Follow Friday: Prairie Sanctuaries

This week's follow Friday is Prairie Sanctuaries on Facebook. Photographer Christian Begeman has some pretty neat pictures of little country churches.

https://www.facebook.com/prairiesanctuaries/

Two photos I'm particularly fond of are Lake Campbell Lutheran Church and Sterling United Methodist Church. My family members have attended these churches for many years.


Lake Campbell Lutheran Church

Sterling United Methodist Church

Remembering Grandpa Don Crapser

Rest in peace Grandpa. You will be missed dearly but left quite a legacy for us all to remember.  

You spent countless hours and miles running grandkids around town to hit up every park - yep EVERY single park in town. We spent many Friday and Saturday nights at the rollerskating rink, where you were on skates just as much – if not more – than we were. The employees at McDonald’s knew your name and knew that we were getting Happy Meals or maybe just ice cream, but definitely the Happy Meal toy. This Grandpa and his grandkids all had a full set of every Happy Meal toy set. 

If there was a train coming through town, you were within sight of the tracks. You had the grandsons hooked on Thomas the Train, because you had all the Thomas movies! There are bookshelves at the house containing every Disney movie and Kid Songs sing-a-long video ever made. And let’s not forget those home videos – that camcorder was with you for every school concert and family gathering. When you didn't have the camcorder, the the Polaroid camera was there.

When you weren’t driving us all over the place or recording our every move, you could be found relaxing with a book or newspaper. You loved chatting with family and friends, which sometimes meant that excursions with you lasted a little longer. If we needed you, we could always call. And call, we did!  How many times did you hear “Grandpa, can you come pick us up?” 

Thank you for the good times, Grandpa! You will forever be in our hearts.

Grandpa Don's obituary:

Donald F. Crapser, 87, of Brookings, passed away Saturday, May 14, 2016, at the Brookings Hospital. Memorial Services will be held at 11:00 am Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at Rude’s Funeral Home, in Brookings. Memorial visitation will be from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Tuesday, at Rude’s Funeral Home. 

Donald F. Crapser was born on January 28, 1929 in Brookings, SD, the son of Oral and Leola (Workman) Crapser. Donald received his education in the Brookings schools and in 1942 moved to Bell Gardens, CA and graduated in 1948. In 1948, he moved back to Brookings, SD. He served in the United States Army from 1951 until 1953. He was united in marriage to Jeannette Carter on January 18, 1951 in Ivanhoe, MN. In 1953, they moved to Hamilton, OH where he was employed at the ArmCo Steel Co. After returning to Brookings, he was employed at Meester Auto, Jackrabbit Oil Co. for 24 years and the Martin Oil Co. until his retirement in 1994. 

He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Brookings and the American Legion. He was a leader and a scout master in the Boy Scouts. He enjoyed rendezvousing, hunting and trap shooting with his sons, his brother, Fay and his Workman cousins. He also liked fishing with his grandkids and many friends. He would take his grandchildren to the roller skating rink every Friday and Saturday night, and he would out-skate the kids every night. 

Donald is survived by his wife Jeannette of Brookings; two sons, Eldon Crapser (Loretta), of Brookings, SD, William Crapser (Nancy), of Sioux Falls, SD; one daughter Donita Fleming, of Brookings; ten grandchildren; eleven great grandchildren; one brother Maynard Crapser, of Long Beach, MS; one sister-in-law Bernita Crapser, of Sioux Falls, SD and numerous nieces and nephews. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers Fay and Larry, one sister Betty DeBord, and one granddaughter, Shannon Christopherson.

Sunday's Obituary: Ada Gossau

In loving memory of Aunt Ada, here is the obituary of Ada B. Gossau from the Leola (Workman) Crapser's files.

 

Ada B. Gossau
Ada Blanche Gossau, 71, died Saturday, Nov. 28, 1987 at the Estelline Community Hospital.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Sterling United Methodist Church, rural Brookings with the Rev. Penny Ritter officiating.  Burial will be at Sterling Methodist Cemetery.  Visitations may be made from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at Rude's Funeral Home; the family will be in attendance.  Visitations also may be made preceding services Tuesday at the church.

Ada Blanche Gossau was born Sept. 10, 1916, in Sterling Township, Brookings County, to Jessie and Blanche (Heard) Workman.  She attended rural school in Sterling Township and graduated from Brookings High School.  She then moved to Chicago and spent several years there working in factories.  She also lived in California for a year.  She married Charles T. Gossau on June 2, 1947, in Pipestone, Minn., and the couple made Brookings their home.  She worked at various jobs in Brookings until retiring in 1980.  Mr Gossau died May 1, 1987, in Sioux Falls.  She enjoyed bowling, fishing and craft work.

