C A Hickman

HICKMAN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/21/2010 at 22:53:17

History of Woodbury County, IOwa 1984

C A Hickman

He liked to work on his cars, and his family always maintained that even if a car was working well, he would take it apart to see what made it work! At various times he owned the following makes of cars: Stanley Steamer, an electric car, Pope Toledo, Moon, Briscoe, Chalmers, Model T Ford and Dodge.

Six children were born to this couple: Leon, Wilbur, Mildred, Lois, Alice and Addison. They had eleven grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren (at this writing).

The family was members of Grace Methodist Church, Edith and Charles having joined in 1897. Charles was member of the Masonic Order and of the Shriners. Both were charter members of the Morningside chapter of Eastern Star. Edith was a charter member of the Sorosis Study Club.

Charles was especially interested in nature; the family camped for several years at Brown’s Lake; in 1917 they built and enjoyed for many years one of the first cottages at Methodist Camp on Lake Okoboji. Edith and Charles were good fisherman, and spent many early morning hours trolling.

Charles was an excellent photographer, and took home movies in the early days of that art. He also was an early day radio enthusiast and built his own sets. He was fond of music. Also interested in Indian artifacts and other Americana, he furnished one of the rooms in their home, after the children had grown, as a private museum.

Edith was an avid reader, a good organizer, and an excellent conversationalist as well as a fine listener. She was especially noted for her penmanship, a vertical, rather than slanted, version of Spencerian; her writing was beautiful and extremely legible. She enjoyed corresponding with friends and continued to write letters even beyond her 100th year. She also occasionally wrote short personal essays for her friends about such subjects as a sunflower, time, or an elegant black dress. She died at the age of 102 on May 28, 1979.

In the first letter of her memoirs, written during her 100th year, in 1976, Edith wrote: ‘I have lived 99 years. Many things have changed since my childhood, but such changes come slowly and are little noticed as we live them. It is when we look back that we realize the differences. However, I think it is important to note that many things remain the same. People continue to have hopes and frustrations, joys and sorrows, and they continue to make their individual lives as constructive and meaningful as possible in the course of their day-by-day living.’