater part of his life was spent on his father's farm in Benton township, especially up to the years of manhood. At the age of 18, he was given a diploma from the public school in the Gartin district. Later on he attended the Humeston College, taking a course in the Business Department. A number of years since, on account of failing health, he went to South Dakota and entered a Homestead claim near Gettysburg.

His health failing again, he sold his farm and returned to his father's home in Lucas county, Iowa. For the past two years his life has been spent in much suffering, which he bore very patiently. He was converted to God at the age of 17, and untied with the Mt. Carmel Evangelical church in Benton township.

"He leaves two brothers, George D. of Des Moines, and William L. of Chariton, and eight sisters, viz.: Nancy M., wife of S.T. Wilson, of Des Moines; Alice, wife of W.S. Pickett, of Chariton; Irene, wife of W.H. Whiteside, of Benton township; Elma T., wife of Ishmeal (sic) Myers, of Chariton; Lucy C., wife of J.W. Norman, of Lucas, Ia.; Mary A., Superintendent of a Hospital in Guthrie Center, Ia.; Lilly Belle, and Nellie, both of Benton township. His father died September 1, 1905. His mother and one sister passed away from earth twelve years since.

"He was of a cheerful disposition, a lover of home and friends, and kind and considerate as a brother. The funeral services were held on Feb. 18th, at the Salem church, conducted by Rev. Chas. Pickford, of Russell, and interment was made in the cemetery adjoining. (Chariton Herald Patriot, 22 February 1906)

Note: Well, it's probably impossible to determine after all these years what exactly was the matter with Charles M., and it's also probably best not to speculate. His niece, Iva (Norman) Robinson of Santa Cruz, Calif., in a family history written for her family, wrote: "Charles went to Dakota. He probably met with foul play and was brought home ill. He died in the sanitarium at Mt. Pleasant (actually Clarinda) in Mt. Pleasant in Iowa at age thirty-seven. He never married." Foul play seems unlikely; some form of mental illness more the ticket. But who knows?

WILLIAM L.
REDLINGSHAFER
1877-1964
KILLED IN AUTO MISHAP THURSDAY

William L. Redlingshafer, 86, died Thursday evening at the Wayne County Memorial Hospital following a car accident Thursday morning northeast of Corydon. He was a retired farmer.

Services were held at the Miley Chapel at 2 p.m. Saturday with Elder W. R. Chandler officiating. Interment was at the Salem cemetery.

Surviving are two sisters, Mrs. Nellie McKee of Vallejo, Calif., and Mrs. Lillie Belle Anderson of Ceres, Calif., a niece, Mrs. Reese Thomas of Chariton and a number of other nieces and nephews.

The car was being driven by Edward Holmes, 82, of near Melrose. He lost control of the machine while rounding a curve four miles east of Millerton on a gravel road. The car rolled over twice, crossing a ditch and going through a fence. Holmes was hospitalized at Corydon following the accident. (Clipping dated February 1964, courtesy of Ilene Church)

OBITUARY: WILLIAM LOT REDLINGSHAFER

William Lot Redlingshafer was born in Lucas county, Iowa, Dec. 27, 1877, to George and Frances Redlingshafer.

Almost his entire life was spent in Lucas county.

He passed away at the Wayne County Memorial Hospital Feb. 6, 1964, at the age of 86 years, one month and ten days as a result of a car accident.

He was preceded in death by two brothers and seven sisters. Surviving sisters are Mrs. Nellie McKee of Vallejo, Calif., and Mrs. Lillybelle Anderson of Ceres, Calif.

He had been living at the home of a niece and husband, Reece and Hazel Thomas and is survived by many other nieces and nephews as well as many friends.

Services were held Saturday, February 8, at the Miley Chapel, with Elder W. R. Chandler officiating. Final resting place is Salem cemetery. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

PICKETT
Alice M.
1864-1922
OBITUARY: MRS. W.S. PICKETT

Mrs. W.S. Pickett died at her home on North Main in this city (Chariton) Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 4, 1922, at the age of 57 years, 9 months and 6 days. She suffered ill health for several years, but was able to be about and attend to her usual duties until early in September this year, when she became very sick and suffered a great deal during the four weeks following, until death brought relief on Wednesday. Largely attended funeral services, conducted by Rev. Frank Bean of the M.E. church, were held at the family home on Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock, after which the remains were laid to rest in the Salem cemetery.

Alice M., daughter of G.W. and Frances Lewis Redlingshafer, was born in Benton township, Lucas county, Iowa (Alice's date of birth was not included. She was born 27 or 28 December 1864). She spent her early life there and attended high school at Princeton, Ill. Afterwards she spent two years of study at the Normal College, at Shenandoah, Iowa. She began the business of school teaching, and spent three years thus employed in her home neighborhood in Iowa. She went to Kansas and taught in one school for four consecutive years.

Here she became acquainted with William S. Pickett. They were married on November 30, 1922 (actually 1892). After five years in Kansas they returned to Iowa in 1897. One daughter, Gail Adelia, came in their home, on Sept. 30, 1900. Despite the love and joy of their welcome she remained with them only 20 months, going away on May 29, 1902.

Mrs. Pickett became a christian in early life. She was a member of the United Evangelical church for a long time. In 1904, she united with the Salem Methodist church, and when they moved to Chariton in 1912 they transferred their membership to the church here. She was greatly beloved by all who knew her for her many admirable qualities and kindly deeds, and her passing away has brought sadness to many hearts.

Her brother, G.D. Redlingshafer, and two sisters, Mrs. Irene Whiteside and Mrs. Lucy R. Norman, were able to be in attendance during her last Illness. Mrs. S.T. Wilson came from her home in Cheyenne, Wyo., but was forced to return two weeks ago. The other sisters, Mrs. Elma Myers of Forest Hill, La.; Mrs. Mary Bruning of Colfax, Wash.; Mrs. Lilly BelleAnderson of Ione, Wash.; and Miss Nellie Redlingshafer, of Kalispell, Mont., were unable to be present. The sincere sympathy of his many friends goes out to Mr. Pickett in his loneliness and loss. (Alice also was survived by a brother, William Lot Redlingshafer, who was not mentioned in the obituary.) (The Chariton Herald Patriot, 12 October 1921)

PICKETT
Wm. S.
1861-1939
OBITUARY: WILLIAM SAMUEL PICKETT

William Samuel Pickett, son of Abraham and Hannah Ann Pickett, was born in Ottawa county, Ohio, December 9th, 1861. At the age of seven years he moved with his parents to Mercer County, Missouri, and when twelve years old, he moved to Lincoln county, Kansas,and was educated in the common schools of that county. Mr. Pickett taught school for three years, but made farming his life work. His home had been in this vicinity for many years.

"He was married on November 30, 1892, to Miss Alice Redlingshafer, who passed away in 1922. To this union, one daughter was born, who preceded him in death in 1901. Mr. Pickett was again united in marriage to Mrs. Etta Wilson on December 9, 1925, who passed away April 3, 1938.

"Mr. Pickett had been in failing health for about five years,but passed away suddenly May 31. He had been connected with the M.E. church for many years. He loved his Bible and his church, and was faithful when his health permitted him to attend services.

"He was the eldest of four brothers and three sisters, two sisters having preceded him in death, Nancy Jane Divelly and Harriett Ann Pickett.

"He leaves to mourn his passing three brothers, Reuben Ely Pickett, of Hunter, Kansas; Joseph and Roy Pickett, of Paradise, Kansas; and one sister, Mrs. Lotta Rebecca Peck, of Sylvan Grove,Kansas; and a number of other relatives and friends.

"Funeral services were held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Dunshee funeral home, conducted by the Rev. Paul H. Hicks of the Methodist church, and burial was in the Salem cemetery. {The Chariton Leader, 6 June 1939)

GALE A.
PICKETT
Sept. 30, 1900
May 29, 1902

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 05: Edward Harris, Owner

2008-10-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

There is only one marked grave on this large lot, located at its south end. The stone is badly eroded, so there is no guarantee that the following reading of the inscription on it is accurate:

HARRIS
J.W. HENRY
Son of E. & R. Harris
Died Aug. 16, 1877
Aged 1Y, 2M, 3D

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 06: Edward Arnold, Owner

2008-10-04T07:10:00.001-07:00

Lot No. 6 contains six graves, five marked and one unmarked. Family patriarch David Arnold is buried at the north end of the lot. His wife, Alpha (Seaward) Arnold lies in an unmarked grave south of his. To the south of Alpha are their son and daughter-in-law, Edward and Sophia (Barnhart) Arnold; Kitty, an infant daughter of Edward and Sophia; and the unnamed infant daughter (and only child) of Mandaville and Doneta (Holmes) Arnold who are buried in the Russell Cemetery.

DAVID ARNOLD'S tombstone is among the most interesting at Salem, combining as it does a marble base topped by a polished granite column. When this photo was taken, the whole confection was topped with a small marble urn. Sadly, that has fallen off (it was secured by an iron rod that rusted away).

I discovered the damage as the result of one of those odd experiences that sometimes happen in cemeteries. Stopping by late one afternoon a couple of years ago now, I got out of the truck and it seemed immediately as if something were wrong --- even a little creepy. I couldn't place it, but started scanning the cemetery. After looking around for a while, it dawned on me that the Arnold tombstone didn't look the way it should, walked over and found the urn alongside instead of on top. I turned it over to one of David's descendants, Ilene Church of Chariton, so perhaps it's still available should someone want to attempt to reunite urn and column. In any case, the inscription on the north face of the stone reads:

DAVID ARNOLD
BORN
Feb. 18, 1791
In Herkimer Co., N.Y.
DIED
Apr. 27, 1880
AGED
89y, 1 Mo, 5 Ds

David does not have a published obituary. Only the following death notice, published in The Chariton Patriot of 5 May 1880, can be found:

Died, Arnold: At the residence of his son, Ed Arnold, in Benton Township, on April 27th, Mr. David Arnold, age 89 years.

The closest I've come to a published biography is the following exerpt from the biographical account of his son, Edward, published on pp. 251-253 of "A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa" (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1896). This account is filled with errors, so can only be trusted so far.

David Arnold was a native of Herkimer county, New York, of blue Yankee blood, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was married in New York to Miss Alpha Seward (actually Seaward), a relative of the Hon. William H. Seward, and also a native of the Empire State. After their marriage they moved to Guernsey county, Ohio, where they maintained their home for forty years, removing thence to Marion county, Iowa. He died in Marion county, on his farm, at the advanced age of eighty-five years (actually he didn't; he died at the home of Edward Arnold in Benton Township, Lucas County, and was 89). He had been a miller in Ohio, but the latter part of his life was devoted to agricultural pursuits. In his political views he was first a Whig and later a Republican. His wife died in Chariton, Iowa, at the age of eighty-six (actually 95) years, a true Christian and a devoted member of the Baptist Church. They had eight children,viz.: Lucy Parker, Omaha, Nebraska; Samuel, Perry county, Ohio; Lovina, Rosenburg, Oregon; David, Winterset, Iowa; Stephen, Chariton, Iowa; Edward, whose name initiates this article; Mary Bonebreak, Rosenburg, Oregon; and Phoebe Combstock, deceased, formerly of Burlington, Iowa.

+++

Although her grave is unmarked, David Arnold's wife, ALPHA SEAWARD ARNOLD, is buried just south of the stone that marks his grave. If her children had commissioned an inscription for her on the stone, it might read:

ALPHA ARNOLD
Wife of David Arnold
Born: Feb. 18, 1796, in Ostego County, N.Y.
Died: Oct. 5, 1891, at Chariton, Iowa

If an obituary for Alpha Arnold was published, it was in an edition of a Chariton newspaper that no longer is extant. The following death notice was published in The Chariton Herald-Patriot on 8 October 1891:

DIED: At the home of her son, S.S. Arnold, in Chariton, Ia., Monday morning Oct. 5, 1891, Mrs. Alpha Arnold, at the age of 95 years.The funeral was conducted at Mr. Arnold's Tuesday Oct. 6, at 1 o'clock, the sermon being preached by Rev. D. Austin from a text selected by Mrs. Arnold several months ago, and the remains laid to rest in the Salem cemetery south-east of town.

This photo of Alpha (seated at left) and two of her sisters was taken during a reunion in Chariton during the fall of 1881, when Alpha was 85. Mary (Seaward) Tripp/Flint (1799-1895; of Peoria, Ill.) is steated at right; and Sibbel (Seaward) McNall (1811-1891, of New York) is standing.

+++

The graves of Edward and Sophia Arnold are marked by a large family stone with no inscription other than the surname "Arnold" that is flanked by small headstones marking the individual graves, Edward to the north and Sophia to the south.

EDWARD
ARNOLD
Aug. 6, 1832
Feb. 2, 1906
Gone but not forgotten

OBITUARIES: EDWARD ARNOLD

The many friends throughout the county of Edward Arnold of Benton township will greatly regret to learn of his death, which occurred at his home on Friday morning, February 2, 1906, at 1:30 o'clock, after an illness of several weeks with dropsy and heart trouble. Largely attended funeral services, conducted by Rev. Blackburn, were held at the Salem church on Sunday morning at eleven o'clock after which interment took place in the Salem cemetery.

Edward Arnold was born in Concord, Muskingum county, Ohio, on August 6, 1832. In the spring of 1855 he came to Iowa, locating in Marion county, near Newbern. He enlisted in the army in August, 1862, and served until the close of the war when he received an honorable discharge. He was a member of Company G, 48th Iowa Infantry. In the spring of 1856 he was married at Knoxville to Sophia Barnhart, who survives him. They were the parents of eight children, seven of whom are living. They are Mandeville and James, Mrs. Will Holmes and Mrs. Greer Redlingshafer of Benton township, Morris of Humeston, Mrs. Hattie Redlingshafer of Des Moines and Mrs. Dillie Johnson of Kirksville, Mo. One daughter, Mrs. Geo. Smith, died a few years ago. In 1872 Mr. Arnold and family moved to Benton township, this county, and that place has since been their home. Deceased was one of our most progressive and thrifty farmers and was highly regarded by all who knew him. He was honest and upright in all his dealings and possessed a kind and pleasant disposition. These characteristics, coupled with his generous nature and willing hand in time of trouble won him innumerable friends who mourn his death sincerely, and who extend heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved relatives. Mr. Arnold is also survived by two brothers and three sisters, S.S. Arnold of this city, David of Des Moines, Mrs. Lucy Parker of Omaha, Neb., Mrs. Lavina Hunter and Mrs. Mary Bonebrake of Lewisburg, Oregon. (The Chariton Leader, Feb. 8, 1906)

THE GRIM REAPER'S HARVEST: EDWARD ARNOLD

Edward Arnold, one of the most highly respected residents of Lucas county, died at his home in Benton township last Friday, Feb. 2, 1906, from stomach trouble, resulting in heart failure. He suffered a hemorrhage of the brain the day previous. Funeral services were held from the Salem church Sunday at 11 o'clock a.m., conducted by Rev. W.S. Blackburn, and interment made in the Salem cemetery.

Deceased was born near New Concord, Ohio, Aug. 6, 1832. He was raised on a farm in Ohio and much of his youth was spent working in his father's mill. His education was received during the winter months in one of the log school houses of those early days. In 1855 he came overland with a team and wagon, settling in Dallas township, Marion county, and engaged in farming. April 17, 1856, he was married to Miss Sophia
Barnhart, and to this union ten children were born, seven of whom are living.

When the civil war broke out he enlisted Aug. 15, 1862, in Company G, Fortieth Iowa Infantry, for a term of three years and was a participant in a number of engagements. He was honorably discharged at Davenport in August, 1865, coming out of the service as Quartermaster Sergeant.

In 1872 Mr. Arnold moved to Lucas county and settled in Liberty township, where he resided until 1875, when he removed to his late home in Benton township. He possessed a generous and jovial nature and was held in high esteem by his fellow citizens. His political views were in harmony with the principles advocated by the republican party, in which for years he was an active and effective worker.

The surviving children are: Mrs. Phoebe Holmes, Mrs. Augusta Redlingshafer, Mandaville and James, Benton township; Mrs. Della Anderson, Kirksville, Mo.; Mrs. Hattie Redlingshafer, Des Moines, Ia.; and Morris, of Garden Grove. All were with him during his illness. The bereaved wife and children request us to express their heartfelt thanks to the many kind friends and neighbors who extended sympathy and assistance in their hour of sorrow. (Undated clipping, possibly The Chariton Patriot)

+++

SOPHIA
ARNOLD
Jan. 2, 1838
Dec. 6, 1918

OBITUARY: SOPHIA ARNOLD

Sophia Arnold was born in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, January 2, 1837, and died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Augusta Redlingshafer, in Benton township, on Dec. 6, 1918. Her age was 81 years, 11 months and 4 days. She was the wife of Edward Arnold, who preceded her in death 12 years ago.

She had been a resident of Lucas county as follows: In Benton township 31 years; after the death of her husband she moved to Chariton, until she decided to make her home with her children until death. She was the mother of ten children, four of whom are deceased. Mortimer and Kitty died in infancy. Mrs. Estella Smith twenty years ago and Mrs. Phoeba May Holmes, whose untimely death six years ago many will remember. Those now living are Mandeville, who resides near the old home place; Morris, of Garden Grove; Mrs. Hattie Redlingshafer, of Des Moines; Mrs. Augusta Redlingshafer, of Benton township; and Mrs. Della Anderson and James Walter, of Wanamaker, South Dakota, who was not able to attend his mother's funeral. He was called home but was able to visit her shortly before she passed away to her great comfort. She also leaves 32 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren. She was converted in youth and lived a consistent christian life, being loved and respected by all her neighbors and very many friends. She was of a family of fourteen children, only one of whom survives her, Mrs. Matilda Poush, of Davis City, who is in feeble health.

The funeral services were conducted by Rev. E.W. Curtis at the Salem church on Saturday, Dec. 7, and the interment was in the cemetery near. {Chariton Herald Patriot, Dec. 12, 1918)

+++

Infant Dau. of
M & D Arnold
Aug. 4, 1881

KITTY
Feb 25, 1875
Nov. 3, 1878

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 07: W.H. Holmes (Simon Scott)

2008-10-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Lot No. 7 was sold originally to Simon Scott, son of Aaron Scott, whose lot (No. 20) is immediately south. There is no indication that the Simon Scotts, who are buried in the Russell Cemetery, ever used it, however. The five marked graves belong to members of the family of William and Pheoba (Arnold) Holmes. These readings are from south to north.

The graves of William H. and Pheoby M. Holms are marked jointly by a substantial red granite stone with graceful curves that contains inscriptions for both. A headstone engraved "MOTHER" north of the principal stone marks Pheoby's grave; a headstone engraved "FATHER" south of principal stone marks William's grave. Note that the name is spelled "Pheoby" on the tombstone, although all print references spell it the traditional way, "Phoebe."

HOLMES
W.H. HOLMES
1857-1948

OBITUARY: WILLIAM H. HOLMES

William Hamilton Holmes, son of Daniel and Mary Holmes, was born in Lucas County, Iowa, January 1, 1857, and departed this life at his home in Chariton, March 18, 1948, at the age of 91 years, 3 months and 18 days.

On September 30, 1879, he was married to Phoebe Arnold, who died June 22, 1912. To this union seven children were born all of whom are living.

He was married October 12, 1915, to Alice Dorsey, who passed away February 20, 1947.

Mr. Holmes was the sixth child in a family of eight children. Two sisters remaining to mourn his passing.

He was a pioneer farmer of Benton township, living on the same farm his father purchased from the government in 1854, until 1915 when he moved to Chariton. He was also a long time member of the I.O.O.F. lodge of Chariton.

He leaves to mourn his passing, three sons George and Glen Holmes of Harlingen, Texas, and Edward of Confidence, and four daughters, Jennie Querry and LaBernia Campbell of Chariton; Vivian Cain, of Park City, Monleau, Canada (sic; only three listed). Other survivors include 39 grandchildren, 61 great grandchildren and seven great great grandchildren, two sisters, Doneta Arnold of Chariton and Ida McKinley, of Avard, Okla., and sister-in-law, Melessie J. Holmes, of Russell and a host of nephews and nieces.

Funeral services were held Sunday, March 21, at 2 o'clock at the Dunshee funeral home. The Rev. A.E. Beals officiated. Burial was made at Salem Cemetery. (Undated clipping, Russell Union Tribune, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

This probably is the wedding picture of William H. and Pheobe May (Arnold) Holmes, taken during the fall of 1879.

HOLMES
PHEOBY M., His Wife
1862-1912
OBITUARY: MRS. WM. HOLMES

The funeral services of Mrs. Wm. Holmes, who died from injuries received in a runaway accident on Wednesday, July 27, were held on Friday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, at Salem church, conducted by Rev. Young, of the Evangelical church, of Russell, after which the remains were laid to rest in Salem cemetery. The last sad rites were attended by a large concourse of sorrowing relatives and friends, and the floral tributes were profuse and beautiful, bearing testimony to the high regard in which deceased was held.

Phoebe May Arnold, daughter of Edward and Sophia Arnold, was born Feb. 22, 1862, in Marion county, Iowa, and died at her home in Benton township, Lucas county, on June 26, 1912 aged 50 years, 4 months and 4 days. She was one of a family of ten children, six of whom survive her to mourn their loss, Mandville Arnold, of Benton township, Morris, of near Humeston, James, of South Dakota, Mrs. Hattie Redlingshafer of Des Moines, Mrs. Della Anderson and Mrs. Augusta Redlingshafer of Benton township. Estella Smith died some years ago and two others died in infancy.

Phoebe May Arnold and Wm. H. Holmes were united in marriage Sept. 20, 1878 (1879 according to Lucas County marriage records). To this union were born seven children, Edward, who lives just south of the home place, Mrs. Jennie Querry and Mrs. La Bernice Campbell, who reside near Lucas and George, Vivian, Mary and Glen who are still at home with their father.

"While on her way to Chariton in company with her son George, the team became frightened, throwing them out of the buggy, from which she received serious injuries which proved fatal a few hours later. Her death came very unexpectedly and was a terrible shock to the family and also to the community. Her sufferings were intense and when the end came she had on her face that look of joy which speaks of the land where sufferings are no more. In sickness she was ever ready to lend a helping hand to those in need and was of a very cheery disposition and was loved by all her neighbors. She was a kind mother, an affectionate sister, a good wife and a kind neighbor.

"She leaves an aged mother, Mrs. Ed Arnold, of this city, three sisters, three brothers, a husband and seven children who will have the sympathy of the entire community in their overwhelming grief." (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

+++

Immediately to the north of the graves of William H. and Pheoby Holmes is another large red granite family stone inscribed only "Holmes." To its north is a smaller stone marking the grave of MAYME BLANCHE (FOSTER) HOLMES, wife of George Holmes, who probably intended to be buried here as well but moved to Texas. George was a son of William H. and Pheoby.

MAYME BLANCHE
HOLMES
1892-1922

OBITUARY: MRS. GEO. A. HOLMES

Mamie (sic) Blanche, daughter of Charles E. and Clara Foster, was born in Lucas county, Iowa, where her entire life has been spent, on September 14, 1892, and departed this life at the home of her parents in Chariton at 3 a.m. on December 25, 1922, at the age of 30 years, 3 months and 11 days. She had not been in the best of health during the summer but her condition had not been considered serious. Two weeks ago she came into Chariton to be with her mother and to receive medical care. Her trouble did not seem to yield to the treatment, as she kept growing gradually worse until at last an operation was decided upon, to which she submitted on Sunday morning at 10:30 o'clock. She regained consciousness after this and conversed with different members of the family, seemingly most hopeful though she suffered intense pain at intervals. At 10:30 p.m. she passed into a stupor, from which she never rallied, the spirit taking its flight at 3 o'clock Christmas morning.

"On April 22, 1912, at Red Oak, Iowa, she was married to George Albert Holmes, who survives her, there being no children born to this union. She also leaves her parents, three brothers and three sisters, Mrs. Bessie Kenney, of Purdy, Iowa; Mrs. Ruth Grant and Fern Foster of Des Moines; Bryan, of Valley Junction; Don, a student at Des Moines University; and Emmet, of the home, besides numerous other relatives and friends.

"The deceased united with the M.E. church in early girlhood and has always Maintained her affiliation with that church. She was of a happy disposition, invariably cheerful herself and constantly intent upon imparting cheer to others. She was united in her devotion to her husband and home and always allowed her interest to reach out in loving helpfulness to her mother and brothers and sisters. Though her years of usefulness seemshort she has left a place in the hearts and lives of her loved ones that can never be filled and the memory of her kindly spirit will ever leave its imprint upon them.

Funeral services, conducted by the pastor, Rev. Frank Bean, were held at the M.E. church on Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock, after which the remains were laid to rest in the Salem cemetery. The sympathy of the entire community is extended to the bereaved ones. (The Chariton Herald-Patriot, 28 December 1922)

Note: Lucas County death records show that Mayme died of "general peritonitis," suggesting that appendicitis may have been the root cause.

+++

The northernmost graves on the lot are those of WILLIAM J. AND LABURNA A. CAMPBELL, marked by a single stone. Laburna was a daughter of William H. and Pheoba Holmes.

CAMPBELL
WILLIAM J. (south inscription)
1877-1962
LABURNA A. (North inscription)
1885-1971

OBITUARY: WILLIAM JOHN "JACK" CAMPBELL

William John (Jack) Campbell, son of John and Ellen Campbell, was born Aug. 21, 1877, at Cork County, Ireland, and departed this life Sunday, Jan. 4, 1962, at the age of 84 years, four months and 23 days.

He spent his early childhood at Pontiac, Ill., later coming to Iowa where he had since resided, making his living as a farmer in or near Lucas county.

He was united in marriage to Laburnia A. Holmes at Osceola, Dec. 21, 1905.

He is survived by his wife; three daughters: Vivian Kent of Lucas, Ellen Dixon of Indianola, Berniece Dennison of Knoxville; and two sons: William J. of Indianola and Daryle H. of Concord, Calif.: sons-in-law Bill Dennison, Bob Dixon and Rex Miner; daughters-in-law Evelyn and Josephine. Also surviving are two sisters, Ellen Bohm of Pontiac, Ill., and Jessie Webb of Ottumwa; a brother-in-law, Art Mote of Ottumwa; 14 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and other relatives and friends.

His parents, a daughter, Frankie J. Miner, two brothers, Robert and Frank, a sister, Ada Mote, a son-in-law, Raymond Kent, and a grandson, Dean Kent, preceded him in death.

During his illness he bore his suffering always with patience and kindness. He was a devoted husband, a loving father, a much loved grandfather and a helpful neighbor.

"A precious one is gone, A voice we loved is still, A place is vacant in our home, That never can be filled." (The Chariton Leader, 23 January 1962)

OBITUARY: LABURNA A. (HOLMES) CAMPBELL

Laburna A. (Holmes) Campbell, daughter of William H. and Pheoba Holmes, was born March 14, 1885 and departed this life Wednesday, June 9, 1971 at the age of 86 years, 2 months, and 25 days. She had been in poor health for the last six months.

Most of her life was spent in the Lucas County area.

She was united in marriage to William J. Campbell at Osceola, December 21, 1905. To this union were born six children, Vivian Kent of Lucas, Bernice Dennison of Knoxville, William J. Campbell of Indianola, Daryle Campbell of San Pablo, Calif., and two daughters who are deceased, Ellen Dixon and Frankie Miner.

In addition to her children who survived, she is also survivedby a brother, Edward Holmes of Seymour, and two sisters, Vivian Cain of Laurel, Mont., and Mary Rumble of Moose Jaw,Sask., Canada.

Preceeding her in death were her husband, parents, a son-in-law, Dean Kent, two brothers, George and Glenn Holmes, and a sister, Jennie Querrey.

She will be greatly missed by her family, 15 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and many friends, both old and young, because to know her was to love her.

"A precious one is gone, A voice we loved is stilled, A place is vacant in our home, That never can be filled.

"Funeral services were conducted by the Rev. William J. Travis at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, June 12, 1971, at the Beardsley-Fielding Funeral Home. Interment was in the Salem Cemetery. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: WILLIAM H. HOLMES
"A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa"

A Memorial and Biographical Record of Iowa," published during 1896 by the Lewis Publishing Co. of Chicago, is one of the great genealogical resources of Lucas County, providing your ancestor had enough cash on hand when the salesman called to purchase a place in it for his or her biography. The biographies it include generally are long and extremely detailed, but subject to the usual cautions: There's nothing objective about them, the authors' memories were sometimes faulty and typographical errors sometimes occurred in the publication process.

The William H. Holmes biography, which appears on pages 155 and 156, is a good example of how much genealogical information can be crammed into a limited space.

WILLIAM H. HOLMES, as a native of Lucas county, Iowa, and as one of its representative farmers and esteemed citizens, is entitled to specific recognition
in this work, which aims impartially to portray the lives of the men and women who settled up this part of Iowa and of those who are to-day among its leading people.

William H. Holmes first saw the light of day in Benton township, Lucas county, Iowa, January 1, 1857, his parents being Daniel and Mary (Hamilton) Holmes, pioneers of Iowa, the former having died many years ago and the latter still residing at the old home place. Daniel Holmes was born in Jackson county, Indiana, February 3, 1814, and died February 1, 1864, in Iowa, his last resting place being in the Waynick cemetery, where a monument has been erected to his memory (Waynick Cemetery, also known sometimes as Holmes Cemetery, is located in Section 1 of Warren Township, Lucas County, about three-quarters of a mile due west of Benton Township's northwest corner). He was one of a family of eleven children, six sons and five daughters, and only one of that number is now living - Gresham of Benton township, Lucas County. Grandfather Fergus Holmes was a native of North Carolina, the great-grandfather Holmes having emigrated from his native land,the Emerald Isle, to North Carolina, at an early period in the history of thiscountry, and some years later moving to Indiana, where he died. Fergus Holmes was a farmer and passed his life in Indiana. The father of our subject, Daniel Holmes, was married in Jackson county, Indiana, December 2, 1841, to Miss Mary Hamilton, the ceremony being performed by her brother, Esquire Hamilton, and at her father's residence, which was about eighteen miles from where the Holmes family lived. Ten years after their marriage they removed from Indiana to Illinois and settled in Warren county, and about the middle of September, 1854, came to Iowa. This journey from Illinois to Benton township, Lucas county, Iowa, consumed about five days, and was made with two wagons, in which they brought their household goods and in which the family rode, their children numbering five. Theyalso brought along five head of cattle. Arrived here, Mr. Holmes purchased a tract of land from the Government and settled on it. Subsequently he rented a farm of Mr. Samuel Ragsdale, who resided just across the river from where William Holmes now lives. In the public affairs of this pioneer settlement he took an active and commendable part, serving on the Board of Supervisors and also as School Director. Politically, he was first a Whig and from the organization of the Republican party was one of its supporters.

