Houlton, George Lindley 1879-1939 & Jane C. Morrison Family

HOULTON, MORRISON, SOUTHWELL, YOUNG

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 7/23/2023 at 21:22:57

Houlton, George Lindley 1870-1939 and Jane Carlyle Morrison Family

This story was taken from pange 402 of the Ireton Centennial Book 1882-1982. Author unknown. The story was transcribed for this BIOS by Wilma J. Vande Berg of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society.

George Lindley Houlton, eldest son of George and Mary Ann Southwell Houlton , was born at Calamus Clinton, Co. IA, Jan 21, 1870. He came to Sioux County when a lad and worked on farms in the area and around Sanborn, becoming a farmer in early years.

On Mar. 14, 1894 he was married to Jane Carlyle Morrison, whose parents were Alexander and Mary Mulligan Young Morrison, who had settled north of Ireton, coming from Jo Davis Co. IL.

During later years Mr. Houlton was engaged in the automobile business, the Houlton Motor Company. In 1928 G. L. , as he was usually known, was presented a plaque of award in the Great Buick Derby enterprise making the 100 % of quota that year. The garage still stands on Main Street in Ireton.

Mr. Houlton also was an insurance agent with the Town Mutual Dwelling, the Farmers Mutual, and several other companies. Upon his death in 1939, his daughter, Ione, continued the agency. In 1957, following her marriage to Tom Moore King, local M. E. Church pastor, Ione sold the insurance agency to P. J. Juffer.

The G. L. Houlton family consisted of: Laura May, Clara Ruth (Mrs. Jack Soeth), Fay Herald, gassed and wounded in WWI, Alta Grace (Mrs. Ray Woolridge), Edith Isabelle (Mrs. Henry Landhuis), and Ione Lucile (Mrs. Tom King). The older children attended Center Chapel north of Ireton and were all of the Methodist Faith. Ione is the lone survivor and lives in Sioux city and claims over 60 years being a Methodist church member. She was married to Tom King at the Little Brown Church in the Vale, at Nashua IA on Jun 30 1957.

RESEARCH NOTES: Family report from ancestry.com public member trees done by other family members.
George Lindley Houlton was born 21 Jan 1870 Calamus, Clinton Iowa and died 5 November 1939 Ireton Iowa. He was the son of George Henry Houlton 1841-1878 and Mary Ann Southwell 1844-1933. (See the obit of his mother Mary Southwell Houlton at the end of this narrative.) He married Jane Carlyle Morrison 14 March 1894 Ireton IA.

Jane Carlyle Morrison was born 6 Nov 1875 Galena, Jo Daviess, Illinois and died 28 Fe 1956 Le Mars Iowa. She was the daughter of Alexander Morrison 1838-1917 and Mary Mulligan Young 1848-1912.
George and Jane had six children as listed:

CHILDREN:
1. Laura May Houlton born about April 7, 1895 died 19 Apr 1896 buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery Ireton IA. The head stone states that she was 11 months and 22 day old
Hawarden Independent of April 23, 1896 Rev. Hamerson was called to Bethel chapel Tuesday to preach the funeral sermon of the infant daughter ot Mr. and Mrs. Geo. L. Houlton, after which the body was put to rest in the Ireton cemetery.

2. Clara Ruth Houlton born October 17, 1896 Eagle Twp Sioux Co. Iowa died Jan 12, 1964 Sioux Falls SD. She married Jack Martz Soeth 1898-1989 They had three children – Rachel Maxine Soeth 1919-1923, Faye Louis Soeth 1921-1994, and Amber Laurene Soeth 1923-1974.

3. Fay Herald Houlton born April 17, 1898 Eagle Twp. Sioux Co. Iowa died 24 Aug 1966 Lodi CA
From the September 1, 1966 Hawarden Independent: Former Resident Dies At Age 68 Fay H. Houlton, 68, of Lodi, Calif., former Ireton and Hawarden resident, died Wednesday at a Lodi hospital after a long illness. Burial was at Corpus Christi, Tex. Mr. Houlton had visited Ireton on Memorial Day, 1966, at which time the family had a reunion. He was born April 21, 1898, at Ireton. He married Bertha Pluss of Ireton on April 28, 1919. She died May 18, 1965. Mr. Houlton served in World War I. Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. Oliver Tunell of Sioux Falls, S. D., Mrs. Don Haines of Lodi and Mrs. Joseph Miller of Corpus Cnristi; three sisters, Mrs. Ray Woolridge of Spirit Lake, Iowa, Mrs. Henry Landhuis, and Mrs. Thomas M, King, both of Sioux City; four grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Fay served with the Rainbow Division and was wounded and gassed twice while serving with the U.S. Army in France in World War I. My grandfather, who served with him in the Rainbow Division, referred to him as "Fuzz" or "Fuzzy".
4. Alta Grace Houlton born 1 Sep 1900 Ireton IA died 27 Dec 1977 Sioux City IA She married Ray Edgar Woolridge 1901-1969 at Hinton IA on 2 Aug 1923. No children listed

