Noakes

NOAKES KISLING

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/24/2010 at 21:01:24

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Noakes Family
By Elmer E Noakes

My grandfather, Thomas E Noakes (also spelled Noaks, Nokes, Noks) was born in West Virginia per 1900 census, but other relatives insist he was born to Scotch parents during a stormy Atlantic crossing. They landed far north of their intended destination. Thomas was a railroader. He died about 1880. On September 7, 1871, he married Elizabeth C Kesling (Kisling) in Preble County, Ohio. Their children were Anna and Lee Ora Elmer. Grandfather Thomas E Noakes married again after Grandmother Elizabeth died, about 1876. Children to this marriage that I know of were: Charles, Walter and Clara.

Anna M Noakes was born November 7, 1872, and died February 10, 1944. On November 16, 1892, she married Vernon B Furrey, a farmer in Preble County, Ohio. Their children were: Carl B, 1893-1965; Neva M, 1895-1969; Walter J, 1896-1972; Wilson S, born in 1903 and now living in Dayton, Ohio; and Leonard R, 1910-1976.

Lee Ora Elmer Elsworth Noakes, my father, was born May 15, 1874, in Preble County, Ohio, and died May 5, 1949. He had been a factory worker, railroader, steam engineer, and farmer. His first marriage to Ada V Dalrymple, on December 24, 1896, at Eaton, Ohio. Ada was born March 17, 1880, and died February 17, 1901. They had two children: Charles and Myrtle. Charles William Noakes was born January 13, 1898, and died May 7, 1922, in South Dakota. On December 29, 1920, Charles was married to Lena Alverda Martin, who was born in 1903 in Missouri and died January 22, 1969, in Ohio. Charles and Lena had a daughter, Mary Alverda Noakes, born November 13, 1921, in South Dakota. Mary died in November 1938, in Ohio. Ora and Ada’s second child, Myrtle May, was born December 28, 1900, in Indiana; she died October 29, 1914, and is buried at Richmond, Indiana.

Ora E Noakes’ second marriage was May 7, 1902, to Anna M Swartz-Ramsey, daughter of Harrison and Malinda (Stotler) Swartz. She was born March 7, 1872, in Shenandoah County, Virginia. (Anna’s father had a sawmill.) Anna’s grandparents were Samuel S and Mary (Kilber) Swartz, farmers in Shenandoah County, Virginia. Ora and Anna had five children: Elmer Elsworth Noakes, born May 17, 1903; Preble County, Ohio, and now living in Sioux City, Iowa; Harold Noakes, born July 8, 1905, Preble County, Ohio, and died August 10, 1906; Raymond Arthur Noakes born March 8, 1908, Dayton, Ohio, and died November 9, 1982, at Amarillo, Texas; Lester T Noakes, born May 11, 1909, Dayton, Ohio; Lee Roy H Noakes, born May 11, 1909 and died May 26, 1909, Dayton, Ohio.

Anna Noakes died May 20, 1913, at Franklin, Ohio. A short time after his wife passed on, Ora E Noakes moved his family back to Dayton, Ohio, from Franklin, Ohio. He designed and constructed a self-contained travel wagon with living accommodations on evenings and weekends. He purchased a running gear that had wide tread channeled steel wheels with brakes.

On May 24, 1915, Dad and we four boys, Charles, Elmer Elsworth, Raymond Arthur and Lester, left Dayton, Ohio for the Black Hills of South Dakota. We stayed that night with Dad’s sister, Anna and her family on their farm near West Alexandria, Ohio. Dad left a sewing machine for cousin, Neva. He bought a couple of slabs of smoked bacon from Uncle Vernon. We had 100 pounds of dry beans, sacks of flour, and so forth. He next morning we headed west. Dad had five dollars in his pocket.

