Jeffrey Family

JEFFREY JAFFRAY NAIRN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 8/27/2010 at 20:53:52

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Jeffrey Family
By Harriet Jeffrey Westover

James Jeffrey (Jaffray), an early Salix-Sloan area pioneer, was born on December 27, 1831, at Hillburn, Ayton, Scotland. He became an apprentice to his uncle, a wagon maker, at Swinton. From his cousins he learned the blacksmith trade. On June 23, 1853, he was married to Georgiana Sinclair Nairn, a daughter of James and Margaret Robertson Nairn of the neighboring town of Coldingham. They began their married life in Glasgow with James continuing in his trade of a wagon maker. Their first son, James Nairn Jeffrey, was born in Glasgow, March 1854. Their second son, George Sinclair Jeffrey, was born in Simprim, November 1856. James and Georgiana Jeffrey with their two sons, James N and George, set sail for America on May 26, 1858. Georgiana’s brothers, John and James Nairn, had come to America in the early 1850’s and had sent back glowing reports of opportunities in America. James and Georgiana and their two sons landed at New York City after three weeks at sea. They went immediately to Burlington, Iowa, and to the home of James Nairn. At Burlington James continued to make wagons and carriages, and do blacksmithing. The oldest Jeffrey daughters were born in Burlington, Margaret Robertson on April 15, 1860, and Magdalene ‘Mittie’ on April 25, 1862. In 1865 the Jeffrey’s moved to Kirkwood, Illinois. On November 30 of that year the youngest daughter, Sarah, was born.

In 1877 the Jeffrey’s moved to Woodbury County, Lakeport Township, intrigued by reports of land for $1.25 per acre. They followed John Nairns who in 1870 had established a lumber mill in Lakeport Township near Salix. The Jeffrey’s built a home on their farm from lumber (mostly walnut) cut at the Nairn Mill. James and his son, James N farmed the land. George taught school at Albaton, Margaret at Sloan, and Mittie at the Wray School east of Sloan. The elder James Jeffrey’s moved to Sloan in 1892. Georgiana Nairn Jeffrey died in May, 1910, in Sloan, and James Jeffrey died in January, 1918.

James Nairn Jeffrey continued to farm the land north of Sloan. He married Anna Hilts, sister of Dr Mark Hilts. James loved to have fun and built toys and carnival games. After his retirement and divorce he moved into the family home with his sister, Mittie. James Nairn Jeffrey died in Sloan in 1940.

George married Harriet Hamaker, September 10, 1885, at Byron, Illinois. Harriet was a sister of Salome who married to William Wray who farmed east of Sloan. George in 1885 became a bookkeeper for Chapin Bros/ Bank and in 1889 became cashier for the Farmers State Bank in Sloan. In 1893 the Sloan State Bank (Chapin Bros. Bank) and the Farmers State Bank merged and George S Jeffrey was elected Cashier of the Sloan State Bank. He held that position until January 1, 1934 (forty-one years) when he retired. George and Harriet had four children. Cecelia Irene was born July 29, 1886, at Sloan. She taught school (Latin) after graduating from Grinnell College. Cecelia then became an Executive Secretary in the YWCA serving at Council Bluffs, Iowa; Durham, North Carolina; Buffalo, New York; Evansville, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois; and Summit, New Jersey. She also during this time earned a Masters Degree in Sociology from Columbia University. After retiring, she returned to Sloan and was active in many community activities particularly in the Sloan Library. She passed away in May 1977. Georgiana Sinclair was born in July 1889 at Sloan. After graduating from the Sloan High School, she went to Morningside College and taught at the Manley School north of Sloan. She then went to the University of Nebraska and graduated in Home Economics. In June 1914 she married C Edward Westover. They had two children, Jeffrey Alan and Harriet Cecelia. Ed Westover was a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nebraska and the family moved about the country7. Ed and Georgiana retired in Sloan in 1965. Georgiana passed away in 1968. Ed died in 1970. Their daughter lives in Sloan, teaches Speech and Art at the Westwood Schools in Sloan. Donald J Jeffrey was born September 13, 1891, in Sloan. In High School he was quite a baseball player. He served as an Ensign in the Navy during World War I. Don was a graduate of the University of Michigan in Accounting. He was an accountant and tax consultant in Chicago most of his life. Don married Lucille Della Croce, October 10, 1931, in Chicago. In 1968 Don and Lucille moved to Sloan and lived in the George and Harriet Jeffrey home. Don passed away, January 24, 1971. Lucille has continued to live in Sloan and in the same house. William B Jeffrey was born on October 31, 1893, in Sloan at the family home at 6th and Evans. After graduating from the Sloan High School he attended the University of Nebraska and their law school. During World War I he served with the Army. He married Margaret Horn, October 20, 1920. They had one son, William B Jeffrey, Jr. Bill owned and operated the Sloan Mercantile Company for forty years. In January 1955 he became President of the Sloan State Bank and is still, at age ninety, serving the Bank as President. Bill has been an active member of the Congregational Church, the town, and the American Legion. The George Jeffrey family has been an active part of the Sloan/Salix area from the early beginnings and has been active in the development of it.

Margaret R Jeffrey taught school in Sloan until she married Dr Mark Brownson Hilts on January 1, 1890. They had five children: George, Helen (who died in infancy), James, Margaret, and Sarah (who died as an infant). Dr Hilts was one of the early physicians in Sloan. He was an active citizen in the community serving as mayor. George Hilts married Ottile Broadsack and after her death married Emma Polly. George and Ottile had three children: John Mark Hilts, William Harold and James Arthur. George Hilts was an undertaker, furniture store owner and he was a civic-minded individual serving the community as a mayor. Mittie Jeffrey never married. She like Margaret taught first country school and then in the Sloan school. She was very active in the Congregational Church. Sarah Jeffrey taught school in Sloan and married a fellow teacher, William D Buckley who later became a lawyer in Sloan, then Sioux City. They had four children: Margaret, Oliver, Juliet, and Dorothy. Margaret married Dr Aaron Franklin Shull who was a professor at the University of Michigan. Oliver E Buckley married Clara Lane and they had four children. Oliver was President of the Bell Labs. Juliet married Thomas Mills and they had two girls. Juliet ran a Quaker School. Dorothy Buckley was an Elementary School principal at An Arbor, Michigan. All of the Jeffrey family has been interested in education and community service.