b. 1800

Henry Mockford b. 1831

/ Kirstin Miller

Henry Mockford 3rd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Henry Mockford was born on February 5, 1831 in Budock Cornwall England, the oldest of 8 children of Richard and Elizabeth Green Mockford. In Cornwall on the 1851 census Richard and son Henry are Millers and Journeyman- workers who have completed an apprenticeship considered qualified in their trade. Philippa Johns is a servant in the home. In 1853 Henry Mockford married this Philippa Johns, she was also from Cornwall.

1851 Budock England census Mockfords and PhillipaHenry, a year after his marriage, sailed to America and on the 1855 New York census he lived in Monroe County, New York, he was a servant and boarded in the home of Lucy Blodgett.  Within a year his wife and baby son William came to America too. By 1860 Henry had his own home, a next door neighbor of Lucy Blodgett and her family. On the 1860 census Henry is a Miller, his kids range from age 6 to 2 months, older brother William is also in the home. Henry and Philippa would have 7 kids total, 4 sons and 3 daughters: William born in England, and Richard, Emily, Lucy, Harry, Mary and Milton, all born in New York.

By 1872 Henry and his brother William were business owners in Hamline, New York. From the Atlas of Monroe Co., “Business Notices Mockford , Henry Propr of flouring and custom mill, Mockford, WS Propr of saw mill. Particular attention paid to custom work. Lumber constantly on hand and for sale at lowest rates”.

Mockford brothers 1872 in Hamlin, NY

Henry died in 1905. HIs obituary mentioned he worked at Johnson Harvester Company and mentioned his surviving family including children, bothers and sisters of the Monroe County, NY area except Richard Mockford who had left for Shell Rock, Iowa.

Henry and Philippa are buried in Elmwood Cemetery in  Batavia, New York.

Sources

Casjen Frerichs b. 1834

/ Kirstin Miller

Casjen Frerichs 3rd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Casjen was born February 5, 1834. He was from Lower Saxony Germany near Hamburg and Bremen, close to the Netherlands, and Amsterdam. Casjen married Kuna Janssen in Germany. In 1883 Casjen was 49, he and Kuna had 5 kids: Yevkea, Enno, Gerd, Entje, Hilka and the whole family left Germany for America.

Frerichs, Casjen arrival 1883 cardThey sailed on the ship, America, stopped at the New York Harbor then sailed on to Baltimore. From Baltimore, Casjen and family went directly to Butler County, Iowa just over 1,000 miles. Casjen stayed in Butler County, near Parkersburg in Albion township. HIs children stayed in same area, Gerd and Yevkea died shortly after arriving in Iowa, son Enno, daughters Entje and Hilka married, had children and farmed. When Casjen died at age 59, in 1893 he had 3 grandchildren including Mary Frerichs Roose, mom of Stanley Roose.

Frerichs, Casjen headstone

Casjen and wife Kuna are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Parkersburg. They share a headstone, at the bottom are many words inscribed, by hand, in the German language, something like -Not mine, -, my Savior I found, and I have also in part – . About 10 yards away Martin and Mary Walters Wisbar are buried, parents of Lena who married Johan Roose. Lena and Johann’s son was George Roose who married Mary Frerichs, their son was Stanley Roose.

 

 

Sources

William Stewart b. 1804

/ Kirstin Miller

William Stewart 3rd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.

William was born in 1804 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. In 1833 or so he married Elizabeth Crooks also of Pennsylvania. William and Elizabeth had 2 daughters and 5 sons. They stayed in Pennsylvania until at least January 15, 1852 when their youngest daughter Elizabeth Stewart, mom of Harve Speedy, grandma of Elizabeth Speedy was born.

Mary and brother James Stewart

Mary b. 1833 and brother James b. 1845

On the 1860 census the family was in Jefferson, Green County, Wisconsin. They lived on a farm. On any census recording occupation William was a farmer. Their neighbors were also farmers, most from Pennsylvania, a couple from Ohio, Ireland and New York. In 1860 sons Thomas, William, James and Jeffrey and daughter Elizabeth were with their parents. Oldest daughter Mary -in the photo- was married to William Royer and oldest son John was married to Martha Graham, all lived and farmed in Jefferson, Wisconsin too.

