JEROME - 6 January 1944

The Seymour Herald - 6 January 1944

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  A very interesting watch night service was held at the Methodist church on New Year's Eve.

  The school will open again Jan. 3, after a week's vacation.

  Billy Mincks returned to Centerville Sunday to resume work in the Centerville High School after a week at home.

  Miss Barbara Holland returns Thursday from Burlington, where she had spent a week with friends.

  Phyllis, Betty, Mary Margaret, and Billy Hawkins of Seymour spent the past week at the home of their grandfather, Wm. Hawkins.

  Mrs. John Day, of Promise City, but who is spending the winter in Centerville, spent the holiday vacation with her daughter, Mrs. J. G. Morris and family.

  Word has been received from Harry Sidles who recently entered army service. He is at Camp Blanding, Fla. Without knowing he was there he met Wayne Moore of Jerome who has been there several months.

  The W.S.C.S. met for an all day co-op dinner last Thursday. It was well attended. The hostess were: Mrs. J. G. Morris and Mrs. Peter Sidles, Mrs. Lyda Bollman had charge of devotions and Mrs. J. G. Morris the lesson on Christmas literature.

Lloyd William Norris, 1911-1967

Unionville Republican [MO] - May 1967

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  Lloyd W. Norris, Unionville, Missouri, age 56 years and 24 days, passed away at his home in Unionville, Missouri Saturday, May 27, 1967.

  He was born in Seymour, Iowa May 3, 1911, and was the son of Charles G. and Martha Louisa Elliott Norris, who have preceded him in death.

  On December 20, 1937, he was united in marriage to Edith L. Adamson, at Plattsburgh, Mo., and to this union four children were born. One son, David, of Harris, Mo.; three daughters, Barbara Early of Urbana, Ill., Gale Curry of Iowa City, Ia., and Marsha of Cedar Falls, Ia.; and two granddaughters, Rachel Norris and Joyce Early. Also two brothers, Hobart, who lives north of Unionville, Mo., on the Iowa-Missouri line and Verl, of Cambria, Iowa.

Lloyd William Norris and his wife

Edith Leona Adamson - 1953

  Lloyd was a well known and high respected implement dealer, and has been engaged in this field of endeavor since 1947. He was also one of the largest dealers in IHC trucks in the midwest, and had been recognized for this achievement numerous times. He dealt in stock extensively, farmed successfully, being in business with his son, David, for several years.

Norris Implement Company, Unionville, MO, Early 1950s

  As president of our Putnam County Lake Board, he served this project diligently and untiringly, and with wisdom and foresight of what this held for the future of the residents of this county and surrounding communities, never once faltered in seeking the groundwork laid, and was constantly pursuant toward the goal of completion in an unselfish and determined manner.

  Besides his parents preceding him in death, there was a brother, Boyd. He was a twin of Lloyd's and passed away at the age of 3.

  Funeral services were held Wednesday, May 31st, 1967 at 1:30 p.m., from Comstock Funeral Home, in Unionville, Mo., with Wayne Norris, a nephew of Greenfield, Ia. officiating.

Funeral Card for Lloyd W. Norris

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  The editor sincerely appreciates the contribution of this obituary, funeral card, and pictures to The Jerome Journal by Gale Norris of Unionville, MO.

Hobart Elliott Norris, 1895-1992

Unionville Republican [MO] - February 1992

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  Hobart E. Norris, 96, a resident of Unionville, died Friday, January 31, 1992 at his home.

  The son of Charles and Martha Elliott Norris, he was born October 11, 1895 at Numa, Iowa.

  On November 22, 1919 in Des Moines, Iowa he married Lola Alice Packard and she preceded him in death. Four children were born to this union.

  On June 2, 1960 in Centerville, Iowa he married Elizabeth Atkins and she survives.

