FRANK J. TETT

TETT, BAUSOR, CARVER, MENZEL, JOHNSON, PATTON, MCKINNEY, HIX, THATCHER, BRYANTS, KEWITT, HELLAND, LIGHTFOOT

Posted By: Tamara Jorstad (email)
Date: 9/15/2002 at 23:03:21

Published in the 1969 McCallsburg Centennial booklet:

Frank J. Tett Family

Frank J. Tett, who is now deceased, was a highly respected pioneer of Story County, who lived in the county over 70 years in the vicinity of McCallsburg. He took out his naturalization papers to become a citizen of the U.S.A. at the age of 19 years with a friend and they engaged in the Bakery business in Joliet, Illinois for five years.

On October 1878, he was married to Emma Bausor who also came from England in the year 1860 at age 3 years. Her parents were direct descendants of Prince Conde of France. The family lived adjoining the Lord Byron estate. Mrs. Tett's parents came to America by sail boat and were on the water 3 weeks with a family of eight children. They located near Joliet, Illinois. On October 22, 1878 Mr. Tett and Emma Bausor were married. That same fall the Tetts with Mr. and Mrs. James Carver accompanied by a niece, whose parents were deceased, came to Iowa.

The niece walked to Ashurst to a post office north west of Zearing to get their mail. She was later married to Charles Menzel who was also a pioneer of Story County. A brother of Mr. Carver invested in the land where they lived at less than $5 an acre. Tett and Carver helped with the grading of the Iowa Central Railroad as it was being built from Zearing to McCallsburg. They spent 2 days driving to Squaw Creek for the winter coal. The farm where they first lived is now occupied by Alwin Johnson. Two years later Mr. and Mrs. Tett moved to the Mrs. Patton farm now occupied by the McKinney family.

Their first child was born in a one room house. Mr. Tett had to drive to Colo for a doctor and got lost on the prairie after dark and finally landed at the old Hix farm between Zearing and Colo where he got assistance to go on. In time they moved to the farm known as the old Thatcher place now occupied by Jess Bryants. From there they moved to the Kewitt farm and finally bought the 240 acres farm in 1895 one mile east of McCallsburg where they lived for 20 years. This farm is now occupied by Delmar Helland and his family. In 1915 the family retired and built a home in McCallsburg now occupied by their only daughter. Three sons, Charles, William and Frank, Jr., mother and father are all deceased.

Mr. Tett, while living, made three trips back to his native land. On one trip he was accompanied by a close English friend and neighbor Mr. William H. Lightfoot of Zearing and in October 27, 1927, he and Mrs. Tett went to England for their golden wedding anniversary.