Daniel S. Larimers Celebrate Golden Anniversary

The Semi-Weekly Iowegian - 15 December 1908

------------------------------------

GOLDEN WEDDING

Of Mr. and Mrs. D. S. Larimer

Former Jerome Residents

  The following was taken from The Daily Independent Times of Streator, Ill.

  Mr. and Mrs. Larimer were residents of Jerome for more than 15 years and have many friends who extend congratulations and wish them many more years of married life. While most of their older friends have passed to the life beyond, there are many of the younger generation who remember Mrs. Larimar as a kind Christian woman. She was an enthusiastic worker and always took great interest in the children.

  Half a century ago back in Mercer county, Pa. Amanda C. McCormick and Daniel S. Larimer pledged love and constancy to the marriage vows and Monday afternoon Nov. 30 at the home on North Wasson street, in the presence of relatives and friends those vows were renewed during the celebration in honor of the 50th anniversary of their wedding.

  The home was filled all day with relatives and friends who called to extend congratulations to the aged couple and it was indeed a merry gathering.

  All of the children were at home with the exception of the eldest son, James, who is living in Oklahoma and could not get away at this time.

  Among the children present were three sons and a daughter, together with their families as follows:  Joseph M., wife and two children of Oskaloosa, Ia.; Mrs. Mollie Moore, husband and son, Jerome, Ia.; George and children, Galesburg, Ill.; John Larimer and wife of this city; Mrs. S. M. McCormick of Mercer Co., Pa.; mother of J. D. McCaughtry, who is a cousin of Mrs. Larimer; Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Larimer, Muncie, Ind.; Wm. Shonts and wife, South Bend, Ind.; John Shonts and family, Streator, and Mrs. Reese and Mrs. Snedeker of Grand Ridge, were the other out-of-town guests.

  At noon there was a joyous gathering of relatives around the festive board and again at supper time.

BORN IN PENNSYLVANIA

  Both Mr. and Mrs. Larimer are natives of Pennsylvania, the former having been born at Sheakleyville, Nov. 15, 1833, and is now 75 years of age. His wife was born Oct. 23, 1841, at New Vernon and is now 67 years old.

  On Nov. 30, 1858, they were married and continued to reside in Mercer county until the spring of 1870 when they moved with their family to Jerome, Iowa.

  On Oct. 21, 1885, Mr. and Mrs. Larimer moved to Streator and have since made this city their home. All four of their sons are employed on the railroad and are well known here, having identified with the Three-I road for many years. At present John of this city is the only one connected with this road, he being conductor on the passenger.

OVER ONE HUNDRED CALL

  Mr. and Mrs. Larimer received their friends during the afternoon and evening and over one hundred took advantage of the opportunity to call and pay their respects. During the afternoon the W.C.T.U. ladies called in a body to extend congratulations.  Mrs. Larimer has long been an earnest worker and her charitable activities are well known and appreciated.  The ladies presented her with a dress pattern and a rocker.

  A feature of the afternoon was the re-marriage of the couple, Rev. J. D. McCaughtry officiating.

  In the evening Mrs. Larimer entertained the boys of her Sunday school class from Park church, and two of the boys, Frank English and John Koff rendered a violin selection which was much enjoyed. The boys presented their teacher with a handsome gold watch chain.

  Mr. and Mrs. Larimer were the recipients of many beautiful gifts of gold aside from those already mentioned, and also a purse of money.

CALLED HOME

   The only unpleasant event which occurred to mar the day's pleasure, was a message which summoned the daughter Mrs. Mollie and her husband, to their home in Jerome, Ia., as their eldest son had met with an accident. The young man is a driver in a mine at that place and in some manner had broken his leg. Mr. and Mrs. Moore departed at midnight for their home.

Mrs. Larimer's Remains Here For Interment

Centerville Daily Citizen - 27 August 1913

--------------------------------------

 It is probable that many of the older residents of Centerville will remember Mrs. Sarah Luce Larimer, a sister of Mrs. Jacob Shouts, former residents, although the Larimers were not residents of this city, but had made many visits here in the past.  Mrs. Larimer died last Saturday in Ft. Worth, Texas, where she had made her home for the last twenty years, her death being sudden from heart trouble, she being 77 years of age. The remains arrived here last night, and will be interred at Oakland cemetery according to her wishes. The late W. J. Larimer, her husband, and their only son, Mr. F. E. Larimer, are buried here. Accompanying the remains were Mrs. Larimer's sister, Mrs. G. F. Albright of Albuquerque, New Mexico, her brother, Mr. R. G. Luce of Ft. Worth, and her neice, Mrs. H. M. Price also of Ft. Worth.