On the 1870 census William was in Shell Rock, Iowa with wife, daughter Elizabeth and son James. William was still farming. All of his children, spouses and grandkids stayed in Shell Rock or the Butler County area except youngest son James – in the photo- and his wife Anne Elliot who went further west to Nebraska. In 20 years time William and Elizabeth traveled at least 700 miles across the country, maybe common today, but in their time kind of incredible. William died at age 70, in 1874 and is buried at Riverside Cemetery in Shell Rock. There are 25 Stewart memorials in Riverside Cemetery, of those 15 are proven in this same Stewart family, the remaining 10 may be somehow related.

Pennsylvania to Iowa

Sources
1850, 60, 70 and 1900 US censuses at FamilySearch.
Google map, Allegheny County, PA to Shell Rock IA
Find a grave memorial https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83687033

Elizabeth Stewart b. 1852

/ Kirstin Miller

Elizabeth Stewart, my 2nd great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Elizabeth Stewart was born on January 15, 1852 the youngest child of William and Elizabeth Crooks Stewart. She grew up on a farm in Crawford County, Pennsylvania then in 1860 Elizabeth and her family had moved to Jefferson, Wisconsin. In 1870 Elizabeth was in Shell Rock, Iowa and 18 years old. There on July 4, 1873 she married Manford Speedy, he was a widow with 2 kids. Together Elizabeth and Manford had 7 kids, 3 died at a young age. Elizabeth, Manford and kids lived on a 160 acre farm that included lots of livestock, 14 acres of grassland, 3 acres of apple trees and 10 acres of forest.

Elizabeth belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. On the 1895 census her family has 3 religions, Elizabeth is a Methodist, Manford a Baptist, daughters Eva and Ethel Congregationalists. By 1905 Elizabeth and family had moved from their farm to nearby Allison, Iowa. Her oldest step daughter Annette was married and in Springbrook, Wisconsin, stepson Oscar was in Stockton, California, two daughters Eva and Ethel and 2 sons Harve and Ernest lived at home.

Elizabeth had health problems in her later years and died in 1905, she was 53 and the cause of death was ‘rheumatism’. Elizabeth’s funeral was at the Methodist Episcopal Church, “The funeral was conducted from the Methodist church with a verse from Corinthians selected by Mrs. Speedy:

“For now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face”. Bible verse: 1 Corinthians 13:12 (King James Version) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

Sources

  • Clarksville (Iowa) Star, 1872-2017 1904 Nov 16 page 4 of 8 column 2, 3. Death of Mrs. Speedy
  • 1880 US Agricultural Census at Ancestry
  • 1860 United States Federal Census at Ancestry
  • 1895 Iowa census at FamilySearch
  • Iowa county marriages 1838-1934 at FamilySearch
  • Iowa death records 1904-1951 at FamilySearch

Samuel Druckenbrod b. 1833

/ Kirstin Miller

Samuel Druckenbrod 3rd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.

Samuel was born in Pennsylvania on May 6, 1833. He was baptized July 14, 1834 in the German Lutheran church at Warwick, PA. Samuel’s great grandpa Matthias was probably the first of his family in America, arriving in the early 1700s during upheaval in Germany and William Penn’s German communities in Pennsylvania. By 1850 his family had moved west to Plain City in Stark County, Ohio.

Samuel married Elizabeth Harter Bair in Stark in 1854. Samuel and Elizabeth had 12 kids and they stayed in Stark, Ohio, they were farmers. On the 1900 US census Samuel and Elizabeth are still farmers. Their son Ivy recorded this census, his name is at the top as ‘enumerator’. In the future Ivy would be superintendent of the Stark County Infirmary. Daughter Fianna Druckenbrod is the only child to move from Ohio. Fianna moved to Bremer County, Iowa with her husband William L. Miller, also from Stark, Ohio, grandparents of Faber Miller.

Samuel was a widow in 1902 and he died on February 14, 1905. At his death his home was in Stark, Ohio, he was on a visit to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 35 miles north, where his two daughters Lidia Druckenbrod Crist and Adeline Druckenbrod Miller were living with their families. The area in the 1800 and 1900s provided “recreation for urban dwellers … the Valley Railway became another way to escape urban industrial life”. The Cuyahoga Valley National Park was established in 2000 and has 100 waterfalls, trails, 250 species of birds and more.

