Compiled by Leona R. Weir, Guilford, NY 1939-1953
Revised and edited by Janet M. Ortmann, Omaha, NE 1997

1. MATHEW¹ EMERSON was born in England, March 16, 1803. According to family tradition, he came from a well-to-do family and was disowned when he married Miss Sarah Willis who was born in England in May, 1799. They were married about 1826 and were living in Lincolnshire in 1827. His people, apparently, lived in London. About 1830 he came to America and worked for some time before sending for his wife and sons, who joined him probably in June 1831. They probably settled in Morristown but were living in Dekalb, St. Lawrence Co., NY in 1840, where Mathew died in 1841 (Zedie Buyse says he died August 15, 1842, but I think he must have died in 1841). On the 25^th of April 1842, Lot No. 421 in Dekalb, NY was deeded to SARAH EMERSON by Frederic De Peyster of the City of New York, Counsellor at law and Maria Antoinette his wife. This lot was sold by Sarah Horsefield, formerly Sarah Emerson, of Dekalb to Fidelia O. Daniels of Dekalb, the 20^th of April 1855. Sarah had married Robert Horsefield; had a child by him. The son died. She left Horsefield, and after she joined her son, Isaac, at Merrimack, Sauk Co., WI, probably in 1855, she went by the name of Emerson. She died at Merrimac, WI, August 21, 1861. Lived with Isaac, 1860.

Mathew Emerson was well educated while his wife, Sarah Willis, was poorly educated. He had at least two sisters while she had at least one. They were Elsie, Ann and Catherine but Libbie (Emerson) Morrison did not remember which was which. It was she who had written down some of the early records because my aunt, Dr. Ida Margaret Emerson, had asked her about them. Her daughter, Zedie (Morrison) Buyse and granddaughter, Flora (Buyse) Brown of Sioux Falls, SD sent me a copy of all of them in March and April 1939.

Ida (Bostic) Cobban wrote that her grandmother, Sarah Emerson, was buried near a little log school house where she started to school.

Children:

2 I ISAAC, born December 7, 1827, Lincolnshire, England 1

3 II GEORGE, born about 1829, died 1831, enroute to America and buried in Atlantic

4 III ELIZABETH ANN, born March 17, 1832, Morristown, NY 1

5 IV GEORGE, born August 6, 1834, Morristown, NY 1

6 V THOMAS DODGE, born about 1836, Morristown or Dekalb, NY. He left home when young and was never heard from.

7 VI JAMES, born March 28, 1839, probably Dekalb, NY 1

8 VII MARTHA JANE, born August 29, 1841, Dekalb, NY 1

SECOND GENERATION

2. ISAAC² EMERSON, son of Mathew¹ Emerson and wife, Sarah¹ Willis, was born December 7, 1827 in Lincolnshire, England. He came to America with his mother when he was three years old. He was the first member of his family to move to Wisconson.. He was married February 5, 1854, in Sauk Co., WI., Wingston, by the Justice of the Peace Fordage Roper to Miss Eunice Permelia⁸ Hovey, daughter of Samuel W. and Betsey Hovey. (For her line, see Cleveland Genealogy by Edmund James Cleveland.) She was born April 20, 1832, Albany, VT.

He served in the Civil War. According to the original records, in the Adjutant General’s Office (in National Archives), Washington D.C., ISSAC EMERSON was enrolled January 5, 1864 at Baraboo, WI, for three years; was mustered into service February 4, 1864, at Madison, WI as a private in the 6^th Independent Battery, Wisconsin Light Artillery, and was honorably discharged at Madison, WI to date July 3, 1865. Born in Lincolnshire, England; age, 36 years; occupation, farmer; eyes, blue; hair, light; complexion, light; height, 6 feet 1 inch. In his Pension Record, WC 358 913, his parents were Mathew and Sarah Emerson. He died March 30, 1881 at 10:15 a.m., aged 53 years, 3 months, 23 days in Adrian, Westside township, Nobles Co., MN and was buried on the homestead there.

Eunice Permelia (Hovey) Emerson died November 18, 1919, Bridger, MT at the home of her daughter, Sarah Permelia (Emerson) Premo.

Children
9 I MATHEW JAMES, born May 25, 1855, Merrimac, WI 1
10 II BETSEY LOVINA, born November 26, 1860, Merrimac, WI 1
11 III SARAH PERMELIA, born September 16, 1864, Merrimac WI 1

4. ELIZABETH ANN² EMERSON, daughter of Mathew¹ Emerson and wife, Sarah¹ Willis, was born March 17, 1832, Morristown, St. Lawrence Co., NY. She was called "Libby". She married, February 15, 1855 at Richville, St. Lawrence Co., NY, Charles Harris Morrison who was born January 16, 1837 at East Greenbush, Rensselaer Co., NY. In the summer of 1860 they moved to Merrimac, Sauk Co., WI, where they lived until after 1870. Charles served in the Civil War only a short time because he was taken sick and sent home again. They lived in Rushmore, MN 2 ½ years; Adrian, MN 4 months; Little Rock, IA, 2 years 2 months; Edgeton, MN 9 months; Iona, MN 3 months; Hawarden, IA 15 months and to Sioux Falls, SD in 1903 where they lived until their deaths, mostly in the same house. Part of the family still live there. Little Rock is in Iowa but the Morrisons lived on a farm in Nobles Co., MN. Charles died March 21, 1910 and "Libby" died December 9, 1917, both at Sioux Falls.