  The party was met at the Rock Island Depot last night by Undertaker B. F. Gordon and taken to the Shaw undertaking parlors where they may be viewed by friends. The relatives accompanying the casket are at the Continental hotel and will be in the city for a few days while looking after the construction of cement and granite vault, so the time of the funeral cannot be announced as yet.

Chautauqua Home Coming

The Idaho Daily Statesman - 29 August 1908

-----------------------

  Centerville, Ia., Aug. 28 -- Five hundred former Appanoose county residents, from half the states of the Union, joined with 10,000 home people at the Chautauqua "home coming" today.  T. P. Shonts delivered the principal address, his subject being "Transportation."

Theodore Perry Shonts - Jerome Teacher

  Nearly every short history of Jerome mentions that Theodore Perry Shonts became more famous than any other person who taught in the Jerome schools.  The following information is taken from his obituary printed in The New York Times on 21 September 1919.

  Theodore Perry Shonts died early in the morning on 21 September 1919 at his home, 930 Park Avenue, New York City, after an illness extending over a period of three months.  He was first a railroad organizer, construction expert and manager, and later a traction expert in charge of almost the entire transportation system of New York City as President of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company.  He was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt to serve as the Chairman of the Isthmian Canal Commission (1905-1907) and organize the forces that dug the Panama Canal.

  He was born 5 May 1856 in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, a son of Dr. Henry Daniels Shonts and Margaret Nevin Marshall.  In boyhood Theodore came with his parents to Appanoose County and attended the public schools.  In Centerville, where the family settled, the young man passed the early years of his life until he was sent to Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois.

  "During an interval in the process of his own education, when he was only 15 years old, the overseers of [the Jerome school] had trouble getting a teacher whom the pupils would not 'induce' to leave.  The directors called on Mr. Shonts's father and through him offered the teaching post to Theodore.  Dr. Shonts at first demurred, on the ground that Theodore was too young to assume the responsibility of the education of the youth of the countryside, but he was finally persuaded, and the 16-year-old student became a school master.  The story goes that the most noteworthy phase of the conduct of the classes in that rural school thereafter was the sepulchral silence that overhung the room when the teacher was speaking to the pupils."

Memories of Jerome, Iowa - Part III - Schools

  Records show that the first school site, eight rods square, and known as School District No. 5, was purchased from Jacob Stoner July 11, 1857, for the consideration of $10.00.  This site was the northwest corner of the present school property.  It is assumed that the first school building was built the same year as the property was acquired, and it served as a place of learning until 1871 when a new school was built. 

  James Hagan was the carpenter and for his labors he received the old school building which he made into a part of his home, later the home of William Hawkins.   The second school building was used until 1894 when the population of Jerome required a larger building.  The increase in population was due to the sinking of coal mines.  This building is now the residence of Paul Mica.

  One of the early teachers in this second building was Theodore P. Shonts, later internationally famous.  After teaching at Jerome, he was graduated from Monmouth College, practiced law and became interested in railroad building.  He helped construct the Iowa Central and obtained controlling interest in the Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska, and Toledo, St. Louis and Western roads.  He was chairman of the Panama Canal commission in 1905-1907.

The two-story frame school building, 1894-1920

  A two-story frame structure, the third school building served until it burned on April 25, 1920.

  Anyone attending the Jerome School during these early periods will well remember the blacksmith shop located east of the school grounds and owned by Peter Wilson.  It was always a place of interest to the children.  To watch Mr. Wilson shoe horses was far more interesting than to study in school.

  The new building was of brick and was ready for occupancy at Christmas time in 1923.  In the interim school had been held in various places in town; the old Catholic church, and in a house which later became the W. E. Hawkins home. 

  This fourth school building also was destroyed by fire of unknown origin on April 27, 1931.  The fifth building was ready for occupancy late in September of the same year, classes being held in the K. of P. Hall until its completion.  This present building is much like the fourth, constructed of brick and with full basement.  Half of the basement was made into an auditorium with stage.  A modern system was installed and the building was wired for electricity which on Dec. 24, 1936 was furnished Jerome by the Iowa Southern Utilities Company. 
 [From Memories of Jerome, Iowa, 1989 published for the 1989 Jerome Reunion.]

Moravia Union - December 4, 1996

  Looking back in history:  Dec. 10, 1856:  Sometime in 1856, the town of Jerome was named for the blind son of Horace Lyon, the first postmaster.  Jerome was a booming town for a time during the coal mining era.  One of the early school teachers in Jerome, Theodore P. Shontz (sic), later became famous for his work in the railroad industry and the Panama Canal.