Alexander and Helen Schwb

SCHWAB, STUBBS, CHASE

Posted By: Peggy Elliott Webster (email)
Date: 2/9/2014 at 18:08:42

In the year 1850 Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Schwab and their six living sons left Berne, Switzerland, and sailed to America to establish a home. The oldest son, Samuel, did not come until 1864. The family settled in Findley, Ohio. The boys' names were Samuel, Abraham, Gottleib, Alexander, John Frederick and Jacob. The boys grew to manhood there. Alexander was restless and traveled westward to Lee County, Illinois, where he met and married Helen Stubbs, daughter of Eliza Ann Chase and William Stubbs. There were married March 19, 1859, near Twin Grove in Lee County.

Alexander and Helen set up housekeeping in Lee County Illinois. The farmed there for about five years and had two children, Frederick and Anna. The pioneer spirit again prevailed, and in 1864 they sold their farm and moved westward in a covered wagon to the Iowa prairie and Adair County. Land had been purchased the year before in Richland Township on the banks of the Nodaway River. The first winter was spent in the covered wagon near the Nodaway River. In the spring of 1865, a home was built in section 13 of Washington Township on the river. There George and Alice were born.

In February 1869, they purchased a level-land farm in what came to be known as Penn Avenue neighborhood. In the fall of 1869, the family of six moved to their two-room home which was later enlarged to a two-story house with a lean-to addition. At this new home three more children were born: Oscar in 1872, Rosa in 1876 and Ida born in 1877.

Alexander and Helen lived on this farm until 1895. After they were well settled, they felt the need to plant a windbreak. Helen had carried maple seeds from Ohio, and they grew into a beautiful grove.