5. Edith Isabelle Houlton born September 27, 1905 died Nov 13, 1967 Sioux City IA.
FUNERAL HELD FOR MRS. LANDHUIS IN ROCK VALLEY Funeral services for Mrs. Henry C. Landhuis, 62, the former Edythe Isabelle Houlton, were held last Wednesday [Nov. 15] at the Methodist church in Rock Valley. Rev. Herbert Thomas of Reading, Minnesota, and Rev. Raymond Roloff of Rock Valley officiated. Vander Ploeg Funeral Home of Sheldon was in charge of interment at the Valley View cemetery. Mrs. Ed De Haas sang "I Want a Principle Within" and "Beyond the Sunset," accompanied by Mrs. Pier J. Wynia. Pallbearers were Roy Magnus, W. J. Vliek, Herbert Pfeil, Jake Cannigieter, Ray Meyers, and Paul Collenbaugh. Mrs. Landhuis was born September 27, 1905, in Ireton, daughter of Mrs. George Lindley Houlton. She married Henry Cornelius Landhuis June 6, 1935, in Ireton. He preceded her in death April 11, 1952. She died November 13 in St. Vincent's hospital in Sioux City, where she had been employed for three years. Survivors are two sisters, Mrs. Thomas King of Sioux City and Mrs. Ray Woolridge of Spirit Lake, and several nieces and nephews. Source: Hawarden Independent, Nov. 23, 1967. An obituary in the Rock Valley Bee (Nov. 16, 1967) adds that she died after a long illness. Her husband's obituaries spell her name Edith.

6. Ione Houlton born Nov 4, 1907 died Feb 10, 1990 Sioux City IA
Source: Ireton Examiner (2-22-1990) Born: November 4, 1907 Died: February 10, 1990 Ione Lucile (Houlton) King, 82, a resident at Westwood Convalescent and Rest Home in Sioux City, Iowa, died on Saturday, February 10, 1990 at the nursing home. Graveside services were held at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Ireton on Monday afternoon February 12, 1990. Ione was born at Ireton, Iowa, on November 4, 1907, the youngest child of George Lindley and Jane (Morrison) Houlton She was united in marriage with Reverend Tom King in the Little Brown Church in the Vale at Nashua, Iowa, on June 30, 1957. A longtime resident of Ireton, she was faithful in the care of her parents, her two sisters, and her husband, and was an agent for several insurance companies with her father’s Houlton Agency in Ireton for many years prior to residing in Sioux City. She was a lifetime member of the United Methodist Church in Ireton. She was preceded in death by her parents; four sisters, Laura, Ruth (Soeth), Grace (Woolridge), and Edith (Landhuis); one brother, Fay; and her husband.

