Jesse and Ellen Spencer Wesley C. Splittgerber
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from Iowa Central Community College. They farm My grandparents left the farm to live in town near Plover, Iowa. when my Uncle Kenneth was married and took over Craig W. Spear graduated from Pocahontas the operation of the farm in 1914. Horseshoe and High School in 1978, and graduated from North croquet were the games they liked to play outside, western Electronic Institute, Minneapolis, Minn, in and the care of their lawn was a pride and joy of my 1980. He lives in New Brighton, Minn. grandfather. He usually had pet squirrels too. My grandfather died in 1933 and my grandmoth JESSE AND ELLEN SPENCER er in 1935. Both are buried in the Clinton-Garfield cemetery at Rolfe. Submitted by Maribeth Squires Ellen Augusta Carlson was born in North Hen Bones (Granddaughter) derson, Illinois to August and Matilda Carson on July 16, 1885. She spent her childhood and young BENJAMIN AND MARY adult years there, and received her education at rural schools there. She was baptized and confirmed STALLCUP at the Swedish Lutheran Church. She came with her Benjamin Franklin Stallcup was born in Grant family to Pocahontas County, Fonda, Iowa in 1980. Park, Illinois on April 23, 1861. He came to Iowa in Jesse James Spencer was born in Waynesville, Ruth and Wesley Splittgerber April of 1881, and on February 14,1889, he married Illinois on August 26, 1883 to Emma and James Mary Jane (Jenny) Rein in Kankakee, Illinois. Spencer. His mother died at a young age. His father On February 22, 1920, we were married and They came to Iowa and made their home two miles and family came to Fonda, Iowa when Jesse was a moved to a 147 acre farm in Dover township. To this west and one mile south of Gilmore City in 1893, young man. He helped his father raise the family as union four children were born: Grace Byrdine, then moved across the section to the northwest 80 of he was the oldest of six children. Ronald Raymond, Marjorie Helen, and Betty Lou section 3-91-31. ise. We have 20 grandchildren and 4 step-grandchil A son, Emmet Frank, was born on April 8, 1884 dren. Betty succumbed to cancer in 1980 at the age and grew through childhood on the farm. In 1918 of 49. Emmet went to the United States Army during Ruth was born and raised in our capital city of World War I. When he returned to the farm, he Des Moines, but enjoyed the life on the farm even built a house and then married Roxy A. Colburn though it involved hard work and no household from Pocahontas on December 23, 1919. They had conveniences until many years later. She served as a son, Emmet Clark, on August 11, 1922, and a 4-H leader of Dover Do-ers girls club for 15 years. daughter Rosebud, born July 30, 1926. Benjamin Was a life member of United Methodist Women, Franklin Stallcup died on January 6, 1939 and on American Legion Auxiliary and Dover Peppy Pals. May 28, 1963, Mary Jane (Jenny) Stallcup passed She passed away in 1973. away. A memorable winter was 1934-35, our family On November 20, 1956, Emmet Clark Stallcup contracted scarlet fever and was quarantined for married Marjorie Schulze of Humboldt and lived in two and one half months. We almost lost Marjorie the town of Gilmore City. On July 15, 1964, a and Betty. daughter, Susan Dolores was born and on Septem At present, I live in an apartment in Fonda and ber 23, 1966, a second daughter, Wendy Kay, was am looking forward to my 84th birthday. born to them. In October 1965, Emmet and Marjo rie moved to the Stallcup farm. In December 1975, Emmet Clark, Marjorie, Susan and Wendy moved HARRY KENNETH SQUIRES to Gilmore City, but still intend to keep the Stallcup FAMILY farm in the family. Rosebud Stallcup married Clifford Graves on My grandfather, Harry Kenneth Squires, came June 17, 1949, at Gilmore City, then moved to to Rolfe as a young man from the area of central Grant Park, Illinois in 1951. She and her husband Iowa. He and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Moore, moved back to Iowa in the Bradgate-Humboldt called Mollie Moore, were married in Story County area. They have a daughter, Frances Ann, born on December 