W.R. Gifford

GIFFORD DAVIS ANDERSON TOWNSEND

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/7/2010 at 19:10:17

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

W R Gifford
By Vesta Gifford

William R Gifford was born in Rush County, Indiana, in 1842, the son of Manly and Sarah Davis Gifford. On his father’s side of the family he was of Scotch-English descent and on his mother’s side, German descent.

Two years after William R was born, the Gifford family went to Jasper County, Iowa, where he was reared and educated. He stayed there until 1862, when he went to Oregon to engage in mining. He returned to Jasper County in 1866 and married Harriet E Anderson, who was born in 1846. Her parents were William and Mary Ann Townsend Anderson. At various times the Anderson family lived in Nebraska and at Monroe, Iowa.

In 1882, the Giffords moved to Westfork Township, Woodbury County, Iowa. Here Mr Gifford bought one hundred acres of land, which he improved with groves of trees and a large orchard.

Mr and Mrs Gifford had four children: Alice E, a teacher, born in 1868; Frank R, a farmer; Charles H, a farmer and techer, born in 1871; and Ada E, a homemaker, born in 1885.

The family lived in a small house until a large two-story house built. The house and well-kept yard were a shown place in the area. Mr Metcalf, from Hornick, built the house from lumber all cut beforehand. The bricks were hauled there twelve years before the construction began. These were used for the chimneys.

Alice E Gifford taught school and later married Alphonso Van Nest and lived in Sioux City where Mr Van Nest carried mail, first with a horse and mail cart. To this union were born twin girls, Helen and Marie, teachers, and a sister, Frances, who survives and lives in Sioux City. None of the three married.

Frank remained on the farm and, after the death of his father, in 1918, cared for his mother and sister, Ada. Besides farming, the family raised large gardens and canned fruits and vegetables in great quantities as well as drying apples and sweet corn on long tables. Harriet Gifford, the mother, was a fine housekeeper and devoted mother, greatly loved by her family and grandchildren, and those who knew her well.

Charles married Clementina Metcalf in 1895 and bought `60 acres of land six miles south of Moville. To this union were born: Earle H; Ethel E, who was stillborn; and Vesta M. When Earle was eleven years old, in 1907, their father, Charles, was tragically killed by lightning while milking in the barn. Mrs Gifford, shortly, moved into Moville to raise the children. Earle finished high school and went into the Army, serving during World War I, 1918. In 1942, he married Maude Simons. He became a plumber and continued in the trade until retirement. In 1978, he passed away, from several complications. His widow lives in Moville.

Vesta finished high school in Moville and had four years at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. She taught in the rural schools; in Climbing Hill, Iowa; Correctionville, Iowa; and in Sioux City, Iowa, until her retirement in 1972. She is the last of the family of W R Gifford to carry the name. She lives in Moville, Iowa, and devotes her time to flower gardening, helping in Sunday school, reading each week to pre-schoolers at the library, and to various civic organizations.

Ada Gifford, the last of W R Gifford’s family, lived alone many years after her mother and brother, Frank, passed away. In 1973, she retired to Kingsley, Iowa, and passed away in 1979.

At one time there was a schoolhouse west of the Gifford farm, and on the southeast of the farm were a blacksmith shop, a store, and a post office. This was known as Giffordsville.