  Also surviving are one daughter, Charlene Griswold; two sons, Robert and Verba Norris and Donald and Donna Norris, all of Unionville; ten grandchildren, Ronald Norris, Waterloo, Iowa, Deborah Griswold Roney, Gilroy, Calif., Katharine Lee Mika, Michigan, Randall Griswold, Jean Ann Garten, Paula McCormack, Jeff Norris, Doug Norris, Patricia Carter and Michael Norris, all of Unonville; twenty great-grandchildren, Jessica Miller, Douglas Roney, Andrea Roney, all of Gilroy, Calif., Brandon Bennett, Brant McCormack, Amy McCormack, all of Unionville, Robert Young, Rachelle Mika, Katie Mika, Jacob Mika, Jason Maring, Jennifer Norris, LOea Ann Norris,  Bradley Norris, Joseph Carter, Marty Carter, Wesley Carter, Ronald Norris, Patrick Norris, and Kathrine Norris; five great-great-grandchildren, Justin Miller, David Norris, Sherri Norris, Roberta Norris and Jason Norris; and an adopted sister, Helen Rigger Messersmith.

  He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Howard Norris; three grand-children, David Richard, Robert Norris and Karen Norris; three brothers, Vurl Norris, Lloyd Norris, an infant, Boyd Norris; and a step-son, Ralph Belles.

  He attended elementary school in Numa and graduated from the Seymour High School.

  He enlisted in the U.S. Army in October 31, 1917 [entered service at Chicago, IL*] and served in WWI in France [1 May 1918 to 13 June 1919*]. He was honorably discharged on June 18, 1919 at Mitchell Field, New York [Discharge recorded in Centerville, Appanoose County, IA, on 23 June 1921; Serial No. 783457*] .

  Hobart farmed in Cincinnati, Iowa and later owned the Prospect Dairy in Centerville, Iowa for nine years. He moved to Putnam County in 1941. He retired in 1954 and began spending the winder months in Florida.

  He was a member of Prosperity Lodge #504 A.F. & A.M., Cincinnati, Iowa, Moila Shrine Temple at St. Joseph, Kaaba Shrine in Davenport, Iowa, the American Legion, and a member of Centerville Elks Lodge. Hobart was active for many years in the 4-H clubs and was a member of the school board when West Putnam was formed.

  Funeral services were held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, February 3, 1992 in the Comstock Funeral Home with Evangelist Sammy Valentine officiating. Interment was in the Unionville Cemetery.

  Pallbearers were Doug Norris, Jeff Norris, Dwaine McCormack, David Roney, Paul Mika, Randy Garten and Randall Griswold.

  Vocalist Joy Butler sang In the Garden and Beyond the Sunset accompanied by Shirley Comstock, organist. 

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  The editor sincerely appreciates the contribution of the above obituary to  The Jerome Journal by Gale Norris of Unionville, MO.
  *Information in [ ]s related to his military service from Veteran's Record compiled by American Legion Post #180 in Seymour, IA. 

WWI Veteran Keeps Comrades' Memories Alive

Daily Iowegian - November 1985

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By Denise Mart, City Editor

  Ninety-year-old Hobart Norris, a World War I veteran who likes to tell stories about his tour of duty in France and about his grandfather serving in the Civil War, believes today's young people don't fully understand the significance of Memorial Day.

  "I think there are too many other activities that young people are educated to, instead of going to activities put on by the organizations," Norris said, explaining that many people today look at Memorial Day Weekend as a vacation.

  "We ought to be getting this new generation stimulated to the activities of the older generation, like the Memorial Day Services," he said.

  On Oct. 31, 1917, Norris enlisted in a branch of the United States Army called the Quarter Master Corps.

  "Military service runs in my family.  And I think this (American) flag means more to a man who has served it that to one that didn't," he said.

  During Norris' training in Jacksonville, Fla., he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and was assigned to teaching other enlistees how to ride horses. He said he was given this position because of his experience with horses while growing up on a farm.

  In early 1918, after training ended, Norris was stationed in Saint Nazaire, France. His assignment was evacuating horses from the front line to be taken to a recuperation station near Switzerland. At this station Norris was in charge of giving the horses medical attention and feeding them until they were ready to be re-issued.

  "We had to pay $285 for a horse and a man didn't cost anything, so we had to take care of the horses," he said.

  After the signing of the Armistice agreement on Nov. 11, 1918, Norris was assigned to the dty of closing all final statements of solders who died during a flu epidemnic and were buried at sea, and for soldiers who had died in France.

  He was given a special discharge order in June of 1919 and returned home to farm with his father.

  Norris, who usually represents World War I veterans at Memorial Day Services, said he plans to attend this year's American Legion services on the town square and at Oakland Cemetery.

