James Cater Currier

CURRIER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/12/2010 at 22:21:48

Woodbury County HIstory 1984

James Carter Currier
By Constance H Baker, Marjorie Currier Howe, and Bernice Currier

James Carter Currier (born May 2, 1830, died January 9, 1921) was the eleventh and last child of Moses (born June 1, 1784, died June 22, 1845) and Mary Carter Currier (born August 13, 1787, died May 4, 1875), born in Topsham, Vermont. His father as well as his grandfather, Thomas (born March 14, 1745-?) were born in New Hampshire. Thomas’ father, Jonathan (born February 7, 1698-?), his father, Richard, (born April 12, 1673, died February 8, 1747-8) and his father, Thomas (born March 8, 1646, died September 27, 1712) were all born in Salisbury or Amesbury, Massachusetts. The forefather of the Currier line, Richard, was born in England about 1616 as evidenced by a map of that date naming the seventy-one families to be found the town of Salisbury, and eventually, nearby Amesbury, Massachusetts.

The first Richard was a planter and millwright. He built a sawmill in 1656. An amazing similarity is the fact that six generations and 239 years later, James Carter would be one the early residents and founders of Salix, Iowa; and among other things would build a lumberyard. In 1853, James Carter married Sarah C Harriman (born August 29, 1832, died June 29, 1906) and they had two sons, Ethan Brock (born September 8, 1854, died December 7, 1922) and James William (born 1856, died February 12, 1945).

James Carter started the first dollar store in the East, in Pittsfield, Masschusetts. After its success, he sold it and used the money to, at the age of forty-eight, pack up and move his family to Woodbury County, Iowa. There they purchased land and as one of the earliest resident helped to found the town of Salix. They built a small wooden one-room ‘Currier School House’, a Methodist Church, lumberyard, the bank of J C Currier & Sons (1886), a drug store, barber shop, social hall and a very fine farmhouse outside of town. Later James W built his house next door, and Ethan Brock built his across the street. Both sons worked in the bank.

Ethan married Martha Jane Emmick on August 14, 1884, in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. Martha was a school teacher. They had five children: Grace Mae, born November 12, 1886, died September 5, 1961; twins, Harold James and Ada Blanche, born September 1888; Bernice Etha, born June 11, 1890, and Marjorie Iva, born September 5, 1901. All five children were born and raised in Salix on their farm.

Grace left to go to college at Northwestern, from which she graduated in 1911. She then went to Germany and spent a year taking graduate work at the University of Berlin. She returned to the U.S. and completed her M.A. at the University of Chicago. She was hired as principal of the high school in Pawpaw, Illinois. Three years later she went back to school at Columbia University. In 1919 she applied and was accepted for missionary work as the directress of an orphanage in Grenoble, France, where she spent five years. She returned to this country and worked in the field of nutrition in orphanges and the retired teacher’s home in Long Beach, California. As a hobby, Grace painted gorgeous mult-colored flowers on several vases and jardinieres which are extremely valuable to our family.

Ada was a school teacher for a short time in Luton, Iowa, having graduated from Morningside College. She then moved to Washington, DC, and got a job as secretary to the Secretary of State. There she began going to the Methodist Church where they seated the parishioners alphabetically. Besider her was Robert Caylor, whom she eventually married. They moved to Alabama and had a son, Robert, who married and had two daughters, Patricia and Dorothy. Both married and had two children.

Harold married Jewell Taylor and they had six children. They will tell his story.

Bernice left to go to Chicago and become an RN. Marjorie, last but not least, came to the University of California at Berkeley, after one year at Morningside College. She graduated and became a teacher. On June 29, 1928, she married Albert Jennings Howe, born October 15, 1896, and they settled in Oakland, California. On May 14, 1929, a daughter, Constance Mae, was born. Because of the depression, Al, a graduate of Polytechnic School of Engineering in Oakland, could not find work so he took a job at the Department of Motor Vehicle in San Francisco, but found it better to commute across the bay from Oakland. Marjorie started working and Bernice, ater ten years of nursing, came West to baby-sit Connie.

