02nd

Johan Roose b. 1865

/ Kirstin Miller

Johann Roose b. 1865 my 2nd great grandfather on RootsMagic tree

Johann was born April 19, 1865 in Freeport, Illinois, USA the 5th child of Garbrand and Catharina Renistra Roose. Garbrand and Catharina with their 4 kids left East Friesland, Germany and sailed to America, and arrived in New York on August 12, 1862. 

Johann and family are on the 1870 census, they lived in Ogle, Illinois. On the census page at least half of their neighbors are from Germany. Johann and family moved west to Grundy Center, Iowa where they’re on the 1880 census and lived on a farm. Johann owned 80 acres of farmland in 1884 in Pleasant Valley, a township of Grundy County, Iowa.

On March 14, 1888 Johann, now John, married Lena Wisbar in Parkersburg, Iowa then he and Lena moved to Jefferson Township a few miles north. John kept farming, and buying land in Iowa and Nobles, Minnesota. In 1912 John sold his Minnesota land, saying “Iowa land is good enough”.  In 1917 John farmed near Bristow. By 1925 at age 60 he lived in Allison with Lena and their youngest daughter Lela. John died at age 61 on October 18, 1926. A newspaper story tells he visited with friends in Clarksville that morning, returned home and died, suddenly, of a heart attack. He is buried at Allison Cemetery in Allison, Iowa.

Roose, Johan and Lena marry snapshot

Sources

Eliza Frey b. 1823

/ Kirstin Miller

Eliza Frey, my 2nd great grandma on RoostMagic tree.

Eliza was born around 1823 probably in Pennsylvania, and married Jonathan Cable by 1846. Their first son John was born March 22, 1847 in Somerset, Pennsylvania. In 1850 Eliza age 37, husband Jonathan age 44, and sons John age 2 and infant Chancey appear in the 1850 US Census of Jefferson, Greene County, Wisconsin. Eliza Frey has few records, in family history this is known as a “brick wall”.  Eliza’s birthdate, birthplace and place and date of death are unknown or estimated. She’s on the 1850 census and mentioned on son John’s death record and daughter Violet’s marriage record.

screenshot

Sources

  • US Federal census 1850

Jonathan Cable b. 1807

/ Kirstin Miller

Jonathan Cable, my 2nd great grandfather on RootsMagic tree.

Jonathan Cable was born in Pennsylvania around 1807 and married Eliza Frey around 1840 in Somerset, Pennsylvania. By 1850 Jonathan, Eliza and their sons John and Chancey lived in southeast Wisconsin. Jonathan was a millwright. He and Eliza had another son, William and 2 daughters Sarah and Violet. When Eliza died in 1857, Jonathan married Charlotte Knapp.

By 1865 the Cable family lived and farmed in Pleasant Grove, Iowa where records show Jonathan paid taxes on a watch and a melodeon- like an accordion. In 1867 Jonathan and his family were part of the first Methodist congregation in Pleasant Grove, with a pastor visiting the town every 2 weeks or so. Jonathan built the second blacksmith shop in Pleasant Grove, still standing but not used in 1882.

Jonathan and son William’s land is in the 1895 Floyd County Plat Book: Jonathan owned 80 acres and William owned 160 acres of farmland. The 1870 agricultural census shows Jonathan’s farm with 69 acres of improved land, 16 acres of woodland, 2 horses, 5 milch cows, 4 working oxen, 12 swine. The farm produced 436 bushels of spring wheat, 200 bushels of Indian corn 354 bushels of oats, 20 bushels of Irish potatoes, 700 pounds of butter, and 17 tons of hay.

In 1885 Jonathan, Charlotte and William Cable lived on their Pleasant Grove farm with Charlotte’s dad William Knapp, a soldier in the Civil War. Jonathan’s death date and place are unknown. 

Sources:

  • Volume 2 pages 840 and 843, History of Floyd County, Iowa: Chicago: Inter-state publishing co., 1882, at HathiTrust.
  • 1870 Pleasant Grove, Floyd County Iowa, Iowa Non-Population Census Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch.
  • 1885 Pleasant Grove, Floyd County Iowa State Census at Ancestry
  • 1895 Pleasant Grove Township in Plat Book of Floyd County, Iowa at Iowa Digital Library, U of I Libraries.

Lena Wisbar b. 1871

/ Kirstin Miller

Lena Wisbar, my 2nd great grandma on RootsMagic tree.

