CHURCH, Charles F.

CHURCH, ROGNWALD, DE WARREN, WARREN, BISSELL, COCHRAN, GURLEY, TEALE, WHEELING, HAMMER, BROWN, WHITE, SMITH, PRALL

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/25/2014 at 05:24:03

History of Decatur County Iowa and Its People
Illustrated, Volumne II.

Prof. J. M. Howell and Heman C. Smith
Supervising Editors

The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. pp. 414-17. Chicago. 1915.

Charles F. Church

Charles F. Church, of Lamoni, who for the greater part of the past eighteen years has represented the Rock Island Sash & Door Works as a traveling salesman, has resided in Lamoni for forty-two years and is held in high esteem by his fellow citizens. He was born on the 15th of May, 1860, at Loda, Iroquois county, Illinois, a son of Horace Church, whose father was Caleb Church. The ancestry has been traced back to Earl Rognwald, who was king of Norway in A. D. 900, Charles F. Church being his descendant in the thirty-fifth generation. William, the first earl of Warren and Surrey, married Princess Gundred, a daughter of William the Conqueror, who was a descendant in the seventh generation from the aforementioned Earl Rognwald. William, earl of Warren and Surrey, died in 1088 and his wife passed away in 1085. The coat of arms of the earl of Warren and Surrey is well known in heraldry. The Warren line runs through William de Warren, earl of Warrenne in Normandy, to Walter de St. Martin, who married a daughter of a Norman baron of Danish extraction. The name remains de Warren to the twentieth generation. John de Warren, Esquire, of the nineteenth generation, was born in 1414 and married Isabelle, a daughter of Sir John Stanley, K. G. It is recorded that in May, 1496, William Warren of the twenty-first generation died, which shows that the prefix "de" had been dropped by that time. Richard Warren, of the twenty-seventh generation, was born in England, but emigrated to America on the Mayflower and signed the famous compact of the passengers of that ship. His wife and two sons and five daughters came to the new world on the ship, Anne, in July, 1623. He passed away at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1628. In 1635 his daughter Elizabeth was married at Plymouth, Massachusetts, to Richard Church, who was born in England in 1608. In 1630 he emigrated to Boston and was well known in the early history of that city. He was a man of much ability and of considerable wealth. He served in the Pequoit war, holding the rank of sergeant, and his second son, Benjamin, won considerable note as a soldier in that war. Charles F. Church, our subject, is of the eighth generation of the descendants of Richard and Elizabeth (Warren) Church.

Horace Church, the father of our subject, was born October 25, 1811, at Hopkinton, Washington county, Rhode Island, and taught school in early manhood for a number of years. He became a resident of Decatur county in 1873, arriving at Leon in August of that year. After remaining there a week he removed to New Buda, where he resided during the winter, but on the 28th of February, 1874, he removed to the Colony Farm in Fayette township, where he operated rented land for seven years. At the end of that time the settlement of Lamoni was started and he removed to the new town, where he continued to reside until he passed away April 21, 1892, when he was almost eighty-one years of age. He was an elder in the Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints and while residing in Michigan, where he lived for a number of years previous to removing to Decatur county, he was local president. After taking up his abode in Lamoni he was still quite active in the work of the church although advanced in years. He retained his faculties fully until past seventy-five years of age and was a man of keen mentality. His wife, who was in her maidenhood Miss Sallie Eleanor Bissell, died at Lamoni on the 2d of October, 1907, when almost eighty-seven years of age, as she was born on the 4th of November, 1820. In early life she was a member of the Presbyterian church, and her husband belonged to the Seventh Day Baptist church, but about 1840, while living in Ohio, both became interested in the work of the Latter Day Saints. Subsequently, while residing in Michigan, they learned of the Reorganized Church, of which they became members. To their union were born nine children, of whom four grew to maturity and of whom three survive. Those besides our subject are: Edward C. Church and Mrs. Asa S. Cochran, both residents of Lamoni.

When four years of age Charles F. Church was taken by his parents to Michigan, the family home being maintained for about ten years at Hillyards, Allegany county, that state. He attended the public schools there and continued his education in Decatur county, Iowa, after the removal of the family to this state in 1873. He was the first clerk for "Sammy" H. Gurley, who was the postmaster of Lamoni, and the first general merchandise merchant in the town, and as he became a resident of Lamoni when it was first settled, Mr. Church remembers many facts of interest concerning the earliest history of the town. The first hardware store was owned by Hon. Thos. Teale and Henry Wheeling was the first hardware clerk. The first marriage solemnized there was that of C. D. Hammer and Lillie Brown, who are now residing at Creston, Iowa. The first birth in Lamoni was that of Lamoni Berta White, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Vol White, who are now living at Independence, Missouri.

Mr. Church did not remain in the employ of Mr. Gurley long and was for some time employed in the lumberyard at Lamoni. Subsequently he became a house painter and decorator and was for thirteen years a contractor in those lines, employing a number of men. Still later he was engaged with his mother, his father having died, in the mercantile business, the firm name being the Bee Hive Furnishing House, S. E. Church & Son, proprietors. They dealt in furniture and wallpaper, also carried a line of musical instruments and likewise conducted an undertaking business. They were affected by the hard times of 1893, but were able to continue in business, as their policy was a conservative one and as their methods were such as made for a steady normal growth. However, in 1897, the business was sold and for the past seventeen years Mr. Church has traveled as a commercial salesman in the states of Iowa, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas. He visits the chief jobbing centers and also a number of the smaller towns, and enjoys a nice business.

Mr. Church was married in Lamoni to Miss Laura L. Smith, a daughter of Norman W. Smith, a teacher and composer of music. For a number of years he has led the local choir in the Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints and he is known outside of his home county as many of his compositions have been published and are appreciated by lovers of music. His daughter Laura L. was born on the 12th of September, 1862, at Hopkins, Michigan, and by her marriage has become the mother of four children. Lena was born February 8, 1884, and is now the wife of Wilbur E. Prall, who is employed in the State Savings Bank of Lamoni. They have three children, Carl, Dorothy and Lois. Arthur B., whose birth occurred on the 5th of August, 1896, is attending Graceland College and for some time has been perfecting himself in wireless telegraphy. He was the first one in Lamoni to take up that work and has made much of his own apparatus. He has two antennae and has become quite proficient in sending and receiving messages. His summer school work is done in a Marconi school at Valparaiso, Indiana, and he is preparing to take the United States government examination for amateurs and after passing that examination will receive a license and will become a member of the Wireless Association of America. He believes that there are great commercial possibilities in wireless telegraphy and all of his friends predict his success in his chosen field of work. Charles F., Jr., was born on the 2d of March, 1904, and is attending the public schools. Barton, whose natal day was the 4th of December, 1908, died in infancy.

Mr. Church has consistently supported the republican party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, but has not desired to hold public office. He has taken an active part in the work of the Reorganized Church of the Latter Day Saints and for years has been a deacon in the local branch. He owns a beautiful home in Lamoni near the Children's Home and has taken much pleasure in remodeling his residence and making it thoroughly modern. He represents an ancient and distinguished family and has manifested admirable traits of character which have gained him the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens, while his business ability has enabled him to achieve success financially

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2014