Joseph and Emiline Adams

ADAMS, WOOD

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/21/2015 at 14:09:31

Monona County History
1982

Ben and Lulu Adams Family, p 83-84

Joseph and Emiline Adams came to Monona County in 1871. They purchased land east of Moorhead and built their first home near Elk Creek. Of their family of ten children, six grew to adulthood. Being the youngest son, Ben Adams stayed on the home place.

It was common in those days for the young men to go to country school in the winter term when the farm work was light. So it was that Ben met Lulu Wood. She had grown up on a farm three miles north and came to teach the country school. They were married in May 1902.

They continued to operate the farm and there their three children Gerald, Rowena, and Theressa were born. In 1921 they built a new home a quarter of a mile west on their farm.

Their son Gerald was interested in raising fruit so his father gave him 80 acres for his project. He set out berries, grapes, and apple and nut trees which he carefully tended and in a few years he had the beginning of a flourishing orchard.

In 1928, he and Edras lazier were married. Edras had come from Mississippi to make her home in Iowa. They built themselves a home on their farm. The orchard was just reaching full production when in the winter of 1936 Gerald became ill and passed away.

Edras, with her two daughters, Wanda and Geraldine, continued to operate the orchard. In 1938 Edras was married to Andy Ballantyne and they had one son Marvin.

The Armistice Day freeze in Nov. 1940 injured the apple trees and a few years later they sold the farm to Mr. and Mrs. Ed Taylor. They moved to Soldier where they operated a grocery store until their retirement when they moved to Onawa.

Rowena Adams married Arthur Lamb in 1930. They farmed locally and in 1945 moved to the original Adams homestead with their two children, Roma and Donald. They operated the farm until 1965 when Arthur passed away.

Roma now lives in Cedar Falls with her husband and son Billy.

Donald attended college at Ames and became a veterinarian. While there he met Patricia Eno of Sheffield and she became his wife in 1959. They live three miles east of Sioux City in an A frame house that they built and Don has his office nearby. He also has farming interests east of Moorhead and continues to operate the Adams homestead.

Theressa Adams and Weston Taylor were married in 1939. They farmed locally and are now semi-retired and live in the house that Gerald Adams built by the orchard. Their hobbies are gardening and flowers which they freely share with friends. Their daughter Lydia lives nearby in the larger home built by her grandfather Ben Adams. Submitted by Rowena Lamb.