George Letson (1875-1938)

LETSON, LOCKRIDGE, WALDRON, ZWILLING, BALLIET, MILLER

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 12/3/2022 at 11:12:00

From Nevada Evening Journal November 30, 1938 (page 3)

Letson Family Closely Woven In Nevada History

When the body of George Letson, 64, Des Moines man, passed through the Letson Memorial entrance to the Nevada cemetery at 1:00 today, the last one bearing the name of Letson of a pioneer Nevada family wnet to its final resting place.

Geoge Letson, a widower who died childless, was the only son of Warren Letson who was also an only son of the pioneer old Letson family who for many years lived in a cottage on K avenue on the site of the present post office building.

The five daughters in the family have all passed away--they being Mrs. Lyda Lockridge, Mrs. Della Waldron and Mrs. Love Zwilling of Nevada, Mrs. Steve Balliet of Des Moines and Mrs. Miller of Cedar Rapids.

The Letson family played an important part in the early day history of Story county and Nevada.

Coming here with his family in the late '50s C. B. Letson located in Nevada and purchased from the government the ground upon which he established his home--the plot upon which the Nevada postoffice now stands. Taking the title directly from the government, that title never changed until it was deeded back to the government in the early part of 1937, by the descendants of the original purchaser.

One daughter, Dilla Letson, who later became Mrs. John Waldron and had her home in the same plot of ground, became one of the first school teachers in Nevada and was also, for many years, secretary of the Nevada Cemetery society.

Shortly after coming here Mr. Letson purchased and took title from the government to 200 acres of land in the north half of Section 35, Milford township. This land sold in 1868 to Story county as a location for the county farm--then as "The Poor Farm." In 1877 the county purchased the other 120 acres in the north half of the section from Nelson Baker and the full half section has been developed and improved until it is one of the outstanding institutions of the kind in the state.

Shortly after selling the Milford land to the county, Mr. Letson purchased a smaller tract of land just in the north edge of Nevada which was later owned by his daughter Mrs. Waldron and husband.

Two of the other daughters were married and lived their lives in Nevada--Lydia as Mrs. William Lockridge, the mother of a large family of children and Love, who became William F. Zwilling and lived here until a tragic accident in which both she and her husband lost their lives.

A few years ago shortly after the death of his wife George Letson had memorial gates erected at the north entrance to the Nevada cemetery, as a memorial to the Letson family.

Funeral services were held at the Harbach Funeral home in Des Moines this morning, after which the body accompanied by relatives and friends and a delegation of the Elks lodge of which he had long been an active member, was brought to Nevada.

Brief services were held at the family lot in the Nevada cemetery in charge of Rev. Jos. M. Kennedy. The funeral party arrived from Des Moines shortly before 1:00 p. m.