Lena Wisbar was born in Germany on May 27, 1871, the 2nd daughter of Martin and Mary Walters Wisbar. In 1872 her family sailed from Bremen, Germany to New York, USA. They were in NY on August 17, 1872, then went on to Ela, Lake County, Illinois where on the 1880 census Lena was 9 years old and lived on a farm. By 1885 Lena and family farmed in Parkersburg, Iowa.

On March 14, 1888 Lena married John Roose. Lena and John farmed in Butler County, Iowa. They had seven children and many grandchildren. After farming for 37 years, Lena and John moved to town in 1925. They lived in Allison, Iowa with their youngest daughter Lela, age 18. John died in 1926.

In 1938 and probably other years too, Lena entered her crochet in the Butler County Fair and won ribbons for dining room and bedroom linens. 

Lena died on January 19, 1948, she was 76. Her funeral was at St James Lutheran Church in Allison. She is buried in the Allison cemetery.

Sources

  • 1938 Sep 14 Iowa Recorder, Greene Public Library Digital Resources
  • 1948 Feb 16 Lena’s obituary, Waterloo Daily Courier at Ancestry.com
  • US census at FamilySearch
  • New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891 at FamilySearch.org

William L. Miller b. 1852

/ Kirstin Miller
William L. Miller, my 2nd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree.
William was born in August 1852 in Stark Ohio, his middle name may be Louis. William was the oldest of 7 children of Peter and Esther Young Miller. His family farmed in Ohio and by 1870 when William was 18 they were living on a farm in Bremer County, Iowa.
William kept in touch with Fianna Druckenbrod of Stark Ohio, and they were married on September 5, 1875 in Stark, Ohio.  The newlyweds settled in Bremer County, Iowa, had 7 children and farmed. On the  1880 Iowa agricultural census William’s farm had: 230 tilled acres, 10 acres of meadow, 30 acres of forest, 60 acres of hay, 3 horses, 2 cows, 2 calves, 21 pigs, 15 chickens, 40 acres of Indian corn, 20 acres of oats, 85 acres of wheat, half acre of potatoes.
By 1905 William and Fiana lived in Amery, Wisconsin. William was a teamster and a truck gardener. When Fiana died in 1923 William lived with his son Frank and family in Amery, Wisconsin.
William and Fiana are buried in Andrews Cemetery near Waverly, Iowa. I visited the cemetery in summer, 2017. William and Fiana’s headstone is surrounded by 5’ day lilies.
Headstone Miller, William and Fiana Druckenbrod
Sources at FamilySearch.org
  • Ohio, County Marriages 1789-2013
  • US census records
  • 1880 Iowa agricultural census

Manford Byron Speedy b. 1838

/ Kirstin Miller

Manford Speedy b.1838 on RootsMagic tree

Manford Byron Speedy was born March 18, 1838 in Island Creek, Jefferson County Ohio. His dad William Speedy and mom Elizabeth Glenn were both from Pennsylvania. MAnford lived on a farm with his parents and 5 brothers.  

In 1856, age 18, Manford left Ohio for Shell Rock, Iowa. In 1864 he married Ann Eliza Coats and they had three children. Typhoid fever takes Ann and the youngest daughter’s life around 1869. In 1870 Manford had a farm where he lived with his Coats in-laws, his father William and his and Ann’s children. In 1874 Manford married Elizabeth Stewart and they had 5 children.

The 1870 Agricultural Census shows Manford’s farm production: 160 total acres, 120 acres tilled, 14 acres of grassland, 3/4 acre of potatoes, 3 acres of apple trees. He had 8 milk cows, produced 700 lbs of butter, had 8 other cows with 4 calves dropped, 112 swine and 50 poultry. This poultry produced 250 dozen eggs for the year. 5 cord of wood were also produced.

Manford was known as MB and considered a noble pioneer in the Shell Rock and Allison areas of Butler County, Iowa. He was involved in local politics, he was a sheriff, farmer, general store owner and livestock buyer. Manford ran for Sheriff and was elected in 1877, newspaper articles document the race and who ‘should be made the victim of slander and abuse this fall.’  In September 1877 Manford was endorsed in the local newspaper, a ’tower of strength’. In October 1877 Manford ‘called’ not on the phone but in person at the newspaper offices ‘MB Speedy one of the straight men on the straight Republican ticket for Butler county called last Saturday and exchanged ideas with us on the political topics of the day. Glad to see him’.

So, Manford had a lot going on. Then in 1903 when he was 64 years old, a telephone was delivered to his home. “Our telephone exchange has enlarged somewhat recently, new ‘phones being put in the residence of M.B. Speedy, H.C. Parsons and E.J. Davis.” This was such a big deal it was posted in the local newspaper.

Sources