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Enno Frerichs b. 1865

/ Kirstin Miller

Enno Henry Frerichs, my 2nd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Enno Frerichs was born January 6, 1865 in East Frisia, Lower Saxony, Germany. Enno was 18 years old when he sailed to America in October, 1883 with his family: dad Casjen, mom Kunna, brother Gerd, sisters Entje and Hilka and older sister Yevkea and her husband Joost Reents. The shipped was named America, it left from Bremen, Germany and landed in Baltimore, Maryland. The passenger list shows their destination was Iowa. Yevkea and Joost had one piece of luggage, the Frerichs family had 4.

Frerichs arrival 1883

Arrival in Baltimore. Iowa was their destination.

Probably through a network of German immigrants and friendly strangers, Enno and family made their way from Baltimore to Butler County, Iowa- 1000 miles total. Imagine that journey. The Frerichs family set up their home in Jefferson Township, between Allison and Parkersburg, Iowa. They cleared land, built houses, barns, fences, planted gardens and fields and their community of German Americans built a church, Ebenezer Lutheran Church.

Frerichs, Enno and Annie

Enno and Annie Hinrichs Frerichs

Enno married Annie Henrichs on May 26, 1890 in the Ebenezer Lutheran Church. 50 years into the future on May 30, 1940 Annie and Enno celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends. Enno and Annie’s 10 kids attended, all were in the area, furthest away was daughter Martina, married to Hobart Vance,  they lived in Dallas County, Iowa.

Enno died in 1944 and is buried in Butler Center Cemetery, very near where Ebenezer Lutheran Church used to be.

Sources

Mary Ella Gaines b. 1855

/ Kirstin Miller

Mary Ella Gaines, my 2nd great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Gaines, Mary Ella photoMary Ella was born June 3, 1855 in Bremer County, Iowa to William Gaines of New York and Sarah Swain of Illinois. Mary Ella grew up near Janesville, Iowa. She was the oldest of 8 brothers and sisters, three siblings died young. At age 23 Mary Ella married James Miller on November 13, 1878, in Waverly, Iowa. They had 2 boys William and James and the family farmed in Bremer and Butler counties in Iowa. The 1895 Iowa census shows Mary Ella, her husband, her 2 sons, her dad William Gaines, her niece Clara and James’s brother Jacob Miller living in the house. The 1900 US census has Mary Ella, her husband and 2 sons, James’s brother Jacob and another niece Jeanette Gaines. Both nieces were daughters of Mary Ella’s brother William and wife Virginia Gaines from Minnesota.

Lewis and Clark expo 1905Mary Ella’s dad, a brother and 2 sisters moved west to Junction City, Oregon about 50 miles south of Portland. In 1905 Mary Ella and James visited Junction City and attended the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland. The Expo lasted 4 months, had more than 1 million visitors and took close to 3 years to build.

Mary Ella was an artist, and one of her paintings survives. According to a note written by her grandson, “The pond was on their farm near Janesville, Iowa. The tree leaning over the pond was a Honey Tree (partially hollow with bee hives in it).”

Sources

Elizabeth Crooks b. 1810

/ Kirstin Miller

Elizabeth Crooks 3rd great grandma on RootsMagic tree

Elizabeth was born in Pennsylvania on May 3 1810, the daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Jeffrey Crooks. Elizabeth’s mom died when she was 7 and her dad remarried. In 1830, Elizabeth married William Stewart, also of Pennsylvania. They lived in French Creek, PA 30 miles east of Lake Erie, on the western edge of Pennsylvania. Elizabeth’s dad died in 1849 and in his will he named each of his children, Elizabeth and her sisters each inherited $100.

On the 1850 census Elizabeth was still in French Creek, Pennsylvania on a farm, she and William Stewart had 6 kids, ages 2 to 17 years old. On the 1860 census Elizabeth and family have moved 500 miles west to Jefferson, Green County Wisconsin. On the 1870 US census Elizabeth had moved 200 miles further west to Shell Rock, Butler County, Iowa. Elizabeth was 60, her husband William 65. Their 2 younger children James 24 and Elizabeth 18 were in the home, James and William farmed. Elizabeth was a widow in 1874 and on the 1880 census was living with daughter Elizabeth who had married Manford Speedy and their family. They all lived near Allison, Iowa.

Elizabeth Crooks died September 26, 1887 and had an obituary in the local newspaper, “Shell Rock, Mrs. Elizabeth Stewart, mother of J.W. and William Stewart of this place, died at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. M.B. Speedy at Allison, Monday evening, September 26th, at the ripe old age of 77 years, 4 months, and 23 days. She was buried in the cemetery at this place on the following Wednesday”. She is buried at Riverside Cemetery in Shell Rock, Iowa.

