Frain, George H. (1854-1939)

FRAIN

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 9/13/2016 at 12:48:53

George H. Frain
(April 10, 1854 - December 14, 1939)

GEORGE FRAIN walked from Fayette, New York to Cedar County Iowa in 1837 to see if he would like living in Iowa. He built a two room house, put in a crop and walked back to New York after his family/ The next year they came to Iowa. About 1850 two of his sons Peter and John came to Pottawattamie county, John didn't like it but Peter stayed working as a ferryboat Captain, farming and working in a mill.

Peter married Lydia Smith daughter of John Smith of Grove Township. His sister Mary Catherine married Lydia's brother Stephen.

The rivers and streams always seemed to go out of their banks with every heavy rain and anything In their path was washed away. During one such time as the water started coming into the mill Peter lashed his wife and son to the upstairs steading of the mill so they would not be thrown around if the mill went. Soon it was washed down river where it lodged against some fallen trees. They spent the rest of the night on the roof of the mill until they could see to climb down. The next time Peter was not too fortunate. Lydia and the children were taken to her folks but Peter stayed to move the flour to the upper room and was expected to follow on horse, when he had finished. However the sand bags did not hold and the mill was washed away. This time Peter was drowned October 12, 1861.

Peter and Lydia had four children George, Elizabeth, who died when she was 16, Mary Frain Cavern who lived in Missouri and Margaret [Mag] Price, who lived in Kansas.

George worked out among the farmers, and hauling grain to and from the mill with an oxen team when he was quite young. His favorite companion was his Uncle Steve, who taught him several trades so he could always find work even though he was only a boy. He always like to tell his grandchildren that he once plowed up Macedonia. Old Macedonia was west of the present town and he was hired to plow the sod where the present town now is, walking behind an oxen team and sod buster or walking plow.

On March 5, 1875 he married Mary Elizabeth Alexander, daughter of Robert and Mary Jeanette Alexander. Their children were Masey Mabel [Mattie] who married Otto Roberson. Viola married Jacob Houser. Lydia married Frank Flowers. Margaret Janet married Albion Barr. Leone married guy Armstrong. Oliver Allen died at am early age. Henry married Myrtle Houser. Elmer married Alta Barker and lived in Blair, Nebraska. Sylvester [Vess] married Helen King. John married Hattie Bisbee. Arthur married Joy Swacker. Clarence married Olive Freeman and in later years he married Gladys Campbell and lived in Council Bluffs. Ernest married Bertha Swacker and lived in Lincoln, Nebraska.

George and Mary Frain spent all their married life in Pottawattamie County except for one year when they tried living in Kansas. The hot winds and rattle snakes they would see crawling under the wall paper of the soddy or across the kitchen floor soon made them hurry back to Iowa the next year.

John and Hattie Frain became the owners of the old Home Place which Lawrence and Hollis Frain farm. Children of John and Hattie are Neva who married Lloyd Kuhr and lives near Blair, Nebraska. Gay, married Eldon King and lives in Council Bluffs, Lawrence, Hollis and Norma Frain. [The Frain family is originally from Chester Co., PA, DeFrain was the surname in Chester Co.]

Submitted by: Gail Meyer Kilgore, Mar 2003
Publication: written by Neva Kuhr