1, 1881, by a Rev. S. Hoover. November 28,1951; a son, Robert, born on May 20, Harry originally purchased 40 acres of land from 1955; and a son, Franklin, born on June 23, 1959. the railroad, which was located about two miles Ellen and Jesse Spencer In October 1965, the Graves moved back to south of Rolfe. He had built a small two-room house Illinois in the Grant Park-Momence area. Rosebud on the site. His wife was to arrive by train with the and Clifford Graves reside with their three children Ellen Carlson and Jesse Spencer were married at children in March of 1884. A big snow storm in Momence, Illinois. He has retired from work and Fonda, Iowa on June 29, 1913. To this union were greeted her arrival, the snow was hard packed and Rosebud works at a plant making dairy products. born one son Lloyd, and one daughter, Margueritte the conductor aided her by cutting steps in the snow Frances is working with a book company; Robert is (Mrs. Lloyd Wile) bank at the depot so she could be seen by her at United States Steel; and Franklin is a welder in They farmed until 1944 in Pocahontas County husband, when he came with the sled and team. Chicago Heights making hopper cars for railroads. with the exception of nine years, they farmed in After some years a new house was built. It was In October, 1965, Emmet and Roxy Stallcup Calhoun County. their home for thirty years. They had an orchard, a moved to Humboldt. On July 20, 1970, Emmet They moved in January 1944 to a home and large garden, and a strawberry patch to help keep Frank and on October 14,1971, Roxy Stallcup were acreage which they purchased in Fonda. the food on the table. The land was virgin soil so it laid to rest in Marble Valley Cemetery at Gilmore Mr. Spencer was cemetery sexton at Cedar Cem took many backbreaking years to get it in crops. At City with Frank and Jenny Stallcup. etery for a number of years. the beginning, ponds were everywhere and it was Mr. Spencer passed away in September 1967, and possible to skate on ice as far away as Fonda without Mrs. Spencer passed away in July 1970. They were leaving the ice. After a while the land was tilled and ELDON AND DONNA STALL laid to rest in Cedar Cemetery at Fonda, Iowa. all of the then 120 acres were tillable. The creek FAMILY afforded many hours of fun for building dams, Eldon D. Stall, son of Ralph and Viola Peitzman swimming, fishing, and skating in winter. The creek WESLEY C. SPLITTGERBER Stall, was born near Dallas Center, Iowa, in 1930. also was used as an ice supply for summer. A He attended schools at Waukee, Iowa and gradu Ruth and I came to Pocahontas County to live on building was used just for the cakes of ice that were ated from Iowa State University at Ames. In 1951 a farm following our marriage which was held in the cut in winter from the creek and stored under fresh he married Donna R. Towns of Redfield, Iowa, home of my parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Splitt- sawdust. The Squires had four children, Glenn, daughter of Lyle and Mildred Challberg Towns. gerber. This county was not new to either of us as it Kenneth, Jessie Fae, and Leslie. She was educated in Redfield and attended Grinnell was born and raised on a farm just two miles away. The son Leslie died at the age of two. The other College. They farmed in the Waukee area for eleven I met my wife while she was attending Newell High children grew to adulthood on the farm. All years and became the parents of five children; David School and became a friend of my sister, Esther. attended county school, High School in Rolfe, and in 1953, Diane in 1955, Dan in 1957, Duanein 1959, Upon her graduation, she entered the teaching college at Morningside in Sioux City, Iowa. The and Daryl in 1962. profession. This led her to a country school near my boys often missed school to help in the farming at In 1965 the family moved to a farm they pur family's home. My parents welcomed her with open planting or harvest time, so felt a bit behind the chased one mile south of Palmer, Iowa, in Section 14 arms so that she could be near the school house. others at class time. of Pocahontas County near where Donna's mother 683 .