Chapter 5
DESCENDANTS OF JOSEPH RHODE
1. Mary Rhode, the first child, was born near Lead Hill, Arkansas, on 8 January 1841 and died in Sidney, Iowa, in 1880. She married Lyman Oliver Baker, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1837 and who died at Sidney, Iowa, on 5 September 1921.
When Mary was four years old, she accompanied her parents on their overland trip from Arkansas to Indiana. When she was ten years of age, she went with her parents and three younger sisters, Harriet, Dora and Martha, on the trek by ox team from Indiana to Tabor, Iowa, where her father, Joseph Rhode, and his two brothers homesteaded land and made their future homes.
Mary and her husband, Lyman Baker, were prosperous farmers on a tract of land they owned near Sidney, Iowa. Seven children were born of this union. Two of the children died at the ages of nine and eleven, and four others lived one year or less. The seven children, born at Sidney, Iowa, were:
I. Alonzo Joseph Baker, who was born on 2 August 1867 and died on 27 August 1952; he was married on 10 November 1897 to Nellie May Ivory, who was born on 13 June 1871 and who died on 4 January 1929. There were no children.
Lon and his wife, Nellie, owned and operated a fine farm near Sidney, Iowa. Lon Baker was known and respected far and wide as a progressive farmer and a pioneer citizen of his community. He was a member of the Green Township Board of Trustees for twenty-five years. Assisted by a nephew, he continued his farming activities until his passing at 85 years of age.
II. Willis Baker, who was born in 1869 and who died on 17 April 1877.
III. Bennie Baker, who was born in 1870 and who died on 23 February 1881.
IV. Jessie Baker, who was born in 1875 and who died on 10 October 1875.
V. Bertha Baker, who was born in 1876 and who died on 3 July 1878.
VI. Blanche Baker, who was born in 1879 and who died on 19 July 1879.
VII. Infant son, who died at birth.
2. Harriet Rhode, who was born near Lead Hill, Arkansas, on 6 November 1842 and who died at Tabor, Iowa, on 31 March 1928 at the age of 86; she was married at Glenwood, Iowa, on 16 February 1864 to Samuel Phillip McCormick, who was born in Pennsylvania on 30 August 1832 and who died at Tabor, Iowa, on 1 September 1906.
When three years old, Harriet accompanied her parents on the overland trek from the Ozarks in Arkansas to Indiana and, when nine years of age, again went with her parents in 1851 on the trek by ox teams from Indiana to the new homestead near Tabor, Iowa, where she lived until her marriage to Sam McCormick.
In 1859 as a carpenter Sam McCormick helped build the new house near Tabor, Iowa, for his future father-in-law, Joseph Rhode. Sam McCormick was a Civil War veteran of Company A of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, serving as bugler of the company. He was in prison and came home from war sick and emaciated. In 1864 Sam McCormick built the house in Tabor where he and his wife Harriet lived during their lives and which in 1959 was still occupied by their daughter Mabel and son Fred. Sam McCormick followed the trade of carpenter and building contractor. He was an expert workman. He made the windows of the Congregational Church which still stands and helped with the erection of Tabor College.
Harriet and her husband joined the Tabor Congregational Church in 1868. In 1948 the fourth generation of this family was christened in this church. After the passing of her husband in 1906, Harriet continued to live for twenty-two years in the family home at Tabor with her daughter Mabel and son Ira.
For seventy-seven years, Harriet (Rhode) McCormick lived in the community of Tabor.
She came overland along the dusty trail with her parents in 1851. She had seen and had a great part in the wonderful advancement of the west, from the creaking wagons drawn by ox teams to sleek automobiles riding over paved highways. The endless prairie had become dotted with prosperous farms with cornfields, barns, gardens and tree-shaded homes. Towns were built with paved streets, stores, homes, schools and churches. Harriet's husband, Sam McCormick, had a large part in the planning and construction of many of the farm and city buildings. Harriet was a religious and lovable woman, respected and admired by everyone in her wide community. Seven children were born in Tabor, Iowa:
I. Mary McCormick, who was born on 7 February 1865 and who died on 11 March 1939 at Sidney. Iowa; she was married on 26 April 1893 to Sam Ambler (deceased).
The family lived at Sidney, Iowa, where Sam Ambler was an M.D. engaged in the practice of medicine. Three children were born at Sidney, Iowa:
(1) Ines Winifred Ambler, who was born on 1 June 1894; she married R. L. Kehoe, who was an agent for the Wiite Sewing Machine Company. Their residence was in Sioux City, Iowa. They had no children.
(2) Carl H. Ambler, who was born on 30 May 1896 and who died on 30 May 1942; he was married on 5 July 1923, to Leona Hume. Carl served overseas in World War I with a brilliant record. He operated a service station and auto sales shop. They had two children [additional information available].
(3) Cecil Calvin, who was born on 21 June 1898. He served in World War II as Assistant Chaplain at Fort Lawton, Washington. He engaged in farming and real estate at Tabor, Iowa. Cecil was never married.
II. Ira McCormick, who was born on 23 November 1866 and who died in Tabor, Iowa, on 27 April 1927 at age 61. Ira held a responsible position as cashier of the Tabor National Bank. He lived with his mother. He was a likable man with a sterling character. He was never married.
