John Crookshank Family

CROOKSHANK, FREEMAN, ANTHONY, FRENCH, RICE, SHUTES, GRANGE, WARD, WALMAR, KABRICK, STIGALL, JOHNSON, CHAPMAN

Posted By: Cathy Joynt Labath (email)
Date: 1/7/2007 at 08:40:51

RUTHVEN, IOWA CENTENNIAL 1884-1984 p. 221

THE JOHN CROOKSHANK FAMILY

John Crookshank was born and reared near Halifax, Nova Scotia. When a young man, he came to the United States. He met and married Phebe Freeman, a native of New York State.

Before the Civil War, John and Phoebe Crookshank, with her parents Hiram and Polly Freeman, her brother, James Freeman and John and Sally Anthony migrated from New York State to Iowa. They settled in Central City, Iowa, near Cedar Rapids. John Anthony was a brother of Polly Freeman. When the Civil War broke out and President Lincoln called for volunteers, John enlisted with the Iowa volunteers. He served under General Grant at the siege of Vicksburg and many other battles, the last at Mobile Alabama. After he was mustered out of the army he returned to his family he had left in Iowa.

In 1868 the Crookshanks, Freeman and Anthony families migrated to Northwest Iowa and settled around or near Lost Island Lake. The first Sunday they were here a thoughtful early settler called and brought my grandmother a much valued and appreciated gift, a brood hen and a setting of eggs.

Hiram and Polly Freeman built a cabin on the east side of Lost Island Lake on the same spot where the shelter house, and the state park was built many years later.

The John Anthony's settled on the north side of the lake. The first post office for this area was established in their home.

John Crookshank, earned his citizenship and the right to homestead by serving in the Civil War. He chose the land, which is part of the Julia Brown estate. Later, the United States government granted veterans the privilege of another homestead. John chose the land near Spencer, Iowa. The two years scourge of grasshoppers drove him from the land.

Later he bought a farm on the north side of lost Island Lake. That land is still in the family, now a part of the Conrad Johnson estate.

John and Phoebe Crookshank had six children: Wallace married Oran French. They had five children: Guy, Eva, Mildred, John and Henry. Lillie Crookshank never married. Laura married Grant Rice. They had seven children: Opal Shutes, Phoebe Grange, Lois Ward, Shirley Walmar, Delma Kabrick, Lawrence Rice, and Lewine Stigall. Lula Crookshank married Peter Johnson. They had four children: Forrest, Amy, Conrad and Velma. George Crookshank married Pearl Chapman. They had five children: Dorothy, Cleo, Reatis, George and Ruth. Lon Crookshank, married Iva Shutes. They had two children: John, and Fern.

Phoebe Crookshank died when she was about 60 years of age. Shortly after her death, John and his daughter, Lily moved to Ruth and where he lived the rest of his life. He died when he was 93 years old.

--Submitted by Phebe Grange to the Ruthven Centennial Book