Wednesday, December 21, 2016

The Lampman Family Tragedy

WILLIAM MILLER > MILO VOLNEY MILLER > ADELIA MILLER m Theodore D Lampman

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Milo Volney Miller was the son of William Miller and Lorain Fountaine He was an early settler in Linn County, Iowa. His eldest daughter from his second wife, Cynthia Sprague, was Adelia L. "Delia" Miller. She was born 22 Jan 1851 in Indiana as the Millers progressed west to Iowa over the course of many years. She married Theodore D. Lampman 06 Nov 1873 in Linn County, Iowa.

Lampman was born 05 Mar 1849 in Wayne County, New York. In the late part of 1853, his father Henry and mother Catherine (Wolcott) Lampman, moved from New York to Branch County, Michigan. Then, they moved on to Bureau County, Illinois, then to Stark County. Back to Michigan they went, then back to Marshall County, Illinois. Then, they came to Iowa. Not satisfied again, they moved back to Marshall County, Illinois, where Catherine died. Old Henry spent his final years living with a daughter in Linn County.

In August 1870, when Theodore came to Linn County, Iowa, he purchased a team and broke prairie for nearly 3 years. He purchased 80 acres in Grant Township which he sold after it was broken and then farmed a rental property. In 1890, he purchased farm on Section 10, Washington Township after having rented it for a year. He improved the property and buildings. Theodore would be involved in local politics, serve two terms as road supervisor, and was a member of the school board for three years. Theodore died in 1919 and his wife, Adelia, died 14 Mar 1928.

The couple had seven children. Two would die in a tragic accident along with the husband of another. On 09 Oct 1958, Alpha Lampman, James Lampman, and brother-in-law Maurice Serverson were killed in an auto-truck accident outside of Dyersville. Maurice was the husband of Cynthia Lampman, who had died in 1956 in Rice, Minnesota.


Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Clan William: Woodington/Munson Line: When Things Go Really, Really Wrong

Capt Thomas Munson > Samuel Munson > Samuel James Munson > William Munson > Samuel II Munson > Freeman Munson >  Henrietta Munson > George Woodington > Clyde Woodington > Neil Woodington

Neil Woodington, right, the day he was convicted
Madison Wisconsin State Journal August 5, 1965
My 2nd great grandmother, Mary Ann Munson's sister Henrietta married Moses Woodington who had left Pennyslvania to move to Wisconsin and pioneer. Generations later, their great grandson, Neil Allen Woodington, who had such an awesome start in life, would bump up against life-changing problems.

He was born 03 Apr 1927 in Altoona, Wisconsin, to Clyde Woodington and his wife Grace Murn Bradley, Clyde was a long-time locomotive engineer of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.  Neil attended school in Eau Claire County and was a good student. In 1945, he was awarded a $200 scholarship by the Eau Claire Elks Lodge. He also won the Elks Americanism Essay contest that year.
First divorce

He attended law school at the University of Wisconsin and graduated first in his class in 1950. The guy who graduated second, Robert C. Kelly, would go on to become his business partner and co-defendant at his criminal trial.

He married his first wife, Jeanette M Hall in 10 Sep 1949 in Lamatine in Fond du Lac County; they took out a license on September 4th. Jeanette filed for divorce and it was granted in March 1963. Woodington was ordered to pay $1,100 per month in alimony and child support for their five daughters.He was also ordered to maintain life insurance to benefit the daughters.

His second wife, Betty J. Nedlose, married Woodington on 08 Apr 1963 in Miami, Florida. They had one daughter together. They divorced in 1971.

In the years 1964-1968, Woodington would face his greatest challenges. Two of the companies he ran, Madison American Guaranty Insurance Co. (MAGIC) and Allied Development Corp.found themselves under investigation for potentially filing false statements relating to a stock offering. Those companies later went into bankruptcy. The details of the trial and the ultimate conviction are located below. Woodington, as president, was found guilty of filing a false or misleading financial statement and sentenced to three years in state prison. His partner, Robert Kelly, who was reportedly portrayed by his lawyer as yet another victim of Woodington, was also convicted and sentenced to probation. Woodington stated repeatedly he thought that the investigations started by then Attorney General George Thompson before the election of 1964 was politically motivated. Thompson was a Republican and MAGIC general counsel Clarence Bylsma was a prominent Democrat. Thompson lost the election. Investors and other creditors in the companies lost about $8 million.