III. Katie McCormick, who was born on 8 October 1868 and who died at Tabor, Iowa, on 18 August 1870.
IV. Inez McCormick, who was born on 10 February 1872 and who died at Tabor, Iowa, on 23 February 1943; she was married on 4 October 1898 to William Swart.
Inez was a friendly and likable woman; after the death of her husband, she made many short visits to relatives in various parts of the country. She had two children:
(1) Robert Swart, who was born on 29 June 1901 and who died on 15 September 1902.
(2) Harriet Swart, who was born in Tabor, Iowa, on 7 October 1903; she married John Marsh, but later the two were divorced. Harriet was an expert seed analyst, one of the top twenty in the United States. She lived in St. Louis, Missouri. She had two children [additional information available].
V. Joseph McCormick, who was born on 12 November 1873 and who died in Tabor, Iowa, on 9 February 1874.
VI. Mabel McCormick, who was born on 23 May 1878. Mabel McCormick in 1959 was still living at the family residence in Tabor, built by her father in 1864 and where all the McCormick children were born. She followed the profession of teacher in the public schools for a number of years and was a newspaper reporter. She was very active in community affairs and clubs; she was a member of the Eastern Star Lodge and a member and worker in the Congregational Church. Mabel's wit, personality and friendliness made her very popular in her community as well as with Rhode descendants. Her home was a rendezvous for relatives far and near. She never married.
VII. Frank McCormick, who was born on 8 August 1880 and who died at Council Bluffs, Iowa, on 7 November 1901. He never married. He was employed as an electrician for Council Bluffs Light and Power Company. He was killed by a live wire on a light tower.
VIII. Fred McCormick, who was born on 1 February 1884; he was married at Stevensville, Montana, on 8 October 1910 to Marguerite Gilliland. The couple later were separated. Fred owned and operated a confectionary and billiard parlor at Tabor, Iowa; he eventually retired and lived at the old family home with his sister Mabel. He had one child:
(1) Joseph C. McCormick, who was born on 8 November 1911; he was married at Fremont, Nebraska, to Mary Mead. Joseph served for five years in the United States Army during World War II in the Military Police Division; he was in Hawaii for eighteen months. He was Provost Marshall at Kansas City, and attained the rank of Captain. He became a police officer in Kansas City and a Secret Service vice investigator. His family lived in Kansas City, Missouri. He had one child [additional information available].
3. Dora Rhode was born in Indiana in 1846 and died at Weeping Water, Nebraska, on 18 May 1885; she was married on 9 October 1879 to Seymour A. Reed, who was born at Vienna, Ohio, on 11 July 1844 and who died at Longmont, Colorado, on 15 October 1915. Seymour A. Reed was a son of Agustas and Serena (Hutchins) Reed. [Dr. Rhode suspects that the name should be Augustus Reed.] Dora and husband Seymour are buried in the Oakwood Cemetery at Weeping Water, Nebraska.
Dora accompanied her parents and three sisters, Mary, Harriet and Martha, on the trek by ox teams from Indiana to Iowa in 1851, when she was five years of age. She grew up on her father's homestead near Tabor, Iowa. She lived to be only thirty-nine years of age. She was a devoted wife and mother and was a pioneer in the early days of Nebraska.
Dora's husband, Seymour Reed, moved with his parents from Vienna, Ohio. to Washington County, Iowa, in 1848 and then moved on with them to Tabor, Iowa in 1858. After attending Tabor College, he settled on a farm near Weeping Water, Nebraska, in 1871. After their marriage in 1879, Dora and her husband lived on this farm during the rest of their lives. Seymour Reed lived for thirty years after his wife Dora passed away; he never remarried. Both were members of the Congregational Church, Seymour Reed joining when the old stone church at Tabor was dedicated in 1871. He had one child:
I. Bessie S. Reed, who was born at Weeping Water, Nebraska, on 18 September 1880 and who died at Weeping Water, Nebraska, on 12 May 1907. She was married on 23 December 1903 to William Melville Kear, who was born at Avoca, Nebraska, on 10 April 1878. William was a son of James W. and Ellen (Lehmkuhl) Kear. There was one child by William's first marriage. William Kear married (2nd) on 1 January 1921 to Julia Odell, who was born at Wahoo, Nebraska, and who died on 8 October 1944.
William Kear lived in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he was engaged in carpenter work. Bessie S. (Reed) Kear graduated from Weeping Water Academy in 1901. She passed away in 1907 at the birth of her daughter:
(1) Dora Ellen Kear, who was born at Weeping Water, Nebraska, on 7 May 1907 and who was married on 29 November 1930 to Fred Engelking, who was born at Elmwood, Nebraska, on 16 February 1903. He was a son of Chris and Catherine (Hartman) Engelking.
Dora Ellen was raised by her grandmother, Ellen Lehmkuhl. She graduated from Elmwood High School in 1926 and attended a university summer school. She was a member of the Methodist Church and Rebecca Lodge. Her husband was a member of the Christian Church and Odd Fellows Lodge. After their marriage, Fred Engelking and his wife, Dora, purchased a farm from his parents, which was located near Elmwood, Nebraska. There were two children, both born in Lincoln, Nebraska [additional information available].