Survivors include one daughter, Margaret Gossau of Brookings, and two sisters, Mrs. Sara (Raymond) Laganella of Philadelphia, Pa., and Mrs. Leola Crapser of Sioux Falls.  She was preceded in death by her husband and one brother.

Those Places Thursday: Sterling Methodist Church

Sterling Methodist Church

The Workman family has been part of the Sterling Methodist Church congregation for much of the congregation's history.

The earliest records of the church date back to 1878 and include mention of travelling ministers.  In 1884, the Congregation of  the German Methodist Episcopal Church of Sterling Township of Dakota Territory was officially established and met in homes of the members.

It wasn't until 1895 that the congregation had a church building.  George L. Workman leased the three acres of land the church was built on in Sterling Township, Brookings County, South Dakota from Daniel Koester for $30.00.

The first wedding held in the church building was that of Anna Workman and Merle Taylor in June of 1946.

In 1984 the congregation had 29 members, many of them related to the Workman family.

Interior of the Sterling Methodist Church

Occupation: Farm Laborer and Census Enumerator

In a rural community during a midwestern summer in the year 1900, one might expect to find a 20-year-old man working hard on the family farm. Right?

Of course! So it was no surprise when I found my great-great grandpa Jesse Workman in the 1900 U.S. Census listed with his parents and brother right there on the family farm in Sterling township, Brookings County, South Dakota. Twenty-one years old, single, and his occupation listed as "Farm Laborer".

Source: Ancestry.com - 1900 U.S. Federal Census.  To see the census lines for the George Workman family, click here.


But as I looked up towards the top of the census page to gather the little bits of data identifying the location and date of the census, I saw a familiar name. 

"Enumerated by me on the 1 day of June, 1900, Jesse Workman, Enumerator."

Grandpa!  I never would have expected to see grandpa Jesse's name listed as the census enumerator.  I just always expected that city folks would be the enumerators.

I guess this might explain why his parents George and Minnie Workman are the first people listed for this enumeration district as well.  Gotta start with the people you know best!


(Disclaimer: I didn't really need to look at the top of the census page to identify the location of this family since Workman family members still farm the same land today. It's just a good habit to look there.  And now I have another reason to look at that information - you just never know what you'll find!)

Military Monday: Purchase of Gun upon Discharge

My dad asked an intriguing question last night. I'm not sure where to begin looking for this answer though.

Apparently our family once owned an 1847 Springfield (1842 model) 69 caliber musket. (All that is directly from dad; I wouldn't know one gun from the next gun!)  It was rumored that the gun was brought home from the Civil War by a triple great-grandfather down the Crapser or Workman line.

Apparently, my grandpa and his brothers hunted with it, using "ballistically superior" rocks wrapped in paper.  They put pheasants and the like on the table when food would have been otherwise scarce.

My dad has reenacted the Civil War and several other time periods over the years.  Over the course of his adventures, he has seen receipts from "Uncle Sam" for soldiers who purchased their musket on discharge.

So the question is:  How would one find a receipt from a soldier's weapon purchase upon discharge? 
Would this have been included in discharge papers?

_____
Side note for anyone with an itch to research this:

My dad's triple great grandfathers in the Crapser and Workman lines would be

• Charles Crapser born in 1785
• probably more likely to be his son, Timothy (GG grandpa), who was born in 1825 in New York
• Gilbert Lane born in 1797 in NewYork
• We do know that Gilbert's father Joseph C Lane served in the Revolutionary War (see details)
• Jens Kjolseth born in 1823, but didn't arrive in the U.S. until the late 1860s
• ? Hansen - father of Anna Hansen, who was born in 1860 in Norway
• George P. Workman born in 1806, arrived in US before 1838
• Herman H Koester born in 1821, arrived in US in 1845
• ? Heard - father of Frederick W T Heard, who was born in 1855 in Illinois
• ? Doak - father of Annette Doak, who was born in 1861 in Iowa

Those Places Thursday: Railroad Bridge, North Redwood, Minnesota

In Grandma Leola's box of treasures, is a stack of postcards. Most of them were written on and sent to Leola or her parents by family and friends. There are a handful though that have no writing on them at all.