Woodington appealed to the State Supreme Court, and while his conviction was upheld, the Court made comment on the harshness of the sentence. Woodington's subsequent appeals failed and he was sent to Waupun State Prison in 1967, shortly thereafter being moved to Thompson Prison Farm in Cambridge. There, he was ultimately granted work release, where he worked as a "financial advisor" for a company set up by Clarence Bylsma in Madison.

Both Woodington and Kelly were disciplined by the State Bar in 1968. Woodington was disbarred for life and Kelly was suspended from practice for six months. An attorney, Jack McManus, who stated he'd provided counsel and advice to Woodington related to his disbarment proceedings, sued him in Nov 1967 for $11,500 in unpaid fees. The fallout from the original trial was significant, driving other litigation such as this regarding the players.

After his release from prison on May 9, 1968, Woodington became what his second wife called, "a promoter." He had moved to New Brighton, Minnesota and was involved with a number of interests such as the Diesel Driving School as well as restaurants co-owned with Fuzzy Thurston, former Green Bay Packer, both in Wisconsin. The restaurants were put under court control and the owners, including Neil Woodington, were barred from entering the restaurants. Woodington was accused of "wrongfully taking money from the corporation, issuing bad checks to employees and suppliers, and grossly mismanaging corporation business." Madison Wisconsin State Journal November 12, 1979

Woodington married Carole McFarland in 1976 in Reno. They divorced 29 Dec 1980. Also in 1980, Woodington moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. He had other business interests under the auspices of The Woodington Group which included such businesses as Dollars and Sense, a direct-mail publishing venture he ran in Colorado. That company would be taken over by several of his children and run into its own legal and criminal issues in the 1990s.

Woodington died on 15 Jul 1989 at his home in Scottsdale at the age of 62.





Sources:
Marriage Licenses; Madison Wisconsin State Journal September 4, 1949
News Notes: Birth of Daughter, Madison Wisconsin State Journal October 5, 1950
Woodington is Divorced; to Pay $1,100 a Month; Madison Capital Times, March 28, 1963
Woodington Given 3 Years; Kelly Placed on Probation, by James D Selk, Madison Wisconsin State Journal August 5, 1965
Appeals to Knowles; Woodington Seeks Reduced Sentence; Madison Capital Times December 31, 1966
Outside Work Permit Granted; Woodington Denied New Trial; Madison Wisconsin State Journal October 19, 1967
In State; Journal: Libel Trial Bylsma Says He Didn't Know of MAGIC Moves; Madison Capital Times February 12, 1968
Woodington Wins Parole on May 9; Madison Wisconsin State Journal May 2, 1968
Five Describe Loans in Atty Bylsma Case; Madison Wisconsin State Journal October 16, 1968
25 Years Ago, Eau Claire Leader Telegram July 17, 1970
Wife Seeks Divorce from Woodington; Madison Capital Times July 8, 1971
McManus Sues: Asks Big Woodington Fee; Madison Capital Times September 11, 1973
Salesman Wanted; Classified Section, Eau Claire Leader Telegram, February 16, 1978
Restaurants Under Court Control; Madison Wisconsin State Journal November 12, 1979
Business News: Dollars and Sense of Colorado...; Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph June 20, 1982
40 Years Ago, Eau Claire Leader Telegram October 16, 1985
Obituary: Woodington, Neil Allen; Madison Wisconsin State Journal July 19, 1989
Daughters Follow in Dad's Crooked Footsteps; Madison Capital Times May 7, 1997
Wisconsin Divorce Index, 1965-1984
Nevada Marriage Index, 1956-2005
Florida Marriage Index, 1822-1875 and 1927-2001

