Milton Howard Stockwell

STOCKWELL

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/18/2010 at 21:13:11

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Milton Howard Stockwell
By Arvid Olson

Milton Howard Stockwell, was born February 4, 1875, in Goodell, Iowa. He married Blanche Zike on September 1, 1900, in Fairfax, South Dakota. They had seven children. Milton died on July 26, 1945, in Herrick, South Dakota. He was buried at Floyd Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa. Children: Daisy (Sturges), born October 10, 1901, died April 10, 1938; Vida G (Olson), born December 17, 1902; Marjorie (Jensen) born August 1, 1904, deceased unknown; Elizabeth, born 1906, died December 19, 1908; Clytie (Linder), born January 1, 1909; Bill, born February 20, 1910, deceased unknown; and Donald, born May 14, 1912, deceased unknown.

Milton’s father was William Lewis Stockwell who was born September 20, 1855 in Sandusky, Ohio. William married May Helen (Lasher) on March 24, 1874, in Goodell, Iowa. They had eight children. William, died in Sioux City, on September 26, 1921. He was buried in Butte, Nebraska. Milton’s mother was Mary Helen ‘Della’ (Lasher) who was born February 4, 1858, in Anoka, Nebraska. She was buried in Butte, Nebraska. Mary was a hotel and restaurant manager in Anoka. William was a carpenter, and a saloon proprietor at Anoka. William at the age of thirteen moved to Iowa, with his parents until 1896. In 1896, the family moved to Naper, Nebraska, and in 1907 to Anoka, where they since resided. William was a man of many good qualities, a kind husband and father, who was always willing to help a friend.

Mary moved to Iowa with her parents at the age of thirteen, where she grew to womanhood and secured her education in the public schools. Mary and her husband, William, settled on a homestead near Naper, in Boyd County, later moving to Anoka, in March 1908, where they kept a hotel. Mary in her early life was converted and united with the United Brethren Church and remained a faithful Christian, dying in the triumph of a Christian faith. William Stockwell died in Sioux City in a hospital in 1921. They gave him some poison to kill the tapeworms and told him not to eat for twenty-four hours. Despite the warning he drank a glass of milk and whey and they couldn’t give him any more strychnine. He died on the operating table in Sioux City.

Milton spent his boyhood on a farm with his parents. William and Mary (Lasher) Stockwell, and began his teaching at the age of eighteen in the Goodell area. Milton’ s brothers and sisters were: Milton Howard, born February 4, 1875, died July 26, 1945; Elna Priscilla Sloan, born August 27, 1877, died August 26, 1927; Clarence Monroe, born October 28, 1878, died December 27, 1946; Johnnie Sylvester, born September 25, 1880, died September 9, 1981; Laura Lorinda ‘Leslie’, born Septembe r28, 1885, died September 16, 1966; Mary Beautrice ‘Mayme’ (Anderson), born March 26, 1889, died June 29, 1958; 2nd (Linnabery); Roy William, born January 7, 1891; Carrie Josephine (Bergstrom), born April 12, 1894, died February 13, 1935 or 36.

Milton was a school principal at Nickerson, Nebraska. Also he was a school teacher at Crofton, Nebraska; Westfield, Iowa; and Herrick, Nebraska District 20. Milton taught school in Marcus, Iowa, after he came to Sioux City in 1916 from Anoka, Nebraska, by train. He was a night clerk, at the Howard and West Hotel in Sioux City. He was home in the summertime; other times of the year he was teaching school. In the early 1930s Milton worked at a dairy weighing milk in Bonesteel, South Dakota. He was raised on the farm in Goodel, Iowa, but also lived at Gross, Nebraska and Sioux City.

In a letter of recommendation for Milton Stockwell by J M Matzen, County Superintendent of Schools, in Fremont, Nebraska, March 13, 1912, it was stated. ‘He is practical, thorough and comes before his classes knowing what he desires to accomplish in each recitation. He seems to be amply endowed by nature for the exacting requirements of the school room, is interested in his work and endeavors to make it rank with the best.’ He taught in both city and rural schools in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, and was Superintendent of schools for Boyd County, Nebraska, for twelve years.

Vaughn Stockwell remembers family members laughing about Milton’s lack somewhat of mechanical ability and a couple of times when he couldn’t get the Model T car stopped he just ran it into the fence. Milton is remembered as a good cook and housekeeper. In 1917, Milton resided at 4233 Van Buren (Leeds); 1918, Milton (clerk, Howard Hotel) and Blanche resided at 2024 Floyd Ave; 1920, Milton (tinner at Philip Bernard Co) and Blanche resided at 2008 Floyd Ave.