b. 1800

Napoleon Fries b. 1856

/ Kirstin Miller

Napoleon Fries 2nd great uncle on RootsMagic tree.

Napoleon Fries was born in 1856, in Kentucky to Charles and Emma Fries. HIs middle initial is B, middle name could have been Bonaparte. Napoleon had a sister Josephine and brother William. Their mom Emma died around 1870, when Napoleon was 14. His dad Charles married Mary, a widow with 2 kids. Charles and Mary had 5 kids together so Napoleon had 9 sisters and brothers.

Around 1875, Napoleon married Etta, they had 3 daughters and a son: Minnie, George, Josie and Emily. They lived in Kentucky and Illinois until 1891 when Napoleon was in a Denver, Colorado city directory. City directories gave a person’s address – no phones or phone numbers then- and sometimes their job. When Napoleon first moved to Denver he was a car cleaner. Then, a conductor, a brick layer, a motorman and a guard at the county jail for several years.

Fries, Napoleon worked at Denver County Jail

Denver County Jail

Napoleon’s first address was 55 S 11th, he lived there for a couple years then by 1920 moved to 549 Kalamath where he and his family lived for 20 years. At the S 11th address then and today there are businesses on the street level and apartments above. At the 549 Kalamath address today is a huge storage unit business, across the street are a few remaining cute family homes from the 1920s.

The 1930 census shows Napoleon owned this home, valued at $3800. In the home were Napoleon, his wife Etta and their daughter Josie with her husband James, a railroad worker. On the 1940 census Napoleon is in the same home- his wife, daughter and son in law had died. Napoleon died in 1942. He, his wife, daughter and son in law share a headstone at Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Jefferson, Colorado. A cemetery record shows Napoleon as a Woodman of the World, his son in law James was a Mason.

Sources

Annette Speedy b. 1868

/ Kirstin Miller

Annette Speedy 2nd aunt on RootsMagic tree

Annette Constance Speedy was born in 1868 in Shell Rock, Iowa, the 4th child of Manford and first wife Ann Coates Speedy. Ann with Annettes oldest 2 siblings had died by 1869, so Annette, age 2 on the 1870 census  lived with her dad Manford, older brother Oscar, and grandpa William Speedy; her grandma Fidelia, aunts Juliet, Mary and uncle Edwin Coates. 8 people Speedys and Coates, ranging from 2 years to 80 years old in the home. By 1873 Manford married Elizabeth Stewart and they had children, three sons, three daughters. Annette, at some point moved in with Mary Jane Stewart and her husband Henry Wagonseller Royer in Bristow for a few years. Henry and Mary Jane had 4 sons. While living in Bristow Annette met then married Sherman Grove on August 1, 1889. Henry and Mary Jane were witnesses on Annette’s marriage record. The marriage was in Manford and Elizabeth Stewart Speedy’s home.

Speedy, Annette and Sherman Grove 1889 marriage

“Sherman Grove and Miss Nettie Speedy were married last Thursday at the home of the bride near Allison. The young couple are well known here, Miss Nettie having lived in WW Royer’s family for several years, Sherman having grown from boyhood to manhood here is known to be very industrious, upright young man. They have the best wishes of all who know them.”

Annette and Sherman had eight children, they named their first son Manford. During certain years the State of Iowa had to issue ‘Delayed Birth Records’ because of a mix up in record keeping and those born had to supply proof of birth and a witness. Annette’s brother Harve was a witness on these records, uncle to Annette and Sherman’s kids. In 1903 Annette and family left Bristow for Springbrook, Wisconsin, about 50 miles south of Lake Superior. They settled in Earl, Wisconsin. Then and today the  Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad runs straight through the town https://spoonertrainride.com/

Annette came back to Allison for visits and for her dad’s funeral in 1914.  In 1915 her sisters Eva and Ethel with their husbands took an auto trip to Wisconsin. Annette died September 3, 1935 the Clarksville newspaper carried her obituary. Her sisters Eva and Ethel attended the funeral. Annette and Sherman are buried in Earl Cemetery in Earl, Wisconsin.