Children: MORRISON

12 I MARY LOCRETIA, born November 2, died November 8, 1855, Dekalb, St. Lawrence County, NY
13 II ALDEN LESLEY, born December 25, 1856. Dekalb, NY. From his obituary. He lived in Dekalb, St. Lawrence Co., NY, the place of his birth until 1860, when together with his parents moved to Sauk Co., WI living there until September 1872, when they moved to Nobles Co., MN where he made his home with his parents. He never married. He was modest and retiring and had many friends. His careful home training resulted in the moulding of a strong character, having high conception of what he termed a noble life. He visited the World Fair in Chicago in 1893 and while there contracted a severe cold from which he never recovered. He spent one winter in the south for his health but it did little good. He died February 19, 1896, Little Rock, Nobles Co., MN.
14 III WALTER THOMAS, born November 25, 1858, Dekalb, NY; died September 22, 1875, Little Rock, Nobles Co., MN
15 IV MARY LOVINA, born August 15, 1860, Merrimac, Sauk Co., WI 1
16 V LAURA NETTIE, born September 1, 1864; died September 25, 1865 Merrimac, WI
17 VI ANCIL CHARLES, born October 14, 1867, Merrimac, WI; died September 14, 1872 Chickasaw, IA.
18 VII ZEDIE JANE, born June 26, 1870, Merrimac, WI 119 VIII WILLIAM HARIS, born April 24, 1874, Little Rock, MN 1

5. GEORGE² EMERSON, son of Mathew¹ Emerson and wife, Sarah¹ Willis, was born August 6, 1834 in Morristown, St. Lawrence Co., NY; married February 18, 1858 in Richland, Rice Co., MN. Miss MARGERET² FINLAYSON, daughter of James¹ Finlayson and wife, Sarah⁸ Wells (William⁷, Moses⁶, Timothy⁵, Philemon⁴, Titus³, Rev. Thomas², Dea. & Dr. Thomas¹), born December 8 1838, baptized June 9, 1839, Hatley P.Q., Canada. She died December 3, 1892 at Boonsboro and was buried at Boone, IA. He died March 14, 1906 in the Asbury Methodist Hospital in Minneapolis, MN aged 71 years 7 months, and 8 days and was buried beside his eldest daughter, Dr. Ida Margaret Emerson, in lot 133-B-6 in the Crystal Lake Cemetery in Minneapolis.

Written by his granddaughter, Leona R. Weir, with the help of her mother Ruth (Emerson) Weir in March 1939.

George Emerson, my grandfather, was born August 6, 1834 in Morristown, St. Lawrence Co., NY. By 1840 they were living in Dekalb, NY where his father, Mathew Emerson, died in 1841.

After his father’s death, his mother had her hands more than full. A childless couple, by the name of Thompson, wanted George so his mother let them take him. When they moved to Belvidere, IL in 1846, they took George with them.

Mother says Grandfather seldom talked about his childhood. She remembers his telling about driving big flocks of turkeys on foot and ox carts filled with feed into Chicago market. After he was married, he visited the Thompsons at least once. They gave him a beautiful horse, which he rode home to Rice Co., MN.

When he was twenty-three, he joined his mother and family in Merrimac, Sauk Co., WI, where he lived until he was married.

Grandfather Emerson was a quiet man, well read and very well informed about medicine. He often gathered herbs for his medicines. He was precise and methodical. He was a beautiful penman and kept leather diaries for several years. What happened to them, no one knows, but is believed they may have been with some of his things that were sold at Bellingham, MN. He never drank or smoked and seldom swore. He was a good and faithful husband and father (The older children thought him too severe). He saw that his children had proper reading material and the use of a good dictionary and Bible. He took his older children to Singing School and saw them graduated from High School. Apparently, his younger daughter, Ruth, was his favorite child. He never could understand Grandmother’s fear of storms. He would calmly sit and play solitaire, no matter how severe the elements of nature became. He was a fine carpenter and a good market gardener.

In 1869 George Emerson and his brother-in-law, James Finlayson, moved to Eldora, Hardin Co., IA. There they bought 80 acres on the river bottom. On his 40 acres, George Emerson built a house, barn, chicken house, corn crib, wagon shed and sorgham house. He set out double rows of evergreens on the north and west for protection. Around the house he planted shrubs and flowers. A yellow rose was his favorite. Every Sunday morning after he had bathed and cleaned, he would pick one of these roses for his button hole. Grandmother had two beautiful big climbing roses. He planted fruit trees, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, etc. and all kinds of vegetables which he sold to stores and customers in Eldora. He loaded his spring wagon with fresh fruits and vegetables and went on regular routes, ringing his bell to notify his customers of his presence. One year he sold $1000 worth of apples alone from trees had set out or planted.

The chinch bugs stripped everything around Eldora for two years so he had no produce to sell. There was no feed and no sale for stock. Aunt Cola wrote that they had plenty of feed (prairie grass) at Ashton, IA where they lived. So in the summer of 1887, Grandfather, Grandmother, Mother and Aunt Ruby went in their covered wagon to Aunt Cola and Uncle Frank Perry’s at Ashton. They took with them their team of horses, yearling horse, suckling colt, four cows and three calves. While on the way, the calves became foot-sore so were traded for another cow. They lived there that winter while Aunt Lizzie and Uncle Ruben Reed lived in their house in Eldora. They visited Mother’s Aunt Libby Morrison and Aunt Eunice Emerson.