Daniel Holmes and his wife were the parents of eight children, three sons and five daughters, as follows: Oscar F., born February 10, 1843, was a Union soldier and died of disease at the battle of Shiloh, his remains being interred in the national cemetery at that place; Deliah H., born March 10, 1845, died July 4, 1864; Leonidas, born May 13, 1848, resides in Hutchinson, Kansas; Eradna L., born May 23, 1851, is the wife of John Pierce, a farmer of Washington township, Lucas county; Sarah A., born December 13, 1853, is the wife of George Parsons, Washington township, this county; William H., born January 1, 1857, was the first of the family born in Iowa; Doneta A. (no birth date given), wife of M. Arnold, a farmer in Benton township; and Ida N., born December 23, 1862, is the wife of Franklin McKinley. The venerable mother of this family is still living and in the enjoyment of comparatively good health,her home being at the old farmstead. Besides the children above named, she has fifteen grandchildren. Of her people, the Hamiltons, we further record that they are Irish. Her father, James Hamilton, was born in Dublin, Ireland, and when young accompanied his father to America, their location being the State of Virginia, where he grew up and married Miss Rebecca Robinson, who was of English descent. They became the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters, of whom two are living - Mrs. Holmes and her brother, Mortimer, the latter residing on the old homeplace in Indiana.

We come now to William H. Holmes, whose name heads this article. His birth has already been recorded. On the home farm he grew up and received his education in the public schools, his first teacher being Miss Lizzie Umpscher and the school-house a log structure. He was small when his father died and has always remained at home with his mother, having charge of the farm since he was old enough. The estate now comprises a fine tract of land 360 acres in extent, and under his able supervision is being successfully conducted.

September 30, 1879, Mr. Holmes was married to Miss Phoebe M. Arnold, who was born February 22, 1862, in Marion county, Iowa, daughter of Ed and Sophia (Barnhard) (sic) Arnold, pioneers of Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Holmes have six children, namely: Edward, born April 29, 1881; Jennie, March 23, 1883; La Bernie, March 14, 1885; George A., August 21, 1890; Elma Vivian, January 7, 1892; and an infant, January 25, 1895.

Mr. Holmes has always kept himself thoroughly posted on all public issues and stands solidly on the Republican platform. His first presidential vote was cast for Grant. He is an advocate of good schools and in various ways has given his support and influence to advance the best interests of his community, and here where he has resided all his life heis an esteemed and honored citizen.

This map of four Benton Township sections lifted from an 1893 plat shows where the Holmes family and their neighbors lived. Admittedly, it's easier to understand this if you're familiar with the territory, but ... The streams indicated are the Chariton River flowing roughly east and west and Wolf Creek, flowing up from the south to join it. The New York Road cuts Sections 15 and 22 in halves. At the time this sketch was published, the William H. Holmes family lived with his mother, Mary, in the family home just at the head of the "T" intersection of the New York Road and the Wolf Creek Road leading west to what now is Highway 14. Their nearest neighbors were the George W. Redlingshafer and John J. Werts families. A new house built within the last 10 years by one of Burdette and Connie Smith's boys (sorry, but I forget which) now occupies the approximate site of the old Holmes place. Salem Cemetery, also on the New York Road, is two and three-quarters miles due north of the Holmes house

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 08: Chas. White, Owner

2008-10-04T07:08:00.002-07:00

Lot No. 8, owned by Charles White, contains seven graves. They are those of (from south to north) Charlie White and Mary (Gookin) White, their unnamed infant daughter, Glen White, Claude C. and Cecile (White) Fuller and Charles W. Fuller. If you're interested in sorting out the complex web of relationships at Salem, Charles White is a son of William M. and Lucy White, buried on Lot. No.8; and Mary is a daughter of Samuel and Lydia Gookin, buried on Lot. No. 22.

WHITE
CHARLEY
1870-1835
MARY
1871-1964

OBITUARY: CHARLEY WHITE

The death of Charley White, well known Chariton citizen, occurred at Iowa City on Thursday forenoon, Oct. 10, 1935, at eleven o'clock, after a few weeks' illness with stomach trouble.

Deceased was born in Lucas county, Iowa, on May 20, 1870. He was the only son of William Marion and Lucy Caroline White. He was married to Mary Gookin on March 12, 1890. To this union three children were born, one dying in infancy. The two living are Mrs. Claude Fuller of Murray, Iowa, and Glen White of Chariton. There are also nine grandchildren, Charles, Harold, Kenneth, Marvin and Greta Fuller, of Murray, and Glen Jr., Bobbie, Betty and Phyllis White of Chariton. He also leaves one sister to mourn his death, Miss Alia White, of this city. His parents and one sister, Mrs. Florence Stone, preceded him in death.

He was a devoted husband and father, a splendid citizen, and his friends were numbered by his acquaintances.

Largely attended funeral services were held at the Beardsley funeral home in Chariton, Sunday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock, with the Rev. Simpson of the M.E. church of Chariton, in charge. The body was laid to rest in the Salem cemetery.

Those from out of town attending the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Claude Fuller and family of Murray, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Atwell and daughter, Bonnie Marlene, of topeka, Kansas; Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Guilliams, of Winterset; Mr. and Mrs. A.R. Holmes and daughter, Doris Ann, of Des Moines; and Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Paul, of Osceola. (undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

+++

INFANT DAU.
OCT. 14, 1896

GLEN
WHITE
1891-1942

FULLER
CLAUDE C.
1891-1968
CECILE
1894-1997

CHARLES W.
FULLER
1913-1937

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 09: Wm. M. White, Owner

2008-10-04T07:08:00.001-07:00

There appear to be only five graves on Lot No. 9, those of William M. and Lucy White; their daughter, Alia; and their son-in-law and daughter, M. Everett and Florence W. (White) Stone. Members of the family of William's and Lucy's other son, Charley, are buried on Lot No. 8. The inscriptions here are from south to north:

WHITE
WILLIAM M.
1841-1919
LUCY C.
1843-1904

OBITUARY: WILLIAM M. WHITE

William M. White, son of John and Silvia (sic) White, was born in Harrisburg, Indiana, December 20, 1841, and departed this life, August 28, 1919, at his home in Benton township at the age of 77 years, 8 months and 8 days.

He came to Iowa with his parents, June 11, 1856, and has since spent his life here. In the year of 1869, he was married to Lucy C. Gillogly, who departed this life on July 24, 1904. To this union was born three children, Chas., of Chariton; Mrs. Florence Stone, of Warren township; and Alia, of Benton township who has cared for her father during his illness.

Besides these he leaves to mourn his departure, seven grandchildren, four great grand children, two sisters, Mrs. Mary Keller, of this county, and Sarah Keller, of Wayne county, besides many relatives and friends.

Mr. White has been an invalid for a number of years but was very patient during his illness.

The funeral services were held from the Salem church, Saturday afternoon, conducted by E.A. McKim, pastor of the Christian church, of Chariton, and interment made in the Salem cemetery. (Chariton Leader, 4 September 1919)

OBITUARY: MRS. MARION WHITE

The many friends throughout the county will be pained to learn of the death of Mrs. Lucy Caroline White, wife of W.M. White, which occurred at the family home in Benton township on Sunday forenoon, July 24, 1904, at 11:25 o'clock after a lingering illness with stomach and bowel trouble. Largely attended funeral services, conducted by Rev. G. A. Hendrickson, pastor of the Christian church in this city, assisted by Rev. Carl Brown of Russell, were held at Salem church on Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock after which the remains were interred in Salem cemetery. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. Yes, said the Spirit, they rest from their labors and their works do follow them."

Deceased was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, on November 6, 1843. She came to Iowa with her parents when but a child. She was married to Wm. Marion White in 1869. They were the parents of three children all of whom were at their mother's bedside when death came. She leaves an aged mother, three sisters, and two brothers, in addition to the husband and children, to mourn their loss. She was a good woman, a devoted wife and mother, a kind neighbor and friend. She had been a faithful christian and a consistent member of the Christian church at this place for many years. (The Chariton Democrat, 28 July 1904)

ALIA WHITE
1871-1963

STONE
M. EVERETT
1872-1946
FLORENCE W.
1875-1943

OBITUARY: M. EVERETT STONE
The Chariton Leader, 12 November 1946

Malcome Everett Stone, son of John and Nancy Luella Stone, was born November 26, 1872, near Chariton, Iowa, and departed this life November 4, 1946, at his home at Humeston, Iowa, at the age of 73 years, 11 months and 9 days.

On September 9, 1896, he was united in marriage to Florence White, who passed away April 13, 1934. To this union five children were born, Edmond, Thomas, Donald and Mrs. Nellie Massman, all of Chariton, and Mrs. Mable Atwell, of Lansing, Mich.

On October 24, 1943, he was married to Anna De Barthe. Early in life he united with the Christian church of Chariton, his membership continuing throughout his life. His entire life was spent in Lucas county except the last six years he has lived on his farm near Humeston. For many years he worked at the J. T. Crozier store where he made many friends. He was a member of Co. H. in Chariton when it was active several years ago.

He is survived by his widow, Anna, three sons, Edmond, Thomas, Donald, all of Chariton, two daughters, Mrs. Nellie Massman, of Chariton, and Mrs. Mable Atwell, of Lansing, Mich., twelve grandchildren and one great-grandson, two step-daughters and two step-sons, also one sister, Mrs. Eva L. Sherman, of Perry, Iowa, and one brother, Charles Stone, of Karthans, Pa.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, November 6, 1946, at the Miley Funeral Home, with the Rev. Archie Beals, of Russell, in charge. Burial service was at the Salem cemetery.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 10: David Scott, Owner

2008-10-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

Lot No.10, owned by David J. Scott, a son of Aaron and Elizabeth Scott (Lot No. 20), contains only one stone, a substantial gray marble monument with an urn atop it, located at the extreme south end of the lot. It contains three inscriptions, but marks the graves of only two people: Mary E., wife of David J. Scott; and their son, Merrett E., age 9. Their inscriptions are on the west and north faces of the stone, respectively. An inscription recording the death of David Scott is on the south face, telling passers-by that he his buried in the Derby Cemetery. I have been unable to find a published or official record of Merrett E. Scott's death.

North Face:
MERRETT E.
DIED
Dec. 3, 1884
AGED
9Y, 1M, 10D

A little flower of love,
That blossomed but to die,
Transplanted now above,
To bloom with God on high.
+++

West Face:
MARY E.
WIFE OF
D.J. SCOTT
DIED
Mar. 7, 1885
AGED
28y, 9M, 22D

She had no fears of death,
No sins to be forgiven;
She only closed her smiling eyes,
to hope them in heaven.
OBITUARY: MARY J. (SMITH) SCOTT

Died, in Warren (township), Lucas County, Iowa, March 7, 1885, Mary E., the beloved wife of David J. Scott.

Sister Scott was born in Ohio, May 15, 1856. While she was yet young her parents moved to Illinois and settled in Stark County. She subsequently came to Iowa, and on October 14, 1873, was united in marriage with her now bereaved companion. They resided in Salem nearly two years and then moved to Warren near Derby, where they have since lived. During a protracted meeting held last winter in the M.E. Church in Derby, Sister Scott, along with her husband, made a profession of religion and united with the church. For the past year, in the midst of much family and personal affliction, her Christian life has been very exemplary. She truly walked with God and the genuiness of her religious life was manifest in her sweet and willing resignation to the will of God. Some 3 months ago her dear little boy, Merritt, sickened and died, she being too sick at the time to follow his remains to their last resting place, but calmly assuring us she would soon follow him. (The Chariton Patriot, 18 March 1885)

Note: Lucas County Marriage records show that David Scott, 22, and Mary E. Smith, 17, were married 14 October 1873.

+++

South Face
DAVID J. SCOTT
DIED
APRIL 30, 1921
AGED
70 Yrs, 2 Ms, 18 Ds

Buried on lot 407 in Derby Cemetery
OBITUARY: DAVID J. SCOTT

The many friends throughout the county will learn with sorrow of the passing away of Mr. David J. Scott, of Derby, which occurred at his home at an early hour on Saturday morning, April 30 (1921), at the age of 70 years, 2 months and 18 days, after an extended illness with heart disease and a complication of troubles. Largely attended funeral services were held at the M.E. church in Derby on Tuesday afternoon, May 3, at 2 o'clock, and were conducted by Rev. J.W. Pressley, of Omaha, according to the special request of the departed one. Rev. Harwood, of Derby, assisted in the ceremonies and interment took place in the Derby cemetery.

David J. Scott, son of Aaron and Elizabeth Scottt, was born near Chariton on Feb. 12, 1851. He was married here on October 14, 1873 to Mary Ellen Smith, daughter of Lewis and Sarah Smith, and settled on a farm near Derby. The beloved wife was claimed by death on March 7th, 1885. To his union were born three children, Walter A., who resides at Roundup, Mont., and was unable to be present at the funeral services on Tuesday on account of illness in his family; Merrett E., who died on Dec. 3, 1884, and Mrs. H.W. Brewer, of Chariton.

He was married to Mabel Foutch, of Derby, on Nov. 25, 1885. To them two children were born, Mrs. Ens(z)er Larimer and Harry L., who reside near Derby. He also leaves one sister, Mrs. Emma McCurdy, of Bremen, Ohio; nine grand-children and numerous other relatives to mourn their loss.

"Mr. Scott united with the M.E. church in Derby under the pastorate of Rev. Lawson, and remained a strong believer in God until the day of his death. He was honest and upright in all his dealings and was esteemed by all who knew him for his many sterling traits of character. He had been in ill health for years but had been confined to his bed but a short time. His sufferings were all borne with a patience and fortitude that were remarkable. While deploring his demise, innumerable friends will extend heartfelt sympathy to the grief stricken ones who remain.

Among the number who attended the funeral service were his daughter, Mrs. H.W. Brewer and husband and children, and Mrs. T.M. Throckmorton, Mrs. Simon Scott, Mr. and Mrs. Morris Scott, Mr. Howard Scott, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. F. Carpenter, Mr. George Scott, Mr. Virgil Scott, Mrs. J.J. George, all of Chariton. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 11: W. Bryant, Owner

2008-10-04T07:06:00.002-07:00

Seven members of the Bryant/Threlkeld family are buried on Lot No. 11 (from south to north): William W. Bryant and his wife, Laura E.; their son, Ira Bryant; their daughter, Maude (Bryant) Morrison/Hall; their son-in-law and daughter, Roy M. and Olive M. (Bryant) Threlkeld; and the Threlkelds' infant son, Lowell B.

BRYANT
W.W. BRYANT
1852-1908
LAURA B.
1882-1923

DEATH OF WESLEY BRYANT
The Chariton Herald, 20 August 1908

Mr. Wm. Wesley Bryant, a well known and highly respected resident of Benton township, died at his home last Thursday, August 13, 1908, after an extended illness with dropsy and other complaints. Funeral services were held at Salem church on Saturday morning at ten o'clock, conducted by Rev. Shenton, of Russell, after which interment took place in the Salem cemetery.

Deceased was born in Indiana on Dec. 30, 1853 (sic). He had been a resident of this county for many years and had won the regard of all with whom he came in contact by his many sterling qualities. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and one son, who will have the sympathy of the community in their great grief.

BRYANT
IRA BRYANT
Feb. 7, 1883-Jan. 14, 1905

MAUDE HALL
1883-1935

DEATH NOTICE: MAUDE (BRYANT) HALL
Chariton Herald-Patriot, 7 February 1935

Mrs. F. W. Hall, 50, died at her home in Arvada, Colo., on Monday, Feb. 4. The body was brought to Chariton yesterday and taken to Downs-Miley Funeral Home, and this afternoon at two o'clock, funeral services were held at the Salem church in Benton township, conducted by Rev. A. E. Beals, of Russell, and burial took place in the Salem cemetery.

Mrs. Hall, who grew to young womanhood in this vicinity, was formerly Miss Maud (sic) Bryant. She is survived by her husband and by two sisters and one brother, Mrs. Roy Threlkeld, of near Chariton, Mrs. Elmer Curtis and Floyd Bryant, of Des Moines.

OBITUARY: MRS. FRED W. HALL
The Chariton Leader, 12 February 1935

Mrs. Fred W. Hall, formerly of Lucas county, died at her home in Arvada, Colo., on Feb. 4, 1935, at the age of 51 years, 10 months and 11 days. The body was brought to Chariton on Wednesday and taken to the Downs-Miley Funeral home and on Thursday afternoon at two o'clock, funeral services were held at the Salem church in Benton township, conducted by Rev. A. E. Beals, and burial took place in the Salem cemetery.

Maude Irene Bryant, eldest child of William Wesley and Laura E. Bryant, was born at Griswold, Ia., on March 23, 1883. At the age of twelve years she moved with her parents to Lucas county, locating on a farm southeast of Chariton, where she grew to womanhood.

On February 14, 1909, she was married to George Morrison. After a year's residence on a farm near this city they went west, and her home had since been in Wyoming and Colorado. On April 19, 1930, she was married to Fred Hall, who survives her. She also leaves two sisters and one brother, Mrs. Ollie Threlkeld, of near Chariton, Mrs. Edna Curtis and Floyd Bryant, both of Des Moines.

THRELKELD
ROY M.
1883-1970
OLIVE M.
1886-1956

LOWELL B.
INFANT SON OF
ROY & OLLIE
THRELKELD

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 12: Pettinger/Bryant/Wray

2008-10-04T07:06:00.001-07:00

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 12 apparently was purchased by Joab. C. Wray when his mother, Charlotte, died on 5 March 1891. He died less that a year later and was buried beside her. They were joined in 1897 by an infant niece and granddaughter. These three graves are located at the south end of the lot. Many years later, the north portion of the lot was acquired by Floyd and Katheryn (Pettinger) Bryant. Finally, Robert and Erville (Threlkeld) Pettinger were buried there. Robert was Katheryn's younger brother. These transcriptions are from north to south:

PETTINGER
(west face)
ERVILLE M.
May 21, 1918
Feb. 3, 2004
ROGERT G.
Nov. 2, 1910
Mar. 20, 2000
Married Mar. 10, 1940

PETTINGER
(east face)
OUR CHILDREN:
MARILYN, GERALD
THOMAS, NICK

OBITUARY: ERVILLE MAXINE PETTINGER

Erville Maxine Pettinger died Feb. 3, 2004, at Quiburi Mission Samaritan Center in Benson, Ariz. She was 85. She was born May 21, 1918, at home in rural Russell, Iowa, to Roy McKinley Threlkeld and Olive Bryant Threlkeld. She graduated from Russell High School in 1935, then attended junior college in Chariton, Iowa, for a secretarial course. She married Robert Pettinger March 10, 1940, at the home of the Reverend A. E. Beals.

Erville and Robert lived briefly in Oregon, but returned to Chariton after the birth of their first child. In 1945, Robert and Erville took over her family farm southeast of Chariton and lived there the rest of their lives. In recent years, they spent winters in Benson, Ariz.

Erville was a dedicated farm wife and mother. She cultivated a large garden, dressed and sold chickens, canned produce and baked bread. She and Robert pressed many gallons of apple cider from their numerous apple trees. Whether working in her flower beds, gathering hickory nuts along the Chariton River, or going on walks with her grandchildren, Erville loved being outdoors. She also liked to paint and sculpt, and enjoyed camping at the Iowa State Fair.

Erville was a member of the Friendly Neighborhood Club and the Lucas County Farm Bureau Women. She was a 4-H leader for many years, and was very active in Salem Community Church until its closure, then Bethel United Methodist Church. Erville loved visiting with people. She traveled with the Friendship Force to South America and Europe, and over the years, Robert and Erville hosted visitors from many places including Japan, Ireland, Australia and Germany.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, her parents and an infant brother, Lowell Burton.

Erville is survived by her children and their spouses: Marilyn and Dean Hall of Lake View, Iowa; Gerald Pettinger of Russell, Iowa; Dr. Thomas and Susan Pettinger of Benson, Ariz.; Dr. Nicholas and Suzanne Pettinger of Fort Wayne, Inc.; 10 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren and many friends.

Her body was cremated and the cremains will be buried during a memorial service Saturday, May 29, 2004, at 10:30 a.m. at Salem Cemetery in rural Chariton. Lunch will be served following the memorial service. Family and friends are invited to attend. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

OBITUARY: ROBERT PETTINGER

Robert Gerald Pettinger was born Nov. 2, 1910, in Adair, Iowa, to John Baptiste and Marguerite Shaffer Pettinger. He passed away Monday, March 20, 2000, at Eldorado Hospital in Tucson, Ariz., at the age of 89. The body was cremated, and a memorial service and burial of cremains will be held at a later date at Salem Cemetery in rural Chariton.

Robert graduated from Lucas High School in 1929. He worked as a lumberjack in Oregon and on a gold dredge in Alaska and attended diesel mechanic school in Portland.

On March 10, 1940, he was married to Erville Threlkeld by the Rev. A.E. Beals at the Russell parsonage. Robert worked at Johnson Machine Works in Chariton aiding in the war effort.

In 1945, Robert and Erville moved to her family farm southeast of Chariton, where they raised their family and farmed for many years. He designed and built the family home in 1951. Robert retired from farming in 1985, but he and Erville continued to live on the home place, enjoying their garden, ponds, wildlife, and making cider from their many apple trees.

Robert's hobbies included hunting, fishing, trapping and woodworking. He could fix anything and spent many hours helping his family with their projects. His greatest joy was his grandchildren. In recent years, Robert and Erville spent winters in Benson, Ariz.

Robert is survived by his wife of 60 years, Erville; a daughter, Marilyn Hall and her husband Dean of Lake View, Iowa; three sons, Gerald of Russell, Dr. Thomas Pettinger and his wife Sue of Benson, Ariz., and Dr. Nicholas Pettinger and his wife Suzanne of Rolla, Mo.; ten grandchildren, Bob Hall, Jim Hall and Lori Hall Auen; Sarah, Anne and Susie Pettinger; Lindsay, Nichole and Eric Pettinger; and Gabe Pettinger; eight great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandsons; a brother, Lloyd Pettinger and wife Ruth of Harbor, Ore.; and sister, Athyl Hunerdosse of Des Moines; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Katheryn Bryant and Irene Zimmerline; and three brothers, Earl Pettinger, Chris Pettinger and John Pettinger.

Memorial contributions may be made to Bethel United Methodist Church or the American Cancer Society. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

+++

BRYANT
KATHERYN M.
1900-1999
FLOYD M.
1903-1960

BLOOD CLOT FATAL TO FLOYD BRYANT

Funeral services were held at noon Tuesday for Floyd M. Bryant, 56, of Des Moines. Services were conducted from the Hamilton Funeral Home in Des Moines.

Mr. Bryant, former Chariton resident, died Saturday from a blood clot following surgery. He had been ill for about two weeks.

He had been a resident of Des Moines for the past 27 years and was employed as a warehouseman for Firestone Tire Co. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Methodist Church in Chariton but attended the Union Park Methodist Church in Des Moines.

He is survived by his wife, Katheryn, of Des Moines; two daughters, Mrs. Marion Thomas and Mrs. Boneta Brown, both of Des Moines; one sister, Mrs. Edna Curtis of Van Nuys, Calif., and two grandchildren.

Interment was in Salem cemetery with Masonic graveside rites performed at 2 p.m. Tuesday. (The Chariton Herald Patriot, 4 February 1960).

+++

JESSIE
Infant Daughter Of
A.A. & R.A.
MARTIN
Mar. 4, 1897

WRAY

CHARLOTTE
Wife
OF
Andrew Wray
DIED
Mar. 5, 1891
AGED
68 Ys, 6 Ms.
2 Ds.

JOAB C.
WRAY
DIED
Jan. 16, 1892
AGED
49 Ys, 5 Ms
5 Ds

DEATH NOTICE: CHARLOTTE WRAY

DIED: At her home in Lincoln Tp. on Thursday, March 5, 1891, Mrs. Charlotte Wray, aged about 69 years. She had been sick about a week. The funeral services were conducted at her home on Saturday by Staten Hughes of Lucas and the remains interred in the Ragtown (sic, should be Salem) cemetery. She has been a resident of Lucas Co. for many years and enjoyed the friendship of a wide circle of acquaintances. (The Chariton Herald, 19 March 1891; no obituary found)

DEATH NOTICE: JOAB C. WRAY

WRAY: At his home in this city (Chariton) Saturday evening, Jan. 16, 1892, at 6 o'clock, Mr. Joab C. Wray, aged about 50 years. Mr. Wray was a bachelor and has lived in Lucas County for a number of years. He leaves three sisters and a brother to mourn his departure. The funeral was conducted Monday at 1 o'clock and the remains interred in the Chariton (should be Salem) Cemetery. (The Chariton Herald, 21 January 1892)

OBITUARY NO. 1: JOAB C. WRAY

Died, at his home in Chariton, Jan. 16, 1892, Joab C. Wray, in the 50th year of his age.

Mr. Wray was born in Bartholomew Co., Ind., Aug. 11, 1848 (should be 1842). With his parents he moved to Benton township, Lucas Co., Iowa, where his father died in July 1861. With difficulty he managed to provide for his widowed mother and her five children left largely in his care. By industry, economy and good management he converted the prairie land into a fertile farm and a good home. In 1884 he became dangerously ill with the fatal disease consumption. His aged mother watched him for many months waiting for the sad end. But alas! she was taken suddenly ill and died March 5th, 1891. All his brothers and sisters were married except his sister Ruth Wray, who now took the place of his mother in his declining years. As he owned a house and lot in Chariton he moved to this town Dec. 3, 1891. All that medical science and kind friends could do only prolonged his life a little longer. After over seven years of patient suffering he died Jan. 16, 1892. (The Chariton Democrat, 28 January 1892)

OBITUARY NO. 2: JOAB C. WRAY

Note: The obituary which follows is very similar to the Democrat obituary, but appears to be more complete and more accurate.

DIED - At his home in Chariton, Iowa, Jan. 16, 1892, Joab C. Wray, in the 50th year of his age.

"Mr. Wray was born in Bartholomew county, Indiana, August 11, 1842. With his parents he moved to Benton township, Lucas county, Iowa, in 1859, where they lived for two years. In March, 1861, they moved to their land in Lincoln township, Lucas county, where his father died in July, 1861. With difficulty he managed to provide for his widowed mother and her five children left largely in his care. By industry, economy and good management he converted the prairie land into a fertile farm and a good home. In 1884 he became dangerously ill with that fatal disease consumption. His aged mother watched him for many months, waiting for the sad end, but, alas! she was taken suddenly ill, and died March 5, 1891. All his brothers and sisters were married except his sister Ruth Wray, who now took the place of his mother in his declining days. As he owned a house and lot in Chariton, he moved to this town December 3, 1891. All that medical science and kind friends could do only prolonged life a little longer. After over seven years' suffering patiently, he died on January 16, 1892. "D.T.O." (The Chariton Herald, 28 January 1892)

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 13: John Clark/Mary Hawk, Owners

2008-10-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

Lot No. 13 has been divided into two. It was sold to Mary (Gabriel) Hawk when her husband, Isaac, died on 14 April 1892. Isaac, Mary and their son, George W., are buried in the south half of the lot.

John H. Clark purchased the north half of the lot, in all likelihood from the Hawk family, when his father, George Clark, died on 17 April 1896. George and John H. are buried on the north half of the lot.

NORTH HALF: LOT NO. 13
John H. Clark, Owner

George and John H. Clark, both of whom have interesting stories to tell, are buried beneath an uninformative tombstone. In all likelihood it was erected after John's 1939 death by people who had no idea of the proper dates to inscribe upon it. George had one son only, John H., and John left no descendants at all. The double inscription on the stone reads only:

CLARK
GEORGE
JOHN

George Clark may have had the most interesting and varied career of any buried at Salem, as his obituary will show. The title "Dr." in the obituary seems to be entirely honorary although I do believe he practiced late in life a version of quackery that involved magnets and that probably is the source of the title. I've misplaced the references to that phase of his career, however. If George had a proper inscription it would read like this:

GEORGE CLARK
Born Aug. 22, 1821
Chatham County, North Carolina
Died April 16, 1896
Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

DEATH NOTICE: GEORGE CLARK

CLARK - George Clark of Benton township died last Friday, April 17, 1896. As he has been in feeble health for many months his dismise (sic) did not come unexpected. He was born in Chatham county, North Carolina, August 22, 1821. In 1850 he was married to Michel Hollowell at Paola (sic), Indiana, to whom was born one son, John H., who has lived with and cared for his father, Mrs. Clark dying after a little over two years of married life. Mr. Clark has lived in Lucas county since 1866 where he devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. He was a worthy member of the Salem M.E. church, the I.O.O.F. and A.F. and A.M. lodges. Members from the Chariton and Russell I.O.O.F. lodges attended the funeral on Sabbath which was conducted at Salen (sic) church by Rev. A.W. Armstrong of Russell. He was better known to earlier residents of the county. (Chariton Herald, 24 April 1896)

Note: This death notice has a number of problems, including several typographical errors. A second obituary, no doubt composed by his son, is far more detailed and probably more accurate. That second obituary states that George died on Thursday, April 16, rather than Friday, April 17. This obituary was published as one very long paragraph. I've subdivided it to make it a little easier to digest.

OBITUARY: GEORGE CLARK

Dr. Geo. Clark died at his home in Benton township, this county, on Thursday afternoon, April 16, at the age of seventy-five years, after a long and painful illness. He was one of a family of ten, only one of whom, a brother, William Clark of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, two years his senior, survives him.

He was born in Chatham county, North Carolina, August 22, 1821. In September, 1839, he came with immigrants on foot to Paoli, Indiana. Here he apprenticed himself to a cabinet maker, with whom he formed a partnership after learning his trade. In 1848 he went to Alabama, and from thence to Iowa City, Iowa, in 1850, where he assisted in erecting the first grist mill. In 1851 he made two trips on horsebackto Indiana. He joined the Old Fellows about 1850, and afterwards the Masonic order at Paoli, Indiana. In May, 1853, he took ship at New York for California, going via Panama, crossing the isthmus on foot, reaching San Francisco in June. He spent six years on the Pacific coast, working at the carpenter trade and mining.

He returned to Indiana in July, 1859, remaining there a few weeks and then made a trip to Iowa and back in September. February 7, 1860, he was married to Michal Hollowell in Paoli, Indiana, who died April 28, 1862, leaving to his care a young son, John H., who has been his constant companion during the closing years of his life.

In October, 1864, he came in a covered wagon to Johnson county, Iowa. From thence to Lucas county, April 19, 1866, where he purchased the farm where he has since resided. In early life he united with the Methodist Episcopal church of which he ever remained a praying, Bible-reading member. His health had been declining for several years, and he had only been off his farm once in four years preceding his death.

A long and useful career was that of Mr. Clark. His character was one of the notably strong ones. He was high in his ideals of honor and integrity, talented and just in business affairs and true to duty. He was ever an upright citizen and a kindly gentleman, and the news of his death brought sorrow to the hearts of many friends.

The funeral, conducted by his pastor, Rev. A.W. Armstrong, was held at his late home on Sunday afternoon, April 19, at 2:30 o'clock and was largely attended. After the simple form of service in which his wishes were complied with, he was laid to rest in Salem cemetery, with the ritual service of the Odd Fellows, No. 65 of Chariton and No. 337 of Russell uniting in the last sad rites of burial. (The Chariton Democrat, 24 April 1896)

More about George Clark: Orange County, Indiana, records confirm a marriage date of 7 February 1860 for George Clark and Michel Hollowell.