4. John Wesley Rhode, who was born in Indiana in 1848. He lived about one year. He is buried in the Rhode family plot in Quaker Cemetery near Attica, Indiana.
5. Martha Rhode was born 6 January 1850 in Indiana and died at Glendale, California, on 10 April 1938 at the age of 88. She was married at Tabor, Iowa, in 1884 to Fred Loveland, a widower with two children, Inez Loveland and Nellie Loveland. Fred Loveland was born in Ohio on 14 January 1832 and died at Riverside, California, on 5 July 1906 at age 74.
Martha, along with her sisters Mary, Harriet and Dora, accompanied their parents on the trek from Indiana to Iowa in 1851. In her girlhood, "Mattie," as she was called, was noted for her horsemanship, winning a gold medal for riding at the County Fair, on the sidesaddle as was the custom then. She was one of the first business women in Tabor, Iowa, as proprietor of a millinery shop. She attended Tabor College.
Martha and her husband moved to California in 1887, where they purchased and settled on a large tract of dry farming land near Winchester, southwest of Los Angeles, where they drilled wells for irrigation and set out orchards. It was pioneer life at the ranch, as it was a day's drive to and from the trading center at San Jacinto.
Martha's youngest sister, Bessie, came to live with them at Winchester when she was about 20 years old. In 1900 the Loveland family moved to Riverside, California, where Fred Loveland operated a fuel and feed store. He was a close personal friend of Frank Miller, who built the famous Mission Inn at Riverside. Fred Loveland was one of the first supervisors of Riverside County. He enjoyed wide contacts with leaders and citizens of his community through his business and as a county officer. He had a friendly personality and a fine personal appearance. He wore a full luxurious beard.
Martha passed away at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Bessie and Bob Peters, with whom she made her home in later years. She lived to be 88, the oldest of all her brothers and sisters. She never had a memory of a sick day in her life. She had a wide variety of interests and many friends. There were three children:
I. Bessie Lucile Loveland, who was born on 11 May 1886 at Riverton, Iowa; she was married at Riverside, California, on 23 July 1907 to Robert L. Peters, who was born on 4 April 1882 at Lexington, Massachusetts and who died on 10 February 1953.
For 45 years Bessie was employed in Riverside and Los Angeles by Security Title and Insurance Company, holding important positions in this large firm. Robert Peters was purchasing agent with this company for twenty-five years. He was a Third Degree Mason and Shriner. Both were members of the Congregational Church. They had no children. Bessie was married (2nd) on 28 October 1955 to Lester Peters, a brother of Robert Peters. Their residence was at 3218 Vickers Drive, Glendale, California.
II. Edith Bernice Loveland, who was born on 16 May 1888 at Winchester, California, and who died 24 February 1939 at Glendale, California. Bernice was a Librarian at the University of Southern California at Riverside and was associated with the Sierra Power Company. She never married.
III. Stella Marguerite Loveland, who was born 23 March 1890 at Winchester, California, and who was married at Berkeley, California, on 26 July 1923, to B. W. Towne, who was born at Battle Creek, Iowa, on 7 June 1886 and who died on 9 August 1959. He was a statistical analyst for Pacific Telephone Company. Stella graduated from the Los Angeles State Normal and from the Art Department of the State Teacher College. She was an art teacher for eleven years at Riverside, Imperial and Long Beach, California. She resided at 1310 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, California. She had one child [additional information available].
6. Seymour T. Rhode was born on 23 June 1852 near Tabor, Iowa, and died 10 May 1935. He was buried at Randolph, Iowa. He was married on 24 October 1880 to Violet Allensworth, who died 6 April 1906.
Seymour was the first child to be born in the log cabin on the Rhode homestead near Tabor, Iowa, his parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Rhode, with their four small children, having made the trip overland from Indiana to Iowa the previous summer. He attended the Rhode country school nearby. Game was plentiful, and, as young men, he and his younger brother Charles, spent much of their spare time in providing game for the family table.
Seymour made two trips to visit the relatives at the first Rhode settlement in Indiana; first in 1870 as a young man of 18 and later in 1910. He had a great interest in family history and wrote long letters, which have been quoted from in this history. He copied dates from the tombstones in the family graveyard in Indiana. His father's old family Bible was turned over to him.
After farming for a few years on the home farm, Seymour went to Tabor, where he was in partnership in a drug store. He then worked in a hardware and grocery store. In 1878 he moved to Randolph, Iowa, a town opened up near Tabor on a new railroad from Hastings to Sidney, where he started a hardware and implement business. Later he added grain and coal. When automobiles were first offered to the public, he took the agency for the Overland car.
He was a forward-looking, progressive citizen. Every community enterprise found in him a most enthusiastic supporter. He served for years on the Randolph School Board and was instrumental in establishing the Consolidated Schools. He was a charter member of Crown Masonic Lodge of Randolph, his membership dating back more than fifty years. He was a pioneer citizen of this community. He had a wide acquaintance in southwest Iowa and was held in esteem by his large circle of friends. He lived to be nearly 83 years of age. There were six children born at Randolph, Iowa:
I. Elsie Rhode, who was born on 20 November 1881 and who died on 30 August 1956. She was married at Randolph, Iowa, on 22 March 1922 to Roy E. Parker, who was born on 26 February 1882 and who died on 22 January 1956. Elsie and her husband lived on Wildwood Farm, Malvern, Iowa, which is near Randolph. They carried on general farming operations, including the raising of registered Percheron horses, Shorthorn cattle, purebred Leghorn chickens and turkeys. There were no children.