Source, Clarksville (Iowa) Star newspaper
1889 Aug 8 page 5 of 8 column 4 mid way, Annette and Sherman marriage
1903 Mar 12 page column 1 mid bottom, Annette moves to Springbrook WI.
1916 Jul 20 page column 2 mid top, Eva and Ethel visit Annette
1935 Sep 19 page 5 of 8 column 6 mid way

Fianna Druckenbrod b. 1854

/ Kirstin Miller

Fianna Druckenbrod, my 2nd great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Fianna Druckenbrod photo

Fianna Druckenbrod photo

Fianna was born in Stark County, Ohio the 2nd of 12 kids of Samuel and Elizabeth Bair Druckenbrod. Fianna grew up in Stark, where her parents’ families were pioneers, and well known: Bair, Harter, Druckenbrod, Malone. At age 16 in 1870 Fiana lived with her grandparents George and Margaret Malone Bair, she’s listed as a ‘servant’ on the census.

On September 5, 1857 Fianna married William Miller, also from a family of pioneers and well known in Stark, Ohio but recently moved to Bremer County, Iowa. William and Fianna were married in Stark, then moved to Bremer County. They farmed and had 7 kids. Fianna and her father in law Peter Miller would travel to Stark, Ohio in the summers for their family reunions. By 1905 Fianna and William moved to Amery, Wisconsin near their grown sons Frank and Sam. Fianna died in 1923 and is buried in Andrews Cemetery outside Waverly about 3 miles east of Cedar Bend County Park and the Cedar River, right in between Horton and Waverly, Iowa.

Druckenbrods visit GreeneFianna had a brother Ivy Druckenbrod who married Elta and they had a son Faber Druckenbrod. Elta and Faber Druckenbrod, with Faber’s finance Grace, all from Stark, Ohio visited Greene, Iowa on September 29, 1939. In Greene, the Druckenbrods stayed with Fianna’s daughter Lola and her husband Willam Miller. Lola and William’s son Faber and his wife Gladys Cable Miller would have visited with their Druckenbrod relatives, probably a dinner on Friday night.

Sources

Richard Mockford b. 1856

/ Kirstin Miller

Richard Mockford, my 2nd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Richard Mockford was born September 21, 1856 in Monroe County, New York about 10 minutes south of Lake Ontario, 30 minutes or so east of Niagara Falls. He lived in the area until his 20s . At age 24 he was in Dubuque, Iowa, a mail carrier. At age 26 on March 2, 1883, he married Matilda Flood in Butler County, Iowa. He and Matilda had 2 daughters Lucy and Philippa and a son Harley who died at age 1. Richard farmed through his 50s.

Richard Mockford photo

Richard Mockford photo

February 28,1907 maybe as a birthday party for Matilda born on February 26, “Mr. and Mrs. Mockford were completely surprised Friday evening, when a party of their neighbors and friends dropped in on them in a body to spend the evening. Though surprised, they were equal to the occasion, and very gladly joined in to make the evening a most enjoyable one. After participating in games and various amusements for a time, a dainty lunch was served and when tho guests departed for their several homes, we can say on good authority that it was not a very early hour.”

In June, 1908 Richard and his brother in law George Flood with their families attended the Decoration Day services at Lowell Cemetery in Clarksville. William Flood, the dad of George and Matilda and father in law of Richard, was buried at Lowell and was a soldier in the Civil War.

In 1909, at age 52 Richard was hired as janitor and groundskeeper at the courthouse in Allison, county seat of Butler County. In addition to keeping up the building and grounds he was also the jailer, bailiff and more. In 1909 a man Win Bucknell of Greene was arrested for murder. Bucknell was in love with his housekeeper, she threatened to leave, he killed her then shot himself but the bullet was stopped by his watch chain. The gun fell to the floor, his wife picked up the gun, threw it out the window and screamed for help. Bucknell was sent to the Butler County Jail, Richard’s jail. While waiting for his trial Bucknell worked with Richard on the courthouse grounds.

The Clarksville (Iowa) Star newspaper on July 1 1909, ” R.J. Mockford has trimmed the trees leading to the court house and they present a beautiful and uniform appearance.” The postcard shows his skills.

Butler County Courthouse Courthousehistory.com

Butler County Courthouse via Courthousehistory.com

Richard returned to NY a couple times, once in 1901 to visit his family, “nineteen years have made a great change in his home state”. Will Angell, cousin of Matilda Flood Mockford, helped with chores while Richard was away. In April of 1905, Richard was called to NY, his dad Henry was very ill. Henry died in 1905, Richard was there in NY for the funeral.

Richard died in 1910 and is buried at Lowell Cemetery. His obituary was in the Clarksville Star newspaper October 10.