The 1860 census of Paoli Township, Orange County, online at the Orange County U.S. GenWeb site, shows Household No. 790 consisting of George Clark, 39, a cabinet maker, born in North Carolina, and Michel Clark, age 25, born in Indiana.

Michel Clark, wife of George, who died 28 April 1862, age 28 years and 24 days, is buried at Newberry Friends Cemetery in Paoli Township, as are her parents. There are other Clarks buried there, but it is unclear if they are related. Inscriptions from this cemetery also were found online, at the Orange County U.S. GenWeb Project site.

Michel's parents were John Hallowell, who died 25 August 1847, age 38 years, 10 months and 7 days, and Elizabeth (Lindley) Hallowell, who died 17 April 1864, aged 53 years, 2 months and 1 day. They were married 9 August 1831. Michel (Halloway) Clark may have been named for her father's first wife, Michel (Stout) Holloway, whose Newberry Cemetery inscription is unclear. They were married 20 November 1828.

George and Michel's son, John H. Clark, was listed among the heirs of his grandmother, Elizabeth, during 1864. Her surviving children were daughters Mary, Sarah and Nancy and sons William and Henry Hallowell. The 1850 census of Paoli Township shows that Michel, age 16, apparently was the eldest of the children.

+++
LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN CLARK

John H. Clark continued to live on the 40-acre farm he had shared with his father until his own death some 30 years later. This was not a conventional farm in terms of the neighborhood since the principal crops were fruit, flowers and vegetables. It was located a half mile slightly southeast of the cemetery on a site clearly visible from it and clearly evident now because of the newer house that sits there at something of an angle. The Clarks also had, at least in the early days, a 20-acre wood lot a mile south on the north bank of the Chariton River, necessary because the home place would have been entirely open prairie without a tree in sight when George and John settled there.

My dad, Daniel Myers, always got a kick out of talking about John and this was one of his favorite stories:

John Clark was a genial, social guy whom everyone in the Salem neighborhood enjoyed having around. He did, however, like the occasional drink of something stronger than lemonade --- most likely his own hard cider. One evening, John Clark invited some of his friends over for a little socializing and they had reached the point of tipsy when a neighbor named Brown stopped by. Brown was another popular resident of the neighborhood because he owned a drag used to smooth out ruts in the road and kept travel in the Salem neighborhood smoother than it was in other parts of Benton Township at a time when folks were expected to take care of their own roads.

Neighbor Brown got tickled at the antics of John and his buddies and started laughing. John Clark arose, took Brown by the elbow and escorted him to the door. "Neighbor," he reportedly said, "I just kicked the cat out through that door and now you're going, too." And out neighbor Brown went.

Late in life, John H. Clark suffered a great calamity when his house burned. Two reports from the Chariton newspapers describe the event and the aftermath and also give more insight into John H. Clark's genial character.

TWO FARM HOUSES BURN EARLY TODAY
John Clark's Home, Fruit Storage House, Are Destroyed

Two buildings on the farm of John Clark, veteran Lucas county fruit grower, were destroyed by fire early today. Loss included Clark's home and furnishings and a nearby house in which he stored fruit and tools.

Approximately 40 bushels of pears were burned. The blaze did not spread to a barn in which approximatey 300 bushels of apples are stored. Clark's farm is in Benton township, about four miles southeast of Chariton.

Included among the furnishings destroyed were some pieces more than a century old, Mr. Clark said. He also lost a valuable stamp collection which he started 60 years ago.

Origin of the blaze has not been definitely traced. It may, however, have been started by an oil stove in the storage house, Mr. Clark believes, although there was no evidence that the stove had exploded. He keeps stoves burning all night to prevent freezing of fruit, and an inspection made by Mr. Clark at 12:15 a.m., before he went to bed, showed them operating perfectly.

Mr. Clark does not know at what time he was awakened by the crackling flames. He at first thought the noise was caused by snow beating against windows. He immediately notified a neighbor by telephone.

The only way out not barred by flames was a locked door to which Clark could not find the key. He escaped from the house through a window. A neighbor halted his efforts to return to the building and attempt to save any of his belongings. Mr. Clark could not estimate the amount of his loss. He had some insurance on the property, he said.

So hurried was the departure of John Clark from his burning home early today that he went through a window wearing two left shoes, one brown, one black. He also was unable to recover the false teeeth which he removed before retiring.

Having no home, Mr. Clark today was puzzled concerning his future plans. "I guess I'll have to sleep before I think bout the future," he said. "If I can find a place to sleep." (The Chariton Patriot, 5 December 1935)

NEIGHBORS RALLY TO AID OF JOHN CLARK;
GENIAL FRUIT GROWER HAS NEW RESIDENCE
Living Quarters Created In Part of Apple Storage Building

A week ago today John Clark, Lucas county fruit grower, was homeless. Today he isn't. The housing of Mr. Clark is another of the myriads of chapters in the story of neighborly friendliness that exists among Lucas county's rural residents.

When fire destroyed Clark's home last Thursday, his neighbors, without hesitation, began construction of new living quarters at his farm four miles southeast of here in Benton township. By Saturday the work was complete.

The new living quarters are not as elaborate or as completely equipped as Clark's former home, but for John Clark, his dog and his cat, "It's a mighty fine place," he says.

To provide a house for Mr. Clark a partition creating one room was made in his large apple storage house. Thebuilding formerly was a barn. The room was given more weather-proof walls, a window and furnishings includinga bed, stove and kitchen utensils.

Mr. Clark need walk but a few steps to the rooms in which row after row of shining apples of every variety are stored waiting sale.

Nearby are the ashes of the house in which Mr. Clark lived for about 32 years and a building in which he stored fruit and tools. Fire destroyed them early last Thursday. Mr. Clark, awakened by the crackling flames, was forced to run into the night without saving any of his furnishings andvaluables.

Included among the furnishings destroyed were some pieces more than a century old. Also lost was a vlauable stamp colection which Mr. Clark started 60 yeas ago, newspaper files covering many years, and a large amount of printer's type. Mr. Clark was a printer before he went into the flower and fruit business on the farm of approxiately 20 acres. He was called there about 32 years ago to care for his father, who was ill, and has lived there ever since. His father lived about two years after the son's return.

"I'm quite well situated now," says the genial John Clark, "but I don't know where I'll live if there's another fire. Maybe we could fix up the hen house in that event, but I'm so tall I bump my head every time I try to stand erect in it." (The Chariton Patriot, 12 December 1935)

+++

John Clark continued to live on his farm until the late 1930s, when it became unwise for him to live alone. Both he and his father had been members of the I.O.O.F. Lodge, which operated a home for its incapacitated members, as well as an orphanage, in Mason City. John was taken there for the final months of his life.

OBITUARY: JOHN H. CLARK

John H. Clark, well known Lucas county citizen, died at the I.O.O.F. home in Mason City, Iowa, on Wednesday, April 5, 1939, at the age of 78 years, 4 months and 11 days, after a brief illness with kidney trouble.

Funeral services, conducted by Rev. Harry Secor, of the Baptist church, were held at the Miley funeral home in Chariton Sunday afternoon at two o'clock, under the auspices of the I.O.O.F. order, and burial was in the Salem cemetery by the side of his father.

John H. Clark was born in Chapman county, Indiana, (actually, Orange County, Indiana) on December 25, 1860. His mother died at the time of his birth (actually in 1862, two years after his birth), and when he was two years old he came with his father, by covered wagon, to Lucas county, Iowa, and they located on the farm south of Chariton, in Benton township, which has been known for years as the Clark Nursery Farm.

When a young man John learned the printer's trade and for a time worked in newspaper offices in this city. He was then employed for several years in printing establishments in Topeka, Kansas. Later he returned to Lucas county and since the death of his father many years ago has carried on the nursery business at the old home place. He was well known throughout this part of the country and had many friends.

About two months ago he went to the I.O.O.F. home at Mason City, where his death occurred. He was a member of the I.O.O.F. lodge and also of the Knights of Pythias order.

His only known survivors are his cousins, Mrs. Cora McDonnell and Miss Jessie Clark, of Chariton; Frank Clark, of Chicago, Ill.; and Harry Clark, of Luck, Wisc. (The Chariton Leader, Tuesday, 19 December 1939)

SOUTH HALF: LOT NO. 13
Mary Hawk, Owner

There are three known graves on the south half of Lot. No. 13, probably purchased at the time of his death in February of 1892 by Isaac Hawk's widow, Mary (Gabriel) Hawk. The graves of Isaac and Mary are marked by a large upright stone with inscriptions in three faces. The grave of their son, George W., is just to the north. These inscriptions are from south to north:

In loving Remembrance of
ISAAC HAWK
Entered into rest
Feb. 14, 1892
AGED
68Ys, 4Ms, 8D
(South Face)
Dear father thou hast left us
We thy loss most deeply feel
But the God who hath bereft us
He can all our sorrows heal

O silent grave to thee we trust
This precious part of earthly dust
Guard it safe O sacred tomb
Until we his children ask for room
(West Face)

At Home With God
MARY
DIED
Mar. 13, 1909
AGED
83Ys, 6Ms, 6Ds
(North Face)

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 14: Nelson Reynolds, Owner

2008-10-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

Lot No. 14 is shown on the 1930s plat as owned by Daniel Myers, who purchased it for his son-in-law and daughter, Nelson and Harriet (Myers) Reynolds, at the death of their infant son, Gerald, in February of 1905. Harriet's parents, Daniel and Mary Belle (Redlingshafer) Myers, are buried in Salem Lot. No. 33.

There are two stones on the lot. The older stone, a small square "log" atop a larger base at the far north end of the lot, contains two side-by-side inscriptions, both of which are off by a year. Gerald's birth and death actually occurred in 1905 and Mary's, in 1906.

REYNOLDS
Gerald (north inscription)
Feb. 14, 1904
Feb. 19, 1904
Mary (south inscription)
Feb. 1, 1905
Feb. 3, 1905
AT REST

The second stone on the lot, a few feet south of the older stone, was erected at the time of Nelson Reynold's death. It contains inscriptions on the west face for Harriet and Nelson and on the east face, corrected inscriptions for Gerald and Mary. What appears to be the foundation of a stone that either never was set or was set and removed is located between the two Reynolds stone. I have no explanation for it.

REYNOLDS
(West Face)
Harriett E. (north inscription)
1886-1973
Nelson M. (south inscription)
1880-1963

REYNOLDS
(East Face)
Gerald (north inscription)
Feb. 14-19, 1905
Mary (south inscription)
Feb. 1-3, 1906

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 15: George Berry, Owner

2008-10-04T06:55:00.001-07:00

George A. Kackley was an uncle of Mary Jane (Kackley) Berry, who came to Lucas County with her husband, George Henry Berry, from Noble County, Ohio (where they were married on 5 October 1865), before 1870. They lived in the Salem neighborhood for several years, according to the 1870 census in Washington Township, but had moved on to Kansas prior to 1880. The lot where George Kackley is buried is in George H. Berry's name, but the grave of George A. Hackley is the only marked grave on it. Because George's stone is broken and the name on it weathered, it often has been misread as "George A. Hackley" and that is the reading given in the Lucas County Genealogical Society's 1978 book of tombstone inscriptions. The correct spelling, however, is Kackley.

GEORGE A. KACKLEY
Died
Jan. 29, 1877
Aged
65 Years

The Chariton Patriot of 7 February 1877 carried the following brief report of Kackley's death: "George A. Keckley (sic), who was here from Ohio visiting, died on Monday of last week at the house of his neice, Mrs. G. H. Berry. His age was 66 years and his disease lung fever."

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 16: J. B. Thompson, Owner

2008-10-04T06:54:00.002-07:00

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 17: Milburn Hobson, Owner

2008-10-04T06:54:00.001-07:00

There are six marked graves on the Milburn Hobson lot, those of Milburn and his two wives, Margaret (Clark) Hobson and Mary Eugenia (Taylor) Gove/Hobson; two adult children of Milburn, one by each wife, Martha and Ernest; and Perry, infant son of Milburn and Margaret. These transcriptions are from south to north:

FATHER
MILBURN HOBSON
SEPT. 22, 1840
OCT. 21, 1914

OBITUARY: JOHN MILBURN HOBSTON

The many friends of the family will learn with sorrow of the death of Milburn Hobson, which occurred at the hospital in Clarinda on Saturday forenoon, October 31st, 1914, at 11:30 o'clock. Death came suddenly and was due to heart failure. Mr. Hobson was taken there for treatment about three and one half years ago. The remains were brought to Chariton on Sunday and taken to the family home on east Court avenue and on Tuesday morning at nine thirty o'clock, the funeral services were held at the M.E. church, conducted by Rev. E.E. Ilgenfritz, after which the remains were interred in the Salem cemetery.

John Milburn Hobson was born in Monroe County, Indiana, on Sept. 22nd 1840. He was married to Miss Margaret Clark, of Van Buren county, Iowa, on July 4, 1868. She passed away on June 20, 1883. To them five children were born, Mrs. Alia Jones, of La Salle, Ill., Charles E., of Macksburg, Iowa, George W., of Washington, Iowa, Martha, who died Oct. 13, 1893, and Perry, who died in infancy. Mr. Hobson was again married on Oct. 27, 1885, to Mrs. Mary E. Gove of Chariton. To this union one child was born, Ernest T. Hobson, who died Sept. 27, 1911. Mr. Hobson is also survived by two sisters, Mrs. Frank Wilson and Mrs. John Martin, both of Chariton. Mr. Hobson came to Van Buren County, Iowa, from Indiana with his parents when he was nine years old, and five years later came to Lucas county where his home had been ever since. He lived on a farm near Salem church, for forty years, moving to Chariton in 1900. Early in life he was converted and united with the Methodist church at Salem, where he was a faithful worker. He also served as janitor of the church as long as he lived on the farm, always being willing to do more than his part if necessary, for the comfort of others. He served as steward in this church for many years. In 1902 his membership was transferred to the M.E. church in Chariton. He was a kind husband and father and always lived the true Christian life, consistent with the profession he made. The sorrowing relatives will have the sympathy of the entire community. (The Chariton Herald Patriot, 5 November 1914)

+++

MOTHER
MARGRET A HOBSON
MAY 5, 1850
JUNE 20, 1883

OBITUARY: MARGARET A. HOBSON

Mrs. Margaret Hobson, wife of M. Hobson, died Wednesday morning, June 20, 1883, of consumption, aged 33 years, 1 month and 20 days.

She was the daughter of William and Nancy Clark, and sister of Mrs. Morgan. She was married to M. Hobson July 4, 1868, from which union five children were born, all of whom are living excepting one infant son, who 8 years ago passed over to the better land. She and her husband united with the M.E. Church at Salem in 1872. She has been a faithful member from that date until her death. Mrs. Hobson was a noble, charitable, kind-hearted, christian woman. A loving, faithful and dutiful wife, and an affectionate, indulgent mother. For months previous to her death she had been waiting the call of her Savior. During her long sickness no murmur nor complaint ever escaped her lips. She bore her sufferings with christian meekness and fortitude. Her last words were: "Don't grieve after me, for all is peace with me." Her body was consigned to the Salem Cemetery on Thursday, followed thither by a large concourse of sympathizing friends and neighbors. The funeral discourse was preached by Rev. Stevens. The bereaved husband children have the heartfelt condolence of all in their affliction. (The Chariton Democrat, 27 June 1883)

+++

PERRY
Son of
M & M.A.
HOBSON
Died ca. 1875, remainder of inscription illegible

It is barely possible to decipher the first four lines of the inscription on this stone, but the rest has been lost to time. Milburn Hobson's obituary states that Perry died in infancy. Margaret's obituary states that Perry preceded her in death by eight years, ca. 1875.

+++

Martha E. Hobston's tombstone, a marble "log" identical to that of her half-brother, Ernest T., has slipped from its cradle and rolled inscription-down onto the ground. I've not taken a current photo of it because of that difficulty.

MARTHA E.
HOBSON
SEPT. 9, 1871
OCT. 13, 1893

OBITUARY: MARTHA E. HOBSON

Martha E. Hobson was born September 9th, 1871, and died at her home in Benton township Friday, October 13th, 1893, of diptheria after an illness of four days only, and was buried in the Salem Cemetery the same day.

The deceased was a member of the M.E. church for a number of years and was always a faithful attendant upon all the services. Her life was very quiet and unassuming, and yet she was always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need. Her death was unexpected and has cast a gloom over the whole community.

Although she has gone, yet we know she is at rest and we sorrow not as those without hope.

A father, mother, three brothers and one sister are left to mourn her loss, and may God comfort them in their great affliction. (The Chariton Patriot, 18 October 1893)

+++

Milburn Hobson and wife of Benton township are the objects of much heartfelt sympathy on the part of the community in their great and unexpected bereavement. Last Sabbath day, Miss Martha Hobson was able to be in her accustomed place at church and the following Friday she was laid away in the cemetery at Salem, death being caused by malignant diptheria after a short illness of four days. It was not deemed necessary to call a physician until Thursday afternoon but it was then too late to render any aid, death relieving the sufferer Friday morning. Owing to the contagious form of the disease, it was necessary to inter the body immediately and the funeral services will be held later. These times of trouble are always sad but in this instance it is doubly so as the family are bereft of help and sympathy from friends and neighbors. (The Chariton Patriot, 18 October 1893)

+++

ERNEST T.
HOBSON
Feb. 13, 1888
Sept. 27, 1911

ERNEST HOBSON DIES SUDDENLY

The community was greatly shocked by the news of the death of Ernest Hobson, of this city, which occurred at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Milburn Hobson, on Court avenue abaout 3:30 o'clock, yesterday morning, Sept. 27, 1911, after an illness of only a few days with typhoid fever. Although he had not been feeling well for several weeks yet he was able to attend to his duties in the Chariton National Bank last Saturday.

Ernest Hobson was born in this county, south of Chariton, on February 13, 1888, and had resided here all his life. He was a graduate of the Chariton public schools, being a member of the class of 1907. Last winter he was employed in a bank in Des Moines, but for several months had been employed here in the Chariton National Bank as bookkeeper. He was an exemplary young man, of splendid habits and character, and of a genial disposition, and was held in high esteem by all who knew him.

His sudden death, when life seemed full of promise, is greatly deplored by all. He is survived by his parents and by a half brother, Clint Gove, of this city, and two step brothers, Charles Hobson, of Fontanelle, and George Hobson, of Washington, and a step sister, Mrs. Harley Jones of this city. The sorrowing ones will have the deep sympathy of the entire community.

Funeral services will be held at the M.E. church tomorrow (Friday)afternoon at 2 o'clock, conducted by Rev. W.G. Hohanshelt, under the auspices of the Knights of Pythias, after which interment will take place in the Salem cemetery south of Chariton. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

Note: the "step" siblings referred to in Ernest's obituary were in fact "half" siblings, children of Milburn Hobson by his first marriage.

+++

MARY E. TAYLOR
GOVE
WIFE OF M.J. HOBSON
1850-1918

OBITUARY: MARY E. (TAYLOR) GOVE/HOBSON

The many friends throughout this county will learn with sorrow of the passing away of Mrs. Milburn Hobson, which occurred at the home of her son, C.D. Gove, in this city on Monday night, Aug. 5, 1918, at 11:45 at the age of 68 years, 6 months and 25 days. She had been in ill health for some time, suffering from anemia and other complications, but was able to be about until about a month ago,and since that time declined rapidly until the end came peacefully and quietly. Funeral services, conducted by her pastor, Rev. Joe W. Goodsell, were held at the M.E. church yesterday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock after which the remains were laid to rest in the Salem cemetery.

Mary Eugenia Taylor was born in Henry county, Ill., on Jan. 11, 1850. She was the second eldest member of a family of five children. Her father and mother were Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson W. Taylor, of Geneseo, Ill. Two sisters and two brothers, Merrill E. Taylor, of Chariton; G.W., of Burlington; Mrs. Rilla Bills of Geneseo, Ill.; and Mrs. Geo. Detrick, of South Chicago are living. Mrs. Hobson was a member of a very honorable and historic family. Her father was a cousin of Zachary Taylor.

She was united in marriage to Elijah David Gove, of Henry county, Ill. To this union two sons were born, Dennis D., who died in infancy and C(linton) D., of Chariton. She was married again to Milburn Hobson, of Benton township, Lucas county, Iowa, who died a few years ago, on September 30, 1911. Mrs. Hobson had been a resident of this county since 1878. She had been a faithful member of the M.E. church nearly all her life. She loved the church, and was always to be found in her place in its services when her health permitted. She was devoted to her family, and her life was filled with good deeds. Her highest happiness came in being helpful to others, and her demise will be deplored by a host of friends, who will extend sincere sympathy to the sorrowing relatives. She is survived by one son, C.D. Gove, of this city, and by three step-children, Chas. Hobson, of Fremont, Iowa; Geo. W. Hobson, of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Mrs. Alla Jones of LaSalle, Ill. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

Note: There are a couple of inconsistencies in this obituary. The date September 30, 1911, in the final paragraph could be taken to be either the date of her marriage to Milburn Hobson or of his death, but it is neither. In addition, there is no mention of her son by Milburn Hobson, Ernest T.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 18: R. Wilson, Owner

2008-10-04T06:53:00.002-07:00

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 19: F. Wilson, Owner

2008-10-04T06:53:00.001-07:00

FRANCIS M. WILSON

ELIZABETH A. WILSON

IRA G. WILSON

LEWIS B. WILSON

MARGARET W. DAY

OBITUARY: HARRY L. CLARK
The Chariton Herald-Patriot, 17 December 1942

Harry L. Clark, youngest son of Will and Rachel C. Clark, was born Oct. 7, 1885, in Chariton, Iowa, and passed away at his home in Luck, Wisconsin, on Dec. 13, 1942, at the age of 57 years, 2 months and 6 days.

He was united in marriage to Miss Lena Barlow of Chariton on May 7, 1905. To this union six children were born: William, of Camp Barclay, Texas; Steve, of Madison, Wisc.; Darrell and Paul, of Luck, Wisc.; one daughter, Mrs. Wanda Hodak, of Butte, Mont.; and John of the air corps in Miami Beach, Fla., all of whom survive him.

He is also survived by one brother, Frank Clark, of Chicago, Ill., two sisters, Miss Jessie Clark and Mrs. Cora Andrews of Chariton.

He grew to manhood in this vicinity and for some time was employed by the Burlington railroad. On October 21, 1914, he met with the misfortunate of losing one limb in an accident. He, with his family, moved to Barronett, Wisc., in 1916, and later moved to Luck, Wisc., where he resided at the time of his demise.

WILL CLARK

RACHEL E. CLARK

ELMER CLARK

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 20: A. S. Scott, Owner

2008-10-04T06:52:00.002-07:00

Aaron S. and Elizabeth A. (Wells) Scott, if not Benton Township's first settlers at least among the earliest, buried an infant son, Henry T., on what now is Lot No. 20 during December of 1853. This is the earliest marked grave in the cemetery. Others buried on this lot as the years passed were Aaron and Elizabeth; two additional children of Aaron and Elzabeth, John C. and Hester A. Scott; and Elizabeth's parents, David and Lucy (Berry) Wells. These inscriptions were transcribed from north to south:

I Would Not Live Always
LUCY
Wife of
DAVID WELLS
DIED
Sept. 11, 1873
AGED
72y, 2ms
& 25ds

NARRATIVE: LUCY (BERRY) WELLS

Lucy Berry is identified in an 1895 memoir published by her nephew, John Marr Berry Jr., as the sixth of nine children born in Lincoln County, Kentucky, to Jesse and Anna (Miller) Berry. Various online references, none of which I've attempted to verify, give her birth date as 6 July 1801 although that date is not in agreement with a calculation based upon her age (72 years, 2 months and 25 days)at death (11 September 1873). Using these figures, a birth date of 17 June 1801 results. Unverified online sources give her date and place of marriage to David Wells as 9 January 1826 in Lincoln County.

In all likelihood, the Wells moved with other members of the extended Berry family to Indiana ca. 1830. When the 1850 federal census (dated 12 August for the Wells family) was taken they were living on a farm in Perry Township, Monroe County, Indiana: David Wells, 48; Lucy, 47; John F., 18; Thomas W., 15; Henry T., 11; Hester A., 8; Sarah S., 5; and Mary J. Holmes, 21, whose relationship to the household is unspecified.

By that time, a daughter and son-in-law, Aaron S. and Elizabeth A. (Wells) Scott, and son and daughter-in-law, Jesse Berry and Elizabeth (Whitson) Wells, had moved to Lucas County, Iowa, just then being settled. By 1856, when a special Iowa census was taken, David and Lucy and their three youngest children had moved to Lucas County, too. David, Lucy, Henry T., Hester A. and Susan were living on a farm in Chariton (now Lincoln) Township, perhaps not far from the Scotts in adjoining Benton Township. The 1856 census-takers asked respondents how long they had lived in Iowa and all of the Wells replied three years, suggesting the family left Indiana ca. 1853.

David Wells died in Lucas County on April 30, 1858, and was buried near the grave of Aaron and Elizabeth Scott's infant son, Henry T., who had died during December of 1853, in what became Salem Cemetery.

Soon thereafter, Lucy and her three youngest children moved one county west to Fremont Township, Clarke County, where they were living together on a farm with Henry T. as the principal farmer when the 1860 federal census of Clarke County was taken (Wells entry dated 16 June).

Lucy still was a resident of Fremont Township, living at age 69 with her son and daughter-in-law, John Fletcher and Catharine (Long) Wells, when the 1870 census of Clarke County was taken. She died on 11 September 1873, most likely in Clarke County, and her body was brought back to Salem for burial beside David.

+++

We Will Meet Again
DAVID
WELLS
DIED
Apr. 30, 1858
AGED
56y, 9m
& 11 ds

AARON S. SCOTT
Born Nov 21st 1826
Died Jan 8th 1899

DEATH NOTICE: AARON S. SCOTT

Mr. Aaron Scott of Russell, one of the oldest residents of this county, and a brother of Mrs. J.A.J. Bentley of this city, died at his home last Monday morning after an extended illness. A more extended notice will appear next week. (The Chariton Democrat, 13 January 1899)

OBITUARY NO. 1: AARON S. SCOTT

Died, on Sunday night with paralysis, at his home in Russell, Aaron Scott, in the seventy-third year of his age.

Mr. and Mrs. Scott came to Iowa from Monroe County, Indiana, in the spring of 1849; stopped off at Fairfield, remaining there through the summer. Since then they have resided in Benton township. Mr. and Mrs. Scott retired from active life and have resided in Russell the last few years. They were among the early settlers of Lucas county.

Mr. Scott came to Iowa without means and by his indomitable energy worked out successfully a fair competency, leaving all of his four children a good farm.

He was a member of the M.E. church, and in his long and active life was an upright and honorable citizen. He was buried Tuesday afternoon. Funeral services were held in Salem church, conducted by Rev. Ellett of Russell. (The Chariton Patriot, 12 January 1899)

OBITUARY NO. 2: AARON S. SCOTT

"By the death of Aaron Scott, which occurred at his home in Russell on Monday morning, January 9, Lucas county lost one of her oldest and most highly regarded citizens. He had been ill for nearly two years with paralysis, and his death was not unexpected. Funeral services were held at the Salem church in Benton township on Tuesday afternoon at two o'clock, conducted by Rev. O.D. Ellett of Russell, after which the remains were interred in the Salem cemetery.

Aaron Salter Scott was born in Jackson county, Indiana, in November 1826. In 1847 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Wells, who with four children survive him, and in their sorrow have the sympathy of many friends. Deceased with his family came to Iowa in 1849 and resided in Benton township until about five years agowhen he moved to Russell. For many years he had been a faithful member of the M.E. church. He was quiet and unassuming but agreeable at all times, and ever ready to discharge every duty in accordance with his convictions of right. He was a good man in every sense of the word and was greatly admired for his sterling qualities of mind and heart. The solid worth of the man, his good Judgment, his unselfishness and devotion to duty, his kindness of heart - these won for him staunch friends in every walk of life, whose faith in him never wavered. But his career is ended. His life record made up, and many hearts are saddened by the thought that he has been taken away. His was a noble nature and worthy of lasting remembrance. (The Chariton Democrat, 20 January 1899)

ELIZABETH A. SCOTT
Born Oct 31st 1826
Died Aug 18th 1913

OBITUARY: ELIZABETH A. (WELLS) SCOTT

Mrs. Aaron Scott, one of the first settlers of Lucas county, passed away at the home of her son, Simon Scott, in Benton township, on Monday forenoon, August 18th, at 9 o'clock at the age of eighty-six years, nine months and nineteen days, after an extended illness with the infirmities due to old age. Largely attended funeral services, conducted by Rev. Shipman, of Russell, were held at the Salem church yesterday forenoon at 10:30 o'clock, after which the remains were laid to rest in the Salem cemetery.

Elizabeth Wells was born in Tennessee on October 31st, 1826, moving a short time afterward with her parents to Kentucky. When still quite small she moved to Monroe county, Ind., near Bloomington. She was married there Sept. 7th, 1848, to Aaron Scott, who died in January, 1899. They came to Lucas county in 1848, about 65 years ago, and located on the farm in Benton township where they resided until Mr. Scott's death. Seven children were born to them, two of whom died in infancy. John died at the age of twenty-two years and Mrs. Julia Carpenter passed away but a few years ago. Those surviving are Simon, of Benton township, David, of near Derby, and Mrs. Emma McCurdy of Bremen, Ohio. She was one of the early pioneers and perhaps one of the oldest residents of this county. She was a grand, good woman, devoted to her family and ever helpful to her neighbors and those about her. She numbered her friends by her acquaintances, and her demise will be deeply deplored by all who knew her. The sorrowing children and other relatives who survive will have the deep sympathy of the entire community. (Chariton Herald Patriot, 21 August 1913)

+++

JOHN C.
Son of
A.S. & E. SCOTT
Died
Dec. 22, 1872
AGED
23y, 5m, 15d

HESTER A.
Dau of
A.S. & E.A. SCOTT
Died
Oct. 13, 1858
AGED
2y, 1m, 22d

HENRY T.
Son of
A.S. & E.A. SCOTT
Died
Dec. 14, 1853
AE 1m, 24d

THE AARON SALTER SCOTT FAMILY
Compiled by Frank D. Myers

Aaron Salter Scott often is described as the second settler in Benton Township. His parents were Jacob and Mary (Sutphin) Scott. Following Jacob's death in Jackson County, Indiana, Mary married as her second husband John Howard, with whom she came to Iowa during 1849,at approximately the same time her son and his wife did. Reportedly, there was only one house in Chariton when the Howards and the Scotts arrived.

Mary, born 29 July 1802, a daughter of J.I. and B. Sutphin, died 12 October 1850 at Chariton and was buried in a cemetery at the present site of Columbus School in Chariton. When that site became surrounded by the town, and the present Chariton Cemetery was developed, she was reburied there,reportedly the first person to be buried within its limits. Jacob and Mary Scott had at least two children in addition to Aaron. They were:

1. Annie M. Scott (26 December 1828-27 April 1915) who married John Andrew Jackson Bentley (14 February 1829-16 March 1916), the Chariton blacksmith. They are buried in the Chariton Cemetery.