The next spring Grandfather and family and Aunt Lizzie and family went to Boone, IA, where Grandfather and Uncle Rube broke prairie.

That fall Grandfather and family started out in their covered wagon looking for work. They ferried across the Missouri River at Sioux City, IA as there were no bridges, and went down to Nebraska. They ferried back across the River at Decatur, NE. Grandpa got a job hauling railroad ties and mining props for a lumber camp so they spent the winter six miles north of Boone, IA; moving with the camp that spring, about three miles west to the Des Moines River Valley.

In the fall of 1889 they moved into Boonsboro, Boone Co., IA, where Grandmother died on December 3^rd 1892. After Grandmother’s death, Grandfather, Uncle George, Aunt Ruby and Mother spent the summer in Flandreau, SD and three years in Superior, IA where Uncle Matt joined them. They lived in Spirit Lake, IA one winter before moving to Terril, IA.

After Mother and Aunt Ruby were married, Grandfather broke up house-keeping and went to Sauk Center, MN. Then he lived about a year with Aunt Cola Perry’s at Hawarden, IA before going to Aunt Ruby Wolle’s at Bellingham, MN. In the spring of 1905 he joined Mother’s family at 900 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN.

On March 12^th 1906 he entered the Asbury Methodist Hospital where he died March 14, 1906. He was buried beside his eldest daughter in the Crystal Like Centery in Minneapolis.

Sarah Finlayson, wife of George Emerson, was born in Hatley, P. Q., Canada in 1838. In 1851 or 2 she moved with her family to Bellvidere, IL and a few years later to Richland, Rice Co. MN.

Grandmother Emerson had dark hair and eyes. She was tall, slender and very straight. In her younger days she was often seen walking to the cheese factory with a bucket

(wooden) of milk balanced on her head. She was very neat and always busy although she was not well for several years. She was hard of hearing and very sensitive about it, which made her quite reticent. She loved to read and collected a barrel of stories from the Chicago Daily which they took. Her scrapbook of stories and poems is now a prized possession of her daughter, Ruth Weir.

Children:

20 I IDA MARGARET, M.D., born March 13(9?), 1859, Richland, Rice Co., MN, moved with her parents to Eldora, IA in 1869, where she was graduated from High School. She did housework awhile and then worked in the Insane Asylum at Independence, IA. Wanting to help alleviate suffering, she went to Chicago and entered the Woman’s Medical College from which she was graduated on April 6, 1886. To pay her way through college she did night nursing.

Dr. Ida Margaret Emerson opened an office for general practice at 248 East Erie Street, Chicago, after visiting her family in Ashton, IA. She gave up her practice to care for Mrs. S.L. Young of Dansville, KY. Her health was undermined by overwork so she went to her Aunt Martha Peasley’s near Faribault, MN and together they drove to her parent’s home at Boonsboro, IA. After visiting there, she drove her horse and buggy to Adrian, MN where her brother, Matt lived and from there, went by train to the state of Washington.

When she returned from Washington, she re-entered the Woman’s Medical College in Chicago for major surgery - tuberculosis of the intestines. As soon as she was able, she entered the private hospital of Dr. Melvin C. Keith (her cousin's husband) in Minneapolis, where she died, December 21(19?), 1891 at the age of 32 years, 9 months, and 8(10?) days. Her brother, George Carlton Emerson, and her cousin, Fred Finlayson, were studying under Dr. Keith at the time.

Dr. Emerson had brown hair and brown eyes and her well dressed, well groomed, slim, erect, six foot figure drew looks of admiration. She was very ambitious, intelligent, generous and artistic and was greatly loved by her family and friends. She was buried in Lot 133-B-6 Crystal Lake Cemetery, Minneapolis.

21 II SARAH ELIZABETH, born May 17, 1861, Richland, Rice Co., MN 1

22 III GEORGE CARLTON, born May 18, 1863, Richland, Rice Co., MN. In 1869, Carl, as he was called in his youth, moved with his parents to Eldorn, IA. After graduating from Eldora High School, he did odd jobs and stayed at home. He joined the Home Guards. He went to Minneapolis and worked and studied in Dr. Melvin C. Keith’s Private Hospital until after the death of his sister, Dr. Ida Emerson. He went to San Francisco and Kansas City to look over prospects for a new hospital location.

For a time he drove a delivery wagon for one of the big stores in Minneapolis and was a travelling salesman.

In 1902 he took a timber claim in Bruno, MN. He and his brother, Matt, bought a lot in town and built a home. He bought another forty acres near the Cemetery in Bruno where both he and Matt are buried. In the winters they worked clearing the woods and doing carpenter work. George had the contract for building the new school in Bruno. He helped with the designing, too. Together, the boys built several depots, houses, etc.

George was about six feet tall and had brown eyes and black hair. He played the violin for dances, sang in the Church choir and took an active part in the social life up until three or four years before his death when he became crippled with rheumatism and stomach trouble. He lived alone as he did not want to be a burden to anyone. He died December 6, 1916 at Bruno MN., aged 53 years, 6 months, 18 days. He never married.

23 IV ALICE COLA, born September 5, 1865, Richland, Rice Co., MN 1

24 V MATHEW WELLS, born December 29, 1868, Richland, Rice Co. MN married Ida Hogan on July 17, 1998 who later married Gus Lundberg? Died of heart problems January 4, 1935.