Monday, December 19, 2016

Edwin Smith Family: Evelyn Joyce Smith

WILLIAM CUSTER SMITH > EDWIN SMITH M
KATE SMULL > EVELYN JOYCE SMITH m
Marvin Guy Ripley

EVELYN BORN: 25 Apr 1914, Plainfield, Bremer, Iowa  |
DIED: 17 Dec 2002, Convoy, Van Wert, Ohio
MARRIED 1:  10 May 1940, Northwood, Worth, Iowa
MARVIN: BORN: 15 Jan 1914, Carrville, Floyd, Iowa |
DIED:  16 Nov 1990,Van Wert, Van Wert, Ohio

Evelyn graduated from the Plainfield High School Class of 1931. When Marvin was young, he and his brother Max, boxed in Charles City to earn extra money. Both were athletes. Marvin joined the US Navy in 1935. He married  Evelyn after a bridal shower in early May of 1940. They went by bus to Maine, where Marvin was currently stationed. Nine months later, their daughter, Cheryl Kay was born in a Waverly hospital and then taken to the the family home in Plainfield. Family from both sides immediately descended to meet the new addition. In 1942, while Marvin continued to serve away from home, his father, Frank Ripley, became ill and died. Marvin returned on emergency leave upon getting word.

420 Main St Plainfield
With the war on, Marvin was deployed and Evelyn remained in Plainfield, purchasing the Smith
home on Main St. It had a large garden which provided much of their food and had an outhouse. Edwin Smith granddaughter Janis Ladnier recalled a story where on Halloween, prankster liked to tip outhouses, but on one occasion, tipped it while Kate Smith was using it. Whether that is true or legend is not assured.

The war was difficult and Evelyn was not only raising Cheryl, but had adopted her nephew Harold, son of sister Verlie and her first husband Ted Michaelsen, and cared full-time for her mother, Kate. When Marvin finally returned and the decision was made to reenlist after the war, it must have been a difficult one.

Finally, Marvin received orders for shore duty as a recruiter in Ohio. They remained in Springfield, but Marvin once again went to sea. The family still in Ohio, he finally retired. They remained in Ohio for the rest of their lives, ultimately moving to the NW corner of Ohio where their daughter was living. Interestingly, Springfield wasn't very far from where the original Ripley pioneer, Col Judge David C Ripley had started out in Gallia County.

Edwin Smith Family: Vivian Katherine Smith

WILLIAM CUSTER SMITH > EDWIN SMITH M KATE SMULL > VIVIAN KATHERINE SMITH m Leland Barr

VIVIAN BORN: 07 Jul 1912, Plainfield, Bremer, Iowa  | DIED: 07 Dec 1986, Waverly, Bremer,Iowa
MARRIED:  03 Jul 1938, Plainfield, Bremer, Iowa
LELAND BORN: 02 Nov 1906, Shell Rock, Butler, Iowa | DIED:  13 Mar 1979, Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa

Vivian and Leland
When Vivian and Evelyn, her youngest sister, were young, you’d be hard pressed to find one without the other. They were found traveling here and there together, visiting various friends and relatives, attending school events, or shopping in Waverly. Vivian graduated from Plainfield High School in 1929.

Vivian met a young man from Shell Rock, Leland Barr, son of  William Barr and Marie Hufstader. In 1938, they married and she and Leland set up housekeeping in Plainfield. He made his living doing day labor. In April 1943, they moved to Waterloo where he had secured employment with Rath Packing Company, a major employer with good pay and benefits. Then, in August, Leland was drafted. He was and sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for basic and advanced training in October.

After a 10-day furlough, he was sent to England and spent the next two years attached to the 49th
Vivian visit Leland before he left
for Europe
Combat Engineers serving in England, France, and Belgium. While overseas, he fell into a mine shaft and was seriously injured; his legs were never the same. After the war, he was discharged as a private in December, 1945, returning to Waterloo and started work at Hartman Locker. He was rehired by Rath in early 1947, and according to Evelyn’s daughter Cheryl, he had a job  operating the large swing doors in the plant which wouldn’t tax him too much due to his war injuries. He remained with Rath until retirement.