“Allison Citizen Dies. Well Known Citizen of Lowtown at One Time. Richard J. Mockford, a prominent resident of Allison and for a long time a resident of Lowtown, died on October 8, 1910, after having been ill for about six weeks. He was born near Camden, N. Y., Sept. 21, 1856, being a few days over 54 years of age at the time of his death.
On March 20th, 1883 he was united in marriage with Miss Tillie Flood and shortly afterwards they engaged in farming just south of Clarksville where they continued to reside until about five years ago when they moved to Allison. Two daughters were born to this family [Lucy] Mrs. Robt. Smith of near Allison, and Miss Philippa who with the wife are left to mourn the death of husband and father. Mr. Mockford was custodian of the court house and grounds and had in this way established a very wide acquaintance throughout the county. His circle of friends included all his acquaintances.
The funeral was held at the Congregational church at Allison on Monday Oct. 10th, at ten o’clock, conducted by Rev E. Chapman of Owatonna, Minn who in years gone by had been a neighbor of the deceased. The Woodsmen order were in charge of the services and observed the ritualistic rights. The body was brought to the Lowell Cemetery south of town for interment.”

Sources

  • Clarksville (Iowa) Star Newspaper via Clarksville, Iowa public Library Digital Archives. June 4, 1908 page 4 of 8 column 1 mid top Decoration Day services at Lowell  January 17, 1901 returned from NY visit . October 13, 1910 obituary . July 1, 1909 Nicely trimmed trees at the courthouse
  • 1875 New York Census
  • US Censuses
  • Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934
  • Courthousehistory.com a historical look at our nation’s county courthouses through postcards. Courthouse History is a website maintained by Keith Vincent who collects postcards of courthouse across the county and takes photos of courthouses across the country. There are 5 photos of the courthouse in Allison, Iowa, Richard Mockford’s workplace including those trees out front. Vincent, Keith. Courthousehistory.com, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2016. Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved, used with permission. http://courthousehistory.com/gallery/states/iowa/counties/butler

Sarah Ann Davis b. 1819

/ Kirstin Miller

Sarah Davis, my 3rd great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Sarah Davis was born in Virginia, probably to Pleasant and Sarah Horton Davis, the 6th of 7 kids. On April 18, 1833 in Jackson, Ohio Sarah married Jacob Miller. Sarah’s siblings were in Jackson, Ohio too, and possibly her mom. Sarah and Jacob had one child Mary, in Ohio, then moved to Elkhart, Indiana. They farmed and had 9 more kids.

Miller, Jacob and Sarah Ann Davis
Jacob and Sarah Davis Miller, public photo on Ancestry

Sarah’s husband Jacob died in 1854, the same year their 9th child was born. On the 1860 Sarah lived and farmed in Elkhart, Indiana, a widowed mom, 46 years old with 5 younger kids at home. Jake was the oldest, he farmed, the younger kids, aged 14 to 8 years old attended school.

On the 1870 census Sarah and children lived in Black Hawk County, Iowa, near Janesville and the Cedar River, closer to older daughter Mary and her family in Nashua, Iowa. On the 1880 census Sarah had real estate, a farm, valued at $1700, her son William and granddaughter Ellen Mitchell lived with her. Sarah’s neighbors were farmers, carpenters, a physician, a teacher and day laborers; born in New York, California, England, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Sarah died April 8, 1888 at age 74 and is buried at Oakland Cemetery in Janesville, Iowa.

Sarah Horton Davis, Sarah’s mom has a published family history, A tabulation of the descendants of Joseph Horton : a soldier of the American Revolution. Sarah is not mentioned in this book, her siblings are. The book was published in 1873 then updated in 1929. It’s a leap, but I think probable that this Sarah and her sons named Pleasant and Horton in the same locations, same time, is a daughter of Pleasant and Sarah Horton Davis. I think it’s not a proven fact, but probable.

Sources

Lora Fries b. 1875

/ Kirstin Miller

Lora Fries 2nd great aunt on RootsMagic tree.

Lora was born in September 1875 in Kentucky, the first daughter of Charles Fries and Mary Moore. Charles and Mary were both widowed and had children from their first marriages, Lora was the 4th child in their shared family. Lora grew up in Cave In Rock, Illinois right on the Ohio River across from Kentucky. In the late 1700s Cave In Rock attracted frontier outlaws: bandits, pirates and highwaymen. By 1850 church services were held inside the big cave. Current population of the town is about 350.