  On Memorial Day Norris said he likes to reflect on his association with veterans, especially those whom he served with in France.

  "It brings memories of the past, and makes me think I'm one of them," he said.

  He said everyone should think of Memorial Day as a time to "remember the past, remember loved ones and those who served the country."

  Norris lives in Centerville with his wife, Alice, and is actively involved withthe oeration of a 1,260-acre farm in Missouri.

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  The editor sincerely appreciates the contribution of the above article to The Jerome Journal by Gale Norris of Unionville, MO.

Elderly Woman Dies in Seymour House Fire

Associated Press - 5 November 2010

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  Seymour, Iowa -- The Iowa State Fire Marshall has identified an elderly woman who died in a house fire in Seymour.

  State officials said Friday that 86-year-old Genevieve [Rash] Mincks died in the Wednesday blaze in Wayne County. Fire authorities say two people were inside the Seymour home when the fire was found. One person was able to escape from the burning building.

  Officials say first responders found Mincks unresponsive. A cause of death is pending results from an autopsy.

  State officials say the home suffered extensive fire and smoke damage. A cause of the blaze is undetermined but under investigation.

William Washington Elliott, 1845-1927

Past and Present of Lucas and Wayne Counties Iowa

Chicago: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1913

Volume II, Pages 50-53

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     For several years William W. Elliott has lived retired in Seymour and by reason of his high standards of integrity and his honorable and upright life has gained the confidence and esteem of many friends. He is a native of Indiana, born in Morgan county, February 18, 1845, and is a son of Brooks and Martha Elliott, natives of Kentucky. In the early days of his career the father of our subject moved into Indiana and there resided until his death, which occurred when his son William W. was only one month old, and only eight days after the death of his wife. Following the death of his parents, the subject of this review was taken into the home of his sister, Mrs. John Bradley. This family left Indiana in the fall of 1854 and moved into Iowa, locating in Appanoose county, where William W. Elliott attended school. 

He was a lad of sixteen at the outbreak of the Civil war and was, in consequence, unable to enlist until 1863, in which year he joined Company H, Eighth Iowa Cavalry, under command of M. M. Walden. He served until the close of the war and was mustered out at Macon, Georgia, on the 13th of August, 1865, receiving his honorable discharge. During the period of his enlistment he saw active service all the time and once was in the thick of a battle or a skirmish every day for thirty-three consecutive days. He was with Sherman on his Atlanta campaign and at Noonan, Georgia, was wounded in his right leg and his horse was killed under him by the same bullet. He suffered from this wound for ten years. On McCook's raid, which took place on July 30, 1864, Mr. Elliott was captured by the rebels and remained in prison for four months, during which time he was afflicted four times with gangrene in his leg. Mis horse fell upon the leg which was not infected and Mr. Elliott has always been more or less disabled as a result of his injuries. After his discharge he returned to Appanoose county and settled on a farm on the 1st of September, 1865. He carried on general agricultural pursuits until 1896 and then moved into Seymour, where he has since lived retired, with the exception of the years from 1907 to 1911, when he resided in Mt. Pleasant in order to educate his children.

     On April 1, 1866, Mr. Elliott married Miss Amanda S. Manning, a daughter of John and U. B. (Morgan) Manning, natives of Ohio, who came to Iowa in 1850 and to Appanoose county in 1854. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott became the parents of three children: Martha L., who married Charles G. Norris, of Numa, Appanoose county; William, who died in infancy; and Edna Love, who lives at home. They are people of wide charity and practical benevolence and at different times have given a good home to five children who were left orphans. They are devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church and in their lives exemplify the doctrines in which they believe.

     Mr. Elliott has firm faith in the principles of prohibition and gives an active and helpful support to the prohibition party. He keeps in touch with his comrades of fifty years ago through his membership in the Grand Army of the Republic, in which he has attained a place of distinction. He has twice been commander of William Kellogg Post, No. 186, and served for two terms in the same position in McParland Post, No. 20, at Mount Pleasant, Iowa. All the relations of his life have been distinguished by the same steadfast courage and perseverance which marked his work on the southern battlefields and his entire career has been a credit and honor to a man who once proved himself a valorous soldier.