2. Cyrus D. Scott (18 January 1831-22 February 1911) who married Eliza J. Wilson (14 February 1839-23 January 1925) in Lucas County. The Cyrus Scotts also lived in Benton Township, near Salem, but are buried in the Chariton Cemetery.

AARON SALTER SCOTT, son of Jacob and Mary (Sutphin) Scott
Born 21 November 1826
Jackson County, Indiana
Died 8 January 1899
Russell, Washington Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

Married: ELIZABETH A. WELLS
Daughter of David and Lucy (Berry) Wells
Born 31 October 1826
In Tennessee
Died 18 August 1913
Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Date of marriage: 7 September 1848
Monroe County, Indiana

THEIR CHILDREN:

1. JOHN C. SCOTT, Born 7 July 1849, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Died 22 December 1872, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Buried Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa. Did not marry.

2. DAVID J. SCOTT, Born 12 February 1851, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Died 20 April 1921, Derby, Union Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Buried: Derby Cemetery, Union Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Married (1) Mary Ellen Smith, 14 October 1872, Lucas County, Iowa; Married (2) Mabel Foutch, 24 November 1885, Lucas County, Iowa. See Lot No. 10 for David J. Scott's obituary.

3. JULIA H. SCOTT, Born 13 May 1852, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Died 9 May 1907, Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa; Buried Chariton Cemetery, Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa; Married George F. Carpenter, 19 March 1879, Lucas County, Iowa.

Julia Scott, the eldest daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth Scott, was born in Benton township, Lucas county, Iowa, May 13, 1852, and died at her home on North Grand Street, Thursday, May 9, 1907, of dropsy of the heart. She was united in marriage to Geo. F. Carpenter, March 19, 1879. This union was blessed with two children, their son Ward living on the home place in Benton township, and their daughter May, who resides with her parents in Chariton. Beside her husband and children she leaves an aged mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Scott, two brothers, David of Derby, and Simon, of Benton township, and one sister, Mrs. Emma McCurdy, to mourn her loss and who were all present to pay their last respects to one whose memory they will ever cherish. She was a woman of noble character, and was held in the highest esteem by all who knew her. Before her marriage she was one of Lucas county's school teachers. She and her husband resided on their farm in Benton township for twenty-five years, moving to Chariton in 1903, where they might enjoy the fruits of their hard labor, and where they have since resided. The funeral services were held at the Methodist church Saturday afternoon, at 2:30 o'clock, by Rev. Evans, and the remains were laid to rest in the Chariton cemetery. The sympathy of the community is extended to the bereaved family. (Clipping dated May 16, 1907, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

4. HENRY T. SCOTT, Born 20 October 1853, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Died 14 December 1853, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Buried Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa. Henry's is the earliest marked grave at Salem.

5. HESTER A. SCOTT, Born 21 August 1856, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Died 13 October 1858, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Buried Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

6. EMMA SCOTT, Born 8 January 1859, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Died 18 June 1927, Bremen, Fairfield County, Ohio; Buried Bremen, Fairfield County, Ohio; Married John W. McCurdy, 23 October 1879 Lucas County, Iowa.

From a paper published at Bremen, Ohio, we take the following obituary, of Mrs. Emma McCurdy, who was a resident of this county many years ago and who was a sister-in-law to George F. Carpenter and also a sister-in-law to Mrs. Simon Scott, her death occurring a few weeks ago when her home was destroyed by fire and she was suffocated:

Emma Scott McCurdy, the youngest daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth Scott, was born January 8, 1859, on a farm in Lucas County, Iowa, where she lived with her parents until she was married to John McCurdy on the 19th of October, 1879 (Note: Lucas County marriage records show that the marriage occurred on 23 October 1879). Her girlhood days were spent in the same county where she obtained her primary education in the public schools, and graduated from the high school at Russell, Iowa,
in 1877.

Early in life she became a convert to the Christian faith and took upon herself the vows of loyalty to the Methodist Episcopal church, to which she remained faithful all the days of her life.

With her husband she came to live in Bremen, Ohio, September 30, 1900, and spent the remainder of her days in this village, and passed away on June 18, 1927.

She was the last of her father's family. Two brothers, a sister, her father and mother, all passed on before her and in a better land and clime were awaiting her home coming. (Note: Emma also was preceded in death by an infant brother and sister and another brother, John C., who died in his early 20s; the siblings referred to in her obituary were David J., Simon and Julia H.).

She brought her membership to the local Methodist Episcopal church when she moved to Bremen, and gave many years of faithful service to the same. She organized and built the primary department in the local Sunday school, and for fifteen years was its superintendent. The good she did in those long years of turning and setting the youthful minds in the direction of God and His son, Jesus Christ, cannot be told now. Only in years far down the future's winding path to eternity, when, in the fulness of time, we gather round the great white throne to receive the reward to which we are entitled, shall we know the full extent of the value of her services.

She was buried from the Linville Funeral Parlors on Saturday morning by her minister, the Rev. J.S.Washburn, assisted by the Rev. F.W. Stephens, and Rev. John A. Siemen.

A profusion of flowers had been sent in by loving friends as a tribute to the memory of one held so dear, and those flowers, as a kind of request of hers, was taken to the church to decorate it for the Children's Day service the next day. It was most fitting and appropriate, since she loved children so, and so many in the congregation were thinking back to the days when she was their teacher in the Sunday school. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

7. SIMON ASBURY SCOTT, Born 1 December 1860, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Died 2 September 1918, Russell, Washington Township, Lucas County, Iowa; Buried Russell Cemetery, Washington Township, Lucas County; Married Lucy Ella Morris, 22 January 1885, Lucas County, Iowa.

Simon Asbury Scott was born on the old Scott homestead near Chariton, Iowa, on Dec. 1st, 1860. He spent all his life on this farm until March, 1914, when he retired from the farm and moved to Russell, Iowa.

He married Lucy Ellen Morris on Jan. 22, 1885. There are six children in the family, all living, and all were present at his bedside except Howard, who enlisted in the U.S. navy April 18, 1917.

Mr. Scott united with the Salem Methodist Episcopal church on the Russell charge in 1886. For many years he served this church in official capacity and was a faithful attendant and supporter of its services and enterprises.

He had been ill for about seven months, but with great courage and fortitude and the buoyancy of a remarkably hopeful and cheerful nature he was able to ignore the ravages of the terrible disease so that it has been but a few weeks that the public knew that he was really sick, then he passed rapidly away. He ceased at once to live and to work. He was of a jovial and sunny temperament and made a host of friends. Everything possible was done for his recovery but to no avail.

He died at his home in Russell, Sept. 2, 1918, at the age of 57 years, 9 months and 1 day. He leaves his wife, two sons, four daughters, seven grandchildren, one brother, David, of Derby, Iowa; one sister, Mrs. Emma McCurdy of Bremen, Ohio; and many warm friends even to the extent of his acquaintance.

Among those present at the last sad rites were Mr. Zeddie Wells and Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Hamilton of Osceola; Dr. Robert Miller and his mother, Mrs. Rebecca Miller, of Albia; Wm. Hobson, of Mt. Pleasant. (The Chariton Leader, 5 September 1918)

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 21: Langdon Gookin

2008-10-04T06:52:00.001-07:00

Lot No. 21 contains four known graves, three of them marked and one, not. Buried here are Langdon Gookin and his wife, Martha (Marshall) Gookin, patriarch and matriarch of the Lucas County Gookin family, and two of their sons, Alexander, who became terminally ill during Civil War service; and Marshall, who died at age 18. Martha's grave is not marked, which is a shame --- she had many descendants and some of them (most notably some of my own turn-of-the-century Gookin cousins) were quite affluent. But as often happened, when Father died Mother made sure his grave was marked but when Mother died, the kids found something better to do with their money. Shame on them! These inscriptions are from south to north.

LANGDON
GOOKIN
DIED
Jan. 23, 1873
AGED
67 Years
+++

ALEXANDER
Son of L. & M.
GOOKIN
DIED
Dec. 11, 1863
Aged 25Y, 10M, 1D
Co. C, 18 Ia. Inf.
+++

MARSHALL A.
Son of
L. & M. GOOKIN
DIED
Oct. 22, 1877
Aged
18Y, 10M, 4D
+++
MARTHA (MARSHALL) GOOKIN

Although Martha does not have a tombstone, she is the only one of the four family members buried on this lot to have a surviving obituary. Here is a virtual inscription for Martha as well as her obituary from The Chariton Patriot of 14 September 1899.

MARTHA MARSHALL GOOKIN
Wife of Langdon Gookin
Born: Feb. 11, 1813
Died: Sept. 10, 1899

Died, at her home in Benton township, Sunday, Sept. 10, 1899, at 1 o'clock a.m., of old age, Mrs. Martha Marshall Gookin, aged 87 years and 8 months. Funeral services were held in the Salem church Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock, conducted by her pastor, Rev. O.D. Ellett of Russell, and by her request the casket containing her remains was carried from the church to the cemetery by six of her grandsons, who tenderly lowered it into the grave.

Mrs. Gookin was born in Ohio, Feb. 11, 1813, and has lived in Lucas county since 1854. For sixty years she has been a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and lived a model christian life. She was a true wife and mother, a faithful friend and neighbor, and will be sadly missed. She was the mother of nine children, seven of whom survive her, and with the exception of one, Mrs. Nettie Ribble, living in Texas, were present at the funeral.

THE FAMILY OF LANGDON GOOKIN
AND MARTHA MARSHALL, HIS WIFE

The following outline, compiled from various sources, is not intended to be definitive. "Unknown" means only that based upon superficial research I wasn't able to find the answers; others may have them. A majority of the information is from material found online or from reference material in my files. Although I've attempted to be accurate, I'm related only indirectly to the Gookins (my great-grandfather's sisters, Phoebe and Mary Myers, married respectively Thomas and Clark Gookin), so watch out! If at any time anyone comes across this outline and wishes to add to or correct it, contact me and I'll be glad to post an updated or corrected version. It should be noted, too, that Langdon Gookin had two siblings who also were Benton Township pioneers. His sister, Mary, who married Henry "Harry" Clowser, is buried in the Ragtown Cemetery as his his brother, Monroe Gookin, who married Eve Relph.

LANGDON GOOKIN
Son of Samuel and Rachel (Corser) Gookin
Born: 1806
New Hampshire
Died: 23 January 1873
Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

Married: MARTHA MARSHALL
Parents: Unknown
Born: 11 February 1813
Ohio
Died: 10 September 1899
Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa (unmarked)

Married: 14 July 1830
Morgan County, Ohio

THEIR CHILDREN:

1. FINETTE GOOKIN
Born:14 January 1831
Noble County, Ohio
Died: 31 January 1901
Lamar County, Texas
Buried: Forest Hill Cemetery, Lamar County, Texas

Married 1st: EZEKIEL COLE
Born: Unknown
Location unknown
Died: Unknown
Location unknown
Buried: Unknown

Date of Marriage: About 1849
Probably in Noble County, Ohio

Their children:
1. Susanna "Anna" Cole (m. James Carroll)
2. Sylvester Cole (m. Savilla Elwill Durham)
3. Charlotte Cole (m. William Highland)

Married 2nd: JEREMIAH R. RIBBLE
Son of Joseph and Catherine (Phillips) Ribble
Born: 15 December 1821
Salem, Washington County, Indiana
Died: 28 July 1877
Lamar County, Texas
Buried: Forest Hill Cemetery, Lamar County, Texas

Date of Marriage: 4 May 1862
Lucas County, Iowa

Their Children:
John K. Ribble (m. Mamie E. South)
Rose Ribble (died young)
Jesse Ribble (m. Ollie)

Married 3rd: JOHN RUSH
Son of John Rush
Born: 10 April 1826
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Died: 10 August 1907
Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas
Buried: Old

Date of Marriage: 20 January (or 12 September) 1880
Lamar County, Texas

Note: This marriage was of very short duration

Married 4th: WILLIAM G. GORDON
Son of Robert Gordon
Born: 10 June 1810
Tennessee or Kentucky
Died: 4 April 1894
Lamar County, Texas
Buried: Possibly Dickey Cemetery, Lamar County, Texas

Date of Marriage: 15 December 1881
Lamar County, Texas

Note: It is likely that this marriage ended in divorce. Note further
that a number of references to Finette may be found on the
Lamar County, Texas, USGenWeb site.

2. SAMUEL GOOKIN
Born: 8 March 1833
Noble County, Ohio
Died: 20 January 1909
Russell, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

Married: LYDIA A. RUSSELL
Daughter of Reuben and Mary (Larrick) Russell
Born: 2 January 1842
Noble County, Ohio
Died: 26 March 1900
Russell, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

Date of Marriage: 16 January 1858
Lucas County, Iowa

Their Children:
1. Melissa Gookin (m. John Paris Holmes)
2. Martha (died in infancy; buried Salem)
3. Alma Gookin (died in infancy; buried Salem)
4. Craig Gookin (m. Alia Hobson; buried Salem)
5. Dora Gookin (m. George C. Holmes)
6. Ella Gookin (did not marry)
7. Mary Gookin (m. Charles White; buried Salem)
8. Anderson Gookin (m. Ina Mae Martin)
9. Jessie Gookin (m. Luther Keller; buried Salem)
10. Maggie Gookin (m. John Delman Threlkeld)
11. John Gookin
12. Lawrence Gookin

3. MARGARET GOOKIN
Born: 21 November 1834
Noble County, Ohio
Died: 3 January 1912
Russell, Wasington Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

Married: JOHN RUSSELL
Son of Reuben and Mary (Larrick) Russell
Born: 10 January 1832
Noble County, Ohio
Died: 14 July 1909
Russell, Washington Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

Date of Marriage: 11 October 1857
Lucas County, Iowa

Their Children:
1. Cornelia C. Russell, b. 15 May 1859, reportedly did not marry
2. Alexander S. Russell, d. 13 Mar 1863, age 5m, 18d, Salem Cemetery
3. Albert E. Russell, b. 13 Aug 1866, m. Etta A. Larimer, d. 14 Oct 1921

4. ALEXANDER GOOKIN
Born: 10 February 1838
Noble County, Ohio
Died: 11 December 1863
Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

5. ELIZA J. GOOKIN
Born: 22 February 1840
Noble County, Ohio
Died: 20 January 1913
Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Ragtown Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

Married 1st: ANDREW JACKSON BLUE
Son of John Saulter and Mary (Martin) Blue
Born: 25 September 1837
Knox County, Illinois
Died: 18 June 1872
Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Ragtown Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

Date of Marriage: 9 February 1860
Lucas County, Iowa

Their Children:
1. William Blue, b. 7 Nov 1865, d. 26 Sep 1914, Ragtown Cemetery
2. George Sigler Blue, b. 25 Dec 1867, m. Avis I. Callahan, d. 1946, Russell Cemetery
3. Walter Langdon Blue, b. 24 Nov 1869, m. Mary E. Kells, d. 1953. Russell Cemetery
4. Martha Blue, d. 6 September 1872, age 1y, 7m, 15d, Ragtown Cemetery
5. Bessie Bertha Blue,b. 25 July 1872, m. Charles A. Kells, d. 1959, Russell Cemetery

Married 2nd ABSALOM A. BLUE
Son of John Saulter and Elizabeth (Vandeveer) Blue
Born: 17 December 1850
Knox County, Illinois
Died: 19 April 1919
Knox County, Illinois
Buried: Galesburg, Illinois

Date of Marriage: 16 April 1877
Lucas County, Iowa

Their Children:
1. Laura Blue, b. 16 Jun 1877, m. Henry Clark, d. 24 Dec 1920, Creston
2. Gertrude Blue, b. 31 May 1881, m. William G. Sims, d. 12 Feb 1916, Russell Cemetery

Note: Absalom A. Blue was Andrew Jackson Blue's half brother. He reportedly abandoned Eliza and the children soon after Gertrude's birth and was not tracked down by family researchers until the 1960s.

6. CLARK GOOKIN
Born: 16 July 1842
Noble County, Ohio
Died: 28 July 1917
Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Chariton Cemetery, Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa

Married: MARY MYERS
Daughter of Jacob and Harriet (Dick) Myers
Born: 3 February 1849
New Florence, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Died: 15 September 1927
Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Chariton Cemetery, Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa

Date of Marriage: 4 November 1868
Lucas County, Iowa

Their Children:
1. Joseph A. Gookin, b. 30 Oct 1869, m. Lulu B. Adams, d. 28 Mar 1948, Chariton Cemetery
2. Jacob Langdon Gookin, b. 17 Jul 1872, m. Margaret Belle Mason, d. 11 Sep 1859, Greeley, Colo.
3. William Cecil Gookin (m. Nellie Logan)
4. Rosalie Belle Gookin (m. Alfred Carlson)
5. Harriet Maude Gookin (m. Chester Clyde Poush)
6. Thomas A. Gookin (m. Lena Averill)
7. Harley Edwin Gookin (m. Rebecca Dewey)
8. Ada Mable Gookin (m. Elmer E. Poush)
And two infants

7. THOMAS GOOKIN
Born: 4 February 1845
Noble County, Ohio
Died: 30 January 1921
Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota
Buried: Chariton Cemetery, Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa

Married: PHOEBE MYERS
Daughter of Jacob and Harriet (Dick) Myers
Born: 19 August 1847
New Florence, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Died: 2 June 1922
Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Chariton Cemetery, Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa

Date of Marriage: 9 April 1867
Lucas County, Iowa

Their Children:
1. Effie A. Gookin, b.7 Mar 1868, m. Orin A. Scales, d.25 Aug 1929, Chariton Cemetery
2. Albert Burton Gookin, b. 6 May 1872, m. Maude Mary McFarland, d. 26 Aug 1951, Chariton Cemetery
3. Martha Adella Gookin, b. 20 Jan 1874, m. Harvey H. Parker, d. 15 Apr 1960, Chariton Cemetery
4. Harvey Amandevil Gookin, b. 6 Feb 1876, d. ca. 1963, Montana
5. Walter Carl Gookin, b. 29 May 1879, m. Estella B. Snook, d. 17 Feb 1950, Chariton Cemetery
6. Elmer Leroy Gookin, b. 28 Mar 1882, m. Ruth Eliza Allen, d. 17 Oct 1958, Chariton Cemetery
THOMAS GOOKIN FUNERAL
Remains of Early Lucas County Citizen Laid to Rest Tuesday
Undated clipping, files of Frank D. Myers

Thomas Gookin, aged citizen of Lucas county and Civil War veteran, died last Sunday at Rochester, Minn., where he had gone some time ago, hoping under the care of the Mayos to be restored to his former health. However, it was not possible to cure him, and the end on earth came last Sunday morning at the hospital.

Mr. Gookin was the father of six children, among whom, three sons, are well known business men of Chariton - A. B., Walter C. and Elmer I. Gookin. Besides these, two daughters, Mrs. O. A. Scales and Mrs. H. H. Parker, both of Chariton, and one son, H. A. Gookin, of Valier, Montana, survive his death with the wife and mother, 12 grand children and 7 great grandchildren. The complete obituary follows:

Thomas Gookin was born near Calwell, Noble county, Ohio, Feb. 4, 1845, and passed his his reward Jan. 30, 1921, at Rochester, Minn.

When a boy of 6 years, he came with his parents to Lee county, Iowa. After a short residence there they moved to Lucas county, Iowa, and located on a farm in Benton township. There he spent his boyhood and received that Christian training that laid the foundation for the honorable life he has lived.

When a lad of 17 years he enlisted in the Union army and served in Co. D, 8th Ia. Cav. His esteemed comrade, William Clapp, of Chariton, is now the only surviving member of this famous company living in this vicinity. Along toward the close of his career in the service of his country he fell in the hands of the enemy and was taken as a prisoner to Andersonville prison. There he was confined for nine months, suffering all of the deprivations and hardships of that place of unspeakable torture. The war coming to an end, he was released and returned home to Iowa.

He was united in marriage to Miss Phoebe Myers April 9, 1867. To this union were born six children - Mrs. O. A. Scales, Mrs. H. H. Parker, A. B. Gookin, Walter C. Gookin, Elmer L. Gookin, all of Chariton, Iowa, and H. A. Gookin, of Valier, Mont. All of these children were able to be present at the funeral except Walter C. Gookin. He is spending the winter in California with his wife for the benefit of her health.

About 16 years ago Mr. Gookin and his family moved from the farm in Benton township to Chariton, which has since been their home. Here he has made a large number of friends. He has been a good, loyal citizen, always taking an interest in all matters that pertained to the welfare of the community and our country. He was a good neighbor and always tried to do his duty as such. He was a kind and loving parent and was greatly beloved by the members of his family.

While living in Benton township he united with the United Evangelical church. He has been a faithful member of this church and he has maintained a Christian home to the day of his death. He was a honored member of the Iseminger Post of the G.A.R.

8. OTHELLO VERMILLION GOOKIN
Born: 13 April 1849
Noble County, Ohio
Died: 15 August 1917
Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa
Buried: Chariton Cemetery, Lucas County, Iowa

Married: ZERELDA C. WILSON
Daughter of William D. and Nancy (Lindsay) Wilson
Born: 6 March 1853
Where?
Died: 19 February 1919 (or 1916?)
Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Chariton Cemetery, Lucas County, Iowa

Date of Marriage: Unknown
Unknown

Their Children:
1. Marshall A. Gookin (m. Mary C. Johnson)
2. Purley V. Gookin (m. Roxie I. Querry)
3. Oakey R. Gookin (m. Elizabeth Martin)
4. Tarvin E. Gookin (m. J. Myrl McCollough)
5. Archie Mae Gookin (m. William A. McCollough)
6. Belle I. Gookin (m. Clifford A. Rasmus)

9. MARSHALL GOOKIN
Born: 18 December 1858
Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Died: 22 October 1877
Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa
Buried: Salem Cemetery, Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa

Note: Many of the references here to Noble County, Ohio, are mildly misleading. Noble was not created until 1851, so most of the events reported upon here would have occurred in Monroe, Guernsey orWashington County, Ohio, from which Noble was formed. Although relatively little of it appears to have found its way online, a good deal of Gookin research has been done. The most definitive account I've found is Richard N. Gookins' "A History and Genealogy of theGookin Family of England, Ireland and America," Salem, Oregon:1990 (revised edition).

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 22: Saml. Gookin, Owner

2008-10-04T06:51:00.002-07:00

Although Samuel Gookin is the owner of record of Salem Cemetery Lot. No. 22, it is shared by closely related members of the Russell family, Samuel's in-laws. His parents and two brothers, Langdon and Martha (Marshall) Gookin, Marshall and Alexander, are buried in Lot No. 21, just to the east.

The tombstone at far left in the photo above marks the grave of Mary (Larrick) Russell, Samuel's mother-in-law. Buried south of her in an unmarked grave is her husband, Reuben. Next is the tumbled tombstone of John and Margaret (Gookin) Russell, obscured by a volunteer mulberry tree that needs to be removed. He was Mary's and Reuben's son; she, Samuel's sister. The first to be buried on the lot share the next small weathered tombstone some distance south --- an infant son of John and Margaret and an infant daughter of Samuel and Lydia, both of whom died on March 12, 1863. Finally, the tall gray stone at the south end of the lot marks the graves of Samuel and Lydia (Russell) Gookin and another of their infant children.

The Gookins arrived in Lucas County from Ohio during 1852 and settled about half a mile south of Salem on property that stretched all the way to the Chariton River. The Russells arrived, also from Ohio, during 1856 and settled to the east in Washington Township some two miles south of the eventual location of Russell, which dates from 1866-67.

The Methodist Episcopal congregation organized at Salem perhaps as early as the 1850s was the only church of that denomination in the vicinity and drew many from the area that would become Russell. It may have been through Salem church that the Russells and the Gookins became so intimately acquainted.

The town of Russell, by the way, is not named for this Russell family although a legend to that effect developed. It was in fact named for H. L. Russell, trustee for the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, who platted the town but never lived in it.

MARY

Wife of

REUBEN RUSSELL

DIED

June 18, 1875

Aged 70Yrs, 7M, 22D

There is no official record of Mary's death in Lucas County, nor a complete obituary in surviving county newspapers. An undated clipping, probably from an issue of The Chariton Patriot published shortly after her death, does note it, however: "Mrs. Russell, wife of Mr. Reuben Russell, one of the oldest citizens of Benton township, and living two and one-half miles south of Russell, died on Friday last."

REUBEN RUSSELL

Died Aug. 17, 1886

Reuben's grave is not marked, although you can see still where it is. He was living with John and Margaret Russell when the 1880 federal census was taken and perhaps died in their home six years later, too. In addition to John and Lydia, both buried here, the Russells had another child, Rebecca, who married Adam LaFollette on 1 November 1857. The LaFollettes, too, lived in Washington Township, but are buried in the Russell Cemetery.

Reuben's death seems to be formally recorded only in The Chariton Herald of Aug. 19, 1886, where the following brief mention is found:

"Mr. Reuben Russell, an old resident of this county who came to Washington township in 1856, died on Tuesday morning in his 78th year. He was buried at Bethel graveyard."

The date of death I've used here is based upon the fact this notice was published on Thursday, Aug. 19, with the implication in it that Reuben had died two days earlier, on Tuesday the 17th. The reference to "Bethel graveyard" is a mistake. "Bethel" was an early name for what now is known as Ragtown Cemetery, a mile southeast. That cemetery may have been associated with an early Baptist congregation perhaps called Bethel that was discontinued after First Baptist Church was established in the new town of Russell. Some years later, when Bethel United Evangelical Church was built near the McDermott or Sargent Cemetery in Cedar Township, that cemetery was given the name Bethel. The result can sometimes be confusing.

JOHN RUSSELL

Jan. 10, 1832

July 14, 1909

MARGARET, His Wife

Nov. 21, 1834

Jan. 3, 1912

Although not broken, a split in the base of the tombstone marking the graves of John and Margaret (Gookin) Russell has caused it to fall apart and collapse. The major part of the stone now is standing on its head and is partially obscured by a volunteer mulberry tree

OBITUARY: JOHN RUSSELL

Chariton Patriot, July 22, 1909

John Russell was born in Nobe county, Ohio, Jan. 10, 1832, and died at his home in Russell, Iowa, July 14, 1909, aged 77 years, 6 months and 4 days. His death comes as a release from the intense suffering of the past few days. For two years he had been a sufferer, but he bore it with great patience. He resided in Ohio until twenty-two years of age, when he came with his parents to Lucas county, Iowa, where his home had been ever since. His parents were among the first settlers, the town of Russell being named after his father (not the case, FDM).

He was married in 1857 (perhaps 1856) to Margaret Gookin, who survives him, with a son and a daughter, Albert E. Russell of Chariton, and Cornelia C. Russell of Russell; also a sister, Mrs. A. LaFollette, is left to mourn his departure. His remains were placed in the Salem cemetery beside those of his son, Alexander, who died in infancy. May the grace of the infinite God keep from day to day his bereaved ones and comfort them by his loving care.

OBITUARY: MARGARET RUSSELL

Chariton Herald Patriot, Jan. 11, 1912

Mrs. Margaret Russell died at her home in Russell on Wednesday, Jan. 3, after an extended illness. She had been a sufferer for a number of years and was confined to her home most of the time. Her daughter, Miss Callie, was with her and was always ready to administer to her every want with faithful and loving hands. The funeral services were held at the home of the deceased on Friday at 10 a.m. conducted by Rev. G. Wood, assisted by Rev. P.A. Tinkham. Interment was made at the Salem cemetery beside her husband who died July 14, 1909. Thus one of our most honored and respected pioneers has passed from our midst but her memory will ever be cherished by a large circle of relatives and friends.

Margaret Gookin was born in Noble county, Ohio, Nov. 21, 1834, and died Jan. 3, 1912, aged 77 years, 1 month and 13 days. She came to Iowa with her parents at the age of sixteen years and was married to John Russell on Oct. 11, 1856. To this union three chidren were born, Cornelia C., Alexander S., who died in infancy, and Albert E., of St. Joseph, Mo. She united with the M.E. church at sixteen years of age and was a faithful member until death claimed her. She leaves to mourn her loss a daughter and son, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, one sister, three brothers and a host of friends. Chariton Herald Patriot, Jan. 11, 1912.

The next stone on the Gookin-Russell lot marks the graves of two infants who died on the same day in 1863, one a son of John and Margaret (Gookin) Russell and the other, a daughter of Samuel and Lydia (Russell) Gookin.

ALEXANDER S.

Son of

J. & M.

RUSSELL

Died

Mar. 12, 1863

Aged 5M

18D

MARTHA

Dau of

S. & L.A.

GOOKIN

Died

Mar 12, 1863

Aged 2Yr

2M, 5D

The final tombstone on the Samuel Gookin-Russell lot, at its south end, marks three graves, those of Samuel and Lydia A. (Russell) Gookin (inscriptions on west face) and their infant daughter, Alma (on the north face).

ALMA

Dau. of

S. & L.A.

GOOKIN

Nov. 9, 1863

June 16, 1864

SAMUEL GOOKIN

Mar. 8, 1833

Jan. 20, 1909

DEATH OF SAMUEL GOOKIN

Chariton Herald, Jan. 21 and 28, 1909

Samuel Gookin, one of Lucas county's oldest and most respected citizens, died at his home in Russell yesterday morning at 8 o'clock, at the age of about 76 years, after an extended illness with stomach trouble. Funeral services, conducted by Rev. D. J. Shenton, of the M.E. church at Russell, were held at Salem church this (Jan. 21) afternoon at two o'clock, and interment took place in the Salem cemetery. Deceased is survived by nine children, Andrew Gookin and Mrs. Paris Holmes, of Riverside, California; John, Mrs. Delman Threlkeld and Mrs. Luther Keller, of this city (Chariton); Lawrence of Nebraska City, Neb.; Mrs. G.C. Holmes, of Dunbar, Neb.,; Mrs. Chas. White and Miss Ella Gookin, of Benton township. One son, Craig, died a few years ago. Three brothers, Thomas, of this city, and Clark and Phil, of Benton township, also are living.

+++

The deceased had made his home for a number of years in Russell and was highly respected by all who knew him.

Samuel Gookin was born in Noble county, Ohio, on March 8, 1833, and passed away after a brief illness at his home in Russell on January 20, 1909, at the age of 75 years, 10 monghs and 25 days. He with his parents emigrated to Lucas county, Iowa, in 1853, remaining there 18 months and then moving to a farm in Lucas county where he spent the remainder of his life until a few years ago when he moved to Russell. He was united in marriage to Lydia A. Russell on January 16, 1858. To this union were born twelve children, two of whom died in infancy. His wife preceeded him to the better land on March 26, 1900, and his eldest son, Craig, on December 6, 1902. Those living are Mrs. Melissa Holmes and Andy Gookin, of Riverside, Calif., Mrs. Dora Holmes and Lawrence Gookin, of Dunbar, Neb., Mrs. Jessie Keller, Mrs. Mary White, Mrs. Maggie Threlkeld, Ella and Jno. Gookin, all of Chariton, Iowa. He leaves, besides his children, to mourn his loss three brothers and two sisters. They are Thomas, Clark and Phil, all of this county, Mrs. Jane Blue and Mrs. Maggie Russell, of Russell, Ia., Mrs. Blue being with him during his sickness and at the time of his death. He was a kind and loving husband and father, a highly respected citizen, and beloved by all who knew him in business and social circles.