I remember picking up postcards on my adventures for souvenirs. In fact I have a shoebox full of postcards from places like Rapid City, Washington D.C., various places in Spain, and any zoo or tourist attraction that I visited as a child. None of mine have any writing either.


So curiosity strikes this genealogist again. What significance did the places on these postcards have for Grandma Leola?

This week's postcard place is the Railroad Bridge in North Redwood, Minnesota:

This is the second railroad bridge picture in Grandma Leola's collection; she also had one of the Marent Trestle in Missoula, Montana.  What significance would the Railroad Bridge in North Redwood, Minnesota have in Leola's life?

Those Places Thursday - Postcards: Redwood County Home

In Grandma Leola's box of treasures, is a stack of postcards.  Most of them were written on and sent to Leola or her parents by family and friends.  There are a handful though that have no writing on them at all.


I remember picking up postcards on my adventures for souvenirs.  In fact I have a shoebox full of postcards from places like Rapid City, Washington D.C., various places in Spain, and any zoo or tourist attraction that I visited as a child.  None of mine have any  writing either.


So curiosity strikes this genealogist again. What significance did the places on these postcards have for Grandma Leola?

The fifth postcard place is Redwood County Home in Redwood Falls, Minnesota:

A little research from the ever-so-handy Wikipedia, tells me this building was only called the Redwood County Home from 1940-1967.  Prior to this it was the poorhouse and the Home for the aged.  After 1967 it was called the Redwood County Nursing Home.

Leola was born in 1909, so she would have been between 30 and 50 years old at the time.  What significance might the Redwood County Home have had for Leola?

Amanuensis Monday: Lowell Workman Honored on 80th Birthday

The following news clipping was retrieved from Grandma Leola's files and was likely printed in the Brookings Register or the Sterling township news in 1961.

Lowell Workman Honored on 80th Birthday

Eureka - Lowell Workman marked his 80th birthday Feb. 24 and was honored at a party at his farm home 10 miles north of Brookings.

The evening was spent visiting and a short program presented events from his lifetime.

Present were his four children: Mr and Mrs. Merle Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. George Workman, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Reed, all of Brookings; and Rev. and Mrs. David Workman and family of Sioux City, Iowa; a brother Jesse Workman; and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gossau, Mr. and Mrs. Ed clifford and Mr. and Mrs. Keith Clifford and family.

One of the first persons born in Brookings County, Workman still resides on the same farm, only a few rods from the sod house in which he was born.

Those Places Thursday - Postcards: Stock Exchange, Chicago, Illinois

In Grandma Leola's box of treasures, is a stack of postcards. Most of them were written on and sent to Leola or her parents by family and friends. There are a handful though that have no writing on them at all.



I remember picking up postcards on my adventures for souvenirs. In fact I have a shoebox full of postcards from places like Rapid City, Washington D.C., various places in Spain, and any zoo or tourist attraction that I visited as a child. None of mine have any writing either.


So curiosity strikes this genealogist again. What significance did the places on these postcards have for Grandma Leola?

This week's postcard place is the Stock Exchange in Chicago, Illinois:

I know that Grandma Leola's sister Ada lived in Chicago at one point.  But I'm not sure if Leola ever visited her in Chicago.

What significance might the Chicago Stock Exchange have in Leola's life?

Those Places Thursday - Postcards: Sanborn, Iowa

In Grandma Leola's box of treasures, is a stack of postcards. Most of them were written on and sent to Leola or her parents by family and friends. There are a handful though that have no writing on them at all.

I remember picking up postcards on my adventures for souvenirs. In fact I have a shoebox full of postcards from places like Rapid City, Washington D.C., various places in Spain, and any zoo or tourist attraction that I visited as a child. None of mine have any writing either.

So curiosity strikes this genealogist again. What significance did the places on these postcards have for Grandma Leola?

This week's postcard place is Sanborn, Iowa:

The postcard caption reads: "Main St. Sanborn, IA".

What was the significance of Sanborn, Iowa to Grandma Leola?

Those Places Thursday - Postcards: Marent Trestle in Missoula, Montana

In Grandma Leola's box of treasures, is a stack of postcards. Most of them were written on and sent to Leola or her parents by family and friends. There are a handful though that have no writing on them at all.
I remember picking up postcards on my adventures for souvenirs.

In fact I have a shoebox full of postcards from places like Rapid City, Washington D.C., various places in Spain, and any zoo or tourist attraction that I visited as a child. None of mine have any writing either.