25 VI MARTHA R., born February 22, 1871; died March 9, 1871, Eldora, Hardin Co., IA

26 VII LEONA RUTH, born August 21, 1876, Eldora, IA. 1

27 VIII REUBEN MYRICK, changed to REUBEN OLIVER, born December 27, 1880; died December 27, 1880, Eldora, IA

28 IX RUBY MYRICK changed to RUBY OLIVE, twin to Reuben, born December 27, 1880, Eldora, IA 1

7. JAMES² EMERSON, son of Mathew¹ Emerson and wife, Sarah¹ Willis, was born March 28, 1839, Dekalb, NY probably. He moved with his mother to Merrimac, Sauk Co., WI, between 1855 and 1860, probably. On October 15, 1861 in Merrimac, Sauk Co., WI, he married Harriet Emma Astle who was born February 28, 1843 and died September 7, 1881. He died December 14, 1871.

Children:

29 I WALLACE CLINTON, born January 12, 1863, Merrimac (?); married Cora _____ at Osage, IA. He was living on a farm in Osage, IA in 1917.

30 II MINNIE MAY, born August 7, 1865 or 6, probably Merrimac, WI 1

8. MARTHA JANE² EMERSON, daughter of Mathew¹ Emerson and wife, Sarah¹ Willis, was born August 29, 1841, Dekalb, St. Lawrence Co., NY. She probably moved to Merrimac, WI with her mother between 1855 and 1860. On __________, at Merrimac, WI she married William Henry Bostic, who was born April 27, 1837 in Erie Co., NY and died in 1911 in Bridger, MT. She died January 19, 1916 at Bridger, MT and is buried in the Bostic Cemetery. They lived with her brother, George² Emerson from February till May 1871. They lived in Adrian, MN; LaVerne, MN, South Dakota, Eau Claire, WI, St. Paul and then Butte, MT before going to Bridger, MT.

Children: BOSTIC.

31 I GEORGE WILLIAM, born January 3, 1859, Merrimac, WI 1

32 II IDA ALMEDIA, born January 15, 1861, Caledonia, WI 1

33 III ELMER THOMAS, born June 5, 1866, near Merrimac, WI 1

34 IV CHARLES HENRY, born March 21, 1870 in WI. Never married. Living at Bridger, MT in 1939.

35 V DORCAS ELIZABETH, born March 21, 1873, Nobel Co., MN; died October 1811 in South Dakota.

36 VI ARTHUR CARLTON, born May 22, 1875, Nobel Co. , MN; died October 1881 1811 in South Dakota.

37 VII AUSON HERBERT, born July 23, 1877, Nobel C., MN died Oct. 1881 in South Dakota.

8. MATHEW JAMES³ EMERSON, son of Isaac² Emerson (Mathew¹) and his wife, Eunice Permelia⁸ Hovey (Samuel W.7) was born May 25, 1854 at Merrimac, Sauk Co., WI; married Anna Beaty; died May 29, 1934, probably in Flandreau, SD.

Child:
38 1 BEATY ISAAC, born June 16, 1888

10. BETSEY LOVINA³ EMERSON, daughter of Isaac² Emerson (Mathew¹) andhis wife, Eunice Permelia⁸ Hovey (Samuel W.⁷), was born November 26, 1860, Merrimac, Sauk Co., WI. Married Westside Township, Noble Co. MN, April 5, 1877, Dr. Henry Paine Bunce, born Janesville, WI, May 22, 1847, son of Dr. John Bunce living at Luverne, Rock Co., MN. Living at Carlisle, IA in 1939.

Children: BUNCE

39 I JOHN HENRY, born April 21, 1878

40 II HENRY ANSEL, born May 22, 1880

41 III MABLE ELIZABETH, born June 15, 1883

41a IV RUBEN GRANT, born September 8, 1885; died December 1933

10. SARAH PERMELIA³ EMERSON, daughter of Isaac² Emerson (Mathew¹) and wife, Eunice Permelia⁸ Hovey (Samuel W.⁷) was born September 16, 1864 at Merrimac, Sauk Co., WI; married February 25, 1885 at Adrian, MN, Walter D. Premo. She died February 8, 1939 at Bridger, Carbon Co., MT and was buried February 12, 1939 in the Bostic Cemetery in Bridger. Walter Davis Premo died_______.

Children: PREMO

42 I LESLEY JAMES, born September 8, 1883

43 II GRACE LOVINA, born June 26, 1885

44 III RAY EARL, born September 19, 1887

15. MARY LOVINA³ MORRISON, daughter of Charles Harris Morrison and his wife, Elizabeth Ann² Emerson (Mathew¹) was born August 15, 1860 in Merrimac, Souk Co., WI; married August 10, 1881 in Little Rock, MN, George Herbert Premo, born May 6, 1856; died June 1, 1918. She died September 28, 1923 in Sioux Falls, SD.

Children: PREMO

50 I ARTHUR ALDEN, born May 11, 1883 1

51 II CHESTER ANCIL, born March 21, 1885 1

52 III AMOS LEWIS, born September 2, 1889; married February 16, 1924, Helen McCarthey. He died February 23, 1927. No children.