LYDIA A. His Wife

Jan. 2, 1842

Mar. 26, 1900

MRS. SAMUEL GOOKIN

The Chariton Democrat, April 6, 1900

Mrs. Samuel Gookin died at her home in Benton township on Monday, March 26, 1900, after an extended illness with dropsy and heart trouble. Funeral services conducted by Rev. Robinson of Russell were held at Salem church on Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock, after which the remains were laid to rest in the Salem cemetery.

Miss Lydia A. Russell was born in Noble county, Ohio, on January 2, 1842. She came to Lucas county in 1856, and was married in 1858 to Samuel Gookin. They were the parents of twelve children, ten of whom are living, six boys and four girls. They have resided in Lucas county since their marriage and have always been held in high esteem by all with whom they have become acquainted. When quite young Mrs. Gookin was converted and united with the M.E. church and has since lived a faithful christian life. She was a noble, true hearted woman and her death has caused extreme sorrow in the neighborhood where she resided.

She was of a pleasant disposition and by her quiet and sincere demeanor won friends of all with whom she came in contact. Her entire life was devoted to her home and the bereaved ones will feel keenly the loss. To the afflicted ones the community extends condolences.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 23: Hopper/Hupp

2008-10-04T06:51:00.001-07:00

Lot No. 23 is another of Salem's divided lots. William A. Hopper and his wife, Maude Hopper Linville, are buried on the north end of the lot. The south end of the lot was purchased by the last of the Hupp siblings after the family overflowed the lot (No.51) where their parents, Aaron and Margaret Anna (Redlingshafer) Hupp, and six other Hupp children are buried. Twelve of 14 Hupp children survived infancy, but only two of those married. The remaining 10 lived together in the Hupp family home two miles south of Salem on the west side of the New York road. Josiah Hupp was the first to die, in 1911 at age 48; and Otto, the last, in 1962, age 80. Although they share a lot, the Hoppers and the Hupps are not related. The inscriptions here were transcribed from north to south.

HOPPER
WILLIAM A.
1881-124

OBITUARY: WILLIAM A. HOPPER

William Arthur Hopper, son of Mary E. and William M. Hopper, was born near Carlisle, Warren county, Ia., on January 21, 1881, and died March 19, 1924, at the home of his mother, near Chariton, at the age of 43 years, 1 month and 28 days. He lived on his mother's farm with the exception of one year.

He was the second child of the family of seven children. Two brothers, the father and three sisters have preceded him in death. The mother and one sister, Flossie Belle, are left to mourn their loss.

On December 2, 1921, he was united in marriage to Maude Viola Smith. One child, Flossie Maxine, was born to this union and with the mother also survives.

"He was honest, industrious and a good citizen. He has been a constant sufferer for the last five months but has born his sufferings with patience. He was converted and baptized during his last illness and died, fully believing in the saving power of Jesus Christ. His last testimony was that he was ready to die and to meet his family and friends in Heaven.

"Year, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me."

Funeral services were held at the Salem church by Rev. W.C. McKinley, and interment took place in the Salem cemetery. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

MAUDE HOPPER
LINVILLE
1898-1972

OBITUARY: MAUDE (SMITH) HOPPER/LINVILLE

Maude Linville, the fourth child of 16 children born to David and Martha L. Smith, was born April 6, 1898 in Marion County, Iowa. She passed away October 22, 1972, at Lucas County Memorial Hospital at the age of 74 years, six months, and 16 days. She was in the hospital, at the time of her death, only one day but had been in poor health for more than three years.

She received her formal education in the country schools of Lucas County. For six months she lived in the state of Texas. She was an employee of the Charitone Coffee Shop, in Chariton, which was operated by her daughter for eight years. While she lived the last several years in Chariton, she spent most of her life on farms in the area. At the time of her death she maintained her home in the Southgate Apartments.

On December 22, 1920, she was united in marriage to William H. Hopper. Flossie Maxine, her only child, was born to them. Mr. Hopper preceded her in death in March 1924.

On October 12, 1929, she was united in marriage to William M. Linville, who preceded her in death on December 6, 1959.

She is also preceded in death by her parents, three brothers: Forrest, an infant; Everett and Floyd; two sisters, Wanda and Mrs. Zella Anderson; also two granddaughters, Sharon Poush and Mrs. Allen (Karen) Larrington; one great-grandson, Rex Allen Larrington; and one stepdaughter, Mrs. Goldie Hicks.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Maxine and Emmett Poush of rural Chariton; her grandson, Allen Poush, who lives with his parents; five brothers: Donald and Montie of Chariton; Paul of rural Chariton; Burley of Albia; and John of Newton; five sisters: Mary Smith, Mrs. Arthur (Neva) Brown and Mrs. Ray (Ruby) Anderson, all of Chariton; Opal (Mrs. Glenn) Peterson of rural Chariton; and Mrs. Charles (Leone) Etter of Deer River, Minn.; two stepdaughters: Mrs. Juanita Wells of Seattle, Wash.; and Mrs. Marie Buehler of Lafayette, Ind.; nephews, nieces and many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were conducted by the Rev. Clyde Sparks of Van Meter, Iowa, at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, 1972, at the Fielding Funeral Home. Interment was in Salem cemetery. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

OTTO O.
HUPP
1882-1962

OBITUARY: OTTO HUPP

Otto Hupp, youngest child and son of Aaron and Margaret Ann Redlingshafer Hupp, was born in Benton township, Lucas County, Iowa, on December 27, 1881. He departed this life at his home in Chariton, March 20, 1962, at the age of 79 years, 2 months, and 23 days.

Most of Otto's entire life was spent at the farm home seven miles southeast of Chariton. This had been the family home for 94 years. He received his education at the Myers school and attended Mt. Carmel and Salem churches. He and his brothers were among the first to use steam equipment. For years they ran a threshing machine and saw mill and also graded county roads.

Ub 1952, Otto and two sisters, Hannah and Sarah, moved to Chariton. Soon after, Sarah's health failed. Otto and Hannah cared for her until Hannah's death in March, 1957. Otto alone tenderly cared for Sarah until her death in April, 1958. Since then he had lived alone at the family home. He will be remembered for his kindness and willingness to help others in their times of need.

Otto Hupp was the last member of a family of 12 children, six girls and six boys. He leaves to mourn his passing, several nieces and cousins, other relatives and many friends. William Redlingshafer was staying with him at the time of his death.

Funeral services were conducted at and arranged for by Miley's Funeral Home at 2 p.m., Friday, March 23. The Rev. LaRoy Anderson, pastor of the Chariton Bible church, officiated with interment in the Salem cemetery. (The Chariton Herald Patriot Thursday, 29 March 1962)

SARAH J.
HUPP
1874-1958

OBITUARY: SARAH JANE HUPP

Sarah Jane Hupp, daughter of Aaron and Margaret Ann Redlingshafer Hupp, was born in Lucas county, Jan. 4, 1874, and passed away at her home in Chariton April 4, 1958, at the age of 84 years and three months.

Most of Sarah's entire life was spent at the farm home seven miles southeast of Chariton. This had been the family home for 94 years. She received her education at the Myers school and attended the Mt. Carmel and Salem churches.

In 1952, the family moved to Chariton where soon after, her health failed and she was tenderly cared for by her brother, Otto, and a sister, Hannah, who passed away in March, 1957.

Her quick smile and twinkling eyes made her loved by everyone. Even in her illness she never once complained.

She was preceded in death by her parents, five brothers and five sisters. She leaves to mourn her passing, one brother, Otto, several nieces and nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Funeral services were held Sunday at 2:30 p.m., April 6, at the Miley chapel, conducted by the Rev. A.E. Beals. Burial was in Salem Cemetery. (Chariton Herald Patriot. Thursday, 10 April 1958, page 3)

HANNAH
HUPP
1870-1957

OBITUARY: HANNAH HUPP

Hannah Hupp, daughter of Aaron and Margaret Ann Hupp, was born March 10, 1870, in Benton township, Lucas county, and passed away at the home in Chariton on March 18, 1957, at the age of 87 years and 8 days.

Except for the last four years, when she, her sister and brother moved to Chariton, Hannah had spent her entire life on the farm which had been the family home for 94 years. She received her education at the old Myers school, and had attended the Mt. Carmel and Salem churches until her health failed.

Hannah was a kind, thoughtful Christian woman, always putting others before herself. She lovingly cared for her surviving sister, Sarah, until about a month ago, when coronary thrombosis made it impossible for her to continue. Then both Hannah and Sarah were cared for in the home by the brother, Otto. She was given all that loving hands and medical aid could do but to no avail.

She was preceded in death by her parents, five brothers and four sisters. She is survived by her sister, Sarah; brother Otto, and by a host of relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held at the Miley Chapel Wednesday, March 20, at 2 p.m., conducted by the Rev. A.E. Beals. Interment was in the Salem cemetery. (Chariton Herald Patriot, Thursday, 21 March 1957)

LUCINDA
HUPP
1864-1951

OBITUARY: LUCINDA HUPP

Lucinda Hupp, daughter of Aaron and Margaret Hupp, was born in Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa, in a little log cabin just west of the present location (of the Hupp family home), Feb. 18, 1864. She passed away quietly at her home Sunday, Dec. 2, 1951, at the age of 87 years, nine months and 14 days. Her entire life was spent on the farm where she was born.

She leaves to mourn her passing one brother, Otto, and two sisters, Hannah and Sarah. She was preceded in death by her parents, three sisters, and five brothers.

She accepted Christ as her Savior while in her teens and united with the Mt. Carmel Evangelical church. She loved the church services and attended faithfully whenever it was possible.

Lucinda was dearly loved by her home folks and leaves many precious memories that will never be forgotten. She was confined to her bed for the past two years and during that time was tenderly and lovingly cared for by the brother and two sisters. She was a patient and loving sufferer and her appreciation for every act of care and kindness was shown by her cheery smile. She will be greately missed by her loved ones in the home, and by other relatives and friends.

Services under the direction of the Miley Funeral Home were held from the Salem Community Church Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 2 p.m. The Rev. Archie Beals officiated and burial was made in the Salem Cemetery adjoining the church. (Undated clipping, files of Frank D. Myers)

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 24: John N. Fox, Owner

2008-10-04T06:50:00.002-07:00

There are three known graves on Lot No. 24 (from south to north), those of John N. Fox; his second wife, Isabelle (Solinger) Groves/Shelton/Fox/Welch; and their son, Earl. There is no inscription on the stone marking Isabelle's grave.

FATHER
JOHN N. FOX
1839-1914

OBITUARY: JOHN N. FOX

Mr. John N. Fox passed away at his home on East Armory Avenue in Chariton on Sunday morning, January 4th, 1914, at the age of seventy-four years, eleven months and twenty-six days, after an illness of several years' duration with gangrene of the foot and a complication of troubles. Funeral services, conducted by M.C. Lorimor, were held at the family home on Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock, after which the remains were laid to rest in the Salem cemetery.

John N. Fox was born in Ohio on January 9th, 1839. On January 6th, 1863, he was united in marriage to Sarah Jane Rickey (actually Rickets), who died several years later. To this union seven children were born, six of whom are living. They are Mrs. Eliza Smith of Oklahoma; Mrs. Clara Woods, of Fairmont, Neb.; Mrs. Mae McKelvey, of Des Moines; Etta and Orpha, of Chariton, and Boney, of Oklahoma. Mr. Fox was again married on April 9th, 1893, to Mrs. Isabella Shelton, who survives him. To them one son, Earl, of this city, was born. Mr. Fox was a good, christian man, and bore his intense sufferings with a patience and fortitude that were remarkable. He had resided in Lucas county for many years, and was esteemed by all who knew him for his many excellent qualities. His demise will be mourned by a host of friends who will extend sincere sympathy to the surviving relatives. (The Chariton Herald Patriot, 8 January 1914)

Isabelle and John N. Fox, courtesy of Richard E. Fox via Roberta Tuller.

+++
STONE WITH NO INSCRIPTION
Marking the grave of Isabelle Fox

Isabelle (Solinger) Fox/Welch is buried between her third husband, John N. Fox, and their son, Earl Fox. Although her grave is marked, there is no inscription on the tombstone. Lucas County death records show that Isabel (sic) Welch, female, age 82 years, 4 months, 8 days, housekeeper, born Illinois, died Jan. 23, 1935, in Chariton of chronic endocarditis and was buried at Salem Cemetery. The following obituary was published in The Chariton Leader of 29 January 1935. Note that the ages at death given in the death record and the obituary differ.

DEATHS: MRS. WM. P. WELCH

Mrs. Wm. P. Welch died at her home on east Woodlawn avenue on Wednesdaymorning, Jan. 23, 1935, at the age of 81 years, 5 months and 8 days. She had been in failing health for some time.

Funeral services, conducted by M. C. Lorimor, of Ottumwa, formerly of Chariton, were held at the Beardsley Funeral Home on Friday afternoon at two o'clock, and burial took place in the Salem cemetery.

Isabelle Solinger was born in Hardensville, Ill., on Aug. 15, 1853. When quite young she came to Iowa and for many years her home had been in Chariton, where she was well known and highly esteemed.

She is survived by her husband, Wm. P. Welch, of this city, and by four sons, Edward Groves of Winfield, Kansas; Leonard W. Shelton, of Reed Springs, Mo.; Thomas Shelton, of Des Moines, and Earl Fox, of Chariton; and one daughter, Mrs. Maud Netherow, of Des Moines; also one sister, Mrs. Lucy Burrell, of Lawrenceville, Ill., and a number of grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and many friends.

+++

EARL FOX
SON
1895-1947

EARL FOX IS TAKEN BY DEATH

Earl Fox died suddenly Friday of a heart attack at his home, 821 Jay street, Ottumwa.

Fox was a former resident of Chariton employed as a switchman with the Burlington railroad being transferred to Ottumwa a few years ago. He is survived by his widow, Inez, and one son, Richard Earl, of Phoenix, Ariz.

Funeral services were held at the Lester Jay funeral home at Ottumwa Monday at 11:00 a.m. Burial was made in Salem cemetery southeast of Chariton. (The Chariton Leader, 11 February 1947)

Earl and Inez Fox, courtesy of Richard E. Fox via Roberta Tuller.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 25: Daniel F. Myers, Owner

2008-10-04T06:50:00.001-07:00

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 26: Paris White, Owner

2008-10-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Paris M. White family lived just south of the Lucas-Wayne county line, a few miles south of Salem on the New York Road, until the late 1890s, when Paris and his wife, Mary E. (Breckenridge) White, moved into Chariton. This was a family hit hard by tuberculosis, or consumption as it mostly was known at that time. Lot. No. 26 contains the graves of Paris and Mary and three of their children, Edward, Julia and Etta, who died of that disease. Etta has a stone of her own, but inscriptions for the other four are on a large family stone at the north end of the lot. There are, however, smaller headstones engraved "Mother," "Father," "Edward" and "Julia"

WHITE FAMILY STONE
West Face
PARIS M. WHITE
Nov. 10, 1844
Sept. 23, 1905
MARY E., His Wife
Oct. 22, 1847
Nov. 8, 1907

WHITE FAMILY STONE
East Face
EDWARD T. WHITE
Nov. 21, 1878
Aug. 14, 1906
JULIA J. WHITE
July 13, 1887
April 26, 1902

ETTA
Wife of
W.T. SNIDER
Feb. 20, 1873
Mar. 5, 1900

OBITUARY: PARIS M. WHITE
Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection

Paris M. White died at his home in this city on Saturday morning, September 23, 1905, at the age of 60 years, 10 months and 11 days, after an illness of only twenty-four hours with bowel trouble. Funeral services conducted by Rev. F.B. Palmer were held at the family home on Monday afternoon at two o'clock after which interment took place in the Salem cemetery.

Paris M. White, son of John and Sylvia White, was born in Monroe county. He moved to Lucas county, Iowa, when 12 years of age. On Jan. 17, 1864, he was united in marriage to Mary E. Breckenridge of Chariton. To this union were born twelve children, four boys and eight girls, five of whom are still living, Eliza Fox of Nebraska, Hattie Nichols of Missouri, Emma, Edward and Walter of Lucas county. He also leaves a wife, two sisters and two brothers. They moved to Wayne county in 1868 where they resided until the spring of 1896 when the moved to Chariton, where they have since resided. Mr. White possessed a kind, generous disposition and was upright in all his business dealings. He had many warm friends to whom the news of his sudden death brought sadness and regret. The grief stricken relatives have the sympathy of the entire community in their great bereavement.

+++

OBITUARY: MARY E. (BRECKENRIDGE) WHITE
Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection

Mary E. Breckenridge was born in Missouri, Oct. 22, 1847, and died at her home in Chariton Nov. 3, (sic) 1907 at the age of 60 years and 10 days (sic). She was united to Paris M. White Jan. 1, (sic) 1864. To them fourteen (sic) children were born. Her husband and eleven of these children have preceded her to the future land. The following three children survive: Eliza Jane Fox, of McCook, Nebr., Hattie B. Nichols of Lancaster, Mo., and Charles Walter of Gregory, N. Dakota, and one brother, John Breckenridge, of Rock Island, Ill. Mrs. White united with the Christian church in early life of which she remained a consistent member until her death. She was a patient mother, having lived to see the majority of her children buried. She was sorrow stricken in her last years feeling so lonely without those who had preceded her. Brief and simple services were held over her remains at the home on Sunday afternoon at two o'clock, Nov. 10, by Rev. J.G. Yaggy of the United Brethren church. After the services the remains were taken to the Salem cemetery for interment.

Note: Whoever wrote this obituary had bad day --- or errors slipped in at the newspaper composition room. Since her funeral was held Nov. 10, the death date inscribed on her tombstone, Nov. 8, must be accurate. Lucas County marriage records show her date of marriage as 17 January 1864. Note also that Mary's obituary states that she was the mother of 14 children; Paris M. White's obituary, that the couple had 12 children.

+++

OBITUARY: EDWARD T. WHITE
The Chariton Herald, 16 August 1908

Ed. White, son of Mrs. P.M. White, who has been ill for several months with consumption, died at the family home on Tuesday morning, August 14, 1906, at the age of twenty-seven years. He had just returned last Friday noon from Colorado, where he had been for some time in the hope that the change would prove beneficial, but instead his condition grew worse and he came home to spend his few remaining days. The funeral services will be held at the residence this afternoon at one o'clock, conducted by Rev. F.B. Palmer, after which interment will take place in the cemetery at Salem.

Deceased was born in Wayne county on November 21, 1878. About twelve years ago he came with his parents to this place, where he has since resided. He was energetic and upright, with a pleasant disposition, and he made warm friends of all with whom he came into contact. He is survived by his mother, one brother, C.W., of this city, and two sisters, Mrs. Jane Fox, of McCook, Neb., and Mrs. Hattie Nichols, of Lancaster, Mo. These sorrowing ones have the sympathy of a host of friends in their bereavement.

+++

OBITUARY: JULIA J. WHITE
The Chariton Democrat, 1 May 1902

Miss Julia White died at the home of her parents near this city on Saturday morning, April 26, 1902, at the age of 14 years, 9 months and 13 days, after a lingering illness with consumption. The funeral services were held at the family residence in west Chariton on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock, conducted by
Rev. F.B. Palmer, after which the remains were interred in the Salem cemetery.

Julia Jane White, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. P.M. White, was born in Union township, this county, on July 13, 1887, and came to this place with her parents about six years ago. She was a bright, lovable girl and her early demise is mourned by
a large circle of friends.

+++

OBITUARY: MARY ETTA (WHITE) SNIDER
The Chariton Democrat, 16 March 1900

"Mrs. Mary Snyder of Benton township, wife of W.T. Snyder, died in this city at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. P.M. White, on Monday evening, March 5, after a lingering illness with consumption, at the age of twenty-seven years. Funeral services conducted by Rev. Wilson Mills of the Baptist church were held Wednesday at Bethel (sic) church in Benton township after which the remains were interred in the Salem cemetery.

Mrs. Mary Etta White was born in Wayne county in 1873. About four years ago she was married to W.T. Snyder who survives her. One little daughter, three years old, is also living. The death of this noble, true hearted mother has caused extreme sorrow, not only in the home she loved so well, but throughout the township where she resided. She was beloved by all who knew her, and her sweet christian character carried sunshine and joy wherever she went. Her entire life was devoted to her home and her family. She lived her life well, and leaves in the sorrow-stricken home an influence for good which will be felt in the years to come. In spite of her ill health she scattered seeds of sunshine, and the community suffers from her departure. To the bereaved relatives the heartfelt sympathy of the community is extended.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 27: J. White, Owner

2008-10-04T06:45:00.003-07:00

Lot No. 27 contains only two marked graves, those of brothers Tobias G. and James W. White, located at its south end. Tobias never married. James's wife, Mary Ann (Bowen) White, who died 25 or 26 November 1881 at the age of 49 years, 9 months and 20 days, is buried in the nearby Ragtown Cemetery. It is probable that at least three children are buried near her at Ragtown, which could mean that there was no place left on that lot for James W. when he died some 38 years later.

The south stone on the lot is white marble about five and a half feet tall. The west face is blank; the north and south faces inscribed, "I am the life"; and the east face inscribed as follows:

TOBIAS G. WHITE
July 24, 1826
Feb. 29, 1896

There seems to be no complete obituary for Tobias, but death notices were published in two of Chariton's newspapers as follows:

Tobias White, one of the early settlers of Lucas county, died at the home of Bonaparte Fox in Benton township Saturday, after several weeks' illness. The funeral was conducted Sunday, interment in the Ragtown (sic., actually Salem) cemetery. Mr. White had passed three score years of life, was never married and leaves a fortune estimated at twenty-five thousand dollars. (Chariton Herald, 5 March 1896)

Mr. Tobias White died Friday night at 2 o'clock and was buried in Salem cemetery, Sunday, March 1, at 11 o'clock. Rev. Green of Russell conducted the services. Mr. White was in his 70th year and has resided in Iowa for many years, and was quite well known. While a member of no church he has always led an upright Christian life and was never known to have an unkind word for anyone. He was never married. Three brothers and two sisters survive him. (Chariton Democrat, 6 March 1896)

James W. White's tombstone, a small gray slab located north of Tobias's stone, for some reason does not include his name. "FATHER" is inscribed across its top and the dates, on the west face, as well as the words "Gone but not forgotten," even though his childrens' economy seems designed to ensure that his name was forgotten.

FATHER
Jan. 22, 1828
May 20, 1919
Gone but not forgotten

OBITUARY: JAMES W. WHITE
Chariton Herald Patriot, 22 May 1919

The venerable James W. White passed away at the home of his daughter, Mrs. America Gillham, in Russell, Ia., on Tuesday night, May 20, 1919, at the age of 91 years and 4 months. Funeral services were held in Russell on Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock, followed by interment in the Salem cemetery.

James White, son of John and Sylvia White, was born in Monroe County, Indiana, on January 22, 1828. He grew to manhood in that place where he was united in marriage to Mary Ann Bowen, who preceded him in death on November 25th, 1881. To this union twelve children were born, eight of whom are living. They are Mrs. Francis King, of Chariton; Mrs. Hannah Quinn, of Webster City; John J. White, of Maybell, Colo.; Mrs. Delia Hoppenstall and Mrs. America Gillham, of Russell; Mrs. Rilla Brown, of Otis, Colo.; Grover White, of Chariton. A daughter, Mrs. Ella Linebaugh, died in 1884 and three children died in infancy. Twenty-one grandchildren, eighteen great grandchildren, two sisters and one brother, Mesdames Mary and Sarah Keller and Marion White, of this county, also are living. Deceased had lived in this county for many years and during his long residence here had won the high regard of all with whom he had come in contact. His many sterling traits of character are worthy of emulation. His passing away has brought sadness to the hearts of many friends, who will extend profound sympathy to the sorrowing children and other relatives who survive.

Note: Although the obituary states that eight children survived, the obituary lists the names of only seven.

AT RAGTOWN CEMETERY: MARY A. WHITE

Mary A. (Bowen) White, wife of James W., is buried with her father-in-law and mother-in-law, John and Massilva White, on a lot in the extreme southeast corner of Ragtown Cemetery, some two miles southeast of Salem, where the inscription on her tombstone reads as follows:

MARY A.
Wife of
J.W. WHITE
died
Nov. 26, 1881
AE. 49y. 9m. 20d.

Although their graves are unmarked it seems likely that some or all of the three White children who died as infants are buried here as well, perhaps filling the lot. That may explain at least in part why James W. White was buried at Salem rather than at Ragtown, near his wife.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 28: Wm. Keller, Owner

2008-10-04T06:45:00.001-07:00

Seven members of the family of William M. and Mary A. (White) Keller are buried on Lot No. 28. These inscriptions were transcribed from south to north. Mary Ann (White) Keller was a sister of James W. and Tobias G. White, buried in Lot No. 27, Paris M. White, buried in Lot No. 26, and William Marion White, buried in Lot No. 9.

KELLER
William M.
Sep. 17, 1833
Apr. 30, 1911
Mary A., His Wife
Jan. 20, 1837
Jan. 22, 1924

OBITUARY: WILLIAM KELLER
Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection

William Keller died at his home in Benton township on Tuesday, May 2d, 1911 (sic), at the age of 72 years, 7 months and 15 days, after an illness with a complication of diseases. Funeral services, conducted by Rev. Geo. W. Woods, of Russell, were held at the Salem church yesterday afternoon at two o'clock, after which interment took place in the Salem cemetery.

William Keller was born in Bartholomew county, Indiana, on September 17, 1833. On Feb. 22, 1862, he was united in marriage to Mary A. White. To them eight children were born, six of whom are living. Mr. Keller has resided in Benton township for many years and was one of Lucas county's most respected citizens. He had a large circle of friends who will learn of his death with sorrow and who will extend .... (clipping ends)

OBITUARY: MARY ANN (WHITE) KELLER
Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection

Mary A. White, daughter of John and Sylvia White, was born January 20, 1837, in Monroe county, Indiana, near Bloomington, and departed this life at her home near Chariton on January 22, 1924, at the age of 87 years and 2 days. She with her parents came to Iowa in 1856, and settled in Lucas County where she has ever since resided. On Feb. 22, 1862, she was united in marriage to Wm. M. Keller, who departed this life on May 2, 1911. To this union were born eight children, six of whom are still living. They are John A., of Santa Rosa, California; Amos E., of Willits, Calif; Marion A., of Burley, Idaho; Mrs. P.J. Fricktel, of Hayden, Colo.; Luther L. and Henry E., of Chariton. A daughter, Lila, died in 1893 in her twenty-seventh year and one child died in infancy. Besides her children she leaves 24 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She was the last of a family of eight children, four brothers and three sisters.

Mrs. Keller had been in her usual health until Jan. 13, when she was taken suddenly ill with pneumonia. Deceased had lived in this county for many years and during her long residence here had won the high regard of all with whom she had come in contact. Her passing away has brought sadness to the hearts of many friends who will extend profound sympathy to the hearts of the sorrowing children and other relatives who survive. Funeral services were held at Salem church on Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Frank Bean of Chariton, and interment took place in Salem cemetery.

Note 1: Lucas County marriage records show that William N. (sic) Keller, no age given, and Mary A. White, no age given, were married on 21 February 1861 rather than 22 February 1862.

Note 2: William M. Keller's tombstone inscription reads as follows: KELLER, William M., Sept. 17, 1833 - Apr. 30, 1911, providing a death date at odds with the date May 2, 1911, given both in his obituary and that of Mary. Lucas County death records affirm a 30 April 1911 date of death, so it seems likely a mistake made in William's obituary was carried forward and included in Mary Ann's obituary by those who referred to his when preparing hers.

LILA E.
Dau of W.M. & M.A.
KELLER
April 11, 1867
April 12, 1893

MARION A.
KELLER
1864-1932

IDAHO RANCHER MURDER VICTIM
Brief Wire Tells Relatives Here of Marion Keller's Death on Ranch

Marion Keller, 67, rancher, was murdered at his home near Burley, Idaho, according to a telegram received here by relatives. No other details concerning the crime have been received.

The wire was sent to Luther Keller, a brother who lives southeast of Chariton. Another brother, H. E. Keller, is in the Lucas county jail awaiting trial on an arson charge.

Marion Keller lived allone on his ranch. He was born and spent his youth in Chariton, but left here many years ago. (The Chariton Leader, 21 February 1932)

OBITUARY: MARION A. KELLER

The body of Marion A. Keller, former Lucas county resident, who was murdered at his home in Burley, Idaho, on Friday, February 17, was brought to Chariton and taken to the Beardsley Funeral Home where funeral services, conducted by Rev. O.W. Morrow, of the M.E. church, were held on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Music was furnished by Mrs. E.F. Gasser and Mrs. George Hunter, and Mrs. Robt. Lewis presided at the piano. Burial took place in the Salem cemetery.

Marion A. Keller, son of William M. and Mary A. Keller, was born in Benton township, Lucas county, Iowa, on November 30, 1864, and at the time of his death had reached the age of 68 years, 2 months and 18 days. He grew to manhood in Benton township, and at the age of about twenty-three years went to Gering, Nebraska, where he homesteaded and lived for a number of years. He then located on a farm near Burley, Idaho, where he lived until he met a tragic death.

He is survived by four brothers, Luther L. and Ellsworth, of Chariton, Iowa; John A. and Amos E., of Santa Rosa, California; and one sister, Mrs. P.J. Friehtel of Hayden, Nebraska. He was preceded in death by his father and mother and by two sisters. (The Chariton Herald Patriot, 28 February 1932)

KILLER WILL BE TAKEN BACK TO STATE ASYLUM
Adjudged Insane After Murder of Landlord Farmer

BURLEY, Idaho, April 19 (1933) --- (AP) Adjudged insane by a district court jury, Theodore Wahlstrom, 26, who confessed to the slaying to Marion L. Keller, 50, Burley Farmer, last February 18 because he held a grudge against him, will be returned soon to the Blackfoot insantasylum from which he was released in 1927 after a year there.

The jury verdict was returned yesterday after two hours deliberation following atrial to determine his sanity. He was defended by T. Bailey Lee, former state supreme court justice, who was appointed by District Judge A.B. Barclay to represent him.

Wahlstrom was arrested two days after the body of the farmer was found in the farmhouse where he lived alone. P.D. Page, Cassia county sheriff, said Wahlstrom at that time confessed the slaying and said he had borne a grudge against Keller since the latter allegedly struck Wahlstrom with a pitchfork during and argument the previous summer.

Wahlstrom lived with his parents, who were tenants on Keller’s farm. (Undated clipping, files of Frank D. Myers)

KELLER
Jessie M.
1875-1949
Luther L.
1871-1958

CARL A. KELLER
Sept. 25, 1898
Dec. 7, 1981

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 29: Jacob Becker, Owner

2008-10-04T06:44:00.002-07:00

There are seven marked graves on the Jacob Becker lot, those of Jacob and his wife, Catherine M.; their son Henry Becker, who died as a young man; their son Peter and his wife, Catherine W. (Schreck) Becker; and two children of Peter and Catherine, Ralph John, who died in infancy, and Carrie Becker Ellis. The inscriptions here were read from north to south.