So curiosity strikes this genealogist again. What significance did the places on these postcards have for Grandma Leola?

This week's postcard place is the Marent Trestle in Missoula, Montana:

The text reads: "Marent Trestle, N.P. Ry., Missoula, Mont., 226 Feet High".

Why might the Marent Trestle in Missoula, Montana have been important to Grandma Leola?

Sunday's Obituary: May Shrode Reep

The Obituary of Mrs. May (Shrode) Reep from Leola (Workman) Crapser's files:

Mrs. May Reep Dies McIntire Resident

May Shrode, daughter of Conrad and Barbara Workman Shrode, was born May 1, 1873, on a farm near McIntire, Iowa.  She was one of eight children, three of whom are still living: Eugene and Charles Shrode of Riceville, and Mrs. Sadie Eliason of Zion, Illinois.

May joined the McIntire Methodist church on September 22, 1889, and was married there on November 17, 1901, to William Reep.  to this union were born four children: Mary Reep of Mason City, Iowa; Rev. Louie Reep of St. Joseph, Missouri; Mildred Reep, who died at the age of two and Rev. Ora Reep of Silver City, Iowa.

Mrs. Reep is well-known to this community, having lived here all her life except for the past three winters when she has made her home with her daughter Mary who teaches in Mason City.  She had just recently transferred her membership to the Wesley Methodist church in Mason City, where the Rev. Peterson showed her much kindness.

May died at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 18, 1956, in Park hospital, Mason City, after one day's illness.  She lacked just 12 days of being eighty-three years old.  Left to mourn her passing are two brothers and one sister; her three living children; two grandchildren, Norma Lou and John Reep; nephews and nieces and many friends.

The funeral service for Mrs. Reep was held in the McIntire Methodist church at 2 p.m., April 21.  Conducting the service were the Rev. Misses Luella G Kroether and T. Janet Surdam, co-pastors of the Riceville-McIntire charge.  Mrs. Viva Newhouse and Mrs. Alden Harshbarger sang "Lead Kindly Light" and "Abide With Me," accompanied by Mrs. Riley Sloan.

Interment was in Riverside cemetery, Riceville, the casket being carried by Gayloard Aspel of Ostrander, Minnesota, Harold and Kenneth Aspel of McIntire, Wilbur Danforth of Osage, Peter Johnson of Little Cedar, and James Ellis of LeRoy, Minnesota.

After the services, the McIntire Methodist Woman's Society of Christian Service served lunch to relatives and friends.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Don!

Today is Grandpa Don's 82nd birthday.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Those Places Thursday - Postcards: Susanville, California

In Grandma Leola's box of treasures, is a stack of postcards. Most of them were written on and sent to Leola or her parents by family and friends. There are a handful though that have no writing on them at all.

I remember picking up postcards on my adventures for souvenirs. In fact I have a shoebox full of postcards from places like Rapid City, Washington D.C., various places in Spain, and any zoo or tourist attraction that I visited as a child. None of mine have any writing either.

So curiosity strikes this genealogist again. What significance did the places on these postcards have for Grandma Leola?

The first postcard place is Susanville, California:

The wording at the bottom of the picture says:

"Looking east on  Main St." Susanville, Calif.  J.H. Eastman #B-359-B

Grandma Leola and her family lived in the Bell Gardens, California area during the 1940s.  Bell Gardens is about 570 miles from Susanville, roughly a 10 hour drive.

What significance might Susanville, California have in Leola's life?

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Bell Gardens School

Below is a photo of children in front of the Bell Gardens School  The children of Oral and Leola Crapser attended Bell Gardens School in California between 1942 and 1948.

This photo is from Grandma Leola's collection.

Mystery Monday: Blanche Workman in Greeley, Colorado

In Grandma Leola's collection of treasures, are a couple of pieces that beg for a few more answers.  

The first piece is an envelope addressed to Mr. Jesse Workman in Brookings, South Dakota and has a postmark dated Oct 7, 1939 from Greeley, Colorado.

Flip the envelope over and we see an address for Mrs. Jesse Workman (aka Blanche).  The address is 303 11th Ave,  Greeley, Colorado.

Intrigue sets in here. Jesse and Blanche were married in her hometown in Iowa and raised their family, including their daughter Leola, in Brookings County, South Dakota.  I don't know much about Blanche's family, but I'm pretty sure they all stuck fairly close to home in Iowa.  Therefore Blanche likely doesn't have relatives in Colorado. Jesse had relatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin - none that I knew of in Colorado.

