HAVARD Family
HAVARD, LADD, MYERS, EMERY, WELKER, GERMAN, WOODS, ROOT, BURCHETT, LANDES, DAY, JONES, BOLES, KASTER
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/4/2015 at 10:25:31
Reflections of Grand River, Iowa: 1881 - 1981
Clarke Pub. Co. Osceola IA. 1981.BIOGRAPHY ~ THE HAVARD FAMILY
DAVID HAVARD
David Havard was born February 13, 1843 in Wales. We know nothing of his family except that he had a sister, Mary. His parents wanted him to be a minister, which he did not choose to do, consequently, he was disowned by his family because of religion. He worked in a mill in Wales, and one day went to the docks to see if he could find a way across to the United States. He went to work at the docks and chose the month of May to come across because the waters were better for crossing then. This was in 1861. He went to Ohio, working for the Ladd family in Sandusky County.
He migrated to Westerville, Iowa, north of Grand River, working in the mill there. He bought 80 acres of land in Doyle Township in Clarke County, then went back to Ohio where he married Esther Ladd on February 29, 1876. They came to Iowa, settling on their newly purchased farm. David was a farmer who had learned soil conservation and practiced it. The first cattle he owned were big montrous shorthorn breed, then we went into the registered Hereford breed, being one of the first to go into registered cattle business in this area.
Esther Ladd, daughter of Cornelius and Thurzda (Myers) Ladd was born in Columbiana County, Ohio on May 11, 1847. She moved with her parents from Columbiana County in 1851, locating on Ladd Ridge, Sandusky County. Her mother died in 1854 and her father in 1892. It was on her father's farm on Ladd Ridge, that she met her husband, David Havard. They became the parents of two sons: Frank and Fred.
David Havard died March 27, 1915 and Esther (Ladd) Havard died April 4, 1907. Both are buried at Gregg Cemetery, Doyle Township, Clarke County, Iowa.
FRED SYLVESTER HAVARD
Fred Havard, son of David and Esther (Ladd) Havard, was born near Hopeville in Doyle Township, Clarke County, Iowa, on May 27, 1880, and died in 1953. He received his education in the rural school and was a self-educated individual. He was united in marriage May 25, 1901 to Alta Mae Welker, daughter of Sylvester and Barbara (Emery) Welker, They became the parents of five children: Virgil, Goldie, Gladys, Alvin and Oren.
Alta Mae Welker was born April 3, 1880, one of four daughters: Ella who married Wilbert German; Belle who married Hiram Woods; Minnie (1872-1904), and Alta who married Fred Havard. Alta's mother, Barbara died when Alta Mae was born. Her father Sylvester, remarried Joanna Root (1856-1950) who patiently and tenderly raised Sylvester's daughters, and became the mother of two sons of her own, Frank and Ray. Ray is the only one living, he and his wife Ethel reside at Leisure Manor in Osceola, Iowa. Ray lived in Murray, was a rural mail carrier before retiring. Frank lived in the west.
The Havards built a number of buildings on their farmstead; a double corn crib; machine shed; garage; hen house and large barn. The lumber for the barn came from Sears Roebuck Company, and the cement foundation was one of the first in the country, built by George Burchett. He was one of the first to advance to the newer types of machinery.
Fred spent most of his entire life near Hopeville, Iowa, except the 18 months he spent homesteading with his family near Faith, South Dakota in 1910. Alvin was only a few months old when they left. This seemed like a brave adventure for the family. They lived in a sod house and were sixty miles from the railroad. It took a few days to get there and back with a team and wagon. The sand burrs were thick, and Alta was kept busy picking them out of the children's feet.
Their crude pioneer life in South Dakota didn't last long, as they stayed only eighteen months, returning to their farm in Doyle Township in Clarke County. The children attended Fairview (Doyle No. 6), a rural school near their home. They all graduated from Osceola High School. The road to Osceola at that time was mud, so the children roomed in Osceola, did their own cooking, coming home on the weekend to get supplies and to be with their parents when weather permitted.
Alta Havard died in August of 1965 at the age of 85 years, after spending the last few years of her life in the nursing home. Both Fred and Alta are buried in Murray Cemetery.
OREN HAVARD
Oren, the youngest of five children was born to Fred and Alta (Welker) Havard September 19, 1913. His early life was spent on the family farm where he attended grade school in the country. While going through high school in Osceola, he worked part time at a prominent cafe.,p. After his return to farming he was married to Margery Day, the third daughter of Daniel Warren and Dora (Landes) Day. She was born May 5, 1914. Mr. Day was a rural mail carrier from Grand River through the Hopeville vicinity and made many good friends on this route taking mandatory retirement after 30 years in 1934.
Oren and Marj started their married life on what was known as the Willis Rilea farm on February 14, 1935. Five years later, on the day their son was born they bought the farm and some surrounding land as well. Their son, Donald Dean was born in the Clarke County Hospital on August 30, 1940.
Since then there have been a great many changes in our lives. After selling the farm in 1947 and moving to Grand River, Iowa we bought the hog buying station and the adjoining 140 acres plus an acreage where we lived a number of years. We sold the business and farm to Bob Dailey and farmed the home place in Doyle Township, Clarke County, (where the Dale Joneses now live) several years before going into construction work for Andrews Construction Company and spent one season in construction on an Indian Reservation in Mobridge, South Dakota. Coming back to Iowa in 1960, we were engaged in cattle feeding and farming for two large Nebraska based companies near Grand River for more than ten years.
At present [1981], and for the past eight years, we are operating a large cattle feeding lot on a 1400 acre farm outside of Lineville, Iowa.
Our son, Don, graduated from Grand River High School and in June 1960 married Donita Jones, daughter of Roy and Alma (Boles) Jones. Their married life was spent farming until recently they bought a property in Moravia, Iowa. Don works for an Albia, Iowa Elevator and Fertilizer Company and Donita drives the Special Education School bus to Centerville, Iowa. They had two sons: David Eric and Duane Edward. David was born 1962 married Peggy Kaster. He is employed by Young Radiator Company and Peggy is an Inhalation Therapist at Centerville, Iowa Hospital, Duane born 1967 is in Junior High and active in sports at Moravia.
Decatur Biographies maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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