Cave In Rock, Illinois postcard

Cave In Rock, Illinois postcard

Lora married John Wesley Jackson on October 4, 1899. She and John stayed in Cave In Rock and had 2 sons and 2 daughters Their son Millard was a Major in the US Army, he lived in Maine, New York, New Hampshire and Virginia; was posted in the Philippines and other locations. Their son Russell may have died young. Their daughter Pearl married Roy Perry of Greene, Iowa who worked with his cousin Ewing Lambert in Des Moines. The youngest daughter Marion “Effie” married William Padon and stayed in touch with her aunt Mary Fries Lambert Cable and cousin Gladys Cable Miller and visited Greene, Iowa several times. One visit in the Iowa (Greene) Recorder August 24, 1924, “Mrs Wm [Effie] Padon and little son left Friday, for her home in Paducah, Ky, She has been here for some time, visiting her sister, Mrs Roy [Pearl] Perry and family, and an aunt, Mrs Wm [Mary] Cable and family”.

Lora Fries  and John Jackson’s death date are unknown. Lora’s sisters and brother Millard lived into the 1950s and 60s, Lora probably did too.

Sources

Mary Walters b. 1848

/ Kirstin Miller

Mary Walters 3rd great grandma on RootsMagic tree.
Mary was born July 4, 1848 in Hanover, Germany. On August 17, 1872 she sailed to America, landed in New York with her husband Martin Wisbar and 2 daughters Anna and Lena. The Wisbar family was in Illinois for a few years then in Butler County, Iowa by 1895. The Plat book of Butler County, Iowa 1895 shows the Wisbar land, Mary and Martin lived in Monroe Township on 148 acres. Next to their farm was a cemetery, still there, Monroe Township Cemetery. The nearby German Lutheran Church and schoolhouse are most likely gone.

Wisbar, M 1895 land

Mary and Martin’s land 1895

Mary and Martin had 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls. Martin died in 1912 Mary lived until 1918. She had moved to Waterloo and was living with her son Louis. Mary’s obituary was in the November 4, 1918 Waterloo Evening Courier and provides detail on her marriage, arrival in America and Lutheran Church membership. The obituary also lists her daughters- by their married names: [Anna] Mrs. F. J. Meyer, Farnhanville, Ia.; [Lena] Mrs. John Roose, Allison, [Sophia] Mrs. I. C. Parker, Miss Emma; her son Louis, and a “sister. Mrs. William Pohlman” no further details on the sister. Mary is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Parkersburg, there is a group of Wisbar headstones and about 20 feet away Casjen and Kuna Frerichs. Mary’s grandson George Roose married the Frerichs’s granddaughter Mary and had a son Stanley Roose.

Wisbar, Lena and Roose grandchild

Lena Wisbar and Roose grandchild

Sources

  • Newspaper Archive, Cedar Rapids Public Library, 1918 Nov 4 Waterloo Evening Courier page 7 of 10 column 4 bottom 5 top. CR Library card required to view.
  • Plat book of Butler County, Iowa 1895 at University of Iowa Digital Libraries, page 27, image 18 of 37 square 1
  • 1895 Iowa census database at FamilySearch.
  • New York passenger lists 1820-1891 database at FamilySearch.
  • Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180799561 .

Obed Gaines b. 1820

/ Kirstin Miller

Obed Gaines 4th great uncle on RootsMagic Tree 

Obed was the son of of Obed and Leydia Connable Gaines. He was a triplet with Abigail and Leydia Gaines, they were all born in 1820 in northern New York. This Gaines family moved west steadily and by 1840 they were in Lagrange, Indiana. In 1856 on the Iowa census Obed, siblings William and Leydia, with their dad are in Bremer County, Iowa where Obed married Lucretia Cross on February 16, 1859. Obed and Lucretia stayed in Iowa for awhile. Both Obed and his younger brother William were postmasters in Bremer County. “Along about 1857, during the Buchanan administration, a postoffice had been established in the township, called Polk. Aug. 13, 1861 … succeeded by W. N. Gaines, who distributed the mail from his residence on section 18. At this time the name was changed to Syracuse. Gaines retained the office of postmaster until succeeded by his brother, Obed Gaines, who lived on the same section and kept the office at his home” from History of Bremer County, Iowa. Obed registered for the Civil War on July 1, 1863, he was not drafted. On the 1880 census Obed and his family were in Wadena, Minnesota near nephew William Gaines Jr, son of Obed’s brother William.