We experienced rain, muddy roads, very little wok, the loss of two horses, short rations, and many meals of just greens. We made camp the evening of August 20 about 60 rods from the Old Half Way Station northwest of Jefferson, South Dakota. Dad decided to settle there as threshing would be over in western South Dakota before we could get there. He built a log cabin near there and we used it for living quarters for a couple of years. We unloaded the travel wagon and used it for a bunkhouse. Dad bought a threshing outfit. We started farming for ourselves in 1918.

My father, Ora E, was married for the third time on October 11, 1923, to Lena Alverda (Martin) Noakes, widow of Charles, at Elk Point, South Dakota. Children born to this marriage were: Alverna and Henry. Alverna Marcella Noakes was born July 28, 1924, and died October 20, 1940.. Henry Craton Noakes was born July 7, 1931, at Eaton, Ohio.

Raymond Arthur Noakes, my brother, was married November 14, 1936, to Florence Rehfeldt, who was born September 25, 1909. Raymond was a minister. They had two children, Dorothy and David. Dorothy Mae Noakes, born October 19, 1937, at Decatur, Illinois, was married to Bennie Wilson Lowe on December 25, 1956. Their child, Wade Esten, was born February 15, 1968, in Arizona. Dorothy has a good position with her company. David Arthur Noakes, born June 29, 1942, at Havana, Illinois, married Bertha Huffman on November 16, 1962, Bertha was born August 16, 1962. Bertha was born August 16, 1943, in Oklahoma. Their children are: Justen Ray, born May 12, 1971, in Texas; and Melisa Diane, born December 27, 1978, in Texas.

Lester T Noakes, my brother, married Mollie ‘Moe’ Beckman. They had no children.

I, Elmer E Noakes, was married November 7, 1925, to Emily Josephine Provost. She was born January 2, 1909, in Union County, South Dakota, and died June 15, 1958. Our children are Viola Faye and Mary Maxine. On October 27, 1962, I was married for the second time to Nelsena Belle (Reed) Green. She was born May 21, 1905, at Mapleton, Iowa, the daughter of Lester E and Jesse Belle (Lewis) Reed.

My older daughter, Viola Faye Noakes, was born August 20, 1926, at Joy Hollow in Plymouth County, Iowa. Her first marriage was to T. Sgt. Louis Cowley on January 4, 1944. He was born June 8, 1921, in Illinois and died June 12, 1944. He was shot down over Germany. They had no children.

Viola was married for the second time to July 12, 1946, to Walter Austin Winkler, who was born January 28, 1925, at Sioux City. Walter is a railroader and a carpenter. Their children are: Linda Faye, born February 18, 1948, was married October 2, 1966, to Robert Clinton LaFleur, a twin born June 18, 1947. Their children are Amy Rachelle LaFleur, born December 2, 1974, Sioux City, and Chad Robert LaFleur, born May 30, 1976, Sioux City. Robert LaFleur is a carpenter contractor. Linda (Winkler) LaFleur is Credit Manager for a large packing company. Michael Walter Winkler born February 22, 1953 at Sioux City, was married June 15, 1973, to Maryann Mouw, who was born April 21, 1953, at Sioux City. Their children are: Mathew Michael, born March 6, 1979, at Sioux City; Marann Marie, born September 26, 1980, at Sioux City; and Mark Walter, born October 21, 1983. Michael is a draftsman and sales manager.

My younger daughter, Mary Maxine Noakes, was born July 19, 1930, at Sioux City. She was married to Glenn Roy Chesley on November 14, 1948. Glenn was born November 11, 1928, at Sloan, Iowa. Their children are: Rick Glenn, born January 27, 1951, at Sioux City; Randy Donald, born August 4, 1965, Sioux City; and Russell Craig, born December 29, 1959, also at Sioux City. Rick Glenn Chesley was married January 29, 1972, to Duwanna Jean Torno, who was born December 4, 1953, at Sioux City. Their children are: Jeremy David, born August 21, 1972; and Jason Rick, born August 18, 1975, at Sioux City. Rick Glenn is in stock control and purchasing.