Over the next few years, Leland spent several stints in the hospital for various medical issues including a ruptured appendix. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 1963 with an open house at their home in Waterloo at 217 Mobile St, across the street from the Linden Methodist Church, where they attended.

Leland got cancer and died in Iowa City Hospital in 1979. Vivian remained in her home briefly, but then moved to a nursing home in Waverly until she died. Though the Barrs had no children, they are remembered fondly by their nieces and nephews.


Sunday, December 18, 2016

Johnathan Smull: Katie Smull

PETER SMULL > JOHNATHAN SMULL > KATHERINE MABEL SMULL m Edwin Smith

CLICK ON IMAGE TO INCREASE SIZE
Katie was born 27 Sep 1873 in Rock Grove, Stephenson County, Illinois and came to Bradford,
Kate Smull Smith, 1940s
Chickasaw County, Iowa with her parents in 1876. Her father, Jonathan Smull, a Civl War veteran, died in 1885 on their farm. Mary Jane Cooper Smull, Kate's mother, moved the family to Plainfield, Bremer County, Iowa after his death - Plainfield is the next town over. She married Edwin Smith, son of William Custer Smith and Mary Ann Munson on 11 Jun 1890. Edwin was born 06 Jun 1869 outside of Plainfield on the family farm.

Unlike his father, he was not a farmer and did various manual labor jobs during his lifetime. He died of a heart attack on 10 Jan 1939 in Plainfield. Katie lived with daughter Evelyn until Evelyn and her husband, Marvin Ripley, a career Navy man, took a posting in Ohio as a recruiter. Kate lived on her own, then briefly with daughter Verlie, then, as was described by Evelyn's daughter, "Checked herself into a nursing home in Waverly." It was while there she suffered a stroke and died on 04 Mar 1956.

They had twelve children:

1. Marie Adaline "Mary" Smith. You can read about her here. 

2. Harold Raymond Smith:  Born 16 Aug 1893 in Chickasaw County, he married Edith Elizabeth
Young Harold Smith
Blum on 23 Dec 1915 in Allison, Butler County. Edith was the daughter of Carl Blum and Katie Halm in Illinois on 13 May 1896. Harold was a buttermaker who learned the trade at the old Plainfield Creamery at age 16. He went to Ceylon, Minnesota from 1916-1929 and then to Lotts Creek Creamery near Lone Rock, where they lived until 1930. "Ill health forced him to give up his occupation," according to his obit. He held various jobs in Plainfield until his retirement. They had five children. Harold died 23 Jul 1976 in Clarksville and Edith 13 Apr 1983 in Mason City.

3. Bernice Lorraine Smith:  Pronounced, "Berniss," she was born 05 May 1896 in Plainfield. She married Andrew Jackson "Andy" Beckage on 14 Apr 1917 in Nashua, Chicasaw County. At that time, Bernice was working as an operator for the new telephone exchange in Plainfield. Andy was the son of John Beckage and Marie Moore and was born in Olyphant, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania on 09 Jan 1894. Andy worked for the Illinois Central railroad and had a good career with them, taking various postings across Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota before moving to Waverly. They had one daughter, Shirley, who married and moved to California. It was while returning from a visit to their daughter that Andy was struck with a heart attack at the Kansas City train station. He died there on 01 Aug 1947.

Bernice in California, late 1960s
One of the interesting things in researching Bernice is that I remember her ever-so-little from childhood. She went by Beckage and was buried a Beckage - yet, she had a second marriage that no one in the family discussed later. On 21 Aug 1948, she married Frank Holiday, of Orinoco, Minnesota. He was working as a cheesemaker for Hy-Grade Food Products in Plainfield. After their marriage, he quit his job, they packed up their stuff and sold their household goods, and moved to California to be near Bernice's daughter. By December, they had returned to Plainfield, he got his job back, and they moved into an apartment in Albina Boveia's house. They still visited California regularly.

