TEED, HURN, ASPLIN Families of Clear Lake

FATLAND, HURN, KOCOUREK, TEED, ASPLIN, GREENE, KABRICK, WOSKIE, GRATIDGE, SPILMAN

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/27/2011 at 11:19:38

The TEEDS, HURNS & ASPLINS of Clear Lake

Clear Lake Mirror
Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
date omitted from clipping

Reba HURN of Spokane Washington was visiting her cousin Mrs. Gae KOCOUREK, and visited the home of Silas FATLAND.

Reba HURN was born in Clear Lake 75 years ago, the daughter of the late David W. HURN, one of Clear Lake's first lawyers. Reba HURN is a retired lawyer herself.

She made a trip to England last summer and visited her grandmother, Mrs. John HURN, who is 96-years-old, living at Wisbech, in Cambridgeshire, England, the birthplace of Mrs. KOCOUREK'S, the late Joseph TEED, and also that of Albert and George ASPLIN who were also early pioneers of Clear Lake.

Al ASPLIN ran the Clear Lake Mirror for many years. His daughter, Jessie ASPLIN is a retired nurse, having spent her nursing career at Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota. These ladies grandmothers were sisters. The TEEDS, ASPLINS, and HURNS came to this country in the middle 1800's and originally located in southern Wisconsin.

Joe and Tom TEED brought some of the first boats to Clear Lake from Lake Michigan. The Elizabeth and The Challege, both schooners which were later bought by GREENE and GREENE brothers. George KABRICK worked for the TEEDS on these boats.

Joe TEED met Emma WOSKIE at Clear Lake and they were married in Chicago December 5, 1882, living in Chicago 12 years and returning to Clear Lake where he bought the steamboats Burt and Franklin. These also were bought later by the GREENE brothers and Mr. and Mrs. TEED began farming, buying a wooded 40 acre spot which they cleared and made their home for many years. Mrs. Gay KOCOUREK was born on this farm 1 mile south of Oakwood, now owned by Harold GRATIDGE.

Mrs. Ann Gay WOSKIE and her family came to Clear Lake and covered wagon from Gays Mills, Wisconsin. They located on a 40 acre farm just south of Dodge's Point. Dan SPILMAN owns the property now [1950's].

Joe TEED & Artie TEED helped clear the timber where the building was built at Bayside Park. The Princess boat (was famous on Clear Lake for taking tourists all around the lake for years) was built in 1910 and Mrs. KOCOUREK recalls playing inside the boat in carving her name is on the ribs of the boat. Artie TEED and George KABRICK piloted the Princess across the lake on her maiden voyage.

Gone are the days for those who remember the beautiful clear watered lake, that was named Clear Lake. One could see the bottom at 15 feet and large fish could be seen laying on the bottom, looking like logs.

One spring while hunting, Artie TEED broke through the ice and lost his gun. When the ice went out he rode a boat over to the place and found his gun in 10 feet of water. As sailors, history dates back for the TEEDS to the first ship sailing successfully around Cape Horn. A great-grandfather was on the ship and a medal given to him is now owned by James KOCOUREK. Harold, Gae, and Roland, sons of Mrs. KOCOUREK, were all Navy men in World War II.

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Clear Lake Mirror, Souvenir Edition
Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
March 29, 1900

In 1879 Thomas TEED Sr. and son Joseph TEED, of Chicago brought two sailboats here, the Elizabeth and the Emma. After, these passed into the hands of the GREENE brothers. The Elizabeth is still owned by them, having been remodeled and enlarged. The Emma also was rebuilt and christened Tom B. Miller, after which she was sold to parties who took her away from here.

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, March of 2011

PHOTOGRAPH: The Princess, 1912

Cerro Gordo Biographies maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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