William W. Elliott & His Grandson William Lloyd Norris
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  The editor sincerely appreciates the contribution of this article and pictures to The Jerome Journal by Gale Norris of Unionville, MO.

Workman Fiftieth Anniversary at Jerome

Unidentified 1964 Newspaper Clipping

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Workman Fiftieth at Jerome Methodist was Notable Affair

  Golden Anniversaries aren't as rar as they used to be but the anniversary marked by Mr. and Mrs. Dave Workman was notable for various reasons. First and foremost was the fact that Mr. Workman was one of a family of eight children, three brothers and four sisters, all past 60 years of age, attended the anniversary event.

  They are: Fred Workman of Detroit, Mich.; Mrs. Zell Holland of Clarkdale; Mrs. Inez Fry of Centerville; Clifford Workman of Lanora, Kansas; Mrs. Beaulah Luzadber of Kankakee, Ill.; Mrs. Gussie Hoke of Lanora, Kan.; and Jake Workman of Detoit.

Wedding Anniversary Occasion

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Workman are seen above in the Methodist 
Church at Jerome Sunday. Behind a beautifully decorated table 
they posed for their picture as a host of friends gathered 
to attend their Golden Wedding Anniversary.

  Mr. and Mrs. Workman were married Sept. 23, 1914. At the time Mr. Workman was a clerk for Frank Gable in the Gable store at Jerome. He was a son of one of the well known Appanoose county pioneer families. His young bride was Zella Loofbourrow, also a daughter of a pioneer family. They both have attended the Jerome Methodist church, where they were feted yesterday, all their lives. They have lived on the farm where Mrs. Workman was born, three quarters of a mile east and three quarters of a mile north of Jerome since 1918.

  The large number of people who gathered for the anniversary event attested to their wide acquaintance and number of friends.

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  The editor sincerely appreciates the contribution of the above newspaper article to The Jerome Journal by Jane Ann McElvain Mahon.

Darlene's Grocery Store to close in Jerome

Unidentified Early 1970s Newspaper Article

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By Ione LeMay

  Jerome will soon be joining many other small towns that are without a grocery store or gasoline station because Mrs. Marvelle (Darlene) McElvain will be closing the doors to her store and gas station there next week to retire.

  Mrs. McElvain is leaving her business with mixed feelings. She regrets leaving a town filled with mostly Senior Citizens without a store where they can pick up groceries and personal items but, yet, she is looking forward to catching up on her housework and rest. She said, "The older people hate to see me go but I kind of got tired and I have other things to do." Not only will the older people miss a store close by but they will also miss the deliveries she made to them when it was cold or they were ill.

Mrs. Marvelle (Darlene) McElvain

STORE

  When Mrs. McElvain opened her store and station in Jerome 6 1/2 years ago she did so because, "I just thought it would be nice to start one." At that time there wasn't any grocery store in Jerome.

  She purchased the building where she is now located from Frank Zemo. Since then she has added two more buildings to the first one for additional storage space.

  Mrs. McElvain ran the store by herself six days a week from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. with occasional help from her son. On Sunday Mr. McElvain, who is a farmer and trucker, operated the store.

  Her stock included groceries, hardware, salt, dog food, plastic ware and many other items. To add to their supplies Mr. and Mrs. McElvain would travel to grocery store close out sales near and far and would bring back items which "We put a price on it to move it quick."

  Running her own store and station was a first time experience for Mrs. McElvain. For three years before she was married she worked in the Ottumwa Hospital and later took more nurse's aid courses in Centerville but she had never worked in a store.

  Did she mind pumping gas? "No-o-," she said, "I didn't mind it. I generally wear insulated underwear and trudge right on. On a cold morning it gets kind of drafty."

  How did her husband feel about her running her own business?  "He don't mind too bad. He's about as good a cook as I am. A lot of times when I go home he will have his favorite raspberry pie, corn bread and beans fixed."

4-H

  One of the things Mrs. McElvain will be spending her time doing after she closes her store will be working with her 4-H girls. She has been a 4-H leader for 15 years. She says of her 4-H Club, the Lincoln Luckies, "We're small but we're mighty."