The last joint reference in the newspaper to the pair was in early 1951. According to my uncle, Harold Ripley, he believed that they quietly divorced and that Frank remarried and returned to Minnesota.

Bernice lived until 20 Oct 1973, when she died in El Cajon, California. She had lived with her daughter for several years.

4. Madge Lucille Smith:  Born 17 Jun 1898 in Plainfield. She married Glenn Wesley Scoles on 19 Apr 1920 in Waverly, Bremer County. He was the son of James Francis "Frank" Scoles and Ada Tracy, born 29 Feb 1896 in Pearl Rock, Chickasaw County. Glenn was a farmer. They had nine children, two of whom died in infancy. You can read about the life of one of their twins, who married a man who survived the sinking of the USS Arizona and subsequently died in a battle at sea, here. Glenn died in Nov 1953 and Madge 27 Feb 1977, both in Charles City, Floyd County.

5. Howard N Smith:  Born 22 Jun 1900 in Plainfield. Married Gyneth Marie Boveia on 08 Jul 1921 in Floyd County. She was the daughter of Albert Boveia, born 17 Nov 1904 in Iowa City, Johnson County. Howard worked in the Plainfield area his entire life, the last 18 years working at Schield Bantam in Waverly. They made heavy equipment. Howard had four kids. He died 03 Aug 1977 in Waverly and she 15 Jan 1983 in Plainfield.

6. Grace Olive Smith:  Grace was born 06 Aug 1902 in Plainfield. She married Jesse Gulick, son of
Grace's 80th
Steward Gulick and Sarah Jane "Julie" Parker, on 09 Feb 1920 in Waverly. Jesse was born 21 Jan 1896 in Iowa. I also remember Grace as being just that, full of grace. Kind, warm, and loving. When she was six months old she had the "grip" (flu), which she survived. At age 9, she fell at school and broke her foot, keeping her out of school for six weeks. Grace and Jesse moved to Mount Vernon to farm, putting her quite a distance from her large family. The Gulick's had two sons, one of whom had a son who is on the city council in Cedar Rapids. Grace died 10 Jun 1984 in Cedar Rapids and Jesse died 14 Dec 1989 in Vinton. 

7. Nila Fern Smith: Born 15 Jan 1905 in Plainfield. Married Ralph Chester, son of Frank Chester and Anna Walter on 19 Dec 1923 in Waverly. They had one son, Lee, who married Lorraine Lynes of Plainfield. Ralph died 21 Nov 1976 in Plainfield and Nila on 06 Sep 1994.

Young Claude
8. Claude Erwin Smith: Born 15 Dec 1907 in Plainfield. He married Bertha Lucille "Lucille" Grapp on 11 May 1929 in Janesville, Iowa. She was born to William F Grapp and Augusta Mary Seiling on 14 Jan 1909 in Chickasaw County. Just two years previous to his marriage, Claude had taken a position in a drug store in Apple River, Illinois. Lucille worked at the telephone exchange as an operator in Plainfield. After his marriage, in 1931, he was working as a salesman at Boyd's Bargain Store, owned by Frank Boyd, another relative!  The Smith's took various rooms and apartments for the first few years of their marriage. Claude became a mason, paper hanger, and carpenter for the remainder of his life. They belonged to the First Baptist Church in Plainfield. The couple had two daughters. Claude died 05 Feb 1981 in Waverly and Lucille died 31 Oct 1999 in Maynard, Fayette County.

9. Verlie Lynette Smith: Born 14 Mar 1910 in Plainfield. She married first Rasmus Theodore "Ted"
Young Verlie
Michaelsen of Cedar Falls on 06 Nov 1927. They had four children, all of whom were later adopted out when the marriage failed. You can read a little more about that here.  The Michaelsen's in the early days of their marriage, lived in an apartment over the butcher shop in Nashua and then had a series of rented rooms and apartments, or houses as they added to their family, always trying to stay one step ahead of eviction. Verlie met Leo Linsey and they cohabitated as a married couple from about 1937, having three more children. The couple finally married in 1965, but separated in the late 1970s. Verlie died at Ravenwood Nursing Home, under the loving care of her granddaughter, who worked there, in Nov of 1986. 