+++

Ralph John Becker's small stone contains no information other than the word "INFANT" carved into its top. Lucas County newspaper records show that Ralph John was born and died on 19 March 1915.

DEATH NOTICE: RALPH JOHN BECKER
The Chariton Patriot, 25 March 1915

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Becker, of Benton township, are mourning the loss of their infant son, Ralph John, born to them Friday, March 19th and who passed away the same day. The hearts that were full of happy anticipation are now filled with sorrow. Short services were held at Salem church Sunday morning and interment was made in the Salem cemetery. Many relatives and friends extend sympathy to Mr. and Mrs. Becker and family.

+++

CARRIE BECKER
ELLIS
Nov. 3, 1901
June 2, 1981

OBITUARY: CARRIE (BECKER/PATTERSON) ELLIS
Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection

Carrie Emma Ellis, daughter of Peter and Catherine Schreck Becker, was born on Nov. 3, 1901 and passed away at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines on June 2, 1981, where she had been a patient for the past month following a heart attack and a stroke.

Carrie was united in marriage to Creed L. Patterson on Oct. 10, 1920. To this union two sons were born, Richard L. and Lester L. Patterson.

Surviving are one son, Lester, and wife Betty of Des Moines; one daughter-in-law, Mildred Patterson Brabst of Panora; three grandsons, Larry, Robert and Steven Patterson, all of Des Moines; one granddaughter, Patti Park of Las Vegas, Nev.; four great-grandchildren, Laura Jean and Shawn Patterson of Des Moines, and Tim and Chris Park of Las Vegas; a sister, Mrs. Marie Langford of Indianola; a brother, Herbert Becker of Shelby; and a host of other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, her husband Evan and one son, Richard, in World War II.

Carrie spent most of her life in Lucas county. The last two years were spent in Polk and Warren counties.

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 6, 1981, at the Fielding Funeral Home with the Rev. Ronald Stein conducting. Burial was in the Salem Cemetery.

+++

A single stone marks the graves of Peter Becker, buried to its south, and Catherine W., buried to its north. The location of Peter's grave is shown by a small headstone inscribed "Father." There is no similar stone for Catherine.

BECKER
PETER
1866-1919
CATHERINE W., His Wife
1875-1951

DEATH NOTICE: PETER BECKER
The Chariton Leader, 6 June 1919

Peter Becker, of Benton township, died quite suddenly on Monday afternoon of what the physicians pronounced hardening of the arteries. He took suddenly ill and expired within the course of a couple of hours, last Monday, after suffering intensely. The funeral was held at the Salem church on Wednesday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Mr. Becker's father and mother died suddenly, years ago, which is
somewhat of a coincidence. His mother was on her way to Chariton when she expired. Mr. Becker leaves a wife and grown family of children. Thus it is that we record the departure of another good citizen."

OBITUARY: PETER BECKER
The Chariton Leader, 12 June 1919

Peter Becker, son of Jacob and Katharine Becker, was born in Florence township, Stephenson county, Illinois, April 19, 1866. When about two years of age he, with his parents, moved to a farm near Russell, Iowa., in Benton Township, Lucas county. This place has since been his home. Here he died at 5:30 p.m. on June 2, 1919, at the age of 53 years, 1 month and 14 days. He was in failing health for several months before his death, but never confined to the house for any length of time and was out about the farm until about three hours before his death, when he was suddenly seized with heart trouble. All that loving hands could do was done for his relief but to no avail. He passed away after intense suffering.

He was married to Katharine Schreck, June 27, 1897. Five children were born to this union --- Mrs. E.H. Fuller, of near Woodburn, Iowa; Marie, Carrie and Herbert, at home, and Ralph, who died in infancy. His father and mother, one brother, Henry, and one sister, Mrs. Mary Lane, also preceded him in death.

Besides his wife and four children he is survived by three brothers, Jacob of HIghmore, S.D., Phillips of Florida, Rhinehart of near Bethlehem, Iowa, and one sister, Mrs. Lizzie Long of Corydon, Iowa, besides other relatives and friends.

In 1910 Mr. (Becker) and family united with the Russell M.E. church, of which he was a member at the time of his death. He was a man of cheerful temperament, inclined to look on the bright side of life and will be greatly missed by those with whom he was closely associated.

Funeral services were held at the Salem M.E. church, Wednesday, June 4th, at 3:00 o'clock, G.W. Koser, pastor, officiating. Interment was in the Salem cemetery."

+++

The graves of Catherine M. and Jacob Becker are marked by a single stone. Catherine's inscription appears on the stone's north face; Jacob's, on its south.

CATHERINE M.
BECKER
Born in
Germany
Feb. 23, 1836
Died in Lucas Co.
Dec. 8, 1897

I AM
THE LIFE
JACOB BECKER
Born
in
Germany
Jun. 16, 1825
Died in Lucas Co.
Oct. 23, 1893

+++

Henry Becker's tombstone, located at the extreme south end of the lot, is the oldest stone upon it. I have been unable to find any account of his death.

HENRY
Son of
J. & C. BECKER
DIED
NOV. 6, 1876
AGED
23 Ys, 7 Ms
13 Ds

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 30: M. L. Evans, Owner

2008-10-04T06:44:00.001-07:00

Lot No.30 is the burial place of the Rev. Marcus L. Evans, a pioneer Methodist preacher, and Elizabeth (Hetser) Evans, his wife. The Evans and their three eldest children arrived in Lucas County from Indiana in 1856 and settled three miles south of Russell in Section 7 of Washington Township. At that time, there was no Russell, however --- it was not planted until 1866 after the route of the new rail line through southern Iowa had been determined. Nor was there a Methodist Church. So it seems likely the Rev. Mr. Evans preached on a circuit that may have included what became the Salem congregation. When he was killed in a railroad accident in 1875, he was buried in the Salem churchyard and his wife was buried beside him in 1892. Their children who remained in Lucas County are buried in the Russell Cemetery, so Marcus and Elizabeth apparently are the only occupants of the family lot at Salem.

The Evans graves are marked by a large white marble stone flanked closely by headstones inscribed "Mother" on the north and "Father" on the south. Four short concrete posts outline the two graves and may have supported a chain originally. The inscriptons on the stone read as follows, Elizabeth's on the north face and Marcus's on the south face:

At home with God
Sacred to the memory of
ELIZABETH
Wife of Rev. M.L. Evans
DIED
Aug. 14, 1892
AGED
65Ys, 2M, 27Ds
I know that my Redeemer liveth

Being dead yet speaketh,
Prepare to meet thy God
Sacred to the memory of
Rev. MARCUS L.
Husband of
ELIZABETH EVANS
DIED
June 17, 1875
AGED 52Ys, 7Ms, 5Ds
Blessed are the pure in heart
for they shall see God

While a substantial and informative obituary exists for Elizabeth Evans, none has been found for Marcus. Details of his death and burial, however, are incorporated into the long report of the collision of trains in Chariton on June 16, 1875, that killed five people, including the Rev. Mr. Evans.

The Evans children are not named in either account. They were Wilber Wesley Evans (m. Nancy Ann Wiltsey), Marcus Asbury Evans (m. Eliza Caroline Werts), Thomas M. Evans, Olin Hetser Evans, Sarah Margaret Evans (m. Francis M. Thompson), Jason Lee Evans, Mary Matilda Evans and Alice A. Evans.

OBITUARY: ELIZABETH (HETSER) EVANS
Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection

Mrs. Elizabeth Evans, nee Hetser, was born in Adams Co., Penn., May 17th A.D. 1827, and died at her home near Russell, Iowa, Aug. 14th A.D. 1892. She was therefore 65 years, 2 months and 27 days old. Her childhood days were spent in her native state. When about 17 years old with her parents she removed to Owen Co., Indiana.

She was married to Rev. M.L. Evans Jan. 24th, 1850. To this union were born eight children, five sons and three daughters. The husband preceded her to the spirit world. The children all remain to find comfort in the thought that their irreparable loss is her infinite gain.

On the 8th of May 1856 after a 600 mile journey with an ox team, she with her husband and three little children pitched their tent on the present homestead. Early in life she gave her heart to God and in the new home on the wild prairie the family altar was not neglected but from it daily incense arose. Seeking the temporal interests of her family she never forgot their spiritual wants. In the home, the Sunday School, the church and everywhere she sought, first the soul's welfare believing that bodily welfare must follow. Through toil and suffering, through dangers seen and unseen, she was permitted to labor with her husband in the vineyard of the Lord until June 1875, when he who had been her earthly support and comfort was suddenly called away in a R.R. accident. In that sad hour she bowed in submission to the divine will, and took upon herself the double duties of the homestead. She constantly labored to enlist all her children in the service of the Lord early in life. She not only lived to hear them all confess Christ in their youth, but to see two of them enter the ministry. In her declining days she received the most tender care from hearts whose affection and devotion were inspired by Christian love.

Whenever she was able it was her custom upon the holy sabbath to enter the sacred sanctuary and join in prayer and praise to God. Since she was so long deprived of this sacred privilege how fitting it was that on Sabbath morning while the children of God were entering the sacred sanctuary that one so weary should in Jesus' name enter the rest that remaineth to the people of God and join with the congregation whose praises shall never cease and whose sabbath shall know no end.

The funeral services of Mrs. Elizabeth Evans were held on Monday afternoon, Aug. 15. A very large number of friends gathered from the immediate neighborhood and from a distance to follow the sacred remains from the homestead to the Salem church and cemetery. At the church the 91st Psalm was read and prayer was offered by Rev. Geo. McNeeley. A brief history of her life was presented after which Rev. T.M. Evans spoke as only a son could speak of the events and scenes in the life of his mother and preached from the words, "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write, Blessed are the dead which died in the Lord from henceforth; Yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them." Rev. 14, -13. The very earnest and impressive words of the speaker will never be forgotten by those who heard them. No words can portray the character of the saintly woman whose place can never be filled. Nor can language describe the beautiful and tender devotion existing between the mother and her children.

The following lengthy account is taken from The Chariton Patriot of 23 June 1875. It incpororates the text of an "extra" edition of The Patriot published on 17 June 1875, but now lost.

A Night of Death!
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT!
On C.B. & Q. R.R.
A Freight Train Runs into another at Chariton
SCENE OF HORROR
Thunder! Lightning! Wind! Rain! Death!
Five Persons Killed and Eight Seriously Wounded
A Leap for Life - Narrow Escapes! &c., &c.
From the Patriot Extra of June 17th)

A terrible accident occurred last night between 11 and 12 o'clock near the C.B. & Q. depot, in Chariton, wherein five persons were killed, and eight others very seriously injured, two or three dangerously.

Two freight trains due here at 9:45 were about two hours late. The leading train, known as Sec. 2 of No. 12, had stopped to coal just at the beginning of the heavy wind and thunder storm that commenced just before midnight. The train that followed --- Sec. 3 of No. 12 --- approached the standing train, urged forward by the strong wind. The red signal lights were seen by the engineer and fireman of the incoming train, and the whistle sounded for "down brakes." The brake was applied on the locomotive tender, and the engine reversed, but of no avail. The sweeping wind, and driving rain, rendered it seemingly impossible to prevent the collision. The fireman, Lewis, jumped just before the engine struck the caboose, violently striking the ground, severely bruising his face and shoulder. The engineer, Nelson Best, of Ottumwa, remained at his post and was but slightly injured.

LIST OF KILLED AND INJURED

The following is a correct list of the killed and injured:

J.J. Echert, of Council Bluffs, killed. He was a freight conductor on the Chicago & Northwestern R.R. His body was found on top of the locomotive. His head and face were mangled horribly, pieces of skull and brain being found scattered along the track.

Irwin Severn, a stock man and resident of Illinois City, Ill., killed. His body was badly bruised.

J.W. Houston, of Maryville, Mo., killed. He was a stock man.

Also one unknown man, supposed to be from Bridgewater, Mo., was killed. His face and upper part of the body were frightfully discolored.

Martiin Rhine, a stock man of Falls City, Neb., seriously but not dangerously bruised.

David Woods, of Kenzers, Lancaster County, Penn., dangerously injured in upper portion of the spine. His whole body, except the head, completely paralyzed. Seemingly comfortable when seen by reporter, Woods was an uncle of Prof. Perry, of this place.

James Dick, who lives on the Fulkerson farm, a few miles south of Russell, bruised inwardly but not seriously. He is an uncle of Prof. Sim(p)son, of this place.

W.J. Mendenhall, of Quitman, Nodaway county, Mo. Severe scalp wound and otherwise bruised.

G.W. Cooper, Mo., feet and head severely bruised; thinks he escaped very fortunately; was awake at the time, and saw the car door open, and heard the shrieks of horror from passengers, and then knew nothing more until he became conscious, lying on the ground where he had been removed.

N.J. Allen, Lenox, Iowa, seriously injured in spine and back and somewhat paralyzed.

F.P. Lewis, of Creston, Fireman on incoming train, severely bruised on head and shoulders.

Nelson Best, of Ottumwa, engineer, slightly bruised.

Marcus L. Evans, an old and respected citizen of this county, who has lived a few miles south of Russell for near 20 years and who is well known throughout the county, was so injured that he died at the Chariton House about 9 o'clock this morning. He was returning from a Methodist meeting of some sort at Osceola, and took the freight in preference to the night express, simply because the latter does not stop at Russell. We called at the Chariton House just in time to see him breathe his last breath, and hear the wailings of his wife and some other members of the family, who had arrived.

The greatest damage, as might be expected, was done to the rear cars of the standing train, but the front of the engine of the incoming train was badly smashed, and the terrible force of the collision was strikingly shown by the breaking of the large bars of iron, two inches in diameter, supporting the cow catcher. The engine passed under the caboose car, containing the passengers, and the mangling of human bodies was occasioned by the next car, which was loaded with hogs, in front of the caboose, which passed entirely through or over it, crushing it to splinters.

NARROW ESCAPES

Prof. J.B. Ferguson, was on the train returning from Osceola, and accidentally stepped to the rear platform of the car just in time to make a leap for life over the fence, running close by the track, and enclosing the reservoir. His feet had barely left the platform when the terrible crash came, and he owes his narrow escape from a terrible death to the impulse that prompted him to open the
door. Rev. H.H. O'Neal of this place, also Rev. Bartholemew of Corydon, bro. of the Col. of this place, and Rev. Austin of Russell who were at Osceola, all went to the depot to take this train, but after a parley decided to wait for the express, which would soon be due, and thus escaped the terrors of the collision.

On the whole, this was one of the most dreadful accidents that has ever occurred on the B. & M. and altogether, the worst that ever shocked our town. And nothing more was needed to convince any one of the horrors of a railroad disaster, than a walk among the dead and mangled victims of this accident. At 9 A.M., the time of our visit, the four who were killed outright, were lying in the depot building and the Coroner was preparing to hold an inquest, and take evidence concerning the casualty.

T.J. Potter, Superintendent, J.W. Backworth, road master and Dr. Ranson, reached here on a special train at 9 o'clock this morning.

Nearly all the killed and wounded were in bunks, and most of them stock men, and asleep at the time. Part of the injured are quartered at the Clinton and part at the Sherman House, and all are receiving the very best of attention from local physicians, and those in the employ of the company.

We are not prepared to speak definitively in regard to the question of carelessness as contributing to the accident, but as we get the facts nothing appears to justify any (illegible) any of the employees of the company. Whether the raging of the storm and high wind will fully exonerate them remains yet to be determined. But the storm was terrible, as was evidenced by the fact of a freight car being driven from about the depot here, with brakes down, almost to Russell, about the same time the accident occurred.

THE DISASTER

On the first page of this paper will be found a copy of our extra published on the morning after the recent railroad disaster at this place, giving a full account of the calamity. And we simply add the following items of additional interest in regard to the killed, injured, &c.

Coroner Millan impaneled a jury composed of Messrs. H.H. Day, S.H. Mallory and W.L. Alexander, who, after an investigation, decided no blame was attached to the employees of the company for the accident.

The company took charge of the dead bodies and after providing coffins for them, sent them to their friends at different points.

Messrs. Martin Rhine and David Woods, two of the injured, are still at the Sherman House and doing well, and each have relatives with them and good care. Mr. Woods was not expected to survive the injury to his spine, but we are glad to learn that there is a prospect for his recovery. James Dick has returned to his home near Russell, while Messrs. Mendenhall, Allen and Cooper, who were at the Clinton House, were all sent home on Monday, of this week. They were each doing reasonably well. We called on Messrs. Mendenhall and Cooper, at their request, and they wished that we should mention especially their physicians, Messrs. Heed & Baird, as having been unusually attentive and kind to them, and we think that as much could be said of all in any way engaged in waiting on the various unfortunate strangers, who were left temporarily in the care of our people.

Mr. Marcus L. Evans, of this county, was taken to Russell on a special train soon after his death, and buried at the Salem Cemetery in Benton tp. on Friday, an unusually large procession of his friends and neighbors following him to his grave. He was in comfortable circumstances and leaves a wife and eleven (actually eight) children.

By this accident the B. & M. accounts for the first passengers ever killed upon its road. This speaks well for the safety and management of the great trunk line of the West, over which hundreds of thousands of people have traveled. Employees have been killed, but never before a passenger.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 31: Daniel Ragsdale, Owner

2008-10-04T06:43:00.002-07:00

Although Daniel Ragsdale purchased Salem Cemetery Lot No. 31 from the Salem Chapel M.E. Church trustees on 20 January 1875 (Lucas County Deed Book T, Page 568), John and Margaret Houston, father and sister of his third wife, Sarah (Houston) Ragsdale, had been buried at the north end of the lot years earlier. In addition, Daniel had buried his second wife and two infants on the lot in the 1860s. So there certainly is some question here about why Daniel felt obliged to purchase property that he and his third and final wife, Sarah, obviously believed they were entitled to use.

Margaret Houston's stone at the far north end of the lot is one of the oldest in the cemetery, remains upright and is in remarkably good condition. The inscription has eroded, however, which makes deciphering it difficult.

MARGARET HOUSTON
Daughter
of
John and Elizabeth
HOUSTON
Born March 6, 1831
Died May 4, 1857

Note that the "6" in Margaret's date of birth is virtually unreadable. However, both the transcriber of Salem inscriptions for the Lucas County cemeteries book, published in 1981 by the Lucas County Genealogical Society, and I read it as "6." Note, too, that the cemeteries book mistakenly gives Margaret's date of death as May 4, 1877. The correct year is 1857.

John Houston's stone, immediately south of his daughter's, also is upright and in remarkably good condition. The inscription on it reads:

JOHN HOUSTON
BORN
Jan. 26, 1801
DIED
Aug. 9, 1862
+++

Approximately 16 feet intervene between John's tombstone and that of his grandson, Edward C. Ragsdale. The lettering on Edward's stone, gray granite with a slanted top, is raised and that makes it somewhat difficult to read unless the sun is in a favorable position.

EDWARD C., SON OF
DANIEL & SARAH J.
RAGSDALE
BORN JULY 14, 1868
CAME TO HIS DEATH
JAN. 31, 1903, WHILE
PERFORMING HIS DUTIES
AS RAILWAY ENGINEER

Edward Ragsdale was the younger of two children produced by Daniel Ragsdale and his third wife, Sarah J. (Houston) Ragsdale. The elder was Ellen Belle, born 22 January 1867. The following obituary was transcribed from an undated clipping in the Lucas County Genealogical Society collection.

ED. RAGSDALE KILLED
His Engine Goes Through Open Switch - Was Burned to Death.

Edward C. Ragsdale, of Kansas City, and formerly of Chariton, was killed in a wreck at Dana, Kansas Sunday. Brief funeral services were held in Kansas City in the Second Presbyterian church Tuesday afternoon and the remains were brought to Chariton Wednesday. Funeral services were held in the Presbyterian church and interment was made in Salem cemetery conducted by the Knights of Pythias of Chariton.

Attending the funeral from a distance were J.W. Ragsdale, Tien Tsin, China; G. H. Ragsdale, Des Moines; A.S. Ragsdale, Denver; Wm. Ragsdale, Smith Center, Kansas; Miss Belle Ragsdale, Kansas City; Mrs. Ellen LeCompte, Des Moines.

Edward Ragsdale was an engineer on the St. Louis & San Francisco railroad and the cause of his tragic death was the plunging of his engine through an open switch supposed to have been defective. The engine was wrecked and the unfortunate engineer, buried beneath, burned to death.

Edward C. Ragsdale was born in Benton township, Lucas county, July 14, 1868. He lived in this county until eleven years ago when he moved with his sister to Kansas City. The news of his tragic taking-off was received with shock by his many friends in Chariton. To the sister who is left alone, the sympathy of the community is sincerely offered. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

+++

The next tombstone on Lot No. 31 is a small double-width marble marker commemorating two infant children of Daniel Ragsdale and his second wife, Cyntha Ann (Baldwin) Ragsdale. Daniel and Cyntha had three children. Of them, only Aaron Scott Ragsdale, born 26 October 1881, survived. Sadly, he died as a young man in Sacramento, Calif.

INFANT
Son
Died Dec. 1, 1863

MARY A.
Died
Sept. 1, 1860
Aged 8m.

Children of C.A. & D. Ragsdale

The death date of the infant son could be read either as Dec. 1, 1863, as I did, or as Dec. 1, 1865, as the Lucas County cemeteries book transcriber did. If 1865 were the correct year, however, death would have occurred nearly a year after the death of the little boy's mother and it seems unlikely that he would have remained without a name that long. So I think 1863 is more likely and that the child died at or soon after birth.

The final tombstone on the lot, marking the graves of Daniel and his two wives who died in Lucas County, is a tall white marble affair that has fallen from its base obscuring the inscriptions of Daniel and Sarah. Only the inscription of Cyntha Ann is visible. The stone is flanked by two headstones, each with "MOTHER" carved in block letters across its top. Daniel apparently is buried behind the stone; Cyntha and Sarah, on either side. I have relied on the Lucas County cemeteries book for the now-concealed inscriptions commemorating Daniel and Sarah.

SARAH J.
Wife of
D. RAGSDALE
Died
Nov. 10, 1896
Aged 71Y, 11M, 19D

DANIEL
RAGSDALE
Died
May 2, 1888
Aged 76Y, 7M, 18D

CYNTHA ANN
Wife of
D. RAGSDALE
Died
Jan. 31, 1865
Aged
38Y, 1M, 18D

The following death notice for Daniel was published on 3 May 1888 in The Chariton Herald. No further mention of his death was found in The Herald and issues of both The Chariton Leader and The Chariton Democrat that probably did contain more complete obituaries are missing.

DIED: Mr. Daniel Ragsdale, an old and respected citizen of Benton Tp. had a stroke of paralysis on last Sunday morning. A few hours after congestion of the brain set in, and he died last evening at 10 o'clock. The bereaved family have our deepest sympthy in this dark hour of sorrow.

Daniel, reportedly a son of Thomas Ragsdale, was born about 14 September 1811 in Indiana and married first Elizabeth H. Lindsey, daughter of William and Nancy (McCormick) Lindsey, on 7 December 1837 at Spencer in Owen County, Indiana.

Daniel and Elizabeth had six children, William Robert, John Scudder, Thomas Newton, George Houts, James Wilson and Nancy Frances. The first five children were born in Indiana, but Nancy was born 13 August 1852 in Van Buren County, Iowa, where the family resettled just before 1850. Elizabeth (Lindsey) Ragsdale died 12 March 1855 in Van Buren County and is buried in Miller Chapel Cemetery there.

Soon thereafter Daniel and his younger children moved a few counties west to Benton Township, Lucas County, where they settled on a farm along the east side of the New York Road about a mile south of Salem Cemetery, a farm that stretched south to the Chariton River.

Daniel married Cyntha Ann Baldwin 17 April 1859 in Lucas County and they had three children, Mary A., Aaron Scott and an unnamed infant son, before her death on 31 January 1865. Of the three children, only Aaron Scott Ragsdale survived.

On 22 March 1866, Daniel married Sarah J. Houston and they had two children, Ellen Belle, born 22 January 1867; and Edward C., born 14 July 1868.

Of all Daniel's children, Ellen Belle lived longest. She returned to Lucas County from Kansas City to live following the death of her brother, Edward, and on 19 January 1910 married as his second wife the widower George F. Carpenter. Belle died during January of 1963 and is buried with George and his family in the Chariton Cemetery.

The first of the following two obituaries for Sarah J. (Houston) Ragsdale, neither of which is especially informative, was transcribed from a clipping dated "1896" in the Lucas County Genealogical Society collection. The second obituary was pulished in The Chariton Patriot of 12 November 1896.

MRS. SARAH RAGSDALE

The saddest experience which it is a man's lot to suffer weighs with its burden of sorrow upon the hearts and lives of the children and friends of Mrs. Sarah Ragsdale whose soul was transported from home terrestrial to home celestial about the noon hour on Tuesday, November 10th, after suffering patiently for years from cancerous affection of the face. God willed that it be so. To those who knew her best Mother Ragsdale was the embodiment of motherhood,according to the highest purpose of the Creator, and as a neighbor and friend she was never appealed to in vain. Her companion preceded her to the world beyond several years.

Funeral services here held Wednesday afternoon at the home by Rev. Ormond, her pastor, and many friends gathered to pay the last tribute of respect. Her children were present at the funeral. In their sadness may they look to the Comforter who does not forsake, for sustaining power.

MRS SARAH RAGSDALE

DIED. At her home in Chariton, after a lingering illness, on Tuesday, November 10, 1896, Mrs. Sarah Ragsdale in the 65th year of her age. The funeral took place Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. from her late residence in this city. She was buried in the Salem cemetery where lies the body of her husband, Daniel Ragsdale, who died several years ago.

Mrs. Ragsdale was a sister of the late Samuel D. Huston (sic) of Benton township, and with her family was identified with the earliest settlers of Lucas county. She was a woman of great strength of character and was best loved by those who knew her
most intimately.

ABOUT ELLEN BELLE (RAGSDALE) CARPENTER

Although Belle is buried in the Chariton Cemetery with her husband, George F. Carpenter, I'm including her obituary here because it helps put into context several of the people who are buried at Salem.

Belle Ragsdale, daughter of Daniel and Sarah Ragsdale, was born on a farm in Benton township, Lucas county, Jan. 22, 1867. She attended the Salem rural school, finishing the eighth grade.

After her father's death May 2, 1888, she and her mother moved to Chariton. She learned the dress maker's trade, sewing for 50 cents a day.

Her mother passed away Nov. 10, 1896. She then spent two years in Des Moines with an aunt. In the spring of 1898 she went to Kansas City, Mo., where she and her only brother established a home. On Jan. 31, 1903, the brother lost his life in a railroad accident. He was an engineer. Thus the home was broken again. After a few months spent with a half-brother in Kansas and a half-sister in Oregon, she went to Des Moines and made her home with the aunt. She again did dressmaking; the compensation being $1 a day and her noon meal.

On Jan. 19, 1910, she was married to George F. Carpenter at the home of the aunt, and came to Chariton where she had since lived. Mr. Carpenter died Oct. 31, 1937.

In young womanhood she united with the Presbyterian church in Chariton, transferring membership to Kansas City when she went there. When coming to Chariton she united with the Methodist church of which Mr. Carpenter was an active member. She was active in the work of the church as long as health would permit.

She was the last member of her family. Her parents, brother, six half brothers and a half-sister preceded her in death.

The parents were early settlers of Benton Township who, coming from Indiana in 1850, taking a homestead and timber claim, built a log cabin and converted the prairie land into a farm.

Mrs. Carpenter was a member of the Eastern Star for 33 years.

She leaves several nieces and nephews living in various states, the nearest being Mrs. Jessie Chance and daughter, Eloise Boone and her children, Edward and Linda, of Des Moines; and the children of her late step-son, Ward Carpenter: Mrs. Robert (Gwen) Crozier, Chariton; Mrs. Virgil (Maudie) Smith, Russell; Mrs. Milton (Merle) Schott, Nemaha, and George J. Carpenter, Chariton. Others are 11 great-grandchildren and 18 great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, 1963, at the Beardsley-Fielding Funeral Home. The Rev. Paul C. Ellis officiated and interment was in the Chariton cemetery.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 32: S. S. Wagoner, Owner

2008-10-04T06:43:00.001-07:00

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 33: Jacob Myers, Owner

2008-10-04T06:42:00.001-07:00

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 33 contains four graves, those of my great-great-grandfather, Jacob Myers; great-great-grandmother, Harriet (Dick) Myers; great-grandfather, Daniel Myers; and great-grandmother, Mary Belle (Redlingshafer) Myers. The balance of the lot was intended for my grandparents, Irwin and Ethel (Dent) Myers, but because the Jacob Myers monument rather carelessly consumes a great deal of space they went looking for another that could accommodate more family members and alighted upon the last available open lot in the original Salem plat. As a result, there still is room here for two or three burials.

The Jacob Myers stone, a white marble affair topped by an urn, is the largest tombstone in the cemetery and a fairly good (although not especially elaborate) example of triumphalism. A smaller headstone inscribed "father" to the south of the main tombstone marks Jacob's grave. For some reason, however, his inscription is on the north rather than south face of the big tombstone, which may explain why Great-great-grandmother Harriet, buried to the north, has a separate stone of her own in a later style. The Jacob Myers inscription reads as follows:

JACOB H. MYERS
Died
May 27, 1883
AGED
71 YEARS, 10 m.
& 27 ds.

Inscribed on the west face below a recessed panel depicting clasped hands is the couplet:

"A faithful friend, a father dear,
lies buried here"

DEATH NOTICE: JACOB H. MYERS
The Chariton Democrat, 30 May 1883

DIED --- On Sunday evening, May 27th, 1883, Jacob Myers. The deceased was one of the old settlers of Lucas county, and was highly respected by all who knew him. About a year ago he suffered from an attack of that dread disease, paralysis, and it was feared that he would not recover. But his constitution asserted itself, and he slowely recovered, and was able to be about and attend to his business, although he was not by any means as vigorous as he was prior to the attack. But our citizens had grown accustomed to see him on the streets again.

He was in the city on Saturday, and appeared to be as well as usual. On Sunday afternoon he took a walk out over his farm and to all appearances was in good health and spirits. Soon afterwards he experienced something like a choking sensation in the throat, from which he never rallied. Dr. Simmons, his family physician, was immediately sent for, but before he reached the house, Uncle Jake, as he was familiarly known, was dead. He was a good citizen and his death will be mourned by a large number of relatives and friends.

OBITUARY: JACOB H. MYERS
The Chariton Patriot, 6 June 1883

MYERS --- At his home in Benton township, Sunday, May 27th, 1883, Jacob Myers, aged 72 years.

Mr. Myers was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., June 30th, 1811, and there grew to manhood. Possessed of powerful frame and vigorous health, with an indomitable will and restless energy, he early identified himself with the then great undertaking of connecting Philadelphia and Pittsburgh by canal and rail. He assisted in building the Portage railroad over the Allegheny mountains that formed a link in the system of transportation projected and owned by the state of Pennsylvania.

Afterwards, when the Pennsylvania Central railway was constructed, he took an active part in the great work, and there laid the foundation of a substantial fortune. Coming to Iowa about seventeen years ago he bought and settled on a large farm in Benton township, where he resided until the time of his death.