  The McElvain family have all been active in 4-H. Mr. McElvain is a leader of a boy's 4-H Club. Daughter Jane Ann, now Mrs. Bill Mahon, was in 4-H for nine years and son Bob, who is a Junior in Centerville High School, has been in 4-H for nine years and is still a member.

  Mrs. McElvain believes that youngsters should be started in 4-H young because, "They're all eager beavers and enthusiastic when they are young."

  What other plans does Mrs. McElvain have for when she retires from her store? "I tell them that I am going home and sit under a shade tree," she said with a laugh. But she admits it would be a little cool for that right now. She does plan on catching up on her housework and helping more with the Suffolk sheep they raise. "I enjoy them," she said. She also hopes they will be able to get away on a vacation and spend more time at the fairs. "I love all fairs," she explained.

  "There was a time I had a lot of hobbies," Mrs. McElvain said. But she hasn't had time to keep up with them since she started operating her own store. She does find time though to belong to the 4-H Extension Council and the Federated Club.

  Many of Mrs. McElvain's customers are telling her, "You go home rest, re-decorate and come back to us."  But right now her plans are to sell her store and station. She said, "If I don't get it sold I am just going to close up and have an auction in the spring."

  So once again Jerome will be without any stores.

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  The editor sincerely appreciates the contribution of the above article to The Jerome Journal by Mrs. Jane Ann (Bill) Mahon.

The Gerald and Ena Shriver Family

By Janette Shriver Barber

  Gerald and Ena Shriver moved to Jerome in 1945. Gerald worked for the Swiss Company driving a truck. Later he worked for John Morrell's in Ottumwa. They had three girls.  Kay (Doug) Butler lives in Bettendorf, Iowa; Darlene White lives in San Francisco, California; and Janette (Gary) Barber lives in Centerville, Iowa.

  The girls attended the Jerome School until it consolidated with Seymour, where the girls all graduated from high school. The family moved to Ottumwa in 1966, where they lived until coming back to Centerville, where Janette has lived since 2000.

  Gerald Shriver died in 2001 at the age of 78. Ena died in 2009 at the age of 89.

  We all have great memories of Jerome.  We had great times at the school and at the Methodist Church and hold fond memories of all the people who attended.

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  The editor sincerely appreciates the contribution of the above article to The Jerome Journal by Janette Shriver Barber of Centerville, IA.

BORN TO FLY --- Paul Felkner

By Myrtle Felkner

  No doubt about it, Paul Felkner was born to fly. As a little kid he sometimes played with his tractor under a tree in the yard, but more often he was begging his parents for balsa wood and glue, and usurping his Dad’s workshop in the basement to build model airplanes. Later on the teen-aged girls wondered why the second date with Paul was always an airplane ride. That was an airworthiness test, ladies. (I won.)

   Paul’s dad and uncle, who farmed together, encouraged Paul to raise pigs. Every cent he earned went into a special account to buy an airplane when he was old enough for a license. At the age of 16 he began his flying lessons, but the army air corps interfered somewhat with the whole plan. He got his private license while a cadet in the corps but was married and had a baby daughter before that money was invested in his first plane, a small Luscombe. A temporary runway ran criss-cross through a hay field, with a small tin hangar at one end. Paul, Myrtle and baby Barbara flew countess hours in that little Luscombe. (Barbara never learned to fly, but she married a pilot, too.)

   Hard times in the fifties made new demands on the small family. Finally, Paul reluctantly sold the Luscombe in order to buy a few dairy cows, hoping for some steady income in addition to the egg money! As times got better and farming improved, Paul got a Stinson, a Taylorcraft, a Cessna 172, and eventually he and a couple friends went together to buy a twin-engine Apache. (The family had increased to three children; what’s a man to do?)

Paul Felkner in His Plane

   In the meantime, Paul had joined the Ottumwa Chapter 409 of the Experimental Aircraft Association, an international group of pilots with a passion for building their own airplanes. Here he made friendships that lasted his whole life and still influence the lives of his family. Months of pondering, a decision made, Paul bought the blueprints for an Acro 1 airplane, developed by Paul Poperezny. When Myrtle saw the blueprints, however, tension increased in the household: Where do I sit in this airplane? Paul immediately exchanged the blueprints for an Acro 2, which is a two-seated version with Myrtle’s seat plainly designated. With peace in the family again, Paul began to build. And build. And build. Nine and a half years later, Paul flew his craft off the new Felkner runway, flew the required 40 hours that the FFA requires before he can take a passenger, and then took off with another pilot and best friend for the International Convention of the EAA in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The year was 1992, just fifty years since Paul had graduated from high school and entered the air corps.