Sources

Jacob Miller b. 1808

/ Kirstin Miller

Jacob Miller, my 3rd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Jacob was born in 1808 in Virginia, not much is proven about his childhood or parents. On April 18, 1833 in Jackson, Ohio he married Sarah Davis, also from Virginia. Sarah’s siblings were in Jackson too. Jacob and Sarah had their first child in Ohio then moved to Elkhart, Indiana and had 9 more kids. On the 1840 and 1850 US censuses, Jacob and his family farmed in Baugo Township, 50 miles east of Lake Michigan, near Elkhart and South Bend, Indiana. In 1850, Jacob and Sarah’s oldest daughter Mary married Moses Mitchell. Moses and his family were from New York, neighbors to the Millers. Mary and Moses moved to Chickasaw County, Iowa after their marriage. 

Jacob died in 1854 at age 46 and there’s a pretty good chance he was hit by a train after a night of drinking. The Peru (Indiana) Wabash Valley Olio newspaper of January 13, 1854 shows detail.

This newspaper of Miami County, Indiana named intoxication, “the scourge of mankind”, as the cause of death. In 1854 the temperance movement was pretty well established in America. Maine passed the first prohibition law in 1847. The movement blamed immigrants and industrialization, big cities and alcohol for the moral decline spreading across the country.

At Jacob’s death, his widow Sarah, with 8 kids still at home, decided to move 400 miles west to Iowa, where her daughter Mary Mitchell and family lived. Jacob and Sarah’s kids set up homes in California, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington.

Sources

  • 1850 US Census at FamilySearch
  • Public Ancestry photo “LanceL_Ferris originally shared this 24 Dec 2013”.
  • Newspaper Archive, Cedar Rapids Public Library, Peru (Indiana) Wabash Valley Olio 1854 Jan 13

George Flood b. 1860

/ Kirstin Miller

George Flood 3rd great uncle on RootsMagic

George was born March 8, 1860, the 3rd of 7 children, of William and Delia Angell Flood. He was born in Butler County, Iowa and grew up on a farm near Shell Rock, the former Lowtown area. In 1862 George’s dad William went off to the Civil War. William came back in 1865, farmed and was a blacksmith. George picked up blacksmith skills from his dad and on census records his occupation was blacksmithing.

In 1886 George married Lucy Lewis, they lived in Aurora, South Dakota. Their 2 kids Clyde and Edith were born there. George and family were back in Iowa in 1900 and on the US census that year George is a blacksmith, Lucy a housewife and both kids are in school. They live at 27 Locust Street in Allison, Iowa. Their neighbors are from Iowa, Connecticut, the Dakotas, England, Germany, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin; and are farmers, a furniture and hardwire merchant, laborer, lawyer, meat dealer, music teacher, peddler, printer’s apprentice, postmaster and servant. George and Lucy stayed in Allison, Butler County, Iowa. George’s sister Nettie lived with them family for several years. George was the administrator of his uncle Charles Angell’s estate along with Leander Angell, Charles’s son, George’s cousin.

George’s daughter Edith married Roy Rathbone, they lived in Sumner, Iowa. George, his sisters Nettie and Matilda Flood Mockford visited Edith and family in August, 1928 and brought George’s granddaughter Lucy Rathbone back to Allison for a week long visit. George’s son Clyde signed up for World War 1 in August, 1917. Clyde was in the 93rd Aero Squadron and returned home March, 1919, worked on a turkey farm and married Mayme. George lived with Clyde and Mayme in his later years after his wife Lucy’s death.

George died in 1936, his obituary from the Clarksville, Iowa newspaper May 28, 1936: “George Flood, a pioneer resident of the vicinity died at the home his son Clyde at Mason City last Wednesday afternoon, He had been in failing health for a long time. Funeral services were held at the Whitaker Funeral Home at Dumont Friday afternoon with members of the IOOF lodge of which Mr Flood was a member, taking part. Burial was in Lowell Cemetery beside his wife, Beside his son Clyde he is survived by a daughter Mrs Roy Rathbone of Sumner and three sister Mrs Matilda Mockford of Allison, Mrs Eunice Culver of Detroit Michigan and Mrs Tena Lotts of Sebastopol, Calif.”.

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