George Enos & Lucinda Howard Stansbury

STANSBURY HOWARD

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/18/2010 at 20:28:54

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

George Enos and Lucinda (Howard) Stansbury
By K Elaine Stansbury

George Enos was born May 6, 1876, in Osmond, Nebraska. He was the second of eight children born to Milron and Elizabeth (Howard) Stansberry. Four of these eight children died in infancy but Milron, Elizabeth, and their four living children eventually moved to Sioux City and resided here until their deaths.

From Osmond, Nebraska, the Stansberry family moved to Fayette County, Iowa, where Milron farmed until he and his wife moved to Sioux City in 1905. While living in Fayette County their son, George, married Lucinda Howard, September 1, 1897. They lived and farmed there until 1923. George’s eldest son, his parents, two brothers and a sister had moved to Sioux City earlier so it became their decision to move to Sioux City also. Not happy with city living, they left Sioux City in 1925 to farm forty acres in Granton, Wisconsin, on a share renting basis. This farm was not adequate to meet their needs so they rented a two hundred acre dairy farm in Neilsville, Wisconsin. This proved to be a bad decision as George’s health was such that it made it hard for him to do the heavy work even though Lucinda helped with the haying and the shocking of the small grains, as did their two youngest sons. While on this farm, milk prices dropped, causing them to become discouraged so they again returned to Sioux City where they lived throughout the remainder of their lives.

After returning to Sioux City, George worked at Curtis Sash and Door Company located on West Fourth Street between Bluff and Perry Streets. His job was that of a Door Bundler and this was his place of employment until he retired at the age of 65 years. After his retirement he fixed a little shop on the back of their property where he installed a jig-saw. He enjoyed his wood working hobby of making corner shelves, step stools and swinging wooden horses for his grandchildren. A sober, honest man, George died February 23, 1950 following complications from gall surgery.

Lucinda was born in a sod house, August 20, 1870, in Knox County, Nebraska, to a farmer, William Ezra and Emily Melvina (Burgess) Howard. She lived there with her family until she was nine years of age and has told her children that the Indians (who were friendly) often would peek in their windows and that her father frequently bartered with them. She was the second of seven children, all of whom lived to marry and raise their families. William, Emily and their children moved to Fayette County, Iowa, where William was to become an established, respected farmer and horse breeder. After Lucinda and George married, they also resided in Fayette County for thirty-two years and became the parents of eight children, all of whom were born in Fayette County. They were the following:
1(Pearl Grace, born in 1898. She married Levi Mathys, they were the parents of two daughters.
2( Iva Marie, born in 1900, who married to Enoch Holm. They became the parents of nine children.
3( George Howard, born in 1902, married Helen Marousek.
4( Mary Evelyn, born in 1904. He married Roland Bartlett, they had two daughters.
5( Ezra, born in 1907, married Daisey Mead. Ezra has two children by a former wife, Lois Greiner.
6( Emily Elizabeth, born in 1909, married Bennie Whitlock. They became the parents of seven children.
7( Leo Laroy born in 1913, married K Elaine Flint. They are the parents of three sons.
8( Ralph Frances born in 1915, married Freda Thorp. He and his deceased wife had five children.
All children are presently living with the exception of George Howard. He died in 1934. He and his wife were childless.

Lucinda was always a hard working woman through out her life. She and her children tended a large garden and chickens plus their many other chores while on the farm. Great amounts of food was canned and root vegetables stored in the cave to last them through the long winters. Only their staples were purchased. Following fifty-three years of marriage to George she came to know complete loss and unhappiness after his death. She suffered a heart attack, October 28, 1954, while at the home of her son, Ralph, who lived at Newcastle, Nebraska. Services and burial were in Sioux City, Iowa.

As noted there are variations as to the spelling of the surname Stansbury. Orginally George used to spelling of Stansberry; however his father, grandfather and uncles used various spellings of the name.