   Paul’s aircraft won the “Lindy” award that year in Oshkosh; in 1995 it won the Paul Poberezny Craftsmanship Award.  Reserve Grand Champion followed at aircraft events at Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Best in Class, Experimental Aircraft at Blakesburg, Iowa.

But the certificate Paul was proudest of was his Young Eagles Award for having given over one hundred youth their first ride in an airplane.

   Paul had begun to build a second airplane when he died in 2007. An honor guard of his buddies flew over the cemetery at his burial.

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  The editor sincerely appreciates the contribution of the above article and picture to The Jerome Journal by Mrytle Felkner of Centerville IA and Joan Felkner of Iowa City IA.

Second Anniversary of The Jerome Journal

  Today marks the second anniversary of The Jerome Journal!  Over the past two years we've made over 700 posts to it covering a wide variety of information about the community, its organizations and its families.  Since starting the Journal, I've expanded into several other related projects.  As I look to the future, the Jerome/Lincoln Township Area Historical Project will have several components:
  (1) A continuation of The Jerome Journal though which folks can share information, documents, pictures about the Jerome/Lincoln Township area, its schools, churches, organizations, businesses and families.
  (2) A Jerome Cemetery Database with information about those buried in Jerome based on the cemetery records, gravestones, death records and obituaries.  Also, to a lesser extent databases of those buried in Miller, Farmer and Stewart Cemeteries in Lincoln Township; plus information on those Jerome/Lincoln Township folks buried in Oakland Cemetery in Centerville, Felkner and Numa Cemeteries in Bellair Township, and Southlawn and Jones Cemeteries in Wayne County.  John Glenn has shared with me the plat map of the Jerome Cemetery which identifies to whom each of the lots were sold; I've taken pictures of all of the gravestones in the Jerome Cemetery; and I'm searching the death records of Appanoose County which identify Jerome as the place of burial.
  (3) A Jerome-Lincoln Township Community Tree database, similar to the new "community trees" on FamilySearch.org, using AncestralQuest software which will be compatible with the newFamilySearch website when it is opened to non-LDS members. It provides he means to include photographs, audio clips and documents, as well as full documentation of sources. To achieve any significant success, this will require the participation and contribution of others of individual family trees which can be combine through GEDCOM files.  I am seeking volunteers who could give leadership on collecting the information on major "family founders" who have left many descendants in the Jerome area. Gale Norris of Unionville MO is already gathering and contributing information on the descendants of Jacob Norris.  I am working on the descendants of John Criswell, David Hawkins, James Hagan and Reuben Alexander who form a family cluster, since David Hawkins, James Hagan and Reuben Alexander were the first of their families in Appanoose county and they each married a daughter of John Criswell.  Other early key family founders are A. W. Adamson, William Arrison, W. N. Bollman, William H. Bradley, James Buck, P. T. Butler, John G. Crist, Joseph M. Crouch, Milo Darrah, E. S. Denoon, H. C. Dukes, William W. Elliott, James Handlin, E.W. Inman, Calvin R. Jackson, Jacob Kinney, D. S. Larimer, Robert S. Lowry, John Manning, W. D. McElvain, John Moore, Henry Morlan, T. A. Murphy, Thomas Owen, Samuel Pendergast, Jonathan Rinker, S. R. Sedgwick, Jacob Shontz, Peter Sidles, Noah Stoner, Henry Thomas, A. S. Vandorn, S. C. Vanness, Samuel P. Wailes, William W. Ware, Henry Wilson, Zebida W. Wright, and many more. 
  (4) An Annotated Bibliography for Local and Family History Research in Appanoose County, Iowa, which will identify primary resources for research for folks interested in the local and family history of Appanoose County.
  (5) Landowners Maps for each of the 24 sections in Lincoln Township which identifies the original land owner (i.e. the person who purchased it from the government) of each 40-acre section, their certificate and patent numbers, date they were issued, land office which issued them, and the statute under which they purchased the land.  Later, I hope to identify the original owners of each of the lots in Jerome who purchased them from those who subdivided Jerome, i.e. Sidles, Wilson, Stevens or Buck, along with the date of purchase and recorded deed. 
  Everyone is invited to participate in these projects.  Please contribute your ideas and suggestions for making it possible. 