II. Ethel Rhode, who was born on 5 July 1883 and who died on 24 December 1938 at Randolph, Iowa. She was married at Tabor, Iowa, on 15 March 1923 to H. V. Dodd.
Ethel and her husband resided in the old home place in Randolph. Her husband engaged in farming activities. Ethel was very active in church and Red Cross activities in Randolph. She was a prominent southwest Iowa club woman. She served a term as Mayor of Randolph. She was a member of the Methodist Church. There were no children.
III. Joseph Rhode, who was born 6 August 1886; he was married to Belva Dutton, but the couple later became divorced. Joseph was employed by the Edison Telephone Company in Fowlerville, Michigan. There was one child:
(1) Joseph Rhode, Jr., who was born on 25 January1915 at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In World War II he served in the United States Naval Reserves; from April 1943 to January 1946, he was a Pharmacist's Mate, 3/C, and then he became a clerk in the Salvage Office of the Briggs Manufacturing Company in Detroit, Michigan.
IV. John Rhode, who was born on 22 March 1888 and who died on 28 March 1951 in Kent, Washington. He was married at Nebraska City, Nebraska, on 15 July 1915 to Els Huberly, who was born on 5 August 1890 and who died on 25 January 1945 at Auburn, Washington. Since about 1916, John was engaged in auto repair work near Seattle, Washington In 1947-1951 he was traveling over the state, having charge of maintenance of equipment of the Washington Asphalt Company, a large paving concern. He lived at Kent, Washington Two children were born at Auburn, Washington. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and was a 32nd Degree Mason & Shriner. He was married (2nd) on 30 September 1949 to Nina ____________. There were no children from the second marriage. [additional information available]
V. Edward Rhode, who was born on 28 June 1892 and who died on 13 August 1913 at the age of 21 from an accidental pitchfork wound.
VI. Dorothy Rhode, who was born on 22 September 1896 and who died on 24 June 1959; she was buried in Randolph, Iowa. She was married at Randolph, Iowa, to H. C. Edwards.
Dorothy's husband, H. C. Edwards, was a mechanical engineer, having graduated from the University of Nebraska. He was in charge of research and development with the Timken Bearing Company of Canton, Ohio. They lived on Cherryland Farm, RFD 10, Canal Fulton, Ohio. They had two children [additional information available].
7. Esther Rhode was born on 16 August 1854 in the log cabin on the Joseph Rhode homestead near Tabor, Iowa; she died at Long Beach, California, on 27 May 1938 at the age of 84. She was married on 21 December 1876 to Robert Hurst, who was born on 28 October 1843 and died on 19 May 1921 at Long Beach, California. Bob Hurst was a widower who had a son, Grant Hurst, by his first marriage, who lived in Long Beach, California. Esther, or "Hettie," as she was called, lived with her husband and family on a farm they owned in southwest Iowa. Later they retired and moved to Long Beach for the benefit of Hettie's asthma.
It has been said that a happier couple never lived. After the death of her husband Bob Hurst in 1921, Hettie made her home with her daughter, who was employed in the Long Beach school. Esther and Bob had four children:
I. Edith Eva Hurst was born on 29 June 1879 and died at Long Beach, California on 26 July 1927. Eva Hurst was an elementary teacher and counselor in the Long Beach Public Schools. She never married.
II. Thomas Joseph Hurst, who was born on 10 March 1885 and who was married on 22 June 1921 to Vera May Kooi. Tom Hurst and family lived at 510 S. Jefferson Street in Sheridan, Wyoming, where for a number of years he operated a clothing business and, in later years, an insurance business. There were six children [additional information available].
III. Robert Burton Hurst, who was born on 27 March 1891 and who died on 3 March 1900.
IV. Nina Ester Hurst, who was born on 26 November 1893 and who died on 3 July 1919; she was married at Longmont, Colorado, on 2 August 1911 to William A. Kistler.
On the night of 3 July 1919, Nina (Hurst) Kistler and her four children were caught in a cloudburst at Pawnee Creek, Sterling, Colorado, and all were drowned. The children were:
(1) William Robert Kistler, who was born on 28 June 1912.
(2) Donald Arthur Kistler, who was born on 16 May 1914.
(3) Florence Esther Kistler, who was born on 21 March 1917.
(4) Thomas Franklin Kistler, who was born on 24 January 1919.
8. Sarah Rhode, who was born in 1857 in the log cabin on the Rhode homestead near Tabor, Iowa, and who died at Sheridan, Wyoming, on 7 June 1937. She married (1st) Will Matthews and (2nd) John Wright.
Sarah's first husband was a practicing physician in Longmont, Colorado. To this union a Rhode son was born with only one arm. He had an outstanding personality and temperament. After the death of Will Matthews, Sarah married a second time to John Wright, a retired engineer of Lyons, Colorado. John lived only one year after the marriage. There were no children by Sarah's second marriage.
