Dr & Mrs H B Hawthorn

HAWTHORN WAPLES

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/21/2010 at 21:21:03

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Dr and Mrs H B Hawthorn
By Miriam Baker Nye

Horace B Hawthorn, 1889-1981, and Hazel Waples Hawthorn, 1893-, were both born in Monona County, but resided for approximately half of their lives in Woodbury County, moving to Sioux City in 1943. ‘Dr Hawthorn’ was well known as an educator, author, and lecturer who also had a keen interest in farming.

He was a grandson of David T and Catherine Hawthorn (1856 settlers at Smithland, who lived in Woodbury County only two years before moving to Ida County for a short time, then to Monona County, where they bought farm land), and the son of William Franklin and Annie Masters Hawthorn. While H B was a small boy his father was Monona County Sheriff, and the family lived in Onawa, later returning to Idlewild Farm near Castana, where purebred Shorthorn cattle were raised. (H B’s brother and nephew, Fred and Bob Hawthorn published a history of the farm in 1976; Idlewild Farm – A Century of Progress, Graphic Publishing, Lake Mills.)

H B Hawthorn attended rural school in Center Township through the eighth grade, and graduated from Castana High School. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees at Iowa State College, where he was a champion debater. His PhD degree was earned at the University of Wisconsin. He taught sociology, five years at Iowa State College, four years at the (Municipal) University of Akron, Ohio, and twenty-seven years at Morningside College in Sioux City, retiring in 1958.

His best-known book, a college text, was The Sociology of Rural Life (Century Social Science Series), but he was proudest of having written, The Immortal Survival of the Human Personality. While at Akron, Ohio, he directed research for the associated charities known as the Better Akron Federation. He had served as supply pastor of the Prairie Center M.E. Church near Boone while teaching at Ames, and later was interim pastor of the Castana Community Church, and of the Ute Methodist Church. In his middle and later years he engaged in part-time farming of his land near Castana, operating a tractor despite the loss of one hand to cancer.

Hazel Waples and H B Hawthorn were married September 21, 1916 in the home of the bride’s parents, W H and Nora Livengood Waples, near Castana. Mrs Hawthorn studied at Iowa State College and the University of Wisconsin, eventually receiving her B.S. degree from Morningside College in 1947. She taught in elementary schools of Monona County, Castana, Sioux City, and Sergeant Bluff.

The couple had three children: Miriam Hawthorn Baker Nye, whose biographical sketch appears in the ‘Carl E Baker family’ portion of this volume; Clarice Hawthorn Watson of Eugene, Oregon, who is a retired librarian and the wife of Dr Donald A Watson, Professor Emeritus at the University of Oregon; and Duane Hawthorn of Sioux City and Minneapolis, manager of the Mid Continent Area Power Pool. Grandchildren are Kent and Dale Baker, Bruce and Brian Watson, Barbara (deceased), Connie, Susie, and Paulette Hawthorn. Great grandchildren are Nicholas and Jeffrey Baker.