In 1934, Al was transferred, so the family moved to Sacramento. Marjorie also got a job at the DMV, so she and AL worked in the same building until their retirement. On June 7, 1935, a son, Albert James, was born. Bernie continue to live with and care for her sister’s children until 1944 when she retired to Long Beach with her sister, Grace. As a hobb, Marjorie enjoys crocheting and knitting. Al has a very fine collection og gen and lapidary equipment that he uses to make beautiful bolo ties and other jewelry.

Connie’s first marriage lasted two years but gave her a daughter, Debra Lynn, born August 18, 1949. Bernie and Grace moved to Sacramento in 1952 in order to care for Debra while Connie worked, also at the DMV building. On June 7, 1953, Connie married Wallace Ellroy Baker, born January 23, 1928. They bought a home and had two more daughters, DeAnn Lauri, born May 22, 1957, and Lauri Lynn, born March 21, 1961. Connie fills her spare time with golf, beekeeping, making furniture and stained glass windows. Bernie and Grace bought a home two blocks away where Bernie still lives and cares for herself, her house, and her yard at the age of ninety-three! Bernie enjoys reading, gardening and her pet cat, Princess.

Wally was by employment a furniture upholsterer, but by desire a race car driver, a hobby which earned him the nickname of ‘crazy-wheels’. He was to become quite a local champion, racing for twenty-four years.

Debra is quite personable and intelligent, and her strength has brought her through many adversities. She married Al Reinhardt, born June 10, 1952, on April 30, 1978. They liver near San Diego, California, where Debbie is in the mortgage end of the real estate business and Al raises kiwis and avocadoes and is studying for a career in the computer field. They took a barn shell, and with their own four hands turned it into a beautiful home. AL and Debbie are both avid readers, and their newly discovered love is snow skiing. Al also loves to try and outsmart the fish!

DeAnn is completing her last year at California State University in Sacramento for a B.A. in Environmental Science. During her late teens she got a summer job as a waitress in Big Sur, California, a beautiful resort on the coast, and worked there for four summers. For the last three years she’s worked in the bakery at Raleys Supermarket. She is now manager of the bakery and delicatessen. She loves playing softball, tennis and working with stained glass.

Lauri is now at California State University, Sacramento, pursuing her B.A. in Child Development, for which she recently received a scholarship. She hopes to some day teach young children. She has worked for her dad, Wally, running the upholstery shop office for three years and is now Vice President. She has a tremendous love of animals and is presently training her yearling colt. She is also a certified scuba driver, but spends most of her weekends four-wheeling with her boyfriend’s jeep club.

Albert James Howe, after graduation form Cal Poly in San Louis Obispo, went to Inglewood, California, and attended Northrop Aeronautics College. From thre he came back to Sacramento and got a job as a senior draftsman for Aerojet. After a few years he joined his dad, Al Howe, in the insurance business, which Al started after finding that retirement did not fulfill his ambitious nature. Jim married Jean Scott on February 10, 1973, and they had a son, Brian, born March 18, (1986?) who is a sophomore in ght school. Brian has been on several winning little league teams, and enjoys working at his dad’s shop during vacations. Jim and Jean are in the process of a divorce. AL and Jim sold the insurance business and Jim now operates two tire and wheel cover shops with the help of his dad, now eighty-seven and going strong. Since a toddler, Jim has been fascinated by airplanes. He got his pilot’s license at nineteen. His greates thrill is flying.

Ethan Brock’s brother, James Wm married Ann Edgecumbe and they had a daughter, Dora, born February 16, 1889, died ?. She married Clarence Holman and they had two sons, Currier and Grant.

We are proud of all our ancestors but we would like to pay special tribute to Bernice Currier, as she is now the longest living membr of our family, as far as we know. She has spent her life helping others, abstaining fromtobacco, alcohol and profanity. She never complains or feels sorry for herself and never imposes on others, hurts their feelings, or fails to take an interest in them. If this is due in any part to being ‘Iowa born and bred’, then Congratulations Iowa!