Shortly after the death of her son Rhode in 1918, Sarah went to keep house and assist in running an auto camp for her cousin Dave Rhode at Gardiner, Montana, the northern entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Dave Rhode was the son of Daniel Rhode, who was a brother of Joseph Rhode. Dave Rhode located in the park in 1882 and was a guide and big game hunter. For years he was rated the leading guide of Montana on the basis of game bagged by his guests. He died in 1935 at the age of 87 after 50 years service in Yellowstone Park. Many relatives visited Uncle Dave and Aunt Sade at Yellowstone Park.
Aunt Sade, as she was known, was a remarkable woman in personality, conversation and accomplishment. She had many and varied interests. Among other things she painted excellent pictures of the out of doors. At an advanced age she took a long airplane trip when plane travel was an adventure. She was an accomplished musician, playing both violin and piano. There was one child by her first marriage.
I. Rhode Matthews, who was born on 14 October 1885 at Hamburg, Iowa, and who died at Taos, New Mexico, on 7 November 1918. He was married at Questa, New Mexico, in April 1915 to Henrietta Young, who was born on 28 January 1893 and who died on 30 April 1920.
Rhode Matthews lived for a time at Questa, New Mexico, near the north border of the state, where he was married and his two children were born. Later he moved to nearby Taos, the old Indian-Spanish American town visited by the Spanish explorer Coronado in 1540. Thousands of tourists come to Taos annually to see the Taos Indians in their colorful costumes and to tour their apartment dwellings. Rhode Matthews was the postmaster at Taos and was also engaged in the cattle business. His warm personality and friendly disposition gave him a wide and close acquaintance with the Indians, Spanish and Americans in this colorful and historic region. Two children were born:
(1) J. Rhode Matthews, who was born on 1 September 1916 at Questa, New Mexico, and who was married at Brighton, Colorado, on 10 July l940 to Cynthia Prendergast. J. Rhode was a salesman for Curtis Candy Company of Brighton, Colorado. There were three children [additional information available].
(2) Eleanore J. Matthews, who was born on 24 January 1918 at Questa, New Mexico. She was married at Platteville, Colorado, on 3 September 1939 to John H. Camenga, who in World War II was a sergeant in the U. S. Army with service in Saipan and Guam. He became a postal clerk in the Fort Lupton Post Office. There were three children [additional information available].
9. Charles Hamilton Rhode was born at Tabor, Iowa, on 31 October 1860 and died at Los Gatos, California, on 5 March 1927. He was married at Griswold, Iowa, on 16 August 1887 to Adaline M. Baughman, who was born at Griswold, Iowa, on 23 July 1861 and who died at Los Gatos, California, on 2 July 1941. Adaline was a daughter of William and Johanna Baughman. Charles Rhode and his wife, Adaline, are buried in the Los Gatos, California, cemetery.
Charles was the first child born in the new house that took the place of the log cabin on the Joseph Rhode farm. His mother, Elizabeth Rhode, passed away when he was three and a half years old. He always said that his older sister Martha was like a mother to him. Charles attended the Rhode country school with his sisters, brothers and cousins. He and his older brother Seym spent much of their spare time hunting the wild game that abounded in those days. He attended Tabor College in about 1880-1882 and was a charter member of the Phi Delta Literary Society. In about 1884, Charles went to western Kansas near Garden City, where he entered 480 acres of prairie land under homestead laws and engaged in sheep raising.
In 1887 he returned to Iowa to marry Adaline Baughman, whom he met at Tabor College. Her parents had trekked overland from Pennsylvania to Griswold, Iowa in 1855, where they were among the first settlers to homestead the prairie land. Her father, William Baughman, was chosen as a member of the Iowa Legislature in 1882. (Charles's father, Joseph Rhode, had served in this same body four years before.) Ada was the first school teacher in the vicinity, riding her pony across the open prairie to her school. After the wedding ceremony, Charles returned to his sheep ranch in Kansas with his bride. The couple lived in a sod house that Charles had built. Buffalo chips were used for fuel.
The financial depression following the election of Grover Cleveland in 1885 made sheep raising unprofitable, so Charles sold out in Kansas and returned to Iowa in 1889 with his wife and one-year-old son, Ellis Rhode, where he purchased a 160-acre farm two miles north of Cumberland in Cass County, Iowa. This land was farmed by Charles and his wife for twenty-eight years. He was known as a progressive farmer, contributed articles to farm journals, and grew the first alfalfa in the county. His farm crops were mainly corn, oats and hay. He raised livestock (hogs, feeding cattle) and bred registered Shire horses. He was a prominent and extensive breeder of purebred Shorthorn cattle. He improved his farm, erecting farm buildings and a commodious house. He planted a large orchard and evergreen windbreaks, and he built a fishpond that was a swimming hole for boys many miles around. Charles was known as a "Jack of all trades" because of his ability as a carpenter, bricklayer, pipefitter, blacksmith, etc. He devised many improvements on farm equipment. He took an active part in community affairs and was instrumental in the organization of the Cumberland Farmers Mutual Telephone Company and for years was its manager. In 1918 he rented the farm and engaged in truck farming in Florida with his son Ellis Rhode, selling this land after two years.