He was well known and highly respected; a man of great positiveness of character, he was always kind and forbearing to his friends. When the law reducing the number of supervisors to three went into effect in 1879, he was elected a member of the board. His services were valuable to the county and marked by good judgement and strong good sense.

He became interested in mining operations, making three trips to Arizona when nearly seventy years old, and serving as superintendent of the consolidated Papago Chief Mining Co.

He leaves a fine estate, the result of a life of industry, good business management and great economy. He was a central character of the community where he lived, and few will be more missed than our good friend, kind neighbor and excellent citizen.

+++

Notes: Jacob Myers is one of those ancestors I'd like to know more about, but unfortunately a turn-of-the-century fire triggered by a grandson who set off a firecracker inside the family home burned everything (the house reportedly contained a good deal of ammunition and some other explosives, so everyone more or less just backed off and let in burn). My great-aunt, Minnie (Myers) Johnson, remained disappointed into very old age, however, because she was sent to the fields to alert the men when the fire broke out, then made to stay in the field and tend the work horses while they all rushed to the house --- she really regretted missing the spectacle.

Partly because of that fire, I know little or nothing about Jacob's character (or for that matter what he looked like). His daughter-in-law, Great-grandmother Mary Belle (Redlingshafer) Myers, had the last word in conversations with her son, Raymond: "If any man ever deserved to go to hell, he did," she said of Jacob. I rather doubt she was qualified to determine that, since Mary Belle was shall we say a forceful character herself and was known to deeply resent that great amount of time and energy her husband, Daniel, devoted soon after their marriage to settling his father's estate, which in one case required a trek to the Iowa Supreme Court. If nothing else, Jacob must have been, however, an interesting character.

Although he worked as a contractor, building both canals and rail lines in Pennsylvania, he reportedly specialized in the construction of keystone arch bridges.

The Papago Chief Mining Co., mentioned in the obituary, was located south of Tucson, Ariz., and was not a great success --- although neither Jacob nor his business partner, Stephen Arnold of Chariton, seems to have suffered. The same cannot be said for friends and neighbors who invested in the company, so it is entirely possible that Jacob was not so universally admired at the time of his departure as the obituaries imply.

+++

Harriet (Dick) Myers was Jacob Myers's second wife. We know only that his first wife's surname was Snow and that, if family stories are accurate, she died after 1838 but before 1840 of drowning in a canal near the Myers home in St. Clair Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, as some of her children looked on. She was the mother of the eldest Myers children, Sarah A. (Myers) Houck, Abraham (or Abram) Snow Myers and George Myers (who died young).

Jacob and Harriet had ten children, two of whom died young, after their 1842 marriage. The eight survivors were Elizabeth Adella (Myers) Simpson, Susan Harriet (Myers) Hickle, Phoebe (Myers) Gookin, Mary (Myers) Gookin, Catherine (Myers) Parsons, Daniel Myers, Anna Clarissa (Myers) Dulin/Angell and Adalaide (Myers) Slattery/Scovel. Jacob and Harriet also raised a foster son, Ishmel (Worthword) Myers, whom they took from the Lucas County poor house during Jacob's tenure as county supervisor. Harriet outlived Jacob by more than 20 years. Her small pink granite tombstone is immediately north of his white marble extravaganza.

MOTHER
HARRIET
MYERS
Mar. 16, 1818
Feb. 16, 1906

OBITUARY: HARRIET (DICK) MYERS
The Chariton Herald Patriot, 22 February 1906

Mrs. Harriet Myers, nee Dick, was born at Brush Valley, Maryland (actually she probably was born in Brush Valley Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, although her family had come to there from Maryland), March 16, 1818, and died at her home in Benton township, Lucas County, Iowa, on February 16th (1906), aged 87 years and 11 months. She was one of a family of six children. One brother, James Dick, of McPherson, Kansas, survives her. With her parents she removed in youth to West Moreland (Westmoreland) County, Pa., residing there until 1842. At this time and place she was married to Jacob Myers, of East Florence (New Florence), Pa., where they resided until 1865, from whence they removed to Benton Township, Lucas County, Iowa, where they both resided until death. Her husband departed this life some years since.

To this union were born ten children. Two children died in infancy. One daughter, Mrs. Susan Hickle of Lincoln county, Kansas, passed away some four years since. One son and six daughters mourn the loss of a kind and loving mother. Those residing in Lucas county are Daniel Myers, Mrs. Phoebe Gookin, Mrs. Clark Gookin and Mrs. Catherine Parsons. Mrs. Elizabeth Simpson and Mrs. Adda Scovil are residents, the former of Montana, the latter of Idaho. Mrs. Anna Angle is also a resident of Montana. A son and daughter of her husband, by a former marriage, also survive her. They are Abram Myers of Allerton, Iowa, and Mrs. Sarah Houck of South Dakota. She leaves 52 grandchildren, 47 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild.

In early life she united with the Methodist church and during her illness she left bright hopes for the future. She was a loving wife and mother, a true and obliging neighbor, being loved by all who knew her. The funeral service was held on Monday conducted by the Rev. Charles Pickford.

+++

The graves of Daniel Myers and Mary Belle (Redlingshafer) Myers, his wife, are just north of his parents' graves. Mary Belle is a granddaughter of Doratha Redlingshafer, buried in Lot No. 4. Her parents, John G. and Isabelle (Greer) Redlingshafer, are buried in the Chariton Cemetery. Daniel's and Mary Belle's graves are marked by a single modest gray granite stone inscribed as follows:

MYERS
Mary B. (north inscription)
1859-1943
Daniel (south inscription)
1856-1933

OBITUARY: DANIEL MYERS
Mary Belle (Redlingshafer) Myers scrapbook

Daniel Myers was born in New Florence, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, on December 4, 1856, and departed this life at his home in Benton Township, southeast of Chariton, Iowa, on February 24, 1933, at the age of 76 years, 2 months and 19 days. Seven sisters and one brother have preceded him in death.

The early years of his life were spent in Pennsylvania, but at the age of 9,in 1865, he moved to Lucas county, Iowa, with his parents, and has resided in Benton township, of said county, ever since that date.

On October 27, 1880, he was united in marriage to Mary Belle Redlingshafer, and they were privileged to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary together, two years ago last October 27th. To this union seven children were born, all of whom are living today. They are Irwin Myers, Mrs. Carl Johnson, Mrs. Nelson Reynolds, Mrs. D.B. Ream, Raymond Myers, John J. Myers and Nolan D. Myers. All the children reside in Benton Township except Raymond, who lives in Ottumwa, Iowa.

During the winter of 1893 he joined the Mt. Carmel Evangelical church just east of his home and has been a member ever since, having at various times held the office of trustee and steward in his church.

Also, he played a very active and prominent part in both township and school district activities. He has held several township offices and has been treasurer of the school district for 30 years, and was held in high esteem by all who have dealt with him in the carrying on of his duties.

He has been in poor health since suffering a stroke of paralysis two years ago this coming March 10, and especially during the past year has gradually failed until his departure to that great eternity of the future, on the morning of February 24th.

He leaves to mourn their loss, his devoted wife; two sisters, Mrs. Elizabeth Simpson of Billings, Mont.; and Mrs. Addie Scovel, of Oregon; 7 children 21 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, and a great host of other relatives and friends.

After a short service at the house and a service at the Salem Methodist Church, the body was laid to rest in the Salem cemetery on Sunday afternoon, February 26. The officiating ministers were the Rev. Leslie Deedrick, pastor (of Mt. Carmel Church), and the Rev. W.C. McKinley, of Griswold, former pastor, who delivered the message. Music was furnished by Mrs. Will May, Mrs. Lloyd May and Argie Risbeck.

OBITUARY: MARY BELLE (REDLINGSHAFER) MYERS
Undated clipping, files of Frank D. Myers

Mary Belle Redlingshafer, daughter of John and Isabelle Redlingshafer, was born in Lucas County, Iowa, on March 14th, 1859, and departed this life on October 1st, 1943, at the age of 84 years, 6 months, and 15 days.

When seven years old she moved with her parents to Pennsylvania where they lived for a year, then returned to Lucas county where the remainder of her life was spent.

On October 27, 1880, she was united in marriage to Daniel Myers and they were privileged to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary together. Their entire married life was lived in the Mt. Carmel neighborhood. Mr. Myers preceded her in death in February 1933.

To this union seven children were born, all of whom are living. They are: Irwin Myers of Chariton, Mrs. Minnie Johnson and Mrs. Harriett Reynolds of Russell, Mrs. Daisy Ream of Chariton, Raymond Myers of Ottumwa, John Myers of Racine, Wisconsin, and Nolan Myers of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Early in life she accepted Christ as her savior and later became a member of the Mt. Carmel Evangelical Church where she was a loyal worker in the church and Sunday school as long as health permitted. She was a faithful wife, a kind and loving mother and a helpful neighbor, ministering to homes of the community in times of sickness and need.

Besides the children she is survived by 22 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, one brother, Greer Redlingshafer of Chariton, Iowa, and many other relatives and friends.

Largely attended funeral services were held Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Dunshee and Son Funeral Home in Chariton, conducted by the Rev. A.E. Beals of the Russell Baptist Church and interment was in the Salem Cemetery.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 34: John Hickle, Owner

2008-10-04T06:41:00.001-07:00

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 35: C. W. Houck, Owner

2008-10-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

Cora Houck, who died 27 March 1881 of scarlet fever, is buried in an unmarked grave in Salem Cemetery Lot No. 35, which to the uninformed eye seems to be vacant. The exact location of her grave on the lot is unknown. She is the only person buried on the lot. Cora was a daughter of Charles W. and Sarah (Myers) Houck and Lot No. 35 is one three purchased by children of Jacob Myers (buried in Lot No. 33) for the burial of young children then never used again. The others are Lot No. 34, John and Susan (Myers) Hickle; and Lot No. 48, James and Catherine (Myers) Parsons. Sarah was a daughter of Jacob by his first wife, whom we known only as "Miss Snow." The others were daughters of Jacob and Harriet (Dick) Myers. Here is a virtual tombstone inscription for Cora:

In Memory Of
CORA HOUCK
Daughter of Charles W. and Sarah Myers Houck
Died March 27, 1881
Aged 12 Years & 6 Months

The Charles W. Houck family was enumerated during two federal census years, 1870 and 1880, in Benton Township. During 1870, the Houcks were enumerated as follows:

Dwelling 78/Family No. 83
Houck, Charles, age 35, male, farmer, born Germany
Houck, Sarah, age 33, female, keeps house, born Pennsylvania
Houck, George, age 3, male, born Pennsylvania
Houck, Cora, age 2, female, born Pennsylvania
Houck, Elizabeth, age 9 months, born Pennsylvania

The Houcks were living immediately adjacent to Sarah's father and stepmother, Jacob and Harriet Myers, and such of their children who still were at home: Catherine, 18; Daniel, 15; Anne (sic), 12; Adaline (actually Adalaide), 6; and Abram, 32.

In 1880, the Houck family was enumerated in its permanent home, located in Section 27 of Benton Township. I can tell that by using an 1895 plat map and noting the names of their immediate neighbors, including Thomas and Phoebe (Myers) Gookin, Clarke and Mary (Myers) Gookin and John and Susan (Myers) Hickle. All of the women were Sarah's sisters. The entry reads as follows:

House No. 81/Family No. 84
Charles W. Houck, 45, farmer, born Germany, parents born in Germany
Sarah Houck, 43, born Pennsyvania, parents born Pennsyvania
George A. Houck, 12, born Pennsyvania, father Germany, mother Pennsylvania
Cora Houck, 11, born Pennsylvania, father Germany, mother Pennsylvania
Phebe E. Houck, 10, born Pennsylvania, father Germany, mother Pennsylvania
Jacob Houck, 8, born Iowa, father Germany, mother Pennslvania
Edward H. Houck, 5, born Iowa, father Germany, mother Pennsylvania.
Daniel M. Houck, 4, born Iowa, father Germany, mother Pennslvania
Charles J. Miller, 25, minister/boarder, born Ohio, parents Pennsylvania

The final reference to Cora is found in Lucas County Death Record 1, Page 7, which reads as follows: Death No. 82: Cora Houck, female, age 12 years, 6 months, born Pennsylvania, died March 27, 1881, in Benton Township of scarlet fever after an illness offour days. Buried March 27, 1881, Reported by C.B. Powell, Russell, Iowa, attending physician, March 30, 1881.

Charles W. and Sarah (Myers) Houck are seated at the front of this family portrait. Their children are (from left) Edward, Elizabeth, Daniel, George and Jacob.

THE HOUCK FAMILY

The Houcks were an interesting family who moved five years after Cora's death to South Dakota, where some family members still live. I prepared the following sketch of the family for the Lucas County Genealogical Society's 2000 volume, "Lucas County Heritage."

Kevin Costner would have had a more difficult time producing the popular film "Dances With Wolves" if it hadn't been for Sarah (Myers) Houck and her husband, Charles W., residents of Benton Township during the 1870s and 1880s.

Sarah, whose parents were Jacob Myers and his first wife, Miss Snow, was born May 27, 1836, near New Florence, Westmoreland County, Pa. Charles W. was born Oct. 23, 1834, near Esslingen, Wurtenburg, German, and emigrated to Westmoreland County, Pa., during 1849 or 1850. Shortly after he was discharged from Co. A, 54th Pennsylvania Infantry, at the close of the Civil War, George W. and Sarah were married. During 1870, they moved west to Benton Township, Lucas County, where Sarah's father and stepmother, Jacob and Harriet Myers, had settled four years earlier. Their home was along Lost Branch Creek, west of the former location of Brush College school.

The Houcks had six children, George A., Cora, Phoebe E. (Peck), Jacob R., Edward H. And Daniel M. Cora died in Lucas County March 27, 1881, age 12, and her unmarked grave is the only burial on the large Houck lot in Salem Cemetery.

During the fall of 1886, the family moved to Norfolk, Sully County, S.D., then during 1897, to Riverside Township, Potter County, S.D., and finally during 1907 Sarah and Charles retired to Gettysburg, S.D. Sarah died May 9, 1911, at their winter home in St. Cloud, Fla. Charles died Dec. 15, 1915, at Gettysburg. Both are buried in the Gettysburg Cemetery.

Their grandson, the late L. Roy Houck (at left, son of Jacob R. and Helena B. Hoerber Houck) became one of South Dakota's better-known native sons. A three-term state senator and two-term lieutenant governor, he pioneered raising buffalo as livestock and amassed the largest privately owned herd in the world at his Triple U Enterprises/Standing Butte Ranch 35 miles northwest of Fort Pierre.

The Houck ranch and its buffalo provided the setting for much of the film "Dances With Wolves" and Costner became a friend. Roy Houck died Nov. 2, 1992. His daughter, Kay Ingle, and other family members continue to operate Triple U Enterprises/Standing Butte Ranch.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 36: Wm. Schreck, Owner

2008-10-04T06:39:00.002-07:00

The family of John William and Williminea (often spelled Wilhelmina) Schreck is one of four at Salem founded by emigrants from Germany. The other families are those of Doratha Redlingshafer (Lot No. 4, whose husband, George, is buried at Guttenberg), Jacob and Catharine Becker (Lot No. 29) and George Risbeck (Lot No. 45; whose wife, Matilda J. Selders was a Pennsylvania native).

Although the Redlingshafers and Risbecks, who originated in Bavaria, were related in an obscure sort of way, the others were not --- until they arrived in Lucas County. Here, the Shrecks' daughter, Catharine, married the Beckers' son, Peter (also buried in Lot No. 29), and two of the Schreck children married into the extended Redlingshafer family via the Hupps and Rosas (Margaret Anna Redlingshafer, daughter of Doratha Redlingshafer, married Aaron Hupp; and Anna Margaret Redlingshafer, another of Doratha's daughters, married John Rosa). Paulena "Lena" Schreck married Jacob Hupp, son of Margaret and Aaron; and William P. Schreck married Anna Margaret Rosa, daughter of Anna Margaret and John. The Jacob Hupps are buried in the Russell Cemetery, however; and the William P. Schrecks, in Chariton.

All of these families arrived in the United States as Lutherans and as noted in their obituaries, John William and Williminea Schreck remained Lutheran. But living in Lucas County presented problems for German Lutherans because the only early Lutheran congregation in the county, now First Lutheran of Chariton, was founded by Swedes and conducted its services in the Swedish language, effectively eliminating Lutherans who spoke German and English but had no interest in learning a third language.

Most, although not all, of these early German Lutherans found a home within Benton Township's Otterbein United Brethren in Christ class (later congregation), part of a denomination organized during the last quarter of the 18th century in Pennsylvania by German Reformed preacher Philip William Otterbein and Mennonite Bishop Martin Boehm that was roomy enough in its theology to include varying viewpoints (its "liberal" wing later joined the Evangelical Association to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church which in the 20th century was swallowned by the Methodist Episcopal Church to form the United Methodists).

Thrifty Germans that they were, the Schrecks fully utilized their lot at Salem and nine family members are buried here, beginning at the south end with John William Schreck and continuing north as follows:

SCHRECK
JOHN W. SCHRECK
SEP. 21, 1828 - MAY 5, 1911
WILLIMINEA HIS WIFE
DEC. 28, 1833 - JUNE 25, 1915

OBITUARY: JOHN WILLIAM SCHRECK
Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection

John William Schreck was born in Saxon, Weimar, Germany, Sept. 21, 1828, and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Katie Becker, in Benton Township near Russell, Iowa, on May 5, 1911, at 8:00 p.m. aged 83 years, 7 months and 11 days. Death resulted from a complication of diseases.

Mr. Schreck served his father land three years in the Russia-Franco war. In 1851 he came to America and settled in Tazwell county, Illinois, where he was married on April 20, 1856, to Willimina Kestner. To this union were born 10 children, two dying in infancy. The eight living children are Mrs. Lena Hupp, of Washington township; Mrs. Annie Sassman, of Dallas, S. Dakota; William J. Schreck, of Benton township; John H., of Washington township; Paul D., of Cedar township; Mrs. Lottie Sharp, of Chariton, Ia.; Mrs. Katie Becker, of Benton township; and Mrs. Minnie Duckworth, of Wayne county, with the bereaved wife remain to mourn the departed father and husband. Besides these he leaves 31 grand children and 9 great grand children. There are no brothers and sisters, he being the last of his father's family.

Mr. Schreck came to Iowa in 1860 and settled on a farm in Benton township, living there until 1899, when he and wife moved to Chariton, Ia., where he resided until about two weeks before his death, when he was removed to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Katie Becker, his condition being such that his aged wife was unable to care for him.

Mr. Schreck was united with the German Lutheran church when 14 years of age. Near his Iowa home there was no church of his choice. He was well versed in scripture, being a great Bible student and a devoted follower of the Master.

The children were all present at the last sad rites. He was highly regarded by all who knew him, and his death will be mourned by many friends.

OBITUARY: WILLIMINEA (KESTNER) SCHRECK
Clipping dated 1 July 1915, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection

Mrs. Wm. Schreck of this city (Chariton), passed away at the home of her son, Paul Schreck, in Cedar township on Thursday morning, June 24th, 1915, at 2 o'clock after an extended illness. Funeral services, conducted by Rev. George J. Cornford, were held at the Salem church on Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock, after which interment took place in the Salem cemetery.

Wilhelmina Kestner was born in Saxon, Wiemar, Germany, on Dec. 28th, 1832. In 1855, she came to America and located at Pekin, Ill. In 1856, she was united in marriage to John William Schreck. In 1868 she with her husband and children came to Lucas County, Iowa, and located on a farm in Benton township where they resided until 1900, when they moved to Chariton and this place was her home until last March, since which time she has made her home with her children. Mr. and Mrs. Schreck were the parents of eight children, three sons and five daughters, all of whom are living. They are Mrs. A. B. Sassman, of Dallas, South Dakota, Paul, Will and Henry Schreck, Mrs. Lena Hupp, Mrs. John Sharp, Mrs. Kate Becker, all of this county, and Mrs. Minnie Duckworth of Corydon, all of whom were present during their mother's illness and death. Mr. Schreck died on May 4th, 1911. Besides her children she is also survived by thirty-five grandchildren and eighteen great grandchildren.

When fourteen years of age she was converted and united with the German Lutheran church, remaining a faithful and consistent member of the same until her Lord and Master called her to the church triumphant. She was a kind and indulgent mother, always looking after the welfare of the family, and was every ready to lend assistance to others. She was highly regarded by all who knew her, and her demise will be deplored by a host of friends, who will extend sincere sympathy to the sorrowing relatives.

Note these inconsistencies: The Schreck tombstone at Salem Cemetery gives Dec. 28, 1833 (as opposed to 1832, given in the obituary) as Williminea's date of birth and June 25 (as opposed to June 24 as the obituary states), 1915, as her date of death. Lucas County death records give the birth date as Dec. 18, 1833; and the date of death as June 24, 1915. Williminea's obituary also contains an incorrect date of death, May 4, 1911, for John William. And obviously, the name is spelled "Williminea" on the tombstone and "Wilhelmina" in the obituary.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 37: C. G. Johnson, Owner

2008-10-04T06:39:00.001-07:00

Although Charles G. Johnson and his wife, Christina, died young by today's standards --- in their mid-40s at the turn of the 20th Century --- they left a rich legacy in children, nine of them, all of whom survived to become adults. Their descendants have formed over the years a notable chunk of Lucas County's population.

The Johnson graves, which appear to be the only ones on this large lot, are marked by a substantial white marble tombstone topped by a giant ball balanced in a saddle. Although the ball shows no sign of breaking loose, I thought carefully for a minute earlier this week before sitting myself down on the stone's base to take a photo of the Schreck tombstone just behind it. It's not something you'd want to come crashing down on you.

The eldest of their sons was my great-uncle, Carl August Johnson (who married Minnie D. Myers), and it was he who raised his younger siblings with assistance from the older girls after their parents died in quick succession. The other children were Anna, Emma, Ida, Minnie, John Arthur, Harry, Eva and Henry.

To reach the Johnson farm from Salem, drive south two and a half miles across the Chariton River on the New York Road, then turn right (west) onto the road out to Highway 14 that takes a quick dip into the Wolf Creek valley before cresting the hill by crossing a vintage Union Pacific arched wooden overpass that allows no view of oncoming traffic at all. After driving a mile and a quarter west on this road, turn left (south) down a dirt road (providing it hasn't rained recently) for three quarters of a mile, then right (west) a quarter of a mile. This farm was owned later by members of the Sellers family.

The Johnsons, both natives of Sweden, were members of the Otterbein United Brethren in Christ, whose final building was located before its move to the Lucas County Historical Society Museum grounds in Chariton, a mile west and a mile north of their home, on the west side of what now is Highway 14.

The Johnson home was at the base of a hill, looking out south across the Wolf Creek valley and when they first settled there their nearest neighbors were John G. and Isabelle Redlingshafer, my great-great-grandparents, who at that time lived in a cabin they had built in 1856 deep in their fields near a spring above the Johnson farm. So there was a good deal of neighboring during those early years, before the Redlingshafers built a new house out north closer to the road, between the two families. Aunt Minnie and Uncle Carl's first home was on 80 of his parents' acres located across Wolf Creek southeast of the homestead.

Charles's inscription (top) is on the west face and Christina's, on the north. Smaller headstones that once marked the individual graves inscribed "Father" and "Mother" have been moved agains the principal stone.

C.G. JOHNSON
July 19, 1851
July 28, 1897

Dearest husband thou hast left me
And my heart is sad tonight
Oh! that I again could see you
And my dreams would be so bright

Father dear thou hast left us
And with thee our joys have fled
Oh! tis hard to think our father
good and kind and true is dead

CHRISTENA
JOHNSON
July 13, 1856
Jan. 14, 1900

OBITUARY: CHARLES G. JOHNSON
Chariton Herald-Patriot, 5 August 1897

Charles G. Johnson of Benton township departed this life at the age of 40 years on Wednesday July 28, 1897. He was a native of Sweden and emigrated to the United Staes in 1869. After a sojourn of three years in Illinois he settled in Benton township on the farm where he died. He was married to Christina Johnson on Nov. 25, 1873, and nine children were born them, all of whom with the wife survive him.

Mr. Johnson had been a painful sufferer for about a year, but he maintained a cheerful, happy spirit of resignation throughout and died in great peace. He was a man of christian integrity which shone in the church, in society and in his home life.

The funeral was from the home and was largely attended by the neighborhood. The remains were interred in Salem Cemetery. The family have the sympathy of the church and a large circle of friends.

Rev. W. Cunningham of the United Brethren church conducted the funeral services. Those whose hearts are weighed down with grief in this sad hour may have the cheerful reflection that the dear husband and father was prepared to meet his maker and that he could say in truth, "It is well with my soul."

OBITUARY: CHRISTENA JOHNSON
Chariton Patriot, 18 January 1900

Died, at her home in Benton township, on Sunday, Jan. 14, 1900, Mrs. Christina Johnson. Funeral services were held from the home, Tuesday, at 10 o'clock a.m. conducted by the Rev. Cunningham, pastor of the U.B. church, of which she has been a faithful member since 1878. The remains were buried in the Salem cemetery beside those of her husband Charles G. Johnson, who preceded her about two
and one-half years ago.

Christina Johnson was born in Sweden July 13, 1856. She came with her parents to America in 1869. She was married to Charles G. Johnson, Nov. 28, 1873. Nine children were born to them, all of whom survive them. She had been sick for about one month with brain trouble, which culminated in her death. The sympathy of the entire community goes out to the lonely children, who are now left without the kind, loving care, council and protection of a father and mother.

The surviving children of Mrs. Christina Johnson, through the Chariton Patriot, desire to express their gratitude to all the neighbors and friends for their help and sympathy during the sickness and death of their mother.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 38: James Wallace

2008-10-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

James and Elizabeth Wallace and their son, Andrew, appear to be the only occupants of Lot No. 38. All three graves are marked by a substantial and harmonious gray granite stone that appears to have been erected after the death of Alexander.

WALLACE
SON
ALEXANDER
1859-1931

MOTHER
ELIZABETH
1836-1919

FATHER
JAMES
1839-1900

OBITUARY: ALEXANDER "SANDY" WALLACE

Alexander (Sandy) Wallace, eldest son of James and Elizabeth Wallace, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, February 17, 1859, and died suddenly in Chariton, Iowa, July 22, 1931, aged 72 years, 5 months and 5 days.

At the age of nine years he came with his parents to America. For a time the family lived in Chicago, Illinois, then in Peotone, Illinois. The next home was in Lake County, Indiana, which place was the family home until 1885, when they moved to Lucas county, Iowa, where the deceased resided the remainder of his life. On Wednesday, July 22, Mr. Wallace was stricken while on his way up town. He was assisted to the shade where after a few minutes his spirit quietly slipped away. He was of a retiring nature, but a good citizen and a loyal friend.

He leaves to mourn his passing, two sisters, Mrs. A.L. Allred, of Allerton, Iowa, and Mrs. C.O. Erickson, of Chariton, Iowa. His father and mother and a brother, Thomas, preceded him in death.

The funeral service was held in the Beardsley Funeral Home on Friday at 2:00 o'clock, conducted by Rev. E.L. Stone. Burial was made in the Salem cemetery. (Undated Clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

OBITUARY: ELIZABETH WALLACE

Elizabeth Kilpatrick was born in Scotland, March 2, 1833, and died at the home of her son, A. Wallace of Benton township, March 6, 1919. Her age was 86 years and 4 days.

She was married to James Wallace in 1858. To this union were born five children, three sons and two daughters. James died in infancy. Thomas died March 9, 1911. The living children are A. Wallace of Benton township, Mrs. C.O. Erickson of Chariton and Mrs. A.L. Allred of Humeston. These three were all present at her death and funeral services. There are also sixteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

The deceased had been a resident of Benton township thirty-three years. Her husband died in August, 1900. She was of a retiring nature, but ever thoughtful of the welfare of others. She leaves a host of friends to mourn her departure.

She was a member of the Congregational church in Scotland and joined the Presbyterian church in this country. She died from a cancer after fifteen years of suffering. She is now at rest. The funeral services were conducted from the home by Rev. E.W. Curtis of Chariton and the interment was in Salem cemetery. (Chariton Leader, 13 Mary 1919)

OBITUARY NO. 1: JAMES A. WALLACE

Died at his home in Benton township on Saturday morning, August 18th 1900, Mr. James A. Wallace, after eight months of intense suffering with a complication of diseases. He was treated by a number of physicians from Chariton, Corydon and Russell and all that loving hands could do was of no avail. Brief funeral services conducted by Rev. Blackburn of the U.B. church were held at his home on Sunday morning at ten o'clock after which interment took place in the Salem cemetery.

James Wallace was born in Scotland, September 4th, 1837, being at the time of his death almost 64 years of age. He was married in Scotland to Miss Elizabeth Killpatrick who, with four children, Thomas and Alexander Wallace, Mrs. Jennie Allred and Mrs. Nellie Erickson, survive him. Mr. Wallace was a prosperous farmer and was held in high esteem by his neighbors and friends. He was also well learned in engineering and about thirty-five years ago had in charge the contract for overflowing the river Nile in Egypt. He came to this country and resided in Chicago for a few years, and in 1886 with his family he moved to Lucas county, Iowa, where he has since resided. The family has the sympathy of the entire neighborhood in their deep affliction. (The Chariton Democrat, Thursday, 23 August 1900)

OBITUARY NO. 2: JAMES A. WALLACE

Died Saturday, Aug. 18, 1900, at 5:30 a.m., at his home in Benton township, James Wallace. Funeral services were held from the family residence Sunday at 10 o'clock a.m., conducted by Rev. Cunningham of the United Brethren Church, and the remains were interred in the Salem cemetery.

James Wallace was born in Dumfrieshire, Scotland, Sept. 4, 1831. He was married in 1858 to Miss Elizabeth Killpatrick. They came to America in 1869 and located in Chicago. Fourteen years ago last March they came to Lucas county, where they have since resided. Five children were born to them, four of whom together with his wife survive him and were present at his funeral.

Mr. Wallace was formerly a member of the Presbyterian church but did not unite with any denomination when he came to Iowa. He was a sturdy Scotchman, kind and generous, a good neighbor and friend. The sympathy of the community is extended to his bereaved wife and children. (The Chariton Patriot, 30 August 1900)

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 39: Craig Gookin, Oakes Family

2008-10-04T06:37:00.000-07:00

Lot No. 39 is owned by two families, the north half apparently purchased in 1901 for the burial of Craig Gookin whose grave seems to be the only one located there. The south half was sold to Frank E. and Bertha Oakes, probably upon the death of their infant son during August of 1904. There are four graves on this half of the lot, two infant sons of Frank E. and Bertha, Bertha Oakes and Vera V. Oakes, daughter of Frank E. and Bertha. Frank E. Oakes, who moved to Arkansas after his second marriage, to Bertha, ended in divorce reportedly died there in 1929.

LOT NO. 39 NORTH HALF: CRAIG GOOKIN

Craig Gookin's story is one of the sadder ones at Salem. A son of Samuel and Lydia A. (Russell) Gookin (Lot. No.22) he married a neighbor girl, Alia Hobson, daughter of Milburn Hobson (Lot No. 17) on 28 February 1892 in Lucas County and they settled down to farm in Benton Township.