10. Vivian Katherine Smith: "Aunt Viv" as we all called her, was born 07 Jul 1912 in Plainfield. She married Leland Barr, born 02 Nov 1906 in Shell Rock, Bremer County, on 03 Jul 1938 in Plainfield. Leland was the son of  William P Barr and Mabelle Hufstader. Leland died 13 Jan 1979. Vivien died 07 Dec 1986 in Wavery. They had no children, but were loved by all of their nieces and nephews. I'm going to do a separate post on Vivian.

11.  Evelyn Joyce Smith:  Born 25 Apr 1914 in Plainfield. Married Marvin Guy Ripley, son of Frank Ripley and Goldie Sperbeck of Charles City. He was born 15 Jan 1914 in Carrville, Floyd County. They had one daughter. Marvin, a career Navy man, died 16 Nov 1990 in Van Wert, Van Wert County, Ohio. Evelyn died 17 Dec 2002 in Convoy, Van Wert County, Ohio. I'm going to do a separate post on Evelyn.

12. Baby Boy Smith: Unknown date of birth/death. Died as infant.

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Johnathan Smull: Florence Smull

PETER SMULL > JOHNATHAN SMULL > FLORENCE SMULL m Arthur Dwight Moore
Saidee, Florence, and Kate (seated) Smull

Florence was born 20 Jun 1883, in Bradford, Chickasaw County, Iowa. She married Arthur Dwight "A. D." Moore on 26 Apr 1906 in Plainfield, Bremer County. AD was the son of Alonzo "Lon" Moore and Louisa J. Peterson. Lon was a town marshall in Plainfield. He was asthmatic and died from complications of asthma.

AD Moore ran the corner grocery store in Plainfield until about 1945. The couple continued to live in the apartment over the store until Florence's death. A fire that ravaged downtown Plainfield in 1943 heat damaged the AD Moore building. AD was well-known in the community and a great booster for the town.

Florence died 19 Aug 1963. After her death, AD Moore moved to Fort Dodge where daughter Lois Beth Moore Lucken resided with her family. He died 23 Dec 1965 in Fort Dodge.
AD Moore and grandson

1.  Lois Beth:  Born 29 Dec 1912 in Plainfield. She graduated from Plainfield High School and Iowa State Teacher's College. She married James "Jim" Lucken on 20 Aug 1939 at the Little Brown Church, Nashua, Iowa. Lois taught in various locations in Iowa and in Fort Dodge where the family settled. Jim was born 06 Feb 1906 to Tollef Jensen Lucken and Johanna Petersen Loberg. Jim graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and took post-graduate work at the Columbia University of Iowa. He was a public school superintendent. They had two sons. Lois died 12 Mar 2011 in Fort Dodge and Jim died 13 Apr 2004.

2. Lynniel Moore:  Born 23 Jul 1917 in Plainfield.  He graduated from the Iowa State Teacher's College Class of 1938. He served in the Army as a Corporal in WWII. He entered service on 23 Apr 1942 and returned from overseas 27 Feb 1945. He was discharged 06 Mar 1946. Lynniel worked in Des Moines and Iowa City. He then moved east. After working at the Passaic Public Library, he became the the director of the Plainfield Public Library in New Jersey in 1957.  Lynniel was also the Chairman of the Council of National Library Associations in the early to mid 1970s. Lynniel was a single man and died 12 Mar 1999 in Plainfield, New Jersey.

