Robert F Wilson

WILSON, CROOKS, MASTERS

Posted By: Donald M Wilson (email)
Date: 1/16/2017 at 16:22:46

Robert was born and lived in Scott Co., IN. until 1854.
In 1854, at the age of 5, his family moved to Jasper Co., Iowa where he grew to manhood as a farmer.
The 1880 Fed Census in Kellogg Twp., Jasper Co., lists Robert at age 30, Martha age 28, Reginald age 7, Laura I age 2, Fannie (sic) R age 5 mos. all born in Iowa.
It was reported in a news article of the Kellogg Enterprise dated in 1883 that Robert bought a new buggy and visited the I. N. McCue family in Rock Creek Twp. with his family.
The Iowa, 1885 Jasper Co., census lists Robert living next to his father, Robert White Wilson in Twp 80, Range 18, Sec 10 (NW cnr of the NE cnr) He is listed at age 35 and Marthy (sic) age 33, Reginald age 9, Lorra (sic) age 7, Francis (sic) age 5, Erving (sic) age 3, Ethel (sic) age 32 and Eddie McCue, Martha's sister Margaret's son age 19.
The Kellogg Enterprise reported on June 29, 1888 that Robert was building a barn.
It is stated in daughter Alma's autobiography that Robert moved his home in 1888, "up on the hill where it would be accessible to the Kellogg Highway-east of Grandfather Wilson's place at Rushville, along Burr Oak Creek". This was also reported in the Kellogg Enterprise on Sept 28, 1888 that Robert "moved into his new home last week up to the north side of Hickory Grove-is taking higher grounds".

It was reported in the Newton Herald on January 12, 1894, under the Kellogg News column, that "R. F. Wilson, of Rushville is looking at the country in Southern California with a view of locating there."
He is enumerated in the 1900 Fed Census in Kellogg Twp. Jasper Co., IA. at age 50 listed as a Farmer, his wife M.C. (sic) age 48, dau Laura age 22 listed as a School Teacher, dau Fannie (sic) age 20 listed as Keeping House, son Irving D. age 18 listed a Farm Labor, dau Ethel E. age 17 in school, dau Alma L age 15 in school, dau Edna L age 12 in school, son Robert H age 7 in school.
We have a note showing that RFW payed the final tax payment for the year of 1901 on September 29, 1902 in Jasper Co., IA. in the amount of $13.75.

A real estate agent met with a group at his church and bragged about land in Kansas. In 1902, his oldest son Bert was married, and Irving, 21 years old was still living at home. That year, Robert moved his family by train to Labette Co., Kansas. They traveled in cars called "immigrant cars", with a team of horses and three cows. His son Irving went along to help and rode with the horses and cattle in the freight car . When they arrived in Kansas and got off the train to water stock, they could not locate the water. The train had left. It was very hard times. It was many miles to a market. Robert bought what was called "The Landacre Place". In 1908 they traded that farm in Altamont and moved to the home on Chapel St. in Baldwin City, Douglas Co., KS.

He is enumerated in the 1910 Fed Census in The Palmyra Twp. of Douglas Co., KS. at 825 Chape; St. at age 60 with his wife Martha age 51, Ethel age 27, Alma age 21, Robert H age 17 and a lodger, Raymond Porter age 20.
There, some of the family were educated at Baker University just two blocks away. We have a receipt showing that RWW purchased 18 sacks of cement and 18 sacks of sand in Baldwin City for some project he was working on between June 26 to July 15, 1916. This is curious to us because he would have been 67 years old.

Between 1924 and 1928 he relocated back to Jasper Co., IA. He deeded his home in Baldwin City, KS. to daughters, Edna and Ethel in 1931.

In a book seen at the Wagaman Mill Museum located at Lynnville, IA., there is a listing that "Robert Wilson in 1932, owned 40 acres in the So 1/2 of the SW 1/4, Sec 4 Kellogg Twp., T80N, R17-18W, jointly with S.C. Morris.
He and his brother, William married sisters.

In the Family Tree Study compiled by Jeffrey Lee Johnson of St. George, Utah, there is data revealing the probable source of Robert's middle name of "Fleetwood": Robert's maternal great-grandfather was named "Fleetwood" Hanks, SR.
We also find that Sarah's Rolfes, Robert's 2 G-Grandmother, married William Hanks'. Her maiden name was Fleetwood. To substantiate this further, there was a family of "Fleetwoods" in Baltimore County, MD. which adjoins Anne Arundel Co. and we know that both William Hanks and Sarah lived at one time in Ann Arundel Co., MD. They named their first son Fleetwood (above). This was a normal pattern of naming children at the time.
Fleetwood is an Anglo-Swedish Baronial (Noble) family, number 49 on the Swedish Riddarhuset. The family is descended from Lancashire in England. The oldest member known by name is William Fleetwood, mentioned 1320, however, documented information about the family starts in the 16th century. Source:  Wikipedia