Eason, Oscar 1890-1969 & Wives Family

EASON, POOLE, MOIR, TUCKER, FRERIKS, BAUSCH

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 6/15/2024 at 21:23:48

Eason, Oscar 1890-1969 and Wives – Grace Ella Moir and Susan Freriks Family

This story was taken from pages 353-354 of the Maurice Centennial Book (1891-1991). The story was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. Some research notes were added by Wilma J. Vande Berg

Oscar Eason, son of Susan (Pool) and Stephen Eason of Alton, Iowa, was born March 28, 1890, in Alton. He worked on the farm for George R. Moir and married the eldest daughter, Grace Ella in February, 1912.

They farmed the 240 acres of the south end of Sherman Twp., Section 36, property of his parents. This land was on the Plymouth-Sioux County line. At this time farming was still done with horse-drawn machinery, so an extra man known as a farm “hand” was employed during the busy summer months. At this time, corn, oats, some barley or rye, a field of sweet clover or red clover were the usual crops planted. Large acreages of oats were necessary in order to feed the many teams of horses used in the farm work, along with those kept for riding or hitching to the buggy.

Henry Ford’s cars were beginning to be used by some of the more prosperous residents, along with a few who drove heavier automobiles. Oscar’s brother, Stephen, had an old single cylinder Olds, which was stored in the haymow for several years. This car didn’t have a wheel, just a steering bar – it was quite an interesting piece of equipment.

By the years 1920 to 1925, tractors came into popular use, which necessitated new machinery to be pulled behind the tractor. His first tractor was a Fordson which he had in use many years, together with a later model of a John Deere. At this time, small acreages of alfalfa were planted, as it was previously considered to be a weed. Later years proved its value. The oats crop was large, and to have seed for the following year, a special bin was used to store the best oats grown, with the poorer oats being fed to the livestock. Often farmers would exchange seed with neighbors who might have had a better variety of oats. After tractors took over the work of the horses, the amount of oats raised was curtailed considerably.

At this time, hybrid corn was not known; neither was corn purchased from dealers, as it is now. Every farmer went through his field before the first frost, picking out the best ears. These had to be stored in a heated area, as seed which had been frozen would not produce. Oscar stored his seed in the attic. A bushel of seed corn off the cob would plant about seven acres. He had a special apparatus used for testing the seed, this duty being done every spring before planting time. Corn is expected to be in the ground between the first and tenth of May, in this area. This part of Iowa, is a large corn producing area.

Grace Eason died of cancer in 1918, leaving two little children, George and Mildred, to be raised. With the help of many family members, this was done. In 1920, he married a school teacher, Susan Freriks, daughter of Mary Freriks of Orange City. The family continued living on the same farm until the death of his mother, Susan Eason of Alton, in 1943, when the property was sold to settle the estate. Oscar bought a farm east of Alton, which he operated until his son Wayne took over the work. Another son, Norman Eason, was born and raised and has farmed near Carnes, for several years. Oscar passed away in March, 1969, and was buried in the family plot in Nassau Township Cemetery, Alton, Iowa.

Oscar Eason was a member of the Alton Presbyterian Church, serving the congregation as elder and trustee. He has always been active in civic affairs, serving on the school board (he was secretary of the Sherman Township school board for 15 years), has been on the Sioux County Board of Review for 17 years, was trustee of Sherman Township for 12 years, and was active in conservation work, where he served as chairman of the first AAA Committee in Sherman township.

(end of family story in the Maurice book)

RESEARCH Notes: From a family report on ancestry.com public member trees submitted by other than this submitter, and local obits from this web page.

Oscar Eason born 28 Mar 1890 Alton IA died 17 Mar 1969 Orange City IA. His parents were Stephen Eason born 1849 England died 1935 Alton IA, and Susan Poole 1862-1949. Oscar married # 1. Grace Ella Moir 22 Feb 1912 Sioux County IA, and he married #2 Susan Freriks 30 Aug 1920 Sioux County IA.

Wife #1 Grace Ella Moir born 3 Nov 1885 Maurice IA died 4 Jan 1918 Le Mars IA. She was the daughter of George Ross Moir 1855-1939 and Mary Florence Tucker 1862-1939. They had three children Stephen 1913-1913, George 1915-2004 and Mildred 1916-2011.

Wife #2. Susan Freriks born 28 Jan 1890 Orange City IA died 6 Mar 1962 Orange City IA. Her parents were Dirk Freriks 1858-1896 and Mary Bausch 1860-1935. They had two children Norman 1923-2015 and Wayne 1927-2018.

CHILDREN – First three are of wife Grace Moir and last two are of wife Susan Freriks.