53 IV ROY RODNEY, born October 1, 1889 1

54 V ZELLA REBECCA, born October 2, 1891 1

55 VI SADIE LOVINA, born June 2, 1896 1

56 VII ELIZABETH PERMILLIE, born September 13, 1899 1

18. ZEDIE JANE³ MORRISON, daughter of Charles Harris Morrison and his wife, Elizabeth Ann² Emerson (Mathew¹) was born June 26 1870 in Merrimac, Sauk Co., WI; married February 2, 1895 at Little Rock, MN,Cyril George Buyse , born _______. After they were married they lived in Rushmore, MN-2½ years; Adrian, MN-4 months; Little Rock, IA- 2 years 2 months; Edgeton MN-9 months; Iona, MN-3 months; Hawarden, IA-15 months; and to Sioux Falls, SD in 1903 where they lived most of the time in the same house.

Children: BUYSE

57 I CHARLES AUGUST, born March 24, 1896 1

58 II ADELLA ELIZABETH, born July 15, 1899, married William F. Lee, June 14, 1916, Sioux Falls, SD. No children.

59 III VERA CELIA, born November 8, 1901 1

60 IV FLORA MAY, born May 19, 1904 1

61 V JULIUS WILLIAM, born March 16, 1910 1

19. WILLIAM HARIS³ MORRISON, son of Charles Harris Morrison and his wife Elizabeth Ann² Emerson (Mathew¹) was born April 24, 1874 in Noble Co. MN. (P.O. Little Rock, IA); married 1^st, Harriet Stevens. They were divorced. He married 2^nd, September 30, 1936, Nellie Thurston. He died 7:25 a.m., Monday, January 9, 1950 in the Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls, SD and was buried, Wednesday, January 11, 1950 in the cemetery at Cavour, SD (9 miles east of Huron). He was born in a sod shanty, on the old farm, a mile into Minnesota north of Little Rock, IA. He resided around Little Rock until 1912 when they moved to Park Rapids, MN. Came to Sioux Falls in 1926. Both divorced wife and present wife lived in Sioux Falls, SD at the time of his death. Bill had not been well for years.

Children by first wife:

62 I WESLEY HARRIS, born March 8, 1901; Injured in World War I; died September 25, 1923

63 II CHARLES SIDNEY, born Jan. 9, 1910; married and living in San Diego, CA in Jan. 1950

64 III DONALD, born November 5, 1913; living in Sioux Falls, SD in January, 1950

65 IV RAYMOND, born January 11, 1915; living in Keytesvills, MO, January, 1950

66 V CAROL ELIZABETH, born October 10, 1922; married Henry Callahan of Sioux Falls. Living in Sioux Falls in January, 1950.

21. SARAH ELIZABETH³ EMERSON, daughter of George² Emerson (Mathew¹) and wife, Margaret² Finlayson (James¹) was born May 17, 1861 in Richland, Rice Co., MN; married January 25, 1881 in a Presbyterian Parsonage in Eldora Township, Hardin Co., IA. Ruben Whitney Reed; died January 14, 1919 near Rozet, Campbell Co., WY with heart trouble, aged 57 years, 7 months and 28 days; buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery.

In 1869 Lizzie (as she was called) with her family moved to Eldora, Hardin County, IA. Here she was graduated from High School and married.

They first lived near Ashton, IA. In the summer of 1886 they ran the B. F. Reed farm and the Calkins Place that fall. In the spring and summer of 1887, Lizzie, and Rube, and his mother lived with her parents near Eldora, IA. That winter they lived on her parents’ farm while they took their livestock to her sister, Cola’s home near Ashton. In the fall Rube and his father-in-law broke prairie near Boone, IA.

In October 1888 they moved to Decatur, NE. In 1892 they lived at Tekamah, NE. About 1893 they moved to Blencoe, IA, and in 1900 back to Decatur. In 1916 they took a homestead near Rozet, WY, where Lizzie died.

Lizzie was almost six feet tall, very straight and well proportioned. Her hair was black and her eyes dark brown. Like all her brothers and sisters she was a good singer. She and her husband played violins and called for dances. She wanted her children to be well educated but Rube was against it.

RUBEN WHITNEY REED son of B. F. Reed was born February 4, 1857 near Steamboat Rock, Section 35, Clay Township, Hardin Co. IA. His father was from a large family, born in Claremont, NH. In 193_ his daughter, Gladys and her husband and son moved onto the home farm. Rube went to Nebraska to live with his daughters, Ruth and Jessie. Later, he lived in a private home in Tekemah, NE where he died March 17, 1956 at the age of 99.

Children: REED

67 I MARGARET EMILINE, born June 20, 1884, Hardin Co., I. Married a man with the last name of Melton. Died in June, 1976. 1

68 II JESSIE EDNA, born October 31, 1886, Eldora Township, Hardin Co., IA. Married Stephen Smith Sears April 19, 1907. Died April 1973. 1

69 III RUBEN WHITNEY, born December 27, 1888 in Decatur, Burt Co., NE. Died January 7, 1889 in Decatur, NE

70 VI EVERETTE, born September 12, 1890 in Decatur, NE; died March 1, 1894 near Blencoe, Monona Co. IA

71 V RUTH CHARLOTT, born March 6, 1892 at Tekamah, Burt Co., NE . Married James Bray. Died 1963.1

72 VI EDITH CORDELIA, born July 28, 1895 at Manona Co., Blencoe, IA. Married Hansen. Died of a burst appendix on November 26, 1926. 1

73 VII JOHN WILLIAM, born August 28, 1897 at Blencoe, IA. Married Mary Jane Houser.  Died in Gillette WY on April 16, 1972. 1

74 VIII GLADYS OLIVE, born July 21, 1900 at Decatur, NE, Married Roy Gilliland. Lived on a ranch near Rozet WY. Died in Gillette WY  December, 1986. 1

23. ALICE COLA³ EMERSON, daughter of George² Emerson (Mathew¹) and wife, Margaret² Finlayson (James¹) was born September 5, 1865 at Richland, Rice Co., MN; married March 14, 1886 at Aston, IA, Frank Willard Perry; died June 24, 1926 at Huron, SD, aged 60 years, 9 months, 19 days; buried in Riverside Cemetery at Huron, SD.