In 1920 Charles Rhode and his wife, Ada, sold the Iowa farm and retired to Los Gatos, California, a town in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains about 140 miles south of San Francisco, where they built a home. They were both members of the Methodist Church and took an active part in church and community affairs. Charles was a good violinist and singer and had a great love for music. He was a man of clean habits and exemplary character, had a friendly personality, and possessed a keen sense of humor. After Charles's death, Ada lived in her Los Gatos home for fifteen years, continuing her activities and the friendships that she and her husband had shared together. Her two sisters, also her son, lived in nearby towns. Ada lived to be nearly 80 years of age. She and Charles had one child:
I. Ellis Gray Rhode, the only child, was born on 23 August 1888 in a sod house near Garden City in western Kansas. He was married at Seattle, Washington, on 8 June 1912 to Fern Bowlin, who was born at Harlan, Iowa, on 22 May 1884. She was a daughter of William and Mary Bowlin. William Bowlin was a Civil War Veteran who served as Aide to General Grant. [Dr. Rhode points out that Ellis Gray Rhode is the author of this history.]
Fern Bowlin graduated from Simpson College in Iowa in 1906, and she taught English in Iowa high schools. She was a member of the Eastern Star.
Ellis Gray Rhode grew up on his father's farm near Cumberland, Iowa. He graduated from Simpson College in Iowa in 1911 (A.B.) and from Stanford University in California in 1929 (A.M.). He coached athletics and taught chemistry and physics at Chinook High School in Montana in 1911, Monroe High School in Washington from 1912 to 1913, and Olympia Washington High School from 1914 to 1917. He took up farming in Florida and was later a steamfitter in the Olympia, Washington, shipyards. He served as Superintendent of Schools in Monroe, Washington, from 1922 to 1928. He was Northern California Supervisor of Adult Education for the State Department of Education from 1934 to 1942. During World War II, he was Civilian Training Film Director for various Army Camps along the Pacific Coast. He was an instructor in Audio-Visual Education at San Francisco State College from 1948 to 1951. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Past President and honorary life member of the Oakland Camera Club, and the author of Audio-Visual Lab Manual and Projectionists' Handbook. He compiled this history of the Rhode family. His hobbies included camping, hunting, fishing, and photography. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Church. They resided at 126 Windsor Avenue in Berkeley, California. They had three children:
(1) Patricia Jane Rhode, who was born in Olympia, Washington, on 10 September 1918 and who died on 13 March 1919; she was buried in Olympia, Washington.
(2) Herbert Gray Rhode, who was born in Olympia, Washington, on 10 November 1920; he was married on 9 December 1950 to Helen Cossack. Her occupation was bank teller. Herbert attended the College of the Pacific, and he graduated from San Erancisco Junior College. During World War II, he was a First Lieutenant and co-pilot of a B29 bomber with 214 missions over Japan. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Presidential Citation. In 1950 he re-enlisted in the Air Force and was assigned to airport Installations as an engineer with the rank of Captain. In 1957 he attended the Airforce Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio. He was then assigned to duty in England in 1958. He had no children.
(3) [additional information available]
10. Elizabeth Alice Rhode was born at Tabor, Iowa, in 1863 and died at Los Angeles California, in February 1936; she was married in 1897 to Simeon Barrett, who died in 1934.
Elizabeth was the tenth and last child born to Joseph Rhode and his first wife, Elizabeth (Gray) Rhode. At her birth her mother passed away from blood poisoning. Elizabeth or "Bessie," as she was called, attended Tabor College and was a member of the Phi Delta Literary Society there. When Bessie was about 25 years of age, she went to live with her sister Martha and husband Fred Loveland on their ranch at Winchester, California.
Bessie was employed as Matron at the State Mental Hospital at Patton, near Redlands, California, where she met and later married the engineer of the institution, Simeon Barrett. They moved to Los Angeles, where Sim Barrett was employed as engineer for the Edison Electric Company. In about 1900 they purchased a tract of land in Los Angeles near Wiltshire Boulevard, where Sim Barrett later erected and sold a number of houses.
Bessie was known for her wonderful domestic artwork. There were no children born of this union.
Both Bessie and Simeon are buried in Inglewood Cemetery, Inglewood, California.
11. Edith Anna Rhode, the first child of Joseph Rhode's second marriage, was born at Tabor, Iowa, on 30 November 1886 and died at York, Nebraska on 19 December 1916. She was married in Tabor, Iowa, on 18 September 1889 to Alva A. Failing, who was born in Illinois on 18 July 1865 and who died in Pomona, California, on 30 December 1949. Alva married (2nd) Mattis Sisson.
Edith attended Tabor College in Tabor, Iowa. Edith and Alva Failing lived in Tabor until 1900, when they moved to Kearney, Nebraska, for five years. In 1905 they moved to York, Nebraska, where he operated an ice business and later a grocery store for many years. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge. Both Edith and Alva were members of the Presbyterian Church. In his later years Alva retired to Pomona, California. The three children from Alva's first marriage were:
I. J. Kimball Failing, who was born at Randolph, Iowa, on 9 March 1892. He was married on 6 September 1916 to Ruth Flickinger, who was born at Stockton, Nebraska, on 3 April 1890 and died on 8 August 1946. J. Kimball was in the sign business in David City, Nebraska, from 1916 to 1919, then he spent five years in Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1925 they moved to Beatrice, Nebraska, where J. Kimball was a partner in a sign and outdoor advertising firm. His hobby was oil painting, his pictures having been on display with artists from the Univeristy of Nebraska. J. Kimball and Ruth had one child:
(1) Betty Failing, who was born in 1917 in David City, Nebraska. She was married (1st) to Bus Pittman, a wheat farmer; she was married (2nd) to James Brown in Cheyenne, Wyoming. They lived in Beatrice, Nebraska. During World War II, Betty: was employed in Civil Service secretarial work in Washington, D. C. There were no children.