1. Stephen Eason born and died 1913.
2. George Eason born 1915 died April 18, 2004 Orlando FL. Wife Koell Leela, sons David Eason of Cocoa FL, daughters Karen Eason Patterson of Parker, Colo. and Wendy Eason Jansen of Olympia, Wash
3. Mildred Eason born Dec 30, 1916 Alton IA died Feb 11, 2011 Cherokee, IA Married Bill Moorhead. (div) Their son Patrick Moorhead, surviving daughter in law Mrs. Patrick Linda Moorhead of Omaha NE.
4. Norman Eason born Jan 24, 1923 died May 29, 2015 buried Alton IA. Wife Bertha Johanna Aberson,  two daughters, Mary Eason, of Alton; and Joyce, and her husband, Perry DeGroot, of Titonka.
5. Wayne Eason born Feb 16, 1927 Carnes IA died Jan 26, 2018 buried Alton IA. He married Berry Jean Gorrell.  Children - son, Ernest Eason, of Orange City; his daughter and her husband, Delia “Dee-Dee” and Hampton McAda, of Yorktown, Texas

OBITUARY OF OSCAR EASON
From the LeMars Sentinel, Friday, March 21, 1969, Page 9, Column 4:
Oscar Eason, 78, Alton, died Monday at the Orange City hospital after a long illness. He was the father of George Eason, formerly of rural LeMars, now in Vietnam.
Mr. Eason was born March 28, 1890, at Alton. He was married to Grace Moir in 1912. She died in 1918 and he was married to Susan Freriks, Aug. 12, 1920 (error--Aug. 30). She died on March 7, 1962.
He farmed in Sherman and Nassau townships in Sioux county before retirement when he moved to Alton.
Funeral services were Friday at the Alton Presbyterian church, with Rev. John Maze officiating. Burial was in Nassau township cemetery at Alton under direction of the Van Etten funeral home at Orange City.
Survivors are a daughter, Mrs. Mildred Moorehead, Cherokee; three sons, George of Saigon, Vietnam; Norman of Orange City and Wayne of Alton; three sisters, Mrs. Emilia Koppenal and Mrs. Hilda Van Zyl, both of Venice, Fla.; and Mrs. Harry DeJong, Orange City; four brothers, John, Sanborn; Ernest, San Diego; Alvin, Algona, and Fred, Alton; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

OBITUARY OF GRACE EASON
Source: Maurice Times (1-10-1918)
Born: November 3, 1885 Died: January 4, 1918
DAUGHTER OF MR. GEORGE MOIR DIES SUDDENLY
The sad news came over the telephone early Friday morning January 4th that Mrs. Oscar Eason had passed away in the hospital at Le Mars following an operation for cancer. She had suffered for about four months, being bedfast most of the time, but bore her trouble with remarkable patience and fortitude.
Grace Ella (Moir) Eason, eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George R. Moir was born on the father’s farm southeast of town November 3, 1885 and here her girlhood was passed with the exception of a few years when the family resided in Oregon.
She was united in marriage to Oscar Eason on February 22, 1912 and together they began a very happy married life and when Heaven blessed their home with two little ones, their cup of happiness seemed indeed full.
She was ever a dutiful daughter, a kind and affectionate sister and a loving and devoted wife and mother.
Besides her grief stricken husband and the little ones, she leaves to mourn her early death, her parents, six brothers and two sisters, besides a host of relatives and close friends.

OBITUARY OF SUSAN EASON
Source: Sioux County Capital (3-15-1962)
Born: January 28, 1890 Died: March 7, 1962
Funeral services for Mrs. Susan (Freriks) Eason, 72, were held Saturday from the Van Etten Funeral Home with the Reverend Harold Preston of the Alton Presbyterian Church officiating.
Mrs. Eason died Wednesday, March 7, at the Orange City Municipal Hospital after six months of declining health.
She was born January 28, 1890 near Orange City. After graduation from Northwestern Classical Academy , she attended State Teachers College at Cedar Falls and was engaged in the teaching profession in this area for 13 years.
On August 30, 1920, she was united in marriage to Oscar Eason. To this union were born two sons, Norman Eason, now of Orange City and Wayne Eason of Alton.
Also surviving are two step-children, George of Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Mrs. Mildred Moorhead of Cherokee; nine grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Mary Vander Worf of Venice Florida and Mrs. Margaret De Vries of Glendale, California and one brother, William Freriks of Sioux City.
Preceding her in death were two sisters and three brothers.
She was a member of the United Presbyterian Church of Alton.
Interment was in the Nassau Township Cemetery.

Picture of Oscar Eason derived from the ancestry.com web page.

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