FRANK WILLARD PERRY was born January 30, 1864, 4 miles east of Berlin, Winnebago Co., WI and died at the home of his son, F. L. Perry, in Sioux Falls, SD, May 31, 1933; buried beside his wife in Riverside Cemetery in Huron, SD. His father had three wives and 19 children of his own and three stepchildren. He came to Berlin in 1846 probably from Cambridge, MA.

Following from Lee Perry, February 17, 1940.

"Father and Mother were married at Ashton, IA, in 1886 and moved to Sioux City, IA about the fall of 1889. In 1890 they resided at LaMars, IA for a time and then went up into southern Minnesota and worked a while around Adrian and St. Killian, and then I believe went back to LeMars. The next season they went back to Minnesota again and then in November 1892 moved to Hawarden, IA, and there my memory starts to some extent. I recall that Dad had a big black and white team that he hauled ice with, and I recall he fell through the ice and came near being sucked into the mill-wheel, as it was running, but he was rescued by several men taking hold of hands. He had on a big fur coat with a red flannel lining, and the dye was not fast, and it was thought at first he was injured, however, I recall his coming into our apartment over an old implement shop and mother caring for him, after he had driven more than a mile in 20^o below weather. We resided at Hawarden, in town, where dad worked as a machine expert until the spring of 1896, when we moved on the farm, west of town about 4 miles. It was in April 1895 that dad was torn almost limb from limb in a cyclone northeast of Ireton, IA. In the spring of 1897 we moved to a farm south of Hawarden and lived there until the spring of 1901. We lived there two years and then moved back to Hawarden in the spring of 1903 where we went into the implement business. In 1904 and 1905 we were back on the farm 12 miles northeast of Devoe, SD some 35 miles northwest of Redfield. In November 1907 we moved to another farm at Onida, SD and lived there until the spring of 1909, just shortly after Sarah M. Sutton and I were married on February 3, 1909, at Merrillan, WI.

We moved to Sheldon, IA, and ran a pool-hall and had about a $1500.00 stock of merchandise. In January 1910 we moved to Mapleton, IA, 48 miles southeast of Sioux City, where we worked for the Standard Oil Company. The folks resided there until the fall of 1910 and than moved to Woonsocket, SD and lived on the farm there until the spring of 1915 when they took up a homestead near Timber Lake, SD, and lived there until November 1917, when they moved to Huron, SD. They lived there until Mother died in 1926, and in February 1932 when dad came to Sioux Falls and lived with me until his death."

Aunt Cola (called Cola until later in life when she was called Alice) was almost six feet tall, very straight and slim. She had red hair and brown eyes. She was three when she moved with her parents to Eldora, IA.

Children: PERRY

75 I FRANK LELAND, born February 4, 1887, Gowie Township, IA 1

76 II MYRTIE ALICE, born December 25, 1890, Sioux City, IA; married September 30, 1911 at Woonsocket, SD, Grover B.Scott; died July 1917 in Sioux City, IA; buried in Oaklawn Cemetery, Sioux City. They lived in Woonsocket for a while, then moved to Aurelia, IA, and then to Sioux City, where Myrtie worked on the Sioux City Journal and Scott in a garage. Scott went to war and continued in the service and in February 1940, he had more than 22 years in the army, aviation branch. He remarried several times after Myrtie's death. She did beautiful tatting and embroidery work. No children.

77 III GEORGE HOLLIS RANDOLPH, born September 11, 1905 at Hawarden, IA 1

24. MATHEW WELL³ EMERSON, son of George² Emerson (Mathew¹) and his wife, Margaret² Finlayson (James¹) was born December 29, 1868 at Richland, Rice Co., MN; married July 17, 1898 at Marshland, Buffalo Co., WI, Ida Hogan; died January 4(?), 1935 at Anoka, Anoka Co., MN with heart trouble, aged 66 years, 6 days(?); buried beside his brother, George, at Bruno, Pine Co., MN.

IDA HOGAN was born August 22, 1880 at Winona, MN at the Poor Farm the year her father had charge of it. She and Matt separated about 1918. Some time after she obtained her divorce, she married Gus Lundberg of Superior, WI.

When Matt was a baby he moved with his family to Eldora, IA. After he quit high school at Eldora, he worked around doing any jobs he could get. He worked for his Uncle Charles Morrison for awhile. For about two years he rented a farm near Adrian, MN. He was there when his mother died at Boonsboro, IA, December 3, 1892. He drove his team home and spent the rest of the winter there.

When his father, brother, two younger sisters and himself lived at the Orphans Home (never used as an orphanage) Matt and his brother George opened a dance hall in Superior, IA. Both boys played violins and called for dances. Both sang. Matt also played the piano. They kept protective eyes on their younger sisters who loved to dance. When Ruth or Ruby heard an odd laugh from one of their brothers, they knew they were being warned about something, usually of the approach of a fellow they were not to dance with.