II. Edna Failing, who was born at Tabor, Iowa, on 29 May 1894. She was married at Ogden, Utah, on 10 July 1918 to Rae P. Waite, who was born in Minden, Nebraska, on 8 January 1894 and who died in June1955.
Edna attended York College in Nebraska and taught in public schools. She was a member of the D.A.R. and the Women's Rotary. Rae studied engineering at the University of Nebraska. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and Rotary Club. He was president and partner of Southwest Company, an air-conditioning firm of Dallas, Texas, which was sold in 1948. He next went into industrial engineering at Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Both Edna and Rae were members of the Presbyterian Church. They had two children:
(1) Dorothy Edith Waite, who was born at Salt Lake City, Utah, on 14 February 1920. She was married on 13 October 1920 to Lewis Paul Saxer, a chemist. They lived at 8 Northwoods Road, Radner, Pennsylvania. They had three children [additional information available].
(2) Donald McClure Waite, who was born on 8 November 1920 in Los Angeles, California. He graduated from Franklin Marshall College in Pennsylvania. He married Marylyn Tohms, who was born on 9 June 1925 and who died on 16 August 1957.
Donald was a 1st Lieutenant in the Marine Corps during World War II. He was a Captain in the Korean War. He was a chemist. Donald and Marylyn had two children [additional information available].
On 25 July 1959, Donald married (2nd) Molly Brady, who was born on 19 July 1929.
III. Carl Failing, who was born on 27 February 1896 in Tabor, Iowa. He married (1st) Ella Brown, who died; he married (2nd) Georgia Borgelas. Carl was engaged in the automobile repair business in York, Nebraska, from 1920 on. Carl had one child by his first marriage:
(1) Carl Paul Failing, who was born on 2 May 1917. He was married. From 1937 onward, he was a pharmacist in the U. S. Navy.
12. Lucy Adela Rhode, the second child of Joseph (second marriage), was born at Tabor, Iowa, on 4 December 1868 and died at Sheridan, Wyoming, on 15 September 1921. She was married at Longmont, Colorado, on 8 March 1894 to Henry C. Stevens, who was born at Montfort, Wisconsin, on 31 October 1870 and who died on 7 January 1950. In 1945, Henry Stevens was married (2nd) to Martha Eder of Molokai, Hawaii.
Lucy and her husband, Henry Stevens, went to Sheridan, Wyoming, in 1895, where they lived thereafter. Both were members of the Methodist Church. Lucy belonged to the Eastern Star Lodge. Both Lucy and her husband had a wide circle of friends and were prominent and influential in church, social and community affairs of Sheridan.
Henry Stevens was a member of Masonic Lodge #8 of Sheridan and was master of this Lodge in 1923. He belonged to the Khalif Temple Shrine of Sheridan. He was Potentate in 1930. He was the senior partner in the New York Store, Wyoming's largest Department Store. He was a partner with Guy Rhode in the "Lazy Thirteen" cattle ranch at Ranchester. He was a director of the First National Bank of Sheridan. He was a partner in the Boyd and Stevens livestock and ranching enterprise on the Crow reservation in Montana.
The three children by Henry's first wife, Lucy Adela Rhode, were:
I. Bernice Stevens, who was born on 28 July 1895. She was married to Roger K. Bent, who was born in 1891. He was a veteran of World War I. They lived at Story, Wyoming, and had two children [additional information available].
II. Winifred Stevens, who was born on 6 December 1899. She was married to William K. Cole, who was born in 1894. He was a veteran of World War I. He was manager of Flour Mills, Sheridan, Wyoming. Winifred and William had one child [additional information available].
III. Raymond Stevens, who was born on 17 October 1903. He was married to Julia Davis, who born in 1907. Raymond was credit manager of Sheridan's New York Store. They had one child [additional information available].
13. Oliver Guy Rhode, the first child of the third marriage of Joseph Rhode, was born 9 November 1880 near Tabor, Iowa; he was married at Sheridan, Wyoming, on 29 May 1904 to Ruth Lewis, who was born on 7 October 1879.
In 1903 Guy Rhode and his half brother Herschel Snow, purchased together a 360-acre ranch on the Tongue River of Indian War fame, about one half mile from the small town of Ranchester, near the northern border of Wyoming. Twenty miles to the south is the city of Sheridan, and about fifty miles to the north is the Custer battlefield and National Cemetery, where in 1876 General Custer with his 208 soldiers were massacred by Chief Sitting Bull and his 6000 Sioux warriors. Later Herschel Snow sold his interest in the ranch to Henry Stevens, Guy's, brother-in-law, who was engaged in the mercantile business in Sheridan.