After a little more digging through grandma's treasures I found a calendar, one of those complimentary calendars from businesses.  This calendar is from "Workman Pine Tree Service Station" on the corner of 11th Ave and 5th St, Greeley, Colorado.  The calendar attached displays the November 1941 page.  A note hand-written on the back of the calendar reads: "Dear, Kids will drop you a line or two.  Mrs. Scoop".

Okay, so we now have Workmans in Colorado.  Now the sleuthing begins: Who?  Why was Blanche staying there?  How long was Blanche there?

To find the answers, I started with Ancestry.com.   The 1940 U.S. Federal Census would be the best place to find the answers, but that isn't available yet.   Unfortunately, Ancestry.com was providing too many possibilies for directories in Boulder, Denver and other larger cities not much for Greeley.   So I wandered over to the Weld County, Colorado Rootsweb site.

Guess what I found!!  .. That's right - several directories, including the1940 directory, transcribed and indexed!!

Among the entries were "Workman Auto Works, Leslie Workman prop 1103 5 st Greeley"   and "Workman Leslie (Mathilda) Prop Workman Auto Works r 1103 5 St Greeley" both in the 1940 Greeley City and Rural Route directory. (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cowcgs/contents-dir.html)

So it appears the Blanche was likely visiting her oldest child Leslie in 1939.   I know that Leslie and Mathilda had 4 children, though I don't have their birthdates. However, Leslie would have been about 35 at the time. 

Is it possible that Blanche went to help care for a new grandbaby?  I guess it's time to find some decendants of Leslie Workman and Mathilda Krosska.

Wordless Wednesday: Chilly Chat Outside

Another photo from Grandma Leola's collection:

Does anyone recognize this building? 

Happy 60th Anniversary Don and Jeannette Crapser!

Sixty years ago today, Grandpa Donald Crapser and Grandma Jeannette Carter were married in the little town of Lake Benton, Minnesota.

Now because these two fell in love,

Along came three children -

Two boys and a girl.

All too soon the children fell in love.

Blessing them with eleven

Little ones to spoil.

The oldest grandbabies fell in love.

Bundles of joy now total eight

To hug and kiss.

Happy 60th Anniversary, Grandpa Don and Grandma Jeannette!

Sunday's Obituary: Blanche Workman

The obituary of Blanche Workman From Leola (Workman) Crapser's files:

Mrs. J Workman Died Monday After Few Days Illness

Mrs. Jesse Workman passed away Monday at the Municipal hospital where she was taken Saturday.  Cause of death was dropsy and heart trouble.

Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at the home at 2:00 o'clock, and at the Rude funeral chapel at 2:30 in charge of Capt. B. A. MacNichol of the Salvation Army.  Burial will be at Greenwood.

Blanche D. Heard was born to Frederick and Annette Heard May 2, 1885 in Shiloh township, Grundy county, Iowa, the third child in a family of six.  She was called to her heavenly rest in Brookings July 16, 1945, after a short illness, aged 60 years, two months and 14 days.

She was educated in the Grundy, Hardin and O'Brien county schools of Iowa.  She taught in the Osceola county, Iowa, rural schools one year and also a year in the Brookings county schools.

She was united in marriage to Jesse Workman Dec. 15, 1903, at Grundy Center, Iowa, and they came to Brookings county and settled on the Workman farm, 10 miles north of Brookings where they made their home until 1925, when they moved to Brookings.

To this union were born six children, two dying in infancy.  Surviving are Leslie; Leola Crapser, Bell Gardens, Calif.; Ada Gillman of Brookings, and Sara Loganella of Philadelphia.

Besides her husband and four children, she leaves to mourn her loss, seven grandchildren; two sisters, Ethel of Melvin, Iowa, and Lelah of Grundy Center; and one brother, Dale of Lake Wilson, Minn.

Her father, mother and two sisters preceded her in death.  She also leaves a number of nieces and nephews and a host of friends.  She was a wonderful wife and mother, a good neighbor and friend, in the best meaning of the term, "a good woman."

Mrs. Workman was made a soldier of the Brookings Salvation Army corps Aug. 21, 1927, and held the following local officers positions until her death: home league treasurer; recruiting sergeant since Jan. 15, 1940; cradle roll sergeant, since Jan. 1, 1940, and company guard since May, 1941.