Matt was around six feet tall. His hair was dark red and his eyes gray. He was jolly and affectionate. Both he and George were fine carpenters, usually working together on their many jobs, which took them to different states. They lived together much of the time before and after Matt’s marriage. Matt and Ida lived at Homer, MN for four years, at Kerrick, MN for one year, and at Bruno, MN for fifteen years. He spent a couple winters in Florida and one winter, 1929-1930, with his sister, Ruth Weir, at Guilford, NY.

His sister and husband, Chriss and Ruby Wolle, wanted to spend Christmas of 1934 with their daughter Letha and son Chriss in Pontiac, MI so Matt cared for their stock on their farm at Anoka, MN. When they returned on January 7, 1935 they found him dead in his bed. Apparently, the wish he had once express had materialized. He said he hoped that when his time came, he could just go to sleep and not wake up. He had heart trouble. The coroner thought he had died about January 4^th.

Twins sons:

78 I RAY GEORGE, born June 8, 1899, Homer, MN 1

79 II ROY JAMES, born June 8, 1899, Homer, MN 1

26. LEONA RUTH³ EMERSON, daughter of George² Emerson (Mathew¹) and wife, Margaret² Finlayson (James¹) was born August 21, 1876 at Eldora, Hardin Co. IA; married June 20, 1900 by Rev. J. W. Ault in Mrs. Ault’s summer hotel on Lake Okiboji, Spirit Lake, IA, Ike Weir. Their attendants were Ruby Emerson and Christ Wolle.

Ruby (Myrick - changed to Olive) Olive³ Emerson daughter of George² Emerson (Mathew¹) and wife Margaret Finlayson (James¹) Emerson was born December 27, 1880 in Eldora, IA.

Ruby married Christ Henry Wolle of Terril, IA on March 6, 1901 in Little Rock, IA. The wedding certificate gives Ruby’s address as Spirit Lake, IA.

Ruby Emerson Wolle died at Leonard, MI January 25, 1963

Christ H. Wolle was born at Kankakie, IL November 9, 1877. He was the son of Christ Wolle and Katrine Schnelle Wolle, both from Hanover, Germany. They were naturalized October 30, 1886 at Joliet, IL.

Christ H. Wolle died March 29, 1945 at Oxford, MI

Children: WOLLE

80 I JESSIE RUTH WOLLE, born Jan. 10, 1902 at Terril, IA. Married Orlando Lerew April 10, 1932

81 II LETHA ADELLE WOLLE, born May 20, 1903 at Terril, IA. Married Alvah Graham August 17, 1937

82 III RUBE MINNIE WOLLE, born December 1, 1905 at Bellingham, MN. Married Kenneth Lerew June 8, 1930

83 IV CHRISS HUGH WOLLE, born Nov. 2, 1908 at Bellingham, MN. Married June 13, 1931

IKE WEIR (Isaac Newton Weir), son of Andrew Blount Weir (Peter, David, John?) and his wife, Sarah Jane⁴ Reed (Isaiah³, Issac², William¹) was born January 16, 1868 at Mount Etna, Lancaster Township, Huntington Co., IN. Died April 2, 1941 at Guildord, Chenango Co., NY with heart trouble, age 73 years, 2 months, 17 days; funeral April 5, 1941 in Colwell’s Funeral Chapel, Bainbridge, NY after private service at his home in Guilford. Buried in family lot No. 170 in Sunset Hill Cemetery, Guilford, NY.

Ruth, as she was called, was of medium height, had red hair and brown eyes and a disposition and character above reproach. She is loved and respected by all who know her.

As a child, she was her father’s little shadow and later a great help to him. She loved horses and outdoor work. She had to quit school at Halloween time in her first year of high school to care for her mother. After her mother’s death that December, she took over the household duties with the help of her brother, Carl, who taught her many things. She was a mother to her sister, four and a third years younger than she.

They were living in Terril, IA when she met her future husband. Ike Weir had been doing railroad work in Colorado, Oklahoma and Arkansas before coming to Iowa. He had the honor of having the best finished mile of grading on the M. & St. L.R.R. tracks between Spencer, IA and New Ulm, MN, the announcement of which was made at a banquet in Estherville, IA in the spring of 1899. As Ruth refused to be his "Queen of the Railroad Camp" he sold his grading outfit at a loss, and put in a billiard room in Spirit Lake, IA. After his marriage, he put in a billiard room and bowling alley in each Ruthven and Milford, IA. In the fall of 1904 he put in a billiard parlor in the Brunswick Hotel in Minneapolis, MN where he moved his family on January 3, 1905. On account of poor health he sold the billiard parlor in the Brunswick Hotel and purchased a farm at Long Lake, MN, moving there on March 1, 1907. In 1908 he opened another billiard room in Minneapolis which he sold the next year. In June 1911 they sold their farm at Long Lake and lived at Frederick, WI two months before moving onto the farm they had purchased at Coomer, WI. They wanted their children to have at least a high school education so in November 1916 they rented their farm and moved to Milltown, WI where there was a fine new school. There he installed and operated ten-pinnet alleys. During World War I he worked with a bridge gang for the government. They kept the bridges in repair from White Bear through Milltown and beyond. After the big Kettle River Fire, they were sent there to rebuild bridges so they could get out the iron ore, and later to the ore docks in Superior, WI. Having sold their farm at Coomer and property at Milltown they moved in the summer of 1921 to a farm at Guilford, NY. He helped build roads around Guilford and did various things besides farming.