One year after the purchase of the ranch, Guy Rhode and Ruth Lewis were married. A log and frame house was their home for the first nineteen years, when a new home was built on the Tongue River. The Rhode Ranch is named the "Lazy Thirteen." From year to year the ranch has been improved, and it is under irrigation. In addition to general farming, the main occupation was cattle raising, taking the cattle to the Big Horn Mountains for summer grazing end feeding them on the home ranch during the winter. Orchards and garden supplied abundant fruit and vegetables. From nearby mountains and streams trout and venison in season were always a part of good family living. For forty-four years they operated this ranch.
Guy, Sr., and his wife, Ruth, always led a full and busy life with ranch work, riding the range, raising a family of seven children (in 1958 proud grandarents of thirteen grandchildren), yet still finding time to take an active part in community life. Both belonged to the Community Church and took part in the Literary Society and home talent plays. Guy always loved music and was a member of a male quartette accompanied by his wife, and he played slide trombone in a community band meeting at various homes for practice followed by square dances.
Guy lived to be the last surviving child of Joseph Rhode. As a pioneers of northern Wyoming, Guy and Ruth are widely known and highly respected as parents of a tine family, as good neighbors, as successful ranchers and as community upbuilders. Late in 1947 Guy Rhode sold his half interest in the "Lazy Thirteen Ranch" and moved to nearby Dayton, Wyoming. Guy and Ruth's seven children, all born in Ranchester, Wyoming, were:
I. Doris Fay Rhode, who was born on 15 March 1905. She was married on 22 January 1929 to Emmett Olson. During World War II, Emmett Olson was an electrician on a submarine chaser, until he was injured and invalided at home. His occupation was an electrician at Monarch, Wyoming. There were two children [additional information available].
II. Alice Lee Rhode, who was born on 23 August 1906. She was married on 31 December 1933 to Philip Davis. Philip Davis was a chemist for the Burlington Railroad. The family resided in Ranchester, Wyoming. There were four children [additional information available].
III. Agnes Louise Rhode, who was born on 2 October 1909. She was married to James Pryde, who was a mine supply agent at Stansbury, Wyoming. They had two children [additional information available].
IV. Joe Lewis Rhode, who was born on 13 February 1911. He was married on 15 December 1941 to Mary Elizabeth Jenkins. Joe Lewis Rhode resides with his family at Dayton, Wyoming, which is a few miles from Ranchester. He was engaged in cattle raising. Joe and Mary had two children [additional information available].
V. Ruth Claire Rhode, who was born on 23 August 1912. She was married on 17 December 1932 to Bob Sinn. In World War II, Bob Sinn was a dentist with the U. S. Air Forces, served in England, and, with the rank of Captain, went with the invasion forces in Europe until the end of the war. He was promoted to Major before the end of his terminal leave. He was a dentist at Fairplay, Colorado. Ruth and Bob had three children [additional information available].
VI. Guy Rhode, Jr., who was born on 17 June 1915. Guy, Jr., had taken over the active work on the "Lazy Thirteen Ranch" near Ranchester, Wyoming, until his father sold out late in 1947. Guy, Jr., then operated a cabinet shop at Ranchester.
VII. Robert Bartlett Rhode, who was born on 24 October in 1916. He was married on 31 October 1946 to Katharena Fedrizzi, who was born in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and whose parents were born in the Tyrol Mountains between Austria and Italy. Robert enlisted in the Army in 1942. He graduated from Officers School at Camp Davis. He was with the Coast Artillery for eighteen months in Alaska, then went to the Pentagon Building in Washington, D. C. to serve in military intelligence. He held the rank of Captain. Robert Rhode later became editor of a newspaper in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
14. Raymond Paul Rhode, the second child of the third marriage of Joseph Rhode, was born near Tabor, Iowa, on 4 October 1882 and died on 18 January 1939. He was married at Monticello, Iowa, on 5 January 1911 to Edna Drury, who was born at DeSoto, Iowa, on 1 December 1881 and who died on 23 February 1956.
Ray was the fourteenth and last child of Joseph Rhode. He was born on the old Joseph Rhode homestead near Tabor. He attended the Rhode rural school. After completing high school and academy work, he started farming.
Ray's wife, Edna, was an ideal helpmate; she not only was interested in the farm work and her duties as housekeeper but also took an active part in community affairs with her husband. She was a member of P.E.O. Edna was a member of the Tabor Eastern Star Lodge for fifty-six years, serving as Matron twice. Her mother was born in Scotland and crossed the plains in the early days to Utah. Her father was a veteran of the Civil War. For forty-seven years, he was engaged in railroad work as road master. He was one of the bosses of construction on the building of the railroad from Council Bluffs to Red Oak, Iowa.
Ray and his wife farmed the old Joseph Rhode homestead until about 1933, when they bought a farm of their own nearby. Their companionship was shared for twenty-eight years until Ray's sudden death by heart failure in 1939. No children were born of this union.
At one time Ray Rhode was a member of the Tabor City Council. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias and one of the few in the vicinity receiving a 25-year pin. He was a member of the Masonic and Eastern Star Lodges of Tabor.
A quotation from the Tabor Beacon for April 1939 follows: "Ray Rhode had a large circle of friends. He was highly esteemed by all who knew him. As a member of one of the earliest pioneer families of this community, his acquaintance and kinship included a large group. His friendly disposition and willingness to share the neighborhood tasks, and his kind heart, won him many friends. The large attendance at the funeral gave evidence of the high regard in which he was held."