Obed and Lucretia moved out to Salem Oregon in March 1903, a daughter Minnie was already living there along with Obed’s brother William and 2 of William’s daughters. Obed was a widow in 1904. On the 1910 census he was living with his daughter Minnie and grandson also named Obed. Obed died in May 11 1910, both he and Lucretia are buried in City View Cemetery in Salem, Marion County, Oregon.

Gaines, Obed obituary newspaper clipping

Sources

  • Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49904426
  • 1860 Us Census Polk, Bremer County Iowa
  • U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865, Iowa 3rd Vol 3 of 3 page 149 penciled in image 300 of 935
  • History of Bremer County, Iowa: a record, Page 203 Post Office
  • Salem, Marion County, Oregon US Historical Postcard screenshot, source on Ancestry, undated probably 1910 or so.
  • A shared source on Ancestry, Statesman Journal newspaper snapshot, Salem, Oregon, 13 May 1910, Fri, Page 5

Kurnie Reents b. 1884

/ Kirstin Miller

Kurnie Johanna Reents 1st cousin 3x removed on RootsMagic tree.

Kurnie Reents was the oldest child of Joost and Yevkea Frerichs Reents. Kurnie was born June 15, 1884, 7 months after her parents sailed from Bremen, Germany to America.  Kurnie grew up in West Point, Butler Iowa. She had 5 brothers and sisters. Kurnie’s mom and 3 of her siblings had died by 1891, probably part of the flu pandemic. Kurnie was 15 when her mom died, she would have stepped up and helped with housework and cared for  her younger brother and sister. Kurnie’s grandma, Kuna would have helped out too.

Within a year or 2 Kurnie’s family moved to Kossuth, Iowa where Kurnie’s dad Joost remarried, then in 1910 the family was in Kilborn, South Dakota, they farmed.  Kurnie married Christian Dockter on September 19 1906, they had a family and farmed in Millbank, South Dakota. Kurnie lived to age 95, her newspaper obituary is at Find  Grave with a photo. Her siblings Jennie and Casjen stayed in South Dakota too, they married, had kids and farmed.

When Kurnie and her family moved away Kuna Frerichs would have given her granddaughter Kurnie a photo to take with her, to remember her Frerichs grandparents. The photo of Kuna and Casjen Frerichs is shared on Ancestry showing Kuna and Casjen, in Parkersburg. Written on the back probably in Kurnie’s handwriting “Grandfather and Grandmother Casjen Frerichs”.

Sources

  • Iowa county births 1880-1935 database at FamilySearch 
  • South Dakota, Marriages, 1905-2016 at Ancestry 
  • Find a Grave memorial with obituary and photo https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/30336858 
  • FamilySearch.org Iowa County Births 1880-1935 Kurnie born 1884, 4th on list with parents

Mary Louisa Swain b. 1841

/ Kirstin Miller

Mary Louisa Swain 4th great aunt on RootsMagic tree

Mary Swain was born December 5, 1841 in Lake, Illinois. She was the third child of Benjamin and Polly Howard Swain. When Mary’s dad Benjamin died her mom Polly remarried and the family moved to Chickasaw, Iowa. In Chickasaw on March 10, 1858 Mary married John Butler of New York.

Butler, John public photo on Ancestry

John Butler shared photo

On August 12, 1862 Mary’s husband enlisted in the Civil War. On September 9, he joined the 27th Iowa Infantry Company G. On February 27, 1864 Mary’s brother William enlisted and March 21, William joined the 27th Iowa Infantry with his brother in law. William died in September of 1864 in Memphis, Tennessee at Fort Pickering. He is buried in the military cemetery that General Sherman established in 1862. Mary’s husband went on to become a Captain of the 27th Iowa Infantry Company G and mustered out August 8, 1865 four months after the end of the war.

Swain, Mary Louise photo shared on Ancestry

Mary Louise Swain shared photo

After the war Mary, John and their children were living in Pleasant Grove Iowa in 1870, Mary kept house, John farmed. In 1880 the family was in Wadena, Minnesota near Mary half brothers, the Montgomerys. In 1900 Mary and family were in Lane, Oregon living on a farm in Richardson Township on the east edge of Oregon, near Siuslaw National Forest. Some of Mary’s Gaines family cousins were already in the area. Mary died in 1905, John in 1923 both are buried in Franklin Cemetery in Franklin, Lane County, Oregon.
Sources