Children WEIR

84 I HOWARD ALDAMAR, born January 3, 1901, Spirit Lake, IA. Married Myrtie Lavinia Salisbury, December 4, 1928

85 II SARAH MARGARET, born July 5, 1902, Spirit Lake, IA. Married Eddy Edson Wade, June 28, 1927

86 III BERNICE EMMA, born November 26, 1903, Spirit, Lake, IA

87 IV IDA BELLE, born November 4, 1905, Minneapolis, MN. Married Harold Fleming Winsor, November 24, 1926

88 V GEORGE ANDREW (never really named), born April 8, 1907 and died April 14, 1907, Long Lake, Hennepin Co., MN. Buried in cemetery there.

89 VI LEONA RUTH, born May 2, 1908 at Long Lake, Hennepin Co., MN. Married Jesse Arthur Lasswell, January 12, 1974. Died October 31, 1975

90 VII HAZEL IOLA, born August 7, 1910 at Long Lake, Hennepin Co., MN

91 VIII JAMES PATRICK, CAPT., born September 11, 1913 at Coomer, La Follette Township, Burnett Co., WI. Pat was killed in Korea September 23, 1950.

The narrative as compiled by Leona R. Weir ends here, however, time does not end. For the generations continue with Sarah Elizabeth Emerson’s marriage to Ruben Whitney Reed and with one of their eight children, Jessie Edna Reed’s marriage to Stephen Smith Sears.

68 JESSIE EDNA REED married Stephen Sears on April 19, 1907. Much of their marriage was spent in the area of Decatur and Macy, NE where Stephen rented various farms. They retired to Lyons and lived there until their deaths.

Children: SEARS

92 I ARTHUR REED born ? Died at age 3 or 4 months

93 II SARABELLE, born Aug. 26, 1917. Married Marvin William Hoegemeyer Aug. 2, 1939

94 III JAMES ALLISON, born? Married Peggy Green in 1945, Died in 1994 at age 80.

93 SARABELLE SEARS studied two years at Wayne State Teachers College and then taught school near Orchard, NE. On August 2, 1939 she married Marvin William Hoegemeyer. After 58 years of marriage they are still living on their farm 5 ½ miles east of Lyons.

Children HOEGEMEYER

95 I NEAL RAYMOND, born April 26, 1940. Married Paula Marie Zurshadt on Sept. 26, 1964.

96 II JANET MARIE, born November 14, 1947. Married Robert Allen Ortmann March 14, 1970.

95 NEAL RAYMOND HOEGEMEYER He graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1961 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He accepted a job with General Motors in Detroit and as of this date is still working for the company. He married a native Detroit woman, Paula Marie Zurshadt on September 26, 1964. She has worked as a nurse.

Children: HOEGEMEYER

97 I KAREN LYNNE, born August 19, 1967. Married Jay Loring Isaacson on July 7, 1990. Jay was born February 19, 1967. Karen is a dietitian for the Veterans Hospital in Milwaukee, WI. She and Jay have one son, Samuel Tyler born February 12, 1995 and one daughter, Jessie Eleanor born January 25, 1998.

98 II JILL SUSAN, born September 4, 1969. Married Matthew Raine Hall on August 8, 1991. Matthew was born on June 3, 1968. They have two sons, Tristan James born September 16, 1994 and Malcolm Raine born June 28, 1996.

99 III ERIC DAVID, born March 5, 1973. Married Michele Jasmin Lucassian on Oct. 25, 1996. Michele was born on December 21, 1969.

96 JANET MARIE HOEGEMEYER married Robert Allen Ortmann on March 14, 1970. She was a housewife while her husband served 22 years as a Navy officer retiring with the rank of Commander. They currently reside in Omaha, NE. Janet works part-time as an accounting clerk, and musician. Robert works for Iowa Western Community College as Director of Business and Industry Services.

Children: ORTMANN

100 I BARBARA ANN, born April 23, 1971. Married Joseph Daniel Foley on September 14, 1996. Joe was born March 27, 1969. Barbara has degrees in Economics and Sociology from UCSD and Accounting from University of Nebraska at Omaha.  Her husband, a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, is a civil engineer.

101 II LAURA ANN, born November 7, 1977. She is currently at the University of Nebraska, and serving in the Army National Guard.

During the spring of 1997 my mother, Sarabelle Sears Hoegemeyer, showed me a copy of a typed manuscript regarding her ancestors. Recognizing that the information could be updated and with the use of a computer, retyped in a more readable style, I offered to do a revision. The first 13 pages were typed following the original, which was compiled and distributed by Leona Ruth Weir in the 1950’s. One exception is on page 9 where I updated information about the REED children. Starting with the second paragraph on page 13 is an update of the family descendents of Jessie Edna Reed Sears through her daughter Sarabelle Sears Hoegemeyer. In this retyping I used Word 97, and made some changes to try to make the layout more consistent and easier to read. One change was the use of the modern postal code instead of old state abbreviations.

The Arabic and Roman numerals for listing of the children and the superscripts in the narrative are used as was in the original, although I was not able to follow the meaning of each. I do not know what " 1 " meant after the listing of some of the children.  It is my hope that all who read this will find it interesting and informative.

August, 1997