James Gilbert & Alma Alcock Hennum

HENNUM ALCOCK OLSON WOLFF

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/21/2010 at 22:41:49

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

James Gilbert and Alma Alcock Hennum
By Elsie McFarland

James Gilbert Hennum, only son of Erik and Maria Olson Hennum, was born June 13, 1872, at Albaton, Monona County, Iowa. The family, James and his four sisters attended the Norwegian Skein Lutheran Church at Albaton with James a member of the second confirmation class. Jim attended country school but didn’t go to high school. He graduated from Northwestern Business College in Sioux City in 1891. In late 1891 Jim bought the store-post office from Eggleston and Joslin and his first farm at Maple Landing, inland town southwest of Whiting, Iowa.

Alma Alcock was born December 20, 1874, at Winterset, Iowa, to John Henry and Melissa Wolff Alcock. In 1882 they moved to a farm near Onawa, Iowa, where Alma attended school. She married James Hennum at the Methodist Church in Onawa on March 1, 1896. The ceremony was performed by Rev G W Carr, President of Morningside College.

James brought his bride to Maple Landing where she helped manage the country store. On Mondays Jim went to Whiting, the nearest railroad town, for supplies and sold his poultry and eggs, collected during the week to the highest bidder. Tuesday through Friday he had four routes to the country around with his huckster wagon where he sold wares to the farmers and picked up the farmers’ eggs and poultry. February 8, 1908, Elsie Cecil, their only child, was born.

In 1917 Jim bought the Johnny Johnson General Store in Sloan at 5th and Evans. The family moved in March 1918 to their home at 509 Evans.

Memories of early days in the general store are many and varied. In winter months, the pot-bellied stove beckoned to friends to enter and catch up on friendly chatter as they did their trading. The aroma of that Peaberry coffee as it was ground in the coffee grinders was unforgettable. Merchandise sold from boxes or barrels were sugar, both brown and white, dried vegetables, some kinds of flour, cookies, vinegar, and kerosene. Candy was placed from the barrel to glass dishes or flared, oblong metal pans in the candy showcase. Farmers came to the store on Saturday night with their eggs in cases of 12 dozen. The merchant paid a man to stand and candle the eggs. An expandable device lifted the three dozen eggs over a light which revealed spots or dark eggs. The candling job usually lasted from right after supper until well after midnight. The farmer was paid for his eggs with groceries in trade or coins bearing the merchants name and amounts of 5 cents, 10 cents, twenty-five cents, fifty cents or $1.00. A general store sold many items of food, kerosene, men’s clothing and hats, yard goods, patterns, shoes and overshoes – both men’s and women’s, blankets – mainly a sheet type double blanket that folded in the center, and other miscellaneous items.

With the 1930’s came the Great Depression to the United States and the town of Sloan. One Monday evening after the close of business, Jim and Alma retired to the office where they busied themselves with accounts and figures far into the night. After consulting earnestly with themselves, their hearts and God, they composed a brief letter to all their customers forgiving their debts. Bills ranging from a few dollars to more than $1,000 were wiped off the books. Many magazines and newspapers ran columns. Many letters were received by the Hennums.

On December 28, 1942, general rings over the country lines gave the message that Hennum’s were selling their stock of goods at bargain prices. In less than two hours the store was literally jammed. Four days of these sales and James Hennum’s General Store in Sloan was closed.

James served on the town council and as President of the Sloan School Board. He was a member of Weston Masonic Lodge and both the and Alma were members of Athena Chapter, Order of Eastern Star. Alma was charter member of Tuesday study Club.

James and Alma celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on March 1, 1946, with an Open House at the home of their daughter. They were also feted by the Masons and Eastern Stars at the Masonic Temple in the evening.

Alma died January 31, 1951, and James in April 21, 1952. Both are buried at Fairview Cemetery, Albaton.