OBITUARY of George L Houlton 1869-1939
Source – Sioux Center News of Nov 9, 1939
G. L. Houlton, 70, well know Ireton businessman died at his home there at 5 a.m. Sunday following several weeks of critical sickness of hardening of the arteries. Deceased is survived by his widow, Jennie, four daughters: Iona at home, Mrs. Jack Soeth of Lesterville, SD, Mrs. H. Landhuis and Mrs. R. Woolridge of Rock Valley, and one son Fay of Hawarden. Five grandchildren and two sisters and one brother also survive. The brother is C. B. Houlton of Ireton and sisters are Mrs. W. J. Taylor of Hawarden, and Mrs. Bert Baily of Fergus Falls, MN. All were here for the last rites. Funeral services were held Tuesday from the home at 1:30 and at the M. e. church at 2 p.m. Burial was made in Pleasant Hill cemetery.
(According to his wife’s obit George died Nov 5, 1939, Jennie was Jane Carlyle Morrison. )
OBITUARY of Jane Mrs. George Houlton 1894-1956
Source – Hawarden Independent of Mar 1, 1956
Mrs. Houlton Of Ireton Dies
Ireton, lA.—Mrs. G. L. Houlton, 80, a long time Sioux county resident, died Tuesday at a LeMars
hospital after a long illness.
Funeral services will be held at 1:30 Friday afternoon at the Saterlee funeral home and at 2 o'-clock at the Methodist church in Ireton, Rev. Lois Payne officiating. Burial will be at Ireton.
Mrs. Houlton was born Jane Carlyle Morrison, November 6. 1875. in Jo Davies county, Illinois.
She moved to Plymouth county as a child and later came to Sioux county where She resided the past 75 years.
On March 14. 1894. she married George L. Houlton who died November 5. 1939. A daughter, Lora Mae, also preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son. Fay H, of Corpus Christi, Texas; four daughters. lone of Ireton, Mrs. Edith Schipper of Sioux Falls, Mrs. Grace Woolridpe of Rock Valley, and Mrs. Ruth Soeth of
Hurley, S. D,; a brother, Alex Morrison of Montrose, S. D.; three sisters, Mrs, Lillie Schutte of Ireton, Mrs, Margaret Lemonds of Sioux Falls, and Mrs. Cora Vande Water of Parker. S. D.; Five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren
OBITUARY of George L. Houlton’s mother Mary Southwell Houlton.
Source – Hawarden Independent of Sep 21, 1933
MRS. MARY HOULTON DIED HERE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
Was Nearly 90 Years Old and Lived in Sioux County 48 Years.—Funeral Will be Held Friday
Mrs. Mary Houlton, a pioneer resident of Sioux county, passed away at 12:30 Wednesday afternoon at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Olive Taylor in Hawarden, following a long illness due to her advanced age.
Mrs. Houlton was taken ill last April and for a time Mrs. Taylor was in Ireton caring for her mother but she came to Hawarden in June and since then has been at the home of her daughter. Another daughter, Mrs. Nettie Bailey of Barney, N. D., came six weeks ago to assist in caring for her.
Many times during her last illness life was despaired of but due to her great vitality for one of her age she rallied each time but last Monday there was a decided turn for the worse and she grew weaker until Wednesday when she slept away in death.
Short funeral services will be held at the home of Mrs. Taylor in this city at 1 o'clock Friday afternoon with Rev. R. J. Cornell of the Associated church of this city in charge. The remains will then be taken to Ireton and services will be held at the Methodist church there at 2 o'clock with Rev. C. W. Tompkins, the pastor, in charge. Interment will be made in Pleasant Hill cemetery at Ireton.
Mary Ann Southwell, daughter of Charles and Elza Southwell, was one of a family of 18 children. She was born in Lincolnshire, England, March 27, 1844, and passed away Sept. 20, 1933, having attained the advanced age of 89 years, 5 months and 23 days. She came to America with her parents when five years old and they located at Marquette, Wis.
She came to Iowa when a young woman and for a time livedin. Clinton county where in 1866 she was united in marriage with George H. Houlton. To this union six children were born and the task of rearing the family was left to her when her husband passed away April 8, 1878, twelve years after their marriage.
The following year she moved to Elwood, Iowa, and in the spring of 1881 she moved to Sac county. In the spring of 1885 she came to Sioux county with her family, locating on a farm five miles northeast of Ireton. In 1898 she retired from the farm and moved to Ireton where she made her home for many years. In 1919 she went to Fergus Falls, Minn., and for five years she made her home there in order that she might be near her daughter, Mrs. Bailey, but nine years ago she returned to Ireton and lived there continuously until her fatal illness when she came to Hawarden to be with her daughter, Mrs. Taylor.
She was raised in the Methodist church and When she came to Sioux county she transferred her membership to the Methodist church in Ireton. She was a faithful worker in the church and her presence will be greatly missed in church circles.
She is survived by four children. Two children, twins, preceded her in death. Nelson Houlton passed away when 19 years of age and Mrs. J. F. Knowlton passed away at the age of 26 years. The children who survive her are Mrs. Olive Taylor of Hawarden; G. L. and C. B. Houlton of Ireton, and Mrs. Nettie Bailey of Barney, N. D. She also leaves 24 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren and three great great grandchildren. One sister, Mrs. Sarah Lewis of Council Bluffs, passed away last April at the age of 90 years.
Mrs. Houlton was known by all acquaintances as Grandma Houlton and was highly revered by all her associates.
Being left a widow early in life, she endured many hardships in the task of rearing her family which devolved entirely upon her. But she proved herself both a good mother and good provider for her family, always facing life bravely and never shirking a responsibility. She was unusually active for a woman of her years and until last spring she was able to look after her household duties and attend to a garden. She look great pride in her personal appearance and even in her last illness, when she lost many interests in life, she still expressed a desire to always be tidy and neat. Many outside the family circle will miss Grandma Houlton.