Johnathan Smull Family: Viola Geneva Smull

PETER SMULL > JOHNATHAN SMULL > VIOLA GENEVA SMULL m Charles Walter Gritzner
Young Viola

Viola was born 06 Aug 1871 in Rock Grove, Stephenson County, Illinois. Viola came with her family to Bradford, Iowa in 1876 and then to Plainfield after the death of her father. She married Charles Walter "C.W." Gritzner on 01 Jun 1892 in Bremer County, Iowa. C. W. was born 31 Jan 1868 in Butler County, Iowa to August and Theresa Gritzner. They were German immigrants.

C.W. was a poultry man and in his last years, working at the Plainfield Egg House, where he was stricken ill. He died at his home on 30 Apr 1931. The couple had two boys and four girls. Viola died in Marion, Iowa, in the home of her son John, of a cerebral hemorrhage 21 Nov 1947.

1. Charles Augustus "Carl": Born 23 Dec 1892 in Plainfield, he married Hazel Norine Jones on 05 Apr 1919 in Nashua, Chickasaw County. He died 10 Dec 1980 in Charles City, Floyd County and she 17 Nov 1981 in Plainfield.  Carl was a rural postal carrier and veteran of World War I. In 1947, his patrons gave him a holiday gift of $52 for his faithful service. They had four children.

2. Johnathan L.:  Born in 1894, he married Gertrude Wade on 15 Jun 1921 in Plainfield. They lived in Waterloo until 1933 and then moved to Marion, Iowa until John retired, then moved to Onalaska, Wisconsin. John died in 1988 and Gertrude died 29 Feb 1976 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. They had one child.

3. Blanche: Born 03 Aug 1896 in Plainfield. She went out to the work world after graduation from Plainfield high school, scoring a job as assistant postmistress for Plainfield and then as assistant cashier at the Farmer's State Bank. She worked her way up to cashier and took a transfer to the Sumner, Iowa branch, where she met Harold G. Garland, an assistant bookkeeper at the Wescott & Winks Produce Plant. They married 02 Nov 1927 in Sumner. She converted to Catholicism to marry. Harold died in 1947 and Blanche in Nov 1959. They had one child.

4. Anne "Annie" Maud: Born 18 Jun 1898 in Plainfield. She married Merle Eugene Smith on 31 Dec 1924 in Plainfield. They had no children. Merle briefly operated a barber shop out of the east side of C. Beine's building in Nashua in the mid-1920s. They moved to Waterloo shortly after their marriage and Merle would work as an engineer at the city water works in Waterloo, Black Hawk County. Merle died 16 Jul 1956 and Annie moved to live with her sister Blanche. She died in Sumner on 28 Jun 1959. They had no children.

5. Florence Amelia "Babe":  Born 25 Aug 1900 in Plainfield. She never married, She started out teaching in Emmetsburg. She moved on to Cedar Rapids in 1929, where she was later principal of Tyler and then appointed at Hayes school in Cedar Rapids in 1943. She was long-time principal of Lincoln School there from 1948-1960, when she resigned to move nearer to Plainfield. She visited England at least twice, once as an exchange teacher in 1947-1948. In 1969, at the death of her sister Blanche, she was living in Sumner. She died on 04 Apr 1995 in Los Angeles County, California. Her sister Hilda was living in Covina.

Of note is that a study she did while working in Cedar Rapids in 1957 made it onto the newswire. The study involved conflict between parents and children. It bears a read!


6. Hilda Becthel: Born 06 Mar 1910 in Plainfield. She married Alfred Herman Kinzler. Alfred hailed from Wisconsin, where he was born 19 May 1908, the son of Dr. Albert Kinzler and Zena Huisenga Hilda attended the Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls. She taught music in Osage and later in Waterloo. They had one daughter and four sons, all of whom had beautiful singing voices. Their oldest son was selected to join the Columbus, Ohio, Boychoir in 1950 and sang with them for at least two years. Albert worked at Rath Packing Co. in Waterloo. After their retirement, they moved to Covina, Los Angeles County, California. Alfred died 20 Apr 1983 and Hilda was the last remaining Gritzner kid, dying 27 Dec 1999 in Covina.

Waterloo Daily Courier June 17, 1951