BACK -- After a Break from Blogging

  In mid-June we left Pennsylvania for a trip to the Midwest to attend a memorial service for Francia's parents at Northfield MN and to spend time in Appanoose County IA doing research.  It was a productive and enjoyable trip.
  On the last day of our 8-day stay in Appanoose County, my computer went "blue screen."  When I returned home the Geek Squad was able to retrieve all of my data so nothing was lost.  After three trips to the computer shop I decided it was time for a new computer.  Took three weeks to get the new computer, then had to install all of my programs and data.  By then I had my old computer working pretty well, so I've ended up with two computers and have learned how to keep the data synchronized on them so I have things working pretty well now.
  Had a minor surgical procedure in September, made a trip to South Carolina for my annual reunion with my three sisters and had cataract surgery after I returned from which I am still recovering.  In SC, my sister had a box of pictures and historical material for me to review and scan, including copies of four issues of The Tomahawk from the Seymour Schools.
  During this time I was able to continue my research and start the organization of the pictures and information I gathered in Appanoose County.
  We had a wonderful 8-days in Appanoose County.  We really appreciated the hospitality and assistance provided by Marion and Jane Zemo.  Marion and I were children together in Jerome, but had not seen each other in 60 years.  
  We visited the Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon, the Appanoose County Historical and Coal Mining Museum in Centerville, the Drake Public Library, the Seymour Community Library, and the Appanoose County Court House to see their resources; there are lots of opportunity for research in the area. 
  Bill Heusinkveld, Appanoose county's own historian, secured for me copies of several of the town and township histories which have been published over the years.  Also, shared with me the new edition of the Historical Atlas of Appanoose County which he first prepared in 1996.  The new edition can be secured from the Museum in Centerville and contains over 30 maps of Appanoose County with a variety of historical data on towns, roads, schools, cemeteries, churches, coal mines, post offices and railroads at different times in history.  Bill has just written his last column for the Iowegian and he has contributed his library of resources to the Museum for all to use in their research.
  Attended the meetings of the Appanoose County Historical Society and the Appanoose County Genealogical Society and met several of the volunteer leaders of these two helpful organizations, especially Gary Craver, President of the ACGS, who has been most helpful to me over the past months.
  Spent a morning with Mary Lou Hunt Matthews to review and scan materials she had secured from the late Susie Sidles.  Will be posting it on The Jerome Journal shortly.  Met with Myrtle Felkner who shared many memories of Jerome, especially of the Methodist Church.  She has since sent me several articles which I will share on The Jerome Journal with you. Attended church in Jerome on Sunday. The pastor's husband gave me a fan from the church which my father had sponsored many years ago.  Later, Marion Zemo gave me a church fan from his brother which had been sponsored by the Warnick Grocery Store. Marion came to church, as did Carl Hamm and Myrtle Felkner.  After church Marion drove us around Jerome and we tried to recall where various people had lived or where buildings had existed.  I have some pictures to share taken that day.  I also was able to get good pictures of the memorial stained-glass windows in the church.  Met briefly with Donald and Vera Purdy who were having a garage sale before their move into a new apartment; hope to visit with them again to see their pictures of the family mine and the Jerome area. Had a wonderful visit with Reavis Beer; her son, Jimmy, and daughter, Judy, were visiting which enriched the experience. 
  With several visits, I was able to photograph ALL of the gravestones in the Jerome Cemetery, plus some of the gravestones in the Miller, Felkner and Oakland cemeteries.  From John Glenn, I secured a plat map of the Jerome Cemetery which identifies to whom each of the lots were sold.  This plat, the pictures, plus some death records and obituaries will serve as resources for compiling a complete directory of the Jerome Cemetery in the coming months.
  As a result of the trip, I have lots of potential posts for The Jerome Journal in the coming weeks and months.  Check back from time to time and see the new posts.  It is great to be back to blogging about Jerome and the surrounding area, but I still need contributions of pictures and historical material from everyone; please share your family's information with others.