At the turn of the 20th century, Craig and his family were among several Russell-area families recruited by residents of Box Butte County, Nebraska, to settle there. The land in western Nebraska was substantially different than the rich and well-watered prairie they were accustomed to, and many were disappointed. Some came home to Russell to live the remainder of their lives. Craig, however, the apparent the victim of severe depression, did not survive.

CRAIG
GOOKIN
DIED
DEC. 7, 1901
AGED
36Y, 3M, 17D

Dear husband thou has left us
We thy loss most deeply feel
But tis God who thus bereft us
He can all our sorrows heal
DEATH NOTICE: CRAIG GOOKIN

Craig Gookin, a former resident of Benton township, but who moved to Hemingsford, Nebraska, last spring, died suddenly at that place the first of the week. The remains were brought here Wednesday noon and brief funeral services were held at the home of his father-in-law, Milburn Hobson, after which interment took place in the Salem cemetery. (Chariton Democrat, 12 December 1901)

HE COMMITTED SUICIDE
Craig Gookin Caused His Own Death by Shooting

The remains of Craig Gookin of Hemingford, Neb., were brought to Chariton on No. 6 yesterday and taken to the Salem church in Benton township, where services were held, conducted by Rev. J. L. Johnson of Russell, and the remains were interred in the Salem cemetery. Deceased was a son of Samuel Gookin of Benton township, and formerly resided here, where he was highly respected by acquaintances. For several years (sic) he has resided in Nebraska. Relatives here received a telegram last Sunday announcing his death.

It was a severe shock to them, for in a letter from his family only a few days previous, they stated that they were all well. When his wife, formerly Miss Alia Hobson, and her brother, Charles Hobson, arrived with the remains, they said he had committed suicide by shooting himself, but they did not know the cause. (Chariton Patriot, 12 December 1901)

DIED: CRAIG GOOKIN
Near Hemingsford, Dec. 7, 1901

Mr. Gookin was born near Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa, in 1865. He was the second oldest of a family of ten children, nine of whom are yet living. His mother preceded him to the other world two years ago. The deceased was a son of Samuel and Lida Ann Russell Gookin. The subject of this notice was married to Miss Alia J. Hobson, of Chariton, Iowa, Feb. 28, 1892. He leaves a devoted wife and three small children - Raymond E., Ethel M., and Murrell E., to mourn the loss of a kind husband and affectionate father. For a number of years, Mr. Gookin has led a faithful christian life. After coming to this country in February, 1901, he and his wife brought their church letters to the Congregational church of Hemingford. The deceased leaves many warm friends won by his kind and genial disposition. Funeral services were conducted by Rev. Connell. The remains, accompanied by the family, left December 10, for their old home in Iowa. (Chariton Democrat, 19 December 1901, apparently reprinted from the Hemingsford, Neb., Herald)

DIED BY HIS OWN HAND

From the Hemingsford, Neb., Herald, we take the following account of the death of Craig Gookin, formerly of this county, and whose remains were brought here on Wednesday of last week for interment:

The Herald has to record to-day as sad an ending of human life as ever occurred in Box Butte county - made doubly sad because of the pathetic attending circumstances. Rarely, if every in its history, has this county been so shocked as when the intelligence was brought to town last Sunday that Craig Gookin, a respected citizen who resided three miles northeast of Hemingsford, had been found dead about a quarter of a mile from his home with a bullet hole through his head.

Immediate friends of the deceased had noticed for several weeks that all was not right with Mr. Gookin. He came here only last spring, from near Russell, Iowa, and was apparently prospering, having arranged things about his place comfortably for the winter. His stock was in good condition and he had provided abundant feed to carry them through nicely until spring, and he had seemingly made the best of what he freely confessed he thought was a bad bargain. He had often expressed his disappointment in the country, regretting that he had ever left Iowa.

He was an extremely sensitive man, and frequently, when talking with his wife who shared with him his disappointment, he would express the fear that if they would sell out and return to Iowa their friends and acquaintances would ridicule them. He seemed to have morbid fear of public opinion in this respect. Twice, in the presence of his wife, he had threatened to take his own life, but while she realized that her husband was not himself, she thought he was only jesting when he hinted at suicide.

Last Saturday morning, with his gun in hand, a small Winchester rifle, he left the house, after first speaking casually of the children. As hour after hour passed and he did not return, his wife grew alarmed and caused a search to be initiated. Sunday morning about 9 o'clock a neighbor found the unfortunate man lying stretched out, face downward, stark and cold in death, a quarter of a mile from is home. His gun lay under him, his mittens had not been removed, nor his cap. Everything indicated that he had rested his gun, stock downward, upon the ground, leaned over till the side of his head, at a point just in front of the right ear, came in contact with the muzzle of the rifle, and reaching down with his right hand pressed the trigger with his right thumb, and the fatal leaden missile sped unerringly to the mark intended. Death was instantaneous.

The deceased was not over 35 years of age, a quiet mannered man and a good citizen. He was an affectionate husband and an indulgent father, according to those who knew him. His wife stated that he had never spoken a cross word to her during their married life. Their domestic relations were of the most pleasant nature.

Evidently the unfortunate man was temporarily insane. A coroner's jury composed of Frank Shimek, Perry S. Malley, Geo Darling, W. J. Bean, Ed Wildy and Elmer Roland, under the supervision of Captain E. P. Sappey, acting coroner, viewed the remains and rendered a verdict of suicide. Undertaker Geo. Darling embalmed the body and all that was mortal of poor Craig Gookin was stared on its journey to its last resting place in Iowa on Tuesday afternoon's east bound passenger, accompanied by the grief stricken widow and orphaned little ones.

The tragic death of the husband and father has forestalled all ridicule, and only grief and sorrow will be depicted in the faces of those who will be at the depot in the old home town to welcome the coming of the living and the dead. (The Chariton Democrat, 19 December 1901)

LOT NO. 39 SOUTH HALF: FRANK E. AND BERTHA OAKES

The south half of Lot No. 39 most likely was acquired by Frank E. and Bertha (Howsare) Oakes when an infant son died during August of 1904. Frank and Bertha had been married on 30 January 1897 in Wayne county. She was about 16 at the time and he was in his 30s, having been previously married in Kansas. They settled in Chariton where he worked as a plasterer and brick and stone mason. The couple had four children, daughters Nellie M. and Vera V., and two sons who died as infants and are buried here. At some point after 1920, Frank and Bertha divorced and he removed to Arkansas, where he reportedly died at Collins in Drew County on 13 June 1929. When the 1930 census was taken, Bertha was living in Chariton and working as a laundress.

INF. SON
OAKES
1904

The Chariton Herald reported in its edition of 18 August 1904 that "The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Oakes died Saturday afternoon, Aug. 12. Brief funeral services were conducted at the home on Sunday morning by Rev. B.F. Miller, and the body was interred in the Salem cemetery." This death was not officially recorded.

INF. SON
OAKES
1911

Lucas County death records show that this unnamed child was born 26 May 1911 and died 11 June 1911, age 16 days, of an obstruction of the bile duct. The Chariton Patriot of 15 June 1911 reported, "Mr. and Mrs. Oakes, of Chariton, buried their little child in the Salem cemetery Monday morning." And The Chariton Patriot, also of 15 June, carried the following report: "Infant Son Dies: The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. F.E. Oakes died last Sunday, from stomach trouble, and was buried at Salem cemetery on Monday, Rev. Hob(illegible) officiating. The little fellow was only two weeks and two days old. The parents have the sympathy of many friends in their loss."

OAKES
BERTHA
1881-1950
VERA V.
1908-1979

OBITUARY BERTHA HOWSARE OAKES
Bertha Howsare Oakes was born January 1, 1881, in Warren county. Following her marriage in 1897 at Corydon, she and Mr. Oakes came to Lucas county, and to Chariton in 1895 (sic) where she has since resided.

To this union four children were born, Mrs. Nellie Mae Peterson of Chariton, and Vera Oakes of Des Moines. Two sons died in infancy.

In failing health for the past 12 years she was only confined to her bed for five weeks prior to death, Sept. 17, 1950. She was tenderly cared for by her daughters during her illness.

Survivors in addition to the daughters are two grandchldren, Donald Peterson and Mrs. Floyd Burley, two great granddaughters, Sandra Lee and Margaret Jo Burley; two sisters, Nora Cottrell, of Chariton; Della Lyman, of Davenport; one brother, Mella Howsare, of Chairton, and one aunt, Cora Cart, of Lansing, Minn., and a host of friends.

Love does not die when those we love
Beyond the gates of silence pass;
Love does not die, and our hungry lips
Wait poised for their kiss, but alas, alas,
Clods and the sod hide the dear loved form
All we can do is but hide our tears,
So those who love need not suffer for us.

How we would love to bury our lips
In the soft mass of that waving hair,
And rest in those arms that are folded in sleep
Just for one moment oh, God, teach us prayer
God give us faith that our hearts may find
Comfort, and hope that beyond the gate
Of silence we'll meet our loved again
God give us faith and grace to wait.

Funeral services in charge of the Rev. Frank R. Carlson of the First Lutheran Church and Rev. R.W. Swick of the Methodist church, were held Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 2 p.m. at the Miley funeral home. Burial was made in the Salem cemetery. (Chariton Herald Patriot)

OBITUARY: VERA V. OAKES

Vera Velma Oakes, daughter of Mrs. Bertha Howsare Oakes, was born April 13, 1908, in Chariton and passed away Wednesday, Jan. 17, 1979, at the Chariton Manor at the age of 70 years, 9 months and 4 days.

Miss Oakes spent several years of her life working as a waitress in restaurants. In later years she worked as a nurse's aide caring for the sick and elderly in nursing homes in the area.

She is survived by one sister, Nellie Martz, of Iowa City; one nephew, Donald Peterson, of Iowa City, and one niece, Mrs. Alberta Burley, of Ottumwa and several cousins and other relatives and friends. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Fielding Funeral home with the Rev. Eugene Koth conducting. Burial was in the Salem Cemetery. (undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 40: Hickerson/Roberts/Hawk

2008-10-04T06:35:00.001-07:00

Lot No. 40, in the extreme southeast corner of Salem Cemetery, is shown on the 1930s plat divided into halves, the north owned by J.W. Hickerson and the south, by S. Hawk with the notation after Hawk's name, "no deed."

J.W. Hickerson's wife, Elisabeth C., who died in 1899 just short of her 60th birthday, is buried at the north end of the lot, but the three graves south of hers are those of three members of the Roberts family, Noah, Betty and their son, Donald. So it would appear that J.S. Hickerson, having moved on perhaps, passed the majority of his plot on to the Roberts. According to the Lucas County Genealogical Society's 1981 "Lucas County, Iowa, Cemetery Records," Elisabeth is the only Hickerson buried in the county.

There are no marked graves, or indications of graves, in the south half of the lot, but it seems likely that there is at least one grave there.

The only hint offered by Lucas County records is a death register entry for "Unnamed Hawk," a 3-day-old male who died 20 January 1904 in Benton Township and was buried in Salem Cemetery. Unfortunately, the names of the infant's parents are not given. But it is possible that infant is buried here.

Lucas County newspapers include three reports, one under the "Salem News" header, involving the family of an S.A. Hawk. One involves a barn fire and the other two, dating from the fall of 1909 and the spring of 1910, the family's plans to move from Benton Township to Wyoming.

The 1910 census of Laramie County, Wyoming, taken during late April, enumerates the family of Stephen A. Hawk, 49, and wife, Magdalena, 44, as homesteaders near Pine Bluffs, east of Cheyenne at the Wyoming/Nebraska border. They had been married 12 years, so this probably was a second marriage for both. Included in the household were three children, daughters Nellie J. and (illegible), ages 21 and 19 respectively, and a son, Harley, 16. All members of the Hawk family gave their birthplaces as Iowa. It is tempting to conclude this was the Benton County S.A. Hawk family gone west. I have not found this family in the 1900 census.

+++

There is no obvious reason why Elisabeth Hickerson is buried in Salem Cemetery, unless there is a connection here to another family that I've missed. So even the presence of her grave is a minor mystery.

Brief and uninformative notices of her death in late summer, 1899, were published in the Chariton newspapers, including the following from The Democrat of 1 September:

"Mrs. Jack Hickerson died at her home in this city on Saturday afternoon, August 26, after an extended illness with dropsy. Funeral services conducted by Rev. Geo. Brown were held at the Baptist church Sunday afternoon at two o'clock after which the remains were interred in the Salem cemetery."

Elisabeth's husband, John W. "Jack" Hickerson, was a coal miner and far from affluent, so it is a tribute to his affection for her that she has quite a nice stone that remains upright with a legible inscription:

ELISABETH C.
WIFE
OF
J. W. HICKERSON
Sep. 18, 1839
Aug. 26, 1899
Blessed are the pure in heart
for they shall see God

Lucas County marriage records show that John W. Hickerson and Elizabeth (sic) C. Ross, no ages given, were married 2 January 1881. Elisabeth would have been 41 at the time and Jack, 32 (his birth date is given as October 1848 in the 1900 census of Chariton).

The 1880 census of Lincoln Township enumerates Elizabeth (sic) C. Ross, single, age 40, living with her parents, Joseph and Martha A. Ross, ages 70 and 66 respectively, and brothers Isaac M., 32, and B. Franklin, 29. Joseph and Isaac were laborers; B. Franklin, a farmer.

Jack was living in a rental room in Chariton when the 1900 census was taken, and there are reports in the Chariton newspapers of serious injuries he sustained in the mines in both 1901 and 1902. The accident in February of 1902 seriously injured a leg and he was taken to the county home to recuperate.

On 23 July 1904, Jack, then 55, married Rachel E. Coffelt, 20, at Chariton --- a marriage that does not seem to have been made in heaven. By 1909 Rachel had deserted him and he divorced her in March of that year.

Thereafter, no records of any sort are found in Lucas County concerning him.

Elisabeth's father, Joseph Ross, died on 10 March 1887 at the Lucas County poor farm and was "buried by his children," but no marked graves exist in Lucas County for either Joseph or Martha A., nor were their passings noted in Chariton newspapers.

+++

Donald B. Roberts, son of Noah and Betty, occupies the grave immediately south of Elisabeth Hickerson's. He was struck by a Burlington Zephyr passenger train while walking home to Benton Township from Chariton along railroad tracks during December of 1936. There is no surname on Donald's stone, only "Their Son" in reference to Noah and Betty.

DONALD B.
THEIR SON
1909-1936

The following report of Donald's death was published on Page 1 of The Chariton Leader on 8 December 1936:

MAN HIT BY BURLINGTON ZEPHYR DIES
Services for Roberts will be Wednesday
Lucas County Farmer, 27, Run Over by Crack Flyer Early Sunday
Make Transfusions
Younger Brother Gives His Blood in Effort to Save Roberts' Life

Donald Roberts, 27, Lucas county farmer, died Monday afternoon at Yocom hospital from injuries suffered when he was struck by the Burlington railroad's Zephyr train.

Two blood transfusions were made in an attempt to save Roberts' life.

The accident occurred near 4 a.m. Sunday about 100 yards south of the Braden Ave. railroad crossing. Roberts' left leg was cut off by the train. His right leg was fractured and his right hand was bruised and cut.There wereinternal injuries, Dr. A. L. Yocom said, and Roberts also suffered from exposure.

Members of the Zephyr crew notified Sheriff Miles Mason that the train had run over a man. The sheriff applied a tourniquet to the severed leg and Roberts was taken to the hospital.

A brother, John Roberts, gave blood for the transfusions.

There were no witnesses at the scene of the accident other than members of the train crew. They were quoted as reporting that Roberts had fallen and was lying beside the track with one leg over the rail.

He is believed to have been on the way to his home about three miles southeast of Chariton.

Surviving Roberts are his mother, Mrs. Noah Roberts, two brothers and a sister.

Funeral services will be Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at Salem church.

OBITUARY: DONALD B. ROBERTS

Funeral services for Donald B. Roberts, who died Monday afternoon from injuries received when he was struck early Sunday morning by a Burlington Zephyr train, were held Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at the Salem church, conducted by Rev. W. A. Purdy, of the Chariton Christian church, and burial was in the Salem cemetery.

Donald Bruce Roberts, son of Noah J. and Betty F. Roberts, was born in Chariton, Iowa, on July 5, 1909, and died on December 7, 1936. He grew to young manhood in Chariton. He graduated from the grammar school and attended the Chariton high school two years. He was well known in this vicinity and a large circle of friends deplore his tragic death.

Surviving him are his mother, Mrs. Betty F. Roberts, of near Chariton; two brothers, William J. Roberts, of Joliet, Ill.; and John L. Roberts, of Chariton; one sister, Mrs Bessie Coop, of Mabton, Wash.; a grandmother, Mrs. Julia Wells, of Chariton; and seven nieces and nephews. His father preceded him in death several years ago. (Chariton Herald-Patriot, 10 December 1936)

+++

The graves of Betty and Noah Roberts are located immediately south of Donald's grave, marked by a large granite stone with two inscriptions, as follows:

ROBERTS
BETTY F.
1875-1963
NOAH J.
1864-1932

Obituaries for Noah and Betty are as follows. Note that there are significant differences between the first and second of Noah's obituaries.

RITES HELD FOR NOAH ROBERTS ON SUNDAY
Resident of Chariton for Fifty Years Died at Home Thursday, Aged 67 years
The Chariton Leader, Tuesday, 26 January 1932

Funeral services for Noah J. Roberts, for fifty years a resident of Chariton, were held from the Salem church at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Harry Secor, pastor of the Baptist church in Chariton. Burial was in the Salem cemetery. Mr. Roberts died at his home here last Thursday. He was 67 years of age.

He was born in Johnson county, Tennessee, August 24, 1864. With his parents he came to Chariton in 1881 and has lived here since that time, with the exception of one year spent in Douglas county, Missouri.

Mr. Roberts is survived by his wife, three sons, William J. of Joliet, Ill., John L., and Donald B., both of Chariton, and one daughter, Bessie F. Coop of this city.

OBITUARY: NOAH JOSEPH ROBERTS
The Chariton Herald Patriot, Thursday, 28 January 1932

Noah Joseph Roberts, son of Alfred and Sarah Roberts, was born August 24, 1864, in Johnson county, Tennessee, and died January 21, 1932, at his home near Chariton, at the age of 67 years, 4 months and 28 days.

At the age of 13 years he moved with his parents to Ablingdon, Washington county, Virginia. There he grew to manhood and on May 6, 1894, was married to Betty F. Wells.

Four years later they moved to Chariton, Iowa. Mr. Roberts has resided here ever since, with the exception of one year, 1905 to 1906, when they resided in Douglas county, Missouri. To this union were born five children, Bessie F. Coop, of Chariton; William J., of Joliet, Ill.; Johnnie L. and Donald B., both of Chariton; and Noah Frederick, who died in infancy.

Besides the widow and four children, Mr. Roberts is survived by four grandchildren, Pearl, William and Betty Ann Coop, of Chariton; and Kenneth Scott, of Joliet; two brothers, Tommy, of Chariton,and Briton, of Woodburn, and one sister, Mrs. Polly Caldwell, of Chariton.

Mr. Roberts was a member of Cherry First Baptist church of Ablingdon, Virginia, which he joined as a young man.

A funeral service, conducted by Rev. Harry Secor, minister of the First Baptist church, of Chariton, was held at the Salem church, on Sunday, January 24, at two o'clock, with interment in the Salem cemetery.

OBITUARY: BETTY WELLS ROBERTS
Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection

Betty F. Roberts, daughter of John W. and Julie V. Wells, was born in Abington, Va., Dec. 3, 1875, and departed this life March 1, 1963, at the Dice Nursing Home at the age of 87 years, two months and 27 days.

In 1894 she was married to Noah J. Roberts and moved to Iowa in 1898. To this union five children were born: Bessie Roberts, William J., Johnnie Lee, Donald Bruce and Noah Frederic.

In 1892 she joined the First Baptist church of Abington, and on coming to Iowa joined the First Baptist Church of Chariton. Although she did not attend church regularly she read her Bible daily, until her eyesight failed, but she still kept her faith in the Lord.

She leaves to mourn her passing her daughter Bessie of Willmina, Ore., son Johnnie of Chariton, daughter-in-law Frances of Lockport, Ill., sister Emiline Mickles of Abington, Va., and Savanah Ryan of Murray, a brother, Robert Wells, of Leon; 14 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, three sons and five sisters. She was a loving mother and will be greatly missed by all.

Services were held Sunday, March 3, 1963, a 1:30 p.m. at the Downs Funeral Home, with the Rev. John Bauserman officiating. Interment was in the Salem cemetery.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 41: Bonham Fox, Owner

2008-10-04T06:34:00.002-07:00

The Salem plat shows "Bomer" Fox as the owner of Lot No. 41, but that's only because everyone other than Bonham Fox seems to have had trouble with his given name. It's been rendered Bomer, Bohny, even Bonaparte. Bonham was called "Bow-mee" by his family and friends, and that probably accounts for the confusion when others tried to figure out just what his full name was.

The lot appears to be entirely empty, but it is almost beyond a doubt the resting place of Ira Dell Fox, one of twins, who was born and died on 28 July 1891. His twin sister, Iva Belle Fox, lived a long life. She married Jeremiah Everts Foreman on 1 January 1913 in Oklahoma and died during July of 1977 in Roswell, New Mexico.

Bonham Fox, shown here, was a son of John N. Fox, buried in Salem Lot No. 24, and John's first wife, Sarah Jane (Rickets) Fox.

Bonham married Eliza Jane White, daughter of Paris M. and Mary Elizabeth (Breckenridge) White (Buried in Salem Lot No. 26), and they had nine more children after the birth of Ira and Iva. Eliza died 30 April 1944 in Rogers, Okla., and Bonham, on 31 January 1950, also in Rogers.

Since Ira doesn't have a tombstone, we can create a virtual one for him here. The inscription on it might read:

IRA DELL FOX
Son of Bonham and Eliza Jane Fox
Born and Died July 28, 1891

A majority of the information here, as well as the photo of Bonham, is courtesy of Roberta Tuller.

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 42: Josiah Smith, Owner

2008-10-04T06:34:00.001-07:00

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 43: Amos Johnson, Owner

2008-10-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

Place holder

Salem Cemetery Lot No. 44: Henry J. Selders, Owner

2008-10-04T06:32:00.002-07:00

The family of Henry J. and Charlotte Selders is the best documented in stone at Salem Cemetery because of a unique marker apparently erected by one or more of their three surviving daughter after Henry and Charlotte as well as 9 of their 12 children had died. Inscribed on three faces are the names, dates of birth and --- when family members were dead --- dates of death of the entire Selders family.

The stone does not mark a specific grave and several of the people memorialized here are not buried at Salem, a fact that has led to mild misunderstandings over the years. It is a unique and successful effort to create a family record more permanent than the usual family Bible pages.

Immediately east of the Selders lot is Lot No. 43, owned by Amos Johnson, whose wife, Margaret Selders, died 12 May 1874 and was the first person buried upon it.

Immediately to the west of the Selders lot is the lot (No. 45) of George and Matilda (Selders) Risbeck and their family. Like Margaret Johnston, Matilda Risbeck was a daughter of Henry and Charlotte Selders.

These transcriptions are recorded from north to south, beginning with the large pastel pink granite marker of Maria Louise Selders, known as Miss Lou and Aunt Lou, the longest surviving family member. The remainder of the stones on the lot, other than the family record stone, are identical white upright marble slabs with strongly arched tops. Several of these have broken as the years have passed and now are virtually illegible.

The Selders family arrived in Lucas County from New Florence, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, with the Jacob Myers family, and they lived always as neighbors in Sections 27 and 28 of Benton Township, respectively, a few miles south of Salem Cemetery.

M. LOUISE SELDERS
1845-1916
Gone but not forgotten

OBITUARY: MARIA LOUISE SELDERS
The Chariton Leader, 14 December 1916
Maria Louise Selders was born on October 11th, 1845, in Westmoreland county, Pa. She was the fourth daughter of Henry and Charlotte Selders and remained the last of a family of twelve children, all of whom with her parents have preceded her to the Great Beyond. In the year 1868 she came with her parents to Lucas county, Iowa, where she continued to reside. She was converted at an early age and united with the United Brethren church and has remained a zealous and faithful member.

Last August she went to Pennsylvania to attend a reunion of the Selders families. While in the east she was taken seriously ill with pneumonia at the home of her nephew, Robert Johnston, where she passed away, Dec. 7th, 1916, aged 71 years, 1 month and 26 days. She leaves to mourn her death three nieces, six nephews and a host of friends, to all of whom the name, "Aunt Lou," will remain a sacred emembrance.

Peaceful be thy silent slumber;
Peaceful in thy grave so low,
Thou no more will join our number,
Thou no more our sorrows know.

Yet again we hope to meet thee
When the day of life is fled,
And in Heaven with joy to greet thee
Where no farewell tears are shed.

Funeral services were held at the Salem church conducted by Rev. Geo. J. Cornford of Albia, assisted by Rev. Zike of Russell.

Maria Louise, who never married, was known universally as Miss Lou in her younger years, and as Aunt Lou in old age. Although my late father, Daniel Myers, was only 2 when she died, he recalls family conversations about her. His uncle, Raymond Myers, purchased the Selders farm after Aunt Lou died, and demolished the house, which Dad remembers as being surrounded by flowers of all descriptions.

Much loved by her Risbeck and Johnston nieces and nephews, who salvaged many of the flowering plants on the old homestead,they erected on her grave a large granite stone in soft shades of pink, perhaps reflecting the colors of some of the flowers she loved.

SELDERS
H. Adella
Oct. 3, 1868
Jan. 14, 1895

OBITUARIES: HARRIET ADELLA SELDERS

Miss Della Selders died at her home in this city Monday morning, January 14, at the age of twenty-six years, after an illness of three weeks with typhoid fever. Miss Harriet Della Selders was the daughter of Henry and Charlotte Selders, now deceased. She was born in Benton township, this county, October 3, 1868. When but three years of age her mother died leaving her in the care of her sister, Miss Lou. About eight years ago she was converted and united with the Evangelical church at Mt. Carmel and has since lived a consistent christian life. She was a faithful member of the Christian Endeavor society and her time was spent in trying to do good to others. She was highly esteemed by all who knew her and leaves a large circle of friends to mourn her demise. The Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Salem church in Benton township and were conducted by Rev. Busenburg. Three sisters, Mrs. Lou Selders of this city, Mrs. Geo Risbeck of Benton township and Mrs. Kate Gartin of Red Willow county, Nebraska, are left and have the sympathy of many friends in their affliction. (The Chariton Democrat, 18 January 1895

DIED - Monday morning, January 13 (actually January 14, 1895) of typhoid fever, Della Selders. Miss Selders had been afflicted from childhood with spinal trouble; in her last sickness her sufferings were very great but she was patient and looked forward to her release with joy. She leaves an only sister whose care and companionship of the afflicted one has been constant. The remains were laid to rest in the Salem cemetery, Tuesday. Rev. Buzenburg conducted the services. (Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection)

SELDERS
Geo. W.
Born Sept. 21, 1856
Died Mar. 20, 1874

+++

SELDERS FAMILY RECORD STONE
(South Face)
H. J. Selders
Jan. 3, 1818
Aug. 22, 1890
C. G. Selders
Mar. 1, 1825
Apr. 26, 1873
M.E.S. Johnson
May 15, 1841
May 12, 1874
M.J.S. Risbeck
July 13, 1843
(Living when stone erected)
M.L. Selders
Oct. 11, 1845
(Living when stone erected)
W.O. Selders
Mar 30, 1847
June 14, 1847
(buried in Pennsylvania)

SELDERS FAMILY RECORD STONE
(North Face)
T.M. Selders
July 3, 1848
May 9, 1849
(Buried in Pennsylvania)
C.C.S. Gartin
May 24, 1851
(Living when stone erected)
Harry (Henry) Selders
Dec. 29, 1853
Feb. 12, 1874
G.W. Selders
Sep. 21, 1856
Mar. 20, 1874
M.T. (Mary) Selders
Jan. 25, 1859
May 29, 1864
(Buried in Pennsylvania)

SELDERS FAMILY STONE
(West Face)
J. Selders
June 23, 1861
Aug. 13, 1861
(Buried in Pennsylvania)
John Selders
Feb. 23, 1863
Sept. 24, 1865
(Buried in Pennsylvania)
H.A. Selders
Oct. 3, 1868
Jan. 14, 1895

+++

HARRY SELDERS
DIED
Feb. 12, 1874
Aged 21y, 1m, 14d

CHARLOTTE
Wife of
H.J. Selders
Died Apr. 26, 1873
Aged 48y, 1m, 25d.

+++
HENRY
SELDERS
Jan. 3, 1818
Aug. 22, 1890

DEATH NOTICE: HENRY SELDERS
The Chariton Herald, 28 August 1890

Died: At his home in Benton Tp. Aug. 22, 1890, Mr. Henry Selders in his 72 year. Deceased was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Lucas county in 1867. He was a member of the U.B. church and was buried in Salem Cemetery.

OBITUARY NO. 1: HENRY SELDERS
The Chariton Democrat, 28 August 1890

Died at his home, seven miles southeast of Chariton, Friday morning, Aug. 22, 1890, Mr. Henry Selders, in his 72nd year. He received a stroke of paralysis over two years ago from which he never fully recovered. He received another stroke last week which proved fatal. Deceased was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the year 1818. He moved with his family to Lucas County in the year 1867, where he has lived until his death. Mr. Selders was a member of the U.B. church and was buried in the Salem cemetery, the funeral services being conducted by G.W. Carpenter and J.W. Rosa.

Beautiful toiler, they work all is done,
Beautiful soul into glory gone,
Beautiful with the crown now won,
God giveth the rest.

Rest from all sorrows and watching and fear,
Rest from all possible sighing and tears,
Rest through God's endless, wonderful years,
At home with the blest.

+++
ABOUT CHARLOTTE CATHARINE (SELDERS) GARTIN

Charlotte Selders is the only adult child of Henry and Charlotte Selders not buried at Salem. Born 24 May 1851 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, she married Anderson Gartin, son of Felix and Phoebe (Myers) Gartin, on 17 November 1868 in Lucas County. They moved west through Iowa to Nebraska, settling eventually near Danbury in Red Willow County where Charlotte died on 20 March 1899. Anderson, born 1848, died 15 April 1908, also in Red Willow County. Both are buried in the Danbury Cemetery, located about a mile east and a quarter mile north of Danbury.

The following brief death notice for Charlotte was published in The McCook (Neb.) Republican on 31 March 1899: "Died, at her home four miles northeast of Danbury, Monday, March 20, 1899, of Brights disease, Mrs. Anderson Gartin, aged 47 years and 10 months. The funeral services were held at the home Wednesday at 10 o’clock and the remains interred in the Danbury cemetery. Rev. White conducting the ceremony. She leaves a husband, son and daughter to mourn her loss. They have the sympathy of the community."

Anderson and Charlotte had two children who reached adulthood: Hattie May, born 1 June 1873, and Jessie Burr, born 16 July 1881.