Charles C & Aurilla Lee Metcalf

METCALF LEE WHITNEY BOWER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/6/2010 at 23:04:07

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Charles C and Aurilla (Lee) Metcalf
By Loraine E Washburn

Charles C Metcalf was born early in 1836 or 1837, in New York or Pennsylvania, the son of Mendall Metcalf and Elizabeth Whitney. He probably came with his parents, by covered wagon, form Steuben County, New York, to Woodbury County in 1854 or 1855. He was married in Woodbury County on 4 May 1865 to Aurilla Lee. The History of Plymouth and Woodbury Counties state that he was probably the first white person to die in Grange Township. He died 26 April 1870 at age 33 years, 3 months and 12 days. He is buried in the small, unnamed cemetery in Grange Township, sharing a tombstone with his infant son. {2207 old Hwy 141 aka County Road D24 in 2010}

Aurilla F Lee was born 16 March 1847 in Illinois, the daughter of Eli Lee and Helen Bower. This family moved form Lake County, Illinois to Woodbury County in 1852. Aurilla’s brother, General Lorenzo Lee married Harriet Metcalf, a cousin of Charles. The Lee family farm was near Holly Springs, Iowa, and the cemetery there was once a part of the farm.

Aurilla remarried after the death of Charles to Edwin Nelson Seward in September 1873. Edwin was born in Connecticut and came to Woodbury County in 1870. He owned 138 acres in Section 23, and two acres in Section 24 of Willow Township and was still a resident there in 1917.

Charles and Aurilla had three children. Henry W Metcalf, born June 1866, died 3 June 1866, aged 1 day. He is buried by his father. Florence E, born in May of 1868 married Vance James Steele on 30 August 1887 in Woodbury County, and had eight children, one of whom was living in Sioux City in February of 1983. Mrs Charles ‘Nina’ Harbeck. Cora M was born 11 October 1870, after her father’s death.

The girls were raised by Mr Seward, and sometimes used that surname. Cora married in 1905 to Jerry O Steele. She died 13 May 1945 in Sioux City, and was survived by her husband. She is buried at Willow Township, Holly Springs, Iowa.

Edwin and Aurilla were parents of four children: Arthur, Gertrude, married to Mr Heck; Martin, born about 1880, married Rose Kelsey; and Clarence, born 19 March 1887, married Edna Eva Metcalf. Clarence died in December 1967, in Oakland, California.

Aurilla Lee Metcalf Seward died 8 May 1912 in Willow Township of Nephritis at age 67 years, 1 month and 2 days. She is buried in Willow Township Cemetery, Holly Springs.